The Young Male Protagonist Who is Destined for Ruin Fell for Me - Chapter 80

The months-long tension between Keltman and the Haile Empire, which had caused quite a stir, finally concluded with a decisive victory for Haile.

Gidima announced that she would abdicate within the year in favor of her son, Lijin, who was known for his strong pro-Chaield stance.

However, the news of the end of the two nations’ standoff was overshadowed by an even more sensational announcement.

“His Majesty the Emperor is marrying Princess Lien of Keltman…?”

“I thought Princess Nadia would be sent to Keltman for a political marriage if this was about stabilizing the region. Isn’t it Haile that lost the Harmony Necklace?”

“They say the atmosphere wasn’t great even when the delegation visited Keltman. How did Princess Lien end up marrying into Haile?”

“I heard Princess Lien is highly skilled in martial arts and very headstrong…”

As usual, a tea party was being held in the capital of the Haile Empire, this time hosted by Lady Reina.

The gathered young ladies were eagerly discussing the impending marriage of Princess Lien of Keltman and Emperor Verd of Haile. Amid their speculations, one name kept coming up repeatedly.

“Do you think Lady Diane had a hand in this?”

“It seems so. My brother, who works at the palace, hinted that Princess Lien agreed to the marriage after promising to interact with Lady Diane.”

“Oh my… Could Lady Diane have some sort of spellbinding power over people?”

One lady, who had absentmindedly voiced her thoughts, quickly covered her mouth. Everyone knew how much Duke Chaield adored Lady Diane, and speaking carelessly about her was ill-advised.

“I should’ve volunteered for the delegation. I heard Duke Chaield even used a galleon for his fiancée, Lady Diane.”

“As expected of Chaield. His scale is unmatched. How did Lady Diane end up with someone like Duke Chaield?”

It was an eternal mystery of the social scene.

After a passionate discussion about their first meeting, the young ladies’ attention naturally turned to Lady Reina.

“Lady Reina, haven’t you heard anything?”

“You’re quite close to Lady Diane, aren’t you?”

Many of them envied Reina for growing closer to Lady Diane after the Harmony Necklace incident.

Reina, basking in the attention that came with being a friend of a famous person, played coy, pretending to know more than she let on. Her attitude only made the others more desperate.

“Lady Reina, you must know something, don’t you?”

“Come to think of it, wasn’t Lady Grechel, who was with you during the necklace incident, part of the delegation?”

“Please, tell us! We’re dying of curiosity.”

Few things pleased Reina more than the mix of pleading and admiration from her peers. She finally opened her mouth with a smug air.

“Well… My dear and close friend Lady Diane and Lady Grechel are both very discreet individuals.”

“But surely you must know something?”

“Hmm… If I had to guess, I’d say Duke Chaield fell for Lady Diane. If I were a man, I certainly would.”

Reina vividly recalled Amel during the Harmony Necklace incident. Though they were of similar age, Amel carried herself with the wisdom and composure of someone who had lived multiple lives.

“Lady Diane is the only person Duke Chaield calls ‘sister.’”

She was also the one who had started the trend of younger men becoming popular among the ladies. With a chuckle, Reina adjusted her dress.

“Unfortunately, I must wrap this up. I’ve been invited to dinner at Chaield’s estate.”

“Oh my…”

The young ladies sighed with a mix of envy and resentment as they rose from their seats.

That insufferable Lady Reina acting like a meek lapdog in front of Lady Diane only confirmed what they already suspected—Lady Diane had something truly special about her.

It wasn’t just Lady Reina’s estate bustling with activity. The front yard of the Diane estate, now neatly maintained, was lively as well. Several young trainees were receiving swordsmanship lessons from Count Diane.

“That will be all for today. Since we finished earlier than usual, make sure to review what you’ve learned.”

“Sir Diane, do you have plans this afternoon?”

“I’m scheduled for dinner at the Chaield estate.”

“Ohhh…”

The trainees reacted with awe at the mention of Chaield. As children from families with little influence in the royal court, even glimpsing a Chaield carriage was a luxury they couldn’t afford.

These boys had overcome extraordinary odds to become students of Persh Diane. Meanwhile, inside the Diane estate, Countess Diane was teaching etiquette to young ladies.

It wasn’t surprising that many sought out the Dianes for their children’s education. Despite their financial troubles due to co-signing on a failed loan, Persh Diane was Haile’s youngest-ever commander of the Imperial Knights, and his wife Diana had ruled the social scene until Claire Chaield’s rise.

Of course, the biggest draw for these lessons was their only daughter, Amelia Diane, who was Duke Chaield’s fiancée.

When Amel began appearing at social events, the rumors that Duke Chaield was utterly besotted with her naturally spread.

Quick-witted nobles wasted no time and requested lessons from the Diane family. After all, connections built early are often the strongest and most enduring.

Now, the Diane couple was earning a tidy profit behind Amel’s back, using it to restore their estate. While their debt was still mountainous, it no longer felt insurmountable.

Count Diane, smiling contentedly as he sheathed his sword, entered the house to find his wife. She had dressed up in a lovely peach-colored gown for the evening.

“My dear, it’s time to leave. It’ll take a while to find a carriage.”

Sharp-eyed young ladies had already noticed the Diane estate still lacked a carriage. They clamored to offer their own families’ carriages, vying for favor.

Countess Diane gently calmed them with her soothing voice.

