The Blackened Second Male Lead’s Wife - Chapter 34

Hearing her voice, gangsters 1, 2 and 3 momentarily froze.

They blinked and looked at Estelle who had stepped out.

Soon there were bright smiles on the faces of gangsters 1, 2, and 3.

“Oh my goodness, aren’t you the Saintess?”

“Wow! It’s been a really long time.”

“You’ve always been in the Flower House. What brings you here?”

Estelle said with a grin.

“I was giving someone I know a tour of the town.”

At that, the faces of the three gangsters turned as white as a sheet of paper.

Estelle asked them who had become stiff with an innocent face.

“By the way, you weren’t trying to rob him just now, were you? All three of you promised me on your way out of the Flower Grass House that you will never sin again and live an honest life.”

Gangsters 1, 2 and 3 shook their heads so violently that their heads could’ve fallen out.

“O-of course not! I’m working very hard at the place you introduced me to. I was on my way back from work!”

“I was just trying to scare him a little bit because I thought he was a vicious nobleman who came here to badmouth this place.”

“That’s right!”

Gangsters 1, 2 and 3 looked at Estelle, flustered.

Estelle silently looked at them. The three thugs looked at her with their hands together, as if they were begging her to believe them.

After a while, she grinned.

“Okay, I believe you.”

Estelle said, waving her fingers vigorously.

“Bullying only breeds violence. So don’t ever do anything like this from now on. Okay?”

Gangsters 1, 2, and 3 quickly changed to gods of virtue 1, 2, and 3.

“I promise!”

“I swear!”

“Respect!”

The gangsters replied with a passionate look, as if they would write it down with their blood.

Estelle rummaged through her bag and gave them some candy.

“Here, eat this. All three of you like sweet things.”

The three thugs shed hot tears, as if they were receiving a gift from a goddess.

“Sniff, you didn’t forget.”

“Thank you, Saintess.”

“I’ll designate it as an heirloom and keep it for generations.”

This scene of three scary men, who looked like they have done every sin there was in the world, crying with a piece of candy in their arms.

….Was a miraculous sight.

Afterwards, they told Carlix they were sorry and that they didn’t know he was the Saintess’ companion then bowed their heads several times and left.

Estelle waved at them until they were out of sight and lowered her hand after they had disappeared.

Carlix looked blankly at the scene and sighed.

“Amazing. How do you even know those bastards?”

“Don’t call them bastards. You can’t do that. They’re residents here and they’re people you’re supposed to take care of.”

“······.”

Then Estelle raised her head toward Carlix.

The moment he met her blue eyes, Carlix’s shoulders flinched.

Estelle said with her bright eyes sparkling.

“Your Highness, didn’t you say you wanted to repair this place? That you want to make it as clean as the center of the capital?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m very thankful to Your Highness. But there’s one thing I want you to know. This may seem like a dirty and ugly place in your eyes, but for some, this place is a precious place where they were born, and want to grow and live in until the end.”

“······.”

“It would be good to get rid of the alleys and turn it into a wide road, or tear down all the old houses to make new ones, but maybe what they really want is something else. Like a warm slice of bread that they can eat, a doctor who can treat sick people, a school where poor people can make their children learn. I’d appreciate it if you could take this into consideration.”

Carlix’s eyes widened as he looked at Estelle.

After a while, he nodded.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Estelle smiled brightly at his answer.

In the sunset, Carlix gazed at Estelle.

Enchanted, as if he was looking at a goddess.

I could tell.

This was the moment when the female lead has finally captivated the male lead.

───── 〔✿〕─────

‘He used to only see her as a Saintess and treated her rudely, but now, he is completely under her spell. From now on, he’ll treat her gently as if he is Estelle’s footwash. I’m not going to get involved between those two anymore.’ 

That’s what I decided to do, but the next morning, a guest came to see me.

It was Carlix.

I greeted him with a grim look as this was his second unexpected visit.

“Welcome, Your Highness. Why did you come here early in the morning without any notice?”

Even though my face looked displeased, Carlix said, not a single one of his eyebrows reacting to my stance. .

“First, take this.”

