This Life, I Will Save The Duke (20 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 5
It was a morning bathed in warm sunlight.
Anna and I arrived in front of the greenhouse deep within the palace. Warm sunlight streamed through the glass, and in one corner sat a large swimming pool alongside it.
The palace staff called this place “The Princess’s Secret Greenhouse.”
It earned that name because, aside from when Ariel entered, it was always kept locked.
Lylas was a small blue flower, fragrant and alluring, while Zaphros’s flower was white and scentless. Both blooms, true to their demonic origin, possessed a strong power to bewitch people.
In my previous life, palace servants, enchanted by Lylas’s fragrance, unknowingly plucked and ate the flowers, inevitably turning violent and attacking others. Knowing this, Ariel had installed a lock right from the start this time.
“Aren’t you going in?”
Anna’s voice pulled Ariel’s mind back to reality.
“Let’s just head back today.”
After closing and locking the greenhouse door she’d opened, she headed toward the North Palace, where her quarters were located.
***
“Lady Ariel, Lord Ludvian is waiting in the audience chamber.”
Just as she returned to the North Palace and was changing out of her trousers into a dress, a servant delivered the message. Whenever Ariel prepared oil from the demonic flowers, Ludvian would periodically come to collect it.
He must have come today to receive the Lylas and Zaphros oils. She took two bottles from the glass display cabinet where the oils were stored, placed them in a paper box, and headed to the audience chamber.
“You’ve come, Ludvian.”
She held out the paper box to him.
“Aren’t you taking it?”
Ludvian, leaning deep into the sofa with one long leg crossed over the other, stared silently at Ariel before giving a meaningful smile.
“You’re twenty this year, aren’t you?”
“…What?”
This was the period when that vile demon began openly extending his claws toward Ariel. In her past life, Ariel had been instantly captivated by his sculpted looks, so he claimed her heart without even trying.
Since he wasn’t accepting the oil and instead making idle chatter, he’d likely rushed over upon hearing news that the Cladeos delegation was coming to propose an engagement.
“Your favorite chocolate cake.”
Ludvian placed a cake box on the table. A silent, hollow laugh escaped Ariel’s lips as she looked at it.
“Take it back. I won’t eat it.”
“It’s from the shop you like.”
He’d grown close to her mother, learned Ariel’s preferences, and now surprised her with gifts like this.
“There’s a puppet show in the square today—shall we go watch it together?”
His gentle voice reminded her of the threat he’d made a year ago. Despite never once accepting his constant invitations to go out somewhere, he kept trying relentlessly—a sign of just how fiercely he desired to become the Demon King.
“Go by yourself. Take the cake with you.”
She rejected him without hesitation. Though she felt slightly regretful about the cake right before her, she could always buy one herself later. As Ariel stood up, he leaned forward on the sofa and began opening the cake box.
“Sit down.”
“……”
“You’d better sit. Don’t forget—what happened before could happen again anytime, Ariel.”
She’d have to endure this demon, who liked to threaten others’ lives, for another year. With a quiet sigh, Ariel sat back down, and he offered her a slice of cake. Ariel snatched the fork from his hand and began eating.
“Good girl, Ariel.”
When she’d eaten about a third of the cake, Ludvian’s hand moved to rest atop her head. Ariel quickly dodged his touch and set the fork down.
“Don’t lay your hands on me so freely, and please leave now.”
She placed the box containing the oil bottles on the table and stood up. Behind her as she turned to leave, his laughter followed. His self-assured attitude drew another hollow laugh from her lips.
Ludvian probably believed everything was unfolding exactly as he wished. The moment I uncovered the Demonic Flora Compendium and cured Kaius’s poisoning would be when he’d experience crushing disappointment.
Let him enjoy himself as much as he could now—so his pain upon failure would be all the greater.
She almost couldn’t wait to see his expression when that moment came—it would be utterly satisfying.
***
The Cladeos Imperial delegation had set up residence in the Outer Palace of the Retiana Kingdom. Due to their late arrival, the formal audience was postponed until the next day. That night, Ariel quietly moved to meet Kaius.
“This was where he was found.”
In her previous life, he hadn’t attended the audience the next day. While it was claimed to be due to travel fatigue, in truth, he’d been discovered wounded in the North Palace that very night. She didn’t know why Kaius had traveled all the way from the Outer Palace—where he was staying—to the secluded wing of the North Palace, but it made the memory easier to recall.
To avoid detection by the patrolling knights, she extinguished the lights in the wing and opened the curtains to let in moonlight. Still wearing her illusion artifact, Ariel hid in a dark, shadowed corner where she could watch the bedroom door and listened closely.
Soon, two quiet clicks sounded in succession. Leaning against the door, eyes closed, he sat there breathing raggedly in pain. Convinced he couldn’t possibly spot her hidden in the darkness, Ariel studied him carefully.
It was Kaius, just as she remembered. Even under moonlight, she recognized him instantly. He was none other than her husband—the man who had died because of her.
