I Was Marked as the Grand Duke Male Lead’s Stepmother - Chapter 65

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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 65

Marisselle opened the door to the study in the office building, carrying the food and drinks Jeffrey had prepared, as well as the fatigue recovery medicine she had received from Samuel.

“You’re here. I put the map on your desk.”

Morgan, who had recognized Marisselle by her footsteps, spoke to her as soon as the door opened.

“Thank you, Your Highness. And you haven’t eaten yet, have you? I brought some easy-to-eat food, so please have some later.”

This time, Marisselle simply placed the food on the table and went to sit at her desk. She had a lot to do.

She immediately re-sorted the documents and copied the map Morgan had prepared onto clean blank paper.

The map Morgan had brought was drawn on thick, stiff paper that wasn’t suitable for Marisselle’s use. She had no choice but to copy the map onto blank paper.

However, her terrible drawing skills held her back. Only after crumpling up several sheets was she able to get a roughly similar map.

On the completed map, she marked the incidents and accidents that occurred in the Monsan region and its vicinity, which she had organized in a table, using different shapes and colors according to their characteristics, severity, and scale.

Then, a pattern emerged.

Marisselle raised her head and looked at Morgan.

Perfect posture without a hint of slouching. He looked exactly the same as when she first saw him.

The only difference was that quite a lot of the documents that had been piled on the right side had been moved and stacked on the left side.

The food on the table remained untouched.

‘As expected, he didn’t eat.’

Marisselle approached Morgan, intending to ask him questions while also transferring food to a plate, pouring drinks, and bringing the fatigue recovery medicine.

“Your Highness. Please eat something first.”

“Later.”

“Don’t say that and please eat. Your brain needs sugar to improve work efficiency.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? My efficiency doesn’t drop even if I don’t eat.”

Marisselle slightly raised the corner of her mouth and glanced down at Morgan.

‘Ugh, how annoying. He thinks he’s invincible or something.’

“Don’t talk nonsense and drink this first.”

She opened the cap of the fatigue recovery medicine and thrust it toward him.

“If you have time to talk, I believe you also have time to take the fatigue recovery medicine.”

Morgan’s busy hands stopped moving.

Marisselle’s expression as she looked up at him made him feel as if he had become a child.

“Come on.”

She extended her hand toward him again with a stern look that demanded he take it and drink. He let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha!”

He snatched the medicine bottle from Marisselle’s hand and downed it in one gulp.

“Satisfied?”

He tried to dismiss Marisselle with this single remark.

But he was mistaken.

Marisselle didn’t leave and continued fidgeting beside him.

She picked up a canapé-style food item—small biscuits filled with thinly sliced vegetables, fruits, and cheese—and thrust it right in front of Morgan’s face with the same expression as before.

“Put it down. I’ll eat it later.”

“That won’t do, Your Highness. It would be better to eat even one during the time we spend arguing like this. You can’t get rid of me. If you don’t eat now, our lovely Prince Fleur will worry. So I won’t leave until Your Highness eats. No, I can’t leave.”

Ha. This was ridiculous.

Morgan stared at Marisselle again.

As expected, there was no sign of her backing down. Moreover, now that she had mentioned Fleur, she wouldn’t retreat until she achieved her goal.

Pfft. He finally laughed.

“Your Highness, just open your mouth. I’ll do the feeding. You don’t need to lift a finger.”

Marisselle smiled brightly.

Morgan looked at Marisselle’s hand holding the canapé positioned right in front of his mouth and fell into thought for a moment.

Then, with a strange smile, he suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled the canapé into his mouth.

“Eek—”

Startled, Marisselle let out a short scream.

“Your Highness, if you suddenly grab my hand like that…”

Marisselle made a gesture of patting her chest.

“Why? You can do whatever you want, but I can’t?”

“What? No, that’s not what I meant…”

He smiled teasingly and chewed slowly before turning his attention back to the documents.

Still, seeing Morgan accept and eat the food she offered while working gave Marisselle a strange sense of satisfaction.

When he had swallowed all the food in his mouth, she brought another piece to his lips. He opened his mouth like a child again and accepted it.

Another one, and another…

Each time he accepted the food, Marisselle smiled with subtle satisfaction.

“Your Highness. This is the last one now.”

Marisselle’s voice, intoxicated with a sense of victory, reached Morgan’s ears.

‘Hah. She’s treating me like a baby and enjoying it that much?’

