The Obsession of the Tyrant Sub-Male Lead is Unnecessary

Episode 32

Laughter kept slipping out. Verona, unaware that she was smiling brightly, fed Carlos a piece of meat with her own hands.

After accepting the last piece, Carlos rose from his seat.

“We’ve delayed. Verona, there’s somewhere I want to go.”

“Wasn’t the goal to come to Dorable Square?”

“This wasn’t our final destination.”

Usually, this is the final destination for novel protagonists. Is there more? Curious, Verona followed Carlos.

She thought they might stop by a bustling jewelry store or a puppet theater, but Carlos passed by without a glance.

Maybe he intended to visit an antique or clothing shop, but it wasn’t there either.

They walked away from the bustling streets and headed toward a quiet field.

“Where exactly are we going?”

“We’re here.”

Under a massive tree, Carlos finally stopped. A clear, large lake came into view.

Carlos knelt down and gestured to Verona. Still puzzled, she moved closer and bent down beside him.

“Oh!”

Verona gasped as she saw a reflection in the rippling water.

Incredibly, what appeared in the lake’s reflection was her father. It was the familiar, beloved sight of Waterfall Castle.

The door with oatmeal-colored marble engraved with golden patterns was unmistakably the king’s chamber.

Her father, looking much healthier than she remembered, was seated at his desk, busy writing something.

“How…?”

All she could do was cover her mouth in astonishment.

She hadn’t seen him seated upright at a desk, engrossed in something, since she was young.

Due to his declining health, he usually handled matters with a scribe close by, resting in bed.

But here he was, holding a quill himself, reading documents directly…

Then, a familiar figure appeared beside her father.

Leti, who had been yawning on a long velvet chair, rose and approached her father.

He exchanged a few words with her father before placing a hand on his shoulder. A white light burst out, then quickly faded.

Her father looked incredibly pleased, saying something to Leti, who slowly nodded before disappearing. The vision in the lake faded shortly after.

“What…is this?”

“It’s a kind of magic.”

Carlos replied softly.

“This place is naturally concentrated with mana, making it ideal for showing images from physically distant places. Leti doesn’t have the ability to perform more than two spells simultaneously, so…”

“Sniff…”

“Verona?”

A surge of emotion welled up, moving her deeply. Unable to hold back, Verona buried her face in her hands.

“It’s okay, Verona. Your father is healthy.”

Carlos, at a loss, held her in his arms.

She couldn’t quite understand her reaction; she should have felt reassured to see her father well, but tears filled her eyes.

Carlos quietly patted her back until she calmed down. Sniffling, Verona finally looked up after a moment, wiping her eyes.

“Sorry for crying like that. Seeing my father just overwhelmed me with emotions.”

“There’s no need to apologize for caring about your father.”

“Thank you for the birthday gift. I never expected anything like this.”

Carlos gently helped her up, whispering.

“I appreciate that you’re thankful for such a small thing, but I seem to have made you cry again.”

“No, you didn’t…”

“There’s no need to apologize to me.”

Carlos cut her off gently.

“I don’t want to hear you say sorry to me.”

“Then…what?”

In his arms, Verona looked up at him with tearful eyes. Carlos was silent for a moment before speaking.

“I don’t want anything from you except…”

“Oh!”

Just as Carlos began to say something, he quickly turned, holding her tightly. Something whizzed by them, narrowly missing them.

If not for Carlos’ quick balance, they would have fallen into the lake.

“W-What was that?”

Startled, Verona looked in the direction the object had flown. A small arrow quivered as it was embedded in a nearby tree.

“We should return.”

Carlos spoke as he helped her to her feet. As she rose in a daze, she noticed a thin line etched across his cheek.

“Carlos, you have a cut on your cheek!”

“Verona, where’s your necklace?”

He seemed completely unconcerned with the wound on his cheek.

“Didn’t you wear it?”

“N-no, since we were going out, I left it behind. But Carlos, your cheek…”

“It’s dangerous here; we should leave quickly.”

A drop of blood from the wound trickled down his cheek, yet he turned his back to her, shielding her.

His stance fully protected her while exposing himself to potential danger.

The moment Verona realized he’d turned his back toward the direction from which the arrow had flown, her heart sank.

‘He’s unarmed.’

Like Verona, he was dressed in casual clothes. She had seen with her own eyes that he wore no armor, let alone carried a shield.

Yet Carlos moved without hesitation.

As if he had no fear of the attacker lurking behind him. Even though his cheek was grazed.

Carlos swiftly guided her away from the area, keeping her shielded from behind.

He remained silent until they reached Dorable Square, and Verona, feeling a lump in her throat, couldn’t bring herself to say anything either.

“Your Majesty.”

As they approached the square, knights dressed in plain clothes approached them. Carlos spoke calmly.

“There was an ambush. The location is beyond the lake.”

“We’ll head there immediately.”

Several agile knights sprinted toward the lake.

