The Male Lead Knelt Before Me

What?

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I wasn’t able to answer right away.

After a brief period of stiffening, I could scarcely move my lips.

“You’ve been waiting for me just to take me home?”

What?

For an hour?

When asked back in disbelief, Caleb replied as if making excuses.

“I didn’t forget that you had previously refused my offer.
But I stayed off because I was worried that what happened over the weekend would happen again.”

“If it’s about what happened over the weekend… Are you talking about the bullies chasing me?”

“Yes.
Viscount Sor’s second son explained how he found you were the Kitara and how he remembered and followed your hair colour and clothing at the festival.
I heard that he remembered the direction of the people who were chasing you that day and asking them.
”

What? Was he a stalker?

Of course, Count Van Der gave me a warning.
That everyone’s going to figure it out in some way.

However, I was a little uneasy at the time because I was just informed that the invitations would keep coming, and I didn’t think it was a big deal.

But it wasn’t enough for him to follow me down through stalking, he also tried to take me away by force… If I knew this had happened, I would have cursed when I met him at the guard station back then!

 

“There’s no need to be afraid.”

It was a moment when I was trembling and clenching my fist.

My hand was held by a huge gloved hand.

“There’s no need to be worried.”

“What should I be worried about?” came to the back of my throat, but my lips were just chapped from surprise.

“I issued a warning letter to Viscount Sor’s house, so he would never approach you again.”

Is it because he thinks I’m scared?

Of course, I was scared, but I was more enraged at my inability to respond more forcefully to his heinous behaviour.

Caleb, who had been holding my hand for some time, released it.

Even though my hand was only hugged for a short time, I was acutely aware of the emptiness.

“Also, I’d like to make one more request to you.”

“A request? What is…”

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“From today until Count Van Der assigns you an escort, let me take you home.”

“What?”

“According to Baron Sor’s second son, more than one or two people have discovered who you are in this way.
This is something I’m afraid will happen in the future.
So, are you going to grant me that permission?”

 

When he asked that question, I tightly wrapped my hand in his.

* * * * *

‘In the end, I couldn’t refuse him.’

As I lay in bed, I was overcome with a sense of shame as I recalled what had happened earlier.

‘I had to refuse it somehow……’

Of course, thought is merely a thought.

It was never going to happen.

It is obvious that if I had returned to the situation I was in, I would have been unable to refuse.

If I had continued to teach Lord Vessel, I would have refused Caleb because I’d feel sorry to keep him waiting.

But, teaching Lord Vessel had come to stop, and I have no other reason to refuse him since Caleb has his condition.

“…… Until Count Van Der assigns an escort……”

‘It’s different from before.’

Caleb offered to walk me home shortly after I started teaching Lord Vessel, and I remembered saying yes.

I was scared about myself at the time, so I accepted yes his offer.

I used to think it was a meaningless worry, but I couldn’t think that way anymore.

Caleb’s worries, which I had always dismissed as “meaningless” worry,  almost came true just a few days ago.

‘What’s so important about Kitara……’

Well, being Kitara is good in some ways.

Being a Kitara has many benefits, and it must have been a desperately needed position for some people.

However, it did not seem that there was enough merit to endure being threatened and stalked like this.

At least to me.

* * * * *

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“Lady! Take a look at this!”

While calling me, the maid hurriedly placed some letter bags on the table, as if spilling them out.

What’s this?

The maid exclaimed excitedly as I put down the script I was reading on my lap and discovered the letters.

“This is everything I got this morning! It’s a letter of invitation for you, my Lady!”

The invitations stacked up on the table like a mountain, but my face was not in good shape.

Still, I couldn’t say anything to the maid who helped bring it to me, so I thanked her and let her go.

And I began by opening the letter from the top, where the greeting “To Kitara” welcomed me.

It’s understandable.

Even though I looked at other invitations just in case, it was the same.

The lettering style varied, but the content remained the same.

It was only different in terms of rhetoric, and it was about praising me and asking me to attend their banquet and sing a song.

‘I’ve heard there are more than several people who know who I am…’

I had no idea so many people were monitoring me.

