(BL) Rejected by daughter's second male lead-Chapter 43

Gillon’s heart began to race. Just when he thought he had succeeded in separating Yuan from Cecil—and himself—Hexion’s appearance could reignite Yuan’s dormant feelings, couldn’t it?

In front, Cecilia was running toward him with a worried expression, accompanied by Claire, Ivy, and escort knights, and behind him, the Crown Prince’s carriage was coming to a stop. And right next to him was Yuan, a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment. It was the very definition of being caught between a rock and a hard place. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Yu-Yuan! Quick, teleport, teleport!"

"What did you say?"

Yuan’s brow furrowed at the sudden urgency. Frustrated, Gillon pounded his chest and quickly repeated himself.

"Teleport right now!"

Get out of here, you original story second male lead! Unable to say those words, Gillon waved his hands in frantic circles. It was a gesture meant to convey, Hurry up and do as I say.

Yuan stared at Gillon for a moment with a perplexed yet annoyed expression, then snapped his fingers.

And... the scenery changed.

Why...? Why did the scenery I’m seeing change?

Gillon looked around blankly. I told him to teleport and get lost, but did he just... take me and teleport with him?

"There. Why the teleportation? Is there some reason you don’t want to meet the Crown Prince? Don’t tell me the Crown Prince is also giving you grief about the orphanage."

"No, why did you bring me along?"

"You asked me to teleport quickly."

"No, no..."

"Yes, we’re inside now. Inside my lab. So tell me. What did the Crown Prince bitch about?"

"No... It’s not about ’inside,’ I meant not in—no..."

"What are you talking about?"

Yuan sighed as if frustrated and looked down at Gillon with the expression of someone looking at a complete fool. He couldn’t understand how someone who was only one or two centimeters taller could be so good at looking down on him as if from a great height.

"No! I meant for you to teleport alone, so why did you bring me with you!"

"Is that so? Your expression said otherwise. Didn’t you look like you were in so much trouble you wanted to run away anywhere?"

"I was in trouble, but the one who needed to run away wasn’t me...! Ugh, forget it, just forget it. And you, I know you’re subtly dropping the formal speech. I told you to show proper respect even to His Highness the Crown Prince. It’s the same with me. Do you have any idea how sensitive and harsh noble society is about such things? I’m saying all this for your own good."

"Look here, Your Grace the Duke. Don’t try to change the subject. I’m already well aware of your concern for me, so cut the other talk. The Crown Prince—"

"His Highness the Crown Prince!"

"...Fine, did His Highness the Crown Prince also threaten to withdraw from your charity project like Viscountess Aebly? Was that press conference not very helpful?"

Viscountess Aebly. Just how many ways was he going to get her name wrong? Gillon gave a hollow laugh and rubbed his face with both hands. Amidst his frustration, he felt a little proud of Yuan, who seemed to be worried about him, and found himself ridiculous for thinking so.

After 20 years of being bogged down in child-rearing, now even this feels like the kid has grown up.

"Well, he’s Cecil’s age... so I guess these feelings are natural."

"What did you say?"

"When an adult is speaking, instead of saying ’What did you say?’, you should say ’Would you please repeat that for me?’"

"Stop acting like an old man and just answer my question."

Yuan pushed relentlessly. Gillon lowered his hands and answered with a smirk.

"His Highness the Crown Prince is the biggest sponsor and strongest supporter of our Marian Orphanage. He and I have had a deep bond since he was young, so he knows well that I am not the type of person to commit a shameless act. He would never withdraw his support from the orphanage’s construction."

Even after hearing Gillon’s explanation, Yuan’s expression worsened. If anything, he seemed to hate the Crown Prince even more. Gillon added, trying to smooth things over.

"But it’s true I didn’t want to see His Highness the Crown Prince right now. The royal family is like my superior, after all, so it’s awkward to run into them privately. The Imperial Family and House Blake are a bit estranged at the moment, aren’t we?"

At that, Yuan’s expression brightened noticeably.

Is he happy because I’m badmouthing someone he dislikes? He really is just a kid.

That’s all Gillon thought.

"Anyway, since you misunderstood, take me back there. Just me! You just have to send me. You stay here."

"I don’t want to."

"...Why?"

Why again, what is it that you don’t want to do now, like that.

Could there be another problem child like this in the world? Even when Cecilia was going through puberty, she wasn’t as disobedient as Yuan was now. In fact, Cecilia, being a regressor, had been the problem because she had matured too early. What if the protagonist of this child-rearing story had been Yuan instead of Cecilia? Gillon might have thrown up both his hands in surrender without even attempting the ’rearing’ part of child-rearing.

