I’ll Become the Female Lead in this Trashy Webnovel

25.
Jealousy and Doubt (1)

Joshua went to the bedroom and lowered her onto the bed.

Her whole body was bare, her eyes were half-open, and her face looked drunk.

She still had her arms around his neck as he laid her down, so he bent his back to settle her in a sitting position.

The room’s sunlight shone on Ariad’s closed lids, making her beauty sparkle even more.

As his neck trembled with sorrow, Joshua cursed inwardly.

‘Dirty bastard.’

He smiled, then kissed the luscious lips in front of him before he withdrew.

“Joshua.” Ariad called him lazily.

The drunk woman loosened her arms around his neck to tap him lightly on the chest.

“I’m still in pain because of you.
You’re so annoying!”

Joshua pressed a light kiss on her mouth and murmured, “Cute.”

Ariad’s head tilted at that.

Joshua had a silly yet innocent smile on his face.

“You are insane.
You’re crazy about Ariad!”

“That’s right.”

He didn’t deny it.

Even Joshua himself would consider his actions and decisions questionably insane then and now.

Suddenly, Ariad’s right hand grabbed his cheek.

“You love Ariad.
Well, that’s great!” Suddenly, the woman, who kept repeating the word ‘love’, proceeded to mumble strange words.
“Love.
Hugh Carlywood is so lovely and cute.”

“What?”

Hugh Carlywood.

The name had stuck to his head.

He had heard of that name before.

Joshua raised an eyebrow as he looked at his drunken wife.

“Who is he?”

“He’s the ideal type.
My favorite——”

Joshua couldn’t hear her finish her statement when her body tilted to the right.

He quickly grabbed her upper body and laid her on the bed.

His long fingers brushed the lavender-scented purple hair artfully disheveled over the pillow as he recited the name that lingered in his head.

“Hugh Carlywood.”

* * *

People always surrounded Briggs no matter what social gatherings he took part in.

He was well-spoken and knew a lot of exciting stories, so many people expressed their desire to talk to him in private.

He was talking while enjoying the party’s atmosphere as usual when he suddenly heard someone say, “It’s noisy.”

His upper body, drooping against the cushion, straightened in surprise.

Briggs went to see what was happening with the person who didn’t even bother playing with him.

“Feeling down? What’s wrong?”

As the man strode towards him, the women around him blushed as they examined his physique.

Ah.

As what he expected from that annoying crown prince.

Briggs worked so hard to seduce these women with words, but Joshua just collected them without putting much effort.

“I need to ask you something.”

“What?”

“Who is Hugh Carlywood?”

“All of a sudden?”

Joshua tilted his head at the unexpected question before drinking the champagne on the table.

“Something must be bothering you.”

“Who is Hugh Carlywood?”

It was always like this.

Joshua only looked for him when he needed him.

Giving him a disapproving look, Briggs explained casually.
“He’s the second son of Count Carlywood.”

“I don’t care about that.
Do you think I can’t deduce from his surname alone?” He said calmly as he ran his hand through his dark hair.

Even if Briggs hadn’t seen him for a long time, he felt the crown prince’s irritation and arrogance.

“What are you curious about?”

“What does he do?”

“I don’t think there’s anything that he’s doing yet.
Not long ago, he tested to check if he was qualified to join the royal knights.
Unfortunately, he was eliminated because he wasn’t good at using his body.”

Joshua smirked.
“Oh, really?”

Still, joy was evident on his face, even if it wasn’t the information he wanted or the emotion he would go for at this moment.

As the ungrateful prince turned his back without thanking him, Briggs muttered a curse, and a beautiful woman came in just in time.

The colorful chandelier lights on her blonde hair immediately caught Briggs’ eye.

She was the only person he could see amid the noisy crowd.

As Kelly stood in front of Joshua, he turned to the side to avoid her, but she blocked his path again.

When he couldn’t push past her, only then did he stare straight into Kelly’s eyes.

Overwhelmed, Kelly paused for a moment before speaking, “Was the cookie alright, Your Highness?”

“Cookie?”

Kelly’s pupils trembled upon seeing Joshua’s indifference as if he had no idea what she was saying.

‘Should she explain this further?’ She thought as her fingers clutched the white skirts of her gown in bewilderment.

Briggs watched the two in embarrassment that his pupils trembled as well.

He didn’t expect her to ask Joshua so openly.

Macon approached a moment later, calling Joshua as if something alarming had happened.

Joshua quickly stepped aside and left Kelly standing there.

The woman held the laces in her gown tightly as she watched Briggs get stuck in the crowd.

The emotion in those blue eyes held a deep resentment.

Her footsteps seemed despondent when she turned her back on him.

As he looked back at the situation earlier, Briggs messed up his neatly arranged hair out of frustration.

“Damn it.”

If he knew this would happen,he  wouldn’t have eaten it.

* * *

So-hee opened her eyes in a rush of headaches.

When she noticed the darkened room, she lifted her upper body in chagrin.

“Does this even make sense?”

Her time was wasted, and she couldn’t take that back.

“Oh, Sohee.” She placed a palm on her face.
“Isn’t it time for you to sleep?”

The sound of owls hooting outside the window scratched her nerves more.

Amid confusion, she tried to recall the last memories she had from this novel, along with the time she lost.

Sadly, nothing came to mind except that nostalgic memory when Joshua hugged her before she slept on the bed.

“Did she just sleep?”

She guessed so.

She had to.