I Wasn't Trying to Seduce with the Male Lead - Episode 115

Eleanor swallowed and looked at lian.

Her heart was thumping so loud, it felt like the sound would burst right through her chest.

As she held her breath and watched, Lian slowly raised a hand and pointed to the wall.

Drawn by his gesture, she followed his gaze to where a massive flag hung.

“The crest decorating the wall… do you recognize it?”

A crest?

It was an unexpected question, but Eleanor willingly examined the design.

She then realized the flag’s crest was different from the ones outside. It was a crest she’d seen so often recently that it was familiar.

“It’s the Floyd Dukedom’s crest,” she answered, but her mind was filled with questions.

Why would the Floyd Dukedom’s crest be in the Duchy of Calabria?

“My father hung it here when my mother accepted his marriage proposal. He said it was a symbol to celebrate the union of the Floyd Dukedom and the Duchy of Calabria,” Lian explained, as if reading her mind.

“That’s why I thought this was the right place to say what I’m about to say.”

“What is it?” Eleanor asked, feigning ignorance, but she honestly felt like she already knew what was coming.

“Perhaps…” Lian paused, then asked in a cautious tone, “What do you think of my mother?”

“Pardon?”

The question was completely different from what she’d expected. Eleanor, feeling flustered, replied, “She’s a wonderful person. I respect her and want to be like her.”

Lian’s expression showed his satisfaction with her answer.

“My mother is also very fond of you. She always speaks highly of your character, ability, and temperament.”

Eleanor was genuinely happy, as she truly liked the Duchess and wanted her approval.

“My mother wished to become closer to you. After much thought, she made a direct request to the new Emperor last night and received an immediate response.”

“A response to what?”

The mention of the Emperor turned her happy feelings back to anxiety.

And then, Lian said something she truly hadn’t expected.

“My mother wants to adopt you as her daughter into the Floyd Dukedom.”

“What?”

For a moment, Eleanor’s mind went blank.

Adopted? What did he mean?

“Of course, your opinion is the most important, but since you also like my mother, I thought it was a fortunate turn of events.”

“Wait… I don’t understand. Why adopt me…?”

It was too overwhelming to process.

Seeing her confusion, Lian continued his explanation.

“As I said, I inherited the Duchy of Calabria this time. I also accepted the offer to become the Imperial heir, so I’m soon to be granted the title of Grand Duke.”

Even though he was about to become the first Grand Duke in the Empire, Lian’s tone was calm, without any hint of joy. Of course, that might be expected since it was a position he received after refusing the throne.

“My mother has a great deal of pride in the Floyd family. However, she believes my aptitude is much better suited to the Duchy of Calabria.”

It was an undeniable fact that Ryan, the world’s greatest knight, was a perfect fit for the martial house of Calabria.

Eleanor nodded in agreement, and Lian continued, “I will be very busy as the Imperial Knight Commander and with the various responsibilities that come with being a Grand Duke. And the Floyd Dukedom is too vast to be led by someone who can only invest their spare time.”

The Floyd Dukedom was not just a wealthy family; it was an institution that practically controlled and regulated the Empire’s economy. Since the Empire was essentially the center of the world economy, the weight and responsibility of that position were immense.

“Therefore, my mother has always been concerned about the succession. She originally intended to train a suitable talent to assist me and lead the family, but…” Lian paused, leading the conversation to the main point.

“Now she has concluded that you are the right person for the job. So, she wants to adopt you into the family, train you, and eventually hand over the title of Duke of Floyd.”

Duke of Floyd?

Me?

“Th-that’s impossible. How could that be possible…?” Eleanor’s voice was filled with bewilderment.

She knew there were cases where noble families would adopt a talented relative from a branch family to pass on a title.

But for a top-tier grand noble like an Imperial Duke to adopt a commoner with no ties to the family and hand over their title was an unprecedented and unheard-of shock.

“Duke Lowen, the head of the Law Enforcement Bureau, has already confirmed that there are no legal issues, and Duke Bormia has completed the administrative approvals. The Emperor has also given his permission, so all that’s left is for you to accept.”

Lian’s rebuttal was seamless. She had momentarily forgotten that they were the kind of people who could make the impossible possible.

Seeing the flustered Eleanor, Lian asked again, “Do you dislike it?”

“It’s not that I dislike it, but…”

It was absurd to say she disliked receiving a dukedom and the world’s greatest wealth at the same time.

But it felt unsettling, like she was receiving a corrupt gift.

Eleanor wanted to confirm one thing before making a decision.

“Is this decision… because of the possibility of me and you becoming a couple?”

“This decision was made independently of me. In fact, it’s quite a predicament for me…”

As Lian said, it didn’t seem to benefit him at all. From a normal perspective, it was almost as if she was stealing the grand title and wealth that could have been his.

“Are you alright with this, Count?”

“With what?”

“It was originally yours. What if I take the wealth and title and run away?”

As soon as Eleanor said that, Lian’s expression hardened.

Had he not considered that possibility? Perhaps the Duchess had arranged something to reclaim it if she and he didn’t end up together.

While Eleanor was lost in thought, Lian spoke again.

“Then I would be very sad. I might become so disheartened that I’d stray from the right path or soak my pillow with tears every night.”

His face was completely unsuitable for such a statement, and his tone was so dry that she couldn’t tell if he was joking or serious.

