Rejected by Daughter’s Second Male Lead Chapter 75

Their first destination was Auguné, the largest city surrounding the capital. Auguné was a city belonging to Duke Gallot’s territory, and it had its own mayor. Many nobles and wealthy commoners owned mansions here, and with its developed trade and commerce, the population flow was also active.

There were likely many people in Auguné who had already heard the rumors circulating in the capital. If Yuan and Gillen showed that they were actually dating here, the rumors would solidify even further.

Since there was a carriage road directly connecting Auguné to the capital, it only took three hours to arrive. Looking out at the urban scenery, Gillen remarked.

“The Blake family has a villa in Auguné, but the condition is that we stay at an inn… it’ll be inconvenient.”

“We have a goal, so let’s move quickly. Today, we can go to the boutique street, which is said to have the most foot traffic, and then stay at the Auguné Vérangère Hotel. Tomorrow, we can go west to the port and then move down to Chambery. To visit all eight cities in two months by only horse and carriage, we can only stay in each city for one or two days. The travel time is long.”

“That’s true…”

Still, couldn’t we cheat a little and secretly use teleportation magic for short distances? While Gillen was having this sly thought with a solemn face, Yuan clapped his hands in front of Gillen’s eyes.

“You were just thinking about teleportation, weren’t you? There’s no way I’m using magic, so give up hope. This is an order from His Majesty the Emperor, whom you hold in such high esteem.”

“…I wasn’t thinking about that. What do you take me for?”

How did he know? Gillen tried his best to act nonchalant and feigned admiration for the view outside the window. Yuan snorted beside him. Gillen was overlooking the fact that just as he had gotten to know Yuan more deeply, Yuan had also gotten to know him well.

“Ahem, Homer! Drop us off at the boutique street, and you and the others go to the Auguné Vérangère Hotel.”

Gillen shouted loudly to the coachman. From the front, the coachman replied thunderously, “Yes, Your Grace the Duke!” The passersby, who were already stealing glances at the enormous Blake family carriage, began to stare openly at Gillen’s party at the words ‘Your Grace the Duke’.

“Don’t forget that all of this is to help you, Gillen. I don’t know why I’m being more proactive in your affairs.”

Yuan grumbled, crossing his arms.

“Hahaha, that’s true. I acknowledge it’s a good method, but I just want to finish it more efficiently and quickly, yet you seem as proactive as someone who’s actually on a honeymoon trip.”

Gillen laughed and nudged Yuan with his elbow.

“You’re knowledgeable about the geography, and you’ve already calculated all the times, huh? Anyone would think you’d been waiting for this trip. Ha! Ha! Ha!”

“Wh-who said I was waiting for a trip like this! Stop talking nonsense! What am I supposed to do if I’ve already memorized the entire map of the Moore Empire because I’m a high-intelligence individual? I can do time calculations in my sleep! This is absurd, really…”

“Alright, alright. It was a joke, why are you getting so angry?”

Gillen casually took back his words and went back to looking out the window. Seemingly in a better mood, he even started humming.

Yuan, on the other hand, bit his lip with a wounded expression. It was because he also felt that he was the only one welcoming this trip.

‘How can he talk about teleportation magic when he gets to travel with the person he likes for two whole months? Does this Mister really like me? Doesn’t he know it’s hard to be loved by me if he acts like this? It’s truly absurd. He’s so thoughtless, singing a strange song, and today he even looks…’

Yuan mentally criticized Gillen, his sharp eyes moving up and down. However, his gaze gradually softened like melting snow.

‘Well, his looks… his clothes today suit him quite well.’

Gillen, dressed in black riding clothes and a simple leather coat, looked incredibly handsome. Perhaps because of his distinct features and good physique, he shone even brighter in light and simple attire.

‘He’s certainly good enough not to be overshadowed next to me.’

It was the highest praise Yuan could give, but he didn’t realize it himself.

‘Has he lost some weight in his face? His jawline seems sharper.’

After having sex once, it would show on Gillen’s face right away. His face would suddenly become gaunt, and he would start exuding a languid atmosphere. For a few days, Yuan’s pheromone scent would cling to him, so it seemed Yuan was more sensitive to it than others.

“Gillen.”

Yuan called him seriously. Gillen, who had been humming, turned to look at Yuan.

