Rejected by Daughter’s Second Male Lead Chapter 76

Yuan haughtily ignored the hand Gillen offered to escort him and jumped lightly from the carriage.

“From now on, I will be the one escorting you.”

“Out of respect for the elderly?”

Gillen asked teasingly. He was quoting the exact expression Yuan himself had used before. However, Yuan drew a line with a serious face.

“Don’t say such disgusting things. Not after sleeping with me.”

“Ahem, cough! I told you to call it an exchange!”

“I don’t want to.”

Yuan lifted his chin and walked ahead. Gillen, conscious of their surroundings, put on a gentle smile. Inwardly, however, he was grumbling about why that brat was in such a foul mood again.

“Let’s go together, Yuan!”

Gillen called out to Yuan in a loud voice.

“Don’t ever say such boring things like I’m old or an old man again. I’m sick of hearing it.”

“Hey, you were the one who said it first! You’re always calling me Mister—”

“It’s different when I say it versus when you say it, Gillen. Don’t you know about the standing of the person involved in the joke?”

“…Huh? I’m the one involved!”

While Yuan and Gillen bickered their way into the middle of the boutique street, passersby chattered busily. The nobles who recognized them immediately focused on the fact that they were ‘calling each other by their first names,’ and those who had judged them by their attire and carriage grew excited over the fact that the famous Duke Blake had visited Auguinet with Marquis Hampton, the Moore Empire’s most famous hero and his young lover.

Most nobles or commoners would live their entire lives with almost no chance of meeting those who had risen to the rank of duke or marquis. To them, high-ranking nobles were venerable beings, no different from royalty.

Moreover, Yuan and Gillen were considered two of the most handsome men even in the capital. The two Alphas had clearer skin, were taller, and had better builds than others. Their very attire exuded wealth and they gave off a very pleasant scent. This meant they wore expensive perfume.

They were calling each other by name in a friendly manner and walking side-by-side, engaging in the kind of playful bickering that many men do. At some point, Yuan offered his arm as if to escort him, and Gillen walked with his hand resting on that arm. The article in the Imperial newspaper had been true. The article about Duke Blake and Marquis Hampton being secret lovers!

‘I must get on their good side!’

At that moment, everyone on the boutique street who witnessed Yuan and Gillen thought with one mind and one heart.

Just becoming acquainted with high-ranking nobles could lead to who-knows-what kind of opportunities. No matter how close Auguinet was to the capital, and no matter how it was the most prosperous metropolis after the capital, the fact that it was an outer region of the area where the Imperial Palace was located remained unchanged. While distant regions might consider Auguinet to be part of the capital, the opportunities for social advancement or meritorious service were certainly fewer here than in the capital.

The nobles residing in Auguinet, or the nobles visiting Auguinet, all began to tail Yuan and Gillen stealthily, like assassins. Businessmen who wanted to connect with the Blake or Hampton families took it a step further, jostling and fighting to walk alongside them.

And in the face of all that commotion, Gillen was being escorted by Yuan with a serene expression.

‘It’s going according to plan.’

He had no intention of attending parties or discussing business here. He did not want to expand his connections or be invited to anyone’s home either.

However, for today, Gillen planned to lead all the ambitious people here behind him like the Pied Piper. If he could make them think he might give them his attention while imprinting the image of him and Yuan being close and affectionate in their subconscious, the value of this tour would be immense.

“Yuan, is there anything you want to buy? I’ll buy you something.”

“No, thank you. Have you forgotten how wealthy I am again? You tell me if there’s anything you want, Gillen. I can buy it for you right now.”

“…Hahaha.”

Although Yuan, who was burning with a strange dueling spirit all by himself, was a bit unreliable, it was fine as long as they looked close in the eyes of others.

I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll have to show them the experience that comes with middle age.

Gillen stopped and turned his waist as if to look behind him. He could feel the crowd that had been following them, pretending not to, halt all at once. Suppressing a laugh, he looked at Yuan again.

“Auguinet is famous for its delicious fruit, isn’t it? It would be nice to taste some fresh fruit after our meal. Aren’t you hungry, too?”

“There’s a restaurant here famous for its delicious full-course meals. It’s usually booked solid every month, but if I give them my name, they’ll give us a table right away.”

Yuan retorted casually. Gillen was inwardly surprised. I was just saying that, though?

“Really? You know a restaurant here?”

“Thanks to that old man, the Master of the Magic Tower, there isn’t a single corner of the Moore Empire I haven’t been to. There are plenty of regions I’ve saved, too. As for Auguinet, well, it’s because I know the owner of the restaurant. Don’t worry about a thing for the next two months. I’ll take care of everything.”

