The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 4

I stared at Kylian for a moment, speechless.

Stay the night? Sure, the manor is massive, but why mention how spacious his room is?

As we rode in the Chailled family carriage toward the grand estate, I kept wondering why he was behaving this way toward me. No clear answers came.

…Could he have fallen for me?

No, that couldn’t be it. This is Kylian Chailled, the cold-hearted tycoon who, in two years, would plunge the continent into war. He had rejected countless women who tried to seduce him for his wealth, pushing them aside without hesitation.

As the head of the most powerful duchy in the empire, Kylian received endless marriage proposals, but he ignored them all.
He wasn’t the type to fall for someone—or so the story went. Could it be that…

Was our first night together that unforgettable?

The more I thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. Maybe I had been so perfect last night that it left a lasting impression. I didn’t remember much, but maybe it had been a revelation for him.

Yeah, I guess it could make sense. If a downcast guy randomly meets a stunning, sexy woman who turns his world upside down…
I was lost in thought, frowning, when Kylian suddenly asked,
“Are you in pain?”

“Ah…”

Well, honestly, I was in pain. Despite the comfort of the carriage and the blanket and jacket Kylian had draped over me, the soreness from our “lovemaking” lingered. My muscles ached, and every bump in the road sent a sharp reminder through my sore lower back and thighs. The pain was getting worse as time went on.

But I couldn’t show that to Kylian. What if he felt sorry for me and came closer out of concern?

I tried to act normal. “Why do you think I’m in pain?”

“Well…”

He didn’t respond directly but instead glanced at my posture. I had unconsciously leaned against his chest, arms wrapped around his waist, probably due to the ache in my lower body.

“Ah, sorry about that.”

“For what?”

“For leaning on you without asking.”

“It’s fine. Rest however you need. After all, I’m the one who caused the pain.”

His voice was soft and gentle, and with that, he repositioned me to lie down on his lap. All the cushions in the world seemed pointless at that moment.

The Chailled family’s carriage was so large that I could stretch out comfortably, so I lay down without much resistance.
Wow, his legs are really… firm.

Settling into the position, I squirmed a little, trying to find the most comfortable angle.

After a bit of shifting, Kylian spoke again, this time sounding amused, “Try not to move too much… unless, of course, you’re trying to provoke me.”

“What?”

“There’s still quite a bit of time before we reach the manor. And since this is my carriage, I don’t mind what happens inside.”

His teasing voice and playful smile made me sit up straight in an instant.

＊＊＊

Even after we passed the front gate of the estate, the carriage kept moving for a while. I was curious about the distance until I stepped out, escorted by staff, and finally saw the manor for myself.

This is ridiculous… It would take half a day just to walk from the gate to here.

The manor was beyond grand. It was bigger than the imperial palace described in the novel, more like a small city than a residence.

The main building, paths, fountains, and gate were aligned in perfect symmetry, with additional wings, gardens, and side palaces sprawling out on either side.

I couldn’t even see where the estate ended, but it was obvious that everything in sight belonged to the Chailled family.

The mansion where Amelia Dian, my character, lived was tiny in comparison—smaller than one of these side palaces. The wealth of this family was truly on another level.

I had thought about sneaking away in the night, but with a place this vast, I might get lost before I could escape.

“Do you like it?”

Kylian’s gaze met mine, and I quickly nodded.

“A house this beautiful? I could stay here for days and never get bored.”

As soon as I said it, I regretted my choice of words. Kylian’s eyes lit up at the mention of “staying,” and his smile was too charming to retract my statement.

“You said ‘for days,’ didn’t you?”

“If I stay too long, it might be inconvenient for you.”

“Inconvenient? Not at all.”

Kylian dismissed the idea easily, and as we walked, the staff bowed with military precision, as emotionless as robots.

Now that I think about it, Kylian wasn’t close to anyone in the manor, was he? He had distanced himself from people after becoming duke, disillusioned with human interaction. I remembered how shocked everyone had been when he brought the heroine here.

“This way, sis.”

“Wow… wait, what?”

As I followed Kylian inside, I was greeted by a surprising sight. A large group of people, clearly waiting for him, froze in shock when they saw him with his arm around me. Some even dropped their documents.

Over thirty people had been waiting.

Right, our male lead is a busy man.

