(BL) Rejected by daughter's second male lead-Chapter 44

What did I just do?’

After sending Gillon off, Yuan sat alone in his lab, in a state of shock. Of course, it was true that he thought of Gillon as an old Mister, a kkondae, a meddlesome father to Cecil who didn’t know his place, a Duke whose laugh was infuriating, and so on.

But Yuan wasn’t the type of person to be rude enough to say such things to someone’s face. Or so he thought. He was a dignified genius equipped with manners and character. Hadn’t he just praised himself earlier for having joined the ranks of the virtuous today?

But strangely, when he was in front of Gillon, the words just tumbled out of their own accord. He wanted to deliberately get under Gillon’s skin. It was also fun to see the various expressions that appeared on Gillon’s face. He might think he was always just smiling, but in front of Yuan, his face would turn red, his eyes would roll, and veins would pop on his forehead.

’Isn’t that all because he likes me so much?’

Yuan shook his head from side to side. Then, suddenly, he recalled the words that the damn High Priest Marius had once whispered stickily in his ear a very long time ago.

’Yuan, you are misunderstanding your feelings right now. You are not in pain; you are in love. Try to accept that pain. You are now walking the path of a martyr.’

"Fuck..."

As the voice he had tried so hard to bury resurfaced, his mood soured drastically.

With a heavy heart, he looked around the lab. Just a moment ago, when Gillon was here, he had felt quite good. He idly flipped through a book on the desk, sat down and stood up from his chair, and glanced out the window.

’Has that Mister left yet? Then I should be able to see him from here.’

Could it be... he hasn’t left yet? Isn’t he waiting for me to stop him?

As that thought occurred to him, Yuan hurriedly opened the door and went out. But the hallway was empty. A strange sense of disappointment welled up, and he had the illusion that Gillon’s faint pheromone scent was lingering. Yuan grabbed the doorknob to go back into the lab. If he watched the window a little longer, he might be able to see Gillon.

But just then.

"Hahaha!"

Gillon’s characteristic laughter came from the floor below. The moment he heard it, Yuan teleported to the first floor.

"Haha, so that’s how the parrot got the name ’Parrot’? What a sense of... he shouldn’t be telling me I’m old, he should take a look at himself first! Hahaha!"

The sound of Gillon’s mumbling voice and hearty laughter was flowing from the direction of the reception room. Yuan deliberately quieted his footsteps and walked slowly toward the reception room.

"It is likely because he is accustomed to naming his test subjects Subject 1, Subject 2, Subject 3, and so on. We, too, were given names thanks to you, Your Grace the Duke."

"Has Yuan called you by your names since then?"

"Of course. The Marquis is someone who can memorize the contents of an entire encyclopedia he has skimmed once, down to the page number, line, and every single word, without a single mistake. The Marquis’s memory can be called superhuman. He memorized our names right away."

Ricardo boasted about his master as naturally as breathing. Yuan smiled smugly to himself. As expected, one well-made robot was better than ten people.

Yuan hid behind a wall and continued to eavesdrop on their conversation. He could have just walked in and asked, ’Why haven’t you left yet, what are you doing here,’ but for some reason, he was curious to know what Gillon would say about him when he wasn’t there.

[Ricardo, it’s me. Ask the Duke about the code in the letter.]

So Yuan, in an uncool manner, hid behind a pillar near the reception room and used telepathy magic. Ricardo, who suddenly heard his master’s voice in his head, paused for a moment, but soon put on a smooth smile and followed the instructions he had been given.

"By the way, Your Grace the Duke, may I ask you something?"

"Of course. What is it?"

Gillon asked generously while sipping his tea.

"I happened to learn that the letter you recently sent to the Marquis contained a coded request for help. Is your well-being assured?"

"No, why does everyone keep asking if I’m okay? Yuan, Cecil, and now you. I never put any such code in there. This is really frustrating."

"I see..."

Ricardo paused for a moment before asking again.

"Then I’d like to ask... to ask if that letter truly, really, and honestly contained only the intention of refusal."

"Well, yes."

