Rejected by Daughter’s Second Male Lead Chapter 77

“Yes, I’m sure you’re wondering who would dare to date me. But this gentleman is Duke Blake. He confessed that he liked me so much and followed me around, so I barely, just barely, accepted him. You should show him some courtesy too, Jade.”

The eyes of the woman called Jade grew even wider than before. It reached the point where Gillen worried her eyeballs might pop out. But at the same time, the fact that Yuan had so casually called her by her name bothered him a little. Had they dated before? Her appearance, the lack of distance between them… Jade was a beautiful woman, and it would not have been strange if she had had something with Yuan.

“My goodness. I never believe any of the articles in the newspapers. It is an honor to meet you, Your Grace, Duke Blake. I had heard a few times that you were a good person, but your character must truly be remarkable. To be with my darling… my goodness.”

Jade greeted him elegantly and then sighed repeatedly. If one listened closely, the nuance was almost as if dating Yuan was some kind of punishment, but Gillen dismissed it as his own misunderstanding.

“Lady Jade, may I ask what your relationship with Yuan is? You two seem quite close.”

“Oh my, please speak comfortably, Your Grace. I am merely a commoner working in the restaurant business. Well, I have enough money not to envy the nobility, fufu.”

She let out a low laugh and then brushed Yuan’s forearm with her fingertips. Gillen’s gaze automatically followed Jade’s fingertips.

“My darling and I have a very special relationship. He is the man who gave me what I wanted so desperately. Besides, I’m an Omega. I smelled darling’s pheromones just once, and ever since then, I’ve been completely powerless against this man. Ah, do I now have to use honorifics with my darling in accordance with court etiquette and such? You’ve become a Marquis, you know. It’s truly amazing.”

“Can’t you just give us a table first? I’m hungry. And it’s uncomfortable being stared at here like we’re monsters in a monster garden.”

“Oh, honestly, alright. Follow me. The VIP room is always kept empty. For my darling.”

Jade tapped the tip of Yuan’s nose with her fingertip. In that moment, Gillen felt a sense of déjà vu from the gesture.

‘I think Yuan has tapped my forehead in a similar way.’

Were they really a couple before?

He could vividly picture that voluptuous and sexy woman calling Yuan ‘darling,’ embracing him, nibbling his ear, and craving his pheromones.

Jade was not a conventional beauty, but she had a unique charm. That was why she exuded her own aura even next to the dazzlingly handsome Yuan.

Besides, a male Alpha and a female Omega. It was a much more natural and well-matched pairing than a couple of male dominant Alphas. As he thought that, he suddenly felt a throbbing, aching pain in one side of his chest.

‘What’s wrong with me?’

Gillen pressed down firmly in the middle of his chest. This pain was similar to what he had felt when a young Cecilia ran off to play with Hexion without a glance at Gillen, or when she declared for the first time that she would attend a party with Hexion instead of her father.

‘Am I feeling bittersweet about the fact that Yuan had normal human relationships besides me?’

When Cecilia had done that, he had secretly swallowed his tears while feeling the child’s growth. So am I seeing this as Yuan’s growth… right now?

Gillen, bewildered, followed Yuan and Jade into the VIP room.

Yuan and Jade sat on the sofa first, and Gillen sat alone on the one opposite them.

“Why are you sitting down?”

Yuan asked bluntly. However, Jade did not even flinch. It seemed she was already used to that tone of voice.

“My darling has a lover, so of course I have to watch. Besides, to be able to see a handsome Alpha like Your Grace this up close, I’d want to sit here even if it cost me a fortune.”

Jade linked her arm with Yuan’s and leaned against him, yet she still winked at Gillen. Gillen was shocked. Do young people these days do this kind of mutual flirting thing? With one man on her arm, she’s winking at another man just like that…

Seeing Gillen’s uncomfortable expression, Yuan flung his arm off.

“Just take our order and leave. The two of us will be dining alone.”

“Hmph, so heartless… Your Grace, can’t I really join you for dinner?”

Jade asked Gillen, fluttering her voluminous eyelashes. It would never work on Yuan, so she had made Gillen her new target.

“…I’m sorry, Jade. We have something important to discuss, just the two of us.”

However, surprisingly, Gillen also rejected Jade’s request flat out. Although he was making a sad face with his eyebrows drooping and giving an apologetic smile, a rejection was a rejection.

Fortunately, Jade, who ran the largest and most famous restaurant in Auguinet, had an excellent aptitude as a businesswoman. This meant she knew when to back down.