In her past life, his final sight had been death itself. Their first meeting after her regression wasn’t much different, yet at least he was alive now—and that was enough.
I’m glad to see you, Kaius.
In her past life, she’d always hurriedly avoided him whenever she saw him. His silent, cold gaze had always made her shrink inwardly—so she’d leaned her heart toward the seemingly kinder Ludvian, unaware it was all a lie.
Even a quick glance showed his wounds were serious, and she wanted to heal him immediately. Every injury he bore was because of her, and the thorn embedded in her heart grew sharper. Yet she couldn’t rashly approach him—despite sitting carelessly due to his injuries, the pressure radiating from him remained immense.
Kaius had noticed the quiet breaths since the intruder entered, but decided to wait a little longer to discern their intentions. The more he focused on the person in the shadows, the slower his breathing became.
Just as Ariel resolved to reveal herself, Kaius opened his eyes. His gaze slowly shifted and fixed precisely on the spot where she was hiding.
“How long do you plan to hide? Come out already.”
At his words, the figure hidden in the darkness slowly stepped into the moonlight—directly toward him. Kaius raised an eyebrow. It was a small woman.
“Are you injured?”
Backlit by the moonlight, the woman approaching him carried a striking presence.
Her voice carried more worry than fear. Kaius felt bitterly ridiculous—clearly, even a woman who’d never seen him before pitied him, meaning his current state must be truly pitiful.
Ariel was startled by the strong scent of blood but moved closer to support his body—or at least tried to. In the blink of an eye, she found herself pinned to the floor, his weight pressing down on her shoulder.
“Why—why are you doing this? I only wanted to heal you.”
“Who are you?”
She roughly understood why he was so on edge right now—he likely hadn’t slept properly, constantly alert for sudden attacks.
“I’m the one who’ll save your life.”
Kaius scrutinized the woman before him more closely. He couldn’t fathom what this seemingly powerless woman meant—unless she carried a healing potion.
“How?”
“I have healing abilities.”
At Ariel’s words, Kaius let out a short, derisive laugh.
“Then prove it right now.”
His gaze shifted to his left arm. The wound was visibly deep, and blood from it pooled on the cold marble floor. The sight made her throat go dry.
“Well… if you let me go first and close your eyes and wait, I’ll heal you immediately. I know it’s hard to understand—and even harder to believe.”
Kaius chuckled again, his hand reaching toward her throat. Panicked, Ariel quickly added,
“Wait! I have neither the strength nor the intention to harm you—you can see that yourself. I don’t even carry a weapon. Even wounded as you are, you could easily stop me if you wanted. So…”
Without pausing for breath, Ariel gasped and continued,
“Just give me one chance to prove it. Please.”
Fortunately, Kaius didn’t choke her—but neither did he grant her request.
“Leave.”
His low voice was icy.
“Go lie down on the bed.”
Ariel stood up, ignoring his words, but didn’t dare attempt to support him again.
“I told you to leave.”
His voice dropped even lower, commanding and intimidating, his gaze cold—the exact same expression that had once terrified Ariel. She only realized she’d instinctively stepped backward when a groan escaped him.
This wasn’t the time for hesitation. To prevent their annulment, she had to prove her worth to him. Clenching her fists, she walked toward him.
This man no longer frightened her.
Repeating the thought like a mantra, she approached him where he sat slumped against the wall and gently supported his arm.
“Don’t stay on this cold floor—let’s get you to the bed.”
Though Kaius had clearly dismissed her, she hadn’t left—and now, having returned to him, he slowly opened his eyes once more.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
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MANGA DISCUSSION
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Chapter Comments (9)
I’m surprised that she changes her appearance. I still don’t quite understand why she does something like that and why Kaius shouldn’t see it. She’s supposed to want to marry him, so ideally, he should know what her skills are and what she looks like. I guess it will be explained later on.
And I hope she manages to get rid of Ludvian. If she succeeds in marrying the duke, there will be nothing stopping her from saving him.
Finally! So, she changed her appearance because in her past life, Kaius found her looks annoying, but now, he saw her and thought she was beautiful. I feel like he didn’t actually dislike her back then, he was just jealous of other men looking at her.
It also breaks my heart that he rejected her. I wanted them to go to the festival together! And now only that jerk Ludvian is left TwT
Oh, I love Kaius. For a moment, thinking Ludvian was going to get his way, I thought Ariel was going to accept dancing with him, but she told him to get lost with style! Kaius is such a sunshine, I love this man. He’s already a goner for her, you can totally tell he is head over heels in love hahahaha
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Rahzel Everlasting
Kaius finally made his appearance! Oh, my heart. This man won’t give in even when he’s injured hahahaha there he was, bleeding out, and on top of that, refusing to let Ariel heal him. But her too… she could have walked in like a normal person instead of a spy out to kill him. Oh well, it is what it is.
I hope she manages to heal him and, that way, convinces him that she’s the best wife he’ll ever have.