Please Marry My Son (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 16
“Why are you staring so intently?”
“Huh?”
When his eyes met Alicia’s, Eric covered his mouth with his hand to hide his flustered expression.
He must truly be out of his mind.
If Alicia hadn’t asked, he would’ve nearly caused a major incident—breaching the contract, special clauses and all.
“Uh… what was that? You just looked a bit like a duck.”
“A duck?”
Alicia glared at Eric in utter disbelief, but his mouth kept blurting out words without his consent.
“I mean, your lips are sticking out like this. Just like a baby duck.”
“A baby duck?”
She was genuinely speechless.
She’d spent the entire day agonizing over this, carefully thought it through, and finally spoke seriously—only to get a lukewarm response and, out of nowhere, be compared to a duck.
“Well, it’s cute, isn’t it? I like it.”
“……”
Though she knew he wasn’t implying anything about her, Alicia still felt embarrassed. She deliberately hid her expression and spoke firmly.
“Let me down now.”
“Huh?”
“We need to go home. I’ve said everything I wanted to say.”
“Oh, right. We should go.”
Eric half-rose from his seat absentmindedly, then sat back down.
“Alicia.”
“?”
Eric hesitated, wanting to say something but unsure what exactly.
“Be careful on your way in.”
In the end, he gave an awkward smile and settled for a plain farewell.
“Alright, see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
As soon as Eric stepped down, the door closed and the carriage set off.
He stood there until the carriage vanished from sight, then covered his eyes with one hand.
“A duck? Are you really insane, you damn fool?”
He felt so mortified he thought he might die.
It was so embarrassing he’d rather break the contract and face termination.
He’d definitely kick off his blankets tonight—that was certain.
[This is the timeline separator]After their formal debut to the imperial family and nobles at the palace tea party, the Duke and Duchess refrained from summoning Alicia and Eric to official events for a while.
Thanks to that, Eric and Alicia could spend their days leisurely—immersed in work or sipping tea while reading books of similar taste, just like today.
Eric closed his book and stretched widely.
“Shall we have some tea?”
“Shall we?”
While Eric called the butler to bring tea, Alicia also placed a bookmark and closed her book.
“But how does someone earn such a nickname just by being rude?”
“Huh?”
“Like ‘Scoundrel from the Demon Realm’ or ‘Guardian of Hell’?”
“I’ve never heard ‘Guardian of Hell’ before.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Didn’t you say you don’t care about rumors?”
“It’s just curiosity. I can’t imagine you acting rudely—it’s not the you I know.”
“Hmm. Really? Then what kind of person am I in your eyes?”
Eric asked with a smile, a hint of anticipation in his expression.
“Hmm.”
Alicia briefly recalled what Kate had said at the tea party.
“You do seem a bit rough-spoken, and your expression isn’t exactly… the friendliest, I suppose.”
“Ugh.”
“But it’s less about being harsh and more about being straightforward.”
“Hmm.”
“And you only look stern—truthfully, you’re quite handsome.”
“Hmm?”
Eric stared straight at Alicia and grinned.
“Oh? I didn’t know you thought that.”
“I have eyes, don’t I? I try to be objective.”
“Objective? Then what about subjective?”
“You mean personal preference? That’s a different matter.”
“A different matter?”
Eric frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied.
“So what’s your preference like?”
“My preference? Hmm.”
Alicia pretended to ponder for a moment, then put on a serious face.
“I won’t tell you. It doesn’t seem like something I should say to my fiancé.”
“So it’s fine to say your fiancé isn’t your type, but not your actual preference?”
Eric stared at her incredulously, and Alicia quickly averted her gaze.
“Fine, fine. I’ll stop before I get hurt even more.”
Grumbling, Eric picked up his teacup.
Watching him, Alicia murmured softly.
“I never said that.”
“What?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
When Eric turned back, Alicia added soothingly,
“Relax your expression. Didn’t I just say you looked unapproachable earlier?”
Eric immediately smiled, his face full of mischief.
“Do I still look handsome in your eyes like this?”
“Oh, right now you look unlucky.”
“…That’s tough.”
“What is?”
“Winning your approval.”
“……”
Seeing Eric’s cheerful grin, Alicia narrowed her eyes slightly and frowned.
“Why?”
“Oh, just as Eric said—the lighting in this mansion is really good.”
“Out of nowhere?”
Alicia, who had been sitting with her back to the window, pretended ignorance as she sipped her tea, then suddenly remembered something.
“This orange sylot production line—isn’t it managed by the Clayton baronial house? Tell me a bit about them.”
“Wasn’t our visit scheduled for next week?”
“Yes. Is there anything I should know beforehand?”
“Not really. The baron is quite capable—revenue has been steadily increasing. He also came up with the premium branding strategy.”
“The audit report didn’t show any particular issues either.”
“Right. It was hard to manage from a distance, but he’s proven trustworthy—for now, at least.”
“I see.”
“Just go in with peace of mind. You’ll only need to hold on for a little while.”
“?”
Alicia looked briefly suspicious, but Eric just chuckled cheerfully.
On the carriage ride to the Clayton baronial estate, Alicia listened as the Duchess spoke about the family.
“They have two daughters. During the social season, they stay in the capital. The elder debuted two years ago—quiet and quite a nice girl. This year, finding a husband is likely their main goal.”
“I see.”
“No need to be nervous. Besides, the people you’ll meet today are the ones you’ll lead in the future—they should be the ones nervous.”
“Oh, right.”
Alicia, unexpectedly tense from the Duchess’s unusually firm tone, nodded seriously. The Duchess smiled kindly.
To her, Alicia was fundamentally kind and gentle—too delicate to survive the jungle of high society.
That wouldn’t do if she were to become mistress of the ducal household.
