The Obsession of the Tyrant Sub-Male Lead is Unnecessary

Episode 9

‘It’s completely messed up,’ thought Verona.

After rescuing her, Carlos wrapped her tightly in his cloak and kicked open the entrance gate of the Grand Duke’s Manor.

And as if it were perfectly natural, he occupied one of the Grand Duke’s large and lavish bedrooms.

The steward and the guards who followed tried to understand what had happened, but Carlos, in a fit of rage, chased them all away.

Verona, who was nestled in his arms, gradually regained consciousness as she heard his outbursts. But by then, everything was already over.

Shortly after returning to the mansion, the Grand Duke, unaware of why the Emperor was so enraged, followed his wishes for the time being.

The Grand Duke obediently handed over his bedroom and instructed the servants to keep quiet.

“Here.”

Scooping up a spoonful of thin soup and bringing it to her lips, Carlos, who was waiting earnestly, looked incredibly serious. It was an affectionate gesture that couldn’t be refused or ignored.

‘Why did I do that as soon as I opened my eyes! If I had just cleanly said thank you, the sub male lead wouldn’t have acted like that. He’s treating me like a complete baby because I cried as soon as I saw him.’

At that moment, Verona couldn’t explain why she had acted that way either. She had felt cold, her wrists hurt, and she had been scared at the thought of being kidnapped.

But when a familiar man appeared before her eyes, rescued her, and called her name, she couldn’t help but cry.

Well, regretting what happened wouldn’t change anything. Verona reluctantly opened her mouth and accepted the soup. Despite the darkness before her eyes, the soup tasted delicious.

But she refused to eat from the second serving onwards.

“You have to finish it.”

“I’m done.”

As she adamantly refused, Carlos reluctantly put the spoon aside and helped her sit up. She could feel Olivia, who was trembling in the corner, watching them with frightened eyes.

Carlos dismissed even the maids of the Grand Duke’s Manor and personally monitored her meal. But Olivia was an exception. He made sure she stood at the door to prevent her from escaping. Despite the Grand Duke’s embarrassment, he had no choice but to obey his orders.

‘I never expected to be betrayed by the female lead.’

In novels, she had been depicted as so good-natured that she had trusted her without a single doubt. But she never expected the female lead to pull such a stunt over food.

Verona gritted her teeth in frustration. Suddenly, Carlos grabbed her hand.

“What’s this? Where did you get hurt?”

Before losing consciousness, she had seen a slight scratch on her finger from a piece of broken teacup. Verona sighed deeply.

“I-I’m s-sorry…”

Olivia’s voice, like a timid creature creeping out from a corner, could be heard. Her trembling voice was pitiful.

“I-I got scratched while drinking tea with Olivia.”

At this, Carlos’s expression sharpened, and he retorted in a cold voice.

“…Again, the Merelton girl?”

Olivia began to sob louder, but it was of no use. Carlos stared at her as if he would tear her apart.

At that moment, Olivia seemed to realize that crying any louder would only further enrage the Emperor, so she quieted down a bit.

Carlos spoke coldly, “Lady Merelton, whatever your intentions were, it was not an act deserving of forgiveness.”

“Yes, Your Majesty…”

“Return to your chamber immediately. I will deliver the punishment later.”

Olivia disappeared from the bedroom in a flash. Carlos, who seemed to be contemplating something for a moment, asked, “Was it really Lady Merelton who kidnapped the princess? If she breached the Waterfall Castle’s defenses and took the princess, I…”

“No, it wasn’t.”

Verona hastily interjected, worried that he might immediately send troops to Waterfall. It wouldn’t do to worry her father unnecessarily. Besides, since everything was resolved, there was no need to inflate the matter.

Olivia had given her not tea, but water infused with herbs acting as a sedative. She had been having trouble sleeping lately, so she had given it to Verona.

She confessed that she had become greedy after meeting the mermaid and had intended to take her to help elevate the honor of the Grand Duke and the Emperor. She thought that since mermaids were blessed by the gods, they would help elevate their prestige.

She also admitted that she was worried Verona might escape if she had suggested they go together, so she had decided to put her to sleep first.

Verona was at a loss for words at the heroine’s impulsive actions, thinking, ‘No matter how you look at it, the Grand Duke and the Emperor were just excuses. She probably just wanted attention…’

It was true that the description of the heroine in the novel as naive and kind was not entirely wrong. Her brain was too pure and selfish, causing problems.

While reading the novel, Verona had thought Olivia seemed a bit indecisive, but she was definitely good-hearted, so she hadn’t expected her to do something like this.

‘Wait. But did the heroine ever encounter extras like this in the novel?’

Perhaps it was a trivial episode that had been omitted?

While it was described over several lines why the supporting male lead fell for the heroine at first sight, she couldn’t recall it.

