Rolling in Bed with the Male Lead

"It seems my hand slipped."

An expression he had never seen on her before, accompanied by an atmosphere that was not merely cold, but downright chilling.

"?.."

La-Lady Daphne?..

Richard's aquamarine eyes trembled violently after having wine poured over him twice.

Lady Daphne...

Could she... make such an expression too?..

Witnessing a side of her he had never seen before, Richard's mouth fell open stupidly. His thoughts ground to a halt like a broken machine.

That angelic Lady Daphne!..

It was truly bewildering.

Wha-what in the world?..

Did I do something wrong? There is no way Lady Daphne would act like this... Or perhaps she is not Lady Daphne? Or else, or else...

Drip, drip.

As wine dripped from the ends of his hair, drowning out all the questions swirling through his mind, he saw it.

Richard.

Daphne was carefully moving only her lips.

I'll help you. I will.

With her eyes, she gestured toward Cailus.

Richard's gaze froze for a moment. Belatedly, a memory flashed through his mind.

Before the ball, she had firmly clasped both his hands and made him a promise.

I'm truly sorry for not understanding your feelings, Richard!.. I-I'll do everything I can to help you.

"!.."

Richard squeezed his eyes shut.

He had realized her intention one step too late.

So...

The so-called Distraction Strategy.

She must have thought that causing a scene would draw Cailus's attention.

However...

Lady Daphne!..

She had overlooked something crucial.

As if that bastard would even bat an eye at this!..

Look over there.

Cailus stood glaring at them with a gaze sharp and cold enough to cut, without showing the slightest concern for Richard.

Since Richard was the one who had suffered the mishap, his expression seemed to say that Richard had undoubtedly provoked her anger.

Right. There is no chance.

Sensing failure, Richard opened his tightly closed eyes with resignation.

"Richa—"

Just as Cailus was about to utter his name in a frigid voice—

"Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Daphne cut him off.

Turning to look at him over her shoulder, she spoke in a voice that was not merely cold, but downright chilling.

"This is my affair. I decline your interference."

From Richard's perspective, her back looked resolute.

"Daphne, this is..."

"I said I decline. Do not interfere in my 'affair.'"

"But..."

"Your Highness. Do you truly not understand my 'thoughts'?"

A strange tension passed between them.

"?.."

Richard could see only Daphne's back, so he could not know what expression she wore, but he could tell that something unusual was unfolding.

"Please allow me to have my way."

"Daphne..."

The expression on Cailus's face as he looked at her grew increasingly dark.

What is this?

It was almost as though he were being threatened.

Just as Richard began to wonder—

"..."

Cailus squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth.

As though he were about to do something he would rather die than do.

He approached Richard.

Then...

He extended his hand.

"Are you al...right, Young Master?"

At the very center of the ballroom, he held his hand out to Richard, who was drenched in wine.

"?.."

At the sudden change in attitude, Richard blinked twice.

"You must... have been quite startled... Young Master. Take... my hand and rise."

The words came out haltingly. His white-gloved hand remained extended toward Richard.

Faced with a preposterous sight he would never have imagined even in a dream, Richard froze completely.

He looked around.

Then, before long...

Hang in there, Richard!

He spotted Lady Daphne cheering him on with the movements of her lips.

This is Lady Daphne's doing...

Richard could not decide whether to laugh or cry.

Considering his ultimate goal, it was clearly something to be grateful for, but...

No.

This is fine for now. Lady Daphne has already set the stage.

He could not possibly act like a fool incapable of taking what was being handed to him.

Richard slowly raised his head.

His fine platinum hair swayed in a delicate arc, and the wine-soaked strands gleamed all the more tragically.

"Your Highness..."

"Yes. Are you all right, Young Master?"

Sob... As expected, only Your Highness understands me!

Richard threw himself into Cailus's arms.

No, it was closer to slamming his entire body into him with all his strength.

"!.."

He felt the other man's upper body flinch and stiffen.

"What in the..."

And beneath it, a heart pounding rapidly, as though expressing its displeasure.

"Young Master Fried—"

Unable to bear it, Cailus furrowed his brow.

