This Life, I Will Save The Duke (20 Chapters Left to Complete) - Chapter 9
The Retiana Royal Palace was quite antiquated overall. The banquet hall was no exception. Though it was called “antique,” in truth, everything was simply old. But if it had been stylishly renovated, he might have been disappointed—after all, the kingdom’s finances were in complete disarray. Investing in superficial appearances would have been unforgivable.
As Kaius stepped further inside, the nobles of Retiana all focused their attention on the delegation. Most Retianan women were slender and petite. The men weren’t particularly short either, but they stood in stark contrast to the envoys from the north—those northern men were tall and impressively built.
The music played by the palace orchestra seeped throughout every corner of the hall.
“Your Grace.”
At Lemon’s voice, Kaius slowly opened his eyes, which had been closed, and saw Ariel and Ludvian entering the banquet hall.
“This is outrageous. You knew full well your fiancé was here, yet you walked in with another man.”
He raised a hand to silence Lemon, who was fixated on trivialities like escorting. Though the two were close, he himself would ultimately become Ariel’s husband—
That is, if he so chose.
He brought the wineglass clutched between his fingers to his lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed the wine. The moment Ariel entered the hall and took her seat beside the queen, Kaius slowly rose to his feet.
Just then, the orchestra’s sweet melody ceased. It seemed a waltz was about to begin.
Ludvian immediately stood and approached Ariel, offering his hand. By etiquette, the first dance at a ball was usually shared with one’s escort—a natural custom, as escorts were typically one’s husband or lover.
“Shall we dance to one song?”
She didn’t want to dance with Ludvian, yet lacked a proper reason to refuse. As she lowered her gaze in indecision, a large shadow fell over her.
“Would you care to dance one song with me?”
She looked up at the low voice and saw Kaius standing before her, offering his hand politely. With the chandelier’s light at his back, his presence seemed even more imposing. But—
Dance… with him?
Caught completely off guard by his unexpected move, Ariel stared at him, holding her breath. He had never once asked her to dance in the past. It wasn’t just her who was surprised; even the nobles who had been chattering idly around them fell silent.
After a brief pause, whispers began reaching Ariel’s ears—discussing whether she should take the hand of her fiancé or her lover, debating who held priority. The nobles believed Ludvian was her lover; after all, he had visited the palace so frequently over the past year seeking her out.
Her mind reasoned: What was dancing anyway? Whether she danced with Kaius or not wouldn’t affect his decision to marry her.
Then again—
She had no choice but to pick the demon who constantly threatened people’s lives. Though the answer seemed obvious, Ariel couldn’t bring herself to rise from her seat right away.
Ludvian knew perfectly well she would choose him. For an entire year, whenever she’d refused what he wanted, something unpleasant had always happened to someone around her. All he needed to do was wait, smiling gently, for Ariel’s hand to rest upon his own.
The music had paused but had not yet resumed.
Every eye in the banquet hall watched to see whose hand Ariel would take.
Soon, Ariel rose from her seat.
As she moved toward Ludvian, his smile deepened with confidence, and sighs escaped the surrounding nobles. Watching this spectacle, Kaius let out a silent laugh.
“Marquis Beloas, please forgive me. It would be improper for my fiancée to share the first dance with another man. Moreover, as you are such a magnanimous gentleman, I trust you won’t dwell on such a trivial matter.”
Ludvian’s smile vanished at Ariel’s unexpected words. She invoked propriety and dismissed the matter as insignificant, cornering him into stepping aside. He let out a dry chuckle.
Human propriety meant nothing to him—but too many eyes were watching. Unable to hide his displeasure, he was met once more with Ariel’s gentle inquiry.
“Is that right?”
Her tone seemed almost as though she were seeking his permission. Ludvian felt his irritation subside slightly. Realizing this wasn’t as unpleasant as he’d thought, his smile returned.
“…Of course.”
Hearing Ludvian’s answer, Ariel had to bite the soft flesh inside her cheek to keep from laughing openly. If speaking a few flattering words could prevent his mischief, she’d gladly say them.
Ludvian’s triumphant smile froze again the moment Ariel took Kaius’s hand and walked toward the center of the hall. A quiet murmur from one of the nobles rang loudly in his ears.
The Marquis Beloas lacks legitimacy.
The princess would inevitably marry the Imperial Duke, and Marquis Beloas would be cast aside.
In that instant, Ludvian realized that such trivial interference wouldn’t stop their marriage. His crimson eyes darkened as he watched Ariel and Kaius dance together gracefully.
Marriage? Marriage, you say?
***
“Your Majesty, I heard the delegation arrived in Retiana yesterday?”
Catherine began as she gently brushed Emperor Hart’s shoulders. The emperor, who had been smirking mockingly, took Catherine’s hand and kissed it. She was once Catherine von Lantiano, previously linked to Kaius in marriage talks, and now Empress Catherine von Cladeos.
“Catherine, what do you think? Will Kaius return engaged… or will he break off the engagement?”
Either choice would benefit him. Truly, it was a flawless plan. The idea had struck him by chance upon hearing whispers of a marriage arrangement between the Lantiano Dukedom and Kaius. When Duke Lantiano, the Prime Minister, inquired how long he could continue deferring Retiano’s debts, Hart knew immediately—this was it.
Recalling that moment, Emperor Hart chuckled.
