(BL) Rejected by daughter's second male lead-Chapter 28

Yuan, without any sign of surprise, snatched the newspaper and read the front page. His expression gradually distorted.

"You didn’t know about this?"

Cecilia asked, scrutinizing Yuan’s face. Her voice was still filled with disbelief and anger.

"...I didn’t know. What on earth is this..."

Yuan let out a hollow laugh. In the article, Yuan had become a pitiful and weak victim, and Gillen had become a powerful figure who had used his status as a duke to crush Yuan.

Although the headline and the content of the article were criticizing Gillen, if you read between the lines, it seemed to strangely emphasize the strength of a high-ranking noble alpha male and condone the crime itself.

"What on earth do these people see me as? Do I look like some weakling who would be so easily taken down by a mister like that?"

Yuan seethed and burned the newspaper to ashes with a whoosh. Cecilia shouted as if she were dumbfounded.

"Is that what is important right now? You should be angry at this false article! Did dad really force a pheromone shower on you? Answer me, Yuan!"

"Of course not. If anyone did it, it would have been me."

"What, what?"

Cecilia screamed in horror. Claire also covered her mouth with both hands. Only Ivy, who did not know much about secondary genders or pheromones, tilted his head in confusion.

"And you are right, Sesi. This is a false article. The Duke and I were having a power struggle with our pheromones. There was no sexual desire or lust in it. At least not for me. And in the end, I won. Make sure you know that."

Yuan guessed that Gillen had probably also experienced a rut. His had ended last night, but Gillen had probably suffered from his rut until today and had just now come up to the capital. That was what he thought.

This arrogant genius wizard sometimes forgot that others could not use teleportation magic like him. Meaning, he believed that it only took a second to get from Capelli Island to the capital.

If his rut ended a day earlier, then he had won. That was Yuan’s logic. That was why he could so confidently say, ’I won.’

Cecilia stared at Yuan as if she were dumbfounded.

"Anyway, you are saying that it is true that my dad suffered from a rut because of you? Yuan, do you know how much the honor of the Blake family has been tarnished because of you?"

"My honor has suffered greater damage. How could anyone think that I would lose to a weak, non-wizard mister like that? I must turn all the reporters of this newspaper company into frogs."

"Yuan! How dare you call my dad a weak mister!"

"He’s not a young man in his prime, is he?"

"Hah... you really...!"

Just as Cecilia put both hands on her hips, Sebastian came in and announced the arrival of a new guest in a gentle voice.

"A guest from the Blake family has arrived. It is His Excellency Duke Gillen Blake."

It was only for a moment, but Yuan noticed that Sebastian seemed quite pleased. Was he excited because the man who gave him his name had come? Yuan let out a hollow laugh and nodded his head.

"Show him in here."

Cecilia, upon hearing that her father had arrived, let out a deep sigh and calmed herself down. She leaned back on the sofa and closed her eyes gently. Although Gillen would support whatever Cecilia did, she had no intention of showing her beloved father the sight of her shouting and getting angry.

A few minutes later, Sebastian entered the drawing room with a tall man wearing a black cloak that covered his head.

"Hampton, Sesi. Claire and Ivy are here too."

The tall man said that and then took off the hood of his cloak. Soon, the face of a handsome man with strong, refreshing features was revealed. Yuan, seeing Gillen for the first time in a long while—in four days—was startled. Did he lose some weight? He looks quite handsome. For him, who was strict about others’ appearances, it was a very generous compliment.

"Hampton, I have come to ask you for something."

Gillen said as he sat down next to Cecilia.

"If you are talking about that newspaper, I just saw it too. If you are going to sue, let us put our names on it together. If our two families sue at the same time, it will deal a blow to the newspaper company. That fact alone should be able to turn public opinion around to some extent."

Yuan said calmly. Gillen’s face brightened.

"Thank you for agreeing to do that. But besides the lawsuit, I would like to make a separate explanation."

Then, Gillen briefly explained the charity project he had been promoting recently. It was a problem that could not be solved immediately just by giving the public a hint that ’the article might be wrong.’

"We have to state clearly that it is not true. Only then will we be able to continue with the construction of the orphanage."

What Gillen needed was to resume the construction that was currently halted and to clear the stigma attached to the name Blake. The lawsuit and trial would take too long.

