For Sale: Male Lead, Obsession Included - Chapter 28
“What? Look at this! Confidential documents found in your room! Do you still intend to deny it?”
Thud.
Pandrion crumpled a few sheets of paper in his hand and shouted. My shoulders flinched reflexively, but I didn’t back down.
“While it is true that I stole the documents, the accusation of trying to sell out the family is a false charge!”
I glanced at Pacion, who stood calmly beside the Margrave, then bowed even lower and pleaded earnestly.
“I was only trying to protect the family in my own way. I never intended to harm it in any way!”
“Ha! And what makes you think I’ll believe that?”
“Please, believe me, Father! I’ve worked under you for the sake of the family for five years. Though it was tough, I didn’t shy away from overtime and extra work because I was proud to be doing something beneficial for the family! Why would someone like me ever do anything to harm it?”
The Margrave frowned and looked up at Pacion.
It seemed he wanted to believe me, who had worked by his side for a long time, rather than Pacion, whose head seemed to be full of nonsense. His sharp gaze towards Pacion reflected this.
The five years of hard work at his side were finally paying off today.
I had thought he would blindly believe his only son, but seeing the Margrave’s trust in me, I exhaled a small sigh of relief.
‘Things are going to go smoothly.’
To hide the smile creeping up on my lips, I pressed my body closer to the floor and appealed with tears.
“Brother Pacion, Father! I am truly innocent! I am not bold enough to sell out the family! Father, you’ve watched over me for a long time, you know this, don’t you…?”
At my persuasive plea, Pacion’s lips twisted in displeasure.
“Lies. She’s a cunning snake, adept at hiding her true intentions. Father, don’t be fooled.”
“Hmph!”
Lately, the Margrave had been contemplating treating his competent illegitimate child like a real daughter, given how idiotic his only legitimate daughter was.
Pandrion closed his eyes tightly.
After a moment, when he spoke again, his voice was terribly strained.
“What do you mean you were trying to protect the family?”
Yes, this was the moment I had been waiting for.
I quickly answered.
“I was trying to dispose of documents that would harm the family. I wasn’t trying to smuggle them out.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The blue-eyed father and son both raised an eyebrow identically.
“I heard that investigators were dispatched from the capital to search the Margraviate!”
“What?”
Pandrion glanced at Pacion, the butler, and the steward, but they seemed unaware as well.
“Isn’t that just a rumor? Why did you make such an important decision on your own?”
“That’s because… no one would believe the words of an illegitimate child like me!”
Ah-.
I made sure not to forget to inject a sob into my tearful voice.
That way, seeing my pitiful state, the Margrave’s heart might waver.
A brief silence fell.
“…Nonsense.”
Pacion’s incredulous scoff quietly echoed.
I lifted my tear-streaked face and continued to stare at him as I spoke.
“It’s true. If you don’t believe me, send a messenger to find out. They should be arriving any moment now.”
Pandeleon, knowing from experience that I wasn’t talking nonsense, was about to give the order to the butler, albeit with some skepticism.
Suddenly, the Margraviate outside became noisy.
A black-clad group had just crossed the main gate and was advancing towards the mansion.
As Pandeleon stood up in surprise, the office door burst open, and a pale-faced knight rushed in.
He was so out of breath from running that he could barely speak.
“M-Master. The Duke, the Duke has arrived!”
“What? Who?”
“The Duke of Ragnar from the capital!”
Simultaneously, Pandeleon and Pacion’s blue eyes bore into me.
I bowed my head deeply to hide the smile spreading across my lips.
‘Things are going smoothly.’
For the Duke to arrive at this timing.
It seems I might have some sort of transmigrator buff. How else could things align so perfectly?
Meeting Declan’s anxious gaze, which had been fixed on my left cheek, I mouthed to him, ‘It’s okay.’
Your suffering ends now.
Declan’s red eyes, along with his faint trembling, stilled.
“Lock her in the dungeon for now! And move quickly! Hide anything incriminating! Hide the slaves too! Pacion, you move as well! Damn, what is this!”
I bit my lips as I watched the father and son scurry around in a panic.
If I didn’t, I felt like I might break into a grin, showing my pearly whites.
