The Fate of the Perennial Sub Male Lead is in My Hands

Marienne froze, holding a round silver spoon. Vileon’s gaze, expression, angle, all pointed to one thing.

‘You want me to feed you?’

Marienne glanced back and forth between her share of dessert and Vileon’s face.

“Doesn’t Lord Byers have a spoon…?

“I dropped it on the floor.”

“What?”

No way. When did a spoon that was perfectly fine on the table fall to the floor?

Besides, Vileon was the epitome of immaculate table manners. had never seen him smudge anything on his lips or drop a bean, let alone a spoon.

Could someone who didn’t even drop a tiny round bean drop a spoon?

But it was real.

Marienne confirmed that the spoon, which had been neatly placed in front of Vileon just moments ago, had disappeared as if by magic.

“I’ll have the staff bring you a new one, then.”

“It’ll melt.”

Vileon eyed the ice cream. Sure enough, the ice cream was intact. It had perfectly retained the round shape it had been scooped out of the freezer.

“Hurry up.”

What if you speak so discreetly? This is a public place, and that’s a crime!

With a half-enchanted feeling, Marienne quickly placed the pink ice cream back down. In the process, she found herself glancing sideways without even realizing it. It’s a situation where you can’t help but be aware of the person next to you.

Chloise abruptly stood up as if she had been pricked in the butt with a needle.

“I’ll bring the spoon. Oh, and it would be nice to have a glass of water too.”

Chloise mumbled something no one asked and disappeared into the shop.

It wasn’t her intention to stir up trouble. She was just checking if it was okay to stage such a scene in broad daylight!

There was nothing she could do.

Vileon is still waiting to taste the ice cream. Marienne slowly offers him a scoop of ice cream.

Suddenly, the crowd stops moving, and under the dazzling sunlight, only Vileon moved slowly. His exquisitely beautiful face, which words alone could not describe, approached Marienne. As he opened his mouth to accept the spoon, Vileon met her gaze.

‘Whoa.’

Marienne prayed and prayed that her hand holding the spoon would not tremble badly.

All she could think of was this.

‘This is a crime! You want to be arrested for public indecency, you’re looking at life without parole!’

But the other party would have no idea what was going on in the aide’s head.

Vileon stared at Marienne until she removed the spoon from his mouth. As the suction force was stronger than expected, Marienne’s hand was pulled a few centimeters forward.

Marienne quickly pulled her hand back. The spoon was smooth and devoid of any traces of the ice cream.

He really sucked it up.’

Well, now that I think about it, I should probably stop using the word sucked.

‘Then he licked it off…’

Warning. Warning.

‘I assume you touched it with your tongue, not your lips?’

Marienne Didi guilty.

Indecent delusions have crossed the line. You are to be executed. Bang, bang, bang.

‘Oh, I must stop.’

Marienne raised her head in deep contrition, but Vileon was licking his lips with the tip of his tongue. Suddenly, Marienne’s ears perked up as something popped.

“I thought it tasted like strawberries.”

Vileon muttered quietly.

“…I-It’s not strawberry flavor?”

Marienne felt like she had to say something. Anything that could stop her wild imagination.

Marienne took a bite of the pink ice cream. The freshly squeezed strawberry flavor was refreshing and sweet, melting in her mouth.

“It’s strawberry flavor… right?”

“Yes, just as expected.”

“But still…”

Marienne trailed off. She ate with the spoon that Vileon had put to her mouth, her cheeks warming with the realisation.

Stop it, Marienne. Don’t even think about using childish words like indirect kissing. We’re just using the same tool. It could happen to anyone.

“Anyway, it’s delicious! Business must be good. It was good that I followed the young lady out.”

Marienne eagerly scooped up the ice cream, milk, and ice to prove she was fine.

Making eye contact with Vileon would have to wait, and in that regard, she was glad to have food in front of her to focus on right now.

That’s when she felt the heat from behind her. A husky voice drifted into Marienne’s ears like purple smoke.

“It’s been a long time, Lord Byers. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you outside the palace.”

Vileon straightened his back and sat up.

“It is a pleasure, Priest Anais.”

“I recognised Lord Byers from a mile away. One moment, Lord Byers is leaning over to accept a ice cream from a sister here.”

Leslie laughed.

“For a moment I thought I’d seen the wrong person.”

“Yes, I see.”

“I haven’t heard that you’ve been dating anyone lately.”

Marienne wondered how long this guy was going to stick around. Marienne’s grip on her milk ice grew increasingly combative.

“Is it because I’m slow to gather information?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then, what about the sister here, is she not your dating partner…?”

Leslie finally stepped out into the middle of Marienne and Vileon. Marienne looked up from her dessert bowl and stared at Vileon.

Do you want me to answer that myself?

She asked the unspoken question, and Vileon responded wordlessly.

So she did.

“I’m the Chancellor’s third aide, Didi.”

