I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 23

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 23

After Rino unpacked from his journey and finished dinner, fatigue hit him even harder. He wanted to go rest right away, but since he couldn’t delay his report, he reluctantly sought out Morgan to give his briefing.

“So this is that corpse you’re talking about? It would be better to observe a bit more before reporting to the imperial court.”

After hearing the full report, Morgan let out a short breath.

“I think that would be best too.”

“How’s the situation in that region?”

“There haven’t been any special movements yet, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing at all.”

“What do you mean?”

“According to the Border region soldiers, it seems the personnel on the Megani Empire side are changing frequently. So I’ve instructed them to continuously monitor how often they’re changing.”

“….”

Morgan’s brow furrowed as his thoughts deepened.

Even though it was a minor war, disturbing news was starting to trickle in when only a few years had passed since the war ended.

Then, Rino threw out an unexpected question.

“By the way, why did you act like that during the day?”

Morgan dismissed Rino, asking what nonsense he was suddenly spouting. But Rino persistently asked again.

“Why did you act like that during the day…!”

“During the day what. Speak properly.”

‘That’s right. He asked!’

Rino’s eyes turned mischievously playful like a rascal’s.

“You prevented Ronan from even holding Marisselle’s hand. Twice at that. No wait. To be precise, you interfered three times. Why on earth did you do that?”

When Morgan recalled the day’s events, he became irritated as if his mood was twisting.

“Because there was no need to hold it.”

“So why do you get to decide that need? Marisselle was trying to hold his hand, but you stubbornly blocked it. What are you to Marisselle anyway?”

“Yeah. I am something.”

“What?”

Rino was dumbfounded and let out a scoff.

“Her employer.”

“Em, ployer…? An employer wouldn’t have such personal rights. Unless you were lovers.”

Rino narrowed his eyes and deliberately drove his rebuttal mercilessly into Morgan’s unreasonable claim.

And he smiled slyly while waiting for his reaction.

“Lovers…?”

Morgan instinctively reacted to the word “lovers” that flowed from Rino’s lips.

“Even if not lovers, I have that much authority as an employer. Fleur seemed to dislike seeing them hold hands.”

“Ha! Since when have you been so attentively observing others’ reactions.”

The more you listened to Morgan’s words, the more ridiculous they became. Though that made it more entertaining.

He began to mischievously provoke Morgan in earnest.

“That means you don’t see Marisselle as a woman, right? You only did that because she’s Fleur’s nanny?”

“Of course, what else would there be.”

Morgan’s answer was sharp and cold.

“Then, I’m going to actively court Marisselle from now on. I’ve been yielding and waiting all this time because it seemed like you saw Marisselle as a woman, but since that’s not the case, I can do as I please without worrying about it.”

Thump!

Morgan’s heart suddenly sank.

‘Rino likes Marisselle…?’

Instantly, a scene of Rino and Marisselle holding hands and smiling affectionately unfolded before his eyes.

Just that brief imagination made Morgan tremble with uncontrollable jealousy.

Only then did Morgan realize the cause of all his confusion. He wanted Marisselle to be his. He desperately wished for her to look only at him.

It was the same during the day.

Even if it was ceremonial, he hated her touching anyone other than himself.

When he looked at her, he became unlike himself, his heart fluttered, his chest ached and raced – this was the feeling of liking someone that others foolishly talked about.

‘How foolish to only realize it now.’

He let out a hollow laugh. It felt like his head was finally clearing.

‘I can’t let anyone take her away.’

He had never once failed to obtain what he wanted.

Now Marisselle had become the person he most wanted to have in his life.

Morgan was certain that Marisselle would be both the first and last woman in his life.

Of course, it was true that the difficulty level was the highest he had ever experienced.

All the money, honor, power, and looks he had proudly possessed until now didn’t work on this person at all.

‘Ah, she wasn’t interested in my face but she was interested in my body.’

He felt a strange bitterness rising.

‘Still, since she’s within my territory, this is a fight that’s advantageous to me.’

He steeled his resolve over what was essentially nothing.

“No way!”

Morgan cut off Rino’s words with a single stroke.

“Why? You said you don’t see her as a woman.”

Rino didn’t back down and counterattacked.

“…do.”

Rino pretended not to hear and asked back cheekily.

“What did you say?”

Morgan glared at Rino and repeated it clearly, word by word.

“I. Like. Marisselle. So don’t even dream about it.”

“…?”

As soon as the words ended, Rino deliberately started laughing loudly.

“Hahaha.”

He even grabbed his belly as if to show off, chuckling away.

“Stop it.”

Morgan glared at Rino with contemptuous eyes and growled low.

“Hahahaha– Ah, alright, alright. I won’t bother Marisselle, so ease up on the death glare.”

Rino was still chuckling quietly.

“Bastard. You’re going to suffer quite a bit. Marisselle doesn’t seem to see you as a man.”

“Shut that mouth. There’s no woman in the empire who would refuse me.”

“Right. If she were an imperial woman. Well, I wish you luck. Hehehe.”