‘I thought it wasn’t important, so I forgot. I should have written down every detail when I was eight!’

Anyway, now it was really messed up. Not only had the supporting male lead, the Emperor, realized who she was, but so had the male lead, the Grand Duke, and the heroine, Olivia.

‘Since it’s come to this, I need to come up with another plan.’

Disappearing without a trace was out of the question.

Verona decided to listen obediently to Carlos for now. And if she quietly hid in a corner, the Emperor would eventually forget about her.

After all, he was too busy to care for a woman he spent one night with, and he had a firm personality that would quickly discard her if he got bored.

The best thing was to make him lose interest in her. Since the supporting male lead was a character driven by ambition and jealousy, stimulating him prematurely would only backfire.

Verona pretended to comply.

“I must have been too naive. I shouldn’t have accepted something from a stranger.”

“Yeah. That’s your fault.”

“…Pardon?”

“I’ve told you countless times. Be careful. Don’t eat anything, even for the sake of the child.”

Why does it always turn out like this…

“It won’t work.”

Carlos declared resolutely. Verona, feeling uneasy, asked cautiously, “What won’t work?”

“Leaving you alone drives me crazy with worry. I should take you straight to the palace.”

“W-what?”

Verona’s mouth fell open.

“It seems like it’ll take more time than expected to repair the Empress’s quarters. So, I thought you could stay at Waterfall, but I was wrong.”

“…”

“If something happens to you, it’s a big problem. It’s better if you come with me. There’s plenty of room for the princess in the Imperial Palace.”

“B-but my father will worry… Let me go back for now.”

“No. How can you assure me that leaving the heir of the Empire alone won’t lead to another incident?”

“But…”

“I’ll send an embassy to Waterfall. Don’t worry.”

Although he was gently stroking Verona’s head, Carlos’s eyes were stern. It seemed difficult to sway his decision.

‘Insisting on pushing things through is the same whether it’s the heroine or me.’

Seriously, why did I get involved with this man?

Although she thought the chances of getting an heir in just one night were low, was it a mistake to even consider it?

Verona swallowed her tears and quickly said, “Then please let me leave tomorrow.”

“Why?”

His expression seemed to say, ‘Do you really need to do that?’ Verona fumbled awkwardly.

“Is it because you’re still having trouble moving?”

Carlos gave her a probing look, and Verona began to justify herself earnestly.

“It’s because I’m not comfortable going to a strange palace.”

“…”

“I’ve never stayed anywhere other than Waterfall Castle. I need time to prepare mentally.”

Carlos sighed, as if he couldn’t understand, then reluctantly spoke.

“Well, then. I guess there’s no choice. We’ll be coming to get you soon. I’ll warn the Grand Duke, so he won’t act rashly.”

“Oh…! Thank you so much, Carlos.”

“It’ll take time to prepare anyway, so it’s fine.”

“…Got it.”

What am I going to do? What status am I taking her to the palace with?

Verona thought she needed to fix things before they escalated. She pretended to agree with everything Carlos said and reassured him.

Feeling relieved, Carlos stuck close to her, running his fingers through her hair for a while before mentioning that he needed to apologize to Olivia and the Grand Duke and left.

Once he was gone, Verona took a moment to look around. 

‘It’s already night.’

She could see the moonlight softly shining through the slightly open window. She had lost track of time due to Carlos’s persistent demands.

Verona sneaked out of the room. It had already been a day, and her father would be worried. He rarely spent more than a day away on inspections.

Though Carlos had said he would send an embassy, she still needed to warn her father before going into the palace. It would be nearly impossible to convey another message once inside, away from his gaze.

Her father needed stability. Suddenly hearing that his daughter was marrying a complete stranger would be shocking, let alone if the suitor was the Emperor of the Empire.

Whether it would be good news or bad for her father couldn’t be gauged.

So Verona intended to inform her father vaguely, implying that there might be some delay due to unforeseen circumstances.

‘I can go before sunrise; there’s plenty of time.’

Carlos had been sufficiently reassured earlier, so he wouldn’t suspect anything. Fortunately, the Grand Duke’s residence was close to the southern sea. Though the route was unfamiliar compared to the northern sea, it was still a journey by the sea, so she could easily make her way back to Waterfall.

Verona waited for the night to deepen. She slipped out of her room, waiting for the knights on guard duty to fall asleep before sneaking out.

Luckily, tonight was a moonless night. The darkness enveloped the Grand Duke’s residence, making it easier for Verona to move around. She carefully made her way down to the garden.

All she needed to do was sneak out through the back gate of the garden, steal Olivia’s carriage, and head to the southern sea. Lost in thought, she was about to open the garden gate.

“Where are you going?”

“Gah!”

A man with jet-black hair stood in front of her like a shadow. His face was stern, causing Verona’s heart to sink.

“C-Carlos…!”