This Life, I Will Save The Duke (20 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 7
“Your Grace, are you truly planning to become engaged to the princess?”
Lemon, Kaius’s aide, asked in a tone brimming with dissatisfaction. It was practically a command born of Emperor Hart’s scheming. The engagement was merely a formality; soon after the wedding, he would become the son-in-law of the poorest nation on the continent, and what came afterward was painfully obvious—how much they would beg from him.
“Well…”
Kaius, sipping his coffee, gave an ambiguous reply. He understood perfectly well what Lemon was worried about. Precisely because of that, the princess’s proposal was, for now, the most realistic option. His eyes grew quiet as he recalled the letter handed to him that morning by Ariel’s handmaiden.
As he had suspected, the woman last night had been the princess.
“It might even be better to break off the engagement outright and accept whatever punishment follows.”
That was a possibility. In truth, that was exactly why he had come to Retiana in the first place.
Going to the North Palace last night, where the princess resided, had been an impulsive act. He hadn’t even known clearly what he was trying to confirm. But near the palace, a monster’s barrier had opened, and he’d sustained injuries far more serious than anticipated.
There, hidden away, was a woman with healing abilities who had tended to his wounds. His suspicion that she might be the princess had turned into certainty this morning upon receiving her letter. At the end of her bold marriage proposal was a question about whether he often got injured as he had the previous night. If not for that incident, he wouldn’t even be burdened with such a dilemma.
“If you had married the Lady of Lantiano, House Elbaltan would have become even more firmly established. But Emperor Hart, knowing that, deliberately interfered.”
Lemon fumed with frustration, pacing around the room and cursing Emperor Hart. Yet Lemon was mistaken. Even before Emperor Hart’s interference, Kaius had already met with Lady Lantiano and personally asked her side to cancel the marriage talks.
House Elbaltan had no need whatsoever for another house’s support. Moreover, Kaius was well aware of Emperor Hart’s twisted obsession—it would have been unthinkable to unite with Lantiano.
Besides, the woman he needed right now was none other than Princess Ariel.
Even he, who prided himself on possessing extraordinary intelligence-gathering abilities, had been unaware of her healing power. That proved just how tight-lipped she was—and also meant that news of his injuries would never leak through her.
A faint smile curved Kaius’s lips as he considered that this visit to Retiana might turn out far better than expected.
***
As Ariel stepped into the corridor leading from the greenhouse back to the North Palace, handmaidens were bustling about, shouting excitedly.
“Why is everyone so noisy?”
Anna grabbed a passing handmaiden and asked.
“Everyone’s in an uproar because Duke Elbaltan from the Empire has arrived!”
“Why?”
“He’s incredibly handsome!”
Seeing the handmaiden’s dreamy expression, Ariel couldn’t help but let out a wry laugh. Shaking her head, she turned down the hallway toward her chambers—and there stood Kaius, speaking with his aide, Lemon.
He must have come to confirm it after reading the letter she’d sent that morning: whether last night’s woman truly was Ariel.
Sensing her sudden presence as she stood still, Kaius turned his gaze toward her. His eyes lingered on Ariel’s face for a moment before slowly drifting downward. Her loose shirt was haphazardly tucked into her trousers, and her boots were caked in dirt.
Then his gaze returned to her face.
He stared at her for a long while. She certainly resembled the woman from last night, yet something felt different—perhaps it was the change in clothing, or the way her hair was tied back. He wanted to get closer to verify.
As he took a step forward, she took a step toward him as well.
“I greet you, Duke Elbaltan.”
Ariel offered her greeting first as she studied him. He wore an impeccably neat black suit—nothing out of the ordinary—yet now she understood why the handmaidens had been in such a frenzy. The classic golden cufflinks on his crisp white shirt caught the eye particularly, and his fair skin complemented his attire beautifully, making him even more striking.
Looking down at her own disheveled state, she almost laughed at his evident hesitation. Since she’d been heading to the greenhouse, she’d changed out of her dress into trousers—his confusion was completely understandable.
