(BL) Rejected by daughter's second male lead-Chapter 55

"Presenting His Grace, Duke Gillen Blake and Marquis Yuan Hampton!"

The gatekeeper announced in a booming voice.

At that cry, all eyes turned to them. The banquet hall, as if by agreement, fell silent. It was so quiet that nothing could be heard but the melody of the music played by the orchestra.

They’re being too obvious.

Gillen thought, consciously raising the corners of his mouth. However, Yuan acted nonchalantly, as if he were accustomed to such silence and stares. Well, with looks like his, wherever he went, he must have instantly made people’s jaws drop and captured their gaze.

He’s doing well on his own without any instruction.

Thanks to that, Gillen didn’t need to deliberately signal Yuan to calm down or to smile. He was as elegant and natural as someone who had worn a crown from birth. In fact, he was acting even more indifferent and relaxed than Gillen.

Yuan and Gillen walked into the banquet hall. Stopping near the center of the hall, they each picked up a champagne flute from a nearby table.

"You’re a lightweight with alcohol, so just drink a little."

Gillen said in a moderately loud voice. It was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. Then he leaned towards Yuan and whispered.

"You can just wet your lips and put it down."

Although he was acting for show, Gillen was genuinely worried about Yuan. He had a clear memory of Yuan getting completely drunk by himself during a drinking session with Hexion and Cecilia at Capelli’s. So he was showing genuine concern... but he saw Yuan’s body flinch and stiffen at his whisper before relaxing.

What’s wrong with this guy?

"Yuan, why did you suddenly stiffen up? You need to act naturally like you were before. That’s how we’ll fool people."

Gillen brought his lips even closer to Yuan’s ear and whispered. But Yuan even trembled his eyelashes, tilting his neck slightly. As if he couldn’t bear the tickling in his ear.

"I heard you, so please speak from a little farther away."

Yuan pushed Gillen away while pretending to toast by clinking their champagne flutes. His voice was so cold and prim that Gillen was almost tempted to grab Yuan’s ear and whisper again. But he reminded himself that Yuan had just rejected it and barely managed to hold back.

"Ahem, please cooperate a little."

Gillen mumbled, pretending to drink his champagne.

"I said I got it."

Yuan retorted like a rebellious teenager, then downed the champagne in one shot.

"Hey! Like that! A person who can’t even hold his liquor!"

Gillen shouted in surprise without realizing it, and Yuan’s cheeks flushed.

"I’m not that bad! That time it was because I drank too fast. It was sweet, like juice."

"You shouldn’t underestimate champagne either. You’re weaker to alcohol than you think!"

"I know my own body best. I can even have another glass."

"No, come here. You’d better stand over here."

Gillen grabbed Yuan’s wrist and pulled him away from the table. Yuan followed where Gillen led without a word of protest, his lips pressed firmly together.

This makes us look like we’re on bad terms for sure!

Gillen clicked his tongue and finished the rest of his champagne. It seemed he would have to stick close to Yuan from now on and pay more attention to their image management.

However, belying Gillen’s resolution, the nobles in the banquet hall were already adding all sorts of embellishments to their relationship.

’The two of them know each other too well.’

’Was that article true?’

’It’s just as Mrs. Chokeshe said. You can tell they’ve gone all the way.’

’I can’t hear them well, should I get a little closer?’

They were beings of such high rank among the nobles that one could not even speak to them carelessly. The fact that a duke and a marquis, two rare dominant alphas at that, were dating was an enormous scandal and, at the same time, terribly despairing news. This was because both Duke Blake and Marquis Hampton were dream marriage prospects for unmarried women or omega nobles.

Viscount Iple, who had been predicted to have the highest chance of becoming the future Duchess Blake, had voluntarily withdrawn due to a recent unsavory scandal. Most other nobles were also treading carefully in the competition for the position of the lady of the Blake house, mindful of the imperial family and the temple.

But here, there was a brave, arrogant, and young warrior. It was Laura, the youngest daughter of the house of Count Fores. She was a beauty with pink hair, fair cheeks, and rosy eyes, the very model of a romance fantasy character.

Laura, who had grown up being adored, was secretly jealous of Cecilia Blake, known as the lily of the valley of high society. In her eyes, Cecilia was not a pure and pretty woman like a lily of the valley, but a woman like a rugged tree trunk.

’That girl is so strong! And no one even knows!’

