Chapter 25 – 25
“What should I do? I couldn’t buy you a gift.”
Stepping out of the carriage, Courtney gazed at Euro with a look of regret. To this, Euro waved his hand, telling her it was fine.
The gift had been nothing more than an excuse anyway, and since he had obtained what he wanted, he had no lingering regrets. The ice cream, which had only appeared briefly in the novel, was more delicious than he had imagined, and the lunch he shared with Courtney afterward was also wonderful.
He had intentionally ordered a heap of food and spent every last penny he had, but Courtney felt sorry, wondering if he had spent all his money just because she and the coachman had joined him for the meal.
“It’s just because I didn’t have much money to begin with. It would have been fine if I hadn’t lost my money in the first place, so there’s no need to be sorry. Thanks to you, I had a delicious lunch.”
“Still…”
“And besides, Courtney, you didn’t even eat that much. I actually eat more than I look. Surprised?”
At this, Courtney blinked and nodded. To be honest, Euro really did eat a lot. He had devoured every single bit of the massive amount of food he had ordered.
“It was so delicious that I forgot to save some money. It’s okay; my sister will be relieved as long as I send a letter. I’ll just send a gift next time.”
Separate from letting them know he had arrived safely, he definitely had to write a letter. He needed to ask how the marriage to the Crown Prince was progressing and if there were any specific plans.
If they said there were no particular plans, he intended to figure that out as well. Only when Read on Read BL Novelsboth his marriage to Melione and the marriage between Clope and the Crown Prince were achieved could he definitively avoid the original ending of the novel.
“Thank you for guiding me, Courtney. If I happen to go out again next time, please guide me then as well. I definitely won’t cause any trouble then.”
“Trouble? Not at all. I enjoyed myself as well, Your Highness.”
Courtney bowed in greeting, and Euro laughed heartily as he headed toward his room. He had to hurry inside and hide the medicine he had received from the dragon before anyone else spotted him.
Walking quickly—yet in a manner that didn’t seem suspicious—Euro ascended the stairs with brisk steps. However, the moment he turned at the end of the hallway, he collided with something and stumbled slightly.
“Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was…”
The moment he looked up, he saw Melione’s expressionless face. Euro hurriedly bowed his head and apologized.
“I am sorry, Your Grace. I was walking carelessly…”
“Where are you going in such a hurry?”
At Melione’s question, Euro looked up with an awkward smile. Of all the times and places to run into him, his luck was truly abysmal.
‘I wondered why things were going so smoothly.’
He was someone who would be second to none in terms of bad luck, yet strangely, everything had been going well since this morning.
Was this what they called a “lucky day”? It resonated with the plot of a story where a man returns visit our sitehome only to find his frail wife [unauthorized copy]had died. Though not a wife, he certainly had a frail husband.
“I heard you went out. Where have you been?”
“Well… I went downtown for a bit. There were things I needed to buy.”
“You could have told Raymond almost anything you needed.”
“Just, well. Being inside all the time felt a bit suffocating… and I wanted to look around, and so, that’s why.”
“…”
“You didn’t tell me not to go out…”
Euro spoke while gauging Melione’s reaction. I mean, it’s not like he was a prisoner escorted from somewhere; shouldn’t he be able to go out if he wants to?
He couldn’t understand why a man who usually had zero interest in what he did or where he went would suddenly appear and interrogate him so meticulously.
The guest room where Euro stayed was on the second floor, but Melione’s bedroom was located deep within the first floor. Thus, Melione was someone who had no reason to come up this far.
‘Did he search my room?’
Euro screamed internally. A wave of fear washed over him, wondering if the notebook where he had written down all sorts of details had been discovered.
Since it was written in Hangul, Melione wouldn’t be Read on Read BL Novels[stolen content]able to read it anyway, but a notebook filled with mysterious characters was inherently suspicious.
If Melione found it and demanded to know the contents, he would have nothing to say. Even if he told the truth, he would be treated as a madman, and if he didn’t, he was as good as dead.
Melione simply looked down at him in silence, and cold sweat trickled down Euro’s back as he kept his head bowed, avoiding that gaze.
Furthermore, he currently had something in his arms that must absolutely not be discovered. He had to get past this spot and into his room by any means necessary, but for some reason, Melione seemed to have no intention of stepping aside.
“You are empty-handed.”
Melione stared at Euro for a moment before asking in a low voice. Euro snapped his head up and spoke.
