The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 18

Kyle reached for the belt at his waist, but my gaze was drawn a bit lower, to the noticeable shadow.

‘…I thought so on our first night, but it’s just incredible. Absolutely incredible.’

Being a romance novel’s male protagonist was clearly reserved for exceptional figures.

“Sister, just a moment.”

Kyle rummaged through the bedside drawer without hesitation, and I saw the contents—a stash of something piled high inside.

…It was the iconic item from romance novels: contraceptive sweets that guaranteed 100% prevention. But why did he have so many of them stocked up?

I glanced between the drawer overflowing with the sweets and Kyle, who took one, tasted it, and discarded the wrapper into the trash.

With everything ready, he returned to the bed and closed the distance between us.

With eyes hazy and unfocused, he brushed my hair aside, his hand trailing from my hair to my ear, down my jawline, and finally to my lips.

“I don’t know why you’re so endearing.”

“…Stop with the unnecessary flattery.”

To Kyle, my response must have sounded like a signal to move things forward.

Following what I’d shown him on our first night, Kyle closed his eyes tightly and captured my lips. With deliberate care, he parted his lips, deepening the kiss, making my lips grow soft and damp.

His hand toyed with the straps of my dress, pulling them down my shoulders. Gradually, the dress slipped off.

＊＊＊
Several hours later, despite being thoroughly spent, I still couldn’t fall asleep.

Lying with my head on Kyle’s arm, I stared blankly at the ceiling of his room. It had been almost an hour since we’d stopped.

Kyle’s lead was, in a word, breathtaking—the kind of experience that would make anyone from my old life in Korea say, “It was amazing.”

Fine. I should be honest. After that initial moment when my body went stiff, I didn’t want him to stop. Had I been holding back, too?

So… I didn’t stop him. And now I deeply regretted that decision.
They say attachment can develop through physical closeness. How many times had I been with this man, who was supposedly on the path to ruin? Did I initiate it? Either way, that wasn’t the point.

What mattered was that we had shared consensual, safe moments. Even if it was more than just once… or twice.

‘I can’t keep giving in to Kyle’s charms like this.’

I had to admit it: I was weak to temptation. To resist, I needed to stop giving Kyle the opportunity to tempt me.

‘…Will I continue to live at Chield’s grand estate?’

The lavish mansion was undoubtedly impressive. Kyle, Claire, and all of Chield’s staff treated me with an overwhelming amount of care.

But none of this was mine by my own doing. The decision not to push Kyle away was separate from carving out my own path.
‘I still have to deal with the Diane family’s debt, so finding a job is my priority. Preferably one with flexible hours.’

Even if Kyle no longer seemed bound for ruin, I didn’t intend to live off him. I would find a job, gather seed money, and gradually pay back the debt Chield had settled for my family.

The amount was substantial, but luckily, I was from outside this world. Knowing which ventures would succeed or fail gave me an edge. Once I had initial capital, investing for profit wasn’t just a dream.

While I was revising my plan, Kyle pulled me closer.

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

“Oh, just…”

“If you don’t sleep now, you’ll be tired tomorrow.”

“…”

“Can’t sleep?”

Kyle held me tighter, like he was soothing a child. The warmth of his embrace made my chest ache.

When I bit my lip, Kyle frowned.

“Are you troubled by something?”

“No, not really.”

My vague response made Kyle put on the face I dreaded most—one that looked as if he’d just had a revelation. His eyes sparkled, cheeks flushed, and then…

“Are you thinking about… children?”

Completely off the mark.

Wait. What did he just say? Children? He couldn’t mean that kind of ‘child’!

Even in The Fall of the Magnate and After, Kyle hadn’t wanted children. Not even with the heroine, Vanessa! So why now?
I tried to keep calm and escape reality.

“Kyle, should we get a pet instead?”

“That’s not it, Sister.”

“Then, when you said ‘children’…”

“Amel, I think a child that takes after you would be incredibly precious. Is it too soon?”

Too soon? What did he think this was, an Autobahn? Did he not know about speed limits?

