I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 26

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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 26

 

“Your Highness, I… I mentioned this before, but I want to marry someone I love. So I cannot accept Your Highness’s proposal.”

 

These were the words Marisselle had said to reject my confession during our outing.

 

Morgan put down his pen during work and roughly rubbed his face as if in agony.

 

This had been a phenomenon that kept appearing whenever he had a spare moment since the outing.

 

Morgan leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

 

By his common sense, it was hard to understand why Marisselle had rejected him.

 

Even if she had no interest in him, he thought she would secretly desire the position of Grand Duchess. Like all women in the empire.

 

That’s why he had been confident. But it was brutally shattered.

 

Her lack of interest in the Grand Duchess position was real. Her lack of interest in him was also real.

 

‘Hah. This is driving me crazy.’

 

That she had taken his confession as a proposal, and that she would marry someone she loved.

 

Morgan didn’t like any of it.

 

“Your Highness, will there be any disadvantages for me due to rejecting Your Highness’s proposal? For example, being dismissed from my nanny position…?”

 

He didn’t like this either. Just how did she see me? Did she think I was an idiot who couldn’t separate public and private matters?

 

Rejection was something he had never even considered.

 

Everyone was desperate to become Grand Duchess, so why, just why, was she the only one who disliked it?

 

A Noble House’s young lady wanting to marry someone she loves…?

 

He had never seen anyone in this Helman Empire with the same view of marriage as her.

 

Everyone pursued wealth, honor, and power.

 

And even if a man and woman loved each other, arranged marriages took priority. Even if it meant keeping lovers separately afterward.

 

There were occasionally cases where couples fell in love after arranged marriages, or where families were close and children grew up together before marrying.

 

His own parents had fallen in love after an arranged marriage.

 

But no matter how much a couple loved each other, it was common for great noble houses to ruthlessly break engagements when marriage proposals came in.

 

But why was she different? Marrying him would give her wealth, honor, power, and even a handsome husband.

 

Just his good looks alone made so many women want to marry him.

 

Morgan couldn’t escape from the great shock of that day.

 

He leaned back in his chair and roughly rubbed his face repeatedly again.

 

“Ah, damn it. Hey, you’re really distracting. Focus on work. You’re making me distracted too. If you can’t concentrate, go run a few laps around the training ground.”

 

Watching Morgan restlessly lean back and forth in his chair, sighing deeply, and repeatedly rubbing his face, Rino finally couldn’t stand it and threw out a comment.

 

“…”

 

When there was still no response, Rino hit the nail on the head.

 

“You, something happened during that outing last time, didn’t it?”

 

Then Morgan flinched as if startled.

 

Rino, who wouldn’t miss that, immediately pounced on it.

 

“I knew it. You, don’t tell me you did something wrong to Marisselle?”

 

‘Wrong?’

 

Morgan thought. Was his confession wrong?

 

“Tell this hyung about it. I’ll listen and help if I can.”

 

“Crazy bastard.”

 

Morgan curtly dismissed Rino’s words. But he thought again.

 

Rino was popular with women in a different way than himself.

 

There was something married women commonly said to Rino.

 

“I wish my husband understood women’s hearts even half as well as Lord Rino does.”

 

Then Rino would smile brightly and act playfully.

 

Morgan had witnessed such unsightly scenes quite often.

 

So perhaps Rino could provide an answer to his troubles, he thought.

 

When Morgan glanced at Rino, Rino met his eyes as if he had been waiting.

 

Rino had been watching Morgan’s abnormal symptoms all this time, and today the symptoms seemed severe, like terminal stage.

 

Judging from the impatience Morgan had shown recently, it seemed highly likely that he had made some hasty confession to Marisselle.

 

A guy who had never been rejected by a woman and had only lived rejecting others would surely have only thought of his own position.

 

It was obvious without even looking.

 

Marisselle was different from other noble ladies of the empire, yet he probably approached her with the same logic.

 

He was probably still trapped in that framework even now. If he had broken free, he wouldn’t be doing such ridiculous things.

 

Rino clicked his tongue inwardly.

 

He thought this guy who did everything perfectly would be good at romance too, but he wasn’t. He was completely hopeless.

 

As a friend, it was pitiful to watch. But it was also entertaining.

 

Rino wanted to enjoy it for a few more days, but he couldn’t ignore his friend who was becoming increasingly lost and worn down, so he extended a helping hand.

