The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 15

I looked away, pretending to stare off to the side. Ugh, this is embarrassing.

Kyle draped his jacket over my torn dress and pulled me into a warm embrace.

“Are you still having those… thoughts about me?” he asked.
How could I not? When you’re standing here being all cute and sexy!

“…I’m not going to answer that.”

He let out a soft, amused laugh, then gently lifted me and carried me toward the bed.

As I wrapped myself in his jacket, I took a moment to admire his handsome face, even reaching up to smooth his tousled dark hair.
He looked at me with a bit of a smirk. “…If you want me to be a gentleman and simply fall asleep, don’t sit there looking at me with my jacket draped over you.”

“Oh? Do my eyes hold some kind of power over you?”

“And don’t smile with those dimples showing, either.”

“So many rules, Kyle!” I teased.

With a slightly sulky look, he replied, “Exactly. For a couple, there sure are a lot of things I’m not supposed to do.”

Despite his playful complaints, he lowered me onto the bed carefully, making sure not to aggravate the scrape on my heel. It was an oddly endearing sight.

“Why do you keep pushing me away… oh.” His face lit up in realization.

Oh no. That look—that’s the one that always worries me!

“Is that what you’re after, my dear?” he asked, intertwining his fingers with mine.

Finger interlocking. Yes, my ultimate weakness in affection.

My face turned red as I stammered, “K-Kyle. I know I might’ve said on our first night together that I’d do anything you wanted if you held my hand like this, but…”

“Yes, you did say that,” he replied, giving my left hand a firm, meaningful squeeze, “but that’s not what I meant.”

He lifted my hand to look at my ring finger.

“If you wanted a more… formal relationship, you could’ve just said so.”

“Formal relationship?”

“I’ll summon the finest jewelers first thing tomorrow. You’ll just have to sit and choose your favorite.”

…Was he seriously blushing as he said that?

“What exactly am I choosing?”

He smiled, a blissful expression on his face. “An engagement ring, of course.”

He added with a chuckle, “And while we’re at it, you might as well pick out a wedding ring too.”

＊＊＊

Kyle was serious.

Early the next morning, while I was still half-asleep, Kyle finished dressing in his Chaeld uniform and leaned down to give me a quick kiss.

“I have some business at the palace regarding the imperial finances. Rest well, and when you wake up, choose an engagement ring that you like. And take a look at the other gifts I left for you.”

The word ring jolted me wide awake.

“Oh my…”

As I sighed and pressed a hand to my cheek, a maid scurried over with a look of concern.

“Is something wrong with the shoes, madam?”

The young maid held up a pair of elegant shoes, clearly of the highest quality, turning them to show me every angle.

“No, they’re beautiful.”

I smiled, glancing over at the mountain of extravagant gifts Kyle had left behind.

Just how rich do you have to be to buy all this?
Roughly estimating, I realized the cost of a single pair of these shoes was probably equivalent to my entire college tuition.

Claire’s “souvenirs” from her year-long travels had made me wonder if she’d cleared out a shop. But Kyle’s gifts made it seem like he’d swept through an entire district—or maybe the entire capital.

The gifts were endless. And incredibly varied.

And occasionally…

“Wh-What is this?”

“Madam, you’ve never heard of ‘Victory’s Secret’? It’s the top lingerie brand in the capital!”

…a bit scandalous.

Why in the world would a slip need to be this transparent? And with feathers?

Only Kyle, who’d perfected the art of kissing me with a mischievous smile, would leave a collection of gifts that sent my heart racing just unwrapping them.

…He doesn’t actually expect me to wear this, does he? Surely not!

With my face flushed from embarrassment, I muttered, “Let’s take a little break, shall we?”

“Of course, madam.”

As I sipped cold water and fanned myself, Claire, who had taken a seat nearby to watch my reactions, chuckled.

“How cute.”

Sister, you’ve called me cute at least a hundred times today.
In the novel The Fall of the Tycoon and After, Claire avoided the main palace. But now, here she was, lounging with her chin propped on her hand, observing my every reaction to Kyle’s gifts and tossing out compliments.

“Lady Claire. Am I that cute?” I asked.

Ordinarily, a question like that would make anyone shy, but Claire nodded without hesitation.

“The way you react is adorable. Your expressions are so vivid I could watch you all day. It’s the total package of cuteness.”

“Ah…”

Her explanation was so thorough that I was left speechless.

Then, with another devastatingly charming smile, she added, “Ah, here they come—the jewelers.”

I followed her gaze and saw a line of men approaching.

When Kyle mentioned jewelers, I’d expected one or two people, but… how many craftsmen were needed for this?

