(BL) Rejected by daughter's second male lead-Chapter 46

There had been many orphanages until now. But most of them were hotbeds of child abuse and exploitation, and they were often treated more like manpower agencies than places that protected and educated orphans. Many problems also arose because trait-holders and non-trait-holders were not separated. They were places rife with violence and discrimination, lacking not only education but even a basic awareness of children’s rights. That was the reality of the Moore Empire’s orphanages at present.

That was why Gilian wanted to establish the Marian Orphanage even more grandly and loudly. He wanted to create a new standard for orphanages. In a country where illegitimate children were overflowing and the percentage of orphans exceeded 50%, he had hoped that more children could be less unhappy.

To do that, the cooperation and aid of the imperial family were necessary. It was a matter of perception and justification, not simply one of money. But to cut the related budget entirely! And because of a baseless fake news story, a ridiculous scandal!

As Gilian’s complexion continued to darken, Hexion spoke with deliberate cheerfulness.

"Still, it is about next year’s budget! We do not know what will happen the year after next! There is no need to be so disappointed, Duke!"

Cecilia quietly pinched the clueless Hexion’s forearm. When Hexion looked at Cecilia with the face of a sullen, large dog, Cecilia gestured with her hand, signaling, ’Shut your mouth.’

"Or, Dad, how about you seek an audience with His Majesty the Emperor? There is still some time before the budget is allocated, so you could try persuading His Majesty before then. You could promise to restore your image, and ask Yuan to help a little too—"

"Yuan?"

The moment he heard Cecilia’s words, the outrageous proposal Yuan had made just a moment ago suddenly came to mind.

’I will be the one to date you.’

’Honestly, isn’t this a problem that will all be over if you just show yourself dating me? Your reputation will be restored, and you’ll be cleared of the stigma. Promote it as a project in which Marquis Hampton, who was thought to be the victim of a disgusting unrequited love, is actively participating as a proper lover. In less than a month, the nobles, who will be dying of curiosity, will flock to the front of the orphanage, one after another, carrying their family crests and money.’

The fact that this proposal, which he had thought was absurd, came to mind now... was surely not a coincidence.

"Ha... ha! Ha! Ha!"

Gilian burst out into a hollow, hearty laugh. Hexion recoiled with a startled expression.

"Duke, have you perhaps become mentally unstable? Cecil, qui-quickly, a doctor..."

"Be quiet, will you!"

Regardless of whether Hexion and Cecilia were bickering, Gilian continued to laugh while looking at the ceiling.

Was that kid Yuan really such an incredible genius that he foresaw this situation and made such a proposal? Was I destined to be entangled with that kid like this in the end? Do I really have to borrow Yuan’s power? But it is the most sensational, buzz-worthy, and quickest solution to turn the situation around... Ha, ha, ha.

From anyone’s perspective, Gilian, who was letting out a continuous laugh that seemed partly resigned and partly like he had truly lost his mind, appeared to be in a serious state.

Hexion and Cecilia, with their similarly large, teary eyes, looked at Gilian with concern. But just then, Gilian abruptly shot to his feet.

"Dad?"

"Duke...!"

"Your Highness the Crown Prince, I hope you have a good time with our Cecil before you return. Please excuse me for a moment."

Leaving only those words behind, Gilian exited the drawing room with brisk steps.

"Cecil, do you think your father is alright? Was it my fault for saying anything?"

"No, my dad is the type who believes that knowing is power. You did speak a bit tactlessly, but I think you did the right thing by telling him."

"Haha, really? I am glad you think so."

"Sigh..."

Cecilia looked at the brightly smiling blond handsome man and let out a sigh mixed with a laugh, hoping that her father had left because he had thought of a solution.

After Gilian left, Yuan lay on the drawing room sofa for a while. His long, silver hair was scattered, flowing down below the armrest of the sofa. Gilian had thought he was completely unaffected even after being rejected, but that was not the truth.

Disheveled on the sofa, Yuan crossed his arms and glared at the ceiling. His eyes burned as if they were about to shoot out beams of light.

