Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health - Chapter 45

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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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Episode 45

Life feels like a lie.
“Here, this is tonight’s dinner.”
“Is this… really it?”
I stared at the dry chicken breast and asked. Emma explained with a proud expression.
“Yes! I prepared this chicken breast using the Healthy Muscle-Building Diet Recipe that Fessian gave me!”
…….
The dry chicken breast tasted exactly like a dry chicken breast should. Halfway through chewing, I entered a deep Sage Time.
‘Why do humans even live?’
My appetite vanished entirely.
I’d never eaten much to begin with, and the only small pleasures left in my life were the occasional desserts I could sneak — and now even that was gone!
‘How did I end up like this?’
I felt suddenly wretched.
Where had the small, cute Fessian gone — the one who said he liked me back at Sharit? We were happy then, at least.
Give me back my sunshine-loving maniac!

Fessian burst into Halbern Mansion after finishing his morning training.
“Arelin! Let’s work out!”
This routine had been going on for over three weeks now.
Still stuck in bed, I shuddered and curled into a ball.
My entire body ached as if I had the flu, thanks to the lingering soreness from yesterday’s exercise.
It had been three weeks since I started exercising, yet each day brought fresh agony.
“Arelin! Get up! Let’s go work out!”
“No.”
“If you don’t like it, go get married!”
Should I kill him?
Just as I was seriously contemplating the Crown Prince Assassination Incident, Fessian’s eyes fixed on my bedroom curtains, tightly drawn.
“Why is it so dark in here? Are you a child of darkness, Arelin? Haah!”
“Ahhh!”
My eyes!
“Get out!”
“You get out!”
I threw a pillow at him, but Fessian dodged with ease.
“Is this a pillow fight?”
“No, it’s not.”
“Anyway, let’s go!”
“I said no!”
When I flipped the blanket over myself and curled into a ball, Fessian laughed.
“Haha, you’re like a caterpillar, Arelin!”
Today, I didn’t want to lift a single finger. It was all because of the identical dry chicken breast every single day and exercise with no days off.
My body might be getting healthier, but my spirit was being worn to dust.
“Arelin, you need to work out.”
“I’m not going.”
Surely even Fessian would give up now.
That’s when I let my guard down.
“Hup!”
Suddenly, my body lifted off the bed and dangled in the air.
“?!?!”
I hastily threw off the blanket and found myself face to face with a grinning Fessian.
“Did you sleep well, Arelin?”
I was speechless. Fessian was cradling me like a caterpillar in his arms.
“What are you doing?”
“Hm? Taking you to work out.”
I’d forgotten just how absurd this boy could be.
“So, answer me. Did you sleep well?”
“How could I have slept well?”
Fessian frowned.
“Why? Didn’t you get proper sleep again? Were you reading books? You have to sleep on time! You can’t get any benefit from exercise without proper rest.”
Was he my mother?
“Did you eat well?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. You’re being obedient.”
I was astonished. Even Mechen rarely praised me like this, and here Fessian was doing it.
“You’re lighter than the rock I was training with yesterday. I think you need to gain more weight, Arelin.”
……
What seven-year-old trains by lifting rocks?
“Put me down.”
“Nope, I don’t feel like it.”
Fessian refused with a laugh.
Meanwhile, every eye in Halbern Mansion had turned toward us.
“Oh my, look there.”
“The two of them look so good together.”
“They really do. The young lady must be so happy.”
“How adorable!”
Every servant and maid who passed by smiled warmly as they watched us.
“Did you hear that, Arely? They say we look great together.”
“Don’t you like that?”
“Mhm.”
Fessian had been giggling, but then he looked at me with a suddenly serious expression.
“I heard everything from Uni. She said that yesterday after I left, you just stayed in your room all day lying down. That’s why you’re getting depressed!”
Uni, that traitor.
I’m confiscating all her praise stickers.
“You need to go outside and soak up the sun, get some fresh air — that’s how you become healthy!”
“Bullshit……”
If just sunlight and fresh air could make me healthy, I’d have been fine ages ago.
“Hm?”
“Nothing, never mind.”
Fessian stared directly at my face.
“Arelin, you have dark circles under your eyes.”
“Of course I do.”
“Are you sick somewhere?”
“No. I just didn’t sleep well yesterday.”
“What? Why?!”
“I had indigestion.”
He tilted his head.
Fessian cocked his head like someone encountering an unfamiliar word for the first time.
“What’s indigestion?”
He doesn’t even know that? Just how healthy is this boy’s body?
“It’s a condition that happens when……”
I was about to brush past it, but Griam, the Crown Prince’s all-capable chamberlain who had been standing quietly behind us, explained instead.
“I see. So you haven’t eaten anything since yesterday evening, Arelin?!”
“Right.”
“How could you do that?! Shouldn’t you eat something?”
I rubbed my stomach gently.
“It’s fine. I can’t handle it. Even if I eat, I’ll just get indigestion again. A day or two without food is nothing.”
Fessian looked genuinely shocked.
“……? How can you not eat? Are you even human?”
“What are you talking about?”
It’s all your fault!
“Then, Fessian, maybe we should skip training today……”
“That’s not possible.”
You’re not human.
“But I’ll take it easy on you.”
Fessian nodded with grim determination.
And moments later.
“Is this… taking it easy?! Huff, huff.”
“Arelin, you’re weak. If you collapse at this level, what will we do?”
“You demon!”
I regretted it again.
I should never have believed Fessian’s words.

