Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health - Chapter 209

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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 209

Truth be told, I had no desire to fight with Fession.
Why would I want to fight with the person I’d longed to see more than anyone over the past fifteen years?
But at our first meeting, he’d immediately dismissed me as a fake who came to seduce him, and even now he looked at me as though I were vermin — and that was something even the most patient person couldn’t let slide without feeling a surge of indignation.
“Hello, Your Highness.”
That was why.
I’d made a point of acknowledging him when I could have simply passed by.
I even unfolded the fan I’d been holding and fanned myself with practiced grace, following proper etiquette.
A look shot toward me that was unmistakably saying, ‘What brings you here, of all places?’
Hmm. Looking at him again, he really had grown handsome… and the fact that he didn’t recognize me was getting under my skin in the most annoying way.
“Miss.”
I could hear Rena’s voice from behind, trying to restrain me, but my smile never wavered.
Fession had simply ignored my greeting outright.
See, Rena? This fool keeps striking my nerves, doesn’t he?
“It seems my greeting has upset you greatly. I simply offered my respects as one does to a familiar face. Aren’t we people who’ve even shared a private audience before?”
Fession’s eyebrows twitched.
His gaze turned toward me, mixing displeasure with bewilderment.
Now he was actually seeing me.
As Fession’s eyes took in my appearance, I felt a small measure of satisfaction.
“I actually had no intention of greeting someone who seems to despise me so. But suddenly, it felt terribly unfair.”
“Unfair?”
“Yes. You spoke to me one-sidedly back then. I thought I deserved the chance to defend myself as well.”
For the first time, those cold eyes devoid of emotion flickered with something different.
I responded with the brightest smile I could muster.
“You were quite curious about how much I spent to reconstruct my face, weren’t you? Unfortunately, this is all natural — a gift from my parents. If you happen to be dissatisfied with your own face, I’m sorry I can’t be of help.”
Fession’s eyes narrowed.
“And you were dying to know who sent me. Who else would have sent me? Your persecution complex seems rather severe. I’d recommend consulting with your physician about seeing a mental health specialist.”
Fession stifled a hollow laugh as if to say, ‘Let’s see how far you’ll go.’ I kept right on smiling sweetly.
“Finally, I’ll have you know I can live perfectly well without making you fall head over heels. So please, spare yourself and reclaim a healthier life!”
It was an outrageously presumptuous thing to say to the Crown Prince of a great empire, but my life had been far too turbulent to be intimidated by the sharp gazes fixed upon me.
And honestly, I had confidence.
The confidence born from the calculation that Fession wouldn’t make a move against me over something as trivial as this.
“Then, do enjoy the rest of your evening.”
That’s right — what are you going to do about it? How delightful!