“What would Your Majesty prefer?”
“I hope he gets engaged. That way, I’ll have plenty of entertaining moments ahead.”
“I’ve heard the Retiana princess is beautiful. Is she prettier than me?”
Emperor Hart scoffed at Catherine’s question.
“Hmm. Her looks were decent enough—ash-gray hair and brown eyes. In a place like that, calling someone beautiful is rather predictable. She’s no match for you.”
Emperor Hart twisted one corner of his lips upward as he ran his fingers through Catherine’s radiant golden hair.
***
It was such a bizarre moment.
Dancing with Kaius, of all people.
His large, warm hand clasping hers. His dark eyes locking directly onto hers. The elegant way he moved with his long legs, enhanced by dazzling lights, swept Ariel into a dreamlike state.
She’d thought his expressionless face would make for the worst waltz imaginable—but not at all. That very contrast suited Kaius perfectly.
“Ah! That hurts!”
Kaius’s firm grip jolted Ariel back to reality.
“Were you thinking about your lover, left behind?”
He could understand her intense deliberation earlier, torn between himself and Marquis Beloas. It was unreasonable to expect her heart to align just because she was considering marriage to him. But dwelling on that man even while dancing with him was far from pleasant.
“Huh? Lover? I don’t have a lover! And I was just thinking about you, Duke!”
Kaius raised an eyebrow incredulously, and only then did Ariel realize what she’d just blurted out. She frantically shook her head.
“N-not like that! I mean—”
Her cheeks instantly flushed, and she turned her face away from his gaze. So flustered was she that she’d forgotten they were in the middle of a waltz—and tripped over Kaius’s foot. Bracing for a fall, she squeezed her eyes shut. This was the worst—her first dance with him, ruined!
But contrary to expectation, her body floated upward.
Startled, she opened her eyes to see Kaius lifting her high by the waist, spinning her gracefully.
“…”
Good heavens.
A soft gasp escaped Ariel’s lips. The situation felt so unreal it seemed like a dream. Her earlier embarrassment vanished instantly from her mind. She was actually looking down at him—the man she’d always looked up to—from above.
When her feet touched the floor again and they seamlessly rejoined the rhythm, Kaius was flawlessly elegant. So much so that her heart fluttered with pure delight. She wasn’t the only one moved—whispers and sighs from noblewomen and young ladies reached her ears.
“Tell me.”
“Yes?”
The waltz was slowly drawing to a close.
“What were you thinking about… regarding me?”
“Well… I was thinking how wonderfully you dance. I never imagined you’d ever dance at all.”
“Why not?”
“Well… It just seemed obvious…”
I’ve never once seen you dance in the past, and I simply couldn’t picture you dancing with that stoic face.
“Obvious?”
“No, I just… had a feeling.”
She swallowed the words “you didn’t seem the type” before they left her lips. As she gave a tiny shake of her head, the music ended. Their movements stilled, and the hem of her blue dress curled briefly around Kaius’s legs before sliding back into place. He didn’t step away, instead studying her carefully.
Her petite frame barely reached his chest; her slender body could be encircled by just one arm. Her skin was pale almost to the point of translucence, contrasting vividly with her crimson lips and clear brown eyes.
She was undeniably beautiful—enough to captivate any man.
His gaze landed on her rapidly rising and falling chest, and seeing her flustered, not knowing what to do with herself, he couldn’t help but let out a quiet chuckle. She’d boldly shown up before so many men dressed like this, yet…
But then, the way she defiantly met his eyes head-on drew a silent sigh from him. If not for her flushed cheeks, he might have thought his earlier impression of her flustered state was just his imagination.
“Duke…”
Though it was a bit premature, dancing with him had unexpectedly kindled hope within her, and she wanted to ask him right away—whether he would accept her proposal. Waiting for him to speak first would surely burn her up with impatience.
“If you have a moment, could we—”
Kaius’s gaze, which had been fixed on her, slowly shifted past her shoulder. Following his eyes, she turned her head just as Ludvian suddenly seized her wrist.
“Step aside, please.”
Ariel flinched in shock and tried to pull her wrist free, but Ludvian only gripped her tighter.
Kaius couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh at the outrageous scene unfolding before his eyes. Marquis Beloas had truly overstepped. Regardless of Kaius’s own intentions in coming to Retiana, he was undeniably Ariel’s fiancé—
And possibly her future husband.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at her wrist in Ludvian’s grasp, and his lips parted.
“Release her hand.”
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
Please help me, I want to bring you the best possible things.
If you find any chapter or novel with poor translation and editing quality, let me know by commenting directly under that novel or chapter. I will retranslate it as soon as possible.
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
MANGA DISCUSSION
1 Comment
Chapter Comments (6)
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.
Yes! Ariel actually told Kaius, I thought she would keep that to herself and keep suffering on her own, but Kaius is still being so stubborn about not giving in. Ugh, this man is seriously getting on my nerves!
I don’t understand Ariel. I mean, she used to say that the appearance artifact interfered with her healing magic, which is why she had to take it off to heal Kaius, but this time, she did it without removing it. And they don’t even mention that her appearance changed or that she had silver hair.
YOUR COMMENT
2. Inline comments are now available. Tap the end of any line in a chapter to share your thoughts instantly.
Log in to comment.
Rahzel Everlasting
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