For Sale: Male Lead, Obsession Included - Chapter 152

From the title alone, it wasn’t hard to tell his obsessive and perverted… tastes. As a reader, Declan’s obsession was delicious in itself, but for me, having met Declan in person and felt even a little of that obsession, it was something I absolutely didn’t want to experience.

‘But Declan’s gaze when he looked at me was dangerous?’

I had no idea.

Meaning, while staying at the Glioced Margraviate and just now, I had never felt that Declan’s eyes went crazy when he looked at me.

‘Does it look that way to other people?’

Maybe it was because his eyes were a rather vivid red, like a magical beast’s.

“Anyway, I don’t know, and with the Young Duke… we helped each other before. Mutual aid, you learned that phrase, right?”

“Helped? Not just that bastard helping you, but you helped him too?”

Of course. I shortened his life as a slave by months and even helped him meet the family that had been searching desperately for him, didn’t I?

At Feyden’s question, I nodded as if it were only natural.

“Then is that also why you have so much money?”

“That’s about right.”

“Ha. So that’s why you can’t say a word to that bastard?”

“Pardon?”

“Because you took money from him, weren’t you unable to say anything even when he kept pestering you?”

Hm?

Why was the conclusion flowing in such a strange direction?

I couldn’t even figure out where to start correcting Feyden’s words. The one who gave me money wasn’t Declan, but his father, and Declan had never pestered me, and I had never been servile to Declan either?

“…It’s not like that, so don’t think strange things by yourself.”

“What strange things?”

“I don’t know! Anyway, I don’t have any relationship with the Young Duke anymore. Got the money, and that’s the end! Okay? Get it?”

At my firm attitude telling him not to bring up Declan anymore, Feyden twisted his neck this way and that in dissatisfaction.

Then Feyden muttered the meaningful words, ‘I should limber up a bit.’

* * *

After standing in line for ages, I was able to register for the baptism ceremony. When I held out the temporary ID issued to all citizens, the public servants—one imperial palace employee and one temple employee—passed my ID back and forth to check it, then seemed to reach one conclusion and nodded at the same time.

Then they held out a red wooden piece to me.

“Huh?”

I asked the imperial palace employee who had handed me a red token instead of a blue one. Whether he had really given me the right one.

At that, the employee gulped once and answered yes.

“You may receive your baptism at the red temple over there.”

“So why do I have to go to the temple that only nobles use? As far as I know, His Majesty the Emperor took back my noble surname Glioced.”

“Gulp. Yes…”

“Huh?”

The two employees looked at each other awkwardly. After a fierce eye battle of you say it, no, you say it, the imperial palace employee who ultimately lost wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued speaking.

“There is certainly a record that an order came down to confiscate the name of Margrave Glioced, but… the name was never actually erased.”

“Pardon…? Does that make any sense?”

So it was an administrative mistake?

No wonder they kept pushing it off on each other with that brief game of you say it, no, you say it. It seemed there was some kind of problem.

“…Yes. I understand for now.”

How much agonizing must those low-ranking employees have done over me, who was a noble on paper but personally claimed to be a commoner?

At times like this, calling a team leader who could give flexible instructions was the answer, but they didn’t seem to be allowed even that much time when they had to handle the people waiting far, far back as quickly as possible.

With no other choice, I simply took the red token and walked toward the red temple where the nobles’ baptism ceremony was being held.

“Why are you going that way?”

Feyden’s eyes grew round when he saw the red token in my hand.

“They said it’s an administrative mistake. I’m a commoner, but something went wrong, and they say I’m a noble.”

“Is that possible?”

“I’m finding it weird too.”

Since Feyden didn’t know that I had once been the daughter of a Margrave, even if only halfway, my words must have sounded even more absurd to him.

“Still, I was wondering when I’d ever get through that blue temple line again, so maybe because it’s a temple used by noble lords, it’s nice not having to wait?”

“That’s true.”

Feyden saw me off, still unable to erase the suspicious look from his face.

“Go on. I’ll wait.”

“I don’t even know when it’ll end, so go in first!”

“You’re a noble young lady in name, so does it make sense for you not to have even one escort?”

Feyden spoke with a snort, in a mocking tone, then gestured for me to hurry in. It was because anyone who wasn’t receiving baptism couldn’t enter the baptism temple.

With the sight of Feyden mixed among the servants waiting for the nobles as my last view, I opened the temple door and went inside.

The bright midday sun disappeared, and I slowly closed and opened my eyes to adjust to the dim light of the temple.

Then I froze as I was, unable to move even a single step.

Because of the unbelievable sight spread out before my eyes.