Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health - Chapter 204

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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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204
Episode

They say when people encounter something too absurd, they can’t react at all.
That was me.
I stood there dumb, not uttering a single word.
“No, seriously.”
Though the meeting was brief, its impact was fierce.
By the time I realized I needed to say something to Fession—who had dripped with sarcasm and left a warning that he’d kill me if I showed my face again—I was already standing alone.
“What is this?”
Belatedly chewing over what happened, I let out a hollow laugh.
“What on earth just happened?”
At first, I couldn’t properly understand what had taken place, so I was utterly stunned. Then I was exasperated. Finally, rage ignited.
“What did that bastard just say to me?”
Once I realized late how I’d been treated and came storming back to the hall, Fession was facing people with a perfectly composed expression.
Wow, that guy.
That scheming bastard.
“Is he a split personality?”
“What do you mean, Miss?”
If Mehren hadn’t returned just then, I might have actually cast a spell and caused a scene.
Then tomorrow’s Albrecht Times front page would have been me.
“Mehren.”
“Yes, I’m listening.”
“Am I not appealing?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Am I not pretty?”
“……?”
It was already upsetting that he didn’t recognize me, but what now? How much plastic surgery do you think this face has had? It’s all natural, you bastard!
“Why ask such a thing all of a sudden? You’ve never cared about appearances, Miss.”
“Well, it’s because someone told me I’d had all my features worked on.”
“?”
Glaring at Fession as if I’d strangle him to death, I caught Mehren surmising something and pressing her palm to her forehead.
“……Shall we go back?”
I wanted to snap something back so I wouldn’t feel like I’d lost, but I couldn’t defy Mehren’s pleading eyes as she grabbed my arm and desperately urged me to leave.
Even as Mehren pulled me out, my mouth never stopped complaining.
“Mom, Fession’s acting strange. He didn’t even recognize me. I think he’s lost it.”
Setting aside the emotion of reunion itself, I never imagined such a reunion would happen.
And he didn’t even recognize me!
“How could this be? Does any of this make sense?”
This feeling of my common sense crumbling.
Unable to contain my rage, I thrashed about until my energy crashed.
“Ugh, I’m starving.”
Now that I thought about it, I’d barely eaten while preparing for the party.
When I arrived, I never thought to nibble on finger foods—I just stared at Fession the whole time.
Once my mind cleared, my hunger became obvious.
Back at the hotel, I was deliberating what to eat when Mehren asked carefully.
“Did you meet the Crown Prince?”
“Yeah.”
“How?”
I gave her a rough explanation of what happened after she’d stepped away.
“Sigh. I told you not to cause trouble.”
Mehren made a disheartened face.
“You’re not even my real daughter, yet you inherit this behavior from Valere.”
“Mom, are you scolding me right now? I just went to see Fession.”
“Give me back my sweet, dear Arelin.”
Mehren buried her face in her hands and lamented. I pouted.
“Mehren.”
“Yes?”
“Come clean. There’s something you haven’t explained to me yet, isn’t there?”
“…….”
Mehren fell silent.
Silence in moments like these always meant yes.
“That warning you gave me not to cause trouble—was it really just to stay away from Fession?”
Mehren’s expression darkened further.
Her face bore the clear mark of complicated circumstances hidden beneath, and a sigh escaped me.
“Sigh.”
I thought that once this damn illness passed, everything would fall smoothly into place on its own. Apparently not.
Only now did I acknowledge my hasty stubbornness.
Right—fifteen years had passed. Everything couldn’t possibly be the same as before.
I’d been naive enough to hope for a simple “Ta-da, I’m back—and everyone lived happily ever after.”
What was I thinking, expecting life to be easy?
Sigh, I wanted to coast through life.
Reminding myself of the timeless truth that the world wasn’t so forgiving, I steeled my resolve.
“Explain. Be as thorough as you can.”