“Kyle, but we haven’t even had the engagement ceremony yet.”
“Our family prides itself on making quick, accurate decisions.”
I could believe that. Instant decision-making would be vital when managing vast wealth, and it was a known part of the story.

“A decision? What decision?”

“That I’ll keep you by my side forever.”

My astonished expression seemed to encourage him, and he doubled down.

“Amelia Diane, you’ll stay with me. Always.”

“Even though I approached you with impure intentions, driven by money?”

Kyle nodded as if it were obvious, replacing his fierce expression with an affectionate smile. Then he began showcasing his wealth in earnest.

“Sister, haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Even a wealthy family that goes bankrupt lasts for three generations’? Even if we fell now, our grandchildren would still be fine.”

Just the grandchildren? If it were Chield, they’d probably last ten centuries. Maybe even longer.

“That’s not the issue… Isn’t it more about my impure motives.”

“I don’t like that either. If you approached me for money, shouldn’t you be trying to claim the title of Duchess as quickly as possible?”

With a slightly sullen expression, Kyle started to air grievances he’d apparently been holding in.

“You should be seducing me and securing the Duchess title already. I’m more than willing to fall for your so-called impure motives.”

“No, wait—”

“Are you content just being Chield’s fiancée? I’ve told you many times that I’ll give you anything you want.”

“Kyle?”

“If you approached me for money, don’t just settle for my body and face.”

What was wrong with this protagonist? Had he hit his head somewhere along the way?

Kyle’s eyes widened with realization as I blinked in confusion.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I learned that the decision to have children should be mutual between spouses.”

“Learned? Where?”

“I read books. Ten Ways to Build a Happy Home and 19 Tips for Husbands Who Love Their Wives.”

Seriously? Where did he even find those sappy books?

Kyle gently stroked my cheek, as if to assure me.

“We won’t have a child unless you want one. I made sure of that.”

He glanced at the trash can to reinforce his point, but when he noticed my still-troubled face, he added, “Just in case, I’ll have a cup of Cavicus tea brought to you in the morning.”

Cavicus tea was a magic tea that provided 100% contraceptive effects with just a drop.

It was expensive, but Kyle could buy ten cups of Cavicus tea with the cost of his morning coffee.

Reeling from the sudden talk of children, I started singing the Korean national anthem in my head to regain composure.

Kyle didn’t make it any easier.

“For what it’s worth, I believe I’d be a good father.”

“…What?”

I must have looked shocked beyond belief.

In the original story, Kyle didn’t want children because he feared repeating the abuse he suffered from his father.

Trauma was powerful, and he was afraid that seeing a child would remind him of his own dark past.

So why was he like this now?

“Kyle, are you sure? About having children?”

“I did worry that I might treat a child coldly. Like my father did. But…”

Kyle met my eyes, and a smile spread across his face as he took in my expression.

His fingers, soft on the pad side, traced my exposed arm tenderly, as if concerned about leaving a scratch.

“How could I be cold to a child of yours? I can’t help but smile just looking at you now.”

I looked away, my heart aching. If a man this loving were to one day meet his fated love and leave, I’d be the one left heartbroken.

“Ahem. Kyle, what if I don’t want children?”

“Then I get to have you all to myself forever? That sounds good to me.”

It was true that wealthy people tended to be optimistic. How could a man be this positive?

Noticing my eyes trembling like leaves in a storm, Kyle pulled me into a tighter embrace.

“Don’t worry. If we do have a child, I’ll love them. Especially if they take after you.”

Back in Korea, even the theme music from Human Theater could make me tear up before school. I was sentimental like that.

So Kyle’s sudden, heartfelt confession made my eyes well up.

I couldn’t help but think about how much pain Kylian Chield must have endured to come to the point of vowing to be different from his father, who raised him harshly in a competitive environment.
The thought of him promising not to repeat his past made me feel deeply moved.

‘How could I ever push a man like this away?’

Kyle wasn’t a bad person. His descent into ruin was the result of relentless torment from those around him, especially his father.

If he wasn’t inherently bad but rather broken by others, wasn’t it right, as a sane adult