"Well, let’s do that."

"Thank you. We were just meeting as the representative and a sponsor of the Blake Foundation to handle paperwork, and in that process, there was a difference of opinion, and aggressive pheromones were released during the discussion. I think it would be good to announce it like that. It is also the truth."

"But dad, if they ask how big the difference of opinion was to have a fight that could be mistaken for a pheromone shower, what will you say?"

Cecilia threw a hypothetical question. Gillen and Yuan answered at the same time.

"We can just say it was because my pheromones are so strong, can’t we?"

"We have to say it felt that way because my pheromones are overwhelming."

The two voices overlapped. Cecilia looked back and forth between Gillen and Yuan. Ivy once again tilted his head.

"Your pheromones were overwhelming? I seem to remember that you were the one who ran away first. Right, Sebastian?"

Gillen brought in the attendant who was present at the time. Sebastian, who answered as he was asked, replied faithfully.

"Yes. It is certain that the Marquis disappeared first with teleportation."

"That was because the old man seemed to be struggling with my pheromones, so I left the scene first! And Sebastian, you are my attendant. You have to be on my side no matter what."

Yuan shouted in a fit of pique. Sebastian bowed.

"I am sorry for not understanding the Marquis’s intentions. From now on, I will be on the Marquis’s side."

However, before Sebastian could even finish his words, Gillen raised his hand and cut in.

"Wait. Old man?"

A stiff smile formed on Gillen’s tanned face. He burst out into a hearty laugh as if he were dumbfounded.

"Are you that ashamed of being pushed back by an old man’s pheromones and running away first? Trying to achieve a mental victory with lies."

"I did not run away. And it is not a lie. And what on earth is that word, ’mental victory’? Are you just making up random words now? I suspect you are going senile."

"Ha! Ha! Ha! ’Mental victory’ refers to the lifestyle of losers who, having actually lost, console themselves by justifying themselves with words. It is exactly what you are doing right now, Hampton."

"What... did you say? A loser?"

"I didn’t want to go this far, but that day you.... Wait, Sesi, Claire. Could you take Ivy and go back home? It seems some inappropriate words might be exchanged, for your sakes and for a young child to hear."

Gillen, about to say something, stopped and turned his head to ask his daughter. Cecilia had a displeased expression, but she did not disobey her father’s words.

She stood up from the sofa. Then, she informed Yuan in a cold voice.

"Marquis Yuan Hampton, from this moment on, I do not wish to see you again. And as for the marriage proposal you are going to send me, know that it will be torn to shreds before it even reaches the gate of our ducal residence. Because I have clearly rejected your proposal. I hope you will not get involved with the Blake family ever again. Then, I will be on my way."

It was a cold and sharp farewell. She, Claire, and Ivy were led out of the drawing room by Sebastian. Just before leaving the drawing room, Ivy waved at Yuan.

"Bye, Yuan-nim. Don’t fight with the Duke. Get along."

"Hah! Just hurry up and go home, kid."

Yuan said without even looking at Ivy. With a final cry of "My name is Ivy, I tell you!", the three of them disappeared completely from the drawing room.

Gillen and Yuan sat in silence for a moment, glaring at each other.

"Now then, let us hear it. What was so difficult to say in front of the kid?"

Yuan sneered. In fact, he thought that at most, Gillen would reveal his true nature and start cursing at him. However, what came out of Gillen’s mouth was even more shocking.

"You got an erection that day, didn’t you?"

"...What, did you say?"

Yuan’s whole body turned cold.

I thought I teleported before I got an erection, but was I wrong?

As if reading his question, Gillen continued.

"The outline of your thigh was so distinct. You might think it wasn’t noticeable, but I saw it all. The... movement."

Although he stumbled a bit in the middle, Gillen finished his sentence firmly.

"I once had a reaction to your pheromones and got an erection, and I know well that it is hard to control the physical aspects, so I deliberately did not mention it. But if you are going to act like this, I have no choice. I will have to tell the truth when I explain to the reporters."

"Excuse me, Duke!"

"So let us get our story straight."

"Yes, what, yes?! Our lips, yes?"

Yuan’s face turned bright red. Gillen, realizing what he was thinking, was startled and waved his hands.

"Let’s get our stories straight, our stories! I can’t even talk to you..."