Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health - Chapter 21

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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 21

There are days like this in life, aren’t there?
Days when, despite appearing no different from any other, simply existing feels like an unbearable weight.
Today was one of those days for me.
“……Miss?”
Meehen’s voice carried layers of confusion and concern, though I remained pressed against him regardless.
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m exhausted.”
“Whatever could have happened to——”
“Many things.”
“I can see that.”
As I buried myself deeper against him, a heavy, woody scent drifted near my nose—the smell of aged cedar, perhaps.
The longer I remained like this, the sharper nerves I’d worn raw from the Twins and the Crown Prince all day began to settle back into calm.
‘You said you wanted to be alone, yet look at you—unable to do that with Meehen.’
My inner cynic mocked me, but what could I do?
Meehen was the person who had raised me since I was a baby who couldn’t even walk.
Just as a child reaches toward parental love without quite understanding it, Meehen held that same place for Arelin.
Awakening to Past Life Memory didn’t erase that bond or those memories.
‘Even accounting for that, I know I’m a burden to this man.’
And with good reason, because Meehen was——
The one person in this world I knew best.
Not through ‘knowledge’ learned from novels in my past life, but through ‘experience’ lived in this one.
“Mother.”
“…….”
Meehen’s lips twitched reflexively as if to protest, then sealed shut.
I wonder if he knows that seeing him so conflicted yet so willing to indulge me makes me want to call him mother again and again—that I can’t help but smile.
“Hold me.”
The only person I can depend on, who makes me want him to stay even as I’m tempted to drive him away with my whining, who keeps accepting it anyway.
A soft sound escaped him.
Meehen looked down at me uncertainly, as though facing something unfamiliar, then carefully held me in an awkward embrace.
It had been some time, so he felt stiff, almost hesitant.
Pressing my nose against him and breathing him in, I thought:
‘My heart feels calm……’
Why did I feel such peace only with him, and not with those who tried so hard to be kind to me?
I wondered, then the answer came to me in a rush.
“……?”
Because Meehen wanted nothing from me.
‘He doesn’t burden me at all.’
That’s what made it good.
“What fragrance do you wear?”
“Fragrance?”
The scent that lingered near my nose was deeply comforting.
“I don’t typically wear any, Miss.”
“Really?”
Then what was this smell?
As I buried myself in that rich, grounding scent, I noticed the people watching us from nearby.
“How heartwarming.”
“Indeed, Head Butler.”
The Head Butler and Dilan—their eyes warm as they looked upon Meehen and me.
And then——
“Meehen’s too unfair.”
“Miss, us too!”
The Childcare Staff, eyes burning with jealousy and resentment.
“You’re only close with Meehen.”
“We’re——”
“We haven’t gotten close yet.”
Love and war in this house too, apparently.
Still, they never tormented me or irritated me the way the Twins and Crown Prince did, so comparatively my heart was lighter.
Is that what it means to have a home?
‘This peace would vanish without Meehen, too.’
But for now, Meehen was here.
That was what mattered.
“Did something happen to upset you?”
“……Well. No.”
Well, if I’m being honest, plenty happened—but nothing truly terrible. The Crown Prince pestered me, the Twins tagged along, and Harun……
Harun was no help whatsoever.
“It’s all just so draining.”
Leaning against him like this, Meehen began to stroke my head.
“Please speak freely. Did nothing of note truly occur?”
“…….”
Meehen asked again, concern evident. His tone still carried that bureaucratic quality—that of a clerk taking a complaint—but I found even that charming. If I said as much, would he give me a strange look?
“Miss?”
Even his careful prompting sounds lovely to my ears.
What should I even say?
That the Twins suddenly held a duel over who was my best friend? That I used Harun as a shield and he was utterly useless? That Pesion stared at me with those dopey, puppy-dog eyes all day?
The more I hesitated, the worse Meehen’s expression became.
“It seems I have yet to earn your trust, Miss.”
“That’s not it.”
It’s just that these things are difficult and tiresome to explain.
“I don’t have to go, do I?”
“You wish not to attend?”
The moment I nodded while fiddling with my fingers, reproachful looks rained down from all directions.
‘Absolutely not.’
‘You can’t!’
‘Miss’s only outing! We must preserve it!’
The Assembly was the only ‘active engagement’ I did—my time usually spent locked away in my room, rolling around on the bed all day.
No, no, no, no.
Disapproving gazes from every direction.
Meehen made his decision.
“Then there is no need for you to attend.”
Sighs and laments, accusing looks came flying my way, but Meehen—meeting my eyes without a single flicker of hesitation—made his promise clear.
“If you wish not to go, then by all means, don’t. Leave the matter to me. I shall handle any objections.”
“Meehen……”
Knowing full well it would not be easy, seeing him willingly take up the shield on my behalf—something indescribable welled up inside me.
My eyes stung slightly.
“Miss? Are you all right?”
So this is what it means to be an adult.
A protector—something I’ve never truly had before.
“Mother!”
“…….”
The moment I threw my arms around his neck, I felt Meehen’s body flinch.
To me, Meehen was already more than enough of a guardian.
“Mother.”
“…….”
‘Mother’ still felt like too much for him to handle.