* * *

Fessian was pleased with himself today as well.

Griam, who walked alongside Fessian, wore a peculiar expression.
These days, Griam was amazed to discover that the Crown Prince possessed such a talent.
It was like watching someone wring out a dry cloth with meticulous care — the way Fessian ruthlessly squeezed every bit of Arelin’s stamina felt like a preview of the army the Crown Prince would one day command.
‘Where is this nation headed?’
he wondered.
“Mm.”
Unlike Griam, who worried about Albrecht’s future, Fessian felt satisfied yet not entirely pleased.
He wished Arelin would become healthy as soon as possible. And so……
“Is there anything else I could try? Some other good method?”
The diet had been effective.
He was contemplating whether to visit Master Queyan again when——
Griam smoothly offered a suggestion.
“What if you prepared her with tonics?”
“Tonics?”
“Yes. Since her body is inherently weak, I thought perhaps she needed nourishing foods to invigorate her system.”
“Nourishing……”
Fessian blinked.
“A tonic?!”
The Crown Prince’s eyes sparkled.
Just then, as a tonic being delivered to the Imperial Palace came into view, Fessian’s eyes blazed with intense brilliance.
“That’s it!”

* * *

The Imperial Palace.

“In the Western Region as well, monster sightings have grown more frequent……”
“The Magic Tower has sent word regarding their investigation of Sharit.”
Lately, it felt as though monsters were raging more than usual. Deep wrinkles furrowed Emperor Edward’s brow.
“And the Northern Fortress?”
“The Northern Fortress has also requested additional reinforcements. Looking at this year’s combat records alone, the invasion frequency has increased threefold compared to previous years.”
“Dear me.”
Sighs of concern and worry mixed together.
Since ancient times, monsters had always been a worry for mankind, but they had never emerged as such a grave problem before.
“Fortunately, the Northern Fortress is under the protection of Duke Halbern, so there have been no major incidents. However, the request for additional knights and soldiers is substantial.”
The wrinkles deepening on Emperor Edward’s brow grew more pronounced.
“Is the Northern Fortress really in such danger?”
“The northern stronghold is a primary defensive position, sire.”
“What of requesting the Holy Knight Order from the Lemuren Holy Kingdom?”
“Let us hold off on that for now.”
That was when——
“Your Majesty, your tonic.”
“Ah, is it that time already?”
A tonic, prepared by Empress Azeni herself out of concern that his work might harm his health.
Emperor Edward, though reluctant, faithfully consumed his tonic.
As he always did, he brought the pale brown liquid to his lips without much thought when he suddenly spat it out.
“Bleh, bleh! What is this?!”
It looked brown, but the liquid tasted of chocolate.
“Your Majesty?!”
“Your Majesty, what is wrong?!”
Everyone from the attendants to the ministers stared at Emperor Edward in alarm.
“Chief attendant——!”
Emperor Edward issued an imperial decree.
“Yes, Your Majesty! What is your command?!”
“The tonic has been switched. Find out who played this prank at once!”
Emperor Edward commanded without hiding his fury.

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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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