Chapter 109

“It can’t be.”

Philaf, with his reddish bloodshot eyes, grabbed his subordinate’s collar.

He couldn’t believe this situation at all.

In fact, he vaguely thought that the positive news would come back.

Even if Deborah pretended to hate him, he believed that she would eventually accept the marriage proposal and stop pretending.

He had all of the criterias that everyone would want in a son-in-law. And Deborah likes luxury and glamorous things.

He had calculated that it would not be easy for her to reject the title of the Duchess of Montes considering the background and wealth he had.

But the situation was turned upside down astoundingly.

When Deborah and Isidor walked around the town together as if she did not care about the marriage proposal at all, he was being ridiculed.

An obvious rejection.

The back of his neck was tingling as if someone had hit it hard with a blunt object.

He denied this humiliating reality while screaming out hysterically as if he would choke his vassals right now.

“Father said not to bring up the marriage proposal again? Are you kidding me right now?”

The vassal trembled as he saw Philaf bursted out of anger with a face full of wrath.

“This rascal is starting again!”

When Philaf raised his fist, Duke Montes appeared with an infuriated face.

“Fa-father.”

“Joke? Duke Seymour went around joking in private saying that he will reply to the letter that was sent three years ago in six years time. Seymour is the one playing the joke!”

“Duke Seymour is a man full of pride, but if you persuade him over time…… “

“That punk is making fun of me, so why should I stand still when the snake-like cunning old man is insulting me?”

“If we take a step back like this, it will only get worse.”

“The reason why there’s the rumours in the Seymour household that he likes courteous man, or whatever, is because he’s saying that he doesn’t like your violence against women! The situation is already weird enough.”

“…..I have already gotten over Mia.”

“So what? Even though we give the excuse that we have Seymour’s official letter on our side, your justification has become blurry already.”

“But wasn’t it father who brought up the talk of marriage to me first?!”

Duke Montes’ expression was crumpled.

In fact, he also did not know that the Duke Seymour would fire back with such determination.

There are no parents that would win over their children, so he thought Duke Seymour would lose to Deborah.

But it was returned in the same way. He was utterly humiliated by the misjudgement.

“You punk, how dare you blame your father after screwing up? How can you keep being more pathetic day by day! Wake up!”

After Duke Montes got mad frantically and left, Philaf, who was left panting alone, broke the probation order in irritation and then went to the academy the next day.

“….Then are you saying that Philaf was dumped by Deborah this time?”

“It seems so. Like a ball, pop-.”

“Ehem. He was pretending to be so fatal. Perhaps he was pushed behind by Sir Isidor?”

“Instead of dumping her, he was being dumped. Maybe it was like this… cough.”

"What is it? Gasp!”

Some executives, who were gossiping excitedly in the Frat House while thinking that Philaf is still on probation, suddenly shut their mouths at his sudden appearance.

“Won’t you guys shut up?! Fuck, who’s the one being pushed away!”

When he was swearing as if they were his house’s subordinates, the executives from the prominent families frowned.

"Please calm down.”

“I’m sorry that we are gossiping about it, but there’s nothing good if you are overreacting about this.”

The public opinion was turned over completely about the self-inflicted part of the Montes family.

Now it was disclosed as if Philaf was the one hanging onto Deborah this time.

Just like how Deborah was disclosed in the past.

“Damn it!”

Philaf, who kicked the chair hard, waited for a long time at the place where the Seymour family’s carriage was until she came.

“Deborah!”

Philaf hurriedly approached Deborah, who was walking indifferently, but was blocked by her Knight Escort.

She was standing behind her knight and her eyes looked dull.

The obsessed red eyes that she had in the past were disgusting and creepy, but those indifferent eyes drove Philaf crazy.

When the situation had become this extreme, he came to realize it painfully.

That Deborah doesn’t like him anymore.

And Philaf became more bothered that she doesn’t like him anymore.

He stared at Deborah with his rough reddish-brown eyes.

“Deborah, do you know what you just did?”

“?“

“You are giving up the wealth and honor that I am guaranteed to provide you for. You will surely regret your immature decision later. However, it is not too late to turn back now. If you say you are sorry……”

Deborah sneered and tilted her head crookedly.

“These are all the things that I can acquire with my own hands, so why should I spread my arms to your ugly self?”

“……”

“Do your own delusions at home.”

Deborah didn’t fight with him at all.

She spoke dryly as if seeing a petty bug before going into the carriage.

“Fuck.”

Philaf swore while staring at the back of a carriage like chasing his own tail.

He felt nauseous and sick.

After the carriage left, he remembered the childish imperial proverb of regret but he denied it.

