The Male Lead Knelt Before Me

“Good day, Lord Vessel.”

Lord Vessel, unlike me, was unable to meet me warmly.

He asked hesitantly, after biting his lips several times.

“……How have you been?”

“I have been doing well, Lord.”

I purposefully responded brightly.

“How have you been, Lord Vessel?”

“Well, just so so.”

“That’s a relief. But where are you going?”

“I had just submitted a report to administration and was on my way back to the Knights.”

“Oh, come to think of it, it was almost the end of the month. You must have had a hard time.”

I can’t imagine someone who was struggling because he couldn’t comprehend any paperwork could now complete his task on his own.

It was a time when I felt honored by his advancement.

“…… I apologize.”

I stared up at Lord Vessel, perplexed by the words he spoke above my head.

At the same moment, he apologized once more.

“I’m sorry, Lady. I’m deeply sorry for everything that has happened.”

“Is it because Lady Vessel tried to kill me?”

Lord Vessel flinched and averted his gaze for one brief second.

Even though he didn’t answer, I knew enough.

“But you’re not the one who did it, Lord.”

“But she’s a member of my family.”

“What does it matter? Lady Vessel was the one who at wrong, not you or your parents. You don’t have to be so hard on yourself just because you’re a family.”

I would have despised the Marquis and Lord Vessel if they had gone out openly in support of Vivian.

But they did not.

‘They didn’t ask for anything from me.’

The Marquis and his wife just accepted and thanked me for what I had done, and Lord Vessel was only apologizing to me in this way.

“You didn’t do anything wrong to me, Lord.”

But I doubt my words were particularly reassuring to Lord Vessel.

His face was still tense, and he smacked his lips as if he had something to say.

I couldn’t get a single word out of him no matter how long I waited.

“Do you want me to despise you, Lord? Should we never see each other again?”

Lord Vessel, who had hesitated at my question, nervously opened his mouth.

“If that is what you want…… do as you please.”

As he said this, his face revealed an intense willingness to accept whatever decision I make.

Perhaps it’s just my imagination.

In a moment Caleb’s figure overlapped over Lord Vessel.

‘As leader and vice-commander, they are uncannily similar.’

I raised my head and opened my mouth with a long sigh.

“Okay, then I’ll do as I please.”

“…… Yes.”

Lord Vessel bent his head in respect.

Because he was tall and bulky, his small actions stood out even more.

He had the look of a full-grown dog, with his shoulders dropping and his head lowered.

‘It’s just the way he is.’

Why were you act like that when it was you who said you will accept whatever it is?

Smirk- I almost laughed, but I held myself.

Instead, I stretched out and patted Lord Vessel on the back.

“What……”

“This is my answer, Lord Vessel.”

Lord Vessel closed his mouth in response to my comments. Nonetheless, I continued to pat him.

“You must have had a hard time, right?”

“……”

“You must have felt uneasy.”

“Don’t you hate me?”

“Not at all.”

“Don’t you hate or have a hard time looking at me?”

“No, not at all. Absolutely not.”

Not once did I stop my hand while responding to him.

‘I’m gradually becoming numb.’

It was at this time that my arms began to tremble as if I had a cramp in my arm. Lord Vessel opened his mouth.

“……I like you.”

“What?”

My hand, which was comforting Lord Vessel, came to a halt.

What was it I just heard?

Lord Vessel paused at my reaction and quickly shook his hand.

“No, I don’t mean I like you as a woman……! Fa-family! I like you as a family. Even if you are not my family, that is how I like you! Don’t get me wrong!”

“Is that so?”

“Yes! Truly!”

Can I trust this man?

When I still saw Lord Vessel with my eyes narrowed, he continued to mumble gibberish about how much he cherished me as family.

The laughter I have been holding from before exploded.

Pfftt- Puahahahah…

Lord Vessel blinked at me.

He seemed as if he didn’t understand why I was laughing.

Lord Vessel frowned for a minute as I laughed even harder at his silly reaction, and it wasn’t until then that he realized he’d been teased.

Soon after, he laughed along with me.

We then went for a walk together.

We initially went in opposite directions.

I was going to go to the carriage station, and Lord Vessel intended to go to the Knights Templar.

But Lord Vessel claimed he’d take me there, so I accepted his offer.

Perhaps because of the relaxed atmosphere, we were able to have an open and honest conversation.

It was more like listening to Lord Vessel than having a conversation.

Anyway, there were two things that struck me during the conversation.

That he was sorry for not coming to see me beforehand to apologize with the Marquis, and that he couldn’t come because he believed I might have a hard time if I saw him.

The former didn’t particularly interest me.

Because I knew Lord Vessel would have to go to the Knights Templar during the week. And, because I knew Vivian’s true identity, I didn’t put him on the same side as Vivian.

The latter was similar.

Seeing Lord Vessel did not remind me of what Vivian had done to me.

That’s why I was able to assure him that I was completely alright.

“Thank you for taking me here, Lord.”

“No, but is it okay for you to leave without first seeing the Commander?”

“I don’t want to bother him for no reason. After all, I’ll be seeing him in the evening. More than anything else……”

I waved the envelope with the notary I had cherished in my arms.

“I have something to do.”

Lord Vessel, with a puzzled expression on his face, looked at the plain envelope in my hand.