As Carlix beckoned, the servants who followed him lined the drawing room with enormous boxes.

You could tell that those boxes contained luxurious gifts at a glance.

“What’s all this?”

Carlix said to me, who frowned because I did not know the reason behind all this.

“Your lesson, it worked. This is in return for that.”

Only then did I realize the real meaning behind the gifts he had brought.

He seemed very satisfied with his date with Estelle yesterday.

‘I see, Estelle showed him that smile.’ 

It must have been a great shock for Carlix who never had a proper conversation with her.

I nodded, thinking it would prolong his visit if I contemplated whether or not it was okay to accept the gifts.

“I’m glad it helped. Then, I’ll accept your gifts with thanks.”

He got a present, and I got a present. This was the end of our business.

But Carlix didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving.

Carlix stared at me and said.

“I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“What can I do to make Estelle smile?”

“Estelle always smiles.”

“Yes, but that smile is no different from that of other noblewomen. Not the conventional smile, I’m talking about a more natural and candid smile. The smile she showed you.”

Carlix was still arrogant. However, his black eyes contained feelings that had never been before.

It was love.

After having condemned Estelle so much and denied his attraction to her, he must finally have recognized his feelings.

He’s become the main character who’s sure of his love.

His charm increased as a pink glow shone from his handsome face.

Charming enough to make anyone want to answer his question.

But I spoke coyly instead of readily giving him the answer.

“Your Highness, I’m sure I told you the other day. I don’t want to be involved with you anymore. So I have nothing more to say to you.”

Carlix raised his eyebrows.

His pride must have been pretty hurt by that as someone who had never been rejected.

I gulped down saliva thinking that he would use his position as the crown prince to make threats.

‘Bring it on if you want to. If you touch me, I’ll tell on you to Estelle.’ 

But what Carlix said was unthinkable.

“If you help me, I’ll give you whatever you want. What about the gold mine in Puephillan?”

My eyes widened at those words.

Puephillan’s gold mine was one of the largest diamond mines in the empire.

Oh goodness, thank you.

I barely managed to resist my instinct to snatch his gift.

“My family is going through a difficult time, but I’m not desperate enough to accept such a gift.”

Carlix casually threw his second bait.

“I’ll give you a chance to meet Pew, the actor rising in popularity among aristocrats these days.”

That was a really good offer.

Pew was an actor who shook the hearts of the entire empire with his immense charm. There were numerous women (and some men) who would give up their entire fortune to get a chance to go on one date with him.

But his attack didn’t work on me.

Because I know a more handsome, beautiful, and dazzling man than him.

‘He’s not someone who can be compared to a top actor in the human world. Lucian is the face of heaven.’

So I shook my head haughtily.

Carlix was stunned when the lethal attack didn’t work.

Just as he was thinking of giving up, Carlix brought a bomb-like remark.

“Have you ever seen Kardien as a child?”

There’s no way I would have seen him as a child.

I reincarnated into this book after Lucian became an adult. So I couldn’t see his angel-like appearance as a pretty child.

That’s why I was so sad!

If I was going to reincarnate then I should have reincarnated at a young age!

Carlix, who read the answer in my sad eyes, continued.

“Don’t you want to see what he looked like?”

“How do you see the past that’s already passed?”

“I found a portrait of Kardien when he was young.”

“······!”

Unbelievable.

“W-where the hell did you get that stuff?”

“I don’t think I am obligated to answer that.”

“······.”

“Now give me an answer to my request. Will you help me?”

I snorted inwardly at his confident look.

I faced Carlix with a determined look.

“Your Highness, if you wanted me to be swayed by such a thing, you would need a lot of….. insight.”

I was really trying to resist all temptation Carlix had inflicted on me.

But, but, Lucian as a child!

I just can’t lose this opportunity.

‘Haha, I’m a hardcore fan who can’t refuse when it has to do with Kardien.’

Looking at me shedding tears of blood inside, Carlix raised the corners of his mouth with a triumphant face.

It was the smile of a successful fisherman.

“So you want to see Estelle’s real smile?”

“Yeah.”

“It is simple. If you can get closer to Estelle, you’ll be able to see it.”