The pathetic feelings like regret didn’t suit him.

“You are the one…. that will regret it.”

However, his murmurs full of evil rustled in the air.

* * *

‘Philaf is the type who is obsessed with things he doesn’t have. Just like Deborah Seymour.’

I thought Deborah in the original story and Philaf were very similar.

The difference between both of them was that Deborah was attracted to Philaf, who’s the same as her just like fate, while Philaf hated the relation and was disgusted by it?

'Well, it’s not my business. For now.”

Rumors have spread wide that I hated the marriage proposal. However, if he keeps being clingy, his reputation in the social world will only worsen.

Deborah didn’t have a reputation to lose, but Philaf has a lot to protect so he must be aware of the nobles.

‘By the way, when did I say that I won’t accept anyone unless he’s a magician?’

I felt a little ambiguous while thinking that the rumors spreading around recently has reflected a lot on father’s taste.

‘Since Isidor is a knight, he must not have the talent to use any magic…..Eh? What did I think just now?’

I grabbed my head when I recalled the bizarre incident.

'Ack, why are you doing this!’

This is all because of Isidor’s shy smile.

‘If he smiles like that ….. with that beauty, what am I, who likes handsome guys, supposed to do?’

As I pounded my head against the table and sniffled, I carefully touched the white turtle-shaped porcelain on the study table.

It was a turtle with emerald blue coloured eyes like Isidor.

My inside was turned upside down again when we parted ways that day.

“How about drinking alcohol in front of me only now?”

“Huh? What? Why?”

“If you are curious, should I teach you?”

He stretched out his long eyes and smiled softly.

“No, no.”

“Now that I think of it, it’s not so bad that I am the only one who knows it.”

In fact, I also knew about it.

Isidor has large, masculine and delicate hands at the same time. He practiced the piano to death although he was bad at playing.

"I’m going crazy.”

I covered my head and muttered.

* * *

Isidor constantly stared at the cat-shaped porcelain doll that was laid on his desk.

The doll is similar to Deborah, with its sharp ruby-like red eyes opened fiercely.

The cat doll posed like it would scratch if anyone touched it and Isidor petted it carefully as if it might break.

His bare hands that were as white as sheets felt the slippery and cold sensation of the pottery.

Strange enough, the sweet feelings spread as if he bit a bunch of candy.

‘It clearly didn’t feel like this the first time.’

The time when Deborah held his hand, he felt shock as if something was occupying his senses.

It also felt like a bomb was lit up.

He never thought that he would be able to touch someone’s bare skin.

The urge to grasp that intense feeling and confirm it properly had stirred him up.

‘Although I immediately ran away as if I suddenly came back to my senses.’

He tried to touch Miguel with his bare hand the next day as he wanted to see if his mysophobia had recovered at once without his knowledge, but it was only a failed attempt.

He was convinced that Deborah was the only exception.

'It is severe. Really.’

The more he thought about it, the moment their hands touched was so beautiful. So he was happy if she was at least aware of that memory.

He was giggling while looking at the cat pottery.

When he has spare time, he would sit in front of the piano which he cannot play well.

In addition, the fact that Deborah doesn’t care about Philaf at all has brought slight joy for him

‘It would be nice if she was at least conscious of me.’

Even if it’s not as much as he was.

“Meow-.”

Cookie, who jumped onto the table as if to wake him up from his thoughts, tried to steal the cat-shaped pottery.

That’s because it was the only thing that looked interesting in the quiet and empty room with nothing at all.

“Not this.”

Isidor lightly tapped Cookie’s nose.

“Grrrr!”

Although Cookie had a temper by revealing its small and sharp teeth, Isidor was adamant.

It was the only thing that was brought into his space.

It was precious enough.

‘I was only curious at the first place but,’

He wanted to dig around because of curiosity and stubbornness but rather, she stepped into his boundary without hesitation.

He didn’t know why.

The unfamiliar but sweet feelings passed by like smoke.

On the other hand, the identity of these extreme feelings, as if falling into a pit despite the talk of marriage, was taken lightly.

chapter 110!

MTL: miyochan

TLPR: candletuna

Ko-fi! 🐳

  1. iamablinkmarvelarmy reblogged this from candletuna
  2. yuriismyfavoritegenre said: “If he smiles like that ….. with that beauty, what am I, who likes handsome guys, supposed to do?’ so damn relatable but DAYUM WHEN ARE YALL GONNA REALIZE YALL FEELING TOWARDS EACH OTHER 😭😭 And thank you for this chapter! I went to the depths of searching for these chapters. I owe you a ton! Ily! 🤍
  3. candletuna posted this