“Yes?”

“Did Cecil say anything to you?”

“Say anything about what?”

“About you smelling too much like my pheromones or—”

“Cough, cough! Gack! Keok! Keuk!”

Hearing Yuan’s words, Gillen gasped in surprise and choked. As he coughed violently, Yuan frowned and thumped him on the back. At the same moment, Gillen’s coughing stopped.

“Please stop making such a fuss.”

“Ah, no, ahem… do I smell like your pheromones right now?”

“Not right now. But right after sex—”

“Cough, cough! The exchange, the exchange! Cough!”

“…Right after the exchange, it was strong. Betas might not know, but Cecil, being an omega, would have smelled my pheromones. Did she not say anything?”

Gillen’s face turned white as a sheet. It seemed he had never once thought about that. Blood-related family members, whether alpha or omega, couldn’t perceive each other’s pheromones, which meant that Cecilia would have definitely smelled only Yuan’s pheromones. There was no way she wouldn’t have noticed the strong pheromone scent that wasn’t usually there.

“No wonder… Cecil’s expression was a bit strange when she talked about the trip. She looked strangely relieved, and also puzzled…”

Cecilia had probably realized long ago that Gillen’s claim of just drinking with Yuan the previous night was a lie. The reason she had maturely pretended not to know and recommended this trip was…

‘She thinks I’m really dating Yuan!’

Gillen’s face grew pale.

“Wait, Yuan. I think I need to contact Cecil with the communication device. She must have misunderstood something!”

However, Yuan replied calmly.

“Let her misunderstand.”

“What? Misunderstand what—”

“Just let her misunderstand that you and I are dating.”

The intelligent Yuan seemed to have already read Gillen’s mind completely. It’s convenient that I don’t have to explain separately. Gillen unconsciously brushed it off and shook his head.

“How can I just let that happen? How shocked the child will be? If she believes that the young man who proposed to her is dating her father and having that… that kind of exchange, how bad would that be for the child’s emotional well-being!”

Gillen was uncharacteristically agitated. When it came to matters involving Cecilia, he would easily change like this. Yuan clicked his tongue and then tapped Gillen’s forehead with his index finger.

“Hey, Mister. First of all, Cecil is not a child. She’s a twenty-something adult, literally the same age as me. Among unmarried women in high society, Cecil is on the much older side. You do know that other women all get married in their mid-to-late teens, right?”

“That’s also a huge problem. It’s one of the evil laws of the aristocracy that needs to be fixed.”

“Be that as it may, my point is that Cecil is, objectively, a full-grown adult. And you’ve raised Cecil alone for over 20 years since you were widowed from the Duchess. Most nobles remarry after only about three years. Cecil will be able to accept it no matter who you date or marry.”

“I’m different! I…!”

I’m not the real Gillen Blake. I’ve never even met the duchess he was supposedly widowed from. To me, it was only Cecil who was my daughter from the very beginning, my only family. If I were to abandon Cecil and get into a relationship with someone else, how shocked would Cecil be?! …is what Gillen wanted to shout.

But if he said it like this, it was clear that even Yuan wouldn’t be able to follow Gillen’s inner thoughts. As he struggled to choose his words, Yuan spoke first.

“Whoever you meet, whoever you sleep with, it’s not an act of betraying Cecil, is what I’m saying.”

“…!”

Gillen’s mouth fell open. He stared blankly at Yuan. This was something he hadn’t expected. It was a statement that hit a nerve Gillen hadn’t even considered.

Yuan continued with a sulky expression.

“You need to become emotionally independent from Cecil. A Mister who’s old enough to know better still doesn’t get it… It’s pathetic to see.”

“Independent… I…?”

“Yes, Gillen. You.”

After that, Gillen sat without saying a word until the carriage arrived at the boutique street. His face looked as if he had been struck by something. Yuan didn’t bother to pick a fight with him. A not-so-heavy silence filled the carriage.

And finally, when the carriage stopped and the coachman announced their arrival. Gillen looked back at Yuan. His face was much firmer than before. It seemed he had come to his own conclusion.

“You’re right, Yuan. Thank you for telling me.”

With that, Gillen smiled brightly and opened the door. As he stepped out of the carriage, Yuan bit his lip tightly again.

‘Why is he smiling like that…’