The Obsessive Male Lead Is Obsessed With Me! - Chapter 35
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 35
“….”
Lionel stared down at his empty hands for a long while before clenching them into tight fists.
Just then, the sound of knocking came from the door.
“Come in.”
“Excuse me, Your Highness.”
The person who entered wasn’t from the Second Prince’s Palace, but a servant from the First Prince’s Palace.
He respectfully bowed his waist while holding out a book to Lionel.
“I have completed the task you assigned.”
The reason the First Prince’s Palace servant was doing work for Lionel was because of a servant named Bill who had tried to steal Lionel’s blue bird.
“I was the one who delivered the First Prince’s orders to Bill. I threatened him and made him do it. All the guilt lies with me. I will accept the punishment, so please forgive Bill…!”
Probably neither this servant nor the one named Bill had the slightest idea that things would go wrong. So they carelessly laid hands on the Second Prince’s property without much thought.
However, Bill was struck down by lightning magic, and after being caught by Lionel for touching the blue bird, he was dragged to the underground prison without receiving treatment.
Regardless of the circumstances, he had touched the Second Prince’s property. He would receive the punishment of having both hands cut off.
That’s why this servant had come to find Lionel. To beg for his one and only nephew’s life.
Honestly, it was ridiculous. Could this be resolved just by begging?
Whether the man who dared touch the blue bird had his hands cut off or not, whether this servant was consumed by guilt because of it or not – none of it was Lionel’s concern.
However, there was one thing Lionel was curious about.
“I remember your face. You definitely served my brother nine years ago too.”
“You, you remember me?”
“Someone who worked with you brought me Liri’s ribbon. Along with the words that the body couldn’t be found.”
“Ah…”
“What was the reason the body couldn’t be found?”
“Well… The First Prince collapsed immediately after causing that incident, so he didn’t know, but I saw it clearly. That blue bird turned into light and disappeared.”
“Light?”
“Yes. I was concerned so I investigated separately, and they say spirit familiars disappear like that.”
“….”
“The blue bird Your Highness raised was definitely a spirit familiar that someone had infiltrated into the Imperial Palace.”
“…Have you ever told anyone else about this fact?”
“No. Not only was there no evidence… I witnessed the servant who brought you the ribbon being driven out, so I just pretended not to know.”
“…Good. If you follow my instructions, I’ll spare that servant’s life.”
“Is that really true? Please command me. I’ll follow anything!”
“Obtain materials related to spirit familiars. Without anyone knowing.”
That’s how the servant had brought this book to Lionel.
“You did well.”
“Then, what about Bill…?”
“I’ll send him out of the palace with all his limbs intact. I’ll arrange lodging for him too.”
The servant flinched for a moment. Arranging lodging sounded not like consideration but like a threat. That if he carelessly spread word around, his nephew’s life couldn’t be guaranteed.
Of course, Lionel might have genuinely been showing consideration. It could be that he was misinterpreting it.
Instead of painfully speculating about his intentions, the servant silently bowed his head.
In any case, if he acted wisely, his nephew wouldn’t be harmed further.
“Thank you. I will never forget this kindness.”
“Now leave.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After the servant left, Lionel sat at his desk and opened the book.
Spirit familiar.
Lionel knew a little about that magic too.
A clone that serves as eyes and ears in place of the mage. Usually used as a messenger, but he’d heard that well-trained spirit familiars also serve as assistants.
However, he’d heard this magic could only be used after becoming an adult…
[·The material for spirit familiar magic is a fragment of the caster’s soul.
·For spirit familiar magic to be completed, it must be continuously summoned so that its form becomes fixed.
·As long as magical power doesn’t run out, a spirit familiar once summoned will not disappear.
·An incomplete spirit familiar must be moved by transferring the caster’s consciousness directly.
·A completed spirit familiar has a separate ego and can move on its own.
·In the incomplete spirit familiar state, magic cannot be used.
·A completed spirit familiar shares the caster’s knowledge and can use magic the caster has learned.
·If an incomplete ‘spirit familiar’ takes a major blow and is destroyed, the caster’s soul fragment is destroyed, and in the worst case, the caster may die.
·Therefore, special caution is needed when using this magic, and growing minors must never use this magic.]
The more he read the book, the more memories from the past surfaced. His hopeful suspicion became certainty.
So that’s how it was – there were more than one or two things that made sense now.
“You couldn’t have… taken my magical power? How could a bird take magical power?”
“Liri? Your name is Liri? …How do you know letters that people use?”
“Where were you? I was surprised when you suddenly disappeared.”
“Are you comforting me? …Thank you. You seem to read my mind perfectly.”
“A flower? Are you giving it to me?”
“Your lullaby is really effective. You know what? I keep falling asleep while listening, so I’ve never heard your lullaby to the end.”
The warmth that had wiped away his now completely dried tears with its wings, the small wildflowers it had barely managed to carry in its tiny beak and drop into his hands, the songs it had chirped beside him whenever he felt lonely.
If it wasn’t just coincidence that he had dismissed as good timing.
If it was someone’s tenderness given purely for his sake.
-You lost the magical vessel itself?
“Yes. I suffered a terribly severe fever when I was young. All my memories flew away along with my magical vessel then. You can imagine how severe the fever was, right?”
Could the owner of that small warmth really have been Cecilia? Had she succeeded in spirit familiar magic at such a young age and flown to him every day?
But because the spirit familiar was destroyed before the magic was completed, she nearly died and even lost her magical vessel?
“What a cute bird. I’ll take this one.”
“Chirp!”
“Not Liri!”
“Liri? What a cute name. I’ll take good care of her.”
…Because of me.
Because I failed to protect her.
“…Ah.”
His eyes felt hot. An emotion he hadn’t felt in so long choked his throat.
He couldn’t breathe well. Endless helplessness and guilt seemed to drag him down to the bottom.
“Chirp! Chirp chirp!”
Just then, the blue bird that had been walking around the desk as it pleased approached Lionel.
His gaze, which had been deeply immersed in thick self-blame, moved slightly toward the blue bird tilting its head.
And when their eyes met.
-Kyaak, what is this! It connected on its own again!
“…Cecil?”
-No, really, why does it keep moving on its own?
Cecilia’s voice, speaking in a complaining tone, sounded very healthy.
That was a relief. It seemed she had safely regained consciousness.
The moisture that had gathered around his eyes disappeared. Lionel, who had unconsciously let out a laugh, asked Cecilia a question.
“Are you feeling alright?”
-Me? Yes, I’m perfectly fine! I just slept a bit long, but there’s not a single place that hurts. But my family and Master are being overprotective, so I probably won’t be able to go out for a while.
“I see.”
-But Your Highness, did you really receive house arrest because I collapsed?
“Yes.”
-I’m sorry. My collapse had nothing to do with Your Highness…
“You’re calling me that way again.”
-Huh?
Hearing her puzzled voice, it seemed she had no awareness of it herself.
Could this be the instinct of a spoiled child who had grown up receiving abundant love from a young age?
Lionel informed her without realizing that a smile had formed on his lips.
“You did it before, and you’re doing it now. Whenever you feel sorry about something toward me, you call me ‘Your Highness,’ but didn’t you know?”
-…Ah, did I do that?
“I’m really fine, so you can relax.”
Lionel gently poked the Blue Bird with his fingertip as it remained motionless while conveying Cecilia’s voice.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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