Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health - Chapter 282

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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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282
Episode

Late into the night, Fession rubbed his eyes—worn from unexpected overtime—and let out an amused laugh at the interesting news.
“The Duke got hit?”
– Yeah, Mehren was beating him so savagely that even I got scared just watching from the side. You should’ve seen the state of him.
Through the communication device, Arelin trembled as she bit into a cookie.
“How about you? Are you okay?”
– Me? I didn’t do anything to deserve it… or did I?
Fession chuckled as he watched Arelin immediately turn serious, already debating whether she should rush over to Mehren and beg for forgiveness.
She really was adorable. Everything about her was adorable, and it drove him mad.
If only he weren’t so swamped with work, he’d go see her face in person right now.
Talking through the communication device wasn’t bad, but he genuinely wanted to see her.
– Fession? Are you still busy? Should we cut the call?
“…No. I was just thinking about something for a moment.”
Fession answered urgently to Arelin’s words, deliberately hiding how much he longed to see her.
He was burning with longing while she didn’t seem to be, and that difference in temperature between them left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Though he’d grown used to it by now.
– Are you really busy? Is being Crown Prince exhausting?
“I suppose…”
It wasn’t tiring at all—he’d grown accustomed to it—but hearing Arelin say it that way made him feel as though it was. Strangely enough.
Amusingly, the two siblings who had been mentioned as candidates for the next heir were the ones most relieved at Fession’s return.

“Why did you take so long?! I almost ended up being Crown Prince!”
“Brother, welcome back! Don’t you dare disappear anywhere ever again!”

The two who had watched Fession’s life as Crown Prince more closely than anyone else fled as if they’d been waiting for this opportunity.
Sirua to the Yuyo Alliance, and Terion to the Southern Empire.
Both destinations embodied a fierce determination: whoever wanted the throne would have to fight someone else, because neither of them would accept it under any circumstances. They were going to enjoy their hobbies.
With Sirua as a territorial lord and Terion as an imperial prince, all the factions that had formed with a “what if” mindset scattered in all directions, and everything was resolved in the blink of an eye, before Fession even had to lift a finger.
‘Gairen’s governance fell to Sperom, the ruler of the southern territories.’
Fortunately, House of Sperom seemed to have decided to rebuild Gairen rather than abandon it.
‘Coordination with the Magic Tower.’
This was something the Minister of Diplomacy should worry about, but Fession deliberately involved himself to oversee it.
The Magic Tower deliberately didn’t mention anything about Dark Mages or rituals conducted within the ruins. In fact, they seemed eager to erase that fact entirely, even wiping the memories of anyone who could still recall it.
In such circumstances, there was no avoiding transactions with the Imperial Court.
‘The emergence of a new Star-rank Mage was at least good news.’
Organizations that didn’t move based on profit and loss alone were difficult to handle, and Mages tended to be like that.
That’s why Fession didn’t trust Mages much. Arelin was the exception, though.
In any case, once the other matters were settled, only one problem remained for the Imperial Court.
The matter of how to deal with House of Gremwat.
But when the Duke of Gremwat himself—the central figure in the incident—was confirmed dead, the situation became even more complicated.
House of Gremwat had descended into complete chaos.
‘The second son was monopolizing internal faction support, the third son was monopolizing the Adventurer Guild’s support, and they were battling over the succession.’
Not all of the Five Great Duchy Houses were entirely clean, but Gremwat in this generation had unusually loud internal disputes.
Especially compared to other families whose succession had already been settled.
“Hmm.”
– Suddenly sighing? What’s troubling you so much?!
His wandering thoughts snapped back to reality in an instant.
Looking at Arelin watching him with worry through the communication device, Fession was seized by a sudden impulse.
He wanted to see Arelin right now…
One wall of his office was decorated with a row of framed photographs that he’d forcibly obtained by pressuring the news agencies to take down all articles about Arelin, but now he couldn’t bear it any longer.
“Arelin.”
– Yes?
“I want to see you.”
– All of a sudden?
Arelin laughed, bewildered at first.
Her furrowed brow, uncertain and troubled; the curve of her lips, resigned yet hopeful—he couldn’t bear not to see them. Not through this crude image on the communication device, but in person, close enough to touch.
Thinking of how the Magic Tower’s magical engineers would weep if they heard him dismiss the crystal-clear quality they’d labored day and night to achieve, Fession rose from his seat.
“Can I come see you?”
A clear laugh came through the communication device. It was the kind of laugh that made his heart flutter no matter how many times he heard it.
– Do you really want to see me that badly?
“Yes.”
At his unhesitating answer, she laughed again.
Even if she’d said no, he would’ve wanted to rush to her anyway.
– Then come without Mom and Dad knowing.
An unexpected answer came back.
Arelin added the next part very carefully to Fession, who had gone rigid—as if telling a secret.
– If we get caught, we’ll both be scolded.

