The Obsessive Male Lead Is Obsessed With Me! - Chapter 56
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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 56
“Yes.”
“You want to use a magic bow in the hunting competition? Are you that lacking in confidence in your archery skills?”
In fact, strictly speaking by the rules, the use of magic bows wasn’t specifically prohibited.
However, this was a provision for mages who had never learned how to shoot a bow. Therefore, when someone who wasn’t a mage used a bow, they would be ridiculed.
Of course, if Lionel were to be mocked in such a way, it would provide good entertainment for Cayen, so it would be welcome…
‘He prepared the magic bow himself? That doesn’t seem like him.’
Sure enough.
“Ahem. Excuse me, Your Highness the First Prince. The bow that His Highness the Second Prince possesses can hardly be considered a magic bow.”
A man in a long robe with a splendid mustache cautiously spoke to Cayen.
Cayen stared at his face intently before asking first.
“Who are you?”
“I am Graham, an Imperial mage. I was summoned as an auxiliary mage for this hunting competition.”
Usually, the work that auxiliary mages did at hunting competitions was varied, but he had been called here to examine the magic cast on Lionel’s bow.
And after carefully examining the bow, his conclusion was.
“The only magic cast on this bow is security magic. There is no magic that would help with hunting.”
“Security magic? …That fire from earlier?”
Cayen frowned. Somehow he had a bad feeling about this.
“What kind of security magic would make the bow burst into flames?”
“Yes, Your Highness. It’s magic that makes it burst into flames when touched by someone other than the owner.”
“Bursting into flames when touched by others, isn’t that too dangerous a magic?”
“It’s not dangerous at all. The effect is just a bit flashy, but when touched it’s just ‘ah, hot!’ to that degree. However…”
“However?”
“It seems that the Duchess Roheim who purchased this bow didn’t know well and requested too high a security level.”
“…Duchess Roheim?”
Cayen’s expression hardened.
Without noticing this fact, Graham continued to ramble on.
“Usually security magic is designed to react only to other people’s touch, but that bow is set to react to beasts and tools as well, not just people.”
“Tools.”
“Actually, security magic that only reacts to human touch has a blind spot. You could have a beast fetch it or steal it by picking it up with tongs or something. Hahaha!”
Graham, who had been laughing obliviously, belatedly noticed Cayen who was only giving a cold sneer and closed his mouth.
“Y-Your Highness…?”
“The reason I came here was because I pitied my brother who wouldn’t receive a handkerchief from his fiancée, so I granted this maid the honor of tying a handkerchief to the Second Prince’s bow.”
“Ah, is that so?”
Even though he was an Imperial mage, Graham had little interest in Imperial affairs.
Therefore, he stated the facts as they were, unable to guess what kind of ripple effect a maid tying a handkerchief to the Second Prince’s bow would cause in social circles.
“With the security magic currently on this bow, that would be impossible. It would burn up the moment it’s tied.”
“Didn’t you say it was just ‘ah, hot!’ to that degree?”
“That’s only when you quickly let go.”
If someone with good reflexes would let go the moment they feel ‘ah, hot!’ there wouldn’t be much problem, but if something continues to touch that bow…
“The bow, judging that it’s being stolen, will continue to emit fire.”
“…”
“Actually, the commotion from earlier happened when I was experimenting to directly check the security level. Hahaha!”
“Hahaha!”
Following Graham who burst into loud laughter to hide his awkwardness, Cayen also burst into hearty laughter.
The louder that sound became, the thicker the concentration of silence that settled around them grew.
When Graham belatedly said “huh?” and closed his mouth, Cayen’s laughter also stopped abruptly.
“You’re really pitiful too, little brother. You truly have a selfish lady as your fiancée.”
“A selfish lady?”
“If she can’t attend, she should at least let another woman tie a handkerchief to your bow, but it means her own feelings come before your honor, doesn’t it?”
Everyone present exchanged troubled glances with each other.
The fact that the First Prince spoke this way meant that regardless of Cecilia’s intentions, this matter should spread as such rumors.
