Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health - Chapter 297

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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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297
Chapter

Arelin’s surprise visit felt to Fession like receiving an unexpected gift.
‘I was planning to finish all this and go see her in person.’
Even if he couldn’t enter the Sky Tower, wouldn’t he be able to see Arelin if he waited outside the Magic Tower?
He’d been working diligently with that thought in mind—after all, he needed to finish his work to find time to visit the Magic Tower.
“…Mm.”
But truthfully, having her come to see him was far more gratifying.
Fession’s face lit up, and he found himself smiling as he absently shuffled through the documents.
The attendants who’d suffered through days of Fession’s knife-edged demeanor trembled at the sight of him like that.
“Lord Griam, the Crown Prince seems to be in good spirits. Could this be a hallucination…?”
“No, it’s real. Of course it would be. Arelin visited.”
“…? It has that much of an effect?”
Griam nodded gravely. Having observed Fession since childhood through every conceivable mood, Griam knew her influence was far more potent than this.
“Now’s our chance, Evan. Bring all the documents that need his approval—all of them, right now.”
“What?! But surely… wouldn’t the Crown Prince’s mood deteriorate again?”
“No. The opportunity is now.”
Griam shook his head at Evan’s naive response.
“It’s not holidays or rewards that make the Crown Prince happy. It’s Arelin alone. This is a miraculous chance to deliver even the overdue documents—go fetch them at once.”
What? Even so, that seems a bit much.
Unable to resist Griam’s pressure, Evan reluctantly brought stacks of documents that needed approval by tomorrow.
Though it was only two days’ worth, the sheer volume of papers filled the office and overflowed.
…….
Witnessing this sight, Fession’s eyes narrowed to slits.
…….
…….
Gulp.
Evan trembled, already imagining the Crown Prince’s irritation grinding away at his future.
Rustle.
After the deathly silence, what broke it was the sound of pages turning.
“…?”
Evan, who’d been trembling, was bewildered when nothing bad happened.
Fession was looking at the documents.
The outcome, peaceful beyond measure.
‘Is this the Arelin Buff…?’
Incredible.
Evan began praying to the gods that Arelin would visit the Crown Prince Palace every single day.

* * *

Blessed with the Arelin Buff, Fession had cleared two-thirds of the accumulated documents before noon.
Thanks to this, a brief window of rest opened.
Breaking everyone’s expectation that he’d simply rest, Fession headed toward the Empress Palace.
“The Crown Prince is…”
“…Going to the Empress Palace?!”
The news spread throughout the entire Imperial Palace in an instant, and the gazes of everyone turned toward the Empress Palace in eager anticipation.
Amid this enormous wave of attention, Fession met with Empress Azeni for the first time in ages.
“It has been a long while, Mother.”
Sirua, who’d made dutiful visits to the Empress Palace these past few days intending to soothe Empress Azeni, and the Empress herself waited nervously for Fession’s words.
Though Fession sent Sirua a look that said he should leave, Sirua pretended not to understand and stubbornly held his ground.
‘Won’t you go?’
‘I don’t know what you’re trying to say.’
After a brief exchange of glances, Fession gave up when he saw the sparkle in Sirua’s eyes.
He hadn’t come here to bicker with that fool anyway.
“Mm.”
What should he say?
Fession gathered his scattered thoughts.
His earlier claim that he didn’t want to see Empress Azeni for a while had been sincere.
How much Fession had looked up to and depended on Empress Azeni.
It was she who best understood his suffering after losing Arelin, she who encouraged him to the very end.
Because of that, when he learned that Empress Azeni—the one he thought was completely his ally—had controlled all information about Arelin, the sense of betrayal cut deep.
His mother, whom he’d believed was entirely on his side, had actually been trying to separate Arelin from him.
And when the justification came that she’d done it for his sake, Fession couldn’t bring himself to forgive or understand her.
Resentment and a betrayal so stinging it made his teeth clench, a tangle of emotions knotted itself tight, and he couldn’t bear to see Empress Azeni until that knot came undone.
‘…That’s how it was.’
How treacherous the human heart could be.
A long-standing bitterness that seemed it would never dissolve suddenly melted away at a single word from Arelin.
Fession couldn’t help but laugh at his own absurdity.
But Arelin had said it.

“Be kind to your mother.”

Though she’d said it lightly, almost in jest, as she turned to leave, Fession didn’t hear it as casual at all.
Why had Arelin’s voice sounded so lonely?
‘Arelin said she wasn’t upset, which was surprising, but…’
Now Fession was the person who knew Arelin better than anyone.
What she truly meant was probably this:
‘I’m not close enough to Empress Azeni to feel upset, so why are you upset?’
Something like that.
Arelin wasn’t someone who spoke carelessly. Moreover, she was very particular about those she didn’t know and maintained a fierce wariness toward strangers, so those unfamiliar with her would call her distant, inconsiderate, or far too blunt, but…
‘It was probably just that Arelin saw no need to be considerate toward them.’
Arelin wasn’t kind to everyone. Her Iron Wall was hard to penetrate, but once someone was inside that wall, she was infinitely gentle.
This was already proven by the fact that she consistently treated the Grand Duke of Halbern with respect despite his seeming unworthy of the title of father.
Yet Arelin had come to find him and even said such things, which meant…
‘It’s because of me.’
A smile bloomed on Fession’s lips.
The royal mother and daughter, who’d grown anxious at the lengthening silence, started at the sight of that smile.
“!”
Fession emerged from his reverie back into the present moment.
“Thanks to the guest you sent, I felt like coming here. I apologize for my poor conduct.”
“!”
How could his heart not soften when she’d shown such unnecessary consideration for his sake?
He truly did love Arelin.
Fession’s smile deepened.
“Someone you sent told me so—to be filial.”
“Fession…”
At those unexpected words, Empress Azeni’s expression cleared.
As the hesitant Empress Azeni smiled peacefully, the discomfort that had accumulated in Fession’s heart from his cold behavior melted away.
As if the silent conflict between them had never existed, the bond between mother and son unraveled in an instant.
“Of course, I hope there won’t be such regrettable incidents again.”
Though he didn’t let it pass entirely smoothly.
Empress Azeni smiled as she watched Fession hold onto his grudge to the end.
“I doubt there will be.”
Now that Empress Azeni had set down her burden, she could speak with certainty.
Because… she found her future daughter-in-law-to-be, who was cute and articulate, far more appealing than her grown son, who was often off-putting and had atrocious manners.
Everyone had forgotten, but Empress Azeni was a notorious admirer of Sione. And Arelin was the spitting image of Sione.
The boundless favoritism Empress Azeni showered on Arelin was as natural and inevitable as the laws of the universe.
“Looking back on the past now that things have come to this, I realize I wasn’t acting solely for your sake.”
“…What?”
“I did hope you wouldn’t be hurt and wouldn’t experience the loss I felt, but…”
Empress Azeni thought of Sione.
She’d thought she’d overcome that grief long ago, but it seemed she hadn’t truly recovered.
Empress Azeni belatedly admitted that the impact and sorrow of losing Sione had been greater than she’d ever acknowledged.
“Without realizing it, I was projecting myself onto you and seeing you through that lens.”
Fession still seemed not to grasp the context of what Empress Azeni was saying, but she simply smiled with relief, thinking of Arelin, who resembled Sione so perfectly.
“So listen, Fession.”
“Yes?”
“If you ever make Arelin cry, you’ll never be forgiven by me.”
“…?”
At Empress Azeni’s warning, Fession found himself at a loss for words.
Something seemed to be unfolding in a way he didn’t quite understand.
…It must be his imagination.

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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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