Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health - Chapter 122

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 122

The hallway fell silent in an instant, as though by agreement.
Neither of them looked away from the other’s gaze, maintaining a measured distance as they continued their silent reconnaissance.
The tension was pulled taut as a wire—one wrong move and it would snap into violence, the air itself suffocating with the weight of what was about to break.
It was Ludwig who shattered the silence first.
“You look like you’re in decent shape.”
Valere laughed despite himself, a sharp bark that let his killing intent slip through with bared teeth.
“Ludwig.”
“Grand Duke of Halbern.”
Valere had always known he would face this man someday, but not like this—not in a place like this.
He’d imagined it would be on a battlefield. It seemed Ludwig had more nerve than he’d given him credit for.
“What brings someone so… insignificant to such a distinguished venue?”
“I wonder who the truly insignificant one is here.”
Sparks seemed to leap between their locked gazes in the empty air.
“Obviously someone uglier than me.”
…….
Edward had warned him that Ludwig might appear in Albrecht, and Valere had suspected as much—but he’d never imagined the man would dare show his face here, in front of him.
Valere’s pleasant laugh made Ludwig’s expression darken.
Ludwig fixed Valere with a chilling stare, eyes locked on his cheek.
The sticker that had been attached to his face since birth like a matched set—”Very Good” stickers, of all things—had become so boasted about that most people simply ignored them now, but Ludwig had no such immunity.
“What exactly are you carrying on your cheek?”
He’d seen it in the papers, but the real thing was even more grotesque. Ironically, it suited him so well that it made Ludwig all the more irritated.
“Ah.”
Valere touched his cheek, and his eyes softened as he smiled with a warmth that seemed almost melting.
“My daughter gave it to me.”
…….
“Jealous?”
Ludwig’s eyebrow twitched.
His gaze was one of contempt—as if to say such a thing could never be envied—but Valere ignored it entirely and boasted outright. Today’s sticker was, after all, a “Very Good.”
“I suppose it’s an emotion those without daughters can’t understand?”
Ludwig raised one eyebrow as he watched Valere openly drive the point home: ‘You don’t have a daughter, do you?’
“Ha.”
Ludwig let out a hollow laugh.
The whole situation was simply ridiculous and absurd. He’d heard rumors that this man was unhinged, but he’d never imagined it to this degree.
‘And Sionne treasures this man.’
Regardless of the cold that crept into Ludwig’s green eyes, Valere continued to toy with the sticker on his cheek.
A strange, gentle warmth enveloped him—the comfortable sensation of his daughter being near, even though she wasn’t here.
It was bizarre. Peculiar.
The phantom that had been tormenting Valere vanished in an instant. His blurred vision refocused, and his disjointed senses snapped back into sharp clarity.
‘It’s not a symptom that can be cured.’
He’d never even hoped it could be fixed, but as the time he spent with Arelin grew longer, Valere found himself occasionally thinking that he was becoming ‘normal.’
It was probably just an illusion.
Either way, that wasn’t what mattered right now.
Valere bared his killing intent once more and smiled thinly.
This man—the one who’d stolen his sister from him.
It was hard to contain the murderous rage that threatened to leak out at the sight of someone he could never bring himself to like.
“The Regent of the Southern Empire actually walks into enemy territory on his own two feet. I never imagined someone so foolish.”
Ludwig scoffed at Valere’s sneer.
“Enemy territory? Who decided that?”
“I did.”
Since weapons were forbidden in the Auction House, neither of them carried a blade—yet the atmosphere crackled with the tension of imminent violence.
Valere considered it.
If Ludwig was the problem, why not simply remove him here and now?
Everything else could be sorted out later. Valere didn’t care what happened to the rest of the world as long as he could keep Arelin safe.
“Should I kill you right here?”
“Can you handle it?”
“If I stopped to think about what comes after, I’d never do anything.”
“Interesting.”
Ludwig smiled with genuine amusement.
“So the calculated, cold sister has an impulsive, willful brother. How delightful.”
A blade materialized from a rift that opened in the empty space, shooting toward the space between Ludwig’s brows.
Clang!
A dark shadow emerged beside Ludwig, intercepting the sword and hovering protectively at his side.
Valere caught the blade that had been knocked away, gripping it firmly before turning it on Ludwig once more.
“Don’t speak of my sister.”
“She’s my wife as well.”
“Why did you come here? What was there to see?”
“You.”
…….
“Because you fathered a daughter, I hear.”
Valere stifled a sound as Ludwig’s gaze followed him with unsettling intent.
“Or should I say—brought a daughter into being?”
Ludwig twisted his lips into a smile.
“I became curious all of a sudden. About your daughter.”
‘Before,’ that would have been ‘nothing.’
This man taking interest in Arelin was something that simply did not occur.
A chill ran down to Valere’s fingertips.
“Keep your eyes off my daughter. You pervert.”
Ludwig looked satisfied watching Valere growl like a cornered beast.
“I thought you only had eyes for your sister? You were so shameless in your scheming you seemed ready to wage war, but then at some point you just… stopped.”
“What? Sorry I stopped giving you attention?”
This is where it ends.
Any further and he’d reveal unnecessary information—the very thing he needed to avoid.
How could he slip away naturally?
Valere was gauging the moment when—
Boom-boom-CRASH!
A massive explosion rocked the Auction House, and both men’s attention snapped toward it.

