The Male Lead's Sickly Aide Is My Type - Chapter 35
Translator and Editor: Nana and Nabi
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Chapter 35
It was the middle of winter. Snow was falling, and dried leaves rustled softly as they accumulated on the ground.
Duke Lucas received an invitation from Iris and attended her evening party.
Welser Lucas, the Duke of the First Duchy, was a man no one could ever forget after seeing him once. His handsome appearance, icy-cold voice, and imposing charisma emanating from his blood-red eyes all combined to showcase his unparalleled dignity.
The Duke sat at the center of the banquet table, leaning his glass, resembling a black panther slowly surveying its surroundings from atop a tree. Despite his relaxed expression, his mind was fully occupied by a single person.
A grating voice sounded as if it were coming from right beside him.
“So, how does it feel to lose?”
It was a unique way of speaking, but he didn’t feel any discomfort.
Rather, he became intrigued. The Duke recalled her face, beaming with satisfaction. A face that seemed to mock him with an insolent smirk. Even when she taunted him, it didn’t feel particularly unpleasant.
He wondered why he found her interesting.
The Duke imagined her face filled with triumphant joy. That face, as if saying she would make him pay. It wasn’t the first time he had seen such an expression. No, it was a recent occurrence, ever since her confession that day.
He recollected an incident that took place a few months ago at the ballroom.
“In reflection of my actions, I won’t bother you anymore, Your Excellency. I’ve also decided to cleanly put away my feelings for you. After careful consideration, it seems that we are not destined for each other.”
‘Not destined,’ she said. Since when did she believe that?
At the time, he didn’t take her words seriously. He thought she was resorting to other means since clinging didn’t work, though it wasn’t that.
“Believe it or not, it’s up to you. I’m sincere.”
She continued to utter, tilting her chin defiantly, wearing a face that showed she had nothing to lose.
That was the moment he felt something entirely different, something strange for her. That feeling grew stronger over time. She acted as if her heart had completely left him. It seemed as if she regarded him not as someone she loved but as a rival.
Was that all? She surprised him in ways he never could have imagined.
When Archen returned recently and informed him that she had convincingly persuaded Marta, he couldn’t easily believe it. How did she manage to persuade the cold-hearted Knight Commander, and how did she come to know about the white oak?
There were not just one or two puzzling aspects.
In addition, it didn’t stop there. In the subsequent meeting, he watched in astonishment as the King was rendered speechless by Marta’s words.
Her words hit the mark exactly.
At first, he was angry at the thought that she was playing with him. However, that feeling soon turned into satisfaction as the meeting progressed smoothly.
He had to consider it as one of the first times a meeting had gone so smoothly. If he did well, he might have similar experiences in the future.
At the thought, the Duke smiled satisfactorily and emptied his wine glass without leaving a drop.
Over the course of a few months, she had completely transformed into a different person. It felt as if someone else possessed her, but it didn’t matter.
It didn’t matter why she had become someone else or why she suddenly changed her attitude. What mattered was the fact that he had become interested in her, and he was someone who never let go of something once he set his eyes on it.
As he placed the empty glass on the table, at that moment, a figure appeared above the glass.
“I have something to tell you.”
The Duke turned his gaze towards the voice as he could see golden hair fluttering in the air.
The owner of the voice was his aide, Archenas. If someone were to name someone who had changed suddenly, he would have to include him as well. When he applied for the position of aide, he seemed like a decent person.
Despite the fact that he was a little quiet, it wasn’t to the point of being frustrating, and his words and actions had energy, even if he maintained an expressionless demeanor.
But recently, he had changed.
The vibrant appearance had disappeared long ago, shadows inexplicably fell on his face, and in the end, he began to refuse to use magic.
Whenever a situation called for magic, he made various excuses and avoided it. This tendency had become more pronounced over time, and for the past few months, he hadn’t used magic even once. Wasn’t it just the other day that he didn’t make it rain because his magical power was depleted?
Still, he had never seen him use magic that day. Why did he tell such an obvious lie?
His aide, whom he once considered loyal, was losing his trust. It didn’t bother him much. If he didn’t like his aide, he could just dismiss him and hire someone new.
Nonetheless, before he changed, his aide’s handling of his duties was flawless, so he felt a little disappointed. Well, it would be okay to give him a chance. He decided to observe him a little longer over time.
Whether his changed attitude was temporary or not was still unknown.
As the Duke finished his contemplation and leaned back, the sound of the chair back creaked as it tilted.
“Speak.”
“There are rumors circulating that the Princess is behind the incident from last time. Some observant nobles seemed to have noticed and spread the word.”
From the context, the incident referred to the cancellation of the annex construction. Archenas seemed a little excited.
With an unusually tense expression, he quickly poured out his words.
“They suffered considerable losses by losing the logging and mining rights, so they won’t just sit still.”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to say.”
“The Princess may become angry. As you know, Duke Tricia was easygoing, but he was not separate from politics. We need to take action as soon as possible. If we don’t, another incident like the previous trial could happen again.”