Marienne replied, her gaze fixed on the table. For some reason, she wanted to give this man the least amount of personal information possible.

“Are you saying your last name is Didi, or is your first name Didi?”

“Last name.”

“That’s a cute last name, so the sister’s name to go with it is probably… Marienne.”

Marienne cocked her head. Leslie narrowed her eyes as their gazes met. A collective groan escaped from the people spying on Marienne’s table.

“I’m Priest Leslie Anais.”

“Ah, yes. Hello.”

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been looking for you, Sister. The fairytale cinder lady spilling her glass slipper, and all I know about you is this…”

Leslie stroked Marienne’s hair lazily.

“You’ve got hair like candy.”

Marienne bumped into the back of her chair as she tried to avoid his touch, and by the time she straightened up, she’d already seen the grin on Leslie’s face.

She’d been so relaxed the whole time, and he’d caught her nervous. She was both embarrassed and angry.

After all, she’d learned not to be careless about misunderstandings.

“What brings you to my aide?”

Vileon asked, emphasising the ‘my.’

“Oh, private reasons.”

“Private reasons?”

Vileon smiled gently.

“Can you tell me?”

“Lord Byers, this is funny, didn’t I just say it was a private reason?”

“I will judge whether it is private or public after I hear it.”

Vileon’s voice was calm and gentle.

“Will you tell me?”

Marienne fiddled with her spoon, trying not to look surprised.

Lord Byers, this is what you do when you’re pressuring someone. He was only being nice because he knew he could get away with it.

“I’m only nice to nice people.”

She remembered Vileon’s words.

“Well, if that’s the way it is, I was going to ask you about the place where you and I first met. I was wondering what brought you there.”

“I suppose I, as her superior, can answer that for you.”

Vileon slowly snapped his fingers, his demeanour suggesting that this was the Chancellor’s office, not a terrace seat at an ice cream parlour.

“Aide Didi went there to fulfil her superior’s instructions.”

“…So Lord Byers knows where we met?”

“It would be odd if I dont, since I told her to go there in the first place.”

Marienne tried not to be overly conscious of Leslie’s gaze falling on her.

Vileon is doing a good job. He lies so effortlessly, it’s amazing.

The problem is Marienne herself. She must not be seen here. That cunning Leslie bastard won’t miss the slightest detail.

“Sister, what instructions did you receive?”

What a despicable bastard. He turns his arrows on me right then and there!

“If you ask her that, my aide won’t be able to tell you.”

Vileon brought the conversation to a crisp end.

“It’s classified.”

“…ha.”

That was a hit. Leslie let out a hearty laugh.

Marienne, meanwhile, had no way to contain her overwhelming emotions.

‘Are you all watching? This man in front of me! This charming and handsome guy is my man…’

In her mind’s eye, Marienne slapped herself hard on the mouth. Even if her lips were swollen and turned into a duck’s snout, she wouldn’t be able to say anything.

No matter how excited she was. There are some things you can say and some things you can’t.

Marienne composed herself. Then she exclaimed that this man in front of her was her favourite, the new leading man of the age.

In any case, Leslie must have decided there was nothing more to be gained here. He turned to Vileon and muttered a clichéd greeting.

Then it was Marienne’s turn.

“I look forward to seeing you often, dear sister.”

Leslie spontaneously reached for Marienne’s hand to kiss the back of it as a farewell! Who are you to think I’m going to fall for the same trick again?

Marienne quickly pretended to search her pockets for something. Leslie’s sleek, gloved hand disappeared into thin air.

Leslie’s mouth watered with disappointment, like a snake missing its prey right in front of him. He quickly turned and picked up the cherry sprig on her ice cream.

The candied, red, round cherry, which of course belonged to Marienne, disappeared into Leslie’s mouth. The priest looked down at Marienne and chewed the cherry.

‘Is this a warning that I’ll be mashed like that soon?’

If so, she wondered why he was warning her.

He had inadvertently offended Odette in his efforts to rid himself of the northerner, but he hadn’t done anything to offend the crown prince or the second prince.

“May God be with you always.”

What the hell was he doing, eating someone else’s cherry without permission?

Marienne glared at Leslie with a disapproving look. Leslie strode leisurely across the street to the bookstore.

His form-fitting, pure white priestly robes accentuated the rise of his hips with each step. Every woman on the street was staring at some part of him.

I wonder why he claims to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the deity. Just looking at the surface, they don’t seem like someone who serves a god at all.

What a vulgar devil. Disgusting.

“Should I buy you a new one?”

Vileon’s voice was heard.

“Yes? What for?”

“Dessert. The priest touched it without permission.”

Marienne realised he was referring to the cherries.

“Ah, ah ah, it’s okay, I’ve still got this much left, what’s the point of ordering a new one just for cherries?”

“But you might feel uncomfortable.”

Thoughtful Vileon.

Marienne shook her head softly.