I Was Just Trying To Raise Male Lead

Chapter 3

 

“Come in.”

A low voice came through the thick wooden door. It was a small sound that seemed to come from afar, but tension spread throughout my body.

My body moved awkwardly as I followed Catherine. I glanced down and realized that my right hand and right foot were moving together.

I couldn’t do anything about it, so I had to make a face. With the corners of my mouth pulled up, I entered the office.

Papers were stacked high on either side of a large desk, with him in between.

Duke Raynan Loerian. Originally, he was not the successor to the Duke, but he was a man whose fate was reversed due to the misfortune that suddenly came to the Duke.

He must have known that someone had entered, but he did not raise his head or look away.

Catherine stood in front of the desk as if familiar with him, her hands clasped, and she stood up straight. I hesitated and took a seat behind her.

The moment I stopped walking, I felt the warmth drain from my hands. I looked down and saw Edwin standing stiffly with his hands on his hips, looking nervous.

Even after the three people who entered the office stopped moving, for a while only the sound of a pen passing over the paper filled the space.

Is it because of the atmosphere that even the air is frozen? The squeaking sound was very small, but it was very sharp and reached my ear like the sound of a secretly sharp knife.

I felt a creepy feeling, and my body shuddered without realizing it.

Suddenly, I felt the skirt pulling, and I shifted my gaze. Edwin was holding my skirt tightly with a stiff face.

I must have done it without realizing it, because he seemed to have forgotten I existed.

Edwin’s gaze moving back and forth between the floor and Raynan was cautious but very busy.

When I removed the little hand holding the skirt, Edwin looked up at me in amazement. Seeing that his face quickly turned into tears, he must have thought that he had made a mistake.

Instead of telling him it’s okay, I held his hand and smiled a little.

I wondered if that was enough to convey my meaning.

Edwin’s face softened a little. Edwin looked down at the clasped hands for a moment, then looked at me with a bright smile as always.

It was when we looked at each other and smiled.

Srak–

I heard the sound of putting down the pen. At the same time, Edwin trembled slightly.

I was no different from Edwin, who raised my head and looked at Raynan. It was because Raynan was staring at me when I raised my head.

A thin light streamed through the curtain behind him. As the sunlight moved, his hair seemed to shake. Like being blown away by the refreshing wind.

Underneath his shiny silver hair was a well-groomed face. Unlike Edwin, who had a round face, his well-cut facial features were truly good-looking.

It was time to look at the tightly closed lips along the smooth falling nose. His lips moved slowly.

“Terese successor?”

As I stared blankly at Raynan’s face, I was startled. It was because I realized that I had been looking at him openly without realizing it.

There was a hint of pity in Raynan’s purple eyes.

“Yes. I’m Renee. I have been serving young master Edwin for a while now.”

As I bowed my head in greeting.

There was only a slight change in his posture, but it was only for a brief moment that he was bewildered by the languid atmosphere that quickly took over.

His posture and atmosphere had changed, but his eyes were not much different from before.

The indifferent eyes, unable to read any emotion, were staring at me. Our gazes intertwined in midair.

It was enough to make my skin crawl. His eyes, unreadable for what they held, seemed to envelope my body.

His gaze slowly shifted to Catherine.

I let out an involuntary breath. Only then did she realize that she hadn’t been breathing properly all this time.

On the contrary, there was someone in his eyes who was as stiff as I was a moment ago. It was Edwin.

I forgot for a moment that I was holding Edwin’s hand. It was Edwin who reminded me of that.

It was hard to believe that the strength in my hand was because of a child. Perhaps it wasn’t just the hands, but the whole body.

“Why did you bring Edwin?”

Catherine was momentarily perplexed at Raynan’s blunt question. As soon as she took all her expressions and looked at me, Raynon’s gaze also touched me.

“He has a present for the Duke. Young master?”

I looked down at Edwin and called to him in a softer voice than at any other time. But Edwin took his step back little by little.

After all, it looked like he was hiding behind me, and Raynon tilted his head slightly, not sure if he liked the way he looked.

“Fa-father.”

He even succeeded in calling out Raynan with a trembling voice. But he didn’t seem to have the courage to go beyond that.

Without taking a single step forward, Edwin only looked at Raynan.

With a heart to support him, I took Edwin’s hand with a little more force. Edwin held my hand even stronger, but he couldn’t find the courage to do so.

I could have waited for Edwin as much as I could, but will Raynan do the same? Was he the one who gave him a chance?

