The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 58

Kyle Chaield was someone who always moved alone, accompanied only by subordinates who worshipped him like a god. He ruled as a solitary sovereign at the pinnacle, never needing a companion.

The fact that someone else had stepped out of the same carriage as him was shocking enough, but the woman even wore the dazzling engagement ring of the Chaield family on her left ring finger.

“Could she be the woman from the rumors…?”

“How did she manage to tame the Monster Duke?”
“She’s certainly beautiful, but still…”

The people of Keltman were busy speculating what change of heart Kyle might have had in the past few years.

If the woman had seduced the Monster Duke with her beauty, then surely the ever-loyal butler, Hild, would find her untrustworthy.

Yet Hild personally handed a thick winter cloak to Amel as she stepped gracefully out of the carriage. He even adjusted the collar and tied the ribbon. And the one who fastened the cloak securely around her was none other than the Monster Duke himself.

The one receiving all this special treatment was Amelia Diane, a member of the Hail Empire’s delegation. She flushed at the attention.
“Kyle, people are watching…”

“What’s the big deal about a fiancé taking care of his fiancée?”

After meticulously adjusting her cloak, Kyle finally looked up at the gathered Keltman officials, who stood in neat rows. Most of them were familiar faces.

Everyone seemed eager to greet him first—everyone except one.

“Welcome to the White Palace, emissaries of the Hail Empire.”

Kyle remembered Princess Lien’s clear voice and radiant face. He also recalled overhearing her as a child mutter, “Hic, a monster!” upon seeing him.

“Not exactly a fond memory.”

Since this was purely a business relationship, there was no need to act particularly friendly. Kyle maintained the formal smile they all knew as his trademark expression.

“That’s the Monster Duke I know…”

Lien swallowed her questions. How could his gaze soften so much when he looked at his fiancée? The way his eyes crinkled as he smiled made it seem like he could melt even glaciers.

Deciding not to dwell on it, Lien descended the steps and approached the delegation. Amelia, the delegation’s representative, swallowed nervously.
“She’s completely different from Princess Nadia. The air around her is intimidating.”

Unlike Nadia, who had resigned herself to her nominal title due to her illegitimate birth, Lien exuded an imposing presence.

Amelia recalled the many bosses she had encountered in her previous jobs. Lien gave off the aura of someone with “Boss” figuratively written across her forehead.

“It is an honor to accept the glorious invitation of His Majesty, the Emperor. I am honored to meet you, Princess Lien.”

“Dispense with the formalities. You must be Amelia of the Diane family?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I hope you find your stay comfortable. Since you must be weary from your journey, my father has ordered that you all be guided to your accommodations to rest. Servants, show our guests to their quarters.”

The waiting attendants began escorting the delegation to their assigned rooms. As Amelia waited for her turn, Lien approached her suddenly.

“I’ll personally escort the ladies and the princess to their quarters. It’s the most beautiful part of the White Palace, so you can look forward to it. Please follow me.”

Lien turned slightly and gave Kyle a brief, playful smile before leading Amelia, Princess Nadia, and Lady Gretel away.

Lien didn’t realize how displeased Kyle was at being separated from his fiancée for their accommodations.

“This way, please. As per the arrangements, any security personnel for the ladies can be brought in without issue,” Princess Lien said with a gentle smile. I responded with a smile of my own and took in the room I’d be staying in.

My room was situated between Princess Nadia’s and Lady Gretel’s. Vanessa, who had accompanied me as a maid, would stay in a small adjoining chamber within my room.

Thanks to the cold climate, a large fire burned at the center of the room, surrounded by blankets and sculptures with fire motifs.

“It feels like I’ve stepped into a luxurious traditional home straight out of a travel magazine.”

The cozy atmosphere made my heart race with excitement. It was foolish, but I couldn’t help feeling giddy.

“Lady Diane, I’m glad you seem pleased with the room,” Lien said.

“It’s lovely. Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”
“Rest well. Once you’ve settled, we’ll arrange for tea. Perhaps we can share stories about swordsmanship then.”

Lien lightly held my hand for a moment before letting go. For a brief instant, I caught her inner thoughts.

“So, this is the Diane bloodline.”

“But… Father, this won’t be easy, will it?”
She must have meant her father, the chieftain of Keltman. But what did she mean by “it won’t be easy”? With that cryptic remark, Lien left the room.

Vanessa immediately threw herself onto the soft bed, sprawling out with a blissful expression.
“Vanessa, that’s my bed. I don’t mind you resting, but at least take your shoes off.”

Without even sitting up, Vanessa kicked off her shoes with a grumble.

“Ugh, fine, fine. You have no idea how tired I am. I thought I was going to die.”

“Was the journey that rough? Should I call for some snacks?”

“It’s not about the journey or snacks… It’s about how His Grace wouldn’t leave you alone the entire trip. I’m sure you had a wonderful time, but…”

“…Ahem.”

“Do you have any idea how awkward it was, squeezed into the backseat with Hild sitting next to me, listening to all those strange sounds? Every time we made eye contact, I wanted to jump out of the carriage!”

