I’m Looking for the Male Lead for the Ending - Chapter 28

Chapter 15.1

〈 Go and see how your brother is doing. 〉

Not long after the others started competing, my father, who couldn’t control his nervousness, told me to go to the waiting room and check on Heron’s situation.

The first thought that came to my mind at my father’s words was…

‘Is there any difference just because I’m going to check the condition?’

Whether Heron’s condition was good or bad, there was nothing my father could do. Since participating in his first martial arts competition several years ago, he had consistently claimed victory, and as a result, his participation was inevitable. The previous year’s winner had to participate in the next competition.

However, this wasn’t the case for the Grand Duke.

His recent participation in the competition was revealed only a while ago, and in such a situation, it was impossible for Heron to refuse to participate in the competition now. Whatever the reason may be, it would only seem like he was absent from the competition to avoid a direct confrontation with the Grand Duke.

‘What is he thinking?’

Leaving behind my father’s unknown intentions, I headed to the second floor with Marie, where the waiting room for participants was located. Soon, in the distance, I could see a knight guarding the front of the waiting room and a grim-looking man standing in front of him with a long scar running vertically above his left eye.

The man tapped the nervous young knight’s shoulder and spoke.

“Then, make sure to call him. If he refuses or pretends not to hear, you must tell him that I’ve met Young Lady Perideline here.”

“Yes? Oh, yes. I’ll do that!”

As I watched the knight, who had received instructions from the man several times, hurriedly disappear into the waiting room, I made my way over to where the man was standing. It was the moment when I thought that if the knight came out of the waiting room, I could ask him to request Heron’s presence. The man turned around, perhaps having heard the sound of my approaching footsteps.

His eyes widened in surprise as he recognized my face, and I squinted my eyes at his reaction. The man, seeming quite flustered by his own actions, quickly averted his gaze.

‘…What is it?’

In fact, it was so fleeting that it could have been my imagination that our eyes met. However, the noticeably flustered appearance of the man aroused my curiosity. And it seemed like I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

“I wonder what’s with that person?”

As Marie whispered her question, I told her not to do it with my eyes.

Thankfully, even though it seemed like she had a lot today, she resignedly kept her mouth shut. In the meanwhile, I stood by the man’s side, absentmindedly fiddling with the brooch I was holding as I waited for the knight to come out. It had become a habit to touch the brooch whenever I felt anxious since obtaining it.

At that moment, I felt someone’s gaze on me.

“….?”

When I slowly turned my head in that direction, I could see his mouth slightly agape while his eyes fixed on the brooch in my hand.

“Young, Young Lady… he seems like a strange person.”

This time, I couldn’t stop Marie from saying that. The man, seemingly oblivious to our wary glances, mumbled with a vacant expression.

“…We, were those words true? It wasn’t a lie?”

Feeling uncomfortable seeing him still talking while looking at my hand, I instinctively hid the brooch from his gaze. Only then did he awkwardly turn his head as if realizing his own behavior.

Just as the atmosphere was becoming peculiar, the firmly closed door opened with a squeak.

“Captain!”

Captain?

I inadvertently raised my head and locked eyes with the man who was supposed to be the Captain, who was leaving the waiting room with a stern expression on his face.

My eyes widened in surprise when I realized who he was.

“Why are you coming out just now! I thought you might have changed your mind again, so I…?”

The man’s voice, which had been shouting out joyfully, trailed off as if he was flustered when he saw that my gaze was intertwined with the person in front of him. I bit my lip in embarrassment, not expecting to see him at this moment.

…Estieren Kaisian.

As I faced his blue eyes that seemed to embrace the light of dawn, a force involuntarily gripped my hand. The Grand Duke slightly bowed his head to me and then naturally asked the man who seemed to have been waiting for him.

“What’s going on?”

“Yes? Ah, th-that… that’s…”

As the man, glancing at our side after the Grand Duke’s question, hastily tried to steer him to a corner, the knight rose in panic at the sight.

“Pa, Participants aren’t allowed to leave this area!”

“That’s what he says.”

“N, no. There’s something important I have to discuss, can’t you allow it?”

“I, I apologize. I can’t make an exception because if I do, people might exploit it.”

When the embarrassed man glanced at me again, Marie, who had been observing the situation beside me, couldn’t hold back any longer. Her expression crumpled in frustration, and she opened her mouth.

“Hey, since earlier…!”

“Marie.”

Marie reluctantly kept her mouth shut at the sternness in my voice. Still, the atmosphere had already become awkward due to her glaring and the man awkwardly averting his eyes.

“I apologize, Young Lady.”

At that moment, a low voice resonated through the space.

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