Laura clenched her two dainty fists and trembled. Last year at a party, she had tried to trip Cecilia but ended up spraining her own ankle. Her friends said no one saw it, but Laura was certain. She had felt the sensation of Cecilia’s foot, at the very moment she tried to trip her, swiftly wrapping around her leg from within the voluminous dress and twisting it in the opposite direction.

’She’s not a young lady, she’s an assassin! She’s a really scary girl! How... how could such a monster be born from such a wonderful man?’

Laura looked at Gillen, her large eyes welling with tears.

Duke Gillen Blake. He was Laura’s first and last love. Although he was much older than Laura, his appearance was such that one would believe him to be in his early thirties.

Moreover, Gillen had a better physique and a firmer body than most young noblemen. In contrast to such a body, his face was very sharp and handsome. When expressionless, he looked cold and noble, but the halo when he smiled brightly enough to form wrinkles around his eyes was...

The fact that he was the man with the highest status, excluding royalty, was also very much to her liking. As a dominant alpha, he was even a good match in terms of secondary gender with her, a dominant omega.

In other words, Gillen Blake was practically a man prepared for Laura Fores. They were a match made in heaven!—or so Laura thought. Cecilia was a concern, but that scary girl would get married eventually anyway, so it didn’t matter.

’Seeing as he’s been single for over 20 years since his wife’s passing, he must be a man of single-minded devotion and sincere in love...’

And Duke Blake’s next love would be none other than Laura!

...If it weren’t for that lowly bastard who looked like a male entertainer, radiating a dazzling light like a flamboyant peacock next to Gillen, Laura would surely have been Gillen’s partner at this party.

’How dare a commoner pretend to be a noble just because he received a single-generation title?’

Laura huffed and folded her fan. Her friends of the same age were all mesmerized by Yuan’s appearance and were in a frenzy, saying they wished they could hold his hand just once, but the discerning Laura was different. She didn’t care for men who shone more beautifully than herself. It was obvious that next to a male entertainer with such exceptional looks, Laura’s own presence would diminish.

"Ahem, ahem."

Laura cleared her throat lightly and walked as if fluttering like a butterfly. With every step she took, a sweet and soft vanilla scent wafted, and her pink hair, curled into bouncy ringlets with a magic iron, swayed refreshingly up and down. Her full bosom that filled out the dress line without much effort, her smooth skin, and her ant-thin waist that could be wrapped in one hand were enough to capture everyone’s attention.

Basking in the gazes mixed with desire and admiration, Laura finally arrived behind Gillen.

"Hello, Your Grace, Duke Blake?"

Laura offered her greetings in a frail voice like a nightingale’s. At that, Gillen and Yuan simultaneously turned to look at Laura.

"Ah..."

Laura, without realizing it, winced from the brightness. It was because a direct ray of light had suddenly pierced her eyes.

No, wait. It’s evening now, isn’t it? The sun has set. As soon as she had that thought and opened her eyes, Laura realized that the direction from which the direct sunlight had shone was where Yuan was standing.

’Don’t tell me... this isn’t direct sunlight, but the light coming from that male entertainer’s face?’

Laura was horrified. Even from a distance, his beauty was breathtaking, but seeing him up close was on a different level. Overwhelming beauty. He felt not like a person but a work of art, no, a grand beauty of nature that transcended art. It was to the point of feeling awe.

"Oh, if it isn’t Lady Fores. It’s been a while. Have you been well?"

Gillen smiled and accepted her greeting. But Laura couldn’t answer in time. She still hadn’t escaped from Yuan’s beauty.

"Lady Fores? Lady Laura, are you all right?"

Gillen waved a hand slightly in front of Laura’s face. Only then did Laura tear her eyes away from Yuan’s face and look at Gillen. But like when one looks away after staring directly at a very bright light, an afterimage of Yuan remained, red and flickering.

"Lady Laura?"

"Ah... uh, yes, yes, Bla, Bluk, Duke Blake. Hello. It’s been a while. Have you been in good health?"

Hearing Laura stutter so badly, the sound of Yuan snickering beside her could be heard. Laura’s face instantly flushed. To make such a mistake! She tried to calm her furiously beating heart and cutely covered her cheeks with the backs of her hands. There were few alphas who hadn’t fallen for this skill.

However...

"My news is the hot potato of high society these days, isn’t it? I haven’t been doing so well. Ha! Ha! Ha!"