The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 28

The room was silent, a tense stillness filling the air as four sets of eyes darted between each other—my mother and father, Kyle and me. No one dared to speak.

Father, usually resolute, seemed to falter as the reality set in: he had just delivered a blow to none other than the esteemed Duke of Chaield. Yet, what baffled him more was why Kyle was in my room at this ungodly hour.

Mother’s gaze flitted between Kyle’s half-unbuttoned shirt and his swollen lips, a scandalized “Oh my!” escaping her as she clutched Father’s arm.

Kyle, on the other hand, was swaying slightly, still dizzy from the sudden assault by the former captain of the Imperial Guard.
“Kyle… are you okay?” I whispered, reaching out to steady him. I had no idea how we’d explain this.

Send him to the Lord himself? Was that really something a father who prayed for divine intervention in every crisis should say?
Sensing my accusatory stare, Father cleared his throat, his expression shifting as he glanced between me and the young duke.
“D-Duke of Chaield, are you unharmed?” He asked, sheathing his sword with an uneasy glance.

Kyle nodded, swallowing hard to compose himself. “I’m fine. I apologize for causing such a commotion, Count Diane.”

Relief flickered across Father’s features, but only briefly. His gaze fell back on Kyle’s shirt—half undone, courtesy of my earlier mischief.

Kyle, perhaps sensing the renewed scrutiny, decided to protect me with a well-meaning but disastrous confession. “Count, I must clarify: Lady Amelia did not undress me. I undressed myself.”
The room temperature seemed to drop as Father’s eyes widened, processing the statement. He looked at Kyle like he was a brigand who had just stolen the crown jewels.

“So, you mean to tell me that His Grace, the Duke of Chaield, scaled a ladder in the dead of night and entered my daughter’s room, only to undress himself…?”

Father’s expression turned tragic, the look of a man grappling with loss. Yet, determined to play the cool and understanding parent, he forced a smile that was painful to watch.

“N-No, Father, it’s not like that—”

“It’s all right, Amel. I support your love, I won’t be an obstacle,” he interrupted, before turning to Mother with forced nonchalance. “Darling, where did we put Amel’s childhood photo album?”

“You just looked at it yesterday,” she replied, bemused.

With that, Father trudged down the stairs. Mother, offering Kyle an awkward smile, seemed poised to follow.

“I apologize, Countess Diane,” Kyle managed, finally recovering his voice. My mother and I exchanged surprised glances. The Duke of Chaield apologizing? This was rare.

Kyle was logical and rarely shied from taking responsibility, but the level of formality in his apology made it feel like he’d been caught committing grand larceny.

In hindsight, it made sense. The book described Kyle as someone who saw personal relationships as uncharted territory. Most people around him were drawn by power or wealth, leaving him ill-equipped for genuine bonds.

Mother, whose nurturing nature welcomed everyone, chuckled softly. “It’s fine, Your Grace. My husband might be strict, but even he couldn’t resist the ‘tea’ invitation.”

“Oh, Mother!” I cut in, face burning. Where was she going with this?

Mother patted my arm with a wink. “Next time, come in through the front door, won’t you? We’re family, after all.”

“No need to force it,” Kyle said, cheeks flushed.

“Nonsense. Amelia is lovely—she takes after me. Besides, they say mothers-in-law adore their sons-in-law, don’t they?” She winked again and muttered something about finding earplugs as she left.

My face felt like it was on fire. How would I ever look either of them in the eyes again? I turned to Kyle, who was still staring off in a daze.

“Kyle, are you really okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine,” he replied, though his delayed response hinted at lingering shock.

“You shouldn’t be, considering you took a hit through the door.”
“I used my Arete to block it.”

I stifled a laugh. Knowing Kyle’s backstory, it was both amusing and poignant. His Arete—the magic of ‘defense’—was born from his deepest desire when he took over as duke. In the original story, he used it only once because it was tied to painful memories.
He didn’t use it during battles when arrows and bullets rained down, but he used it hiding behind my door. He must have been truly rattled.

“Should we go to a doctor?”

Kyle’s eyes were slightly glazed over, and his reactions were sluggish. I gripped his hand and slipped my engagement ring back on, needing to hear his thoughts.

Mothers-in-law adore their sons-in-law?

Mother-in-law… love…

Does she already think of me as her daughter’s husband?

Family…!

His eyes sparkled with realization, a look I knew all too well. The look of a man embracing the idea with dangerous determination.

Kyle seemed deeply moved by my mother’s words. Even as I patted the bed, inviting him to sit, he remained standing, eyes wide with joy.

“We should hasten the engagement preparations, my lady,” he whispered, squeezing himself onto the bed beside me, giddy with excitement. I inspected him for any hidden injury and sighed.

“You were just attacked while hiding behind my door, and now you’re talking about rushing the engagement? Are you sure you’re okay?”

“There’s only one reason to hurry it, isn’t there?”

“…So I can move into the Chaield estate sooner?”

Kyle’s smile deepened, and though he said nothing, his silent confession reached me.

I want to be your family as soon as possible.

The man’s thick lips brushed against the back of my hand. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation, but a greeting was a greeting, so I maintained my composure.

Claire sat quietly in her chair, as if she had anticipated the show. Observing was the right word for it—she looked on as if she were taking notes for future feedback, ready to offer her thoughts on how to improve the process.

Monsieur Gartone commanded his assistants with ease, draping vibrant fabrics and delicate fans across me with exaggerated elegance.

“Lady, do you have any specific design preferences?” he asked.

“Um… I’m not very familiar with dresses,” I admitted.

“Ah, I see.”

By that, I meant that I was a person who had come into this world from outside the story. But from the sympathetic look in Monsieur Gartone’s eyes, it was clear he thought the daughter of Diane had never had a dress custom-fitted before.

That’s when it started—Gartone subtly disregarding my opinions.
“Um… I think the fabric next to it would suit me better.”
“Oh, Lady Diane, as the Imperial’s most celebrated designer, I assure you that this fabric is far more fitting for you.”

This dynamic repeated itself with the necklace, with the gloves. When Claire, who had been hiding a smirk, left the room, his behavior became overtly dismissive.

“Lady, you must not be very familiar with this process, having never had a dress fitted before. Trust me, my choices are correct. Surely you’re not concerned by the price tag?”

“Hold on a moment. The price just increased by a whole digit.”
“Oh dear, there must have been an oversight earlier. This is the correct price now. After all, Chaield will be covering the cost… ahem.”

Look at this man.

It finally clicked. He wasn’t just ignoring me because he thought I was ignorant about dresses; he knew I wasn’t the one paying for it—Chaield was.

Although that was true, it wouldn’t do to let this slide. If I didn’t address this now, I’d continue being treated this way.

“Monsieur Gartone, it seems the Imperial’s greatest designer might need a reminder.”

I picked up the fan he had been pushing on me, making sure to use my left hand with the Chaield engagement ring gleaming on it.

“As long as this ring is on my hand, you’d better watch yourself.”

This, after all, was the one ring to rule them all in this world.

“Oh, and Monsieur Gartone, do you realize it’s already too late for you, don’t you?”

I smiled sweetly and stood. Another designer could certainly handle my dress.