YSLM 06

Chapter 6

“Did you tell him that there was already a guest who arrived first?”

“Of course, but he kept insisting that he wanted to come in right away…”

“Why is he suddenly acting like this?”

He was not the kind of person who would do that. Kevin Tillman was someone armed with kindness, consideration, goodwill, and manners—although other idiots would laugh at such words if they heard them.

“Tell him to wait just a little longer—”

“If Miss Lea says, ‘Please wait just a moment,’ he told me to pass this message along.”

Paula’s voice became quieter.

“‘This is my wish.’”

Was this kind of small wish included too?

Lea tilted her head in confusion, but she could not refuse something Kevin had asked for after so long.

She carefully asked Oscar for his understanding.

“Sir Oscar, I’m really sorry, but I was told that a very urgent guest has arrived. If it’s alright, would you come down to the drawing room with me?”

Normally, according to high society’s customs, the first guest would say, “Ah, then I shall take my leave,” and leave on their own.

But—

“Of course. Let’s go down together.”

“Ah, yes?”

Oscar was unexpectedly a strong opponent.

He even added with a bright smile on his face.

“I am not in a hurry at all, so I will wait beside you until that urgent guest’s business is finished.”

That was what he said.

Even after such a powerful response, Lea only let out another small “Ah.”

She still had no idea that she was stepping right into the center of a swamp-like love triangle.

When Lea led Paula and Oscar down to the drawing room, she saw Raymond and Kevin sitting at the same table.

Kevin ran toward Lea like a lover he had not seen for months and hugged her.

“Lea! I missed you.”

With her face buried against Kevin’s chest, Lea asked back.

“Hmm?”

“You felt the same? Yes, I understand that feeling. Love is wanting to see someone again and again, no matter how many times you see them.”

Lea looked up at him with an expression that said, “Did you eat something strange?”

Kevin whispered into her ear.

“Lean against my chest, Lea.”

“……What?”

Then he mouthed the words without making a sound.

“Wish.”

It was embarrassing, but Lea quietly rested her head against Kevin’s chest.

She herself felt extremely awkward, but to other people’s eyes, they looked quite like a real couple.

Paula’s eyes widened.

Raymond’s mouth dropped open.

Oscar let out a low groan.

Kevin seemed satisfied and made a pleased sound.

“Hmm.”

Then he added.

“Of course, we were also together last night.”

“Hmm?”

Lea unintentionally questioned him because of his shocking statement.

As she flinched and tried to move away from his arms, Kevin winked one eye.

‘This is the signal for “Operation Start!”’

Of course.

He had even prepared a play to reject Oscar for her sake. Kevin really was like an angelic friend.

She felt sorry for briefly wondering if he had gone crazy.

Then Kevin’s voice followed.

“Why? Am I wrong?”

And it was not completely wrong either.

They had been writing the contract while sitting close together, and before they knew it, it had become nighttime.

“Uh? Uh…… no, no. That’s not wrong.”

But human language was a delicate thing where one word could change everything.

Because Lea did not exactly deny the phrase “we were together last night,” the other three people reacted with shock in their own ways.

“Oh my!”

“……What does that mean?”

“N-no way! S-surely!”

For reference, that order was Paula, Oscar, and Raymond.

Especially Raymond jumped up from his seat like a spring.

“Sir Kevin, what does this mean?!”

“Oh, Sir Raymond was here too.”

“We were sitting together until just now!”

Kevin completely ignored Raymond’s words and only said what he wanted to say.

“Lea, today is a very important day for us.”

When Lea nodded, Kevin took something out from inside his clothes.

It was an official marriage proposal document with the Tillman family seal.

Everyone’s eyes focused on the proposal document, and Kevin walked toward someone.

……Raymond.

“Sir Raymond. As the head of the Flynn family, I ask you to approve the marriage between Lea and me.”

“……W-what does that mean?”

The moment the proposal document was about to move from Kevin’s hand to Raymond’s—

“Wait!”

Oscar stepped in front of Kevin.

The two men exchanged gazes hot enough to create sparks.

“Oh my, oh my, what should we do!”