“Don’t worry, and go prepare to return home. Your parents will worry if you get back too late.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The young ladies responded obediently and began heading toward their carriages but suddenly froze. From a distance, something massive was approaching at great speed.

“What is that…?”

“It’s… it’s Chaield’s crest!”

“Wow…”

Indeed, what they saw was a carriage of breathtaking scale, pulled by glistening white horses whose coats gleamed with an almost unreal shine. The grand carriage had been sent by Duke Chaield himself to fetch the Dianes.

Several coachmen, dressed more finely than most nobles, stepped down from the carriage and politely greeted Count and Countess Diane before opening the door for them.

“Duke Chaield has ordered us to escort the parents of Lady Diane, his future duchess, with the utmost care. Please, step inside.”

“Oh my, how thoughtful of him.”

The Diane couple climbed into the carriage and were instantly awed by its opulence. The plush seats and spacious interior exuded luxury, and the ride was so smooth that with the curtains drawn, it was hard to tell if the carriage had even started moving.

Excitement filled the air for a moment, but it soon gave way to unease. As if struck by a sudden thought, Countess Diane scooted closer to her husband, gripping his hand. This was her usual behavior when she was worried about something.

In a whisper, she voiced her concern, barely moving her lips.

“Darling, do you think Lady Claire will be at Chaield Manor?”

“That thought hadn’t occurred to me until now.”

Amel knew Lady Claire as a legendary figure in the social scene but had little idea of why she had earned such a reputation. However, the Diane couple was well-acquainted with her infamous exploits.

When Diana’s engagement was first announced, young noblewomen had quietly waged war for the queen’s position in high society.

One particular duke’s daughter, using every trick in the book, was on the verge of claiming the crown when Lady Claire, who rarely attended social events, suddenly appeared at a ball.

“I can still remember the look on that duke’s daughter’s face while we watched from the bushes,” the Count said.

“Were we hiding in the bushes back then?” asked Diana.

“Yes. You were so beautiful that night… Ahem. Anyway…”

The duke’s daughter, enraged by the attention Lady Claire was receiving, lashed out with venomous words.

“Lady Claire, don’t you think it’s an undeserved honor for someone of your lowly birth to be addressed as a duke’s daughter, the same as me?”

Lady Claire responded with the face of a cold and terrifying ruler, her words slow and deliberate.

“You’re like a flower that’s never left its greenhouse, utterly clueless about the real world. I’ll take pity on you and give you thirty seconds—lick my shoe.”

Overwhelmed by Lady Claire’s commanding presence, the duke’s daughter realized the true weight of the Chaield family’s influence. Under the watchful eyes of everyone at the ball, she knelt.

And now, that very Lady Claire was Amel’s future sister-in-law—and they were having dinner with her tonight. The Dianes’ faces turned pale as sheets.

“Oh, darling… we need to pray.”

“Let’s do that. Almighty and merciful…”

The couple clasped hands tightly and prayed fervently.

Meanwhile, Chaield Manor was livelier than ever. Amel was busy decorating the manor herself, picking flowers from the garden and arranging them in every corner to welcome their guests.

Tonight’s dinner was Kyle’s way of honoring Amel’s earlier words: “If there’s something to celebrate, I’d prefer a modest party.”

While Amel had adamantly rejected the gold mine, she had enthusiastically agreed to the idea of inviting friends for a dinner filled with conversation and laughter.

“Kyle, thank you so much for arranging this. Here, this is my gift to you.”

Amel plucked a flower from the basket she carried and tucked it behind Kyle’s ear. The effect was stunning—it was as though art had come to life.

“Oh, Kyle… I’m so happy right now.”

She hugged him tightly before hurrying off to finish decorating. Kyle stood frozen for a moment, watching her cheerful figure, before heading off to hear his reports.

Elsewhere, Claire was walking toward Kyle’s office, holding a report detailing Marabas’s movements. She came to a sudden halt in front of a mirror hanging on the wall.

For a moment, she stood there, staring at her reflection. Then, she began fiddling with her face, attempting to smile as brightly as possible.

“This smile could scare someone to death. Try again.”

Claire practiced her smile repeatedly, attempting to make it friendly, warm, and approachable. However, her facial muscles, unused to such expressions, refused to cooperate.

“This won’t do.”

A few days earlier, she had discreetly visited a bookstore, hiding her identity, and asked for a book on how to be a good sister-in-law. The shopkeeper’s response had been less than encouraging.

“A good sister-in-law? There’s no such thing. The best sister-in-law is the one who doesn’t exist. How about this book instead?”

The book the shopkeeper had recommended was titled There’s No Such Thing as a Nice Sister-in-Law and was essentially a compilation of anecdotes about how women saw sisters-in-law as worse than the devil.

“This cannot happen.”

Claire was determined to make a good impression on Amel’s friends, especially the Diane couple. She believed that by doing so, she could make Amel feel more comfortable around her.

“Is it my eyes? Are they not smiling enough?”

She leaned closer to the mirror, focusing intently on her expression. Her lips trembled as though begging for mercy under the strain of forcing a smile.

“This is ridiculous… Hmm?”

As she pressed her trembling lips with her fingers, Claire sensed a presence behind her. She quickly turned, only to freeze in place.

“…Your Grace.”

“…Lady Claire.”

A heavy silence settled between them as Kyle, with a flower tucked behind his ear, and Claire, practicing an awkward smile in front of a mirror, locked eyes.