"Marquis! Huh? Marquis! Did you have a visitor?"

The parrot, approaching for the first time in a while, landed on Yuan’s stomach and hopped around.

Chirp, chirp.

"Yeah. The Duke was here."

"The, Duke was? Ah, I see. The Duke was here. The Duke was here."

The parrot slowly looked into the air, then twitched its wings. This was because it knew that Yuan had been sensitive about any talk related to the Duke recently. A large hand came down and covered the parrot’s body just as it was preparing to flee at any moment.

"What on earth is that Mister thinking? I was so merciful as to offer to date him first, so why did he refuse? Could it be he has some old-fashioned idea that he has to play hard-to-get once? My, my, for a Mister, he does all sorts of things."

"Who knows! The parrot must go now! The parrot has places to be!"

The parrot flapped its wings frantically. But Yuan’s hand was quite heavy. Yuan’s gaze was still fixed on the ceiling.

"That Mister said he was leaving, too. And he really left. Could it be he wanted me to chase after him? Ha! Not a chance."

"Not a chance! Not a chance!"

The parrot habitually repeated Yuan’s last words and flapped its wings powerfully. Only after several more attempts was the parrot able to escape from Yuan’s grasp. It flew in a large circle around the drawing room, showing off its white, glossy body.

"Marquis! Not a chance! Duke!"

"Right, not a chance in hell."

"No, Marquis, Duke! Duke!"

"Are you broken or something? The Marquis is me, and the Duke is that Mister."

Yuan chided the parrot while still looking at the ceiling. But suddenly, Gilian’s face entered his field of vision.

"...Wha... what the."

So startled was he that Yuan acted more foolishly than usual. He blinked his eyes slowly. Gilian, who had acted so standoffish as he left the mansion earlier, as if he would never see him again, was there. No matter how many times he blinked, he was still standing next to the sofa, looking down at Yuan.

"...What, what is it?"

Yuan grabbed the back of the sofa and stood up. Gilian took a couple of steps back, biting his lip as if hesitating.

"Didn’t you leave earlier? Why are you here again? Surely you are not about to tell me you have changed your mind in that short time."

Yuan feigned having quickly regained his composure, sneering with a cynical smile. However, upon hearing the next words that came from Gilian’s mouth, even Yuan could no longer smile.

"No, I have changed my mind."

"...What did you say?"

"I said I changed my mind."

Gilian took a deep breath, then sat down in the seat next to Yuan. Yuan flinched and scooted his bottom back slightly. It was because he suddenly felt as if Gilian had moved abruptly closer—even though there was actually a distance of about three hand-spans between them.

"Yuan, I will accept your proposal."

"...Are you, are you serious?"

"Yes. It is just as you said. I need you right now."

Gilian said in a low voice, his face serious without a trace of a smile. His eyes were so deep and intense as he said it that Yuan felt a strange sensation. As if something was caught in the middle of his throat, but that something felt just like his heart... a very strange feeling.

Thump, thump, thump. The sound of his heartbeat was unusually loud near his throat.

"Pretend to be in a relationship with me for a limited time."

"..."

"Pretend to love me in front of people."

Thump, thump. Thump.

"Be my lover, Yuan."

Thump, thump, thump!

The sound of his heart, like a ship’s horn, pounded in Yuan’s ears. He barely managed to open his mouth.

"Why..."

Why did you change your mind, were you just playing hard-to-get, do you think I’ll accept you now if you come back, I would have accepted you right away if you had agreed when I first said it, but now I’ll have to think about it... Various words swirled in his mouth and disappeared. And finally.

"...F-fine."

That was the only thing that came out of his mouth.

Gillen explained the current situation to Yuan. The intelligent Yuan understood Gillen’s words at once.

"It’s obvious the Duke’s scandal is just a hollow excuse. You must have been pressured by other noble factions. The emperor isn’t exactly a man who cares much about welfare, after all."

"Yuan, didn’t I tell you to always be careful with your words?"