Rejected by Daughter’s Second Male Lead Chapter 103

Hearing Yuan’s words, the emperor’s expression hardened.

“That sounds rather insolent to me. Is Marquess Hampton saying he will retaliate against them privately? While I, the emperor, stand by and do nothing?”

It was something no one with any sense would say in front of the emperor. It also held the implication of challenging the emperor’s authority. However, Yuan did not even bat an eye and asked back.

“Your Majesty the Emperor must remain still as you must be mindful of the balance between the factions and maintain your central position, but I do not, do I? Rather, am I not scratching an itch for Your Majesty?”

At Yuan’s bold reply, the emperor seemed to glare at Yuan as if dumbfounded, but soon he burst into loud laughter.

“Hahaha! Marquess Hampton, you are truly amusing. I don’t know if it’s an amusement that comes from your unique freshness and youth, or from an overconfidence in your own strength… but in any case, you are amusing.”

If Gillen had been beside him, he would have pointed out that the emperor had just elegantly rephrased, ‘I don’t know if it’s because you’re of common birth, or because you’re an arrogant magician, but you really speak carelessly,’ but Gillen was not there now. And our Yuan was a person who took compliments at face value.

“You praise me too highly. It is true that I am fresh, young, and strong. But it is not overconfidence, but simply self-assurance.”

“Heh… Hoho, hahaha!”

Now the emperor laughed as if he had lost the will to fight, purely amused. Yuan’s lips pouted slightly. Why does he keep laughing and not saying anything? He had that thought, but Yuan also did not want to go through the trouble of being imprisoned for treason and having to escape, so he kept his mouth shut.

“It has been a long time since I have laughed so genuinely. Alright, very well. I will give you a special list of the noble families that must be dealt with. But it must not be obvious. If it is, the arrows will have no choice but to be aimed at me.”

“I promise to bury them one by one, over a long period of time, using clandestine methods so that no one will know.”

“Umm, ri, right… That’s reassuring.”

On the spot, the emperor called for the head chamberlain standing outside and had him bring paper and a fountain pen. Then, he briskly wrote down the names of the families on the paper and folded it. The head chamberlain received the small, folded paper as if it were a sacred relic and handed it to Yuan. Yuan casually shoved it into his breast pocket.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will make sure you never regret this decision.”

“To be honest, their existence wasn’t much of an itch for me. Just think of it as a reward for Gillen and you. It is also a repayment for making me laugh.”

“If you do not hurry and cut out the moldy part of a loaf of bread, you will end up throwing away the entire loaf. A day will likely come when Your Majesty will be grateful to me as well.”

At Yuan’s unreserved manner of speaking, the emperor laughed ‘hahaha’ again. Yuan’s eyebrows twitched, displeased.

Why do you keep laughing so much like Gillen, Yuan was about to voice the protest he had been keeping in his heart to the emperor. But fortunately, the head chamberlain who remained by his side freaked out and made a fuss, saying, “Mind your words to His Majesty the Emperor, Marquess Hampton!” which allowed Yuan to simply give a slight bow and leave the audience chamber.

In front of the audience chamber, Gillen was pacing back and forth like a husband waiting for his wife in labor, not knowing what to do.

“Gillen, I’m back.”

“Yuan! What did you talk about in there? You didn’t make a mistake, did you? I could hear His Majesty laughing all the way out here, did you say some nonsense again?”

“That’s harsh, Gillen. Why would you think I said nonsense?”

“That’s because…”

Because you spout nonsense every time you open your mouth…. Gillen suppressed the urge to say that and asked again.

“So what did you really talk about? Huh? Hurry up and tell me.”

“I just asked for a gift in exchange for handing over Marius. That’s all. He said he’d give me a few pouches of gold coins.”

“Really…? Is that all?”

“Yes, yes, that’s what I said. Let’s go, quickly.”

Yuan took Gillen’s hand and left the Imperial Palace as if dragging him along. He still harbored suspicion and jealousy toward the emperor. He was possessed by a strange jealousy, a feeling that the emperor could take Gillen if he so chose. It was a delusion that both the emperor and Gillen would find nauseating if they heard it.

From there, Yuan and Gillen naturally returned to the Blake estate.

The news that ‘Duke Blake and Marquess Hampton, on the verge of marriage, went to the Imperial Palace first to see His Majesty the Emperor’ had already spread widely throughout the capital. Naturally, that news had also reached Cecilia and the servants remaining at the Blake estate, so the Blake estate was bustling with preparations to welcome its returning master.

