How to Survive as a Supporting Male Lead

As befitting the male lead of a romance novel, Kallian had a tragic past. From the story Iann had read, snippets he’d heard, and fragments Kallian himself occasionally let slip about his childhood, it all pointed to that.

Kallian had been alone almost from the moment he was born, spending his early years in the back alleys. Those times had not only turned him into the cold and merciless Duke of the North but had also given him an edge to his language.

The problem was that Iann was no lightweight himself. He had been well-trained in the art of online banter from countless games in his previous life.

“Who actually wants to die?”

To Iann, Kallian’s rough words were practically laughable. He’d grown up in environments where casually insulting others’ parents was part of the culture, so hearing Kallian’s concern for his well-being almost felt… endearing. Iann joked silently to himself, wondering if Kallian knew what the future held for him.

“Why? Because you’re getting married soon?”

Iann tried to deflect smoothly as usual, but this time, Kallian couldn’t hold back and went straight to the point. He quickly regained his composure, though, realizing that interacting with Iann was always like this. His attempts to speak carefully or maintain his self-control often flew out the window when Iann was involved. Instead of clearing up the situation, Kallian took a closer look at Iann.

“Marriage?”

Iann’s eyes blinked rapidly, his silver lashes fluttering.

“Yes. Marriage.”

“Huh? Who’s getting married?”

“…You.”

Kallian’s gaze turned sharper. Judging from Iann’s clueless expression and hesitant response, it was obvious the whole thing was a ridiculous rumor.

Right. It had been absurd from the start. Only now did he realize how senseless he’d been, running all the way here over that baseless gossip. Relief washed over him. Iann wasn’t getting married, after all.

“Hah, I thought someone as reckless as you would… Right. Who’d even want to marry someone like you?”

Kallian muttered, his words hanging in the air somewhere between talking to himself and aiming at Iann. Immediately, Iann’s mood plummeted.

‘This bastard?’

Iann glared at him with daggers in his eyes. He didn’t imagine he’d ever actually marry, either. He was like a sunfish ^[1] who could drop dead at any moment. Who would want to marry him and risk becoming a widow?

But hearing it directly from Kallian was something else. And the nerve to mention character flaws! It was the pot calling the kettle black.

“Are you talking about yourself?”

“No, I’m talking about you.”

“Didn’t you see the popularity poll? I beat you.”

“Did you know there was a recent one?”

Iann’s mouth shut tightly. Judging from Kallian’s triumphant grin, he didn’t even need to ask how it had turned out.

“Shall I tell you how many votes you lost by?”

“Shut up.”

Kallian’s mood began to brighten as though a spring breeze were wafting through his heart. He was glad he’d bothered to read those trashy gossip magazines that the nobility found so crude. Watching Iann bite his lip in frustration, trying to keep his composure, Kallian made a mental note not to mention that the poll topic was “The Most Handsome Man in the Empire.” Neither of them had even made it into the rankings for the poll on most eligible marriage partners.

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

Iann replied, trying to sound unfazed, but finally recalling his hidden trump card.

“All that matters is that the person I like likes me back. Don’t you agree?”

Right. Iann had the female lead on his side! Yuhwa, the heroine of Kallian’s future romance and currently staying at Iann’s residence.

Kallian’s expression immediately twisted. Iann’s words had held no specific clues that would lead Kallian to suspect Yuhwa, but both of them understood perfectly well that she was the subject of the conversation. Recently, she was the only woman involved between them.

“…..”

Iann watched Kallian with satisfaction, feeling triumphant. Kallian wasn’t just a little annoyed; he was furious. His furrowed brow, the way his crimson eyes darkened, his tightened jaw, and his paler-than-usual face—all of it showed just how much Iann’s words had gotten under his skin. Iann was hitting every nerve with pinpoint accuracy.

‘Perfect countermeasure.’

He was sure of it: against all odds, the male lead, Kallian, had fallen head over heels for the female lead, Yuhwa, at first sight.

T/N:

^[1] ↩

In Korea, the sunfish is often seen as a weak creature that cannot withstand stress.