Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health - Chapter 5

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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 5

Arelin had collapsed and returned home!
Just yesterday, the sudden news had thrown the House Halbern Estate into complete chaos.
Arelin’s personal physician was summoned, the medical staff assembled in their entirety, and the Childcare Division convened an emergency meeting at once.
Mehen also attended after reviewing only the most urgent documents.
“This is a declaration of war against House Halbern!”
“Something must have happened at the Imperial Palace!
“We must demand answers from the Imperial Ministry!”
The servants and maids clustered together, voices rising. Mehen felt a headache coming on.
“Does anyone know precisely what occurred?”
“It happened within the Crown Prince’s Palace, and so…….”
The steward Ern trailed off with an uncomfortable expression. The rest went unsaid, but Mehen understood easily enough.
“The Imperial Ministry has chosen not to explain properly, then.”
Mehen’s eyes darkened.
From experience, when the Imperial Ministry treated even Halbern this way, royal blood was almost certainly involved.
Setting aside the relatively unimportant matter with the Imperial Palace for later, Mehen turned to the far more pressing question.
“Is the young lady all right?”
“Sir Mehen, well…….”
The atmosphere sobered instantly.
Sensing something amiss, Mehen tilted his head.
“What has happened?”
“It’s just…….”
“She did wake up…….”
Everyone lowered their heads with dejected expressions.
“She invoked the Order of Guest Restriction. She drove us all away, saying she doesn’t want to see anyone.”
…….
Mehen fell silent.

* * *

A sunfish. That’s what I’ve become.
The moment my eyes opened, I pressed my forehead and groaned. Ah, this is insane. Really.
“I actually collapsed.”
I’d only lost consciousness for a moment before coming to, which meant the memories of what happened during the day remained vivid and sharp.
“I knew it. I really did know it. But how does a person collapse just from running for a bit?”
Knowing something in theory and experiencing it in your body were worlds apart.
“How am I supposed to live with this fragile glass body? If I went out alone, I’d die within a day. I’d bet money on it.”
My mind felt like it was running away from home. A body like this? Mine? Really?
This was a body perfectly suited for death if any disaster struck—fire, earthquake, flood. In any crisis, I couldn’t fend for myself.
There was nothing I could do on my own.
Hopeless.
I was a sunfish.
……sigh.
I desperately searched for something—anything—I could still do in this body.
Was there anything at all?
All I’d ever done was play piano or violin, but handling instruments required a certain amount of strength and stamina too.
Especially the violin—arm strength was crucial for it.
“So there’s nothing I can do.”
Helplessness crept in like a tide.
It felt like sinking into deep darkness. Memories I’d tried so hard to forget broke through my weakened defenses, invading my thoughts unbidden.
I’d felt these emotions before, but no matter how many times, they were loathsome and terrible.

“Look at you now, all that pride for nothing.”
“You still think you’re a genius?”
“Is that all the talent you really had?”

They elevate you on a whim, then mock you just as carelessly.
They envy you, resent you, and then delight in your ruin.
Did my failure bring them such joy? But that’s just the noise of others—in the end, irrelevant.
What destroyed me.

“You…….”

Was something different.
A memory I didn’t want to recall kept dragging me back into the past.
Desperate to escape, I forced myself up, and the sudden movement sent a wringing, squeezing pain through my chest.
A strangled sound.
They say when pain is unbearable, you can’t even scream. I endured the agony that pressed down on me, barely managing to exhale.
The ache seeped in, penetrating. The fact of being ‘alone’ hurt so much.
It felt like I was standing in that place again, on the day my mother left me behind.
“Mother…….”
I just wanted to be loved by her.
Knock, knock.
“Miss, it’s Yuni. May I come in?”
The gentle knock and warm voice brought me back to myself.
“No, don’t come in. Leave.”
“Pardon? But…….”
“Don’t! Just leave!”
I don’t want anyone to see me like this.
I don’t understand why the heavens are doing this to me. If I was fated to die anyway, why bother with something like reincarnation?
‘I’d already given up on everything.’
They’d taken everything from me, and I’d surrendered completely. Wasn’t that enough?
My eyes began to burn.
Tears were threatening to spill.
I clenched my teeth and forced my eyes open wider.
I wouldn’t cry.
Neither to this life that poured misery upon misery as if wishing for my tears, nor to whatever god or fate had resurrected me, would I give that satisfaction.
It was the last shred of pride I had left.

