Rolling in Bed with the Male Lead

The Countess was speechless, her lips moving soundlessly. Then the Marquise to her right shot Richard a look.

"Young Lord Friedrich. Even if you do that, nothing will change."

"Huh?"

The Marquise said coldly,

"Do you not know?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince has a woman he loves, after all."

Give up. You have no chance.

Her gaze, conveying that meaning, pierced Richard.

"His Highness the Crown Prince is in love with Lady Beatus. It would be best for you to give up before it is too late, Young Lord."

Yet Richard remained unresponsive, merely chewing his cake.

"I know."

He nonchalantly extended his fork and said,

"But he'll soon come to like me more."

"Huh?"

Having utterly failed to get through to him, even the Marquise seemed at a loss for words. She let out a hollow laugh, the corner of her mouth trembling.

"This is simply impossible to listen to!"

Unable to stand it any longer, a Viscount intervened.

"Tsk! Are you truly in your right mind?! How can a man love another man?"

A deep, booming voice erupted in anger.

"..."

Richard slowly turned his head toward the direction the voice had come from.

He stared blankly at the other man and asked,

"Why not?"

Richard blinked a couple of times.

"Well, obviously! It's vulgar and filthy!"

As if stating the obvious, the Viscount's voice grew louder.

"And what about the succession?!"

He snorted.

"How would a man like you get pregnant?"

"Huh?"

Richard asked with innocent eyes.

"?.."

The Viscount's eyes narrowed.

"Viscount. Uh... do you truly not know?"

As if bewildered, his blue eyes wandered, unable to find a place to settle. As though asking how anyone could possibly not know such a thing.

"There... there's a way?"

The Viscount wrinkled his nose and asked.

"Well..."

Richard rolled his eyes. Then, in a placid tone, he opened his mouth, as if stating the obvious fact that the sun rose in the morning and set at night.

"If His Highness the Crown Prince were to pin me to the bed, tear off my clothes, and have his way with me... then, obviously—"

"Enough, Young Lord Friedrich!"

Before the vulgar words could continue, the Viscount barked loudly.

He must truly be mad...

Aren't you ashamed?

The nobles glanced at Richard and whispered among themselves. The rumor that he had acted like a madman in the banquet hall was no exaggeration. The young master of Friedrich truly was not in his right mind.

It was at that moment, when the nobles, not wanting to hear any more outrageous words, finally fell silent.

"So you're that fond of sodomy, Young Lord Friedrich?"

An elderly Baron with a sinister air approached Richard. His sticky gaze swept up and down Richard's body.

"Hmm, though your face is quite pretty..."

His hand roughly ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) seized Richard's chin, and he brought his lecherous face close.

"!.."

The watching nobles frowned. Baron Palos was infamous for his vile character.

"Shall I let you taste what a man is like?"

The Baron licked his lips as though savoring something. He was notorious for summoning handsome young men to his bedroom every night to molest them.

"..."

Richard said nothing. His gaze fell to the floor. His deeply bowed shoulders trembled intermittently.

"?.."

The watching nobles wondered. He had not seemed bothered earlier, but had those words hurt him...

That was the moment.

"Kuh..."

A suppressed laugh burst through Richard's teeth.

"Hahahahaha!"

Soon, he threw his head back and roared with laughter.

"Hah, ah, I'm sorry, Baron. It's just that I heard such an amusing story..."

Richard wiped the corner of his eye and rose from his chair. In an instant, his blue eyes turned icy cold.

"However."

Richard closed in on the elderly Baron and roughly grabbed his shoulder.

"It seems you are misunderstanding something."

His voice dropped to a chilling tone.

"!.."

The elderly Baron's shoulder flinched.

"It's not because His Highness the Crown Prince is a 'man' that I like him."

Richard bared his teeth as though he might devour the other man, a clear smile hanging at the corner of his mouth.

"I,"

A momentary, suffocating silence. Fire blazed in his eyes as he enunciated each word clearly, as though chewing them up and spitting them out.

"do not bother with anyone who doesn't measure up... down there."

"..."

"?.."

The nobles doubted their ears. What had he just said?..

"It has to be big. 'That.'"

As if to turn their doubt into certainty, Richard spat out the words sharply once more.

"..."

"..."

"Good heavens."

Beginning with one person's sigh, the nobles started inching away from Richard.

He's truly a madman...

