The Male Lead’s Sickly Aide is My Type - Chapter 104.2
Chapter 104.2
They went to Iris’s room to draw up the document.
Duke Lucas struggled to write on the desk cluttered with miscellaneous items. Unable to clear a space, he placed the contract on the flattest spot he could find, but it was still uneven, making writing feel like navigating a staircase.
The writing was uncomfortable, but what bothered him more was Iris.
She had been glancing at him repeatedly on the way to the estate and continued to do so now. If she stared openly, he could ask her why, but the moment he noticed her gaze and turned his head, she would quickly look away, leaving him with nothing to say.
“There, it’s done.”
Thinking she was a truly unfathomable young lady, Duke Lucas finished writing the contract and signed his name. Now, it was Iris’s turn to sign.
He handed her the pen.
“….”
But Iris didn’t take the pen. She was looking elsewhere—or rather, staring intently at the paper. Whatever she was thinking, she looked incredibly happy. Judging by her expression, one might have mistaken her for someone appreciating a play or a masterpiece.
She wore a dreamy, almost dazed look. He waited a moment, but her reverie showed no signs of ending.
“What are you thinking about?”
A flicker of awareness returned to her hazy violet eyes.
“Well…”
“It’s alright, tell me.”
He was already bothered, and he felt he wouldn’t be able to go home peacefully until he knew why she was acting this way. Iris hesitated, then began to speak.
“Actually, I was thinking about what Ian said earlier.”
What Ian said? What could that sly, dark-haired man have possibly said?
He tried to recall, but nothing specific came to mind, only the lingering impression of the man’s irritating presence. The thought of his smooth, porcelain-like face soured his mood, and Duke Lucas unconsciously frowned. Iris, thinking it was her fault, blurted out.
“You probably didn’t hear him. He said he thought you and I were lovers. I keep thinking about it.”
“….”
“I know it’s absurd, but I can’t help but have these strange thoughts.”
Throughout her explanation, Iris avoided his gaze, her cheeks flushed like a shy maiden in the presence of her beloved. So that sly fellow had said such a thing—that he and the young lady looked like lovers.
What a preposterous thing to say.
“Is that so?”
The Duke replied nonchalantly, offering her the pen again.
“It’s your turn to sign.”
“….”
Iris accepted it with a darkened expression and signed her name. The contract was complete. As she picked up the signed document, a piece of paper slipped from beneath it, fluttering to land at Duke Lucas’s feet.
He picked it up idly. Torn from a notebook, the paper was filled with a childish scrawl.
[ I saw Duke Lucas in the forest today! The weather was gloomy, and I debated whether to go for a walk, but I’m glad I did! ]
“A diary?”
Startled, Iris’s downcast gaze snapped up, her dewy violet eyes widening like those of a surprised frog.
“Oh, it’s nothing!”
She hopped up to snatch the paper, but the duke was quicker. He lifted it out of her reach, continuing to read.
[ Duke Lucas seems to grow more handsome with each passing day. I wonder if my one-sided love will ever be fulfilled? ]
“One-sided love?”
“Th-that, that’s!”
[ Like Carinne and the aide, I wish I could become friends with the Duke… ]
“Give it back!”
Iris stamped her foot, then began hopping in place, a desperate attempt to reach the paper.
“Ah!”
She tripped on her dress and stumbled. As she lost her balance, the duke caught her, and she landed squarely in his arms.
* * *
Meanwhile, Ian emerged from the forest.
While he had enjoyed his time with the others, it was merely a means to an end. He had more important matters to attend to, such as meeting with the foolish human who provided him with information.
The inferior creature was not only foolish but also utterly convinced of his own superiority. Ian loathed conversing with such beings, yet he continued to meet with Giles out of necessity.
“Are you free next weekend? I’d like to invite you to a gathering.”
Giles had said last week. Ian had agreed, hoping to glean valuable information from a private gathering of nobles. However, when they met again a few days later, Giles retracted his invitation.
He coughed awkwardly, avoiding Ian’s eyes.
“Well, about that… I misspoke. Let’s just pretend I didn’t say anything.”
Although Ian feigned indifference while subtly flattering him, Giles remained firm. He flatly refused to invite Ian to the gathering.
“I can’t do it. While I organize the meetings, I can’t ignore the opinions of the others.”
So, Ian had placed a tracking spell, crafted with dark magic, on Giles. He would know where this gathering was held. Perhaps he might even find the clues he’d failed to uncover at the ruins.
After unleashing the monster upon the capital, Ian was almost certain of <i>its</i> existence. Although an unexpected individual had closed the rift between worlds before he could witness it in action, he now knew through other means that it was real.
The day Saraha seized Esmeril was fast approaching, as was the day he would claim the throne.
A chilling smile touched Ian’s lips.
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