The Creditor Is My Husband? - Chapter 18

But… she didn’t want to do that.

At least in front of Lucas Taylor, she didn’t want to hear such vulgar words.

No, she wanted to at least refute and explain those words.

Just as she was about to open her mouth, the reporter shrugged and continued speaking.

“You’ve managed to revive a family on the brink of bankruptcy and are set to become the hostess of the wealthiest family in the kingdom. It must be a one-of-a-kind joy, so please share your thoughts. And if possible, share the secret for other ladies aiming for such a ‘big hit’ like you.”

Hehe.

As soon as the reporter finished speaking, someone burst out laughing.

Giselle stared at the reporter who had spoken to her with a stern expression.

Although he had been polite, his words were clearly mocking.

She bit her lip tightly and took a step forward. But once again, Lucas grabbed her arm and stopped her.

“Get in the car, Giselle.”

“I can’t just get in the car like this. I don’t want to either.”

Giselle’s green eyes looked straight at Lucas. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed before speaking in a persuasive tone.

“You don’t need to deal with such lowly people one by one. Do you think I’ll just stand by and watch?”

Giselle flinched at his words. She remembered feeling hurt by his indifferent reaction earlier.

‘Hmm, well… at least he wasn’t completely indifferent? After all, he wouldn’t want his future wife to hear such filthy words.’

It was also a matter of his pride.

Her expression softened a bit as she muttered to herself. But that didn’t mean she intended to blindly follow Lucas’s words.

“Still, I’m the one who was insulted, not you, senior.”

“I know. But it’s not just you who was insulted. Since you’re my woman, any attack on you can be considered an attack on me, right?”

“……!”

Giselle’s eyes widened at Lucas’s words, ‘my woman.’ Her cheeks turned as red as a ripe apple.

However, Lucas, not noticing this change, looked at the reporter with a cold gaze.

Silently. Just staring.

He didn’t say anything, just stared, and in an instant, a hush fell over the surroundings. Even those around the reporter began to slowly distance themselves.

The reporter, noticing this change, looked around nervously and cleared his throat.

“Ahem. Well, I didn’t mean that was my own opinion, but I just wanted to inform you that such rumors are circulating. If those rumors aren’t true, the lady can clarify here.”

“……”

“Isn’t that what reporters are for? To reveal the truth. For the public’s right to know. That’s the mission of a reporter…”

The reporter, his face turning red under Lucas’s prolonged silence, continued speaking. Then, as if he was doing something grand, he puffed out his chest and tried to justify his words.

Other reporters, watching Lucas’s reaction, nodded slightly.

After all, they were all in the same boat, hanging around near the house hoping to catch something about the woman marrying Lucas Taylor.

But Lucas, looking at them, let out a cold laugh.

“Truth, right to know, and mission…”

His voice grew even lower. His gaze towards the reporters became even colder.

As the reporters instinctively flinched under the pressure emanating from Lucas, he spoke in a languid tone.

“You rummage through trash cans like mangy dogs in front of a house, yet you dress it up so nicely.”

“What, what did you say? Did you just call me a mangy dog? President, your words are too harsh!”

The reporter protested, his face turning red.

“Are you insulting us reporters now? Oppressing the press freedom…”

“Respect is given to those who deserve it. Digging into people’s private lives and writing trashy stories, then talking about press freedom, isn’t that too embarrassing even for you?”

Despite the reporter’s protest, Lucas responded calmly.

“And don’t you realize that you’re insulting a woman and invading her privacy just to write such garbage?”

“Well, that…”

The reporter tried to argue back. But as Lucas, who had approached him, stood right in front of him, he clammed up.

Even without the name ‘Taylor,’ the man with the dark hair exuded enough intimidation.

“Why should my woman have to listen to such words here?”

“Uh… well, President…”

The reporter, unable to meet Lucas’s gaze, lowered his head. Yet he still felt Lucas’s gaze piercing the top of his head.

Lucas looked down at the reporter for a moment, then slowly turned to the other reporters and asked in a cold voice.

“Do you expect her to entertain your cheap interests just because she’s marrying me? To endure such filthy words and play the clown?”

