TRAPPED BY THE SECOND MALE LEAD
CHAPTRE 18

“Have I fallen in love with her?” Marigold tried to restore his logic. It was impossible for his feelings to change so quickly.

Come to think of it, Marigold was not sure he could marry Arden because the young man had indirectly shown that their friendship would not grow any more. Automatic Marigold still had to fight longer to make Arden open his heart.

In addition to those doubts, Marigold also felt a pity if he had to give up his duties as a Saintess after marrying Arden. But somehow his heart beats faster when Lucien says that he wants to marry her.

Ziel scowled unhappily at the way Lucien conveyed his wish, it was very disrespectful. Ziel loved his daughter very much. It seems that if there is a young man whose origins are not clear suddenly asked his daughter impolitely it is natural to be rejected. Ziel does not feel his actions are excessive “I think you have too late.”

“Is there anything less than me? I got everything. You don't have to worry about your daughter lacking anything.” It sounded arrogant indeed, but Lucien wasn't lying about it.

“T-wait a minute!” the beautiful girl was slow.

Marigold emerged from behind the door leaf. He smiled to reduce the tension “Sorry for my impoliteness interjected. Your Highness Duke Navarro, you can't do it. I already had an engagement plan with someone else.” her remark sounded really annoying but Marigold packed it in a wise tone, and it became even more annoying in Lucien's ear.

Ziel just silently watched his daughter who was said to be doing this disrespectful act. Whatever the girl did, no one would ever dare to rebuke her and never once did her bad habits harass Ziel. He was given complete freedom in all things. The status of Saintess had covered everyone's eyes.

Lucien smiled obliquely, he glanced at Marigold sobbing “After all it was just planned ‘kan?”

“Eh?”

Whatisthis? why is my heart beating so bad?

Seeing Lucien's defiant-looking facial expression made Marigold nervous to death. Her body temperature increased “Iya, but I will also be holding this engagement event soon.”

“What did you show me that plan for? It's all useless.” Lucien tilted his head slightly, staring flat at Marigold's already perfectly flushed face like a boiled crab.

“Will he keep trying to persuade dad to marry me? Why do I feel so strange in my heart? Do I like people I don't know? impossible,” inner Marigold worried.

The young man then got an idea. “Oh yes, have you heard the phrase ‘do not talk too often about your plans to others if you do not want the plan to fail’?”

Lucien felt a sense of satisfaction when messing with the thoughts of the people in the Emerald mansion, he was very fond of toying with them with his actions and words.

“Sorry, this is the first time I heard that saying.” replied Marigold slowly. Slowly the side of Marigold's heart accepted when the handsome young man with Young Duke status repeated his proposal again.

“Forget it, it doesn't matter,” the young man then looked back at Ziel, the number one person in the mansion “However, my goal remains the same. I want to marry your daughter and I will take her to live with me right now.”

Marigold's feelings were made even more jumbled by Lucien's words “You how else, maybe if he kept forcing me to accept it,” Marigold thought.

Ziel took a sip of his tea then sighed “Didn't you have heard the answer yourself from my daughter?”

Lucien smiled broadly with both eyebrows clinging together, a laughter of satisfaction accompanying him. “Pfft hahahaha! Did I mention his name at the beginning? The person I'm talking about isn't him."

Ziel was on the spot. He read Lucien's face. The young man actually further developed a smile, "You don't only have one daughter ‘kan, Honorable Marquess Ziel Emerald?” all the people gathered there widened their eyes in disbelief.

“How—“

“I want to marry Meridia instead of Lady Marigold,” cut Lucien before Ziel finishes his speech.

Ziel was about to get angry but at this time what made him curious was how did he know that Meridia was also his biological daughter “Where did you know about it?" Ziel grumbled softly "Huh! So you also trust fake news as easily as that?” said underestimated.

In Ziel's heart was curious how a Lucien who incidentally very close himself from the outside world knew about the rumors that were spread even to know the name of Meridia.

“I don't need to tell you about that. You will soon forget everything.” Ziel frowned hearing that.

Marigold was silently stunned. He, a Marigold who was always flattered, never expected to get such a big insult. His heart was struck by lightning. Who would dare to play him? Yeah, Lucien was the first to do that.