There were limits to madness. If someone was this mad, it was best not to get involved. How could he utter such obscenities at a gathering of nobles?

Yet even as they thought that, they could not quite shake off a certain thought.

But...

It was a thought they all shared.

Could it be that he's seen it?

Young Lord Friedrich, who would not meet anyone who was not bigger than him. The one he loved was His Highness the Crown Prince. That meant the Crown Prince was...

!..

It was at that moment, as horror spread across the nobles' faces.

"His Highness the Crown Prince, the Empire's Little Sun, graces us with his presence!"

At the soldier's booming announcement, the glass doors of the conservatory garden opened.

And.

"..."

A man with hair as black as pitch-dark night entered the conservatory. Eyes as red as blood slowly scanned the interior.

"!.."

The nobles immediately straightened and bowed toward the Empire's future master.

"We greet His Highness the Crown Prince, the Empire's Little Sun."

Among the bowing nobles, Richard lifted his head. He stared into Cailus's red eyes as though he would devour them.

"..."

Twitch.

Cailus's eyebrow moved slightly. His gaze immediately pierced Richard. The moment their eyes met, a knight announced another arrival.

"Lady Daphne Beatus of the Beatus Marquise House graces us with her presence."

Her spring-flower-pink frilled dress fluttering, Daphne entered the conservatory garden.

"Lady Daphne!.."

Richard, who had immediately torn his gaze from Cailus, shot up from his seat. The sight of her beautiful figure made his heart pound.

"Richard!.. Hello."

Daphne smiled with a peculiar expression, like someone who had something on her mind.

"..."

The reason was immediately apparent. The incident at the last banquet. How could she not be bothered after her former fiancé had suddenly poured out a confession of love to her? The urge to explain himself then and there made Richard's lips twitch.

But Richard ultimately swallowed his words.

There are too many eyes watching.

Many nobles were present, including Cailus. As someone who needed to seduce Cailus, Richard could tell her nothing right now.

With Daphne's arrival, the tea party officially began.

"..."

"..."

Perhaps because of Richard's earlier bombastic declaration about "size," no one dared speak carelessly. Silence continued in the frozen atmosphere.

"Daphne."

Amid it all, Cailus approached Daphne and courteously pulled out a chair for her.

"Won't you sit here?"

The seat of honor, right beside him.

"..."

However, Daphne's gaze as she looked at him was unbearably cold.

"Thank you, but that is all right, Your Highness."

Drawing a line with her words, Daphne circled halfway around the round table, distancing herself from him. She sat to Richard's left.

"!.."

His blue eyes widened slightly. But Richard, reminding himself of his purpose, forcibly calmed his racing heart.

Once everyone was seated, the maids carefully brought out silver trays bearing teapots. They began pouring warm tea, first for the Crown Prince and then for the nobles in descending order of rank.

"..."

Richard watched intently as the yellow tea was poured into Daphne's cup.

Poisoned tea.

Unlike when she poured tea for the other nobles, the maid tilted the teapot's handle to the right only when pouring Daphne's. Richard stared fervently at the yellow liquid sloshing in her cup.

It's mine.

He swallowed hard several times. He would watch for his chance, and before that poisoned tea entered Lady Daphne's mouth, he would snatch it and drink every drop.

It was the moment he steeled his resolve.

"Daphne. I had these prepared with your tastes in mind."

At the Crown Prince's gesture, the maids moved. They placed plates of pretty, appetizing cherry pudding, macarons, and walnut pies before Daphne.

"!.."

The nobles held their breath.

His Highness the Crown Prince had these prepared especially for Lady Beatus...

Oh my...

It was a considerate gesture for the woman he loved. For no reason, the noble ladies' ears flushed and their hearts fluttered.

Yet Daphne herself, the person concerned, wore a chilly smile.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

She expressed her gratitude aloud, but did not spare the desserts prepared for her a single glance.

"..."

Perhaps Cailus knew this as well, for his expression darkened.

"If you would only enjoy them at your leisure, since they are what you like..."

He was about to make another attempt.

Crash!

Richard slammed the table and shot to his feet.

And.

Splat.

He plunged his face straight into the cherry pudding prepared for Daphne.

"?.."

"What..."

The tea party was instantly engulfed in silence.

"Aah..."

Richard lifted his face with a brazen smile. Red pudding streamed down his cheek.

"I lost my balance for a moment, so I..."

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