The Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health Chapter 309

“I hear Halbern plans to keep ignoring the imperial marriage proposals.”

Empress Ageni had brought Pession here partly to calm her son, who had been clinging to Arellin and souring the atmosphere—but ultimately, this was the real reason.

“You mean Grand Duke Halbern?”

“So it’s Valer’s doing.”

There weren’t many people who could dare ignore a marriage proposal sent by the imperial family. And only one person would go so far as to act outright defiant.

Facing the foretold beginning of hardship, Emperor Edward felt sympathy for Pession.

Even so, Pession was still glaring irritably at Arellin, who was holding Noel’s hand.

At this rate, sparks were going to fly from his eyes.

Unable to watch any longer, Emperor Edward finally scolded him.

“Tsk tsk, my son. A man’s jealousy is an ugly thing.”

“That’s rich coming from Father, who blocked every single marriage arrangement Mother ever had.”

“…….”

Whether or not Edward was wounded, the mother and son—now united—continued their serious discussion.

“I tested the waters with Mehen, and he said Grand Duke Halbern has absolutely no intention of arranging a marriage.”

If it were another house, she would have stepped in personally, flaunting her position as empress.

‘But of all people, it had to be Valer.’

Knowing that her involvement would only make things worse, Empress Ageni clicked her tongue in displeasure.

‘Pession has to marry Arellin.’

Part of it was worry that her son would lose his mind over unfulfilled love—but also because Ageni herself could no longer imagine a future where Arellin wasn’t her daughter-in-law.

“There must be some way…”

Lost in thought, Empress Ageni suddenly found it strange that Pession remained so calm, despite their proposal being ignored.

Did this boy not intend to marry at all? Despite liking Arellin so much?

“Don’t tell me you’re—!”

The empress’s gaze instantly turned cold, like she was looking at trash.

“Are you just playing with Arellin?”

Pession looked back at her as if she were talking nonsense.

“That’s not it.”

“Well, I suppose. It’d make sense if Arellin were playing with you, but you playing with Arellin? That’s absurd.”

“…….”

Pession frowned at how quickly she accepted that idea.

Why would Arellin be playing with him?

“But then, my son. Why are you so calm in this situation?”

“Because the proposal itself isn’t what matters.”

“What? If the proposal doesn’t matter, then what does?!”

Empress Ageni asked in shock. Emperor Edward also joined in with a baffled look.

Pession truly believed that marriage proposals exchanged between houses weren’t all that important.

What mattered was Arellin’s heart.

“I’m going to propose to Arellin myself.”

“……!”

“The formal proposal can come after that.”

Having reached a great realization, Empress Ageni clapped her hands in delight. Emperor Edward looked like he’d just been struck out of nowhere.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I never knew my son was such a romantic.”

As Edward struggled to process this unfamiliar side of his child, Pession turned to Empress Ageni.

“So for now, you don’t need to send any more proposals to Halbern.”

“Alright. We’ll do as you say.”

If that was the reason, Empress Ageni welcomed it wholeheartedly.

“Is there anything this mother can help with?”

“It’s fine.”

At that point, Emperor Edward casually joined in.

“Then, my son, shall I block proposals from other houses from reaching Halbern as well?”

Seeing Edward’s confidence, Pession let out a light laugh.

“No, that won’t be necessary.”

“Huh? Why not?”

Edward looked confused, having expected Pession to ask for exactly that. Empress Ageni, sensing something, smiled meaningfully.

“No matter how many come in, it doesn’t matter.”

“……?”

Because every single proposal that reached Halbern would be shredded to pieces by Valer anyway.

If nothing else, that was one thing Pession was absolutely certain of.

“So, Mother. May I go back to Arellin now?”

 

 

****

 

 

 

“Men are trash.”

“Dad, you’re a man too.”

“Exactly. That’s why trash Dad doesn’t get married—so he doesn’t ruin some innocent woman’s life.”

Well, from where I stood, it looked like every woman out there was begging him to ruin her life.

Dad, who had vanished at some point, reappeared radiating murderous intent just as the twins and Harun could no longer fend off the young nobles charging in with the mindset of ‘fortune favors the bold.’

‘I thought I was witnessing the miracle of Moses.’

He was so terrifying that even the twins and Harun couldn’t endure his glare and retreated. Mehen, who had followed him, shook her head in disbelief.

Watching the two of them, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

‘Why don’t those two get married?’

