I Picked Up the Second Male Lead After the Ending - Chapter 4.1

I FINALLY MET HIM! (Part 1)

“What I’m saying is·····.”

Eyes deeper and darker than obsidian gazed at me.

The moment our two eyes met, my heart throbbed frantically, so I quickly lowered my head.

My face turned beet red. I’m sure my face looks like a carrot right now.

It’s finally my long-awaited first meeting with Richt, I can’t show him my humiliating side right away.

“The reason the Princess of Garten came all this way in person······.”

Kkyaaak! Look at that voice!

That cold voice that doesn’t seem to have any compassion, I like it, too!

With that voice, he said angrily but with a blushing face to the female lead, ‘don’t you know that I’m being like this because I fell in love with a woman like you?’ If I could just see it even once before I die, I won’t have any wishes anymore!

“Haa······.”

A small sigh was heard distinctively.

It made me realize clearly.

My goodness······ I’m breathing in the same space as my favorite character right now!

We’re breathing the same air! It’s the best! It’s exhilarating!

“I remember that I have explained the situation very well in my letter.”

“Yes. I received the letter from the Grand Duke.”

I’ve even earnestly smoothen the traces of the folds, read it two hundred thirty-seven times and memorized the contents, then finally compressed it inside a thick book to be cherished forever.

“Then what possible reason does the princess have to be here?”

His deep black eyes looked at me.

The slightly raised tail of his eyes seemed fierce but sexy.

And his sharp nose, not to mention, was the crystalline substance of his handsomeness.

His tightly closed lips were extraordinarily manly, it was dizzying to think what those lips would look like while grunting and complaining.

Even if that’s so, his heart is considerate, tender, and kind!

Gulp.

I swallowed unknowingly.

Richt frowned a little as he had also heard the sound.

“T-That······.”

Strangely, there was almost no voice that came out of her mouth.

Apparently, when I left, I told my father and Leon that I would make a splendid marriage proposal to the Grand Duke. It was I who even announced that the Grand Duke might get incredibly moved because of my wonderful proposal and even consider marrying me.

With a loud voice, I asked my father to be kind and generous to the person who will be his son-in-law, as a result, he’d provided a bunch of strawberries that Richt likes

However, at the moment, she doesn’t know where that bold and courageous woman has hidden.

When Richt, who was currently in front of her eyes, asked, her lips were stuck as if someone had put glue on it.

“That······.”

The beautiful black eyes were persistently looking at me.

My lips were dry, so I stuck my tongue out then moistened my lips. Though nothing seems to have changed.

“Ah, there! That!”

When I failed to speak straight, Richt’s eyes narrowed.

Ugh····· He’s my favorite character, but I can’t say that he has a good personality·····.

He’ll definitely get mad if I keep cutting my words!

But I can’t remember any of the details of the proposal I practiced so hard. My head is literally blank out!

This can’t be! I have to say anything.

“You, you’re handsome.”

My brain and mouth were connected in a straight line.

Under the pressure to say anything, what came out of my lips was related to his appearance.

“·····What?”

Upon unexpectedly hearing that he was handsome, Richt made an expression that says I’m saying something absurd on his face.

Yeah, that’s ridiculous. I understand.

But even his absurd expression is also exceedingly cute!

“I, I mean, what I’m trying to say is····· cough!”

My voice cracked a little, perhaps because I was shaking in front of my favorite character, so I made my cough small and looked at him again.

“I received the letter sent by the Grand Duke. However, there is still a little room left for me, that’s why I came here to see you.”

“What do you mean there’s room left? I think I explained it well enough.”

“Yes. You explained it extremely well, but I’d like to make some corrections. First of all, the Grand Duke said I was too young. I am not that young.”

“As far as I know, the princess is just 18 years old, who has just reached adulthood.”

“That’s right. I’m a proud adult.”

“Do you know how old I am?”

“Yes. Born on the 15th of the 8th Month, Year 854 under the Fairspren Empire, you’re 25 this year.”

“······.”

Richt became silent for a moment.

What is it? What else did I do wrong?

“You even know my birthday?”

“Well, of course······.”

Was it something I shouldn’t have····· known?

Honestly, I’ve been trying to keep myself from spontaneously blurting out the patron saint of his birthday, thankfully she didn’t·····.

“You’re going to be my husband, I should know that much.”

Quickly glossing over, I smiled as much as I could.

In Garten, if I smile like this, everyone will immediately say, “Our Peony is so cute!”

“······.”

When I saw Richt just staring at me quietly, it seemed like this style wasn’t going to work on him.

“Aa~and.”

So I decided to change the topic by force.

“I don’t understand why you’re worried about the diplomatic relationship between the two countries if we get married, when due to it, the friendship between the Fairspren Empire and the Kingdom of Garten will become even stronger.”

“I guess the Princess doesn’t know well, but I’m not just the Grand Duke of Fairspren.”

“You are the brother of the emperor who inherited the throne of the empire, and also the lord of Stern State in the North, Grand Duke Stern.”

“To be more precise, the traitor Grand Duke, the enemy who pointed his sword at the emperor. If the traitor and the princess of Garten get married, they may look down on Garten in the Fairspren Empire.”

Is that what he thinks? Would someone be harmed if they mingled with him?

So did he always stay here alone without seeing anyone?

My expectation that he might be doing well in the cold north was shattered by his words.

“Who said that?”

I said in a fit of rage.

“It’s not that someone said it······.”

“His Majesty the Emperor of Fairspren wouldn’t be such a narrow-minded man. He’s very kind and generous.”

Yes, it was said that the emperor was a man of honor, a man of righteousness, and a man of kindness.

“No matter how much he is the emperor······.”

“Your grace is still alive, right?”

I stared at Richt.

The handsome face I had always dreamed of was looking back at me.

No, a face that looked better than the face I drew in my dreams was looking at me.

“I think that’s enough evidence that His Majesty has forgiven the Grand Duke.”

I expressed what I thought, just in case Richt would ostracize himself in this cold place and suffer alone, thinking that his brother and emperor, the male lead, hated him.

“Grand Duke Stern.”

I peered at him calmly.

Only then did I remember a part of the proposal I had practiced.

“I will de~finitely make you happy.”

“······.”

Richt gaped at me silently. His dark eyes fluttered for a moment.

A woman who suddenly appeared and said she would marry him, suddenly said that she would make him happy. So it was natural that his eyes would waver.

However, I am sincere about what I said. I really wanted to make him happy.

At first, I just wanted to see his face. I just wanted to present him some gifts.

I wanted to help him get a little more comfortable while eating what he likes, here in this cold place.

But when I met him, I started getting a little greedy.

I wanted to be around him a little longer. And as I watched him trapped in this cold and gloomy castle, looking like a wounded beast, then I started to wish he could be happy.

“Will you marry me?”

I know he already gave his heart and soul to the female lead, but I really want to make this man, who had a cruel and bittersweet fate, feel that someone cares for him.

At least now that the original story is over, he now has the right to be happy.