“This person is…”
Anna stepped forward, but Ariel didn’t wish to continue the conversation in her current state. After all, the formal audience was scheduled soon anyway.
“Anna, let’s go.”
Cutting Anna off, Ariel walked past Kaius. As she passed by his side, she caught a crisp, refreshing scent—nothing like the thick metallic tang of blood from the previous night.
Meanwhile, Kaius caught a whiff of the same faintly sweet fragrance that had clung to the woman from last night as Ariel walked past him.
“Hold on.”
Kaius stepped in front of her.
“Might you, by any chance, be Princess Ariel?”
“Yes.”
He’d received prior reports that she often wandered around in trousers, but seeing it in person surpassed his imagination. Her appearance was so far from what one would expect of a princess. His eyes fixed on her clear, brown irises.
For a fleeting moment, the golden eyes from the previous night came to mind—but that must have been a trick of the moonlight, compounded by blood loss.
“I’m pleased to meet you, Princess Ariel.”
His persistent, scrutinizing gaze overlapped in her mind with memories from the past. Back then, after looking at her just like this—as if probing—he would speak cold, insulting words. The memory sent a tremor through her body.
“I’m pleased as well. If you’ll excuse me.”
Suppressing her unease, Ariel slowly walked past him, offering a politely measured smile.
“If it isn’t too much trouble, might I have a moment of your time?”
Hearing his request, Ariel hesitated and halted mid-step. She thought she’d already revealed all her cards to him: she’d shown him that her healing ability could benefit him, and she’d proposed an alternative to the marriage he clearly didn’t want.
Was he curious about why she’d been in that room? But it was the North Palace’s annex—of course she had every reason to be there. If anything, his presence had been the suspicious one.
As she weighed whether speaking further would help or harm their relationship, Ludvian appeared behind Kaius. It wasn’t even time for his scheduled oil application.
Why on earth had he come?
“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Ariel.”
When Ariel’s gaze shifted to Ludvian, Kaius turned toward him as well. Sensing the atmosphere shift oddly between them, Ariel quickly made introductions.
“Ludvian, this is Duke Kaius von Elbaltan of the Cladeos Empire. And this is Ludvian Beloas… Marquis.”
The two men merely nodded in acknowledgment. Uncomfortable, Ariel glanced sidelong at Kaius. He surely knew who Ludvian was—yet his expression remained astonishingly indifferent.
Good.
That was her first thought. As she considered Kaius’s demeanor, he met her eyes. Flustered, she quickly looked away—just as Ludvian spoke unexpectedly.
“Ariel, doesn’t the Firefly Festival start today? I came to go with you.”
“Oh… the festival.”
A quiet murmur slipped from Ariel’s lips. The Firefly Festival was her favorite event of the year, yet she’d completely forgotten about it.
Ludvian surely knew there would be a welcoming banquet after the delegation’s audience today. Staring at him thoughtfully, Ariel realized his true intent and nearly scoffed.
The festival was just an excuse.
He wanted to keep her from attending the banquet. In the past, Ludvian had always disliked her growing close to Kaius. Looking back, it was around this very time that she and Ludvian had officially become lovers.
The unpleasant memory that suddenly surfaced made Ariel frown. She shook her head slightly.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t go to the festival. I have to attend the banquet today.”
Despite her refusal, Ludvian continued to smile gently at her. After all, her rejection was as predictable as a scripted scene.
His smile vanished only when his gaze shifted to Kaius—the man he absolutely had to kill to ascend as the Demon King. That, the elder demons had decreed, was the proof of his worthiness.
If Ariel married Kaius, the Demon Realm’s flower would have to be cultivated at the Elbaltan ducal residence. Though the king and queen were already in his grasp—and thus the flower would keep blooming—his current freedom to come and go as he pleased would be lost.
Worse yet—Ariel slipping from his control?
That thought grated on Ludvian’s nerves. For the next year, until Kaius’s death, Ariel had to remain quietly by his side. He needed to drive them apart. Though he’d been at her side all this time, unlike other women, she’d never truly opened her heart to him. Winning her affection now seemed impossible.