Already given very high expectations but immediately dropped just like that, which made it even more unacceptable was because it concerned Meridia. How could anyone choose Meridia over her?

What's so good about Meridia? Clearly Marigold is better in every sense without any loopholes, that's what his mind has. He felt Meridia was also involved in her humiliation.

“Say how can you draw such a conclusion?!”

“Already. What's clear is that you don't have just one daughter ‘ right? Now get Meridia for me. I'll take him away from here now.”

Ziel squinted his eyes at Lucien who had acted arbitrarily and made a fuss at his house “No. You can't take it.”

Lucien tilted his head slightly “Why? Because I haven't officially made her a Duchess?” the young man gave a cold expression. “I'll do it soon and it's possible that you'll soon get a grandchild after our wedding.” he said slipping in a little tad.

Ziel's jaw is getting hardened “Yang Mulia. You can't just go into someone else's house and make a fuss at will,” he said as an emphatic warning.

“Tell me, Marquess. What reason do you have to keep Meridia? You don't take good care of him here either. I can look after her better and more humane than you.”

Everyone there was unceasingly startled by Lucien's narration. Who was he to know so well the secret that was kept tightly by the residents of this Emerald mansion?

Ziel has been feeling bad since last night and is reluctant to extend the problem “I am very busy, you should go home soon.”

“I'm not a person who is tolerant of rejection. Just because you refused, I'll get what I want. Definitely.” firmly that instantly make air in the room is different.

Another tension in the mansion, Meridia is now enjoying her job of plucking out some of the roses that will be replaced with lavender with Samuel. Lavender that a few days ago he planted was fresh and started to grow well and now some of it will be replaced.

Meridia plucked the rose root while daydreaming, her thoughts since last night continued to center on the second male lead helping her get home.

He looked down at the roses he had pulled “I didn't think I should be involved with him, but that doesn't mean I want to because it was just an accident,” muttering and a sigh of Meridia made the man next to him curious.

Returning from Lucien's palace, Meridia keeps thinking why this time she no longer forgets Lucien after finding out that Lucien is the second male lead in the novel she read.

“Nak, what's up?”

Meridia turned to Samuel “Uncle Sammy, do you think I can leave this house right now?”

Samuel scratching his temple “You mean blur?” Samuel was shocked when he got a steady nod from Meridia.

“Yes. Looks like the Marquess has already loosened her guard.”

While talking to Samuel, Marigold's personal servant came to the back garden and approached Meridia who was also putting the rose plant in a bucket of “Lady Meridia, come with me inside. There are guests who want to meet you.”

“Gosh.” The beautiful girl with the blackish-blue airs stopped her activities.

Meridia stood up and looked at the strange waiter. The blank look with a flat face accompanied by a very unusual call was quite stuck in Meridia's brain, he narrowed in wonder “What happened to you?” but instead of answering, the woman instead gave way “Mari, Lady.”

Meridia then glanced at Samuel, the man was unaware of the difference, he instead smiled at Meridia and gestured to follow the servant's wishes. “Who are the guests who want to see me?” before Meridia asked, her heart was already feeling restless “You will see it for yourself later.”

“You?” reset Meridia astonishment. Since when did this waitress know manners?

A few minutes later Meridia had already arrived at the door of the Marquess's study. The blue-cloaked girl could see Johnson's tension standing by the door.

When he looked inside, his eyes widened in shock to see the figure of Lucien in formal clothes sitting opposite Ziel Emerald.

The youngest duke in the history of Bommenhaum was smiling widely “Meridia, you finally came too.” he said happily. He immediately approached the girl and hugged her body tightly without asking for her approval.

“What are you doing here?” that question was asked directly.

“Last night I told you ‘kan? Did you forget again?” the smile Lucien showed Meridia was so different from when Lucien had to deal with other people.

The smile looked very sincere and looked like a child looking at his loved ones.

Marigold who saw the difference strengthened his fist, his jaw hardened to see the good luck of his twin sister. His hatred for Meridia grew up “Can't! No one can side with him!” marigold screams in the heart.

Lucien grasps both hands Meridia “Let's go now, Meridia.”