Watching the scene, Paula added comments like “This is amazing!” and “Our young lady is so popular!” while making a fuss.

“Paula, it’s not like that.”

“Miss, don’t pretend you don’t know!”

Paula giggled and lightly slapped Lea’s shoulder.

‘No, it really isn’t like that…….’

Well, strictly speaking, it was true that two men were fighting over her.

But one of those men was the person who would kill her in the near future.

And the other was a “homosexual man” who had no romantic feelings toward her at all.

‘This feels really strange.’

Lea let out a deep sigh and turned her eyes toward Oscar and Kevin, somewhat like an audience member watching a performance.

Oscar was extremely agitated, while Kevin looked completely relaxed.

“What exactly is going on right now? Are you Sir Kevin Tillman?”

“Yes, I am Kevin Tillman. You must be Sir Oscar Donnan? It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Kevin smiled brightly and offered his hand.

Oscar did not take it.

“I am Lea’s friend of ten years and—”

“I know.”

“No, please listen until the end.”

Since Oscar still refused to take his hand, Kevin slowly lowered it.

“……I am the man who will become her husband.”

Oscar ground his teeth.

“It seems there has been some misunderstanding. Were you unaware that the marriage proposal between the Donnan family and Flynn family was already underway?”

“Hmm. Isn’t it not ‘underway’ anymore, but canceled? I clearly heard that Lea rejected your proposal yesterday.”

“……”

Kevin’s lips slowly curled upward.

“Sir Oscar, a man who clings too much is not attractive. And if you do not know, let me tell you.”

Kevin approached Lea and gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

“Miss Lea Flynn here and I have been lovers for quite some time.”

“……What did you say?”

This time, the damage seemed real.

Oscar’s face turned pale.

Seeing Kevin wink at her again, Lea played along.

“That’s right. Kevin and I have been lovers for a long time.”

“Wait, what kind of ridiculous lie is—”

Raymond interrupted and tried to shout that it was a lie, but—

“Only the people who knew us were aware of it.”

Kevin cut Raymond off completely while looking directly at Oscar.

“I am terribly sorry to say this to you, Sir Oscar.”

“……”

“But the marriage proposal between us happened several months ago.”

Kevin continued while looking down at Lea as if she was incredibly precious.

“However, right before I left for a long business trip to the Nawita Kingdom, we had a serious argument because of a small misunderstanding. Then yesterday, as soon as I returned, I met Lea, cleared up the misunderstanding, and came here to officially propose marriage. Is that enough of an explanation?”

‘That’s pretty convincing.’

It had a somewhat cliché feeling to it, but for a performance planned in only one day, it was not bad.

Lea, who had been watching like an audience member without realizing it, nodded blankly.

Then Kevin whispered.

“Hold my hand.”

Lea belatedly came back to her senses and grabbed his hand.

She was slightly surprised by the unexpectedly smooth feeling.

‘No, like this.’

His thick, long fingers slipped between hers and intertwined with her fingers.

While feeling strangely embarrassed, one thought crossed her mind.

‘Kevin really is a man too.’

Her hand, which was not particularly small for a woman, was completely covered by Kevin’s.

Had his hand always been this big and warm?

As she absentmindedly thought that, her face suddenly turned red.

‘What am I thinking at a time like this?’

She shook her head.

“Since you are old friends, holding hands should not be a problem.”

Oscar did not seem willing to accept it easily.

“However, to my eyes, the two of you only look like friends. If Miss Lea already had a lover, I would never have proposed marriage in the first place.”

“Hmm.”

Listening to Oscar’s answer, Kevin narrowed his eyes.

The corner of his mouth seemed to rise slightly, and he muttered to himself.

“……Not bad.”

Just as Lea wondered if she had heard incorrectly—

“What should we do, Lea?”

Kevin immediately turned his gaze toward her.

It was such a sweet gaze that anyone watching would think it was full of affection.

“Hmm?”

“Sir Oscar says he cannot believe our relationship.”

Perhaps because of that gaze and his gentle voice, Lea could not look directly at Kevin.

She unconsciously avoided his eyes.