* * *

Sigh.
Exhaustion crept in.
Mehen pressed his temples, waiting for the dull headache to subside. The manor had grown utterly quiet in the depths of night.
Mehen twirled a fountain pen between his slender fingers.
“What exactly is the problem?”
Everything else ran smoothly. The only issue was singular. Raising Arelin.
Mehen cradled his forehead in his hands.
‘I didn’t think raising a child would be this difficult.’
He’d known, but it was proving harder than he’d anticipated.
Mehen had been an orphan. He’d never known parental love, and survival had left no room for contemplating affection.
By fortunate chance he’d met the heir of House Halbern and survived until now, but honestly, child-rearing was beyond him.
He lacked warmth, lacked a gentle nature.
So he’d relied on others’ help, but…….
‘Why does it feel like things are only getting worse?’
He couldn’t fathom what the child was thinking. It was impossibly difficult. He didn’t even know what she wanted.
His heart grew restless. No, this won’t do—I should at least see her sleeping face. Mehen stood.
Knock, knock.
“Young lady.”
In case there was any possibility she was awake at this late hour, Mehen knocked softly first.
“It’s Mehen.”
No sound or sign of movement came from within. She must be asleep after all. Reassured, he silently opened the door.
“Young lady?”
Mehen’s eyes met Arelin’s, who was sitting by the window.
“You’re not asleep?”
Well past the hour for sleep, so why was she awake?
But his question was forgotten the moment he saw Arelin’s small form pressed against the window frame.
“You’re not asleep either.”
“Well, I…….”
The child looked so small.
Had she always been this small?
How did other children her age compare? Was this normal size? Mehen’s mind raced, but lacking the knowledge, he found no answer.
Becoming aware of his gaze, Mehen stopped his wandering thoughts.
‘Come to think of it, she used to smile quite often.’
When was the last time he’d seen Arelin smile?
“Young lady…….”
He truly didn’t know what to do.
It was genuinely difficult.
His fingers twitched, wanting to gather that small frame into his arms, before Mehen released a deep sigh.
He was merely her guardian, responsible for raising her—nothing more. Not family, not anything.
‘I mustn’t overstep.’
“You need to sleep. You won’t grow otherwise.”
“Will I even be alive by then?”

Suddenly, words failed him. He should have said something reassuring, but he couldn’t lie before those clear eyes looking up at him.
A silence heavy as death. Mercifully, Arelin broke it first.
“I’ll sleep. You sleep too.”
He moved to help her into bed out of habit, but the child needed no such assistance, moving on her own. As the blanket covered her, a small mound formed beneath it.
He should leave now. There were still many documents waiting to be processed.
Yet his gaze wouldn’t leave.
Eventually, he stood there as if turned to stone before finally departing.
And the next day.
“Who’s come calling?”
Crown Prince Pesion had arrived at House Halbern.

* * *

And so, in the present moment.
Mehen could without difficulty arrive at one deduction: the reason Arelin had collapsed at the Imperial Palace.
‘It was because of the Crown Prince.’
“Her physician has prescribed Complete Rest. Please depart, Your Highness.”
“Just let me see her for a moment!”
“Absolutely not.”
The tense standoff continued unbroken.

* * *

Griam, the Crown Prince’s attendant, was currently experiencing the taste of bitter death.
All of this had arisen because of his lord, Crown Prince Pesion.

“Take the Crown Prince and offer the young lady a proper apology.”

To fulfill Empress Azeni’s solemn command, rare Artifacts and gifts meant as apologies now lay spread before them.
The atmosphere was austere, as if children’s quarrels warranted such severity.
But then.
“The gifts are graciously accepted. However, the Imperial Ministry must properly account for this matter to House Halbern.”
When faced with the mad dog guarding House Halbern, such words struck home.
“What do we do now, Griam?”
Naturally, the result was a closed door.
‘Of course it would be. This is Halbern, after all.’
And besides, there were very complicated circumstances surrounding Arelin, the young lady of House Halbern.
Griam swallowed a sigh.
“I’m afraid we must return today.”
“But…….”
Pesion’s expression showed his dissatisfaction.
‘Please no. Not this.’
Griam tensed. When the Crown Prince looked like this, something usually happened.
Just as Griam was growing anxious.
“No, I can’t leave it like this. Griam, I’m counting on you.”
“Pardon?”
“Keep Mehen occupied for a bit.”
“What?”
“I’m going to see her myself!”
……What?”
The Crown Prince vanished before Griam could even grab him. Griam’s shoulders sagged in defeat.
“Sigh. I’m quitting.”

* * *

Pesion slipped out of sight from the servants and maids, wandering through the manor.
Ordinarily it would have been nearly impossible, but with all attention drawn to the Crown Prince’s visit, he could find gaps.
And was he not the one expected to become the youngest Sword Master?
‘Something feels off about this place.’
Pesion tilted his head as he explored without guidance.
The manor held no warmth. Only cold, bleak air lingered forlornly.
It struck Pesion as deeply wrong. For his world had always been warm and kind.
‘Why is this place so vast?’
Pesion worried he wouldn’t find Arelin at all.
“Hmm. I really wanted to apologize properly.”
It wasn’t just the Empress’s command. Pesion truly was sorry. If he’d known she would actually collapse, he wouldn’t have made her run.
“What should I do?”
It was then, as Pesion stood troubled.
Suddenly, he felt something strange. The presence of maids and servants simply disappeared.
What he could sense instead…….
A single, fragile Aura, barely holding on.
What is that?
Spreading his still-unfamiliar Aura Sense widely, Pesion moved as if entranced.
A small presence he would have passed by any other time, yet seized by an intense premonition that he must verify it, he walked forward.
And then he found a room with its door ajar.
Shhhhhh——
As leaves rustled against the breeze, Pesion peered in carelessly and froze.
There, inside, was Arelin.
Crack.
In that instant, Pesion distinctly heard something shatter soundlessly.

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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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