 

“Don’t tell me you said something like ‘become my woman’ to Marisselle?”

 

At that, Morgan flinched beyond just being startled.

 

‘Well, well, judging by that expression, that’s exactly what he did. Tsk.’

 

“Idiot. You became arrogant because you have so much. Did you think all the women in the world wanted you and would love the Duke’s Household signboard?”

 

“Shut up. No one has ever said no to me before.”

 

“Wrong. She was already close by. A woman you cornered by pushing forward with only your own feelings and thoughts. That’s right- Marisselle. Marisselle repeatedly told you she wasn’t interested in you, but you ignored it. Am I wrong?”

 

Rino pointed out each detail, painfully hitting the mark.

 

“What do you mean Marisselle was cornered? Why would Marisselle be cornered?”

 

Rino let out a deep sigh as if the ground would cave in.

 

“This is why you got spectacularly rejected. Tell me the whole story. Only then can I come up with a plan.”

 

Morgan sized up Rino with distrustful eyes.

 

Whether he planned to just tease him and be done with it, or if he would actually come up with some plan.

 

But Morgan didn’t need to think long about it.

 

Since he couldn’t give up on Marisselle, he told Rino about everything that had happened, grasping at straws.

 

Rino struggled to hold back his laughter while listening to Morgan’s story.

 

At some parts, he couldn’t bear it and had to pinch his own thigh.

 

‘This guy has fallen deeper than I thought.’

 

“What will you do if Marisselle keeps saying no to the end?”

 

“What do you mean what will I do. That won’t happen.”

 

Rino was amazed at where this confidence came from even after being spectacularly rejected.

 

“What confidence is that?”

 

“She’d only dislike me if I was lacking in some way. Marisselle is at least interested in my body. The problem is I confessed too hastily.”

 

“…?”

 

For the first time in his life, Rino heard something idiotic and foolish from his old friend’s mouth. He let out a hollow laugh.

 

“Not your face but your body? You crazy bastard. That’s why you’re failing.”

 

Morgan glared fiercely at Rino at the words “you’re failing.”

 

“What. So if Marisselle only wanted your body, you’d give her even just your body?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

A plain answer fell. And from the mouth of the head of a ducal territory, no less.

 

Rino couldn’t even manage a hollow laugh anymore.

 

“Listen carefully. Morgan. You hopeless fool. A thief who learns late doesn’t know when to stop. If you keep pushing yourself on Marisselle like that, she’ll completely lose interest and run away, nanny job and all.”

 

“Marisselle won’t run away. I’m not worried about other things, but she’s worried about losing her nanny position. And she really likes Fleur. So she won’t run away.”

 

Rino felt frustrated. They say everyone becomes a fool in front of love. He really never imagined his friend would be like this.

 

“You crazy bastard. So you’re going to keep pushing forward saying you like her?”

 

“You said I shouldn’t do that. That’s why I’m asking you to come up with a plan.”

 

Morgan snapped irritably.

 

“Listen carefully. First, you need to make sure Marisselle isn’t uncomfortable.”

 

“And then?”

 

“Don’t do things Marisselle dislikes.”

 

“What does Marisselle dislike?”

 

Rino wanted to hit Morgan. Even if he was in love, how could he say such stupid things?

 

“Hah. My old friend, Morgan. I’ll tell you just this once. Prick up both ears and listen well.”

 

“Relax your eyes and speak. I’m still a duke.”

 

The moment Rino heard Morgan’s words, his temples throbbed with anger.

 

“Right. Your Grace. Then shall we not talk about it? I’m not desperate at all.”

 

Morgan briefly cleared his throat and backed down.

 

“What do you think Marisselle finds most burdensome right now?”

 

“Me confessing again?”

 

“You’re not completely stupid. My friend. Don’t confess hastily ever again.”

 

Morgan answered reluctantly with a displeased expression.

 

“Fine. And then?”

 

“And if there’s anything Marisselle wants or asks for that you can grant, do it without complaint. Build up her favor that way. Take your time and put in the effort.”

 

Rino scolded Morgan, saying that his hasty confession had made things even more difficult than starting from scratch.

 

He needed to approach her more carefully, more delicately.

 

He also advised him to listen to stories from married people around him and read books about romance.

 

Though his heart was anxious, if he acted hastily again this time, she might really get scared and run away or hide.

 

He had already suffered a bitter defeat from his rash confession. One failure was enough.

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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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