Rejected by Daughter’s Second Male Lead Chapter 5

This time, all eyes turned to Gillen. Cecilia clenched her fists and shouted.

“That’s right, Dad! What’s so great about this pretty-faced guy? Hurry up and say it. Say you have no interest in Yuan anymore.”

No, Cecil… I never had any interest to begin with…

Flabbergasted, Gillen tried to deny it, but Yuan interrupted.

“Cecil, I’m not just a pretty face. As a once-in-a-generation magical genius who achieved great feats and earned a marquis title, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t insult me like that.”

Listening to that nonsense, Gillen’s resolve wavered. Yuan wasn’t your average lunatic. For this thick-headed crazy guy, a direct approach might be better. Declaring outright, “I won’t have any interest in you anymore,” might prevent further misunderstandings. With that thought, Gillen sighed and nodded in resignation.

“Fine. I’ll do it. Marquis Yuan Hampton, there will never again be such… unfortunate incidents, and I will absolutely not… have any interest in you.”

As Gillen finished speaking, Yuan abruptly conjured a magical projection orb in the air.

“Oh my!”

Several customers gasped in amazement. Though people in this world were accustomed to magic, it was an incredibly complex and difficult art, and wizards were rare, expensive figures to encounter.

Yuan, who used such precious magic so casually, played the projection.

[Blake’s name is on the line. There will never again be such unfortunate incidents, and I will absolutely not… have any interest in you.]

After making the projection disappear, Yuan said.

“I’ve kept it as evidence, so don’t try to back out later.”

Ugh, fine. Got it. Gillen muttered under his breath, but fortunately, no one heard him.

At Capelli

“His Grace the Duke, unable to possess Marquis Hampton, repeatedly tried to subdue him and was thoroughly exposed for his misdeeds in front of Miss Cecilia, only to belatedly kneel and plead with oaths… That’s the article.”

Butler Brian cautiously set down the newspaper while reporting. Gillen pressed his throbbing temples.

“Another one.”

“Another… It says that although both His Grace and the Marquis are alphas, the Duke’s pheromones are far stronger and more dominant, so the Marquis lost in a pheromone showdown—”

“Pheromone showdown? Do they think pheromones are some kind of wrestling match? Those filthy reporters!”

“Sorry? Did you say geese?”

“…No.”

Gillen steadied his breathing and flipped over the stack of newspapers on the desk. Writing such ridiculous stories on purpose. All they cared about was boosting sales.

“With the war over and life so peaceful, they must be desperate for sensational stories. For a while, even if I sneeze, they’ll write that Duke Blake was sobbing in longing for Yuan.”

He stood up from his seat.

“Brian, ask Cecil if she’d like to take her summer vacation a bit early. I think we need to leave the capital for a while.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

It was a brilliant plan to block the yellow press and physically separate Yuan from Cecilia. Though his reputation had taken a nosedive, such sensationalist fake news would naturally fade away if left alone.

After all, Gillen’s standing in noble society wasn’t so fragile as to be shaken by a few articles. As a noble among nobles, trusted implicitly by the emperor, a strong, handsome, and capable alpha, everyone—men and women alike—admired or loved Gillen Blake.

So, taking a leisurely vacation would surely let this absurd issue die down. People would dismiss it as a funny incident or forget it entirely, and Yuan’s interest in the Blake family would likely cool off.

But that was Gillen’s miscalculation. A few days later, for the first time in twenty years since his transmigration, he felt the original story’s coercive force.

*

The early summer vacation proceeded smoothly. When the male protagonist, Crown Prince Hexion, heard that Cecilia and her father, Duke Blake, would spend six weeks at their villa on Capelli Island, he asked if he could join them.

Seeing Cecilia’s excited and thrilled expression, Gillen gladly accepted Hexion’s addition. He had been worried Yuan might tag along, but after learning Yuan was away handling business in his fief, all his concerns vanished. Hampton’s territory and Capelli Island were at opposite ends of the continent.

