The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 2

Had it been like this last night too? Kylian was unbelievably skilled.

While he savored my earlobe, his fingers softly brushed the opposite side of my ear, and he held me up gently, keeping me from falling back.

…Even though he’s a man who supposedly chose a solitary life after feeling disillusioned by people and money, was being skilled at this sort of thing a basic quality of a male lead?
For a brief moment, as I felt the kiss of this rich and young male lead, I almost forgot myself and wanted to let him continue… but I quickly snapped back to my senses and pushed him away.

“Haa… Wait, just a moment.”

“Do you dislike it?”

His actions stopped, and he met my eyes, his gaze like that of an untamed beast.

“No, it’s not that I dislike it… I mean…”

I barely stopped myself from blurting out, “Your kiss is incredible, so much that I almost forgot I need to run away,” but managed to hold back.

“This isn’t right.”

“…Why not?”

Since I couldn’t tell him, Because you’re a male lead destined for ruin, I fell back on a common excuse found in romance novels.

“This sort of thing is for people in love.”

At my words, Kylian gave a teasing smile, clearly amused.

“But you were the one who came on to me first last night.”
“…”

Kylian didn’t back down, holding my gaze steadily. Slowly, bits and pieces of last night’s events began to return to me.

When Kylian walked into that shabby tavern where I had been drinking, I was so drunk I didn’t even recognize him as the male lead from the original story.

“Can I sit here?”

He had pointed at the empty seat next to me, and his voice was so indifferent that all I could do was nod absentmindedly. Calm, with an air of someone who had seen it all and given up, his voice had been chilling in its apathy. Now that I thought about it, it was strange for a duke to enter a dingy tavern without any guards.

…Wait.

A sense of foreboding washed over me as I recalled the plot of the original story.

Kylian Chailled, at 23 years old, becomes disillusioned on the anniversary of his brothers’ deaths and decides to throw himself off a cliff. But before that, I remembered he did a few things he normally wouldn’t—like entering a tavern he had never set foot in before and drinking something other than wine.

So, was the tavern I met him in that tavern? Was this man planning to jump off a cliff last night?

I glanced at the calendar on the table. Just as I thought, yesterday was the anniversary of his brothers’ deaths—no wonder he had acted so out of character.

Technically, it wasn’t even out of character—it was before the main story had officially started, and according to the original timeline, Kylian should’ve jumped off the cliff last night.

“…”

I must’ve looked pretty serious because Kylian, who had been planting soft kisses all over my face, gently stroked my cheek and joked.

“If you’ve dragged me all the way here, you should take responsibility, don’t you think, sis?”

“…Did I drag you here?”

“Yes. You asked around, trying to find the nearest hotel.”
Why on earth did I act so impulsively!?

I was momentarily speechless as it sank in that the one who seduced the main male lead I was supposed to avoid… was me. Preventing someone from making a drastic decision should be a praiseworthy act, but in this case, the situation had grown more complicated.

In the original story, it’s the female lead’s role to comfort and embrace the wounded, lonely male lead. People tend to fall for those who heal their wounds, so naturally, love was supposed to blossom between them.

Did I just steal the female lead’s role?

If so, that was a problem. This story, like most stories, was filled with villains and conflicts, and I had no intention of getting caught up in it.

First, I needed to figure out exactly what I’d done to this man last night. Since I couldn’t remember anything due to being drunk, I had to ask.

“After I brought you to the hotel… what happened?”

“You said you wanted more drinks, so I went and got some. Then you comforted me. I wasn’t in a good mood yesterday.”

At that, Kylian flashed an incredibly charming smile, one so radiant it felt like flowers were blooming.

If he weren’t the male lead, I’d probably already be shouting, “You’re mine!” by now. His beauty was truly something to behold.

“And then?”

“And then…”

With a sly look, Kylian moved his hand under the blanket I was wrapped in, slowly trailing from my waist to my hip, then down my thigh, his expression growing heated.

“You loved me.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Like this.”

He tilted his head slightly, closing his eyes as his nose brushed against mine. His lips touched mine softly.

Startled, I quickly pulled away, once again surrendering my lips to the male lead destined for destruction.

“…Do you dislike it?”

“Well, it’s not that…”

I never expected him to try and recreate what happened last night.

Of course, I didn’t dislike it. I’m someone who tends to follow my desires. But I needed to think about the future.

“…This kind of thing should be done with someone you love.”

“I told you already, didn’t I? Last night, you were the one who made the first move.”

Damn, I have no comeback for that. I’m never touching beer again.

While I was desperately trying to come up with a way to avoid getting tangled up with the ruin-bound male lead, Kylian seemed to have realized something. His voice trembled as he spoke.

“Wait… could it be that just now…”

Did he realize I was pushing him away?

“Are you saying that, in a roundabout way, you love me?”

“…What?”

I blinked in confusion. Kylian, his face now red, looked away and answered.

“You said that this kind of thing is done with someone you love. And last night, you were the one who started it. So does that mean you…?”

“St-stop!”

Caught off guard by his logic, I cut him off once again.
Interrupting the Duke, who essentially controls the entire world, might be terrifying, but it’s better than having a reserved spot in hell.

“I wasn’t saying I… lo-love you… or anything like that.”

“…You weren’t?”

Kylian’s face fell, as if disappointed. For a second, he looked so cute that I almost shouted, “Who says I don’t?!”