“Then why would you give something like that to me?”

“I would be sad because you left me and didn’t love me, not because I was cheated out of a title.”

Does this man have no greed?

She was swept up in a whirlwind of emotions.

As she stood there silently, Lian slowly took her hand.

“If you accept the title and become a wealthy noble, will you leave me?”

Of course not.

Thinking about it, Eleanor didn’t care about a title. Her desire to be by Lian’s side wouldn’t change whether he was poor or rich.

As she was thinking this, Lian reached out his arms.

“No. You can’t go anywhere.”

He embraced Elionor, as if to trap her in his arms.

“Just be held by me, and only look at me.”

His earnest voice, with a hypnotic power, whispered to her.

“If you do that, I will give you everything I have.”

Every one of his words struck her heart like an engraving. They were just the common whispers of lovers, but considering all that he had done, they carried a different weight.

Eleanor held onto his arms tightly, as if holding him in place.

She could feel Lian’s heart beating fast against her.

Lian took a deep breath, as if to calm himself, and then pulled back slightly.

He caressed Eleanor’s cheek and said, “It’s true that my mother made this decision independently of me. That’s why I’m in quite a hurry now.”

What was he in a hurry about?

Eleanor blinked, waiting for him to continue.

“The Emperor has proposed a bill to prohibit marriages between Dukes. Since this matter is the backdrop for the bill, a quick resolution has been requested, so it will pass soon.”

Considering Minaz’s drive, political skill, and the interests of the nobles, it would quickly take effect.

“So, we don’t have a lot of time.”

She had a feeling that this was it—the real question was coming.

Eleanor didn’t back down and met Lian’s gaze.

“Eleanor. Marry me.”

His passionate voice resonated powerfully in her heart.

She had expected it, but that didn’t lessen the ripple it sent through her chest. A shiver ran down her spine, and the corners of her eyes felt hot, as if she were about to cry.

“You started a rebellion to ask me out… and now you’re proposing on our first date?” Eleanor said, trying to steady her trembling lips.

“I can’t keep up with your pace, Count.”

“The same goes for me.”

Lian raised an eyebrow at Eleanor’s breathless murmur.

“For a long time, I’ve had feelings for you and have had many fantasies… but I never imagined that I’d be tied up and touched on our first meeting.”

Eleanor’s cheeks flushed crimson at Lian’s words.

“It would be a problem if you fondled me so freely and then didn’t take responsibility.” Lian said mischievously, tightening the arm he had around Eleanor.

Eleanor protested with a wronged expression, “I think you got your revenge for that day, Count.”

It was true that she had provoked him first, but he had paid her back several times over.

Lian couldn’t quite deny it and smoothly changed the subject.

“That’s a different matter. You’ve turned me into a pervert.”

A pervert from just one time?

When she looked at him with an arch expression, Lian’s face showed how captivated he was by her.

“Come here.”

He pulled Eleanor to the large, long bench in the center of the room. He wrapped his arms around her waist, sat her on his lap, and looked at her with an earnest gaze.

“Can I… have your answer?”

His purple eyes were filled with a visible light of anxiety.

A shy look crossed Eleanor’s face, but she had no intention of backing down now.

“Okay.” Her voice trembled with overwhelming emotion.

From their first meeting until now, having confirmed their feelings countless times, she still couldn’t believe the reality of giving him this answer.

So, as if to confirm it once more, she repeated in a clearer voice, “I’ll marry you, Count.”

It was a feeling she had admitted to herself over a hundred times if she was honest.

The practical issues that she had thought were impossible to overcome.

She had gotten past all of them and was now held in his arms.

Lian’s lips trembled just like hers.

“I love you.”

It was a single sentence, more heartfelt than any elaborate phrase.

Eleanor raised her arms to wrap them around Ryan’s neck.

Before she could even embrace him, his urgent lips were on hers.

A melting pleasure washed over her as he sought her lips, covering them and drinking them in deeply. Lian held her waist firmly as she grew weak, delving deeper. His desperate hands groped her back, and then went straight for the lacing of her dress.

A flustered Eleanor pulled back slightly.

“Wait…”

But before she could finish her sentence, his lips were on hers again.

It was too fast. And this space was too open. She was so worried that a guard might show up that she couldn’t concentrate.

However, Lian’s bold hands didn’t stop, and her body eventually began to respond to him.

“J-just a moment,” Eleanor said, turning her head away as Lian pulled back to catch his rough breath.

“There’s no need… to rush…”

She tried to calm him, but it seemed useless.

“You can’t imagine how long I’ve waited.” Lian whispered, carefully kissing her cheek.

“I was going mad being near you and not being able to hold you. I went to sleep thinking of you every day, and I thought only of you when I woke up. While fighting and while talking, I couldn’t stand the need to touch you.”

He seemed so excited he didn’t know what he was saying.

So, all that time, with that indifferent and ascetic face, he was only thinking about that?

When Eleanor bit her lip in embarrassment, Lian gently kissed her earlobe, breathing a hot breath.

“Do you dislike me being so forward?”

Asking a question that was so hard to answer was cheating.

Lian’s purple eyes shone with a pleading light.

“Don’t push me away.”

Lian’s frighteningly low voice reached her ear.

“Because you’re mine now.”

His hands, which were completely different from his earnest eyes, rudely delved into Eleanor’s body.

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