The Obsessive Male Lead Is Obsessed With Me! - Chapter 116

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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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Episode 116

“Cecil is… In fact, her very birth was extraordinary. Though she’s not of royal blood, for God to arrange her destiny, and even to bear a sage ruler who will be remembered throughout history, how… how… amazing? Glorious? Wonderful…”

Duke Roheim mumbled his words, unable to finish them properly as if the alcohol made it difficult for him to find the right words.

Judging that he shouldn’t drink any more, Lionel filled Duke Roheim’s glass with cold water.

Duke Roheim drank it down as if it were alcohol, making a “keu” sound, then leaned back in his chair and hiccupped softly.

“I… still remember it vividly. The expression my wife made while holding our newborn child in her arms, looking at the oracle floating in the air… It was as if she had seen a ghost.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. In fact, my expression probably wasn’t much different. I was so frightened. A future sage ruler… That meant our child would enter the Imperial Palace…”

Duke Roheim continued speaking while gazing at the ceiling with vacant eyes.

“How wonderful it would have been if she had just been born ordinary. Living freely in the estate where she could live as a princess, then marrying a man she loved and living happily together… A fairy tale-like life. I certainly had the ability to let her live that way.”

“I see.”

“But don’t they say oracles must be fulfilled? Hiding isn’t the solution. If it’s an oracle that will eventually be fulfilled anyway… I thought I should seize the opportunity when I could choose between the two Your Highnesses, when such a chance was available. So I arranged our child’s engagement with Your Highness.”

“Your prospective son-in-law.”

“Yes, prospective son-in-law… Still, I think it’s fortunate that Cecil likes her prospective son-in-law. If she had to marry someone she didn’t care for just to bear a future sage ruler, what greater tragedy could there be?”

Duke Roheim began crying with sniffles, as if his heart was breaking just from imagining it.

Lionel fumbled in his inner pocket and pulled out a handkerchief to offer him. Duke Roheim accepted the handkerchief with thanks, wiped his tears, and blew his nose loudly.

“Do you know this, Your Highness?”

“Your prospective son-in-law.”

“Yes, prospective son-in-law… The movements of some nobles are quite suspicious.”

“What exactly do you mean by their movements?”

“They’re making contact with the court physician. The reason is obvious.”

A hollow laugh escaped Duke Roheim’s lips. It was closer to a sneer.

“They’re probably curious whether the Emperor, who collapses at every turn, has reproductive ability, whether he’s truly the emperor who will father the future sage ruler.”

“…”

“Do you know? Your Highness, I also contacted the court physician to ask. Whether the Emperor has reproductive ability.”

“Your prospective son-in-law.”

“Yes, prospective son-in-law… While it’s not yet at a stage where we can say definitively yes or no, probably the Emperor is…”

Unable to finish his words, Duke Roheim repeatedly rubbed his face with his hands and gulped down the water Lionel had poured for him.

Then, with eyes clearer than before, he looked into Lionel’s eyes and said:

“It’s only a matter of timing, but eventually Your Highness will be caught up in the whirlwind of political strife. And Cecil too, whether the fact that she’s the true owner of the oracle is revealed or not, will suffer considerable pain.”

“Your prospective son-in-law.”

“Yes, prospective son-in-law… No, Lionel. Let me ask you man to man.”

“Please ask.”

Duke Roheim, swaying from the alcohol, barely managed to lean forward and grasp Lionel’s hands.

And he asked:

“Do you love our Cecil? Can you protect that child with your life?”

“…”

“Swear that you’ll make that child happy for life. If not, I can annul this marriage even now.”

Duke Roheim’s eyes, fixed only on Lionel’s lips, blazed like lightning.

Receiving that intense gaze, Lionel slowly opened his mouth.

“I was just thinking I needed to do some interim organizing, so this works out well.”

“…Huh?”

Duke Roheim’s thoughts stopped for a moment, having expected a simple “yes” from Lionel.

“Interim organizing? What’s that?”

“Please wait a moment. I’ll go to my room and get my notebook.”

“Notebook? Why?”

Without answering, Lionel got up from his seat and actually went outside.