* * *

I thought he was joking when he said he’d come.
What time was it anyway?
Three in the morning—when most people were already asleep. The whole world had gone to sleep.
A night when even Mehren, who rarely went without overtime, had turned in early, and of course my father had too.
For some reason sleep wouldn’t come, so I’d spent the whole night chatting with Fession through the communication device…
“You actually came?”
I guess I really wanted to see him too.
Even though I’d thought his offer to come was a joke, now that I see him, I realize how much I wanted this.
It was good that I’d thought to dress in pajamas and wander the first floor just in case.
Since this mansion was basically an Artifact all on its own, it was a relief that there were no security guards patrolling inside.
“You really didn’t let anyone see you?”
“No.”
“How did you even get here?”
“Well.”
At his offhand answer despite coming all this way out of longing, I narrowed my eyes—but Fession, still catching his breath, held me in his gaze completely, as if he wanted to etch me into his eyes forever.
Like someone desperate to burn my image into his retinas permanently.
“I thought I’d die from missing you.”
If someone else had said that, I’d have called it a lie, but since it was Fession, it somehow sounded true.
Apart from how good it felt—how my heart was trembling—something sharp came out of my mouth instead.
“That’s all just sweet talk, isn’t it?”
“If you’re the candy, I’d keep you in my mouth all day long.”
“What are you saying?”
Where did he even learn to talk like that?
Remembering how he’d insisted I wasn’t Arelin and pretended not to know me, Fession had become a completely different person.
And the fact that I didn’t hate this… was this what they call Infatuation Sickness?
Arelin, age twenty-two: just escaped Terminal Lifespan, only to catch another incurable disease.
The diagnosis was Infatuation Sickness.
“Is it really okay for you to be here like this?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
Fession nodded.
In truth, you couldn’t trust his word on things like this, but the way he said it so definitively, combined with the fact that pressing further would be too much, made me close my mouth.
An odd, ticklish feeling tormented me.
This was really strange. Why did I feel this good?
Then Fession dropped a word carelessly.
“It’s strange.”
“What is?”
“It feels this good, and I’m wondering if it could get even better.”
Maybe it was because the breeze was cool, or maybe it was because the deep silence that settled over the night allowed me to hear even the sound of Fession’s breathing.
Suddenly, I felt a pang at the thought of how fleeting this moment was.
“Arely.”
“Hmm?”
“I want to be with you all day long.”
Actually, me too.
“Can I touch you?”
Watching Fession hesitate to reach out, I laughed.
“I’ll allow you to pat my head.”
“What about my cheek?”
Wondering if even that much was asking too much, Fession lowered his hand from my head and asked carefully.
“Can’t I touch it?”
Didn’t he realize that the more cautious he was, the more I wanted to be difficult with him?
The way he sought permission for every single thing naturally made me feel superior.
When I didn’t answer for a moment, Fession whimpered.
“I really worked hard to come here.”
“Then shouldn’t you hurry back?”
“Arely…”
Fession’s expression turned dejected.
“You’re being so cold to me…”
Then.
“Shh.”
At the sound of footsteps in the distance, I covered Fession’s mouth with both hands.
Holding my breath so we wouldn’t be discovered, the presence soon faded away.
“It’s gone.”
As Fession’s face came closer than before, I swallowed hard without meaning to.
Why was I so nervous?
I tried to pull my hand away quickly, but Fession caught it first.
Very carefully, as if touching precious porcelain, his large hand enveloped mine gently and drew it away from his lips.
I couldn’t resist the strange atmosphere and tried desperately to change the subject.
“You really didn’t get caught, did you? I don’t want to get scolded. Mom scares me. If this gets found out, I’ll have to listen to lectures for forty-eight hours straight.”
“I came without being seen, I’m telling you. You don’t trust me?”
“No, I do trust you.”
The strange tension remained, but Fession didn’t seem to want to do anything more—he just toyed with my hand.
“Being able to see you like this feels good.”
Fession smiled faintly, as if a weight had lifted.
No matter how I looked at it, Fession was better than my father. People are strange.
“Sione, did you really work hard?”
“Yeah.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
In that instant, what on earth was I thinking?
Smack.
I impulsively kissed Fession’s lips and laughed sheepishly.
“There. Good boy.”
“?”
Feeling suddenly self-conscious and embarrassed, I tried to run away, but holding my hand was his mistake—or rather, my fortune.
Fession’s eyes, which had been staring at me in a daze, suddenly shifted and transformed.
“-!”
Then our lips met deeply.
It happened in the depths of night, when even the stars themselves had fallen asleep.

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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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