But the real problem came when I squeezed my eyes shut to avoid his gaze. Kylian’s lips softly captured my breath again.

His tongue lightly brushed my lower lip, his hand gently cupping my cheek as if asking for just a bit more permission. I felt myself weaken.

Ugh, this is bad. This is… bad…

For a moment, I struggled to deny it. But when I came to my senses, I realized my hands were wandering over his firm back, and I was pushing his gentle kiss toward my own taste.
As he began to change the angle of the kiss, drawing me in like he wanted to consume me entirely, Kylian suddenly paused and asked:

“Can I continue?”

The situation was so blatant that I couldn’t even pretend to ask, “Continue what?”

Maybe it showed on my face because Kylian explained.

“I want to get your permission. I want you to want this, too.”

“Ah…”

Looking at his face, desperate and filled with want, my rational mind almost shut down.

After all, if I really think about it, living a life too sinful for even hell might not be so bad. Hellfire? It’s just like warming up by the fire, right?

And with a man this gorgeous calling me “sister” for the rest of my life, anywhere could be paradise.

…No, wait. Being called ‘sister’ might only last a short while.
Kylian has Vanessa Mabrante, the heroine of The Fall of the Tycoon and Beyond.

They’re bound by an unbreakable red string of fate, practically spun and dyed by the gods themselves. There’s no way I can squeeze into that.

If I were to get involved with him, I’d probably end up as the ex-girlfriend, pushed aside when the heroine finally shows up. Then I’d spend my days crying alone, reminiscing about better times.

No. No way. I can’t get involved with this man.

Just as I was about to say no, the door to the room swung open. Whether it was past check-out time or not, a hotel employee in uniform had barged in.

“You youngsters these days…”

Before I could even gather myself, realizing my clothes had slipped down without me noticing, Kylian gently covered me with the blanket.

He then turned to face the intruder, and in an instant, his entire demeanor shifted.

“What do you want?”

His voice was so cold it could freeze someone in place, and the warmth and gentleness he’d shown me just moments ago were replaced by pure malice.

The hotel worker stood there, frozen in shock, unable to say a word. Kylian’s expression turned irritated as he spoke again.

“Haild. Are you there?”

I remembered that name—Haild Weille. The head butler of the Chailled family, a man who followed his master like a shadow.
Soon enough, an elderly man with neatly groomed white hair appeared, promptly sending the hotel employee away.

Yes, this was Haild Weille. He might look like a calm and intelligent old man, but I knew he was once the leader of the knights.

Even though his master was holding me in quite a compromising position, Haild didn’t so much as bat an eye. A true professional.

“My apologies for the disturbance, Your Grace. This was my oversight,” Haild said calmly.

Kylian, as if it were only natural, continued.

“Get rid of him.”

…What?

“I’ll take care of it immediately, Your Grace.”

“W-wait, what?”

Startled, I couldn’t help but interrupt their conversation.
Sure, I knew Kylian didn’t exactly place much value on human lives. If someone was lucky, he’d treat them like a fly buzzing around. To him, people were just stepping stones, mere tools to be used.

But this? This kind of ruthless decision was something my 21st-century sense of ethics couldn’t accept.

“Did he startle you? That fool barging in here like that?”
Kylian had switched back to his soft, puppy-like demeanor, making me wonder if this was really the same man who’d just ordered someone’s execution.

Gathering my courage, I asked cautiously:

“When you say ‘get rid of him’… you mean the hotel guy?”

“Yes.”

“…Um, why?”

I couldn’t help but worry if I’d be next on the chopping block.
Kylian answered as if it were obvious.

“I didn’t like that he appeared out of nowhere.”

“That’s all?”

“…And he saw you in a disheveled state.”

He looked genuinely irritated at the thought.

Still, I couldn’t stand the idea of someone losing their life over something so trivial. The poor man’s spirit would surely come back to haunt me in my dreams.

So, with a smile, I tried to plead for mercy.

“Kylian. Could we just… let it go?”

Sure, the guy didn’t knock and had the nerve to be snide, but it wasn’t a crime worthy of death.

“…Are you siding with him?”

Kylian’s face twisted, his gaze filled with murderous intent, like he could commit a string of murders with just his eyes. Sensing real danger, I gently stroked his arm, using every ounce of charm I had.

“I’m just wondering if you can hold back, for me.”

“…”

Yes, I know I shouldn’t resort to such tactics, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Survival first.

I mustered up the last bit of sex appeal I had left and continued.

“It feels a little silly to ask someone like the Duke, who already has everything, but if you can control yourself, maybe I can offer you a little reward.”

Kylian swallowed hard, staring at me without a word, then finally withdrew his order with just a glance. Now he was looking at me expectantly, waiting for the reward I had promised.

…Oh no. The way he’s looking at me, so obedient, makes my heart ache. This isn’t even his character, yet here he is acting all compliant.

But then, there was really only one kind of ‘reward’ in a situation like this. I glanced briefly at Haild.

Kylian, quickly catching on to my intention, spoke without taking his eyes off me.

“Haild, bring us something sweet. Soft. And make sure the milk is warm.”

“Understood, Your Grace.”

Yes, that tone, that expression. This was the Kylian I knew from the book! Cold-blooded with zero trace of warmth.

But as soon as Haild closed the door behind him, Kylian leaned closer, resting his head on my shoulder and murmuring.

“Now, about that reward…”