Richard lifted his head slightly.

What are you doing?

Richard grinned.

Looking up at the man who stood nearly a handspan taller than him, he whispered,

"Hold me."

Go ahead and push me away if you want to look bad in front of Lady Daphne.

"..."

Cailus's cold expression hardened further.

He fell silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought.

Gazing up at him, Richard smiled even more brightly.

After all, there was no other choice.

It was unmistakably the smile of a victor.

"..."

Perhaps realizing the same thing, Cailus bit his lip as though suppressing a sigh.

He turned his head aside, then wrapped an arm around Richard and held him firmly by the back and waist.

Good heavens!..

What on earth is happening?

The nobles watching the scene began to murmur.

Lady Beatus poured wine over Young Master Friedrich, yet His Highness the Crown Prince is taking the young master's side?

Wasn't His Highness the Crown Prince supposed to be fond of Lady Beatus?

Then why is he not taking her side?..

Each of them muttered about the bewildering situation.

Come to think of it, strange rumors have been circulating lately...

Ah, you mean 'that' rumor? Then perhaps...

They exchanged suspicious glances.

And the conclusion they reached was—

Could His Highness truly be interested in Young Master Friedrich?..

Naturally, there were objections as well.

A viscount raised his voice.

"Then what about Lady Beatus?"

However, unable to erase the image of Cailus embracing Richard from their minds, the nobles spoke almost in unison.

"Could she be... a cover?"

"Perhaps His Highness the Crown Prince also prefers men..."

An unbearably intriguing love triangle.

The ballroom grew noisy as the nobles whispered among themselves.

Heh.

The corner of Richard's mouth curled upward.

"..."

Cailus, who had apparently heard the nobles' murmurs as well, scowled.

"Young Master Friedrich."

He pulled Richard away from him.

"Rather than remaining here like this, you should go to the guest lounge immediately."

Pretending to look after Richard, Cailus placed a hand on his shoulder and began walking.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Struggling to suppress the laughter welling up inside him, Richard followed.

They passed through the corridor and reached the guest lounge.

Thud.

The instant the door closed, Cailus withdrew his hand from Richard as though he had touched something filthy.

"..."

Richard discreetly brushed off the shoulder Cailus had touched. He was not tolerant enough to endure prolonged contact with something dirty either.

"Young Master Friedrich."

A frigid voice echoed through the room.

"Yes, Your High—"

Before Richard could finish answering—

Wham!

A swift hand closed around his throat.

"Now you are even coaxing Daphne into your schemes?"

Bang!

Richard's back slammed against the wall. As the pressure constricted his windpipe, his breathing grew shallow.

"Ugh, Your Highness..."

"How many more times must I warn you? I clearly told you that I have no interest in you."

Cailus glared at Richard with murderous eyes and growled.

"..."

Richard remained silent for a moment.

The corner of his mouth twisted upward.

Rejecting me.

Such intense rejection was laughable.

Do you hate it that much?

Had I known you would hate it this much, I should have done this sooner.

"I..."

Suppressing a sneer, Richard spoke.

You cannot reject me.

My goal is Lady Daphne's happiness.

For that, I would sell my soul to the devil. I will seduce you no matter what.

"Your Highness... I do not understand why you are doing this."

"Hah?"

"Why you reject me so vehemently..."

Gradually forcing his choked breathing under control, Richard grabbed Cailus's wrist and wrenched it away.

Then, using that same wrist—

Bang!

He slammed it against the wall.

Richard pinned Cailus between the wall and his own body and looked up at him.

It would have been preferable to look down on him, but as the second male lead, Richard was nearly a handspan shorter than Cailus.

With no choice but to look up, Richard's eyes gleamed like those of a madman.

"How long do you think you can keep rejecting me, Your Highness?"

"Hah?"

"You will grow accustomed to it."

Before Cailus could finish protesting, Richard brought his face closer and whispered,

"Soon, you will come to enjoy it as well, Your Highness."

"Young Master."

"You may say you dislike it, but one day, you will come to enjoy it."

No trace of reason remained in those aquamarine eyes.

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