The thought kept creeping into my mind that the beast had found its prey in me and was about to pounce at any moment.
Hestia’s shoulders involuntarily shrank.
Yet, her gaze never wavered from him.
Honestly, objectively speaking, Aslan’s appearance was extremely attractive and masculine.
He seemed more a barbarian than a gentleman of society, yet there was an innate dignity in him that crushed people with his mere presence.
As he drew nearer, breathing became increasingly difficult for Hestia.
“…uh.”
Unable to bear it any longer, she let out a low groan, prompting Angela, who was attending her, to support and ask with concern.
“Princess, are you alright?”
As if he heard her soft voice, Aslan momentarily paused.
And then, his intimidating presence suddenly receded.
Finally feeling comfortable to breathe, Hestia instinctively exhaled the breath she had been holding and relaxed a bit.
“I’m…okay now.”
Aslan’s gaze fleetingly met hers and then drifted away. Then, he clenched his jaw tightly.
“Quite an event.”
At that moment, Hestia, thinking she might have misheard, lifted her bowed head.
But he had already passed by her.
‘It’s only natural.’
This was the place for Duke Calati to pay his respects to the king.
So, there was no need for him to stop for her.
‘But why does it feel like… he lingered in front of me longer than he actually did?’
As if time had stopped in that moment alone.
Hestia turned her head to follow Aslan’s retreating figure but soon lowered her gaze again.
Breathing became difficult for another reason.
As she looked down at her feet, Aslan and his entourage had already reached King Yorgos, who sat on the throne.
As he knelt before Yorgos, a crisp, cold sound echoed in her ears.
But more chilling was his voice, which she felt she was hearing after a very long time.
“I greet His Majesty Yorgos, the Sun of Elsword.”
Contrary to his fiery demeanor, his voice was calm, making it starkly peculiar.
“Welcome, Duke Calati. You must have had a long journey to the capital. How is the situation?”
Formal greetings and reports followed.
“I commend your efforts.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“So, how long do you plan to stay this time?”
“About a month.”
“Hmm, quite a long stay this time.”
“There are several matters I need to attend to in the capital.”
As Yorgos tapped the armrest of his throne, he said casually,
“Then, I’ll arrange a gift for your departure.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll include some cloth as well. Make some clothes out of it.”
Aslan clenched his teeth, then quickly composed himself.
“It’s fine. I’m comfortable with this.”
“I find it uncomfortable,” Yorgos grumbled.
Despite his grumbling, Aslan didn’t blink.
“As always, I request grain.”
Yorgos sighed in displeasure at his steadfast response.
“Stubborn young man. Do as you wish.”
At that moment, Hestia heard a grinding sound from Aslan’s direction.
Surprised, she slightly lowered her gaze to see his fist clenched as if holding back something.
‘The king spoke recklessly.’
Hestia mentally sided with Aslan.
Though not well-versed in politics, she knew.
Hestia was aware that Aslan’s annual journey to the capital was precisely because of these royal gifts.
Aslan, always busy crossing boundaries, came up to the capital every year precisely for these royal gifts.
He received supplies from the royal family annually as a condition for holding back the winter in the North.
The perpetual winter in the North had been snatching away daily life for over a decade. Lacking resources, let alone food, Aslan requested his royal gifts to be solely grain and dried meat.
In the capital, where wearing modest clothing was a mark of decorum, such attire had long become a luxury in the North. For people struggling daily to preserve their lives, quality fabric was no more than kindling.
“Then retire and rest. Make sure to attend the welcome party in my honor.”
“……As you command.”
The audience ended quickly.
Yorgos, along with the crown prince, left the audience hall first.
Only then did Aslan, who had been kneeling, slowly rise and said to his men,
“Let’s return.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Unlike when he entered, Aslan did not glance towards Hestia.
However, his aura was mostly reined in, making it easier for Hestia to breathe.
She kept swallowing dryly, gauging the distance between herself and Aslan.
Just a little closer, just a bit more.
Their distance was narrowing.
And in that moment…
Swish, he brushed past her.
Hestia’s face twisted, not expecting to be completely ignored when she thought she’d be scoffed at.
‘I can’t let him go.’
In her impatience, Hestia mustered her courage and addressed him.
“It’s been a long time, Duke Calati.”
The last title was added like a sigh. Calling him by his name felt like a distant memory.
Nevertheless, she succeeded in stopping him.
His steps halted abruptly.
He could have ignored her and walked away, but he didn’t, which made Hestia think it wasn’t a bad start.
Slowly, Aslan’s towering figure turned around.
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
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