Chapter 5: The Duke’s Jealousy?!

Miggy had expected many things when he was forced to play matchmaker for Adrian and Rin.

What he *hadn’t* expected was for Adrian to be *the worst* at romance. 😩

After the failed boat ride, the disastrous love letter, and an attempt at gifting Rin an *actual* golden chalice (seriously, who does that?! 😵), Miggy was ready to quit. But the system wouldn’t let him.

[New Mission: Continue assisting Adrian. Progress must reach 50% by the end of the week.]

Miggy groaned. “I’m being *blackmailed* by a magical system. Great.” 😭

It was only day two, and he was already regretting this whole “matchmaking” business. He hadn’t signed up for a romantic comedy starring him as the unwilling wingman for a duke who couldn’t tell the difference between romance and bizarre attempts at buying affection. 😤

———

The next day, Miggy found himself accompanying Adrian and Rin on yet another “bonding experience”—this time, an afternoon picnic in the royal gardens. 🌸

Rin, as usual, was blissfully unaware of Adrian’s advances. He sat on a blanket, happily picking wildflowers like a charmingly oblivious protagonist. Adrian, on the other hand, was brooding in silence, watching Rin with a look that screamed “lovestruck villain in disguise.” 😤💐

Miggy sighed. *Time to work.*

He turned to Rin, putting on his best wingman voice. “Isn’t the duke so *thoughtful* for preparing this?”

Rin smiled warmly, as if the idea of a romantic gesture was the most casual thing in the world. “It’s nice. I like spending time with you both.”

Adrian’s smirk, however, faded as he watched their exchange. His eyes narrowed as his gaze flickered from Rin to Miggy. “*Both?*”

Miggy blinked. “Uh, yes? We’re all friends here—”

Before he could finish, Adrian stood abruptly, his posture stiff and his expression darkening. “Cain. A word.”

Uh-oh. 😬

Miggy’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t like the look on Adrian’s face—this was not the ‘thank you for helping’ look. It was the ‘I’m about to murder you for no good reason’ look.

Reluctantly, he followed Adrian a few steps away, only to be *pinned* against a tree. 🌳😱

Adrian’s face was inches from his, and Miggy could practically feel the heat radiating off him. His voice came out dangerously low, thick with barely-contained frustration. “What exactly are you playing at?”

Miggy gulped, his throat dry. “W-What do you mean? I’m helping you!”

Adrian leaned in closer, his eyes gleaming with an intensity that had Miggy’s knees trembling. “You’re always here. Always in the way.”

Miggy felt his soul leave his body. *Was this a villainous death flag?!* 😭 Was this it? Was this how he was going to go? Crushed by an overbearing, jealous duke who couldn’t handle a simple picnic?

“N-No! I’m just doing my job! I swear!” Miggy stammered, hoping to avoid whatever terrible fate Adrian had in store for him.

Adrian’s gaze softened for a fraction of a second before it returned to its usual hard edge. “Fine. But do not *test* me, Cain.”

Miggy nodded rapidly, sweat dripping down his back. 😨

Adrian stepped back, but the tension didn’t leave the air. The weight of Adrian’s gaze on him was like a physical force. He didn’t know how he managed to make it through that conversation without completely falling apart.

As soon as Adrian walked away, Miggy collapsed onto the grass, exhausted. He lay there for a moment, just breathing, trying to regain his composure.

[Mission Progress: 35% - Unexpected Jealousy Unlocked!]

Miggy groaned. “Oh, for the love of—JEALOUSY?! WHO’S JEALOUS?!” 😵‍💫

Was Adrian actually jealous? Was that even a thing? Miggy didn’t even know how to process it. In all the novels he’d read, the love interests only got jealous when they were already in love, right? But Adrian? Adrian didn’t seem like the type to fall in love, much less show jealousy.

Somewhere in the distance, Adrian’s golden eyes were *still* watching him. 👀

Miggy had a *very* bad feeling about this. He had no idea what this new development meant, but he was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be good for his health.

As he lay on the grass, looking up at the sky and wondering how he had gotten himself into this mess, one thought lingered in his mind:

*Why did he always end up in these situations?* 😫

The answer was simple—he was trapped in a BL novel. And things were about to get even messier. 😱

———

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