* * *

No matter how detailed Mehren’s explanation was, I’d been in El Sionel, away from the Imperial Capital all this time.
From Mehren’s account alone, I couldn’t fully grasp how my once dear, lovable, kind Fession—who was sunshine itself—had grown into such an insufferable, ill-mannered human being,
but I could understand the sharp behavior Fession showed when he faced me.
“Fifteen of them?”
Fifteen people had impersonated me?
Back at the hotel, I munched through a delicious late-night snack and even ice cream as I heard from Mehren about the turbulent events of the Capital over the past fifteen years.
Not only did people appear claiming to be me, but the “Popular Young Lady Style” trend that swept through the Capital during this time featured platinum-blonde hair, soft pink eyes, and an aloof, curt demeanor?
“I had that kind of personality……?”
Me, aloof? I couldn’t make sense of it.
Rena, who had been fretting all night about whether eating ice cream would give her an upset stomach, burst out laughing.
Setting aside how people interpreted my character, the fact that there had been as many as fifteen imitations of me…….
“That’s frightening.”
Was it people’s hunger for power?
Or the desire for social advancement?
Does one really need to cultivate that level of venom and ambition to wield authority?
When I thought of how the whole world must have been in chaos, all desperately trying to win Fession’s favor or seduce him, I felt both complex and faintly disgusted.
There were even instances where two or more impostors appeared simultaneously, each claiming to be the real one. The world was truly a hall of mirrors.
“In the end, they all failed, anyway.”
“Of course they did. The Grand Duke of Halbern was watching like a hawk.”
“It wasn’t really because of that.”
“Then what?”
Surprisingly, their failure hadn’t been due to the Grand Duke’s abilities or looks.
“It was because of your talents, Miss.”
“My talents?”
What did I do?
Rena explained proudly.
“The Twins from Sperom were made to play Violin, Chloe was tested on Magic, those Young Ladies who spoke with you were brought to the Library to read books in multiple languages by the impostors.”
“Ah.”
“Even if the other things seemed convincing, there was no one who was good at everything. So they were always caught!”
It was endearing that during all this, Harun had even tested whether he could read his expressions to figure out his thoughts.
Hmm. Harun’s expression language was a bit tricky. I had a hard time mastering it too.
“Hearing this, I sound like quite the impressive person.”
“The last Young Lady who appeared two years ago managed to pull off those talents quite convincingly, but fortunately His Highness the Crown Prince exposed her as not being you on his own.”
“How?”
“Nothing is known about his method.”
Mehren shrugged.
I became curious.
How exactly did Fession manage to expose her as a fake?
“But while all these people were impersonating me, what was the Grand Duke doing?”
“…….”
Mehren smiled awkwardly.
“They’d be exposed as fakes soon enough anyway…….”
“Did you do well or poorly?”
“Poorly, I’m afraid.”
“My mother isn’t normally incompetent like this. Why such a mistake?”
“……Because Arelin wasn’t by my side?”
Mm. I had no choice but to accept that excuse, no matter how much I objected.
“Next time, I won’t go easy!”
“Of course not. Because now Arelin will never leave our side again. Right?”
Mm. This was the sort of question that didn’t allow for a straight answer. When I evaded the question with a vague smile, Mehren’s smile deepened.
“Right, my daughter?”
“Ugh.”
Mother only called me that way at times like this.
“……I’ll try my best.”
“Trying isn’t enough.”
“I’ll stay by your side with all my strength.”
“Yes.”
Only then did Mehren smile contentedly.
Now that I’d finished the ice cream, recharged my sugar levels, and felt better, I took stock of my current situation.
“So to be recognized as Arelin without any doubt, I need Dad around?”
“Yes, that’s the easiest and fastest method.”
There were other ways, though.
They were just complicated and bothersome.
“Hmm.”
But around this point, a certain thought occurred to me.
Did I really need to try this hard to prove that I was Arelin?
I was Arelin anyway.
If they didn’t recognize me, wouldn’t it be Fession, the Twins, Harun, and everyone else who’d lose out, not me?
“?”
Mehren suddenly shuddered.
“I find it rather objectionable.”
After all I’d endured to regain my health, they dared suggest I was a fake?
No matter what else had happened—wait, nothing happened to me!?
‘Should I tease them a little?’
Around this point, I became curious.
Whether the real me would be recognized even if I hid my identity.
“Miss, why are you smiling like that?”
“What’s wrong, I suddenly feel chilled…….”
When I smirked, Rena and Dylan trembled.
Mehren looked at me with an uneasy gaze. I broke into a wide smile.
“I just thought of something very amusing. Want to hear it?”

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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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