Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health - Chapter 4

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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 4

Of all the people in the world, I had to run into the one person I least wanted to see.
This is awkward.
The moment our eyes met, I froze—lost the chance to escape or even greet him properly. The Crown Prince was in the same boat.
“Uh, um.”
Unlike me, who recognized him immediately, the Crown Prince looked uncomfortable.
I watched him scratch his cheek as though he hadn’t expected to find anyone here, wondering how I could naturally slip away from this place.
‘It shouldn’t be snack time yet.’
By the look of him, he’d been playing hard and gotten thirsty, so he’d come this way.
I was desperately hoping he’d just walk past.
But just as I was silently praying, a voice shattered my hopes.
“What are you doing here?”
“Um…”
I couldn’t possibly tell him I was just killing time.
With nothing to say, I let my words trail off and blinked my eyes rapidly. The Crown Prince tilted his head.
“Are you one of my friends too?”
“Um, yes. I mean, um.”
“Why aren’t you playing? Why are you here?”
Can’t you tell? I’m a loner.
Still, I couldn’t very well ignore a question from someone so illustrious, so I gave him an answer.
Fortunately, I had one foolproof excuse up my sleeve.
“I’m too weak to play, Your Highness.”
“What?”
“Even a little running makes me collapse.”
“What? Really?”
The Crown Prince stared at me with an expression of complete disbelief. It was clear he didn’t believe a word of it.
Neither did I, actually.
Why was the Crown Prince suddenly taking interest in me?
It was as unsettling as a company president suddenly noticing a new employee.
I was hoping he’d just accept it and move on. That was when—
“You really collapse?”
“Pardon?”
The Crown Prince spoke with an expression of utter incredulity.
“You’re saying you actually collapse just from running? You’re not lying?”
Surprisingly, this worthless body is mine.
When I nodded indifferently, his expression turned strange.
“Do it.”
“…Pardon?”
What did I just hear?
“Try it!”
Is this kid trying to kill me?
“You said you weren’t lying.”
“Yes, but I’m not—”
Those eyes were dangerous.
Sparkling with curiosity, bright and eager. They say curiosity killed the cat. I never thought it would be me.
“I really will collapse.”
I tried to resist, not wanting to fall, but it was no use. He was a child, and a Crown Prince at that.
Reason doesn’t work here.
“Sigh…”
To think he’d torture me with eyes so bright and gleaming. I won’t forget this grudge.
If I’m going to do it anyway, I might as well get it over with quickly.
‘What a lovely day for collapsing.’
When I stood up, the cute One-piece Dress the maids had dressed me in was wrinkled. Not that I cared much.
The Crown Prince watched me.
And then I ran.
‘Damn this pathetic body.’
I’d barely run any distance when my head started spinning. The dizziness made my body give out.
All strength drained from me.
The classic state just before losing consciousness.
I’d run so little, yet my body didn’t disappoint.
‘This hopeless body…’
As my vision blurred, I saw people rushing over.
The Crown Prince too, his eyes wide with alarm.
And that’s how I collapsed.

