The Villain's End Is Pregnancy - c104
“Viscount Dilane, what are you saying!”
Viscount Garigan immediately reacted to Julian’s words.
“Viscount, you always do your best to maintain the status quo. Unable to bear that sense of duty, your once proud eldest son ran away.”
“Viscount Dilane!”
“Such things happen because you don’t know how to change.”
Julian gave a pitiful look. Viscount Garigan’s expression hardened for a moment, but he quickly recovered.
“Of course an ignorant and vulgar lower-class nobleman like you, who only chases money, wouldn’t know. How important it is to protect the family.”
Even with the blatantly disrespectful remark, Julian didn’t bat an eye.
“The ever-so-noble high-class aristocrats are squeezing us lowly ones to protect their precious bloodline and family.”
“You’ve been claiming that for a while, but on what basis are you saying such things?”
“Do you really not know?”
At some point, the confrontation had shifted to Julian and Viscount Garigan. Ryan looked back and forth between the two in bewilderment.
Then, feeling a touch tapping his arm, he tried to turn his head. But before that, a warm sensation touched his ear.
“Ryan, let’s go inside.”
The whispering voice was Hendrick’s. No, more than that…
‘You created this mess, and now you want to go inside?’
What kind of nonsense is this? Ryan looked to the side in shock. Then he met a nonchalant face. He thought it was a joke, but apparently not.
Hendrick slowly moved away, trying to pull Ryan with him.
“Forced, you say? What was the reason us young nobles, including myself, came up to the capital to have an audience with His Majesty?”
Julian confronted Viscount Garigan directly.
“It’s because you, Viscount, imposed excessive taxes on us and tried to purchase our specialties at absurd prices.”
“That’s the same for every territory. No matter how new you are to being a lord and don’t know how things work, you should at least have that common sense.”
“That’s what I’m telling you is absurd.”
Viscount Garigan was just as formidable.
‘As expected of a cunning aristocrat who has lived as a nobleman for a long time.’
He seemed to waver a bit earlier, but now he’s leisurely dealing with his opponent. The problem is, unlike Viscount Garigan, Julian seems to be losing his composure.
Worried that Viscount Garigan might do something to Julian at this rate, Ryan found it hard to walk away easily.
“You don’t need to worry about Viscount Dilane.”
As if sensing Ryan’s concern, Hendrick spoke.
“His Majesty has already made it clear that the royal family will directly handle their specialties. So he can’t interfere with that.”
“Come to think of it, that was the reason Julian had been visiting the palace recently, because of the specialties.”
“That’s right. The count thinks he’s at a loss because of that, so he doesn’t like Viscount Dilane.”
“Isn’t that more of a problem then?”
“His Majesty has firmly stated that he won’t overlook any harm coming to Viscount Dilane and the others because of this, so it’s fine.”
This was also part of the original story. However, as far as Ryan remembered, it was an incident that surfaced in the latter part of the story, at the point where Julian’s relationship with Hendrick deepened.
‘Now, there’s not a single thing that goes the way I know it.’
Everything was subtly off-track, and he could clearly feel the difference now. The biggest change was right beside him.
Ryan’s gaze shifted to the side again.
“Ryan, why?”
“No, it’s nothing…”
It felt like he had swallowed a feather inside his ribs, tickling him. He clenched and unclenched his hand for no reason, and Hendrick’s hand immediately intertwined tightly between his fingers.
“Did the contract end well?”
Worried about what to say if he asked more, fortunately, Hendrick changed the subject.
“Yes. In addition to the existing works, we added a special clause to print all future publications as well.”
“You have a talent for business.”
“You too?”
Reminded of Viscount Garigan’s disparagement of him as a nobleman who only cared about money, Ryan frowned. Even though he had grown up as a nobleman for 20 years now, he couldn’t quite understand noblemen who acted noble but didn’t know how to make money properly.
‘In a capitalist society, even the chaebol work so hard.’
Of course, if you were a nobleman with vast territories, wealth would accumulate even if you did nothing. But even that was accumulated by exploiting the labor of others, wasn’t it?