Left alone, Duke Roheim sat frozen with a bewildered expression, unable to do anything.

‘What? Don’t tell me he ran away because he couldn’t make the oath?’

When the alcohol had worn off somewhat and such thoughts occurred to him, fortunately Lionel returned.

In his hands was indeed a notebook. A thick notebook with several bookmarks inserted.

“This will be a long story. Please wash your face first.”

“Huh? …Even washing my face…? More importantly, what is that notebook…?”

“It’s something necessary to answer the question you asked earlier. Please wash your face first.”

Thinking Duke Roheim might not be able to steady himself due to intoxication, Lionel personally brought a large basin and towel to help Duke Roheim wash his face.

Duke Roheim, who had suddenly gone from drinking to face-washing, breathed with difficulty as cold water splashed on his face, but was pleased thinking that his prospective son-in-law would take good care of their child too.

That this wasn’t the time for him to be pleased only gradually dawned on him after Lionel opened his notebook.

“When and in what situations do people become aware of love? First, the first case.”

“Huh? What’s that… What are you suddenly talking about?”

“Didn’t you ask me whether I love Liri?”

“Well, yes, I did, but…”

“Of the total 452 people who gave me answers, 211 people—nearly half—said they became aware of love when they felt jealous seeing their beloved with another person of the opposite sex.”

“No, wait. What I’m curious about is whether you love our Cecil or not…”

“I’m explaining to answer that. I too have felt jealous seeing a man standing beside Liri. Let me tell you exactly what situation that was…”

Where am I? Who am I?

Watching Lionel begin his calm, detailed explanation while turning pages of his notebook, Duke Roheim felt his mind going blank.

Even the effects of alcohol seemed to have completely worn off. If he could turn back time, he wanted to go back to just moments before and slap himself for asking Lionel whether he loved Cecilia.

“Now let’s move to the second case. Of the 452 people, 109 said they realized love naturally, like clothes getting wet in a drizzle…”

“Stop, stop! That’s enough. I understand perfectly well how much my prospective son-in-law loves our daughter…”

“No. I’m still insufficient.”

Lionel looked up at Duke Roheim.

With those very eyes that Cecilia had once described as appearing normal on the surface but actually having spun 360 degrees.

“Please listen to the end. Then judge whether my grounds for defining my feelings as love are sufficient, whether the logic is contradictory.”

“It’s sufficient! I said it’s sufficient!”

“How can you know without listening to the end? There are ten cases in total. And I intend to tell you whether the emotions I felt in these ten situations are truly love, and whether there’s any possibility of mistaking them for other emotions, so please listen to everything before judging.”

“No…”

“Then let me continue. What exactly is this natural realization, how 38 of the 109 people explained it…”

Two hours later. Thanks to Sophia, who came looking for them asking why they were drinking so late when it was well past bedtime, Duke Roheim was safely freed… or rather, not.

“This works out perfectly. Please listen together.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I was just about to discuss the seventh case.”

“The seventh case?”

“Of the total 452 people, 29 said they became aware of love during unintentional physical contact…”

“Ph-physical contact? Don’t tell me you had unintentional physical contact with Cecil? When?”

Lionel spoke boldly without a trace of embarrassment.

“In my case it was unintentional, but from Liri’s perspective it was intentional physical contact.”

“That means, our child pounced on my prospective son-in-law…?”

“My lips were stolen. That’s how people usually describe what happened to me.”

Rough coughs burst from Duke Roheim’s mouth as he choked, and Sophia burst into laughter.

“Oh my! You two were having this kind of conversation?”

Because Sophia joined in with an intrigued expression, Duke Roheim had no choice but to listen to Lionel’s presentation helplessly until deep into the night.

After a presentation lasting a total of five hours, Duke Roheim had no choice but to acknowledge:

“Please take good care of our daughter…”

“I’m the one who should ask for your favor.”

If this wasn’t love, he had no choice but to acknowledge it, if only out of fear of Lionel coming to him with an even thicker notebook, saying he would prove his love this time.

Thus, three days later. Without interruption by his prospective father-in-law, Cecilia and Lionel’s wedding was safely held at the Central Cathedral of the Capital.

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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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