It was a statement that made sense and yet didn’t make sense. It seemed plausible that the Princess, who had orchestrated everything from behind the scenes, would be resented, but would that make the nobles target her?
What more could these lazy and idle nobles who slandered the Princess could do from behind?
“You worry too much.”
The Duke cut off his words with a single stroke.
“Still…”
Archenas still had something to say, and he pursed his lips. His helpless appearance was not an answer.
He seemed genuinely concerned about the Princess.
“It seems like you’re too emotional. Go and rest a bit.”
The Duke replied without paying much attention, thinking that he was concerned about every little thing, and he tilted the glass to fill it up.
Nevertheless, he still didn’t disappear.
“Archenas? You may go now.”
“…Understood.”
The Duke realized that it was an answer given reluctantly, but he decided not to scold him. They had traveled together a few times, and he had even become friendly with the Princess.
A recent memory came to mind. On the way back from the trial, Archenas stuck close to the Princess as if he were becoming good friends with her. He seemed to regain some of his former energy. It was a funny sight.
A Princess without any rivals and a highly skilled aide.
It wasn’t a combination that seemed to fit well, but as the Duke thought about it, he raised the glass to his lips and slowly sipped.
The bright light illuminated the wine in the glass.
He savored the purplish liquid, which had a crisp taste that lingered on his tongue before slowly fading away, like grains of sand slipping through his fingers, leaving no trace. And so, the glass was emptied.
The party was in full swing, like a perfectly ripe fruit. People ate and drank as if there was no tomorrow, chatting away as laughter erupted sporadically, adding a lively touch to the atmosphere, much like the melodies of a violin.
Inside the dazzling party venue, the colorful lights sparkled, but outside, the corridor was dimly lit.
While the party venue was filled with energy, the corridor exuded a lonely and melancholic feeling. People seemed to unconsciously recognize this contrast and hesitated to venture out into the dark hallway.
The long and seemingly endless corridor was empty and deserted. It was at that moment when a man, who had been ignored by everyone, stepped into the forsaken corridor.
He had glistening golden hair that fell to his shoulders, and with each step, his earrings, crafted from polished gemstones, swayed back and forth. Despite his meticulous appearance, the man’s expression remained dark.
His footsteps, initially straight along the corridor, gradually veered towards the wall.
Leaning against it, he let out a faint groan as if he had reached his limit. The nauseating pain was about to resurface.
‘Why am I like this?’
The Duke’s words were right. He had become too emotional, unnecessarily so, but he had no choice. Leaning against the wall, he looked up, and for a moment, a face flickered across the patternless ceiling before he closed his eyes.
Just a few minutes ago, he couldn’t help but recall the words the Prinhad said.
“You still have no interest in me?”
He barely managed to suppress a hollow laugh. He wanted to retort, pretending to know nothing, to her awkward words.
‘If I show interest, what will you do?’
If he said that jokingly, he would raise her hand and kiss the back of her hand, accompanied by a playful smile.
What would she say in response? How would she react…?
He dismissed such futile daydreaming. Archen felt pathetic and covered his face with his hand. He shouldn’t be thinking like this. It was an impossible and forbidden scenario.
Still, his efforts were in vain as he continued to recall it. The words the Princess had said on the day he received the tie pin.
“I absolutely didn’t come to see the Duke. Never. I didn’t come to see you on the pretext of meeting the Duke either. It’s not like I was just passing by and dropped by to see him. I came to see you with pure intentions. Since I’ve given you the gift, I’ll take my leave now.”
When he heard the Princess’ words, he felt a strange sense of relief, as if a lingering thorn had been removed from his chest. He didn’t know why he felt such emotions. It was the same during the trial of Marquis Ariella.
“Why are you going to such lengths for the Princess?”
Marta’s question left him speechless.
“Some things in this world are unavoidable.”
Completely shattered, he was left behind as Marta walked away. Even after she left, he stood in the same spot for a long time.
What did she mean by the unavoidable situation?
Why couldn’t he say anything? What was the reason he was so concerned about the Princess’ words? In the midst of overwhelming confusion, he struggled to come up with a plausible answer.
The Princess was a good person, and it was natural to feel a liking towards good people.
Yes, that was it.
With that, he could explain everything. The sense of relief he felt was probably due to the thought of getting closer to the Princess, and the reason he couldn’t answer Marta’s question was that he didn’t want to reveal the fact that he had become close to the Princess in front of Marta.
Being a mere aide, getting close to the Princess would be a subject of ridicule for others, and he just didn’t want to be caught up in it. He pretended not to know Marta’s question because he didn’t want to be held accountable.
And in the recent incident, he must have sought support from anyone due to the pressure of an impending major event. So, what he felt was a completely natural emotion.
There was nothing strange about it.
It was just foolish.
“Ugh…”
Like a crashing wave, a sharp pain struck him at that moment.
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Mangagirl4
Poor Archen 😭💗
Zepelim
Tadinho!! Acho que o duque vai começar a atazana