The Obsessive Male Leads Want to Eat Me Alive - Chapter 28

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 28
With a thunderous boom, thick mist swirled around us as Julius appeared on one knee. Quite the dramatic entrance.
“You called for me, Master.”
…His dialogue only made it worse!
“Well, yes, I did call.”
Moreover, beneath his neat shirt, he wore only ornate undergarments—apparently he’d been doing something else entirely.
‘I really dislike this.’
Julius had probably been eating stew in his room in comfortable clothes before being summoned. The spoon in his hand still held traces of it.
Summoned without warning in the middle of a meal, no less.
‘Now that I think about it, I almost feel sorry for him.’
Just then.
“…That’s a perverted outfit, you bastard.”
Oh no, Heinrich. You can’t say such terrible things out loud! You’re supposed to keep those thoughts to yourself like I do!
The moment the small dog’s blunt words cut through the air, Julius’s shoulders jerked. The ring’s hypnosis had suddenly been broken.
“Damn it, damn it! Where the hell is this?! What did you do to me?!”
Having felt the Master’s power for the first time, he panicked and looked around frantically.
Then, with bleary eyes, he spotted the three small children standing there and approached us.
“Was it you brats? …Anyway, at least you’re all safe, it seems.”
So he had been worried after all.
But please don’t come any closer! Ah, no! Those unsightly leg hairs are coming with you, teacher.
I carefully cradled the Pluto ring in my arms and asked.
“Um, teacher, does that thick mist and ‘boom’ sound happen every time you’re summoned?”
“Ah, that’s something each person can customize. It’s my preference, you might say.”
Your taste is terrible, teacher.
Julius spoke as if he were being particularly considerate, raising a finger.
“If you dislike it, I’ll dispel the mist.”
“And make the sound silent too, please.”
“…!”
Offended by my relentless demands, Julius spoke.
“Then you simply shouldn’t summon me arbitrarily, you tiny little thing!”
I answered with a bright smile.
“That would be difficult for me.”
“Tch…!”
I shrugged at Julius, who wore an expression of utter indignation.
“Then first, please take us to The Forest.”
The twelve-year-old Master’s first command left him with no choice but to obey respectfully.
* * *
After returning to The Forest.
Rose wept for a long time, holding all three of us in her arms.
As Shasha and Julian, along with the other children, clung to her while crying, I comforted them and distributed the candy I’d brought.
“Waaaah! Shasha, I thought I’d never see you again, Shasha!”
The children had to overcome the dilemma of tears streaming down their faces while savoring candy.
Rose insisted we needed absolute rest first, so she fed us plenty of delicious food and had us rest in our rooms.
As a result, my meeting with Mimosa was postponed.
‘I’ll need to act well when I meet Mimosa.’
I absolutely must not let it slip that I’m an Awakened One. Absolutely not!
As I was steeling myself with this resolve, a sudden doubt crept into my mind. Wait, hold on.
‘Mimosa can discern the color of souls and know whether someone is Awakened without them saying anything, right?’
I knew from the original work that her eyes had special sorcery cast upon them.
‘Then isn’t it only a matter of time before I’m exposed?’
I hurried to a room where I was alone and carefully called out to Sordi and Um.
“Sordi, Um!”
But there was no response from them. It seemed I still couldn’t summon them whenever I wished.
‘Will I be exposed like this?’
Yet strangely, I had an inexplicable faith. A strange belief that Sordi and Um wouldn’t send me out defenseless.
[ …The cave is safe, so stay here for now. If you return as you are, it will be dangerous, little one. ]
They had given me such a warning.
If I was destined to be exposed to Mimosa, they wouldn’t have simply let me go, saying it was dangerous, right?
…Alright.
I’ll trust Sordi and Um.
Since it was far too late to devise countermeasures now, I had no choice but to head to the ‘Level Test Results Announcement’ as planned.
* * *
As I headed to the Assembly Hall, all the instructors, including Rose and Mimosa, were present according to tradition.
All the Forest members were huddled together on small children’s chairs.
Rose was the first to speak, her rosy cheeks flushing as she called out loudly.
“I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for this moment. I’m so relieved everyone completed the test safely!”
“Yaaaay!”
The children with their bright, sparkling eyes raised both hands and clapped enthusiastically with their small fists.
“You’re curious about the test results, aren’t you? Then shall we announce them now?”
“Yes!”
The children answered excitedly, raising their little fists like potatoes.
“Then first, Heinrich!”
Heinrich stood slowly, his characteristic arrogant and insolent eyes fixed ahead.
“Our Heinrich has achieved the ‘Highest Level’ Special Grade 1 again!”
“Yaaaay!”
“Amazing, truly impressive. Heinrich!”
Basking in the children’s admiration, Heinrich smirked.
It was clearly a self-satisfied expression.
“Now, shall our Heinrich share a few words?”
Heinrich swept his gaze across the room with his characteristic arrogant eyes, then stroked his chin as he spoke.
“What, always Special Grade 1? It’s so boring. And so full of yourself.”
“…!”
I was startled by such a blatantly arrogant acceptance speech, yet the Forest members simply sparkled their eyes innocently, responding with “Wow!”, “That’s amazing!”
I was one of them too.
‘Our little one’s shameless attitude is just the best.’
And then came Sisrain’s turn. Rose, who had been examining the announcement sheet, exclaimed in surprise.
“My goodness, and we have another cause for celebration in our Forest!”
“….”
“Sisrain has defeated countless high-level monsters and achieved Special Grade 1!”