Rino kept his well-wishes to himself until the end and provoked Morgan, getting on his nerves.

* * *

“Nanny. Here. Sandwiches, fruit, cookies, drinks, napkins, plates, forks, and…”

Abilene verbally checked each item needed for the picnic one by one.

She wanted them to check together in case she had missed anything.

“Everything seems ready. And it’s okay if we forget something. Isn’t that part of the charm of going out?”

Marisselle laughed lightly, saying “hohoho” to ease Abilene’s worries.

Abilene’s tension completely melted away as she looked up at Marisselle.

“Nanny, you really have a way of putting people at ease.”

Marisselle smiled bashfully and said.

“I’m glad you think so. We’ll have a good trip. Thank you, Abilene. Jeffrey.”

Abilene and Jeffrey saw Marisselle off to the kitchen door, adding words to take care of herself.

Marisselle took the picnic basket and headed to the front porch where Fleur and Morgan were waiting.

She could see Morgan and Fleur waiting in front of the carriage.

Marisselle raised her arm high and waved as if meeting someone she was happy to see after a long time.

It was the excitement that a picnic brings.

Seeing Marisselle running over with a bright smile, Morgan smiled faintly and approached her to take the basket.

“Did you wait long?”

Marisselle handed over the basket while quickly looking back and forth between Morgan and Fleur.

“Get in.”

Morgan handed the basket he was holding to the escort knight as he spoke.

Marisselle tried to board the carriage as soon as Morgan finished speaking.

Just then, Morgan smoothly extended his hand.

‘Huh?’

Marisselle was confused, thinking ‘What?’

‘Was there something I was supposed to give Morgan? Did I forget something?’

No matter how much she racked her brain, there was nothing she needed to give Morgan today.

If it were a car, I could at least deduce from being asked to hand over the car keys. But this is a carriage.

“Your, Your Highness? What might I have forgotten? What should I give you…?”

Morgan found it absurd how Marisselle looked back and forth between his face and outstretched hand with several question marks practically floating above her head.

Naturally, any noble lady of the Empire would think of an escort when a hand was extended in front of a carriage.

This woman seemed to lack even such basic common sense in her head.

Was it because she had mostly stayed at home and never received a man’s escort before?

Or did she really only see him as an employer?

His heart felt heavy.

He hoped it was the former rather than the latter as he let out a sigh into the innocent air.

The sky he looked up at was clear and blue.

The gentle sun, white fluffy clouds floating prettily like paintings in the high sky.

It was a perfect day for an outing.

Even the blowing wind was cool and refreshing.

Just then, Marisselle’s pale blonde hair and skirt hem fluttered gently in the breeze.

In contrast, her sparkling violet eyes gazed at Morgan without the slightest movement, demanding an answer.

Morgan found even this sight of her watching his eyes and eagerly waiting for an answer to be beautiful.

He was startled once again by the wicked possessiveness that made him wish only he would be reflected in those beautiful eyes.

It was severe.

Once Morgan realized his own feelings, there was no filter on his emotions.

Anxiety struck him that if he didn’t make this woman his quickly, pesky flies would keep swarming around her.

His heart began pounding wildly again on its own.

‘This is maddening.’

He roughly ran his free hand down his face, let out a short sigh, and opened his mouth.

“If you want to make me a scoundrel who doesn’t escort a lady, you don’t have to take it.”

“Pardon?”

Only then did Marisselle realize that hand was meant for an escort.

Wait. When did he ever treat me like a lady!

The moment she thought that, she remembered him laying down his handkerchief on the bench before.

‘He did seem a bit different then…’

Still, it would be unreasonable to predict this escort based on receiving that treatment just once.

But thinking that Morgan was showing special consideration because today was a special day, Marisselle willingly placed her fingertips on Morgan’s hand.

When Marisselle climbed into the carriage, Morgan followed suit.

‘Huh? Huh?’

Marisselle had naturally assumed he would ride a horse, so she was puzzled when he got in the carriage.

“Um…? Your Highness is also taking the carriage?”

“That sounds like you’re telling me to get out.”

“What? No, that’s not what I meant…”

“If that’s not what you meant, then?”

Morgan cut off Marisselle’s words abruptly.

“I thought Your Highness would dislike taking the carriage. For someone who mainly travels on horseback, isn’t this quite a cramped and stuffy space, as you can see?”

Marisselle laughed awkwardly, trying to smooth things over.

She hoped that after explaining this much, he would understand appropriately and ride his horse instead.

But Marisselle’s hopes were cruelly shattered.

He crossed his arms and long legs while gazing at Marisselle as if she were being cheeky.

“Knights are people trained to adapt to any situation, so don’t worry about it.”

Then Morgan closed his eyes as if he wouldn’t listen to any more words related to this topic.

However, behind Morgan’s closed eyes, his inner state was far from peaceful. It was chaotic with various thoughts.

Disappointment at Marisselle’s discomfort with him, self-reproach that it was his own doing.

He pressed his eyes tightly shut, heavily suppressing the various rampaging thoughts.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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