Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health - Chapter 176
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 176
Fession pressed flat against the wall, his eyes narrowing to slits. Beside him, the Demon Twins and Harun clung to the stone in identical fashion, watching the same scene unfold with vacant stares.
“Arelin~.”
A lovely girl with a sweet voice called out Arelin’s name, her smile radiant and warm.
This girl, named Chloe, had become Fession’s sworn enemy.
‘When exactly did she drop the honorific?’
She’d been calling her “Miss Arelin” just moments ago—the moment his attention wavered, the formality vanished.
Fession’s fists clenched hard.
“Your Highness, why are we doing this?”
“Why can’t we just say hello to Arelin?”
The Demon Twins, possessed of exactly zero patience, whined, but Fession was immovable.
“We can’t.”
“Why not?!”
“It would annoy her.”
Fession still remembered those days when Arelin kept her distance, pushing him away at every turn.
‘Not anymore, though.’
Now she smiled when she saw him, came to him first, called him beautiful, and gave him nearly everything he asked for—yet these days, that very gentleness only fed his anxiety.
Worse still, the softer Arelin had become was no longer his alone.
Fession’s long lashes trembled.
He was glad Arelin had made more friends, truly he was grateful for those who adored her, but—!
“A severe case, I’m afraid.”
Griam, the chief steward watching from a distance, shook his head slowly. But by now, it was far too late to undo.
“Our young masters suffer the same affliction.”
“Hehe, thanks to Miss Arelin, the Sperom household has found peace at last.”
The Demon Twins’ caretakers chuckled darkly, while Griam—maintaining a discreet distance—still could not tear his eyes from Fession, who remained transfixed by Arelin.
By now Griam had grown accustomed to this sight. He had achieved enlightenment.
“So about last time…”
“Ah.”
Fession watched Arelin converse with Chloe in such warm harmony, unable to look away.
She’d dismissed it carelessly—merely helping Chloe with her shopping, nothing more.
‘Yet she’s never spent time alone with me.’
Though he ought to comport himself with the confidence befitting a crown prince, he couldn’t help such thoughts creeping in.
The Demon Twins and Harun were always there, pressed against his side—never once had he had her to himself. So why did Chloe…?!
Fession found Chloe utterly detestable.
“Maybe it’s because she and Your Highness have similar images?”
“Yeah, they do have a similar feel about them.”
“Similar?! How?!”
The Demon Twins offered their own analysis—wasn’t it just ethnic prejudice?—but Fession recoiled in horror, sputtering that to be compared to “that thing” was a disgrace to the royal blood.
Unaware that his vehement denial only strengthened their theory.
“But seriously, how much longer are we just going to watch?”
“I want to play with Arelin too~.”
The whimpering Demon Twins and the steadfastly silent Harun earned Fession’s scowl.
“Wait—she’s moving.”
“What do we do? Should we follow?”
Reason screamed at him to leave now, to turn back and go home…
“Let’s go!”
But Fession had abandoned reason entirely.
* * *
Surprisingly, the outing with Chloe went smoothly.
“Like I mentioned before, I don’t get out much either, so honestly I’m lost.”
“It’s fine—just having you with me is enough!”
“I suppose…”
At the very least, being with me ensured her safety.
How many guards had they assigned to her anyway?
Ever since I’d nearly collapsed on the street once before, escort details seemed to trail behind me wherever I went, pretending to be other shoppers.
Whirrrrr—
Ether had told me to trust only him.
But you can only transform into a violin, so really.
Whirrrr—!
Why the anger? I was just stating facts.
“Found it! Arelin, it’s over there!”
Chloe dragged me to none other than the Sperom Department Store.
“Oh…”
I marveled at the building, which looked less like a department store and more like an art museum or gallery.
Sperom again? This multinational powerhouse family seemed to have their fingers in everything.
For a moment, the Demon Twins came to mind.
Now that I thought about it, I vaguely remembered hearing they’d succeeded in creating an automobile prototype.
“I’ve always wanted to come here.”
“Really?”
Chloe wanted to buy gifts for her teacher and family.
“I saved up my allowance!”
“Your allowance…”
Chloe’s fifty silver coins looked endearingly modest to someone whose financial sense had completely atrophied.
I wondered how much was sitting in my Sperom bank account.
“Should I buy something too?”
It occurred to me that I’d never actually given gifts to anyone.
The moment I spotted a Fountain Pen, Mehren came to mind—I bought one, then as I browsed further, whenever someone occurred to me, I picked up another item.
