The Blackened Second Male Lead’s Wife - Chapter 8

“Miss Estelle!”

Lucian uttered, but Estelle’s face was calm.

“Let go.”

Lucian’s face twisted.

After biting his lips, he looked at her with a face filled with mixed emotions, and released his hand from Carlix.

My eyes widened in shock.

No way…

Somebody, say no.

This can’t be how it ends.

But alas, cruelly, that was the end.

Following Carlix, who grabbed her hand, Estelle left the banquet hall with a grim face.

Where Estelle and Lucian had just stood side by side, only Lucian stood alone with a vacant look.

As if that place is for a second male lead.

This can’t be.

I clenched my teeth in the silent cast over the banquet hall.

It can’t end like this.

I turned and trailed after the two.

Lucian hass been looking forward to dancing with her, so maybe I could ask her to not go.

Because she cares about Lucian.

Because your face showed that you liked me.

I mean, it’s clear…

“Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, orders no one to follow.”

Carlix’s guards would not budge, I couldn’t even move forward the slightest bit.

“I have something urgent to say to the Holy Lady!” I exclaimed.

Even with my cry, the knights repeated the same words.

“It’s an order.”

“Hey, look here!”

While Carlix and Estelle were in the carriage, I yelled at the knights with anger.

“Do you not know who I am? I’m Pernia Lilac, famous for her evilness in this empire! You can let this one evil lady through!”

I forced the knights to slow down a little, but they showed no mercy for evil women.

“No.”

Eventually, the carriage with Carlix and Estelle started.

I stared blankly at the carriage as it was moving away at a tremendous speed and fell flat on the floor.

I’m boiling with rage.

I was so angry that tears leaked out.

This isn’t right.

A broken spring doll-like man practiced dancing so hard.

To the point where he couldn’t sleep and his fine skin got damaged.

He couldn’t keep up with the beat even if I repeated it a thousand times.

“He should’ve confessed, but he didn’t…”

He just wanted to dance with her once.

Tears leaked out in the end.

Normally, it was an unspoken rule for aristocrats to never show true emotion in public

I forgot my honor and shed tears, familiar shoes appeared in my field of vision.

Neat new shoes without a speck of dust.

“Lady Pernia.”

I knew who the owner of that sweet voice was.

Without a moment for me to say anything, Lucian bent to his knees.

The moment his red eyes came near and met my gaze, embarrassment flooded my face.

It felt as if I was filming a solo melodrama and then I returned to reality.

“What should I say if you ask me why I’m doing this?”

It’s really strange that I was so upset that you didn’t dance with Estelle.

But, it’s even more strange that I cried when the crown prince jerk and the saint left.

Whatever I answer, I already look like a crazy fiancé.

Lucian said to me, who bit my lips because I didn’t know how to deal with this situation.

“You knew how I felt, didn’t you?”

At an unexpected remark I opened my mouth and looked like a fool.

“What?”

Lucian burst into a small laugh when he saw me like that.

“You’re easier to detect than you think. Even people like me know what you’re thinking.”

What the hell are you talking about?

I looked at him with bigger eyes than before.

But, that’s something he would say.

That’s the naive, kind-hearted second male lead I know.

However, he looked completely different.

His clear and beautiful face was still there, but his shyness disappeared, and he looked a little… sexy.

“Lady Pernia.”

“…”

Why are you calling my name with that face?

He only called out my name, but my heart started pounding like crazy.

Lucian wiped away tears from my eyes like he’s consoling a child and said.

“I want to know more about you.”

…huh?

“Will you give me that opportunity?”

I screeched, goose bumps on my back.

Side Story

I’m the Yandere Second Male Lead 

“Cursed devil!”

Those were the enemy’s last words.

Lucian cut the wicked enemy’s head with a single stroke.

A powerful blow killed the enemy commander without making any noise.

When he saw that the enemy’s neck was on the floor, he took off his helmet, revealing his sweaty silver hair and a clear, clean face.

He looked so beautiful that you could not believe he was a knight in the battlefield.

