Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health - Chapter 296

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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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296
Chapter

I retraced my memories slowly.
Startled to see Lord Jeok Mu-wol, who was undoubtedly resurrected, I’d wanted to have a deep conversation with my Master.
But he said he had something to prepare and asked me to wait a little.
Getting bored waiting, I stepped outside the Sky Tower for a moment, and…
I got kidnapped.
There was no other way to describe it.
Sirua appeared out of nowhere claiming it was urgent, dragged me along without a word, and here we were!
“Um…”
The Empress Palace? This was really happening?
On top of that, I was dressed carelessly in whatever clothes I’d grabbed, with a Robe thrown over the top.
As I flushed with embarrassment, Sirua laughed heartily and said this:
“Don’t worry about it. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
That may be fine for him, but I’m certainly not friends with Her Majesty the Empress…
Then the Empress took his side in the warmest voice.
“Yes, don’t be troubled, dear.”
I’m the one who’s troubled…
If Mehren found out about this!
‘…nothing would happen.’
Mehren wouldn’t scold me over something like this. So would I just end up embarrassed?
Well, it wasn’t really my fault either. I hadn’t come here knowing I’d be meeting the Empress.
Ah, I don’t know anymore.
“So what exactly is this urgent matter?”
Not knowing what it was, but thinking I should hurry up and get it over with so I could return to the Sky Tower, I asked.
‘What is it?’
The atmosphere darkened in an instant.
“Well, um. That is…”
Empress Azeni’s expression was troubled. The look of someone unsure how to explain something.
“No, Mother. Just be honest and ask for help, I’m telling you.”
“But still, Arelin has her position to consider…”
“If you mention Arelin, Fession will come see you right away, I’m telling you?”
“But I feel terrible toward Arelin.”
What was happening here?
I wanted to pretend I wasn’t listening, but Empress Azeni and Sirua’s voices were too clear to ignore.
Unable to take it anymore, I quietly raised my hand. Only then did the two of them look at me.
“Um. I’m not sure what this is about, but could you call me again once you’ve sorted it out?”
Sirua gestured.
“No, no, no, it’s all sorted.”
“It really doesn’t look that way.”
“No, it is. Really. Now! Mother. Please tell her.”
“Well then…”
Empress Azeni began her story with obvious reluctance. And after hearing about the goings-on in the Imperial Palace, my impression was this:
Fession, I never thought you had it in you.
‘So this bastard knows how to be filially impious too.’
Hearing it all, this was a genuinely difficult situation. I understood Empress Azeni’s feelings, and I understood Fession’s too.
I was wracking my brain trying to figure out what judgment I should render, when Empress Azeni carefully asked, studying my face:
“Are you alright with this, Arelin? Are you perhaps upset with me…?”
“Me? What? Well, Your Majesty is Fession’s mother, so I’m not sure there’s anything I could rightfully be upset about.”
“?”
“?”
Empress Azeni and Sirua both looked at me with surprise.
Why that expression?
‘What am I supposed to think right now?’
The only thought that came to me was…
Fession, you’re so very loved.
That was all I could think.
Sirua, his expression turning serious, whispered to Empress Azeni.
“Mother, it doesn’t seem like she’s just being polite, does it?”
“No, it seems that way to me too.”
“Mother, by my instincts, this seems like both a good and bad situation.”
“Mmm…”
I could hear everything, you know.
“…?”
I was sure I’d spoken in a reassuring tone, so why did it feel like they were watching me even more closely?
I decided I needed to wrap this up quickly.
“I’ll go talk to Fession about it.”
At my answer, both their faces brightened.
But as the saying goes, you should always hear words through to the end.
“But I’m going to leave the decision to Fession.”
The two of them immediately drooped.
“Right, the decision… Fession should make it…”
I barely managed to suppress the laughter that threatened to escape.
The two of them, all dejected, somehow looked endearing.