Some even asked how I was feeling and talked about what happened over the weekend, which was creepy.

I believed it was a good idea to accept Caleb’s offer and toss out all the invitations.

Otherwise, the same event that happened the last time might have happened again.

That feeling, however, did not stay long.

I found it unsettling to board the Duke’s carriage and see Caleb return only after checking that I was fully inside the mansion.

Of course, I didn’t misinterpret such a gesture.
As far as I knew, everything he had done had been out of ‘kindness.’

Because he’ll eventually fall in love with Vivian.

* * * * *

“Welcome, Miss Lena.
Please take a seat here.”

At the words of Count Van Der, I sat down in the seat she pointed to.

The maids gave me tea when I sat down, and the Count deftly accepted the teacup and said.

“That’s unexpected.
I wasn’t expecting Miss Lena to come here first and visit me.”

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“I’m sorry for making you come to me so constantly.
There’s something else I’d like to ask about.”

“Do you mean to me?”

“As you may be aware, I was almost kidnapped on the street recently.”

“Even so, I was notified.
I roughly guessed since you’ve become Kitara, but it was more dangerous than expected.”

Then it means she didn’t nest the watchers either.

“It means even if I left alone and even though they knew I was in danger, they’ll keep watching and observing.”

“That’s the question you had in mind.
Why didn’t the watchers help Miss Lena?”

Count Van Der stated as I nodded.

“There isn’t any special reason for this.
This was since the situation was not serious enough for the watchers to intervene.
It also implies that the Duke is close by.”

Then the watchers didn’t come out on purpose because of Caleb, right?

My thoughts became blank after confirming what I had previously believed to be true.

“I hope you aren’t too taken aback by it.
I’m trying to protect Miss Lena’s personal affairs in my own way.”

“Have you ever protected my personal affairs?”

“Yes, of course.
Do you remember when an old woman was instigated by thugs to lure Miss Lena before the Solenia Festival?”

An old woman? A bully?

After tilting my head for a while, I could soon recall what happened before.

“Miss Lena didn’t know about it, but I helped you back then.”

“But, it was Lord Egon who helped me.”

“That’s right.
It was definitely the Duke who helped Miss Lena last.
But do you think it’s just a coincidence that the Duke appeared there?”

“You mean it wasn’t a coincidence…?”

“It’s a coincidence that the Duke was just passing by nearby.
But it was our work that helped Miss Lena.”

It was a time when I narrowed my forehead to words that I couldn’t understand.

Suddenly, I remembered how Caleb came to help me.

He told me that he came to where I am after receiving a report from “some woman”.

Don’t tell me, that woman is……?

“From your expression, you must have guessed something.”

“…  Was the woman who reported this to Lord Egon one of the watchers?”

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“That’s right.
As expected, Miss Lena.”

The Count smiled and praised me.

But I wasn’t very happy.

Rather, I felt betrayed by the “some woman” who reported to Caleb.

Because I thought she was just a good person.

So I thought the world was still worth living, but it wasn’t.

“Anyway, if the Duke wasn’t nearby, the watchers would have been willing to show up and help Miss Lena.
So I don’t think it’s a big problem.”

“That’s not the problem.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Count Van Der looked at me with strange eyes.

“Lord Egon said that he thinks I need a proper escort.
The duke also said he would attach an escort knight of his own to me if I wanted.”

“Oho? You mean the duke?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good to hear.
We can get the favour of the duke as it is.”

“Are you serious?”

“Is there any reason not to?”

Of course not! It’s too much!

I wanted to say so, but I held it in.

This is only my situation, and from the perspective of Count Van Der and the Crown Prince, I would like to receive Caleb’s favour.

They’ll think it’s going their way.

So I needed a reason to look around otherwise.

I opened my mouth after a short thought.

“There is a reason for that.”

Count Van Der raised her chin slightly at what I said.

As if to tell me what it is.

“It would be too obvious if I get a favour from Lord Egon.”

“What do you mean? Ah, Miss Lena, are you saying that the Duke is already falling in love with you?”