* * *

Fassion Alermehn.
The eldest son of the Great Albrecht Empire, born to Emperor Edward and Empress Azeni.
A prodigy who felt Aura at merely seven years old—a truly rare genius—with exceptional achievements in Royal Studies and other disciplines. A flawless heir.
So how could such a perfect Crown Prince, who excelled at everything, find himself in such a bewildering situation…?
‘What on earth is happening?’
Fassion was currently in a state of great confusion. And it was all because of what happened in the Rear Garden that afternoon.
Today, Fassion had been in an excellent mood.
It was one of the two days a week when his friends came to the palace.
‘I should play something new!’
As always, he’d been playing knights with his friends, running about with great enthusiasm.
“Griem, I need a drink! …Huh?”
Strangely, his attendant Griem, who always stayed by his side, was nowhere to be seen.
Fassion could have waited for him to return, but his throat was parched, so he decided to go inside the palace to get some water.
“I’ll go get a drink and come right back! You all keep playing for a bit.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Leaving the twins who tried to follow him behind, Fassion moved quickly through a shortcut.
‘I’ll get scolded for going this way.’
The instructors always told him to stay on the proper paths, but since there were no adults around, he was happily cutting through the foliage when—
‘Is someone there?’
Drawn by a faint sound, he parted the bushes.
And his eyes met someone else’s.
“…!”
A girl with beautiful platinum hair, a red ribbon tied neatly in her locks, her pale pink eyes wide with surprise like a startled fawn.
‘Who was that again?’
Fassion was momentarily flustered.
It was embarrassing enough to meet someone’s eyes so unexpectedly, but he couldn’t remember her name at all.
‘Her face looks familiar somehow… but why can’t I remember?’
His mother’s voice echoed in his mind—he should always be kind to every child. He felt ashamed.
She seemed to be one of his friends, but for the life of him, he couldn’t recall her name.
Fassion was confused.
What was she doing here alone?
“What are you doing here?”
“Um…”
The girl looked very flustered, pressing her lips together and avoiding his gaze.
This seemed to embarrass her greatly.
‘Because I’m the Crown Prince, she might feel that way.’
Fortunately, Fassion was a very conscientious child, fully aware of his status as Crown Prince, and so he inadvertently drew unwanted attention from the girl.
And what followed was their conversation.
“What? Really?”
Someone collapsing just from running? Fassion couldn’t believe it.
It didn’t make sense.
Where did you find someone who collapsed from just a little running?
Were they even human?
“You’re saying someone actually collapses from running? Are you lying to me?”
The girl calmly said she would collapse. She didn’t seem to be lying. But Fassion really couldn’t believe it.
For reference, Fassion possessed an exceptionally robust constitution. Moreover, he was a recognized prodigy in Swordsmanship.
He naturally possessed steel-like stamina—he could run fifty laps around the Training Grounds without collapsing. For that matter, everyone around him was healthy too.
Even the Empress, who counted among the more delicate members of the court, didn’t collapse from mere running.
Unable to believe the girl’s claim, Fassion felt curiosity stir within him.
He wanted to verify it.
Unaware of how dangerous this impulse truly was.
“Try it!”
Naturally, the girl seemed reluctant. Fassion was certain she was lying. Though she didn’t look like the type to lie….
‘Come on, there’s no one in the world like that. She’s just exaggerating!’
He’d urged her to try with a light heart.
“I really will collapse.”
The girl murmured miserably, but then she ran. And….
“What?!”
She really did collapse.
“…That’s impossible.”
A whole new world.
Fassion was utterly shocked.
Boom!
At seven years old, Crown Prince Fassion had encountered an astounding truth.
There really were people in this world who collapsed from running.

* * *

Fortunately, before Arelin’s weakening body hit the ground, Fassion rushed over and caught her, so she avoided the misfortune of striking her head.
While Fassion stood there bewildered, an attendant found him, and word quickly reached the Halbern Duke’s Residence.
Arelin returned to the Duke’s Residence earlier than scheduled. The palace physician naturally followed.
Though everything turned out fine, for some reason, the afternoon’s events didn’t easily fade from Fassion’s mind.
“Terion.”
“Hm?”
After class ended and he had a spare moment, Fassion went to where his younger brother was. Now five years old, Terion seemed far more fragile than Fassion himself.
Even more delicate than the Empress.
So.
“Terion. Run for me.”
“Hm?”
Confused by this sudden demand, Terion tilted his head.
“What for?”
“Just run, all right?”
“Brother, why are you acting so strange?”
“I’m curious about something. Just run.”
When Fassion pressed him, Terion reluctantly complied. Following alongside him, Fassion bombarded him with questions.
“How is it? Do you feel dizzy? Like you’re about to collapse?”
“No. No dizziness. Just tired.”
Watching Terion labor for breath, Fassion pressed on.
“Really? No chance you’d collapse?”
“I said no! Brother, what’s wrong with you?”
His brother was acting strange today. When Terion looked at him with a bewildered expression, Fassion clapped his hands as if he’d been waiting for this.
“Right! You don’t get dizzy! So I wasn’t imagining things!”
“Brother, are you losing it?”
Even as Terion seriously worried about his mental state, Fassion’s attention was elsewhere entirely.
In fact, he made not only the palace attendants but also the maids and even Griem, who stood beside him every day, run the same test.
“Your Highness, what exactly are you having us do, if I may ask?”
Griem asked seriously.
The palace maids had already begun chattering about the Crown Prince’s bizarre antics since that afternoon, and Griem clearly felt the need to get to the bottom of this.
“Well, you see… um…”
After testing some fifty people or so, not a single one had collapsed.
The fact that no one had even complained of dizziness left Fassion in an indescribable state of mind.
What was that from this afternoon?
A hallucination? A dream?
Or was it something unique to her?
But how could a real person actually collapse from just that much running?!
Hearing the Crown Prince’s confused account, Griem nearly lost consciousness himself.
‘So the afternoon commotion was all because of His Highness…!’
Eventually, this story reached the ears of Empress Azeni.
“Go apologize at once.”
A cutting command fell upon the thoroughly scolded Fassion from the Empress.
“If you are not forgiven, know that there will be no snacks for the Crown Prince for some time.”
No, not my snacks!

* * *

And so Fassion arrived at the Halbern Duke’s Residence.
However.
“My apologies, Your Highness. I’m afraid you must return as you are.”
The moment Fassion arrived at the Duke’s Residence, he found himself in crisis.

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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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