No lack of status, no lack of personality… well, Dad does have a slight personality defect.

Still, there was nothing lacking at all, yet neither of them seemed to have any interest in romance.

“Dad, aren’t you going to get married?”

“?”

Dad looked at me like I’d said something ridiculous. Even his expression sparkled.

Yeah. He really is good-looking.

I’d built up a tolerance to this face by now, but even so, sometimes I still found myself admiring it.

“Mehen’s single too…”

“I prefer being alone.”

Mom shut the topic down instantly.

“I told you earlier. Dad doesn’t get married because he’s trash.”

“There are probably tons of people who’d say they don’t mind, even if Dad’s trash.”

“It’s different once you actually live together.”

Dad replied cynically, like someone who’d already lived through it once.

Judging by that tone, maybe he really had gone through a marriage in another life.

“Anyway, I’m not getting married.”

“Why?”

“Because there’s nothing in my life more important than you.”

That made it hard for me to argue.

His voice was so firm that I unconsciously smacked my lips.

“That’s a shame.”

“What is?”

“People are really curious what you’d be like if you fell in love.”

“What?”

Honestly, I couldn’t imagine Dad in love either… which might be exactly why people wanted to see it.

But clearly displeased by the idea, Dad brushed my hair back and smiled sharply.

“Which bastard said something that useless to my daughter?”

Even while muttering quietly, his icy gaze, cold expression, and the lighting behind him combined into a picture-perfect scene…

I could kind of understand why people went crazy over him.

‘I’m sure Dad has an insanely strong peach blossom fate.’

No doubt about it.

And yet, to his daughter, he was endlessly gentle and soft. Maybe that contrast was exactly why he was so popular.

Then is this my fault?

“Hey.”

Feeling petty for no reason, I took off my ribbon and playfully stuck it in Dad’s hair.

“Keep it on.”

“You’re giving it to me?”

“I didn’t say I was giving it.”

The white ribbon that marked a young lady who had just debuted into society.

But why does it suit him so well?

Is fashion really completed by the face?

“Does it look good?”

As I squinted at him, Dad smiled.

Damn it—it really does.

“Dad, are you really okay with this?”

“My daughter gave it to me.”

“I mean, really okay with it…?”

Does this man have no sense of self?

Come to think of it, even when I was little, I once stuck a ‘Please try harder!’ sticker on him, and he’d walked around proudly showing it off.

Seriously, this man…

As I stared at him with a fed-up look, Dad met my eyes and smiled softly.

“How could anything given by ‘my daughter’ be bad?”

Kyaaa—

I could hear the young ladies pretending not to look nearly fainting.

Yeah. Tomorrow’s front-page headline was obvious.

 

 

*****

 

 

 

Time passed, and before long, it was past midnight.

The dance floor was still full of gentlemen and ladies dancing while searching for marriage partners, but the married nobles had gathered together, absorbed in conversation.

Some couples who caught each other’s eye even slipped away to places free of prying eyes…

Yet even in this atmosphere, there was one spot that most people glanced at, despite knowing it was improper.

There sat Valer, settled in his seat with a deeply displeased expression.

“Why the long face?”

Even at Mehen’s scolding, Valer’s expression didn’t relax.

The reason was simple—

“Why are they stuck together like that?”

Because Arellin had abandoned the two of them and gone straight to Pession.

Valer disliked everything—the way the two laughed as they talked, the way they secretly held hands while watching their surroundings.

“It’s an eyesore.”

Mehen, who was watching the same scene, thought that Valer—wearing a white ribbon—was the real embarrassment.

But Valer saw it clearly: Arellin’s endlessly gentle gaze directed at Pession.

Was she really that happy?

“Master, you can’t keep her only to yourself forever.”

“I know.”

Valer never intended to keep Arellin by his side for life. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t ruin her as well.

Yes, someday, when the time came, he would let her marry.

But he couldn’t give her to just anyone.

A handsome man, whole in body, not drawn to dangerous ideologies, with a healthy mind and body; someone who would cherish and love his daughter, stake his life for his family; wealthy, unlikely to see his house ruined by misfortune, unlikely to die suddenly; young, with a good personality.

And on top of that, no one in his entire household could be allowed to bully Arellin.

Damn it—he met all of those conditions!

“What exactly don’t you like?”

“Everything. From head to toe.”

“…….”

Mehen’s expression turned icy.

What kind of lunatic is this?