Had something happened between these two while he wasn’t paying attention?
Isaac silently panicked, glancing between them.
“That remains to be seen.”
“……!”
Gilbert responded firmly to Luinael’s provocation.
Just as Isaac’s surprise at Gilbert’s reaction registered, the familiar sound of an alert rang in his ears, and a status window appeared before his eyes.
[A new match candidate has appeared!
New Match Candidate: Gilbert Howard]
“……!”
Isaac’s eyes widened as he stared at the status window.
A new match candidate?
Gilbert was a match candidate?
Until now, Luinael had been the only match candidate, and Isaac could earn points only through him.
The BL aspect of the story had only come into play because Luinael confessed his feelings to Isaac.
So, did this mean Gilbert harbored special feelings for him as well?
But why?
Unlike Luinael, who fell for him due to bad timing and Isaac’s initially rough personality, there had been no such encounters with Gilbert.
Isaac’s jaw dropped slightly in disbelief.
[A conflict in role division between existing and new match candidates has been detected.
The system is recalibrating roles and relationships. This process may take time.
1 second…
2 seconds…
3 seconds… ]
A beeping sound accompanied the countdown.
Snapping out of his daze, Isaac turned to Luinael.
“Lui, this is His Majesty’s decision.”
“……”
Luinael frowned deeply, looking uncharacteristically his age.
His usual mature demeanor cracked slightly.
“I’ll speak to His Majesty. Please wait a little.”
“Lui…”
With a huff, Luinael stormed into the office.
Isaac stared at the closed door for a moment.
At that exact moment, the status window lit up again.
[Role division recalibrated.
Gilbert Howard’s role has been adjusted to ‘Match Candidate Prospect.’
Points obtained from prospects are allocated at a lower rate than from full match candidates.]
“……!”
Gilbert’s role was ultimately changed.
Unlike Luinael, a full match candidate, Gilbert was now merely a prospect.
Points earned from him would be fewer, which came as a relief.
If Gilbert had been made a full match candidate alongside Luinael, things could have spiraled out of control.
Relieved, Isaac let out a breath and awkwardly smiled at Gilbert, who stood silently behind him like a shadow.
“It seems we’ll have to wait for the Grand Duke for a bit.”
“Yes.”
“……”
What a taciturn man.
His short response and stoic demeanor gave the impression he would stand there like a statue forever.
Isaac sneaked a glance at him.
“Well, well. Look who it is.”
“……?”
The jovial voice startled Isaac, making him turn his head.
“Isn’t this Duke Drake? Or rather… should I call you Viscount now?”
“……”
Who was this?
Isaac scrutinized the man with a long mustache, tilting his head in confusion.
Who was that?
Isaac tilted his head, studying the man with the long mustache.
Isaac, known for his proud and aloof demeanor, rarely interacted with just anyone.
Only a select few among the high-ranking nobility—marquises, dukes, or influential earls in the capital—dared approach him.
The rest were dismissed without a second thought.
Inheriting Isaac’s body, Lee Chan mimicked his behavior.
As a result, he barely recognized anyone outside of the prominent nobles.
After all, there were plenty of mustachioed nobles with plain appearances in the capital.
Isaac hesitated, struggling to recall the man’s identity.
Misinterpreting Isaac’s silence, the noble’s mustache quivered with indignation.
“Hah! Your arrogance hasn’t faded one bit, I see. Truly remarkable.”
“Hmm…”
Well, Isaac did have a sharp, dignified nose.
Absently, he nodded in agreement, but this only seemed to further provoke the unknown noble.
Unable to restrain himself, the man raised his voice at Isaac.
“How dare you behave so rudely! I am an count, a rank higher than your demoted viscount status!”
“…?”
Isaac stared at the count utterly baffled.
“I haven’t even said anything. What part of this is rude?”
“Your—your attitude! The way you look down on people!”
“Hmm…”
Isaac couldn’t deny that his appearance often gave the wrong impression.
His pale complexion, sharp eyes, and thin facial features naturally made him seem irritable and cold.
The count’s complaint was as much about Isaac’s demeanor as it was about his personality.
What was he supposed to do about being born this way?
Isaac let out an incredulous laugh.
At the sight of that smile, the count’s mustache trembled furiously again.
“This—this insolent man still doesn’t get it! Does he need to be put in his place to learn respect?”
“Ha…”
Isaac chuckled at the sight of the mustachioed count yelling in front of the emperor’s office without a care.
Clearly, the capital’s nobles had yet to learn of his impending marriage to Luinael.
Though he was now a viscount, the engagement to Luinael would soon elevate him to the position of the grand duke’s consort.
But the mustachioed earl, oblivious to this fact, was making a scene.
It seemed Isaac’s luck hadn’t changed.
Judging by the earl’s behavior, he was likely aligned with the emperor’s faction—longtime rivals of Isaac, the former leader of the aristocratic faction.
Isaac decided to handle the situation before the noise reached the emperor or Luinael inside the office.
Just as he stepped closer to the shouting earl, something happened.
Schwing.
“…!”
“If you continue disrespecting Lord Isaac, I will not stand idly by, Count Dalton.”
Gilbert, sword drawn, spoke in a chilling tone.
The sharp silver blade was pointed directly at Count Dalton’s throat.
Ah, so his name was Dalton.
Finally learning the mustachioed earl’s identity, Isaac blinked in surprise at Gilbert’s sudden intervention.
Despite his shock, he felt oddly satisfied.
“There are too many eyes watching, Sir Gilbert.”
“…”
But such a conspicuous act was far from ideal. Isaac decided to calm Gilbert first.
Count Dalton stared at Gilbert in disbelief.
“W-Why would Sir Gilbert, a knight of His Majesty’s Imperial Guard…”
“His Majesty has commanded me to ensure Lord Isaac’s safety starting today.”
“W-What?”
The count quivered in astonishment.
Watching his mustache tremble yet again, Isaac let out a deep sigh.
“Put down your sword.”
“…”
“Now.”
There were too many onlookers near the emperor’s office.
While minor disruptions by nobles usually went unchecked, the palace was a place where countless eyes and ears lingered.
It was best to proceed cautiously.
After Isaac’s repeated request, Gilbert lowered his sword with a reluctant frown.
“My apologies. I nearly caused trouble.”
“Good to see you reflecting.”
Fortunately, Gilbert retreated and bowed his head.
It was entirely out of character for him to draw his sword and defend Isaac, especially against a fellow noble from the emperor’s faction.
This situation would have been unthinkable before, but the genre of this story had changed.
Gilbert, despite his best efforts, had become entangled with Isaac.
At least he had stopped at being a mere “candidate.”
“You! What have you done?!”
“Done?”
The still-enraged Count Dalton trembled all over as he pointed at Isaac.
Isaac scoffed at him.
“What do you think I’ve done?”
“You insolent…!”
Dalton jabbed his finger toward Isaac, his words incoherent with rage.
He seemed so furious he couldn’t even articulate his insults.
The ability to maintain composure was key to verbal sparring.
In that regard, Count Dalton was a rank amateur.
Shaking his head, Isaac dismissed the count entirely.
“Sir Gilbert, let’s leave.”
Isaac intended to wait for Luinael to finish his discussion with the emperor, but the growing crowd made it clear it was best to leave before things escalated further.
They could wait in the grand duke’s carriage stationed just outside the palace.
Clack.
“…!”
Before they could leave, the office door opened.
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