“Ah, yes. Actually, well… as you know, I don’t have much money. But the food at the restaurant Courtney guided me to was just too delicious. So, I spent all of it.”
Euro put on a dim-witted expression, just as he had with Courtney, and let out a silly laugh. At this, Melione’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
“I heard Raymond gave you a separate allowance.”
‘Ah, this crazy bastard is really digging deep. Just believe it and move on.’
The corners of his smiling mouth twitched slightly, but Euro quickly regained his composure and answered in a bright voice.
“Yes, but I was clumsy and lost it. I felt so bad that I couldn’t bring myself to look Raymond in the face, so I was hurrying back to my room, so to speak.”
“…”
“Oh dear, how embarrassing.”
Euro deliberately fanned himself with his hand, avoiding Melione’s gaze. Then, he prayed and prayed internally. Stop asking useless questions and just go lock yourself in your office and smoke like you always do.
“What was it that you intended to buy?”
“Pardon?”
“I will tell Raymond to procure it for you. Or, you may go with him and buy it again.”
“No, no. I don’t need it anymore! I don’t have to buy it.”
“…You don’t need it?”
“Yes. Now that I think about it, I don’t think I really need to buy it!”
“…”
“I think I went out for no reason. I should have just stayed put; I only ended up losing my money by going out.”
Glancing at Melione’s expression and vaguely brushing it off, Euro asked the Duke, whose face remained unreadable.
“But what brings you here…?”
“Is there a problem with walking around my own home?”
“No, it’s just that you’re always in your office or bedroom. Since I’m the only one staying on the second floor, I wondered if you were looking for me.”
Euro delicately cupped his cheek with the hand he had been using to fan himself. Then, he twisted his body slightly, pretending to be shy. He figured that if he acted this unsightly, Melione would leave just to get away from him.
However, even after seeing Euro’s ridiculous behavior, Melione answered calmly.
“Yes, I was looking for you.”
“…What?”
“There are a few things I wish to make clear before the wedding. Therefore, there is something I would like us to draft together.”
“Draft…?”
As for drafting, he didn’t know what that meant or what exactly was being referred to.
“I would like us to write a contract.”
“…”
“A marriage contract.”
At those words, Euro’s eyes widened. To think the reason he was suddenly sought out was to write a marriage contract—this was a marriage he had accepted because it didn’t matter either way.
“Ha, haha, a contract?”
“Since this is a marriage proceeding because we both have our own objectives, I wish to make things clear.”
“No, I don’t have any objectives?”
While he did have an objective, he couldn’t say he had come to save the Duke, so for now, Euro jumped up as if he had no idea what Melione was talking about.
“I told you it wouldn’t matter even if you came with an objective. So, do not try so hard to hide it and let us make it clear with a contract.”
“…”
“Many people will doubt this marriage. His Majesty the Emperor is a prime example. While he may not be able to forcibly break a marriage that has already been solemnized, he will certainly doubt it and try to tear us apart somehow.”
“…”
“Therefore, preparation is necessary. It would be troublesome for you if the marriage to me were annulled or if you were forced into a divorce. Is that not so?”
Melione countered quite logically. Euro had nothing to say. However, Euro didn’t have a suitable excuse to put in the contract.
Because if he didn’t stubbornly insist it unauthorized copywas love, unauthorized copythe first night scheduled for tomorrow would be completely ruined.
‘Ugh, this annoying bastard. Should I just let him drop dead? If I say I love him, just believe it! Why is he so suspicious?’
He could overlook the sensitivity, and he could overlook the prickliness, but he absolutely could not tolerate this. At this rate, it seemed better to just let him die or not and run as far away as possible.
Or, he could go to the Emperor right now and plead, “Actually, I have an amazing healing ability, and I’ll serve you for the rest of my life, so please just spare my life.”
Euro silently bowed his head slightly, cursing the Duke with every profanity he knew, before letting out a deep sigh. There was only one way to escape this situation.
No, there were probably a few more, but his stupid brain couldn’t think of any. He had exhausted all the intelligence he possessed during his earlier conversation with the dragon.
‘If smiling brightly doesn’t work, there’s only one way!’
Euro shouted internally and snapped his head up. The moment his eyes met Melione’s, tears began to roll down his cheeks.
“…Do you dislike me that much?”
“Your Highness.”
Along with Melione’s startled call, Euro burst into tears.
“I really do love you, Your Grace…!”
The ultimate finishing move: the ‘tear attack.’
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