The red eyes, which contained no emotion, were as terrifying as the devil, which he is nicknamed.

Lucian wiped the bloody sword and looked over at Paul, his aide.

“Everyone is dead.”

Paul scratched his shoulder and shouted with a clear throat like a choir.

“The general has cut off the head of the enemy commander! It’s the Empire’s victory!”

Paul’s voice resounded loudly.

At the same time, the bloodstained soldiers, who were fighting, cheered with a roar.

The war that lasted for three years ended.

But even though Lucian, who led the war to victory, was not very happy.

Now I have to return to the capital. 

Compared to this battlefield, that place has so many complicated things.

The emperor who swore an oath of allegiance, the aristocrats who smiled at him on the outside and despised him on the inside, and…

Estelle.

Just thinking about her breaks his heart.

I don’t miss her.

Thinking of her shiny golden hair, he clenched his teeth.

It was only for that reason that he helped fight in the long war.

Because when you see her, you’ll want to get closer, you’ll want to see her smile.

How dare.

How dare they say I’m cursed by the devil.

Estelle has always been the apple of Lucian’s heart.

If she knew I was back, she would come to see me.

It was always painful to think about how to avoid her.

Then Paul approached.

“Lord Lucian, a letter has arrived from the Marquis Lilac.”

Lucian’s face hardened at the word Marquis Lilac.

Two years ago, Lucian got engaged.

It was the Emperor’s doing.

[Lucian, half the reason you hear the nobles talking behind your back is because of your red eyes, and the other half is because of your status. You can’t change your eyes, but you can change your status. I will give you a good marriage. Marry and be a proper member of an aristocratic family.]

The appointed fiancée was the only daughter of the late Marquis Lilac, Pernia.

He doesn’t even know Pernia’s face.

“I only saw a portrait of her.”

On the day of the forced engagement, a portrait came in.

She was a beauty with curly blue-purple hair.

However, he could feel her difficult personality from her artificial smile and her eyes, raised like a cat.

I heard some things about her from the knights in the same unit.

She’s one of the most fashionable beauties in society.

Along with compliments, they always said, ‘But she’s a bit too honest.’

Even Lucian, who is not familiar with aristocratic culture, knew what that meant.

That means she has a nasty personality.

Well, it didn’t matter anyway.

A forced engagement.

An aristocratic lady with a man like me.

I don’t see how awful it could be.

I’m sorry for her, too.

A tiny piece of pity.

That was all Lucian had for Pernia.

* * *

On the first day of meeting Pernia, Lucian was surprised.

Because I left half an hour earlier than I promised, but she was already sitting down.

I thought maybe she wouldn’t come out here.

Because I’ve heard how much she cares about this engagement.

But even if early she came, she was twirling a cup of coffee with a teaspoon without a hint of discomfort.

Surprised by the unexpected appearance, Lucian opened his mouth.

“Nice to meet you for the first time, I’m Lucian Kardien.”

Pernia raised her head to Lucian’s voice.

She answered with a smile, looking at Lucian’s eyes.

“Hello, I’m Pernia Lilac.”’

Ah…

Lucian couldn’t take his eyes off her.

She was nothing like the portrait.

The vivid purple hair and the cat-like eyes were the same, but how should I say it? It feels…

…completely different.

She looked like a ripe grape.

A round sweet purple grape with a strong scent, freshly removed from the thick vines.

What am I thinking?

Lucian shook his head inside, dumbfounded by his thoughts.

For him, who always thought of swords, bows, venom, corpses, and so on in the battlefield, and a plump bouncy grape was an awkward thought.

Lucian said calmly, pushing away the grapes running in his head.

“I’m here to see the lady and I’m sorry. It wasn’t easy to return home because the war was prolonged.”

Half true and half false.

If I really wanted to see her, I would have come at once by any means.

I can’t do anything if she gets angry, but she laughed bitterly.

“It’s all right.”

It was completely different from what he expected. Lucian gulped unknowingly.