However, they did not know that Yuan would be coming along as well. Cecilia, who had been about to run and embrace Gillen as he opened the front door and entered, had to come to a screeching halt midway. This was because next to Gillen, holding his hand, stood a dazzling, silver-haired, handsome man, clinging to him aloofly.

“Yu, Yuan…?”

When Cecilia asked in a rarely seen dumbfounded voice, Yuan let out a smirk.

“Why, does your heart flutter seeing me after so long? But it’s already too late, Cecil. The train has left the station. I’m seeing Gillen now.”

Cecilia, as well as the butler, the head lady-in-waiting, the head maid, and the other maids and servants, all dropped their jaws. How could he say such a shameless thing…! However, Gillen, who had already grown accustomed to Yuan, paid no mind to him spouting nonsense by his side and ran to Cecilia with open arms.

“Cecil! My daughter! Goodness, I missed you so much!”

Gillen hugged Cecilia tightly as usual and spun her around in place. Cecilia also quickly came to her senses and, laughing cheerfully, hugged Gillen tightly back.

“Father! I’m so happy you’ve returned safely!”

“Oh my, let me see your face, my daughter. How have you become even more beautiful? Have you been eating your meals well? Did anything happen?”

“Oh, come on, everyone makes a fuss if I even skip a single meal, so of course. I’ve been eating well, exercising hard, studying, and socializing well.”

While Gillen was traveling with Yuan, Cecilia had been thoroughly socially crushing the young ladies who had their eyes on Gillen—Laura Foreste being the prime example—and had been pushing forward with the construction of the Marian Orphanage. Fortunately, as the popularity and buzz around the Yuan-Gillen couple grew, sponsors for the orphanage were also gathering smoothly, and the construction that had been halted was proceeding without issue.

However, stories like that could be shared later when she and Gillen had some father-daughter time alone in the study. For now, it seemed she had to include that uninvited guest at the dining table.

“You have no idea how much effort the chef put in since dawn. Because you were coming today, Father. We’re going to have a traditional Blake family party.”

The traditional Blake family party was, in fact, too short in history to be called a tradition. It was a day that had been established after Gillen transmigrated, referring to a day when all the servants, including Gillen and Cecilia, ate, drank, and had fun together.

“Yes, yes. On days like this, we should eat and drink generously. Yuan, if you don’t have to return home right away, you should join us.”

Gillen naturally invited Yuan to join them. Cecilia’s eyelashes trembled. Yuan, who already seemed to have no intention of leaving, flashed his characteristic shameless smile as soon as he heard Gillen’s invitation.

“Well, I was just thinking of going home, but if Gillen insists so much. I suppose I can stay for a meal.”

Don’t lie. You had no intention of going home anyway. You came back here with him in the first place. Cecilia almost snapped back without realizing it. Then, Cecilia’s and Yuan’s eyes met.

“…!”

Cecilia was so startled she forgot to blink. Yuan had stuck his tongue out, as if he had read Cecilia’s thoughts. Bleah. Cecilia could not believe what she was seeing.

What’s wrong with that crazy bastard…? Is he now… being possessive of my father? In front of me, his daughter?

Cecilia’s vision went white before returning to normal. As befitting the protagonist of the original novel, the perfect her had one flaw, and that flaw was a competitive spirit that no one could stop.

Just now, Yuan had stimulated Cecilia’s competitive spirit. And it was over Gillen, the father she loved most in the world.

‘You picked the wrong person, Yuan. No matter how much you may have my father’s body…, his love is mine. You can never beat me.’

Cecilia resolutely linked arms with Gillen. Then, she leaned her small face against Gillen’s bursting bicep and said lovingly.

“Father, let’s go eat quickly. I had lots of spicy food prepared, which you like. We even made ‘Spicy Fish Stew’ with fish caught fresh this morning.”

Spicy fish stew was a dish that had made its way onto the Blake family’s table after Gillen had personally passed on the recipe (?) to the chef some ten-odd years ago. There were dishes like bouillabaisse in this world, but they were a little less spicy and the aroma of the spices was overly sweet. Gillen liked to eat the sharp and rustic spicy fish stew for a refreshing meal.

Cecilia practically dragged Gillen to the dining room and glanced back. Yuan, who was following them, wore a composed expression. A face that said he was not affected at all.

Cecilia stuck her tongue out slightly at him in response. Just you wait. I’ll show you that this is a game you’re bound to lose.

Until that moment, Yuan did not know. Just what a formidable enemy Cecilia was.