Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health - Chapter 33

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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 33

“The rules are quite simple!”
The Merchant’s delighted voice rang out across the room.
“I’m sure you’ve all heard the tale of a brave hero rescuing a princess locked away in a tower, yes? That’s exactly the scenario here. Except—!”
As the Video Recording Device swept across the wall, the screen displayed images of the Mansion’s interior from various angles.
“The adults present here are the princess holding the secrets of the Mansion, while the children coming to uncover those secrets and free the imprisoned adults are the brave heroes! Haha.”
Watching the children’s determined faces as they resolved to save their parents, the adults laughed.
“It must be scary, but how brave of them!”
“Look at those adorable little faces.”
While each parent gazed fondly at this unfamiliar side of their child, Mehen—seated in the best spot in the Waiting Room—looked distinctly uncomfortable.
“Sigh.”
On the screen, Arelin moved busily about the Mansion, exploring every corner, but that wasn’t the problem at all.

“If I die, don’t make me a grave.”

To drop such a bombshell and then remain so composed about it—
And it had been Arelin’s idea to participate in this “unusual game” in the first place.
He was thinking that even now, he should probably corner Arelin and have a serious conversation about this game or whatever it was—
“……?”
A familiar face visible through the doorway Arelin had just opened. Mehen’s brow furrowed as he straightened in his seat.
‘What did I just see?’
Since Arelin had shut the door so quickly, he doubted his own eyes—but Mehen trusted what he’d seen.
‘Why is he here……?’
But there was no time to dwell on it.
Crackle-crackle-crackle.
Suddenly, the Video Recording Device displaying Arelin’s image sparked with an eerie light and emitted a strange sound.
“What—what—what—?”
“Why is this happening?”
Every Video Communication Device in the room malfunctioned simultaneously.
Shatter!
The Video Communication Devices shattered.
“—!”

* * *

The game she’d claimed to dislike awkward atmospheres into playing turned out to be quite engaging.
‘Is it like a Room Escape?’
Solving various puzzles throughout the Mansion and disarming mechanisms to free her imprisoned parents.
It was a surprisingly fresh form of entertainment.
“I’d actually wanted to try something like this for real.”
Without friends, she’d only ever done solo Room Escape games. Of course, this Mansion wasn’t that kind of professional setup.
“Boo!”
“I could see all your hiding spots, mister.”
The man in the Monster Mask, who’d been hiding to scare her, turned away sheepishly.
‘I should have pretended to be frightened.’
In summary, it was like a haunted house crossed with a Room Escape—the puzzles were absurdly easy, and there were no restrictions on where she could explore in the Mansion.
So she’d been wandering through the Mansion with a light heart when—
The door swung open.
“……?”
“……?”
What were you doing here?
“Fession?”
Forward roll, backward roll, or even stepping back a hundred paces—it was unmistakably Fession.
With that silver hair and those crimson eyes paired with such features, there could be no one else, but just in case, she spoke his name aloud.
At the unexpected situation, Fession—who had frozen in place—suddenly broke into a wide smile, as if he’d just been given life itself.
“Arelin!”
Slam.
She shut the door immediately.
And locked it for good measure.
Click.

* * *

Q. When you encounter an unexpected person in an unexpected place at an unexpected moment, what would you do?
A. Run.
B. Run.
C. Run.