“Waaaah!”
All the children cheered and applauded. Only Heinrich frowned, saying “Huh, really?” as he looked at Sisrain.
‘Oh, Sisrain was that strong?!’
It was something I had no idea about either. Rose continued.
“Of course, he did release the ‘Suppression Seal’ midway, but considering his bravery in leading his friends into the Cave, we decided not to deduct any points.”
My heart felt considerably lighter, and I felt genuinely proud.
‘Our little beast worked incredibly hard.’
As I was marveling at this internally, Rose asked.
“Well, Sisrain, what are your thoughts?”
Sisrain said nothing at first, simply gazing at the Forest members with an indifferent expression before speaking.
“Thank you.”
It was utterly composed. The children’s eyes sparkled as they found it incredibly cool.
‘Impressive… to be so unshaken like that.’
I would have been overjoyed.
Perhaps this obsessive young sprout doesn’t get excited easily? Even at his age, he carries considerable weight.
The next announcements were Shasha and Julian in order. Shasha summoned 104 chicks and bravely defeated 5 moles, advancing to Level 4.
Shasha achieved her dream and even performed a celebratory dance on stage in happiness.
‘She’s at Level 4 but showing off far more spectacularly than the Special Grade 1s!’
That aspect of her was so adorable.
As Shasha’s passionate performance ended, it was Julian’s turn.
“Julian is taking his first level test. He didn’t catch any monsters, but he helped up a fallen friend and brought them to the Infirmary. So he’s been awarded ‘good child points’ and achieved Level 8!”
Julian’s sky-blue eyes widened.
Soon after, Julian bravely raised his small fist and shouted “Yes!”, earning everyone’s admiration as well.
“Now, next is Anette!”
Gulp.
It was my turn.
Just as I was growing nervous, a voice cut through the excited atmosphere of the hall like a blade.
“I’ll announce Anette’s results.”
It was Mimosa.
She approached me slowly with her characteristically stern expression. My heart pounded frantically.
‘Sordi, Um, please….’
My test results only listed ‘one slime.’ Heinrich and Sisrain had already agreed to claim they defeated the massive monster that triggered my awakening.
We thoroughly concealed the fact of my awakening.
But if she were to glimpse the light of an awakened one in the color of my soul…
‘If that were to happen…’
And if Sordi and Um simply letting me go was nothing more than a mistake…
‘My future would become far more treacherous.’
I would become nothing more than a piece of meat, uncertain where I’d be sold off to next.
“Anette.”
Mimosa’s golden eyes pierced through mine with quiet intensity. My throat went dry, and cold sweat trickled down my spine.
‘She’s examining whether the color of my soul has changed to that of an awakened one.’
“…”
After observing me for a moment, Mimosa’s expression became utterly enigmatic.
Then she leaned in close enough for me to feel her breath, and spoke in the softest of voices.
“Ever since I met you, it’s been nothing but a series of surprises.”
Please, please let those surprises not work against me…
Mimosa’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“You’re the most exemplary student in the Forest, yet you’re always the one who defies expectations.”
With that, Mimosa straightened and read from the announcement sheet.
“Anette captured one slime, but we acknowledge her resourcefulness in a crisis situation and her achievement in bringing her friends back to the Forest. She maintains her existing level 5!”
“Waaaaaaah! Anette!”
“So brave, well done!”
I stared blankly at the Forest members for a moment before breaking into a wide smile.
‘Thank goodness I didn’t get caught!’
Phew, I released a breath of relief. I thought I understood the reason now.
When Sordi and Um referred to me, they used the term ‘successor’ rather than ‘awakened one.’
My awakening hadn’t changed the fundamental essence of my soul.
I had merely inherited Exordium’s soul. So perhaps the fundamental nature of my soul remained unchanged, and its color never shifted at all.
‘In any case, I’m incredibly fortunate to have deceived Mimosa.’
The children all rushed over to congratulate me.
“Really, congratulations, Anette!”
“You said you wanted to reach level 5 again this time, and you actually did it—that’s truly amazing!”
‘Oh, these sweet children.’
I hadn’t actually leveled up at all.
It was like scoring 600 on the TOEIC after saying ‘my next goal is 600 points’ and then scoring 600 again.
Yet they all congratulated me with genuine joy.
Feeling the purity of their hearts, I could laugh sincerely along with them.
With the level test results announcement concluded, Sisrain approached me with long strides.
Then he pulled me into a tight embrace and spoke.
“Congratulations, Anette.”
“…!”
My face had turned as red as a peach. And in the distance, I could see Heinrich, whose face was easily ten times redder than mine.
“You shameless bastard! Where do you think you’re touching?!”
* * *
After all the events had concluded.
In the quiet office, Mimosa was speaking with someone over the communication device.
The voice beyond the transmission carried a chilling edge—sharp as the blade of a guillotine descending upon the condemned.
[ The child has not awakened. Despite the stimulus we provided… How disappointing, madam. What if she remains unable to awaken? ]
“As you say, it’s possible she may never awaken. Not in this Forest.”
[ What do you mean? ]
“…”
Mimosa gazed out at the moon beyond the expansive window of her office, her arms folded slowly across her chest.
“It means we can no longer expect her to properly germinate in the ‘soil’ of the Forest. However… if we change Anette’s environment, there may be hope.”
The moon was pallid.
“Some trees awaken only after being adopted, after all.”
[ Then… ]
“I intend to begin ‘socialization training’ for Anette’s adoption. ”
[ …! ]
“As soon as possible. Starting tomorrow itself.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————