"Magic isn’t something that just pops out whenever you poke at it. Do you know how much it costs to hire a single magician to cast a few formulas?"

Of course, Gillon knew very well. He was a high noble, had experience summoning magicians, and had paid enormous sums of money many times before. But...

"You said you’re a genius, didn’t you? Unlike other magicians, you don’t have to rest after casting one spell because all your energy is drained, right? You’ve cast spells in succession before, and even overlapping magic..."

"Hah... I am a genius."

The corners of Yuan’s mouth twitched. It was the face of someone who was clearly pleased. His feelings were so transparent that Gillon couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

"Yes, yes, you’re a genius known throughout the continent. So, Yuan, could you send just me back to the city? I think you can do it."

"Of course I can do it."

Yuan replied with a gentle smile.

"I said I don’t want to, did I ever say I couldn’t? They say hearing deteriorates with age, is that what’s happening to you, Your Grace?"

Gillon’s face hardened like cracking stone. The smile that hadn’t quite faded from his lips stiffened, and a vein bulged on his temple.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Well... you’re a consistent friend, Yuan. You shouldn’t make personal attacks about age like that. Everyone gets old, and you shouldn’t mention it like a weakness. And I’ve been wanting to say this for a while, why are you mixing formal and informal speech? I’m twenty years older than you, and I am Duke Blake, the master of the Blake, Sauer, and Marian territories."

Gillon’s words grew faster and faster. But Yuan didn’t flinch. Instead, he leisurely gazed out the window and replied.

"My parrot tells me that these days, the kids on the street call a stuffy adult who tries to lecture them about every little thing, like you, a kkondae."

"...Wha-what?"

Gillon was at a loss for words. It was a word he had heard for the first time in his 45 years of life. Of course, when he was Yoo Jung-hyun, he had used the word "kkondae" often. To his father, his teachers, his professors, his sunbaes. But "kkondae" was always a word he used to refer to others; he had never been called it himself. Because in Korea, he had always been young, and after being transmigrated into this romance fantasy, he wasn’t in a position to hear such words directly.

"Are you calling me a kkon, kko, kkon...?"

"Yes. I called you a kkondae."

Yuan raised one corner of his mouth into the most vile and infuriating—at least in Gillon’s eyes—smile in the world.

"If you wish to go to the city, you may go down to the first floor, open the door, pass through the garden, and exit through the main gate. Ricardo will guide you if you ask."

Yuan seemed to have no intention whatsoever of using teleportation magic for Gillon.

"You are really...! Amazing!"

He wanted to say he was being petty, but as a grown-up, Gillon held it in. He gave a sarcastic smile, then turned on his heel, opened the lab door, and walked out. It was his first time in the Marquis’s residence, but he unhesitatingly found the stairs, went down, and shouted in a booming voice.

"Ricardo! Where are you? It’s me, Duke Blake!"

Before long, several servant robots came running. It was Ricardo, Sebastian, Kip, and Ignis.

"Your Grace the Duke! When did you arrive!"

"If you had sent word, we would have prepared to receive you."

"Your Grace the Duke, it’s been a long time!"

The robots were as happy as if they had met a dear old friend. Gillon’s face, which had been slightly flushed with annoyance and anger, softened completely.

"Ricardo, Sebastian, Kip, Ignis. Have you all been well? It’s good to see you here."

"Your Grace the Duke! The Marquis is probably in his laboratory. If you go up to the second floor—"

"No, I just came down from there. Actually, I was about to leave, so could I borrow a carriage or a horse? Your master has just ruthlessly kicked me out."

"That cannot be. The Marquis has been waiting for Your Grace the Duke’s letter all this... Oof!"

Ricardo stomped hard on Sebastian’s foot, cutting him off as he spoke with a puzzled tone. When Gillon looked at him quizzically, Ricardo bowed respectfully and responded.

"Of course, Your Grace the Duke. We will have a carriage ready for you right away. If you would wait in the first-floor reception room, we will come for you. Kip, Ignis, bring refreshments for His Grace while he waits."

"Yes, sir."

As soon as Kip and Ignis received the information, they turned smartly and disappeared somewhere. Sebastian went to the stable, and Ricardo guided Gillon to the reception room.

Gillon, who had wanted to get out of there right away, found himself heading to the reception room in a daze.