“Haaah… I suppose it can’t be helped. One mustn’t disturb lovers. Then I will enjoy the view of the gentlemen until I take your order.”

“Thank you. I’ll order the most expensive dish and wine at this restaurant. And you, Yuan?”

“Ah, um… er, I… I’ll have the same.”

Surprisingly, it was Yuan who stammered. The rejected Jade clicked her tongue cutely and stood up.

“It’s too much for you to order so quickly like this. Hmph, I’ll see you again later when I bring the menu. You handsome gentlemen.”

Jade exited the room, her dress swishing. Now, only Yuan and Gillen were left in the VIP room. Gillen, feeling unsettled for some reason, drank the water that was already on the table. Just then, Yuan abruptly asked.

“Why did you send her out?”

“Hm?”

“Jade. I thought you would ask her to eat with us.”

Yuan said, glaring at Gillen with a somewhat sullen expression. Gillen was slightly taken aback. Did he actually want to eat with Jade? Did I send her out for no reason?

“It’s just… isn’t this an occasion where we need to show ourselves eating together? If someone else joins, it wouldn’t align with the purpose of this trip.”

“…Ah.”

Yuan’s sullen expression softened. He returned to his perfectly haughty and prim, expressionless face.

What was that? Is he in a better mood now? Or a worse one?

Unable to read Yuan’s intentions, Gillen quietly gazed at that handsome face. At that, Yuan’s brow furrowed again.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Well, I thought I had gotten to know you quite well, but right now I can’t make heads or tails of you. Did you ever date Jade?”

“What did you say?”

“Because she called you darling…”

“That’s just that woman teasing me. She once said that since I’ll never date or get married in my life, she’ll call me ‘darling’ for me instead. And honestly, Jade has too many shortcomings to date me. Well, I guess there’s no one in the world who doesn’t.”

Yuan trailed off mid-mutter and then put on an even more fearsome expression.

“Were you perhaps jealous? Thinking Jade was my ex-lover?”

“What? Ha! Ha! Ha! Jealous? Jealous? Hahahahahahaha!”

Yuan’s conclusion was so cute that Gillen burst out laughing. How could he possibly think that Gillen was jealous of Jade? Really, Yuan was something else. He was a man who had never even felt romantic emotions in his life, let alone jealousy. All the way until he turned forty-five.

Perhaps because Gillen was laughing too loudly and for too long, Yuan grew displeased and pouted his lips.

“Oh dear, my apologies. Hahaha! I just can’t stop laughing… Ahaha! Ha! Ha! Ha!”

“Stop it.”

“Haha! Ha! Ha! Sorry, sorry.”

Gillen even covered his mouth with one hand and bent his head, sputtering with laughter.

As he had predicted, Yuan was growing increasingly displeased. When Jade first clung to him, he had thought nothing of it since that was just how she was. He was only anxious that he might be keeping Gillen standing for too long.

But when Jade showed interest in Gillen, and Gillen was nice to Jade in return, his anxiety gradually turned into irritation. Gillen, with his history as a married man, and the sensual Jade had seemed like a rather well-suited pair.

But at the last moment, Gillen had sent Jade away. He had no interest in her whatsoever, and he had said he wanted to have a meal ‘importantly, with just the two of them’—saying they had something to talk about was probably just an excuse he made up. Moreover, if he listened closely, it seemed like Gillen was jealous of Jade.

Upon thinking that, he felt a strange and complex emotion. Why on earth is he being so obvious? He could not understand it, but strangely, instead of getting annoyed, he felt good. Laughter kept trying to escape, so Yuan had to force a scowl onto his face.

And yet, the moment he pointed out the jealousy, Gillen was laughing his head off like this. He was laughing uproariously as if he had heard a very funny joke, or seen a child’s cute antics.

“Stop laughing before I use magic to take away your voice. I’m warning you.”

Yuan said fiercely. Gillen acted like an adult humoring a child, pressing his lips together in a firm line. He nodded his head emphatically. But he could not completely erase the mirth lingering in the corners of his eyes. The wrinkles around his eyes were also bunched up.

He really hated that so much, in the past. Those wrinkles, that laugh. But now, why…

Yuan let out a light laugh that sounded like a sigh.

“Alright. It wasn’t jealousy, you were just being faithful to our purpose. I get it, so stop laughing for real now. Act your age.”

“And just when were you telling me not to say you’re old?”

“It means I can say it, and you can’t, Gillen.”

“Where is that written?”

“It’s written right here.”