In that case…
It would be simplest to make Kaius von Elbaltan withdraw of his own accord.
Meanwhile, Kaius observed Ariel with keen interest. Her composure, caught between the man she was destined to marry and the man she supposedly favored, was unexpectedly calm. And how about her demeanor toward Marquis Beloas?
Her unbowed head, seemingly indifferent eyes, and cool tone—all as though she were dealing with someone devoid of personal feelings. Of course, his presence might have influenced her behavior.
Amused by her masterful acting, a dry, faint smile flickered across Kaius’s lips.
His eyes shifted to Marquis Beloas. Their relationship had begun roughly a year ago, hadn’t it? Ludvian’s constant smile and gentle tone while addressing her—any onlooker would have seen a man clearly smitten with the woman before him.
Kaius let out another quiet chuckle and turned his gaze back to Ariel—just as she was looking at him.
“Duke, would you like to attend the festival with me? I don’t have time today, but what about tomorrow or the day after?”
Kaius stared silently at Ariel for a long moment, baffled by her inexplicable question. Right after rejecting her own man standing beside her, she invited him? And unlike her cold demeanor toward Ludvian, her eyes now sparkled with clarity and warmth.
What on earth was going on?
My Arch-enemy Sealed My Memory and Said That He is My Husband
This is an incredibly captivating story that you absolutely shouldn’t miss! I’ll give a brief introduction here, and below you’ll find a detailed synopsis of the plot.
The female lead is a fierce and powerful demon king. The male lead is a once-in-a-millennium celestial lord, admired by the entire cultivation world.
They are equally matched, legendary rivals who have battled for centuries.
In the final duel, the female lead is gravely injured. The male lead saves her, seals her memories, and hides her true identity. He tells her that he is her fiancé. His entire life has been flawless—except for the one thing he never expected, never controlled, and never wanted to control: falling for his greatest enemy. She is his inner demon, his obsession.
When the female lead regains her memories, she is furious at his deception.
She makes his life a living hell.
And somehow, the male lead—possibly a total masochist—doesn’t mind at all. In fact, he’s happy she’s paying attention to him.
Yep, we’re back to my favorite trope: male lead suffering. If you love this kind of story, jump into the pit with me now!!!
Intro
Dong Xia lost her memory.
Her handsome and extremely powerful fiancé Li Qing comforted her: “It’s okay if you can’t remember. I’ll always be with you.”
Everyone thought Dong Xia’s ancestors must have burned incense to get such a perfect fiancé. He was the number one person in the immortal realm, yet he remained chaste and only loved her.
…
The day before marrying her fiancé, Dong Xia finally remembered everything.
She wasn’t suffering from memory loss at all.
Her arch-enemy had made her fake her death, destroyed her cultivation, replaced her memories, and pretended to be her deeply in love fiancé.
No wonder he said, “It’s okay if you can’t remember”!
Dong Xia laughed coldly as she pulled out her long knife: Li Qing, prepare to die 🙂
*
Li Qing, as the supreme being of the immortal realm, was the people’s shining beacon.
The only unknown stain in his life was his affection for Dong Xia, the ruler of the demon realm.
In the final battle of the war between immortals and demons, the sky collapsed and the earth shattered. The ruler of the demon realm was finally slain under the sword of the supreme being of the immortal realm, and everyone in the immortal realm applauded.
The cultivation world lost a ruler of the demon realm.
And in the back mountain of Li Qing’s cave dwelling, he secretly hid away a fiancée.
Notes:
1. The female lead is white on the outside, black on the inside, and the queen of flattery; the male lead repeatedly tests the edge of darkness, a VIP guest at the crematorium.
2. Fantasy cultivation world setting.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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
Finally they’re alone! I’d love for Ariel to be more honest with Kaius, but well, that would make the plot too easy. Even so, I do hope that at some point she tells him she’s being coerced by Ludvian.