‘There’s no helping it. I’ll just have to take her along, teach her well, and give her experience. She’s clever—she’ll catch on quickly.’
If Alicia had known what the Duchess was thinking, she’d have been horrified—but all she felt was gratitude toward the Duchess, who smiled warmly out of concern for her.
[This is the timeline separator]“Welcome! Thank you so much for coming all this way.”
“Not at all. It’s practically an annual event. They say the social season hasn’t truly begun until they see the Baroness.”
“Oh my! Is that so? Just something that comes around when you’ve nearly forgotten it, hmm? Hehehe.”
She used to dread the social season because of her son, but this year, the Duchess’s mood was clearly different.
“Hello, Baroness.”
“I’ve heard so much about you. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Goodness—has our Alicia’s reputation reached this far?”
“Of course! Everyone’s so curious about you. Oh, by the way—this is my elder daughter, Deborah, and my younger, Mana.”
Deborah curtsied gracefully; Mana stumbled slightly but still managed a proper greeting.
“Pleased to meet you.”
“Hello.”
No sooner had greetings been exchanged than Mana stared at Alicia with wide, curious eyes, then grinned and linked arms with her.
“Sister Alicia—may I call you that?”
“Oh—”
The Baroness, already embarrassed by her daughter’s earlier blunder in front of the Duchess, now felt even more awkward. She grabbed Mana’s waist ribbon and pulled her back.
“Ah, why?”
“You must behave properly, Mana.”
She scolded quietly but firmly with her lips pressed shut. Mana pouted and stepped back.
But the moment her eyes met Alicia’s, she instantly grinned again as if nothing had happened.
Finding her adorable, Alicia gave a small laugh and nodded.
“Call me whatever feels comfortable, Mana.”
“Oh, how magnanimous! Come in with me, sister!”
Mana stuck out her tongue at her mother, Baroness Clayton, then dragged Alicia inside, arm in arm.
“She really is something. I’m so sorry, Duchess. She’s still childish—she’s been singing about meeting Miss Alicia ever since we came up to the capital. And now she’s caused a scene.”
“Oh, don’t worry! She’s lively and pleasant to look at. Besides, our Alicia seems fond of her too.”
“I hope so. Now, please come in.”
The flustered Baroness quickly brightened and guided the Duchess inside.
[This is the timeline separator]Honestly, the conversation with the ladies was dull.
They occasionally asked Alicia questions, but the Duchess intercepted any awkward ones, so Alicia barely needed to speak.
Lost in thought about how many matters had been postponed to today’s gathering, she happened to lock eyes with Mana, seated at the opposite table.
She was returning Mana’s cheerful wave when a knock sounded, the door opened, and someone entered.
“Good afternoon.”
Recognizing the familiar yet unexpected voice, Alicia turned—and saw Eric striding in confidently.
Behind him, the baronial butler chased after him in a panic.
“Alicia.”
Without hesitation, he walked straight to her, kissed her hand, and grinned.
Her surprise lasted only a moment—relief at his arrival during such a boring time made her smile more brightly than usual.
“It’s true I came to rescue you, but I didn’t expect you’d be this happy to see me.”
“Ugh.”
Embarrassed, she shot him a sidelong glance and tried to pull her hand away, but Eric just smiled, held on, and pulled her up from her seat.
“What brings you here?”
“I came to pick up Alicia.”
“We’re having dinner together.”
“Really?”
“Oh, it’s fine! You can join us, of course.”
Flustered, Eric quietly asked Alicia,
“You never mentioned dinner.”
“It changed yesterday. Since Baron Clayton’s trip to the capital was delayed due to work, the ladies decided to have a relaxed meal together.”
“Huh?”
“So you’re the only man here today.”
Eric quietly pleaded with Alicia.
“Don’t leave me alone.”
“But didn’t you come to rescue me?”
“I did.”
“Oh, so the ‘rescue’ part is my job?”
“I’m counting on you.”
“Well, since you’re not running away, I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you.”
Eric lifted his head and turned toward the table where the ladies sat.
“Then I’ll take my leave for today, Baroness Clayton.”
“Of course! Please don’t worry—make yourself comfortable.”
“We’ll stay right here. Feel at ease.”
“W-well…”
The Duchess nearly choked up at her son’s blunt words but quickly composed herself and sent the two off to another table with a kind smile.
Eric led Alicia—who followed with an apologetic smile—over to the table where Deborah and Mana were seated.
The moment he sat down, he frowned at Deborah’s surprised look and Mana’s even more astonished expression.
“What?”
“Nothing at all. Have you been well, brother?”
“Judging by how radiant you look, you must be well, brother?”
While Deborah greeted him sweetly, Mana grinned playfully.
“Yeah.”
Taken aback by Eric’s curt reply, Alicia quickly asked,
“So you three haven’t seen each other in a while?”
“Hmm. How many years has it been?”
“Don’t you even remember? We saw you last year!”
“Did we? I don’t recall.”
“Well, of course not—you barely spoke.”
“Why?”
“If you sit there with that expression, sealed lips, who’d talk to you?”
Mana shook her head at Eric, who frowned as if confused.
“Honestly. I thought you’d changed a bit.”
“You have changed. You talk a lot more now.”
Eric replied indifferently and lifted his teacup with a blank expression.
Watching Eric carefully, Mana waited for the right moment to speak.
Ever since coming to the capital, she’d had something she absolutely wanted to ask the two of them.
She could’ve asked Alicia alone more comfortably, but she didn’t know when another chance would come—so Mana asked directly, without preamble.
“So, the two of you—why did you decide to get married?”
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
I love how they interact with each other. They feel at ease together.
Hahaha. The butler’s perfect timing. And Erik hiding his face.
Maybe I’m really wrong about it, but I think Alicia has something to do with what happened ten years ago and maybe her father is the leader of that group.