“I meant you have the ability. As he said, you’re not complacent with the present but moving for the future.”
“It’s rare for you to speak well of Julian.”
“I’m just stating facts.”
After all, the reason Hendrick fell for Julian in the original story was because he was a progressive omega. Then, a question suddenly came to mind.
“You know, Hendrick.”
“Hmm?”
After finally opening his mouth, seeing the other person waiting for him to speak, Ryan belatedly realized how embarrassing his question was going to be.
“…Never mind.”
How could he even think of asking such a thing? Ryan fiddled with his reddening earlobes, pretending to be distracted.
He rolled his eyes here and there, pretending to be interested in something else. But it seemed Hendrick had no intention of letting it slide.
“What is it? If there’s something you’re curious about, just ask.”
Even with his attitude of granting anything, Ryan kept hesitating, so Hendrick changed his strategy and pushed a sweet carrot cake in front of him, asking.
“First, eat. You need to eat well to endure the head servant’s harassment again.”
He playfully smiled and gestured towards the king’s head servant, who was resting on one side. Ryan also chuckled and willingly moved his fork, stabbing the cake and bringing it to his mouth.
As the sweet taste spread in his mouth, a little courage welled up. Perhaps it was possible because there was always someone who waited for him to speak, warmly and affectionately.
“You know, Hendrick.”
He opened his mouth again in the same way.
“Yeah.”
“What do you like about me?”
Finally, the words that had been circling in his mouth spilled out. And he looked at Hendrick, holding his breath.
More precisely, at the lips that would say something.
“Ah…”
But what came out as they parted was a sigh-like long breath. Ryan couldn’t take his eyes off the sight of his lips opening and closing several times.
He must have been quite flustered, as his tongue came out to lick his lower lip, his teeth bit it, and it moved while pouting, all captured in Ryan’s eyes.
Then he witnessed Hendrick covering his mouth with his palm rather intensely, making a ‘tsk’ sound.
He slowly raised his eyes. Hendrick’s face immediately filled his vision.
“Uh…”
This time, Ryan also let out a somewhat dazed sound. He couldn’t help it. The face of the alpha, who was always calm and rarely showed changes in emotion, had turned completely red.
Moreover, the eyes that always gave a refreshing feeling were shaking violently like a wind-blown forest.
“Wh-What is it, Hendrick?”
Ryan opened his mouth to rebuke him. But realizing that his own voice was trembling, he closed it again.
He also noticed the hot sensation surging through his entire body, from his fingertips to his toes, neck, cheeks, and forehead.
“I don’t know. I don’t know what I like about you.”
Then, at Hendrick’s words, the temperature of his emotions dropped sharply. Even his face was hardening, but Hendrick’s mouth opened.
“Just looking at you makes my heart flutter, and I want to touch you somehow. I always want to be with you, and then again, your lips, your hands, your whole body…”
“Ahhh!”
Ryan couldn’t listen any further and quickly covered Hendrick’s mouth. He was so flustered that he covered it with both hands, not just one, resulting in his palms completely covering Hendrick’s sharp nose and handsome chin.
His face felt hot. No. His whole body felt warm. He wanted to fan himself because he was sweating, but he couldn’t.
He thought he should remove his hands, but his body wouldn’t obey. He just couldn’t do anything, only moving his mouth and butt.
“H-How can you say such things so casually!”
As Ryan spoke as if shooting back, Hendrick tilted his head. But even so, Ryan could tell he was smiling from the way the corners of his eyes curved. He could feel the corners of his mouth curving against his palms.
It tickled. It was sweet. And it seemed to have a taste similar to a little happiness.
“Ryan.”
At some point, his hands were enveloped by large palms and brought down. He heard a gentle call. As their eyes met, a fully smiling face filled his vision.
“I just like everything about you, so it’s difficult to give a reason. Would that not suffice as an answer?”
How could it not? It was so big and full that Ryan felt like his breath was completely blocked. Unable to resist that overwhelming feeling, he finally embraced his alpha and overlapped their lips.