The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 41

Verdel mulled over Kyle’s response for a long time, convinced he must have misheard. The infamous Chaield Duke, a man feared as a monster, claimed he wouldn’t overthrow the imperial family because his fiancée disliked extravagance.

“…Kyle. Are you insane?”

It was meant to be a mocking remark, but Kyle responded with earnest sincerity.

“I’ve come to understand why people say love is a form of madness.”

“…And this is coming from the man who just asked if I was ready to become emperor?”

“You, with a hobby of cross-dressing, wouldn’t understand. Speaking of which, why do you do it? Is it some kind of fetish?”

“It’s…”

Kyle’s serious tone left Verdel unable to admit the truth: that he found it amusing to cross-dress and humiliate the male nobles. Clearly, this moment required a more respectable excuse.
“So, it is a fetish,” Kyle concluded before Verdel could answer, showing little interest in the crown prince’s reasoning.

Gazing at the lake, Kyle allowed his thoughts to drift to Amelia. He realized it had been two days since he last walked with her around Amelia’s lake alongside his sister.

…I miss her.

The thought of Amelia made this conversation with Verdel feel like a waste of time. Having said all he needed to, Kyle decided it was time to leave.

“Verdel, you of all people know how little time the royal family has left. I’m not giving you more time to decide, so tell me your answer now.”

The choice was stark: his father, the emperor, or his sisters and the royal family. Verdel found himself weighing impossible scales, with both sides equally precious.

“…Kyle. What do you have planned for my father? Are you going to pile dry kindling in the square and set it aflame? Summon an executioner?”

Verdel assumed that a man like Kyleian Chaield, who had eliminated his own brothers to claim the ducal seat, would consider public execution a trivial matter. But Kyle frowned.

“Why would I do that?”

His sister would disapprove. And Kyle had no intention of earning her ire. Publicly executing a royal was also a short-sighted move that would create long-term problems.

“A peaceful, uninhabited island owned by the Chaield estate.

That’s the last gift I’ve prepared for His Majesty.”

“…You’re not going to execute him?”

“Verdel, do you want your father executed? If you insist, I’ll oblige.”

“…”

Weighing his father’s life against the lives of his sisters was agonizing. But when it came to choosing between his father’s “freedom” and his sisters’ futures…

“Kyleian Chaield. Are you sure you won’t regret this if I become emperor?”

In the end, Verdel tacitly betrayed his father. By doing so, he aligned himself entirely with the Chaield Duke, a man who had killed his own kin to claim his title.

Kyle offered a formal smile, the kind he reserved for business, and replied, “Do I seem like someone who regrets things? I couldn’t care less who becomes emperor.”

If displeased, he could simply replace them. With a dry chuckle, Kyle bowed to Verdel and boarded his carriage, his movements precise and efficient.

Verdel watched the carriage disappear into the distance, his eyes fixed on the Chaield family crest emblazoned on its side. A beast with one paw raised, ready to seize whatever it desired by any means necessary.

Damn it. I never thought I’d find myself licking those claws.
As his temples throbbed, Verdel recalled the voice and face of Amelia Diane, whom he had met before.

For heaven’s sake, I hope she’s right about him not being a monster.

Verdel desperately wished that Amelia’s words were true and that his decision would ultimately benefit the Hail Empire.

Meanwhile, inside the Chaield carriage returning to the estate, Kyle gazed out the window at the enraged mob outside the palace and suddenly remembered something.

“Take the next left. It’ll lead to the main road,” he instructed.

“Do you have business there, Your Grace?” the coachman asked.
“I heard the Hail Times office is on that road.”

Having been engrossed in the morning paper and subsequent briefings, Kyle had grown curious about the Hail Times.

How did they find their informant?

The missing Harmonia Necklace scandal had been a boon for the Hail Times. Their exclusives had massively boosted sales, while other newspapers scrambled to cobble together lesser stories and suffered significant credibility losses.

Kyle wondered about the anonymous source who had dared to expose the royal family’s secrets. Who had the audacity to rattle the palace with such dangerous information?

“Your Grace, that red brick building is the Hail Times office,” said Hield, the steward, pointing.

The scene outside the building was chaotic. Fiery young men, politically driven journalists, and impoverished nobles rallied, some calling for the monarchy’s fall and a transition to a republic.

And among them was a figure that immediately caught Kyle’s attention—a platinum-haired woman.

Why is she here?

Vanessa Maybrante. The irritating woman his beloved fiancée had taken on as a bodyguard.

“Stop the carriage,” Kyle ordered.

The coachman complied, and Kyle observed Vanessa closely. Wearing a magic cloak, she scanned her surroundings before entering the Hail Times office, where she handed a letter to a man.

Through the dusty windows, Kyle couldn’t make out the man’s face or Vanessa’s lips as she spoke. Once finished, Vanessa exited the building, only to spot Kyle watching her from the carriage. Her face lit up.

What luck! If I ride that carriage, I’ll get to the estate much faster!

Vanessa dashed toward the carriage with sparkling eyes, but Kyle scowled deeply and barked, “Drive. Before she gets here.”

“But, sir, she’s Lady Amelia’s—”

“Just go.”

While the coachman hesitated, Vanessa latched onto the carriage. Kyle sighed heavily, realizing he couldn’t avoid the encounter.
“What do you want?” he asked sharply.

“Ahem. I humbly greet you, Your Grace. Since we’re heading the same way, might I ride with you? My legs are killing me…”

“No.”

The blunt refusal stung, but Vanessa swallowed her pride. Better to endure humiliation and secure a ride than walk. Knowing Kyle’s weakness for Amelia, she tried a different approach.

“Fine. I’ll walk. But if Lady Amelia hears that her loyal servant was left behind, she might be very upset.”

“…”

“Especially since I’m running an errand for her—oh!” Vanessa clapped a hand over her mouth, realizing she had said too much. Amelia had strictly forbidden her from revealing that she was secretly relaying letters to the Hail Times.

They really are absurdly protective of each other, Vanessa thought, suppressing a smirk.

Ultimately, Kyle relented and allowed Vanessa into the carriage. Once inside, his first words were an interrogation.

“What did she send you to do?”

“My, how sweet of you to call her ‘she.’” Vanessa teased.

“Stop fixating on that and answer me. What did my fiancée ask of you?”

Despite his restraint, this beast still had fangs. Vanessa clenched her fists, tempted to lash out, but remembering that Kyle held her paycheck, she opted for caution.

“Sorry, can’t say. I’m a loyal bodyguard, after all.”

Kyle scowled, irritated by the faint scent of men’s cologne emanating from Vanessa. Amelia had sent her to deliver a letter to a man—that much he could deduce.

Grinding his teeth, Kyle watched as Vanessa pulled out a book from her bag. It was a stroke of genius to have brought it along today.

The title of the book caught Kyle’s eye, and for a moment, his confident demeanor faltered.

“Last Week, My Wife Had an Affair.”

An affair? Surely not…

The fiery intensity in Kyle’s eyes dimmed, replaced by the trembling uncertainty of a puppy left out in the cold.