“What? Where?” Meridia was about to rebel to take off her hand but instead Lucien tightened his grip “Of course to my house. From now on we will stay together.”

Marigold glanced at his father, Ziel seemed to remain calm drinking his tea as if nothing had happened there.Suddenly everyone was also behaving the same as his father, except for himself who began to hold back the cries where he stood.

Lucien looked down at Meridia who was also observing the oddities around her. Lucien's hand then moves cupping both cheeks smoothly Meridia, subtly forcing the girl to focus on seeing herself alone “What's Meridia?”

The girl frowned “What have you done to them?”

Lucien raises next to his eyebrows “I didn't do anything, really. Didn't they never care about you in the first place?”

No, it remains strange, Meridia thought. No matter what the limit was, the people there were more like they didn't see what was going on. Why would Lucien know that he lives like trash in this mansion?

“Who are you really?”

Lucien points to himself “I? Lucien.” reply lightly.

Suspicion Meridia managed to make the sense of wanting to escape from the young man strengthened “I want to stay here.”

Lucien's smile changed a little “I've taken pains to come here just to pick you up, I want to make you happier, but you gave a disappointing answer.” Lucien stroked Meridia's head gently but her gaze turned intense and sharp “That's not how you should answer, dear.”

As soon as Meridia's hair stood up, she felt goosebumps. Meridia is not sure what Lucien's purpose is to come to her instead of Marigold.

“You're here to make sure I keep my mouth shut about last night? I'll do it, just relax. Now you can go.” Meridia thinks Lucien wants her not to tell him about the house she's hiding in the veil.

Lucien's left hand moved around Meridia's small waist and his right hand that had been used to stroke Meridia's top of the head was now raised towards the side where there was Marigold there “You can see that?”

Meridia who was originally busy trying to remove Lucien's left hand from her waist was now looking towards Marigold who was already floating in the air and his mouth opened like a strangled person.

The heir girl of the holy power was flirting with difficulty speaking let alone breathing “Ukh! M-Meridia t-help me!” marigold's moans are broken.

The grip on his neck grew stronger.

Marigold had tried to neutralize the force that was strangling him but he could not touch anything, there was nothing on his neck. The pain and suffocation was excruciating.

Lucien was still smiling despite making Marigold die “I could easily avenge your pain to them. You just choose, want to take revenge in what way?”

Surprisingly, Ziel and some people nearby remained standing still like lifeless statues in the room, they seemed unable to see and hear anything “What are you trying to do? Lower her!”

Lucien looked at Meridia while nodding his head assenting “As long as you want to come with me.”

Meridia was not given time to worry, she had to make a quick decision if she did not want Lucien to kill Marigold.

I don't want to go with a guy like him but I don't know how to help Marigold, thought Meridia in a panic “Alright, fine! I'll go with you. Now hurry up and drop him!”

“Well, it's just true.” Lucien let out a sigh of relief, he then lowered his hand and along with that Marigold fell to the floor quite hard.

Meridia's twin sister coughed uncontrollably while holding her neck which still hurt. Once he had the chance, Marigold greedily scooped up air to fill his lungs. Ziel's beloved daughter believes that now the red circle is clearly printed on the skin of her neck clean.

“I'll take care of my clothes first.” The young man with the title Duke immediately restrained Meridia's wrist, he said “That's not necessary. I have provided everything there. You just need to bring the body.”

“There are things I should bring.”

“Then, fine. I'll wait outside.”

Meridia ran out to her room in the servant's dormitory, her legs feeling weak after feeling fear but she kept trying to run.

“This is crazy. He's not sane!” Meridia cursed herself.

“Hugo,” after being called by his name, the man immediately appeared before Lucien while kneeling “Done this all, I will catch up with Meridia.”

“I'll do it soon, Your Highness.”

Meridia packed some things that she felt she would miss and would need into her little bag. The girl planned to escape through the back door while Lucien waited for her in front. Meridia also wanted to get away from the mansion and dangerous people she met.

He jumped in shock when turning over because without causing a single sound, suddenly Lucien was on the doorstep and noticed to all corners of the room room “This room is so disgusting. Have you slept in a slum like this?”