* * *

The sudden explosion sent the Auction House into immediate emergency.
“Your Majesty, are you unharmed?”
“Your Majesty!”
An incident had occurred at an official imperial ceremony attended by both Emperor and Empress.
Fortunately, the damage to the hall where the distinguished guests were seated was minimal. Though the explosion was violent enough to shake the very earth, many people had sustained minor injuries from falling debris.
Mehren had taken a piece of debris meant for Empress Azeni, sustaining an injury to his arm.
“Lord Mehren, are you all right?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Are you unharmed?”
“I’m fine, thanks to you, Lord Mehren.”
Emperor Edward’s face had gone pale, but he attended first to the Empress’s welfare before anything else.
“Sister, are you hurt?! Are you all right?!”
“Yes. I’m fine.”
Too anxious to properly register the Empress’s reply, Edward confirmed with his own eyes that she was unharmed before letting out a shaky breath.
“Sister…….”
“Your Majesty, we are still in public.”
“Ah, Empress…….”
Edward hastily corrected himself, letting out an awkward cough.
Fortunately, everything was chaos around them, so no one seemed to notice the hidden dynamic between the imperial couple.
The Imperial Guard urged an immediate return to the palace, but Edward ordered an immediate assessment and management of the situation first.
“The explosion appears to have occurred in the underground storage. Fortunately, the Auction House structure is sturdy—the damage is limited.”
“Many exhibits were destroyed in the blast. We fear it may not have been a robbery, but rather a deliberate attack on—”
The Auction House’s true owner, Duke Sperom, spoke in outrage.
“What kind of bastards would do this…!”
That was roughly when Valere returned from deeper inside.
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty!”
A messenger came running frantically to find Emperor Edward.
“We’ve received reports that most of the capital’s key facilities have come under terrorist attack by an unknown organization.”
“What?!”
Edward’s expression hardened at the news that every major building in the capital, except those protected by Barrier Spells, had been hit by explosions.
Of all moments—right after the National Founding Ceremony had concluded so successfully. The timing of this attack was almost too perfect.
Then Duke Sperom’s secretary came rushing up urgently.
“Your Grace, the Sperom Business Exhibition has also come under attack!”
Duke Sperom began to pace in agitation.
Both the Auction House and the annex where the business exhibition was held were his personal assets.
As Duke Sperom felt the dizziness of astronomical losses mounting just from today alone—
truly dire news arrived.
“It’s far worse than that, Your Grace. A Barrier Spell appears to have been cast—the inside is sealed off from the outside, and entry is impossible!”
“What did you say?!”
Just as Duke Sperom raised his voice to demand immediate cooperation from the Magic Tower—
“Furthermore, the Crown Prince is inside!”
Silence fell like a stone.
The messenger continued, his face ashen.
“Along with the Second Prince of Mubisk, and…….”
…….
“The Halbern Princess.”
Mehren, standing beside Empress Azeni, reflexively looked toward where Valere had been standing.
Valere was already gone.
“I must go as well.”
“Lord Mehren.”
Empress Azeni held him back with concern. Mehren didn’t want to move in his injured state—but…….
“I must.”
If that man lost his mind and went berserk, only Mehren remained to rein him in.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————