I’m Looking for the Male Lead for the Ending - Chapter 34

Chapter 18.1

‘…Lost memory?’

I gnawed on my lips in dismay as I stared at the letters that appeared clearly on the system window. Amidst my confusion, the conversation between my father and the Grand Duke ended without me pressing the button right away.

“Your Majesty will surely feel quite disappointed if you return to the border.”

“It won’t be like that. From now on, I’ll be seeing a lot of His Majesty and the Marquis in the future.”

My father narrowed his eyes for a moment in response to the Grand Duke’s playful reply but soon spoke with a benevolent expression.

“…If the Grand Duke stays in the capital, it will be a good thing for both His Majesty and the people of the empire.”

After exchanging brief greetings with the Grand Duke, my father got into the carriage, followed by my brother. I gave him a quick glance while holding the jewelry box that Estieren had given me. He seemed surprised by my greeting for a moment before he returned his greeting.

As I climbed into the carriage and settled into my seat, I heard the coachman’s voice announcing our departure.

I glanced towards where he was standing, and our eyes met briefly. His face, smiling as if he had expected our gaze to meet, made me involuntarily look away as heat flushed to my cheeks.

It was embarrassing.

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‘How on earth did she have this?’

Estieren fiddled with the brooch left in his hand, quietly watching the Marquis’s carriage move away.

Initially, it was curiosity—a curiosity about the whereabouts of the brooch that couldn’t be explained theoretically. But now, that didn’t matter anymore. The woman emitting a more mysterious aura than the whereabouts of the brooch intrigued him. Whether by chance or fate, encountering Ardi was enjoyable… so much so that he considered arranging another meeting.

“I was wondering where you were going in such a hurry. Did you go to see the Marquis’s Young Lady?”

His thoughts were interrupted by Ban’s voice grumbling in his ears. Ban approached Estieren with a questioning expression, observing his superior, who was watching the Marquis’s carriage move away with a smile on his face.

With a hesitant expression, he asked,

“I hope I’m not out of line in saying this, but it can’t be that young lady, Captain.”

“Why?”

“Of course, she’s the daughter of the Marquis of Aidelis, and you’re Grand Duke Kaisian, who stands in the opposing position.”

“I think you realize that it’s not that important.”

“….”

“Don’t you know that nothing changes as quickly as a political opponent?”

Ban’s eyes widened in surprise at Estieren’s indifferent answer.

‘Is, is he suggesting that he would actually consider marrying Young Lady Aidelis?’

Ban stared at the man in front of him in disbelief at his words. Despite his embarrassment, he observed his supervisor, who was fiddling with the brooch…

Huh? The brooch?

“W-where did you get that brooch? Did you happen to find it?”

In response to Ban’s stammering question, Estieren answered with a cheerful expression.

“Oh, I got it as a gift.”

“A gift? From whom… Did, did Young Lady Aidelis give it to you?”

“It’s fortunate that you’re not completely clueless.”

The lapis lazuli brooch glistened on his clothes as if it had found its place on his clothes. Ban, scrutinizing it with his eyes strained, noticed a familiar scratch. Indeed, it seemed like the brooch she had was his. Completely puzzled by the situation, he asked his superior.

“But why did she suddenly return the brooch? Just a moment ago, she wouldn’t even consider returning it, let alone showing it to us?”

“Unlike you, I’m not hated by Young Lady Aidelis.”

“Yes?”

Ban’s face crumpled like a piece of paper at his outrageous answer.

Ignoring Ban, who was making a fuss and saying, ‘This all happened because of who?’, Estieren recalled the conversation he had with Ardi.

〈 Still, it would be best if Your Highness accepted the brooch. Otherwise, I’d have no choice but to blame the adjutant for accusing me of theft. 〉

At that moment, Ardi’s words and actions seemed as if she was trying to hand the brooch over to him. Of course, it didn’t seem like she didn’t want to hold Ban to account.

With a complex expression, Estieren lowered his voice even more as he addressed his adjutant.

“You’d better make sure to apologize again the next time you see Young Lady Aidelis.”

“….”

“You did insult Adelais.”

In the case of nobles, they generally wouldn’t admit their faults. Or, to be more precise, their wrongdoings were seldom regarded as sins. That was almost an inherent privilege, especially the higher one’s rank. So, even if the daughter of Marquis Aidelis has his brooch, the one who would face the severest punishment would likely be Ban, for insulting Aidelis.

If this incident were to spread, since no one knew how the brooch ended up in Young Lady Aidelis’s possession, the most plausible explanation would be inflated as if it were the truth.

‘A knight who stole the Grand Duke’s brooch to gift it to Young Lady Aidelis.’

In any case, it was fortunate that the knight didn’t face such disgrace.

“…I will definitely be sure to apologize when I see her again.”

Estieren let out a shallow sigh as he looked at Ban, answering with his gaze down. Even though he had already warned his adjutant several times, he always had a bad mouth.

Despite receiving countless warnings, Ban, whose heart was hotter than his head, couldn’t easily mend his ways.

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