After closing the door and taking a few measured breaths, her mind finally began to work.
Her heart, still pounding wildly, hadn’t yet returned to its normal rhythm.
‘Why is Fession here?’
Wasn’t he supposed to be at the Imperial Palace?
No, that wasn’t the point right now.
“Huh? Arelin? Hey, Arelin?”
The problem was that Fession still existed on the other side of that door.
Click-click.
Bang-bang-bang!
The sound of a turning doorknob and a door being knocked alternated.
“Why is this locked?! Arelin, if you’re in there, would you open the door?!”
As if she would open it after locking it herself.
They hadn’t parted ways years ago, or even weeks ago—just days ago—yet Fession’s unbothered attitude left her speechless.
“Arelin—!”
Bang!
The door frame shuddered.
“Huh?”
It seemed she’d unconsciously assumed the locked door would be enough.
Watching the flimsy door frame tremble under Fession’s strength, tension surged through her again.
She had to run.
She couldn’t even run properly!
As her stiff body finally loosened, she bolted—and soon after, came the crash of a splintering door and Fession’s booming voice from afar.
“Arelin! Where’d you go?!”
Did he just break it down?!
How did he even—?!
“Found you!”
“Ahhh!”
A sudden chase erupted.
“Arelin? Why are you running? Arelin?!”
That’s what she wanted to know!
In any other place she’d have been caught immediately, but the pursuit stretched out for two reasons.
First, this Mansion had been designed with Room Escape puzzles in mind.
Second, from habitually evading Fession whenever he visited the Halbern Mansion, her escape-running stats in her own home had naturally improved.
Though it couldn’t last forever.
‘This wretched body.’
Why had the heavens cursed her with such a useless frame?
There were limits to fast-walking without actually running, and using her knowledge of the Mansion’s layout had reached its limit too.
“Arelin!”
“Stop chasing me!”
Just as he was about to catch her, she panicked and ducked into a room, slamming the door shut.
‘I was trying to avoid this room because it scared me.’
A bizarre Altar and Monster Statues occupied the space—some kind of puzzle room, presumably.
But the door itself was sturdy enough that, once locked, even Fession shouldn’t be able to tear it open easily.
“Arelin? Are you in there?!”
Click.
“Arelin? Arelin!”
It hadn’t been that long since she’d told him not to come back.
Just days ago, in fact.
But how was this man so thick-skinned that he could see her and act like nothing had happened?
With her modern, sensitive sensibilities, she simply couldn’t comprehend it.
Creak.
“Stop it!”
Having put her faith in the sturdy door to remain silent, she found herself calling out as it began to splinter under his assault.
“Are you really going to break this too? That’s property damage.”
Only then did the turning doorknob finally still.
The ominous clicking sounds ceased as well.
In that strange moment of relief, she caught her breath—
“It really is you, Arelin.”
Fession’s voice came through the door.
“……How did you get here? You should be at the Imperial Palace right now. I’m sure you didn’t just come to play, and you definitely didn’t follow me, right?”
“I did.”
She’d expected him to deny it, but his prompt admission left her without a response.
“Arelin, how’d you figure it out? Was it that obvious?”
“……You didn’t seem particularly stealthy, and you showed up right in front of me with this big smile on your face, so I kind of just said whatever came to mind.”
All her momentum collapsed.
“But you told me not to visit the Halbern Mansion…….”
As he offered excuses, she forcibly shored up her crumbling defenses again.
She still didn’t know how he’d learned she was going out, much less how he’d followed her.
“Go back.”
This was for her own good, but also—inevitably—for his.
“Leave me alone.”
Even if he didn’t understand now, there would come a day when he’d thank her for this.
But then—
“I won’t.”
“……What?”
“Why do you want to be alone?”
She forced the chaos in her mind to settle and her trembling voice to steady.
“Being alone is easier.”
“Easier?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“…….”
A brief hesitation.
Whether or not Fession noticed the conflict within that silence, he spoke with an uncharacteristic sharpness.
“If you truly wish to be alone, I’ll step back quietly. I’ll never seek you out again, just as you want. But, Arelin…….”
In this moment, she was grateful for the door between them—so grateful.
Without it, her crumbling composure would have been laid bare.
“Do you really want to be alone?”
A sharp, piercing ache lanced through her chest, and she clenched her teeth.
It felt like a probe testing the depths of sincerity and truth beyond the door.
There was no malice in it.
Which was precisely why she couldn’t understand it.
“……Why are you doing this to me?”

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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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