Morgan felt a bit indignant.

‘Hmm… That won’t do.’

He smiled with satisfaction.

“Ah!”

Startled, Marisselle quickly pulled her hand back.

“Y-Your Highness. What are you doing eating my hand too?”

Marisselle clutched her fingertips that had touched his lips and looked at him reproachfully.

Whether from surprise or from the vivid sensation of his lips still lingering on her fingertips, her heart began beating rapidly.

But before she could calm her startled heart, he spoke with a shameless sneer as if teasing her.

“That was your hand? I thought it was a fork…”

“Pardon?”

“You said it was the last one. Since Fleur was worried, I thoroughly ate everything on the last fork. Is there a problem?”

‘Is he getting revenge now for making him eat by force? How cunning. He knows I’m weak when it comes to Fleur. Using Fleur as an excuse.’

Marisselle rolled her eyes.

“What’s with those disloyal eyes?”

“Pardon? Disloyal eyes?”

Marisselle felt guilty and quickly changed to respectful eyes as she spoke.

“It’s not like that. I was just reproaching myself for my disloyalty in not understanding Your Highness’s profound intentions.”

“…You’re quite good at improvising, Marisselle.”

“Improvising? I’m being sincere.”

Marisselle smiled like a crescent moon, shamelessly feigning innocence.

Such a Marisselle looked adorable to Morgan.

“I’ll ask you to do this often from now on. Being fed isn’t so bad after all.”

“Pardon?”

“Why? Don’t you want to?”

“N-No. Not wanting to? If Your Highness desires it, of course I should do it often. Ahaha…”

Marisselle lamented her fate of having no choice but to agree reluctantly.

“Thank you. But why were you looking for the map?”

“Ah, the map. Well…”

When she hesitated, Morgan put down the pen he was holding and looked at Marisselle with curious eyes.

“Why. Is there some problem?”

“Before that, I’d like to ask you something.”

Morgan nodded.

“How do the incidents occurring in the Monsan Region now compare to usual levels?”

Marisselle asking seriously with sparkling purple eyes made Morgan smile.

“To get straight to the point, there’s no significant difference from normal times. That place is where the lower class lives, so it’s originally an area with many minor incidents and accidents. But compared to that, not many reports come up.”

Her expression asked ‘Why?’

Morgan looked into her eyes for a moment and kindly continued.

“The lower class people often fight over trivial things but then make up quickly the next day. This isn’t a phenomenon that occurs only in the Grand Duchy.”

“Then you’re saying the reports coming up from the Monsan District are problems that haven’t been resolved or need special attention.”

“You could see it that way. Why, did you discover something strange?”

“Hmm… I haven’t finished organizing everything yet. I’ll tell you once it’s organized, Your Highness.”

Marisselle smiled brightly and turned around, then turned back again.

To collect the plate and medicine bottle on Morgan’s desk.

As Marisselle’s hand reached for the plate and medicine bottle on the desk, Morgan’s gaze followed.

Marisselle’s slender, delicate hands reminded him of the moment she had fed him canapés just before.

The sensation of her touch on his lips came back vividly, making his heart race again.

Does she know?

‘How my heart raced in that moment.’

In his eyes, even Marisselle’s startled expression and her glaring look were all wonderful.

Everything was good because it was all directed at him.

‘If only Marisselle felt the same way as me…’

He swallowed a bitter smile inwardly.

“Your Highness. I’ll take these dishes to the kitchen. If there’s anything you need me to do on the way, please let me know.”

When Marisselle spoke brightly with a peaceful expression, Morgan felt a wave of disappointment.

‘Sigh-, I was the only one who enjoyed it.’

“A glass of cold water!”

‘A glass of cold water?’

He already had a drink. Cold water?

Is his stomach burning?

“Why? Is something wrong?”

Morgan asked in a blunt tone toward Marisselle, who was tilting her head and hesitating.

He was burning up inside alone, and he didn’t like himself for being grumpy with Marisselle for no reason. But he couldn’t help feeling disappointed either.

“Ah! No, nothing’s wrong. I’ll be right back.”

Marisselle hurriedly answered and left through the door.

‘Really, just when I think I understand him, I don’t…’

Sometimes he’s gentle and kind, then in another moment he changes into someone completely blunt with coldness dripping from him.

As the old saying goes, you can know ten fathoms deep water but not one fathom of a person’s heart.

Those words were exactly right.

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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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