“You’re surprisingly dependable, aren’t you? Hm? Yuan, I’m seeing you in a new light.”

He was being sincere. This prickly, haughty fellow traveled the country handling requests with the Master of the Magic Tower? He could not imagine it at all. He could imagine him following the Master of the Magic Tower around, muttering and nagging, but not this.

“You’ve been following me around saying you liked me as I was, so how much more amazing can I look if you’re seeing me in a new light? You have no shame, even with so many people around… Try to restrain yourself.”

Yuan, who had been throwing a fit just moments before, was now visibly pleased, the corners of his mouth twitching.

No matter what, he really is… a cute fellow. A smile naturally bloomed on Gillen’s lips as well.

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Yes, yes, I understand.”

“It’s this way.”

“Mmm, good. Is it close from here?”

“It won’t take long. Though we could get there in one second if we teleport.”

“Hahaha! Isn’t that a given? Ha! Ha! Ha!”

The expressions on the faces of the people following right behind them turned strange. It was not a particularly funny story, but the two of them were so perfectly in sync. The smiles on their faces as they looked at each other were, to anyone’s eyes, clearly those of lovers.

“They really do have a good relationship.”

“By the way, the restaurant Marquis Hampton mentioned, isn’t that Sterns? The owner there is famous for being picky and eccentric… Didn’t he even get fined for humiliating the Third Princess when she came here before?”

“Let’s go see.”

The people further back could not hear the detailed conversation, but they could clearly hear Gillen’s hearty laughter.

The procession following Yuan and Gillen grew longer and longer, and it swelled even more after they entered the Sterns restaurant. This was because they were telling people they knew or calling for their servants.

Since not just anyone could enter the Sterns restaurant, it was a natural course of events for the area in front of it to become a chaotic marketplace. The people who had reservations to eat lunch at Sterns that day entered the restaurant in a state of high excitement.

The Yuan and Gillen couple, whose popularity was comparable to that of idols, feigned ignorance of the situation and waited for the owner of Sterns.

“How do you know the owner here?”

Gillen asked, lowering his voice.

“I once found a legendary spice that the owner here had been searching for. It was nothing special to me, though.”

“Oh? What kind of spice is it?”

As Gillen asked with interest, a reply came from ahead of them.

“Lasina. It’s a legendary spice that is said to bring out 100 percent of the flavor of any ingredient it’s added to. For those who cook, it’s literally the powder of dreams and magic, shall we say?”

A sexy woman in a fiery red dress walked out, her high heels clicking. She was a mesmerizing woman with flaming red hair that matched her dress, dark skin, and thick eyebrows that seemed to melt the hearts of those who saw her.

“You’re too late. To make me wait for three minutes, you’ve got some nerve.”

Yuan said sharply, but the woman pursed her plump lips and smiled.

“Forgive me, darling. When I heard you were here, I couldn’t possibly come out without touching up my makeup.”

As she spoke, the woman slid her hand inside Yuan’s shirt and gently massaged the back of his neck. Then, she took a deep breath as if inhaling the scent of a flower.

“Haaah… Won’t you let out just a little bit of your pheromones? I really missed you, darling.”

“Give us a table first. Can’t you see I have company?”

Yuan looked slightly on edge. He seemed to be bothered by keeping Gillen standing. Noticing his expression, the woman’s eyes changed. They were the eyes of someone who had discovered a very interesting toy.

“Oh my, who is this handsome gentleman? To think there was someone else besides the Master of the Magic Tower who would accompany our darling?”

Gillen’s eyes quickly swept over the woman’s hand, which was still kneading the back of Yuan’s neck as if it were dough, her attractive face, and her flashy attire that left half her chest exposed. It was so fast that no one would have noticed. Soon, he crinkled his eyes into a smile and offered a greeting.

“I am Gillen Blake, Lady. It is an honor to meet the owner of the Sterns restaurant, the pride of Auguinet.”

“Blake…? You don’t mean His Grace, Duke Blake?”

The woman pulled away from Yuan. She did not make as much of a fuss as others, but for her, that seemed to be a sufficient display of surprise. Because Yuan was glaring at the woman.

“Why are you acting so unlike yourself? Don’t even think about seducing him. Gillen is with me right now.”

“What, what did you say? You’re with someone? Is this a date right now?”

The woman shrieked. This time, she looked incredibly shocked to anyone watching.

I suppose that’s to be expected. Who could possibly date a guy like Yuan? Gillen silently nodded.