The day of departure was clear and cool. Cecilia and Hexion, still in the flirting stage, blushed every time their eyes met, and the servants, who would accompany their masters to the heavenly island of Capelli, were filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

Gillen was in high spirits too. For at least six weeks, he could enjoy leisure without keeping an eye out for troublemakers. Plus, Capelli Island’s specialty, the soft apple—Gillen privately called it a mango—was his favorite fruit.

Gillen’s party rode horses and carriages for an hour to reach the teleportation station. It took about thirty minutes to buy tickets, register people and luggage, and complete the group teleportation.

In just an hour and a half, they traveled from the capital to Capelli Island.

“This world is so much more convenient for things like this,” Gillen thought.

Exiting the station, Gillen mounted his horse. At that moment, someone rushed over from the station entrance and greeted the group.

“I greet His Highness the Crown Prince, His Grace Duke Blake, and Lady Blake. In honor of your visit to Capelli Island, our lord wishes to extend his greetings. Would that be acceptable?”

It was customary for the lord of a land to greet and host royalty or high nobles visiting their territory. However, Capelli Island’s lordship had been vacant for a long time. After the previous lord committed a crime and surrendered the island to the imperial family, it had become a tourist destination.

“Has Capelli gotten a new lord?”

Gillen asked the messenger, but Hexion answered instead.

“His Majesty recently appointed one. It’s been a little over a month… You should know who it is, Duke. Yuan—”

“Yuan Hampton.”

Before Hexion could finish, an extraordinarily beautiful man made a dramatic entrance from behind the messenger. Though stunningly attractive, his appearance turned Gillen’s face as pale as if he’d seen a grim reaper.

“Y-Yuan… Why…!”

Capelli Island belongs to that guy? Wasn’t he only given Hampton’s territory? Visibly flustered, Gillen prompted a scoff from Yuan, as if implying Gillen was pretending to be surprised despite knowing.

“Yes, His Grace Duke Blake, the emperor’s closest confidant, surely had no idea—not even in his wildest dreams—that Capelli Island, the golden paradise of the Moore Empire, now belongs to me, Yuan Hampton, the talk of the town.”

He genuinely didn’t know. No matter how close he was to the emperor, Gillen didn’t memorize the list of bestowed properties.

But Yuan, who believed the world revolved around him, seemed convinced Gillen had come to Capelli on purpose, pretending ignorance.

“What brings Marquis Hampton all the way here?”

Whether aware of the thorns in Yuan’s words or not, Hexion asked innocently. Yuan, who had been glaring at Gillen disapprovingly, bowed to Hexion and answered.

“I received a telegram that a levee collapsed, injuring people, so I came urgently.”

“Oh, then you must be busy. Go handle your business.”

“It’s already resolved, so no need to worry. As you know, my magic is top-tier, capable of fixing anything—levees or people.”

What a consistent guy. How could he boast about himself even in front of the crown prince? Gillen looked at Yuan skeptically, and Yuan glanced at him sideways. When their eyes met, Yuan turned his head sharply, as if offended.

Wait… You looked at me too! That’s why our eyes met! Why are you acting like I’m the one staring with that “hmph!” attitude?

Gillen wanted to pound his chest and shout. Yuan, acting like a princess ignoring a foolish knight’s gaze, was so absurd that Gillen felt like his insides were bursting.

“I heard from the estate manager that it’s proper to invite royalty and nobles visiting Capelli Island to stay at the lord’s castle for a few days. Would you like to do so?”

Yuan asked Hexion halfheartedly, his tone clearly hoping for a refusal.

“Since we’ll be here for six weeks, staying at the lord’s castle for a day or so shouldn’t be a problem. What do you think, Cecil?”

Hexion sought Cecilia’s opinion.

“Well… I’ll follow Dad’s decision. Dad, do what you want.”

Cecilia deferred to Gillen, aware of his discomfort with Yuan and giving him the chance to decline.

My filial daughter…

Gillen gave a warm smile, but inside, he was shedding tears of blood.

With His Highness the Crown Prince here, I can’t make decisions on my own, Cecil… This is a filthy hierarchical society…