Even so, he won’t be able to tell what’s going on because he can’t see anything.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a secret for now.”

I laughed and put my index finger to my mouth.

Shhhh- 

Not to add that Lord Vessel’s expression became even more perplexed.

⇺⇺⇺⇼⇻⇻⇻

“Iena!”

Veloka rushed at me as soon as I stepped inside the troupe’s entryway.

Veloka exclaimed in excitement as I unexpectedly hugged her.

“Welcome! Let’s come in.”

Veloka smelt fresh, as if she’d just washed, and her wet red hair stuck to her forehead.

“How did you know that I was coming? What about the performance?”

“The performance had just finished. So I cleaned and dried my hair when I noticed you walking through my room window. So I came down quickly!”

Veloka, who had moved away from me, had only touched my arm with her hand.

“You look to be a little thinner than before.” Your slim body has shrunk since I met you. Your face had been decrease in half.”

“I don’t think it’s even half.”

“That’s just how we say it, you girl.”

Veloka crept up next to me and tapped the back of my arm with her elbow. I laughed at her, and she laughed along with me.

Veloka soon gripped my hands and gave me a serious gaze, as if she hadn’t teased me before.

“I read about you in the weekly magazine. You did a great job…… How are you doing now, are you okay?”

“Yes. Everything worked out in the end.”

“I can only tell you that you did a great job. I have no idea why there are so many bad guys.”

Veloka continued to curse the crown prince after that.

There was no longer Veloka, who used to compliment the crown prince on his beauty. There was only Veloka who vented her rage incessantly.

I felt glad when she cursed, but I couldn’t complete my mission this way, so I had to cut Veloka’s curses.

“By the way, Veloka, I’m sorry, but I have something to do with the owner of the Theater. So, do you mind if we talk about it later?”

“Sure! The owner of the theater is inside. Would you like me to go with you?”

“I’m very grateful.”

Veloka grinned warmly at my remarks and immediately placed her arms around mine.

⇺⇺⇺⇼⇻⇻⇻

“Welcome, Lady.”

It was the first thing the theater owner said to me when she saw me. Embarrassed by the unanticipated address, I called her.

“Master?”

“Yes, Lady.”

I suddenly remembered what the emperor had said to me as he handed me a notarized certificate.

Didn’t His Majesty mention he’d been calling the theater company to talk about it?

No.

Even if it wasn’t for that, the Theater’s owner had to have known. I also sent an invitation to the owner of the theater for the engagement ceremony.

“Uh…… just call me comfortably.”

“No, it’s a right that you deserve.”

“We’ve known each other since before, but I’m embarrassed if you address me lika that. Veloka also calls me the same as well. So, Master, you will do the same.”

“In that case, I will.”

The owner of the Theater eventually laughed and remarked.

“Welcome, Iena. I haven’t seen you in almost a year. Although it is late, congratulations on your engagement.”

“Thank you.”

“More than that, I heard from His Majesty. I owe you a great deal on this project.”

“Somehow it happened that way, Master.”

“You did an excellent job.”

I didn’t give it much thought, but I was ashamed to be commended in this way, so I handed out an envelope with the notarized certificate to quickly change the subject.

“Did His Majesty give you this?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, my God, this really does come true.”

The Theater’s owner, who took out the notary from the envelope, recited it with a face full of emotion.

When Veloka saw the reaction, she tilted her head.

“What? What’s going on?”

“You don’t know about it, Veloka?”

“I hadn’t told anyone yet because I was afraid it would all come crashing down at any moment. We never know if His Majesty acts merely on a whim and will take it away again.”

In the end, she didn’t tell Veloka.

Of course, I didn’t blame the owner of the Theater.

Things that were in the planning stages were frequently overturned.

Furthermore, His Majesty was the emperor who had prohibited the play since his accession to the throne.

It was natural for the theater’s owner to be dubious.

“We can tell her now, right?”

“If you don’t mind.”

“I’ll tell her then. Actually, the theater was given the opportunity to perform a play in the Imperial Palace.”

“At-at the Imperial Palace!? Really? It’s the Imperial Palace?”

“Yes.”

“That’s incredible……”

Veloka placed her hands across her warm cheeks, which matched the hue of her hair.

“Oh my goodness, a stage in the Imperial Palace……! I never imagined that would happen in my lifetime!”

“That’s what I thought, until I met the Emperor.”

“Is this what you said earlier that you owe a lot to Iena, Master?”

“That’s exactly right.”

“Daebak!” exclaimed Veloka.

“How in the hell did you do that?”

“It’s long, in some ways. I’ll explain later.”

“Okay. Will you then join us when we perform at the Imperial Palace?”

“Yes.”

“Are you returning to the theater this time?”

“Perhaps not?”

As I said this, I cast a glance at the owner of the theater.

This opportunity seemed owed to me, but it actually belonged to the Theater’s owner, and I couldn’t do it without her consent, no matter how badly I wanted to return.

Fortunately, the owner of the Theater nodded willingly.

“Wow! Can I tell Lina and the others about this?”

“Sure.”

“Thank you! Lina hasn’t appeared to be in a good mood lately. If we tell her, she will undoubtedly like it.”

“Is Lina feeling down?”

“Yeah. She look a little down as if she had any concerns lately.”