I was too embarrassed to say anything. It wasn’t just on the ship, where we shared a room that rivaled the finest luxury hotels. Even during the carriage rides, Kyle Chaield constantly tried to stay as close to me as possible.

Pretending to inspect the room, I walked around. Vanessa sighed as if she understood after complaining for a while.

“Well… it’s not your fault, my lady. His Grace, being the spirited duke he is, seems to interpret ‘please let go’ as ‘please come closer.’”

“Vanessa, someone might hear! Please stop!”

“When he lifted your ankle during a kiss… Ugh, and I don’t even follow any religion! I found myself praying for things not to escalate further.”

“All right, all right, I’m sorry. Just lounge on the bed to your heart’s content. I’ll handle unpacking.”

I couldn’t win against that endless chatter. Taking out a dress from the suitcase, I hung it in the wardrobe. As I silently unpacked, Vanessa eventually joined me, helping to organize the luggage.

“My lady, you really are naturally diligent.”
“You should rest more. It must’ve been tiring for you… because of me.”

“I’m glad you recognize that.”

Vanessa quickly dropped the clothes she was holding, pulled out a small notebook from her pocket, and started flipping through it. It seemed she had started keeping her schedule somewhat organized.

“We’ll be staying in Keltman for about a month, so the detailed itinerary hasn’t been finalized.

I’ll just go over the major events.”

“Please do.”

“This week, there’s a ball. In the second week, there’s a hunting competition, and in the third week, they’ll hold a festival using the game caught. Those are the official events.”

In between, there would likely be smaller appointments with Princess Lien and others, making for a busy schedule. I was glad I’d studied in advance about the White Palace and Keltman’s customs; otherwise, I would’ve been overwhelmed by all this last-minute preparation.

“Who will attend the ball?”

“All the emissaries invited to Keltman from various nations will be there. Nobles from Keltman will join as well. We might even catch a glimpse of the third prince of Tryha.”

I nodded absentmindedly until the mention of the “third prince of Tryha” made me startle. The third prince of the Tryha Empire, overseas, was one of the main antagonists alongside Marabas in the original story.

I had heard that Tryha had sent an envoy to Keltman after the Hail Empire announced its large delegation, but I didn’t know the prince himself would come.

“The third prince of Tryha is part of their delegation?”

“No. Officially, it’s just mid- to high-ranking nobles… Don’t you know the rumors about the third prince of Tryha?”

“Rumors? What rumors?”

“How would I know? Tell me.”

“The third prince of Tryha is said to be a notorious playboy. After his younger sister’s death, he’s been living recklessly, indulging his desires wherever there’s a party or gathering.”
“It’s probably just a rumor, right?” I asked, almost pleading.

Vanessa hesitated before continuing, “Actually, I once worked as a bodyguard for a noblewoman in Aretiste, and I saw the third prince then. I don’t know how he crossed the border, but he was blatantly attending a baron’s party.”

My chest tightened. Itar de Tryha. The third prince of the Tryha Empire. In the original story, he appeared after Kyle Chaield destroyed the Hail Empire and married Vanessa. Itar’s arrival signaled the story’s descent into chaos.

His chapters had been so grim that I’d skipped through entire sections without reading them.
“He was the first antagonist so utterly irredeemable.”

In the original, Itar lost his younger sister due to treachery during the Tryha Empire’s crown prince selection process. The throne eventually went to the first prince.

“And that’s when he went mad.”

Itar, using alchemy to amass power, gathered a following and staged a coup, assassinating the crown prince and seizing the throne.

His ruthless nature led him to destroy anything that displeased him. To solidify his legitimacy, he focused on building colonies, with the Hail Empire among his targets.

“The latter half of the story was all about the indomitable Duchy of Chaield and the rampaging Itar.”

Like most characters, Itar despised Kyle Chaield, who seemed to have everything.

Perhaps it was because the Tryha nobles who frequently opposed Itar were closely tied to Chaield.

“Under no circumstances can Kyle and Itar meet. I already have enough to worry about with Marabas.”
Marabas Lydell.

I still couldn’t forget the look in his eyes when he had me at swordpoint. How could anyone wear such an expression in that situation?
In the original story, Marabas appeared first. After Kyle dealt with him, Itar entered the picture.
“Now, thanks to the messed-up timeline, I have to worry about two villains simultaneously. And if Marabas and Itar join forces, it’s game over.”

What kind of rotten luck is this? At least Vanessa, the strongest character in this world, was my bodyguard. That gave me some comfort.

“My lady, need help with anything?”

“No, Vanessa. Just relax. Have some of the snacks over there.”

“What’s gotten into you? Why so kind all of a sudden?”

Without a word, I flopped down beside Vanessa, who had scooted back onto the bed.

“I’m so relieved you’re here with me, Vanessa.”
“Why are you suddenly saying that? It’s making me uncomfortable.”

At that moment, I didn’t know. I couldn’t have imagined that the same Vanessa, who was cringing at my words now, would one day step in front of a sword meant for me.