“Escort the princess carefully; she must be shaken.”

“What about you?”

Verona grasped Carlos’ collar. He paused as he was about to pass her to the knights, then spoke softly.

“You can relax now. Go ahead to the palace. I’ll look into what happened here…”

“That’s not it; you’re hurt.”

“…What?”

“Your cheek…”

Overcome with emotion, she struggled to continue. Carlos reached up to touch his cheek, as if only now realizing he was wounded.

“This is nothing. It’s hardly a wound. You must have been more shaken; go to the annex and rest warmly.”

But that’s not it.

Verona bit back tears.

‘Why doesn’t he care at all about himself?’

He always noticed every small thing about her, taking care of even the smallest details. She thought he was sensitive about health matters, but he seemed unconcerned about his own wellbeing.

If they hadn’t gone out, he wouldn’t have that injury on his face.

Feeling as though everything was her fault, Verona unconsciously reached out to touch his cheek. Carlos’s brow furrowed slightly, perhaps from the sting, but he comforted her.

“Verona, it’s nothing. Compared to the injuries I’ve taken in war, this is just a minor scratch. There’s no need to worry.”

“Well…”

Suddenly, an uninvited voice interrupted them. Verona and Carlos turned at the same time.

A luxurious carriage adorned with golden patterns on a black background had stopped. From the open door, someone stepped out.

“I thought you’d retired early, but it seems you’re still here.”

“Duke Portrey.”

Carlos’ face hardened as he moved to shield Verona behind him.

Osmund, draped in a black cloak embroidered with the same pattern as the carriage, approached with a smile.

“What’s the matter?”

“Feeling weary, I sought permission to leave a bit early. However, it seems I must ask the same of Your Majesty—how did you come to be injured?”

“Since when did the duke become my physician?”

“I am always a loyal servant concerned for Your Majesty’s well-being.”

Carlos looked straight at Osmund and smiled.

“Then as a loyal servant, you should exert some effort to ensure my safety.”

“What kind of effort might you mean?”

“Hand over your carriage.”

Osmund’s smooth expression stiffened slightly. Ignoring him, Carlos seated Verona inside the duke’s carriage.

“Take this back to the palace. Rudium! You’ll drive.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

At Carlos’ command, a knight promptly ousted the driver and took his place. The displaced driver hesitated and then stood beside Osmund.

“Carlos, but…”

Verona wanted to insist on staying with him, but a sharp pang suddenly struck her abdomen.

“Oh…”

Unconsciously, she clutched her stomach. Osmund’s gaze landed on her, his cold, snake-like eyes directed at her lower belly.

Startled, Verona flinched, though Carlos, closing the carriage door, didn’t seem to notice.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be there soon. Let’s go, Rudium.”

“Yes!”

Carlos sent the carriage toward the palace. The pain faded quickly.

Verona saw Carlos turn toward Osmund as the carriage sped away.

Once he confirmed that she was safely gone, Carlos spoke sharply.

“When did you leave the party?”

“Such an accusatory tone—Your Majesty, I’m hurt.”

“As the foremost noble of the Clarence Empire, leaving without courtesy is quite unbecoming. Are you so easily wounded by words, Duke?”

“Of course not, but Your Majesty has just taken my carriage.”

Osmund’s eyes sparkled with genuine amusement as he responded with unwavering calm.

‘Nothing out of the ordinary.’

Despite seeing the emperor injured outside the palace, he showed no surprise. His demeanor was exactly as the former Duke Portrey’s would have been. A cold smile formed on Carlos’ lips.

“Your Majesty!”

The knights who had run toward the lake were returning. Carlos turned to face them.

“Did you find anything?”

“Yes, however…”

The knights had brought back a boy, seemingly in his early teens. He was sniffling, held by the collar by the knights.

“Did the boy steal something?”

Osmund inquired. Without responding, Carlos approached them.

“We found him practicing archery over there. With this.”

One of the knights presented a bow and arrow he had retrieved. It matched the arrow pulled from the tree.

“Were you practicing archery in the woods?”

“Yes… please forgive me. I didn’t think anyone would get hurt. My father said there wouldn’t be many people around, so I was just practicing. Sob.”

Terrified, the boy began to cry, prompting the knights to explain apologetically.

“We searched the area and found targets and scarecrows, seemingly used for archery practice. The boy’s house is nearby. His father is a hunter and appears to have made this bow and arrows himself.”

Carlos sighed and instructed them to release the boy. Osmund suddenly raised his voice.

“You scoundrel, how dare you injure someone of noble blood and expect forgiveness? Name your parents! No, lead the way. You must face appropriate punishment.”

“Duke Portrey.”

Osmund was about to chastise the boy further when Carlos quietly spoke.

“Have you been drinking?”

“What? I had a couple of glasses of champagne, but why do you ask?”

“I didn’t know the duke’s tolerance was so low. Acting so presumptuously must mean you’re not in your right mind.”