I Wasn't Trying to Seduce with the Male Lead - Episode 39

He was as dazzlingly handsome as ever, though it had been a long time since she had last seen him.

He pushed his somewhat long platinum blonde hair behind his ear, and his perfectly tailored uniform gave him a tired but even more attractive air. She had assumed her memory, as memories often do, had idealized him a little, but the reality was far more stunning. The living, breathing Lian was more beautiful than any memory.

“I came here hoping we could talk for a bit,” Lian said with a gentle expression as he entered.

Eleanor felt a sudden tension that made it hard to look directly at him. She got up from her desk and sat opposite him at a table.

“I’ve…”

She kept avoiding his gaze, but she could feel Lian’s stare on her cheek as if it were a physical weight.

“I’ve missed you very much.”

Her heart pounded at his simple, honest words.

‘This isn’t the time to get lost in sentiment.’

Eleanor struggled to regain her composure. Their relationship was over, and there were many things she needed to discuss with Lian right now. However, she didn’t know where to even begin, whether to start with the things she had been involved in or the matters related to Sky. On top of that, before she pleaded her own crisis, she wanted to know about his situation. The news that he was going on a dangerous mission had been weighing on her mind.

“Ah, that’s right.” As Eleanor was trying to organize her thoughts, Lian seemed to have remembered something.

“Baron Mariche died from syphilis.”

“What?”

Eleanor was momentarily stunned by the sudden topic. As she stared in disbelief and confusion, Lian’s words continued.

“The diagnosis was made directly by the doctor who was treating the prisoner. According to him, syphilis is a highly contagious and very dangerous disease. He had lived a dissolute life for many years…”

“The phrase, ‘Your husband died of syphilis,’ is not an appropriate line to win anyone’s favor in any era or region.”

At her blunt assessment, Lian looked flustered for a moment before asking, “I was just trying to explain because I thought you might resent me for his death.”

“Me? Why would I resent the Count?”

“Because I audited the Mariche estate and had him arrested.”

Eleanor’s expression brightened. “Resentment? Oh, thank you so much. I almost ended up dying from syphilis at the hands of a man like that.”

Seeing her genuine gratitude, Lian’s face lit up with happiness. Then, another question suddenly popped into Eleanor’s mind.

“But I was his wife. If the diagnosis was known, I might have been infected with syphilis too, so why did we spend the night together?”

“I’m building an environment to apologize for bringing it up in a situation you couldn’t accept. I’ve already spoken to my parents and told His Majesty that I cannot become engaged to the Princess.”

With each word he said, Eleanor’s mouth fell open. The shock was so great that she was speechless. She had thought he had simply given up and cut off contact, but he had been thinking about this all along? Now she understood why the Duchess had reacted the way she did towards her, a woman who was just a one-night stand.

“And that’s why I bought this mansion to become independent. Do you like it?”

He bought a ridiculously large mansion just to ask her out? Eleanor couldn’t just sit still anymore and stood up. She shook her head and waved her arms, saying something in a daze.

Lian slowly began to describe the night he first saw her.

‘That night…’

Eleanor remembered that night clearly as well. It was a time when she had just started writing after great hardship and had to accept any invitation, no matter how low-brow, because she had no one to call on. She was already accustomed to being pointed at and scorned every day, but that night was particularly heartbreaking because the hostess of the party, the Marquis’s daughter, was the same age as her. An aristocrat’s daughter who had been doted on and knew no hardship, happily celebrating her birthday. And then there was her, who had been transmigrated and was living all alone, not even knowing when her own birthday was.

Young and beautiful, she was at the center of the party with the young lady, but for every word of praise and congratulations the young lady received, Eleanor had to endure snide remarks, insults, and vulgar propositions. It was the worst night, and she couldn’t stand the misery, so she ran out.

‘The Count saw me then.’

It was a complex feeling she couldn’t put into words. Lian’s words continued.

“After that, I hesitated. I worried that my approach might make things difficult for you, or that you might despise me. I was tormented by the fear that even if I approached, you wouldn’t reciprocate my feelings.”

To think that Lian, who seemed like he would never have to worry about a woman in his life, had thought such things. She had no idea. It was unimaginable.

“By hesitating and trying to gauge the possibility, I missed out on a long time when I could have gotten to know you. And it was only after you came to me and we spent the night together that I regretted it.”

What was he regretting? The slight uneasiness she felt was quickly dispelled by his next words.

“Why didn’t I approach you sooner? If I had known you for the past five years, I would have been so much happier.”

His words, like a mumble, were filled with a sense of regret over their long missed connection. Eleanor had often lamented how much had changed due to her own mistake after that night with him. But fate had already set things in motion long before she did. There seemed to be no way to fix it.

“Now that I’ve confessed my feelings, I will do my best. Since I’ve said I would stake everything to love you, I will keep that promise.”

‘You have so much more to lose than me, so how can you say that with not a single trace of hesitation in your eyes?’

“I will love you truly, without any regrets, with everything I have.”

Lian took one step, then another, and now he was standing right in front of her, looking down at her. His sweet confession made her heart pound and flutter.

If there was no going back, then perhaps she could only move forward. Eleanor looked up at Lian in a daze. His handsome lips moved again, forming a sound.

“Eleanor. I must leave the capital for a while.”

Her nerves, which had been relaxed by his confession, tightened again. This must be the dangerous mission Blaine had mentioned.

“Can’t you cancel it now?”

“I have to resolve it.”

Lian gently placed his hand on Eleanor’s shoulder as she looked at him with worry. He took something off his lapel and handed it to her.

“What is this?”

“This is a brooch with my personal seal.”

Every formally titled noble had a personal seal. It was not something they created themselves but was bestowed upon them by the Imperial Family along with their title. They always had to possess the seal when issuing official documents or appearing at public events. It was a powerful symbol of a noble’s authority.

“If you have this, my personal knight order, the Behind Knights, will follow your commands.”

Eleanor had also heard of the fame of the Behind Knights. The most powerful knight order in the world would obey her commands with this one small seal. As she took it in a daze, Lian added reassuringly, “You can rest assured that they will all remain in the capital to protect you in my place.”

All of them?

“Don’t you need your knight order for what you’re going to do?”

“The Imperial Knights will be sufficient for that.”

“I have given some commands to my subordinate for when I’m not here. He is a wise and experienced man, so if a dangerous situation arises, it would be a good idea to consult with him and follow his advice.”

His thoughtfulness was appreciated, but it only made Eleanor feel more sorry for him.

“You should worry about yourself first, not me.”

“I will be fine.”

“You say that, but everyone else besides me is worried about you.”

Lian smiled at Eleanor’s words. “It might seem reckless, but I am confident. I don’t intend to lose everything. I need power to protect you.”

Lian’s resolve seemed so firm that it couldn’t be reversed. Eleanor became gloomy with worry. As she stood there silently with her head bowed, Lian looked troubled, then finally asked, “Can you do something for me instead?”

In that moment, she felt like she could do anything. She looked at Lian with a gaze that said, ‘Just tell me what to do,’ and a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes.

“This time, let me tie you up.”

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