The Obsessive Male Lead Is Obsessed With Me! - Chapter 38

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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 38

 

“Why on earth did His Highness go to the Central Temple?”

 

“He received orders to do volunteer work.”

 

“Volunteer work? Suddenly? What about this morning’s classes and this afternoon’s duties?”

 

“Because of the house arrest order, that schedule has been temporarily cleared. I heard he’ll be focusing only on volunteer work for the time being.”

 

“No way…”

 

Does this even make sense?

 

I was so confused that I looked at Uni. It seemed like she didn’t understand this situation either.

 

“At this rate, rumors might spread that Lady is the direct cause of the Second Prince’s collapse.”

 

“Rumors?”

 

“He’s such a high-ranking person. Even if he just briefly appears on the street, all sorts of rumors will spread.”

 

A day or two would be one thing, but the longer the volunteer work continues, the stranger rumors might become even more exaggerated.

 

‘Did the Empress really make Lionel do volunteer work targeting that?’

 

To shape public opinion that Lionel did something bad enough to me to require volunteer work?

 

“Um, Lady Duke. Actually, I have colleagues working in both the First Prince’s Palace and the Empress’s Palace. So I’ve heard some things.”

 

“What did you say?”

 

You work in the Second Prince’s Palace but have friends working in the First Prince’s Palace and the Empress’s Palace?

 

‘Jackpot!’

 

I placed my hand on our lovely Fiona’s shoulder and said.

 

“Tell me. Everything you heard.”

 

Fiona emphasized that she could get fired if others knew she was spreading such stories around, so please keep it really, really secret, then told me.

 

“The First Prince recently started receiving treatment from some bishop, and it’s apparently effective. So now he’s secretly started imperial studies.”

 

“Oh my…”

 

They say birds hear daytime words and mice hear nighttime words. This must be why my family members earnestly warned me to watch my words when going to the Imperial Palace.

 

“So? What does that have to do with making the Second Prince do volunteer work?”

 

“It’s about interfering with the competition. Honestly, if the Second Prince continues receiving lessons like now, how could the First Prince catch up?”

 

For example, it could be called a strategy where a turtle far behind forces the rabbit to take sleeping pills to overtake it.

 

“And this. My friend said she heard the First Prince’s Palace maids secretly whispering. It seems like the First Prince has his eye on Lady Duke…”

 

“What? Me? When I’m his younger brother’s fiancée?”

 

“Probably not in a romantic sense, but rather that he wants Roheim?”

 

It would have been nice if I could just laugh it off saying “no way.”

 

But the novel’s future bothered me too much for that. The First Prince’s actions of actually making me, who was originally his younger brother’s fiancée, his own wife.

 

‘Ugh, disgusting. Even so, how could he think of stealing his younger brother’s fiancée?’

 

Anyway, thanks to that, things became clear.

 

‘To throw mud at a competitor while driving a wedge between me and Lionel. They’re trying to wage a public opinion war.’

 

Then rumors might really spread that Lionel is a violent man who lays hands on his fiancée.

 

I rubbed my forearm with my hand, then firmly grasped Fiona’s hand, who had conveyed all this information to me, and expressed my gratitude.

 

“Thank you for telling me, Fiona. It was really helpful.”

 

“Hmph. It’s nothing. You cursed out that bastard with me back then, didn’t you, Lady?”

 

Fiona said that while winking at me, and I felt a deep sense of camaraderie welling up.

 

‘Anyway, I need to solve this problem before strange rumors really spread about my fiancé.’

 

What’s important in a public opinion war?

 

The first strike!

 

First impressions aren’t important for nothing. Once someone becomes established as unlikable in people’s minds, no matter what nice things they do afterward, they’ll only be seen as disagreeable.

 

‘If they’re trying to pin the stigma that my fiancé is violent and I’m the victim…’

 

Good. I’ve decided on this!

 

* * *

 

Eastern Capital. The end of Clover Street, where housing prices are cheapest among the commoners’ residential areas, borders the slums.

 

In fact, the reason housing prices on Clover Street were cheap was precisely because of this – inside the slums existed an underworld where low-quality criminals hid and lived.

 

However, whether poor or criminal, aren’t they all lambs who need God’s care in the end?

 

The temple’s relief center was built without discrimination even at the border between Clover Street and the slums, distributing relief food to those who came from late morning.

 

Today too, as soon as the temple’s tent was set up, poor people rushed over desperately, competing for food.

 

Actually, this wasn’t very difficult work. You just had to make a list and distribute food, and that was it.