If I bought something for Mother, Father would feel left out.
I chuckled thinking of Father, always seizing any opportunity to attack my face.
I grabbed Friendship Chocolate for our uninvited houseguest, then thought to get something for Fession too—the Demon Twins would throw a fit if I didn’t include them, so I picked something up for them as well, and if I got something for Harun too…
“Arelin, can you carry all of that?”
“Hmm.”
Did I buy too much?
“It’s fine.”
“Are you really sure?”
“Yes. I can do this. Help!”
The moment I called for assistance, a guard who’d been pretending to be a customer from across the way approached as if he’d been waiting for this very summons.
“I’d appreciate your help.”
“Leave it to me, young miss.”
Watching the guard depart with my parcels, Chloe laughed in disbelief.
“You really are a high noble through and through.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Oh, you know, it’s just… something.”
Chloe’s words trailed off into an embarrassed smile. She had that same habit—when cornered, she resorted to attacking with her face.
I found it rather galling, but since she was pretty, I let it slide.
“I want to pick out a gift for Harun too!”
Watching Chloe select a present for Harun, I fell into thought.
In the novel I’d read—the one with the awkward title about obsessing over a childhood friend—Chloe had attended the Childhood Friend Circle, initially met Harun there, and was supposed to harbor an unrequited love before eventually becoming entangled with Fession.
Given that Chloe already harbored feelings for Harun, I could guess something must have happened.
“So you ran into trouble while sightseeing in the Capital, and Harun helped you out?”
“Yes!”
Chloe explained that afterward, she’d discovered by chance that Harun was part of the Childhood Friend Circle, and had joined specifically to become closer to him.
“But why was Harun there?”
“He was helping the Public Order Division with patrol duties in the Capital.”
It was Mubisk’s duty, and he was doing it together with his brother, she said.
‘Ah, I think I heard that the Duke of Mubisk is at the Northern Fortress right now.’
“That’s when I first saw him.”
Chloe smiled bashfully.
A smile like cherry blossoms scattering on a spring breeze. Anyone could see she adored Harun, which only made my mood more complicated.
Was this the narrative’s gravitational pull at work?
I still couldn’t pinpoint exactly when the two of them had become entangled…
Watching Chloe giggle away, I asked on impulse.
“What does Fession think about all this?”
Chloe’s expression turned suddenly murderous.
“Why are you bringing up His Highness all of a sudden?”
“Just curious.”
“I don’t like him one bit.”
Chloe said it flatly.
Even switching to formal speech.
“Not one bit. I’m sure you feel the same way, don’t you, Miss Arelin?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say…”
“He has so much, and was raised so gently, that he thinks the whole world revolves around him.”
“That’s… well.”
But Fession really did have everything.
As the male lead, it was to some extent true that the world did revolve around him.
“And he’s needlessly talented, too.”
‘You could say the same about yourself, female lead.’
“I don’t even like his face. He’s prettier and more handsome than me!”
—complained the female lead, whose beauty rivaled that of the male lead himself.
“I feel bad for Arelin!”
Regarding him as a rival rather than a romantic interest, she looked at me with eyes of pure combat. I could only laugh helplessly.
Honestly, I don’t know anymore.
* * *
After finishing my outing with Chloe, I returned home, left all my purchases in my room, grabbed a piece of Friendship Chocolate, and hurried over to the Halbern Secret Library.
“Why did you come?!”
The baby elephant, still sulking, trumpeted indignantly at the sight of me.
“Want some chocolate?”
As the saying goes, always offer sweets to a hungry beast. The moment I dangled the chocolate as a bribe, the elephant’s black eyes opened wide, fixed on the morsel.
“Oh. There’s a story in this one.”
Watching the Dream Sprite Mack eagerly snatch the chocolate with his trunk and devour it happily, I relaxed.
“So will you give me the Access Pass now?”
“…”
“Should I get you more chocolate?”
“Tch.”
Whether the Dream Sprite Mack had decided he could resist no longer, or whether my bribe had simply won him over, he produced a balloon from somewhere and slipped it onto my wrist.
“This is the Access Pass?”
It looked like I’d just come from an amusement park.
“Do Father’s passes look like this too?”
“Children’s and adults’ passes are different! Adult invitations come as badges.”
“Ah, I see—that distinction.”
Without this pass, I couldn’t access any section except the library wing bearing my nameplate. Now that I understood the system, it seemed like remarkably cutting-edge security—almost impressive enough to make confidentiality feel inevitable.
“Which section should we visit first?”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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