Gillon answered cleanly. For a moment, it sounded like something had bumped with a thud from outside the reception room, but since Ricardo didn’t even pretend to hear it and just kept looking at Gillon, Gillon ignored it as well.

"I’m terribly sorry, but I have another question. Your Grace the Duke. May I ask just one last thing?"

Ricardo opened his mouth with a slightly uncomfortable expression. To put him at ease, Gillon spread his hands.

"I’m pleased that you’re so interested in me. Don’t hesitate at all. You can ask me anything."

Just outside the reception room, there was another sound like a thud. This time it was louder than before, so Gillon looked over with concern, but Ricardo threw a question as if to intercept his gaze, and his attention was soon diverted.

"After the article about you and the Marquis regarding the pheromone shower incident... has it been very difficult for you? I ask because it doesn’t seem like your image has been fully restored even with the press conference."

"Ah."

Gillon smiled, the ends of his eyebrows drooping as if he were slightly troubled. He waved his hands dismissively.

"No, it’s not difficult at all. Well, it’s true my image hasn’t been fully restored. People tend to only remember the sensational events and then tune out the subsequent clarifications or the truth."

After hearing Gillon’s answer, Ricardo glanced at the entrance to the reception room. But Gillon didn’t notice where Ricardo was looking and continued to speak.

"But the construction of the Marian Orphanage is a very important issue for this empire. It may be faltering for a moment now because of me, who is proceeding with the project as its public face, but in the end, it will successfully open its doors. It’s partly due to vested interests, but I believe that quite a lot of people want a just society."

Children being unfairly beaten, exploited, forced to beg, and dying. Being discriminated against, bullied, and cursing their own lives because of their secondary gender. Would the hearts of those who have to witness such things and walk away be at ease? In the end, the majority would come to care about the well-being of others for the sake of their own peace of mind.

"So... yes, that’s right. To answer your question again, it’s not that difficult. Though I am impatient to shorten that time gap a little."

Gillon spoke as if confiding and gave a faint smile.

"Does that answer your question? Yuan?"

At those words, Ricardo was startled and looked at the reception room entrance again. The hallway, seen from inside the reception room, was still empty. Yuan was still hiding. But how did Gillon know that Yuan was hiding there?

"I can smell your pheromones, so come on out. What on earth are you doing? Hiding there like a child."

Gillon teased playfully with a smile. A moment later, Yuan walked out from behind the wall with a nonchalant and brazen face.

"Who said I was hiding? I just didn’t want to interrupt since you seemed to be in the middle of a conversation with Ricardo."

"Aha, is that so? You’re surprisingly faithful to etiquette, aren’t you?"

"Surprisingly? I’m a man who is nothing without his manners."

Despite his fluctuating speech and forms of address, Yuan was utterly confident. He gestured to Ricardo, and Ricardo stood up and went outside. Yuan sat down in the seat Ricardo had occupied. An awkward silence flowed between the two men who were now sitting face to face.

"Ahem, Sebastian said he was going to get the carriage, why isn’t he back yet? Sebastian! Sebastian!"

"He’ll be here when he gets here. Don’t rush my aide."

"Ahem... He’s been gone a long time."

Gillon stretched his neck out past the sofa and pretended to look around the hallway.

"Your Grace the Duke."

"Hmm? What is it."

"I understand your intentions well."

"My intentions? What... are my intentions? What did you understand now?"

Gillon asked anxiously. Every time Yuan had claimed to understand something in the past, something ridiculous had happened.

"I understood how sincere you are about the orphanage project. And that you need me to achieve that dream."

Yuan straightened his back as if he had made a decision. He stared at Gillon and said.

"I will date you."

"...?"

Gillon was so stunned he couldn’t say a word. How on earth did one have to understand things to arrive at such a conclusion? Was it because he was a genius? Gillon’s ordinary mind simply couldn’t keep up with Yuan’s train of thought. He just stared at Yuan with his mouth half-open and a dazed expression.

"It must be hard for you to believe. That a relationship with Yuan Hampton, which you had only dreamed of, is now within your grasp. But don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying we should really date, but that I will pretend to date you."

"...The, what? Really... what??"

What in the world is he talking about?