* * *

‘Ah, I want to play with Arelin longer.’
Pesion was troubled by one thought lately.
‘How can I get to spend more time playing with Arelin?’
These days Arelin came to gatherings more often, so he saw her more than before, but it still didn’t sit right with him.
‘More time! Longer! I want to play!’
Ideally, all day.
Every day.
Twice a week wasn’t nearly enough—it left him perpetually unsatisfied.
And yet Arelin didn’t understand his feelings at all!
‘She’s been so cold to me lately.’
Pesion felt dejected.
‘Why? What did I do wrong?’
And then there was that shocking incident yesterday.
‘How could she! Choose Harun over me!’
The day he and the Twins had vied for her attention as a playmate. Arelin had chosen Harun.
“Harun, were you and Arelin already close?”
“No, sir.”
“Had you met before?”
“We hadn’t even spoken, sir.”
Then why?!
The Twins, seeing the Crown Prince’s bewilderment, cackled with glee and told him the truth.
“Obviously, it’s because Arelin likes Harun better than you, right? Your Highness doesn’t even know that? You’re dumb!”
Pesion was devastated.
Whenever ‘Arelin’ was involved, proper judgment became impossible, and Pesion fell for their nonsense outright.
“B-but why does she like Harun more than me?!”
“How should we know?”
Harun felt wronged.
The Twins had simply seized upon a random incident, found it amusing, and were playing at it gleefully. They were just spouting utter nonsense.
He’d been dragged in without cause!
“Harun’s a traitor!”
“…….”
He’d suddenly become a traitor.
“Hehe. A traitor, he says!”
“Traitor, traitor!”
Harun felt wronged. So terribly wronged.
Too wronged to even voice his grievance, his eyelashes merely fluttered in distress.
“Harun, are you upset?”
“If you’re upset, you shouldn’t have been chosen by Arelin in the first place!”
“Yeah, we wanted to be chosen!”
Harun understood then.
The Twins were taking their resentment out on him because they hadn’t been chosen.
Harun felt even more wronged.
Unable to protest, only gripping his chest, Harun made a vow.
‘I have to run away whenever I see Arelin from now on.’
Absolutely never approach her!
While Harun was making this new resolve, Pesion remained trapped in his own world.
“Sigh……”
Harun glanced at Pesion. The Crown Prince couldn’t focus on training at all today.
To Harun’s eyes, this was quite peculiar.
‘This has never happened before.’
Harun had never seen Pesion so distracted. Even so, his Sword Arts practice was always sincere.
Then it happened.
“Your Highness, you seem entirely unable to concentrate on your training today.”
Jade, an officer of the Royal Guard directly under the Emperor and Pesion’s Sword Arts instructor, set down his blade. Pesion snapped to attention.
“Oh, sorry.”
Rather than press further, Jade asked the Crown Prince—who rarely lost focus—with gentle concern:
“Is something troubling you?”
“Troubling……”
Pesion glanced at Harun. Harun’s body went rigid.
‘Surely not——’
Harun watched Pesion with apprehensive eyes when——
“How do you get stronger?”
The unexpected question hung in sudden silence.
“……Pardon?”
Did I hear that right?

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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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