* * *

Giselle, watching Lucas’s back as he questioned the reporters, tightly grasped the front of her clothes. Her heart pounded, and she felt a strange sensation.

He wasn’t particularly angry. But he was protesting to the reporters on her behalf.

He was criticizing their vile reporting and trying to protect her within his boundaries.

As if he was fighting the reporters for her sake.

Of course, that probably wasn’t Lucas’s intention.

He was likely acting this way because he couldn’t tolerate the insults directed at the woman he was going to marry.

‘If it wasn’t me here, but another woman, he would have done the same.’

She tried not to give too much meaning to his actions to calm her restless heart. But it was impossible to calm her wildly beating heart.

Giselle had always been alone. She had parents and a half-sibling, but they had never been on her side.

When faced with injustice, she had to fight alone, unable to tell anyone about her struggles.

But at this moment, she had someone who was protesting and getting angry with her.

Lucas, this man.

The man she was going to marry in a sham.

Giselle took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart. Just then, Lucas’s voice was heard again.

“I warned you clearly, yet seeing this, it seems you find me quite amusing.”

‘…Huh?’

Giselle’s eyes widened as she brushed her flushed cheek with her hand.

‘Warned them? What does that mean? What kind of warning to the reporters…?’

“Ah…”

She unconsciously opened her mouth and then hastily covered it with both hands. At the same time, her small face, half-hidden by her hands, began to turn bright red.

She thought she understood what warning he had given to the reporters.

Giselle instinctively touched her forehead with her fingertips. It was the spot where she had gotten a wound from bumping into a reporter’s camera a few days ago.

She had speculated that Lucas might have done something after the reporters had quieted down a bit since that day, but hearing it confirmed from his mouth felt strange.

Even though she thought he had maintained an indifferent expression while looking at her messy state, it seemed she wasn’t completely meaningless to him.

‘Oh, come on. Meaning? He probably did it because his own reputation was at stake.’

Giselle felt her face heat up and fanned herself with her hand. Meanwhile, Lucas continued speaking in a cold voice.

“From now on, there won’t be any more reasons to laugh. I promise that in my name right here.”

As soon as he said that, the reporters’ faces turned pale.

To someone unaware of the circumstances, Lucas’s words might seem insignificant.

But it was Lucas Taylor who had said it. He had promised it in his own name.

“Mr., Mr. President! President!”

The reporter who had mocked Giselle earlier called out to him urgently with a blood-drained face. But Lucas, having said all he needed to, turned away.

At that moment, Giselle, who had been fanning herself, made eye contact with him. He tilted his head to one side and furrowed his brows.

“Are you hot?”

In this cool morning?

It seemed like she heard the part he left unsaid. Giselle, flustered, waved her hands.

“No, it’s not that I’m hot, it’s just, um, well…”

Giselle stammered, feeling embarrassed as if he had caught her thinking alone.

But Lucas, seeing her flustered expression, reached out his hand.

Then, as if nothing had happened, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and turned towards the car. Giselle naturally followed his lead.

“Let’s go.”

As soon as Lucas got into the car, he spoke to the driver. The car started smoothly.

* * *

Giselle, sitting next to Lucas, blinked her eyes and then turned to look back.

She saw reporters sighing, holding their foreheads, or ruffling their hair. They looked visibly disheartened.

Seeing their reaction to Lucas’s words, she realized just how influential he was.

And she thought her courage to decide to marry such a man was also quite impressive.

Just then, a voice mixed with laughter was heard.

“What are you looking at so intently, Giselle? Is there a better man among them? I don’t think there is.”

“What did you say?”

Giselle frowned at Lucas’s joke and straightened her posture.

She saw the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. It was clear he was teasing her.

She couldn’t just let it slide. She crossed her arms and looked at him as if evaluating him.

“Hmm…”

“‘Hmm’?”

Lucas also crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, mimicking her. But she continued to look him up and down and then tilted her head.

“Well, I wonder.”

“What? Are you saying I’m worse than those guys?”

Lucas let out a chuckle, as if he couldn’t believe it. It was a rare sight to see the usually indifferent and cold man genuinely upset.

Giselle stifled a laugh at his reaction and shrugged her shoulders.