The wounds that a young lady who wasn’t even an adult yet would receive in the process? Cayen wouldn’t care about that at all.
‘His Highness is truly heartless…’
‘The Duchess is really pitiful too. How did she end up becoming His Highness the Second Prince’s fiancée.’
While everyone was inwardly pitying Cecilia, Lionel opened his mouth nonchalantly.
“It’s not selfish. It’s a natural right.”
“What?”
“Having someone else tie the handkerchief that should be tied by one’s fiancée is overstepping authority in itself.”
Lionel looked into Cayen’s eyes and added.
“I respect my fiancée’s wishes.”
“…Ha!”
Cayen gave a short snort and glared fiercely at Lionel who stood facing him. However, Lionel just stood there with a calm face as if he felt no threat at all.
Eventually, the expression disappeared from Cayen’s face as well.
It was the same expressionless look. However, at this moment, all the people who had always thought Lionel was inhuman felt even more chills from Cayen’s expression.
“Lionel, my brother.”
Eventually, a gentle smile appeared on Cayen’s lips.
While people were tilting their heads wondering if the sensation they felt just before was an illusion upon seeing this, Cayen approached Lionel’s side.
And he whispered in his ear.
“How truly arrogant you are. What is an engagement relationship that hasn’t even had a proper ceremony? Do you think she’s already become yours?”
“…”
“Don’t be mistaken. Don’t get cocky. That woman…”
Cayen gripped Lionel’s shoulder tightly with his hand and whispered threateningly in his ear.
“Will never become yours.”
“…”
As if he had no intention of refuting his words, Lionel just kept his mouth shut with his eyes downcast.
As if pleased with that submissive appearance, Cayen smiled and patted his shoulder.
Then he noticed the sparkling earring in Lionel’s ear and his expression hardened.
Water-colored. A color that anyone who knew Cecilia would naturally think of her.
“A man wearing an earring. How vulgar. Take it off.”
Lionel bowed his head lightly before Cayen.
“I will keep that in mind.”
It wasn’t an answer that suited the command to remove the earring. For a moment Cayen was enraged, but he missed the timing to stop Lionel as he passed by.
“This… Insolent!”
Cayen, who was about to rage, barely calmed his anger at his suddenly spinning vision.
“Your Highness!”
An Imperial knight nearby immediately supported him as he staggered. Though that touch was irritating, Cayen couldn’t bring himself to shake it off and glared at Lionel’s retreating figure with fierce eyes.
‘Fine. Let’s see just how far you can get cocky.’
“We’re leaving!”
Cayen, who could barely stand alone, turned around and headed toward his tent.
The Imperial knights and servants followed behind him, and Liz, who had been holding the handkerchief, also left the scene quickly, relieved.
Meanwhile, Lionel, who had entered the tent, sat properly in a chair and carefully cleaned his bow. Because he was holding the bow, the cloth used to clean it didn’t catch fire.
How much time had passed?
Finally, a servant came to inform him that the hunting competition was about to begin.
“His Majesty the Emperor’s congratulatory speech will begin soon. Please go.”
“Yes, I understand.”
To encourage those participating in the hunting competition, the Emperor personally attended and gave a congratulatory speech, and the participants burned with enthusiasm at the thought of achieving merit in the Emperor’s presence.
Some to catch the Emperor’s eye, some to elevate their family’s honor, and others to show their impressive side to find a fiancé.
The participants entered the forest enthusiastically, each carrying different goals in their hearts.
“I will claim victory!”
“Please, no more, no less, just let me catch one deer….”
Until this moment, no one knew.
“…Gi, gi, giant wolf pack!”
Giant wolves that lived in packs in caves located at the high peaks of Heitensan.
Their size rivaled that of Great Bears, and they were the absolute predators of Heitensan who always moved in packs of at least twenty.
No one knew that these beasts, who surely never came down below the middle slopes of the mountain, would descend all the way to the lakeside and mercilessly hunt the Hunting Competition participants instead.
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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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