Each one bore a look of pride and determination. Every single one of them seemed bent on ensuring that I’d pick their design.
Claire moved close to me, her fingers gesturing subtly. The jewelers immediately responded, opening box after box filled with engagement ring samples.

Boxes lined with red velvet were spread out before me, each ring inside more ornate than the last.

The only thing unusual was that none of the rings had a main gemstone.

“They’re not finished?”

At my question, the craftsmen all shook their heads. One of them explained to me respectfully.

“We have yet to receive the main gemstone, which will complete the rings.”

“A diamond, perhaps?” I ventured, only for the jewelers to chuckle, as if I’d suggested something laughably common.

Claire’s reaction was similar.

“Amel, think about it. Do you really think the Duke would settle for something as ordinary as a diamond?”

As ordinary as a diamond? I nearly asked if there was anything more valuable, but then a memory of the world-building in The Fall of the Tycoon and After washed over me.

Oh no. Please, let it not be that stone.

If Kyle gave me an engagement ring with that gem, it would be a direct route to a ruinous ending.

With a shaky voice, I managed to ask, “This… this doesn’t happen to have an Aretê Crystal as the main stone, does it?”

Like any good fantasy novel, The Fall of the Tycoon and After had its own unique elements. Although its society bore a striking resemblance to British aristocracy, there were plenty of original touches, like mercenary groups with special powers and northern warrior tribes.

One of the most fascinating aspects was the “Aretê Crystal.”
Imagine a gemstone that grants superhuman abilities—and costs a fortune.

In this world, only a handful of Aretê Crystals, said to be gifts from the gods, exist. Their rarity makes them incredibly valuable—worth a hundred times more than a top-grade diamond, if I remember correctly.

They’re so rare and costly that even the wealthiest nobles and royals can barely get their hands on one.
The first Duke of Chaeld himself gave up trying to monopolize them, I recalled.

Even having an Aretê Crystal doesn’t guarantee access to its powers. To awaken it, the owner must have a deep, intense desire, and the Aretê will grant a power suited to fulfilling that wish.

For instance, if someone drowning wished fervently to survive, the Aretê might enable them to breathe underwater or swim like a fish.

But the author’s intention for Kyle was to be a “ridiculously powerful male lead who doesn’t need an Aretê.” As a result, he was rarely depicted using its power, preferring to avoid it entirely.

Now, the thought of Kyle giving me an engagement ring with an Aretê Crystal felt like a death sentence. This wasn’t just any precious gem—it was one that, once given, couldn’t be removed or transferred to anyone else without the giver’s explicit permission.

In other words, if Kyle didn’t let me go, I’d be bound to wear that ring for life.

…No, this is basically a death sentence.

I could already imagine the curses of those swept up in the wars Kyle was destined to start, my name bound to their fates forever.

After a few calming breaths, I looked at Claire seriously and asked, “Do you really think Kyle intends to use an Aretê Crystal as the main stone?”

“Amel, you really are out of the social loop, aren’t you?”

“…Excuse me?”

With a sigh, Claire patted my head, as if urging me to accept the inevitable. “Word’s been spreading across the continent for weeks that Chaeld is purchasing an Aretê Crystal at a hefty price. Even I heard about it overseas.”

Oh dear. I’d missed a continent-wide rumor.

I considered the faint hope that maybe Kyle had someone else in mind for the ring, but even I knew that when he wasn’t working, he was always by my side.

No, this can’t be happening. Am I really doomed?

“Couldn’t he be buying it for himself? An Aretê Crystal could be useful for his business…”

“The Duke already owns one. It’s part of the Chaeld family inheritance.”

Right. I knew that from the novel.

Aretê was a power that could only awaken for someone with a profound desire, and even emperors with multiple crystals could only activate one. Owning more wouldn’t add any value.

If I end up with an Aretê Crystal embedded in my engagement ring…

I scanned the rings that the jewelers had spread out in front of me like an elaborate display. I needed to choose one with the most intricate design possible, something that might risk the crystal cracking during crafting.

As I carefully selected one, the lead jeweler spoke with enthusiasm.

“Madam, this engagement ring design truly elevates the Chaeld family’s prestige.”

“Go on.”

“The main gemstone for this ring will be crafted in a round brilliant cut, the ultimate in sparkle and sophistication.”

“Round brilliant cut…?”

At my question, the jeweler’s eyes lit up as he continued.
“Yes! The round brilliant cut, with 58 mathematically perfect facets, brings out the utmost brilliance of the gem! No one else has mastered this technique.”

In other words, it was extremely challenging to make. I clasped his hand firmly and replied, “Then I’ll go with this design. I want an Aretê Crystal crafted in the most difficult round brilliant cut. Of course, it’s such a complex process that, well, accidents can happen during crafting.”

Please, let it happen.