The Male Lead Knelt Before Me

“Never do something like that again.”

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“Yes, I will.”

Without hesitation, I answered.

In any case, the Emperor’s birthday banquet wasn’t far away.

Caleb won’t be dispatched till then, so nothing like this will happen again.

Lord Vessel’s countenance finally softened, as if he was satisfied with my response.

“By the way, Lady, you’re also rather amazing.
Only a few people have survived Rykel’s poison.”

“I was lucky.
The poison was mild, according to the therapist, because the Rykel that stung me had only recently turned adult.”

“I get what you mean.
So your body is in perfect condition now? Is the wound healing properly?”

 

“Yes.
I used the holy water I had at home as soon as I arrived in the capital.”

The therapist advised me to visit the temple, but I was unable to do so because I arrived late  yesterday.

I applied holy water supplied by the temple every month as a matter of urgency, and the wound healed completely.

The holy water, on the other hand, was not an all-rounder.

Of course, it worked for me, but it didn’t work at all for the plants.

Last night, I remembered the jasmine I had thrown away with its flowerpot.

Because the water management had been neglected, the jasmine Rael had given me had perished in brown while I was traveling down to the provinces.

I poured holy water just in case, but the plant didn’t make it.

I should apologize to Rael when I go back to the theater.

“Oh, Lady, I’ve got something for you.
Please wait a moment.”

To me?

I was standing with my head inclined, when Lord Vessel returned to me after retrieving something from his drawer.

“Take it.
I bought it from the province where I was dispatched.”

“May I inquire as to what is contained within?”

“It’s a fruit candy.
I got it a while ago, but I was told it’s fine to store for a few months, so you can still eat it.”

Fruit candy, huh?

I could roughly estimate its appearance and flavor just by hearing the name.

I’m sure it’ll be delicious.

“Thank you so much.
I’m going to eat well.”

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“Please give it a try and let me know if you like it.
I’ll purchase it again if I receive a second dispatch and bring it back for you.”

“I appreciate you saying that.”

I cherished the paper envelope Lord Vessel gave me.

* * * * *

“Duke Egon.”

Caleb looked back.

It was Enosh, the crown prince, who called him, as he guessed from the voice.

“I’m seeing your Highness the Crown Prince.”

“You don’t have to set an example.
Didn’t you already say your greetings before the meeting began?”

Enosh had already joined the emperor in the Imperial conference room.

Before beginning the conference, all of the nobility in attendance greeted the Emperor and Enosh.

Caleb straightened his back and lowered the hand he had placed on his chest.

“I’m wondering if we can talk for a while.”

“Of course.”

Without hesitation, it was an immediate response.

At that sight, Enosh kicked his tongue inside.

‘If only he weren’t so outstanding.
Or it would have been okay if I were a little better than him.’

Enosh also knew how terrible his actions were.

Despite the fact that Enosh knows Caleb is not greedy, he is constantly wary of him and even manipulates him.

Enosh, on the other hand, could not rest despite knowing all because of Caleb’s rightful claim to the Emperor’s power.

As if Enosh, as a member of the Imperial family, felt threatened by Caleb’s power as a part of the nobility.

Enosh pushed the attendants and knights back and took a short walk with Caleb.

Enosh opened his mouth when they were a bit farther away from the conference room.

“It’s nothing else, but I called you because of a temporary member in the Royal Knights.”

“If it’s the temporary member……”

“Elena Oreu.”

Caleb’s face became somewhat agitated in an instant.

It’s so subtle that Enosh is not even aware of it.

“There are several rumors circulating about her.
Count Van Der is reported to have taken on the role of her guardian and asked Duke’s aide to assist her.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

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Anyone who saw it could tell how sneaky Enosh was, and how unconcerned he was about other people.

After all, Caleb had no idea that Enosh was the one who had Elena placed in the Royal Knights in the first place.

Caleb was actually embarrassed by Enosh’s mention of Elena.

“But I heard a lot of people got harmed due to the beast, including that lady, right?”

“I apologize.
It’s due to my own incompetence.”

“No, Duke, I’m not trying to point the finger at you.
It’s not your fault.”

With a shake of his head, Enosh expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation.

“Count Van Der, on the other hand, seemed surprised to learn of that lady’s injuries.
I believe she is remorseful for allowing her to go there.”

“I feel bad for Count Van Der.
But that will not be the case in the future.”

Caleb affirmed.

“I’ll pay much more attention to making sure that doesn’t happen again.”

“Is that because of the Duke’s personal greed or as a person in charge?”

“What exactly are you talking about……”

“I get a sense of self-intention when I hear it.”

In reality, Enosh put his final comment in jeopardy.

Someone with a sharp mind or no feelings for Elena would have seen something if they had heard Enosh’s question.

Caleb, fortunately for Enosh, was unaware of his objectives.

No, Caleb couldn’t notice it.

Because Caleb had been struggling and contemptuous of his own feelings all these past few days.

Enosh, on the other hand, inquired as if he could read Caleb’s mind, and Caleb couldn’t help but be embarrassed.

Caleb’s eyes lighted up with feelings he couldn’t suppress, even in the middle of his confusion.

Caleb had no idea what his own face looked like, but Enosh, who was standing directly in front of him, had captured Caleb’s emotion in his eyes.

“I’m…… concerned for everyone’s safety.”

