The Male Lead Is Targeting Me, Not My Younger Sister - Chapter 8

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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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The Male Lead Is Targeting Me, Not My Sister · Episode 8
“Ricardo?”
“Mm.”
The man yawned widely and stretched.
He was tall—nearly as tall as the doorframe—with a substantial build to match.
Dark black hair and crimson eyes.
Handsome, but with a rough edge that showed through his features.
“Who gave it to you?”
Just then, Ricardo thrust his head forward. Lydia pushed him away, shaking her head as if exasperated.
“Who else would it be?”
“Finally an engagement? Who’s the lucky one?”
“Say something that makes sense.”
At Lydia’s rebuke, Ricardo raised an eyebrow.
“What’s wrong with that?”
Finding it not worth responding to, Lydia ignored him. Pipi, unable to watch any longer, interjected.
“It’s an Ability Support Device. You went out again and got into trouble, they say. Really, if you weren’t the employer…”
“I don’t get into trouble every single day.”
“Makes no difference to me.”
Pipi grumbled while tidying the desk she’d scattered searching for the ring.
“Ah, an Ability.”
Now understanding the situation, Ricardo stepped back.
With proper distance restored, the space felt considerably more pleasant.
“Ricardo, good timing. Now that you’ve slept your fill, go sit over there, would you? I have something to test.”
Pipi pointed with one finger to a chair in the corner of the Laboratory.
“Already? I thought you said the experiment wasn’t finished yet.”
“I’m a genius, so it’ll be done soon—didn’t I say that? Though I doubt you remember, but the two hours you spent napping were quite productive. From now on, make better use of your time.”
Left with nothing to argue, Ricardo shrugged and moved to the chair.
Lydia settled into the chair beside him, watching Ricardo and Pipi.
Ricardo Berner.
A handsome face, light demeanor, and a charming sort of character.
And… a Transcendent.
By now, you’d have caught on—he was one of the male leads from the original work.
‘Though not a particularly major one.’
Being the sort who liked women, he had made moves on Sylvia, the female lead, in the original, but without the fervor the others showed.
‘In reality, he turned out to be more decent than expected.’
After years of careful observation, Lydia had concluded he wasn’t particularly threatening.
His personality was straightforward and cheerful, and more importantly, unlike in the original work, he showed no real interest when actually meeting Sylvia.
The connection they maintained now was only because they’d ‘happened’ to become entangled at one point.
By Lydia’s nature, she would normally have avoided involvement with Ricardo altogether…
‘But he’s surprisingly useful, after all.’
What else could she do? If there’s work to be done, it gets done.
Not that she said it lightly—Ricardo had actually proven remarkably helpful.
“You’re the one doing the Purification? On who? Another Awakener? God, then do me! I can’t stand the thought of being like that!… Oh, you’re not doing it yourself?”
There might have been some misunderstanding at first, but in any case.
Ricardo, who volunteered himself as an experimental subject, had been frequenting this Laboratory ever since.
“Are you sure this test is accurate? Something feels off about it.”
“It can’t be! My calculations are perfect!”
Pipi smacked the arm Ricardo had attached the device to, tap after tap. Ricardo whined about the pain but didn’t seem genuinely angry.
‘…When you see stuff like that, the kid actually seems kindhearted.’
In a world where ‘Ability’ was a tangible force, both family lineage and power had tremendous weight on one’s station.
Yet despite being a Transcendent from a powerful house, Ricardo was neither arrogant.
Just the fact that he didn’t complain much when even Pipi, a commoner, treated him so casually spoke volumes.
Lydia clicked her tongue in disappointment.
If he weren’t like that, she’d have disposed of him long ago!
“What, do you enjoy watching me get hit?”
At Ricardo’s voice, Lydia emerged from her thoughts.
“I’ve never enjoyed it.”
“Sure you haven’t.”
Ricardo grumbled as he settled into the chair beside Lydia.
“You’ve worked hard. The next experiment will be in four days. Come back then.”
“So I can’t come before then?”
“That’s right.”
Harsh. Ricardo’s mouth twisted into a pout at Pipi’s blunt refusal.
Still, Lydia had to admit she was rather grateful to him.
Developing a Purification Agent was impossible without an Awakener. If Ricardo hadn’t offered his help so readily, she’d have spent weeks searching for a test subject.
‘And since he’s a Transcendent, he’s sturdy enough that I don’t have to worry about side effects.’
Whether Ricardo knew of Lydia’s utterly selfish thoughts or not, he launched into conversation with his usual good humor.
“Something on your mind?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your face is pale.”
“Oh.”
Is it that obvious? Lydia brushed her cheek lightly and gave him a brief account of what had happened.
“What? Something like that happened?”
Ricardo’s brow furrowed sharply.
“What are you, a child……? No, wait. What did the doctor say?”
“That it’s fine.”
“That can’t be right. Look how pale you’ve gone.”
Lydia shrugged.
“Is that doctor a quack?”
Ricardo grumbled, but Lydia only answered to herself.
‘I doubt it.’
She left unspoken the fact that the doctor was the empire’s finest elite, the Grand Duke’s Household physician.
She didn’t mention that she’d received help from Ludwig.
In the original story, all four male leads had poor relations with one another, but Ludwig and Ricardo were particularly at odds.
Even at the Military Academy, the two had been frequently cited as polar opposites. In fact, Lydia had never actually seen them in the same room.
‘Besides, I won’t be staying at the Grand Duke’s Household long anyway, so there’s no need to mention it.’
And she’d rather not invite unnecessary misunderstandings.
“So you’re saying you’re fine, then?”
“That’s what I’m telling you.”
“Then that’s settled.”
Ricardo said this carelessly, then settled back in his seat with ease.
Silence fell between them.
“…….”
“…….”
Normally Lydia would have said something by now, but she felt suffocated in her own way and sank into thought.
‘But what is Ludwig really thinking?’
At first, she’d assumed his kindness was simply for Sylvia’s sake.
It seemed reasonable enough that he’d treated her elder sister to gain favor with Sylvia.
‘But if that were the case, he’d only have done emergency treatment — there’d be no reason to keep holding me like that.’
He wasn’t the sort of pervert who enjoyed watching people he disliked suffer.
‘……Or was he? Could he actually be that twisted?’
On second thought, that man might well derive pleasure from watching someone he despised trapped in confusion and torment.
Because he was a madman!
“Ah, that’s right.”
At Ricardo’s voice, Lydia pulled herself from her reverie.
“You asked me last time to let you know if there’s an Imperial Palace ball coming up, didn’t you?”
An Imperial Palace ball.
Lydia answered immediately.
“Do you know something about one?”
Originally, Lydia had no interest in balls.
It wasn’t her taste to begin with, and with money already tight, she couldn’t afford the lavish expenses such an event would demand.
Yet there was a reason she’d asked Ricardo for news of a ball.
‘The first ball held at the Imperial Palace after Sylvia comes of age is the day the original story begins.’
A Debutante presentation, to be precise.
Of course, if it were merely a Debutante event, there would have been no problem. No matter how strapped for money the Purification Agent development left her, she could afford to prepare her sister. The real reason lay elsewhere.
‘That day…… a Creature will slip into the ball.’
That’s right. This wasn’t some simple k-romance trope about court intrigue.
‘One wrong move and people die.’
Recalling the gruesome descriptions from the original story, Lydia swallowed silently.

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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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