* * *

The VVIPs attending the Domel auction had access to a specially prepared private balcony from which to participate.
Though even with all that privacy, a little effort would let you pinpoint exactly where everyone was seated.
As I sat in our assigned place picking at the prepared finger food, Rena at my side kept her forehead pressed to her palm, exhaling repeatedly in deep sighs.
It seemed to be about what had just happened.
I knew I’d caused trouble, but…
How was I supposed to have held that back?
“My mother didn’t raise me to be cowed.”
At that weak excuse, Rena’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at me.
“No one raised you that way, Miss.”
“I know that.”
“Whatever became of my quiet, gentle, trouble-free Miss? Where’s my angelic young lady gone?”
Rena’s voice trembled as she lamented the loss of that well-behaved, serene version of me who never caused any trouble.
“What exactly did the Grand Mage do to you?”
“My Master hasn’t done anything.”
“That can’t be right. She must have done something. Otherwise, there’s no way you’d have changed this much.”
“I haven’t changed at all.”
I couldn’t understand why everyone kept insisting my personality had shifted.
I was like this when I was young too.
It’s just that back then, the limitations of my body made it less apparent.
As I was busily picking at the finger food, my cheek began to sting. When I looked up, I found myself meeting those crimson eyes.
Of course the terrace seating had to be adjacent to ours.
I wanted to ignore him, but his stare was so persistent and earnest that I engaged in a proper staring contest before growing disappointed after the fact.
“It’s making me genuinely sad that he keeps not recognizing me. How could he fail to see it’s me?”
“Given all he’s endured, that’s only natural. Besides, he believes you passed away, Miss.”
“Even with Rena by my side, he still doesn’t know it’s me.”
“It’s been ten years since he last saw you. Perhaps he simply didn’t recognize you.”
“Still. If he truly loved me, he should recognize me at a glance — just like that!”
Rena made an odd expression.
“Haven’t you been reading too many novels?”
“Hmph.”
I considered insisting that was the height of romance, but decided against it. The more I spoke, the more pathetic I made myself sound.
To be reunited with you again, I endured any suffering. And yet… here I was.
But the more I watched him now, the more I began to notice things I hadn’t before.
‘Does he sleep properly?’
His complexion looked quite poor. Was he eating properly? His youthful fullness had vanished entirely, and that sharp-edged face struck me with an unsettling force.
“Rena.”
“Yes, Miss?”
“Fession — he doesn’t have any health problems, does he?”
Rena glanced at me sideways.
“Why the sudden kind expression?”
“Hmm. Just remembering when we were young.”
He would burst in on me suddenly, insisting I sleep at night and go outside during the day, forcing me to eat, making me exercise by dragging me on walks — back then, I found it tedious, resentful, and irritating. But now I understood Fession’s heart. He had genuinely worried about me.
Fession had truly cared.
What I’d found bothersome and vexing then felt different to me now.
How had Fession managed to keep searching for me with such sincerity?
“I treated him so harshly, yet he kept coming to find me with a smiling face. How could he do that? I’m already this spiteful after just a couple of incidents.”
“His Highness was… quite extraordinary in many respects.”
Rena deflected in that way of hers, but as I looked at Fession with his emotionless eyes, my thoughts grew deeper.
Once you seemed so vast to me, so solid and unshakeable, so magnificent.
So magnificent that I believed no wound I could inflict could ever hurt you.
You always smiled for me, yielded, showed consideration, and acted as though you were the one who lacked so much.
The moment I realized that everything I’d taken for granted was not some inevitable given, I finally felt the true magnitude of the love I’d been receiving.
With that understanding, this present situation didn’t feel quite so terrible.
After all, I was finally seeing a side of Fession I’d never known before.
Ah, well.
“Rena.”
“What is it?”
“I think… I really do care for Fession.”
“What?”
“Wow, I really do like Fession.”
I’d forgotten that Fession was the first person besides my parents that I had ever cared for in this way.
Not knowing how to handle this feeling was no excuse for either of us.
“Just seeing him makes my heart settle.”
Was the feeling of affection always this powerful?
If he’d been anyone else, I would never have let myself become this sentimental, yet somehow my heart had already softened toward him in such a short time.
“Ugh. Mehren told me to be kind, but I got irritated and acted childishly again.”
“You were aware of that, then?”
“I’m not completely irrational, you know.”
“I think it’s worse that you understand and do it anyway.”
“But still.”
Thinking back to what had just happened, I felt slighted again.
“Fession keeps treating me like a stranger, and it’s infuriating. It hurts, that’s all.”
“Right, right.”
“He won’t even listen to what I have to say, just outright dismisses me as fake and ignores me. That irritates me too.”
“Right, right.”
“What’s with that reaction?”
I turned to look at Rena, bothered by her ceaseless agreement, only to find her smiling contentedly.
“Even though Miss has grown into an adult overnight, discovering these unripe aspects of you is… well, delightful, I suppose?”
“…”
“You’re adorable, Miss.”
Rena’s comment jolted me back to reality.
I was beautiful, cute, and lovely, yes, but I didn’t want to be thought of as adorable now that I was grown.
…Ugh, reality check. Right, I need to be more mature.
Meanwhile, the auction was beginning.
“Let’s focus on what we came here to do.”

* * *

“Where exactly are you staring like that?”
Sirua, finding Fession unable to tear his eyes away from somewhere, offered a jab at him.
Having arrived late to join them, Sirua was completely unaware of what had transpired between Fession and a certain young lady.
He didn’t know that she’d hurled words bordering on insult at him, nor that Fession had merely seemed displeased without any particularly notable response.
“Hm?”
Following Fession’s line of sight, Sirua turned his head and blinked twice.

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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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