I looked at Raynan anxiously, wondering if he would send Edwin away coldly. But to my surprise, he continued to stare at Edwin in the same position he had been in earlier.

Even if Edwin didn’t move or speak, he just looked at him without saying a word. As if waiting, without any urgency.

“Young master Edwin?”

Even so, he couldn’t wait for Edwin to make a move. I didn’t want to imagine what his reaction would be if Raynan lost his patience.

Hearing my cautious prompting, Edwin crouched and walked forward slowly.

It took quite a while to put the paper he was holding onto the desk, but it was only a matter of moments before he was back at my side.

“What is this?”

Raynan reached out and picked up a white wad of paper. He seemed to be questioning an object that did not fit the word gift.

“This is the rose that the young master folded.”

At my explanation, he paused, examining the wad of paper nonchalantly. He immediately looked back with hardened eyes.

“What?”

I’m sure you heard it right. Should I answer again? For a moment, I was in big trouble.

Because I thought my answer might upset him.

With a slightly shocked expression on his face, he turned the roll of paper back and forth, then turned his gaze back to me. The sharp eyes that seemed to stare at me gave me a lot of pressure.

“What is that?”

“A rose….”

“Is the one held on your other hand… also a rose?”

“Yes. He gave it to me as a gift.”

As I nodded with a happy face, Raynan’s face grew a little more serious. I felt a shiver run down my spine as he stiffened to the point of looking murderous. There was only one thing to do in this situation.

Smile. Because they say you can’t spit on a smiling face.

As I awkwardly raised the corners of my lips little by little, Raynan’s face began to grow harsher. When I gave him the brightest smile I could, he had such a grim face.

… Can you spit on a smiling face?

In an instant, my mind was filled with many thoughts. What the hell was the best thing I could have done?

No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t find a suitable answer. How many people can calmly organize their thoughts while receiving the stinging eyes? At least not me.

I struggled to suppress the desire to cry and started looking for a better alternative.

Let me tell you how difficult it is to fold a rose. That was when I decided that it was probably the best alternative.

“Th-Thanks…”

An awkward word escaped Raynan’s mouth.

Did I hear it wrong? It could be if I’m too nervous.

After blinking for a moment, I turned my head. Edwin was also looking at me with a bewildered face, so he must have listened to it too.

Did I hear it right?

His eyes widened. At the same time, a look of pride spread across the small child’s face.

Seeing the innocent face that couldn’t hide his excitement, I also forgot the situation and smiled.

“I think Edwin should get out of here.”

Raynan said in a calm voice as quickly as if he had ever done that. Edwin didn’t answer and looked at Raynan and me.

Are you worried about leaving me? His gaze stayed on me for quite some time.

Of course, it wasn’t that I didn’t understand Edwin’s concerns. If I had to leave Edwin alone in front of Raynan, too, I wouldn’t be able to take my steps easily.

Especially after meeting Raynan in person.

But Edwin, don’t you think I’m better than you? I mean, I’m scared too, but I’m a grown-up…

Oh, I wish I could go with you. Why should I stay?

After mourning inside for a while, I suppressed my desire to go out, and then bowed my head to meet Edwin’s eyes.

“Why don’t you fold another rose and give it to Catherine as well?”

“To Catherine?”

“Yes.”

Edwin looked at Catherine with a sullen face. Catherine nodded with a faint smile as if she understood my intentions.

“The Duke has received it, and Renee has received it, so I would like to receive it as well.”

“Yes. I’ll give it to Catherine as well.”

“I look forward to it.”

The content was quite friendly, but the voice was still stiff. Edwin’s face, however, brightened.

He nodded, his eyes twinkling as if he were nervous, and the servant who had been waiting behind him approached.

Taking his hand, he led Edwin out of the office, and once again the heavy air weighed me down.

No, I didn’t know that maybe the atmosphere was more heavy than before. How the hell am I supposed to breathe in such an atmosphere?

As I pondered the question of natural breathing, Raynan’s eyes met mine. His gaze was quite intense and seemed to be scanning me.

His gaze moved slowly, but it was just as detailed.

Everywhere his gaze landed, it felt like it was going to get cramped. The gaze that had been looking at me like that for a long time came back to my face.

No more. I couldn’t keep a straight face anymore.

Just when I thought that I should give up on facial expression, one corner of Raynan’s lips went up.

Are you smiling?

Confused, I just blinked my eyes and then he opened his mouth.