“……”

“Isn’t it only normal to be concerned about Lady Oreu’s safety?”

At Caleb’s words, Enosh swallowed a laugh that was about to burst out without realizing it.

Caleb’s face was full with personal sentiments, as anybody could tell.

‘With such a look, how could he claim it as his responsibility?’

Enosh did, in fact, make a guess.

Enosh’s people were among the Imperial Knights that accompanied Elena to the province, so he got reports on everything that transpired there.

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Enosh assumed Caleb had fallen for Elena after getting the news.

Enosh, on the other hand, was unsure since Caleb’s impression had already been etched in his head, and to be honest, Caleb had never stated that he had fallen for Elena.

‘However, this is how you respond.’

Caleb had never shown any interest in opposite sex, thus Enosh assumed he was like a wooden stone.

‘I’ve often wondered if this person had affection for someone who can cause his eyes to appear like that, however……’

Caleb’s new look was strange and amazing at the same time.

If this had happened in the past, Enosh could have been relieved to meet Caleb since it meant his plan had worked out.

Caleb’s appearance, on the other hand, was difficult for Enosh to accept.

Quite a bit.

Enosh remembered receiving a letter a few days ago.

The sender was Archduke of Adele, the master of the Dukedom of Adele.

Enosh was intrigued when he initially received the letter.

Apart from the Empire, the Dukedom of Adele was a kingdom with territorial and system independence from the Empire, but a strong association with it.

The reason for this is that the Archduke and his father were cousins.

However, after losing her newborn daughter in a mysterious occurrence a few decades earlier, the Archduke had been confined to the kingdom in sadness.

Enosh and the Archduke’s daughter were engaged from the time they were in the womb, but these were all old stories.

When the Archduke’s daughter went missing, the story inevitably faded.

As a result, Enosh was familiar with the Archduke while yet being unfamiliar with him.

Enosh had heard a lot about the Archduke and his wife from his father, but he had never met them in person unless when he was very young.

And when the Archduke unexpectedly wrote him a letter, he couldn’t help but wonder.

Of course, Enosh had this notion because he had forgotten a few months earlier that he had sent a letter to the Archduke with Elena’s hair in it.

As soon as Enosh opened the letter, he was reminded of that moment.

The Archduke wrote in a letter that he appreciated Elena’s hair and that he would visit the Empire soon since he believed Elena was his actual daughter and wanted to meet her in person.

Enosh was still skeptical after sending Elena’s hair.

Because, according to Enosh, Elena’s survival was nearly impossible during the time when the Archduke’s daughter went missing.

What Enosh noted, however, was that Elena’s eyes turned gold like the characteristics of Karrie, the Holy Relic owned by the Archduke, and that his own Holy Relic reacted to her.

‘However, I did not expect her to be the Archduke’s daughter.’

Despite the fact that the letter said that it was not yet confirmed, Enosh was confident that Elena would be the Archduke’s daughter.

Otherwise, there is no way that the Archduke and his wife, who had been living in the kingdom for decades due to the sadness of losing their daughter, will come to the empire.

As a result, when Enosh initially received the letter, he attempted to return Elena to the theater as soon as the contract time ended.

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So that the Archduke and his wife may immediately check on their daughter and take her.

But when Enosh received a report from his subordinates about what had occurred in the province, he was taken aback.

This is the worst case scenario.

‘If the Duke comes to see Elena at the theatrical company, and the Archduke and his wife are aware that the Duke has a crush on their daughter, then……’

Enosh didn’t want to imagine after that.

Rather, if Enosh and Elena were still in a prenatal marriage relationship, he would have pushed it somehow, but that story has already disappeared.

It would be best if Elena refused Caleb, but when Enosh considered the things he’d been informed, he didn’t think so.

Even though Enosh gets in the way of the narrative of their prenatal marriage, the Archduke couple will bend their will to Elena if their daughter, who has been grieving for decades, makes a tearful appeal.

‘Is it fortunate that the Duke didn’t seem to have noticed his own feelings?’

Enosh wanted to applaud Caleb’s dullness.

It would be extremely difficult if both Caleb and Elena are already in a relationship.

‘I’ll have to change my plan.’

Enosh would have suffered if Caleb had noticed how he felt before Elena left the Royal Knights.

Enosh made a decision for a brief period.

‘First, let’s separate the two and put Elena in a safe spot where I can control her.’

 

” I apologize for my mistake.
I’d heard Lady Oreu is amazingly beautiful, and there were a lot of rumors about her when she was in the theater, so I asked.
”

“If you’re talking about a rumor, then……”

“I believe you’ve heard it as well, Duke.” The rumor said that Lady is a yobu.”

Caleb later remembered the rumor that Edmund had been talking about when Elena initially joined the Royal Knights.

“I only know the rumor but not the truth behind it.”

“Do you believe an effect can exist without a cause?” She was also involved with the Young Marquis Vessel not long after joining the Royal Knights.”

“Because the Marquis already disputed it and explained it to me, I heard the truth behind that one.”

“Ah, I see you know the truth about Young Marquis Vessel’s rumor.
However, in a time when many actresses are selling more than laughter to male audiences and sponsors, it’s difficult to believe that allegations of that Lady’s infidelity are untrue.”

For the first time in his life, Caleb felt displeased with Enosh.

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