Controlling not just the empire but the continent’s entire economy, Kylian couldn’t afford to waste time.

In the novel, he was portrayed as a man who slept precisely 4 hours and 30 minutes each night, starting his day with coffee and eight newspapers.

Afterward, he’d exercise while receiving in-depth reports on politics, economics, and other topics from experts.

That explains why he didn’t tire out last night…

The people who had been frozen in shock quickly recovered, gathering up their fallen papers and organizing themselves.

They lined up neatly on either side of the room, ready to report to Kylian. Seeing how busy he was, I tried to back away discreetly.

“Your Grace, it looks like you have a lot to do, so I’ll excuse myself.”

I tried to be polite, but instead of letting me leave, Kylian wrapped an arm around my waist, turning his back on the waiting crowd.

It was a confident move, as if to say, No one can interfere with what I do.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

…Surely he just meant, Where are you headed? not, How dare you try to leave?

In a small voice, I said, “It seems like you’re busy.”

“I’m not. Spending time with you is what I want most.”

With that, he led me to a plush sofa and sat beside me. His expression shifted back to a cold, efficient mask as he addressed the waiting crowd.

“Thirty seconds per person. Keep it brief.”

The people in line looked tense, but they quickly began reporting, showing graphs, charts, and documents with practiced efficiency.

“Your Grace, Merrifield Trading has submitted their business plan. They will be importing Kelteman tribal goods, and the projected size…”

Each time, Kylian listened intently, then responded in his calm, concise manner.

“I’ll review it. Send the details to my office. Next.”

“Your Grace, the Maria Shelter has requested additional donations…”

“Approved. Next.”

The Kylian Chailled I saw now wasn’t the playful man from earlier, nor the cold villain from the novel.

He was the tycoon, through and through.

In the ten minutes I watched, Kylian made decisions that moved astronomical sums of money. As the head of the family controlling the empire’s banks, schools, and political influence, Kylian was like the heart pumping the lifeblood of the entire system—money.

I could never handle the pressure of running a family like this.
It became clear that only someone like Kylian could be the protagonist of such a story. His world was completely different from mine.

As I watched in awe, Kylian turned to me with a bright, boyish smile, a stark contrast to his cold demeanor moments ago.

“All done. Are you disappointed?”

“Who’s disappointed? Not me…”

“You were staring at me the whole time.”

“Well, yeah…”

I had to admit, watching him work was almost unfairly attractive. The way he handled everything with such precision and control, even casually adjusting his tie as he made decisions, was dizzying.

But I had to keep reminding myself: This is the man who will bring ruin to the empire and fall in love with the heroine. It took repeating that over and over just to clear my head.
Oblivious to my inner turmoil, Kylian smiled again and asked,
“How do you like the manor?”

It feels like the end of my life.

“It’s beautiful. Spacious. Warm.”

Though it felt a bit empty, with the silent staff and sparse furniture, it was far better than the crumbling Dian estate I called home.

Compared to my house, where the ceiling leaked and rats occasionally shared my bed, this place was heaven. It was a dreamlike paradise, more luxurious than any five-star hotel.
Kylian seemed satisfied with my response and stood, offering another suggestion.

“Why don’t I show you the room where you’ll be staying?”

“…Seriously?”

“You did say you’d be staying for a few days, didn’t you?”

“Well, I didn’t mean… where exactly would I be staying?”

“In my room, of course.”

He smiled as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“You dragged me to your room last night, so today it’s my turn.”

I had no response to that. Bringing up last night left me speechless. I shook my head awkwardly and tried to laugh it off.

“Kyl, that’s…”

“There aren’t any other rooms.”

He answered so shamelessly that I could hardly believe it. No other rooms? This place could house an entire school on a field trip, each person getting their own suite!

“I saw plenty of empty rooms on the way here. I thought this place was a hotel.”

“Empty rooms?”

Feigning ignorance, Kylian turned to the still-bowing staff, who immediately sprang into action.

“Empty rooms? Impossible!”

“Miss, it’s dangerous to be alone. Stay close to His Grace.”
“Please, stay as long as you like!”

Of course. These people had hitched their fortunes to Kylian, and they were smart enough to see where their loyalties lay.

There was no way they were going to side with me.
What am I going to do? I need to escape…