 

The problem started after that. People who had already received food once would pretend they hadn’t and get in line again.

 

“Mr. James, please go back. I clearly saw with my own eyes that you came earlier… Mr. Charles! The wig won’t work!”

 

“A wig? This is my real hair! Look! It’s not falling off!”

 

“The glue smell is overwhelming!”

 

“These petty people! What’s wrong with giving one more piece of bread!”

 

“Please, I’m begging you. My grandfather is lying down and absolutely cannot come here…”

 

People using all sorts of tricks and people with various pitiful stories appeared dozens of times a day.

 

Moreover, the security was bad and hygiene was poor… For these various reasons, relief volunteer work on the slums side was something everyone among the clergy and Holy Knights avoided.

 

It definitely used to be like that.

 

“Next person.”

 

“Ah, yes…”

 

“Your name?”

 

“Ro, Romi. I’m nine years old.”

 

“Romi, nine years old. …Take the bread and goat’s milk.”

 

“Gl, glory to the family…”

 

The people who used to push and fight each other to get in line first, even cursing, were nowhere to be found.

 

Without anyone telling them to, they stood in orderly lines, not opening their mouths once, quietly waiting for their turn – were these people really from the slums?

 

“Next person. …You came earlier.”

 

“Ah, well. I was so hungry… I’m sorry.”

 

“If you’ve received it once, I can’t give it twice. Go back. Next person.”

 

This was definitely the man who, until yesterday, when caught getting in line twice, would lie down on the ground screaming “I never received any, it’s true, cut open my belly and check if there’s bread in my stomach.”

 

But that behavior was nowhere to be seen, and he meekly stepped back, even apologizing with a dejected look.

 

At this completely different behavior from what they had shown them, the two priests reflexively grabbed the back of their necks.

 

“Look, look! Those wicked people! They were so stubborn in front of us!”

 

“I guess even in their eyes, royalty looks different.”

 

The priest lightly sighed and looked at the Second Prince, Lionel, who was taking the lead in distributing food.

 

His golden hair shining brilliantly in the sunlight looked as if he was blessed by God with a halo, and his gem-like sparkling purple eyes held a noble light as if proving his noble birth.

 

Even without wearing a name tag, anyone could tell. That person was the Second Prince.

 

“So that person is the Second Prince…”

 

“But how did such a great person as the Second Prince end up doing volunteer work in a place like this?”

 

Actually, the temple’s aim was for the Second Prince to get offended at being sent to the slums and return to the Imperial Palace.

 

The sudden order from the Imperial Palace to send the Second Prince and have him do volunteer work was like a bolt from the blue for them.

 

Even if the Imperial Palace would handle issues like escorts, what kind of volunteer work could they possibly give to the Second Prince, someone called the prospective Crown Prince?

 

“Ugh… What volunteer work for royalty… Right, let’s just send him to the slums!”

 

“What? The, the slums? The Second Prince?”

 

“He’ll say he can’t do it and leave! Right? Surely someone as high as royalty wouldn’t personally distribute bread to poor people?”

 

But that actually happened.

 

‘No, why is he doing it so diligently? Isn’t volunteer work usually just showing up and keeping your seat? Why is the Second Prince, what does he lack?’

 

It wasn’t just him thinking that way.

 

“My in-law’s eighth cousin’s uncle’s son works as a servant in the Imperial Palace. Thanks to that, I’ve picked up some rumors – the Second Prince is currently in self-reflection.”

 

“Self-reflection? What wrong did he commit?”

 

“Well, the thing is…”

 

“What? His fiancée, Lady Duke? That’s ridiculous!”

 

Here and there, people were spreading stories that the Second Prince had cleverly abused his fiancée mentally and physically, that the fiancée finally collapsed unable to bear it, and that there was even talk of breaking off the engagement.

 

“Lies! How could someone who looks so dignified have abused his fiancée behind the scenes? That’s ridiculous!”

 

“Then what, does it make sense that the Second Prince is distributing bread to poor people?”

 

“That’s… well, that’s true.”

 

Word spread from person to person, and like a footless rumor, it spread in an instant, and like a snowball rolling downhill, the content became much more exaggerated than it originally was.

 

Because of this, the gazes of awe and glory toward the Second Prince were about to turn into contempt and disdain… at that very moment.

 

“Lionel!”

 

The lady, who had appeared from behind the tent with the priest’s guidance, stealthily crept up behind the Second Prince and suddenly embraced him.

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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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