The Obsessive Male Lead Is Jealous Of My Doll - Chapter 43

22 — 1

It seemed as if the chefs at the duke’s castle had made a resolution to captivate the Crown Prince’s palate. The dishes served were so extravagant that they felt overwhelming for breakfast. There wasn’t only steak but a variety of meats, seafood, and dishes she had never seen before filling the table.

“Delicious!”

Stella, filling her plate full of food, kept exclaiming how delicious it was.

“You have some sauce on you, Your Highness.”

The little girl laughed happily as Karentina wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin. Ignis’s peculiar gaze, which had been alternating between the two, seemed to linger.

“You’re not calling Stella by her name today.”

Karentina swallowed dryly before she responded with a nonchalant expression.

“Because this isn’t a private setting.”

“I asked Karen to call me by my name. She doesn’t even call me by my name when there are people around… Karen is my friend.”

When Stella mumbled softly, Ignis put down the glass he was holding.

“If Stella wants it, you can call her by her name.”

Looking at Ignis, who was rather generous, she was a little confused because he seemed very different from the character she knew in the novel.

‘He wouldn’t be such a considerate male lead, would he?’

While Karentina pondered on the original story, Stella’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Karen. My brother allowed it, so call me whatever you want.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The child’s lips quirked up like a duck.

“Stella!”

“St-Stella.”

Karentina broke out in a cold sweat.

‘…How did I end up being pestered by these beautiful siblings?’

The tense breakfast ended without any particular incident. After the meal, Ignis stroked Stella’s head affectionately.

“Stella, I need to formally apologize to the Princess, so go on ahead upstairs.”

“Are you really going to apologize to Karen?”

Stella, now more relaxed, looked straight at her brother.

“Yes.”

She nodded vigorously with an expectant look on her face. Ignis, who had been watching her warmly, slowly turned his gaze.

“If you don’t mind, would you like to take a walk for a moment?”

Karentina’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected words.

‘What on earth? I wonder what kind of grand apology he’s trying to make?’

Despite feeling awkward about the situation, she quietly responded to quickly receive an apology and ask about Damion’s situation.

“Alright.”

Stella, who was going up the stairs with Gemma, waved her hand towards her. Karentina waved back, finding the child adorable.

“Let’s go.”

Hearing his cold voice, she sighed softly and walked slowly.

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

The garden of the duke’s castle, covered with white snow, was peaceful and serene. Karentina walked a little distance away from Ignis, breathing in the fresh, clear air.

‘…Why isn’t he saying anything? This is uncomfortable.’

She grumbled inwardly for a moment, then began thinking hard about how to ask about Damion’s condition.

‘Should I ask why my brother didn’t come? Bringing up Ceria might seem strange.’

It was then.

Thud—!

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn’t even realize Ignis had stopped and ended up bumping her face into his back.

“Acck…”

Her nose, pressed against his firm and broad back, felt a tingling pain. When Ignis turned around, his tall stature blocked the sunlight, making it difficult to see his face. Her eyes widened as she saw him lowering his head close to her face before her breath caught at his words.

“What kind of trick is this?”

A trick?

What on earth was he talking about? And why was he suddenly speaking informally? Karentina was dumbfounded and just blinked.

“What do you mean?”

As Ignis looked down at her with a cold expression, his red eyes gleamed with a merciless light.

“The more I look, the more it seems suspicious. Have you received some kind of order from Imperial Consort Christina?”

“Order?”

His voice was cold.

“I’ve heard that Princess Lorraine is afflicted with an illness that prevents her from leaving her room. It’s the first I’ve heard that the Princess has magical powers.”

She fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.

‘So that’s why he’s suspicious of me. From Ignis’s perspective, I might seem suspicious.’

Everyone thought she was crazy, but seeing how he knew the details, it seemed he must have heard the story from Damion.

“A princess like that suddenly came out and saved Stella and my subordinates? It’s something even a passing dog would laugh at*.”
[ T/N: This idiom is used to describe a situation or event that is so absurd or laughable that even someone or something indifferent would find it amusing. ]

Karentina’s conscience was pricked, but she did not show it outwardly.

“From the moment the doll that resembled me was created, it felt like there was some sort of intention behind it. Not only did it win Stella’s favor, but also everyone. I can’t help but think that Timothia was a decoy in the first place and that this is the real thing pretending to be a fake.”

An unmistakable hostility flickered across Ignis’s face.

“Are you planning to use that doll in my place?”

The cold, menacing aura from him was so intense that Karentina felt a shiver down her spine. Did he discover the doll made for treason?

“Or did you receive an order from the Imperial Consort to capture my heart with your appearance?”

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