* * *

“Huh? Arelin, how did you get here?”
The moment I knocked and pushed through the door, Fession’s eyes widened at the sight of me.
“I just ended up coming.”
Thanks to the person the Empress had sent with me, I’d made it straight to the Crown Prince’s office without any obstruction.
“Just ended up? Now that you mention it, I heard you’d left the Magic Tower…”
“Huh? I barely left the Magic Tower—who told you that?”
“…”
Fession fell silent for a moment, then flashed a beautiful smile with his eyes crinkling.
‘Does this bastard really think playing pretty gets him out of everything?’
It does. Surprisingly, I was the one it worked on.
When he smiled that beautifully, wasn’t it only natural for me to let it slide?
“But seriously, why did you come?”
I stared at Fession, who seemed both happy and oddly flustered that I’d come, then just asked him directly.
“Be good to your mother.”
“…?”
“Or you’ll regret it later.”
I’ve never regretted anything as a filial daughter, but anyway, people regret the things they didn’t do for their mothers when they think back on them later, so I figured I’d say something.
“…You went to the Empress Palace?”
Fession’s smile turned a little cold, as if he’d caught on to something.
I had no intention of hiding it from the start. Even if I tried, Fession would figure it out soon enough.
I just said what I needed to say.
“Be filial. I don’t have a mother to be filial toward, so I can’t even if I want to.”
“…?!”
Fession faltered.
His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but Fession just stared at me blankly.
“I envy you. Having a mother.”
“…”
“I really do envy you.”
Fession, clearly flustered, barely managed to speak.
“But Arelin has Mehren…”
“Mehren didn’t give birth to me.”
“…You’re right about that.”
I laughed quietly as Fession groaned, unable to retort.
“Anyway, consider yourself blessed. There are plenty of mothers out there who put their own lives before their children, who abandon or neglect them.”
Empress Azeni was an excellent mother. I hope Fession realizes that.
As I actively defended her, Fession, who’d been troubled, suddenly asked:
“Aren’t you upset?”
“Huh? Her Majesty asked that too. That’s weird—why would I be upset? She’s not my mother.”
“But if Mother hadn’t gotten in the way, I would’ve noticed you sooner.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
I thought about it.
“The fact that she made me waste effort… I was a little resentful about that?”
But I was a magnanimous person. It was more exhausting to harbor feelings over such trivial, bygone matters.
“But it’s already in the past, and it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I got to see so many sides of you I didn’t know before.”
“…”
Fession’s expression hardened completely.
I grinned mischievously and poked Fession playfully in the side.
“You have an ugly temper, Fession.”
“I’m sorry.”
His apology came bursting out as if he’d been waiting for it, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“What are you sorry for?”
“Everything. I’m sorry for all of it.”
“So what exactly? What are you sorry for? Can you be more specific? I’d like you to spell it all out for me, from start to finish.”
“Should I kneel?”
Without me even telling him to, Fession dropped to his knees right then.
This was a bit shocking.
“No, don’t just kneel like that. You’re the Crown Prince.”
“I was wrong.”
“Yeah, you were wrong about some things.”
But there was something fun about having Fession like this, wrapped around my finger.
I swallowed my words, and reached out to gently stroke the hair of Fession, who had become a penitent looking up at me plaintively.
The difficult, prickly Fession wasn’t bad, but I preferred him like this—adorable.
“Anyway. Since you asked me to say it, I said it. Don’t do anything you’ll regret. The decision is yours. After all, it’s not bad to be filially impious once in a while as you live.”
“…?”
“Once you’ve been filially impious, you get better at being filial, don’t you?”
I’m in the middle of achieving perfect filial piety after being spectacularly filially impious, dying before Father every time.
Maybe because I’ve been so filially impious, I was feeling the drive to do better.
“Are you comforting me?”
I opened my eyes fresh as morning as Fession quietly stood and embraced me naturally.
“No.”
“You’re comforting me.”
“I said no.”
“Thanks for the comfort.”
“I said no.”
Fession, his face buried in my shoulder, laughed softly.
“I wish I could stay like this forever.”
I felt the same way, but…
“I can’t. I have things to do. I need to go back to the Magic Tower.”
Fession’s expression turned sour in an instant.
“Even if you look at me like that, I’m not changing my answer.”
“Arelin, you’re heartless. Is there something more important than me?”
“Possibly.”
“What exactly?”
“The fate of humanity hangs in the balance… possibly the world’s peace and future depend on it…”
“…?”
Fession tilted his head as if wondering what on earth I was talking about.
To be honest, I didn’t know either. I was just assuming it was because Master was being so solemn about it.
“Arelin. The Debutante Ball is coming up soon—you’re attending that, right?”
“Of course.”
Fession released me from his embrace. I prepared to return to the Magic Tower and gave him a stern warning.
“I’ll come back as quickly as I can, so don’t go looking at other women and behave yourself.”
Fession burst out laughing, then nodded very obediently.
“Okay. I’ll be good.”
Ugh, who’s going to snatch away someone so pretty?
There’s no one but me.
“I’ll hurry back!”

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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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