The Obsessive Male Leads Want to Eat Me Alive - Chapter 43

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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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Chapter 43
‘Wait, are you laughing?!’
No, no, I just cursed you out directly—why are you laughing? That’s even more terrifying!
My eyes widened as I tried to decipher his incomprehensible laughter, when suddenly his voice dropped to a chilling whisper.
[ You’re right. ]
My spine went rigid in an instant.
[ I would undoubtedly become the worst father who abuses his child. ]
“…!!!”
W-wait? It feels like the fastball I just threw came flying back at me?
Did he adopt me with the intention of abusing me from the start?
‘What kind of insane villain is this?!’
Yet his voice remained so gentle that it only made my skin crawl.
‘What exactly does he plan to do with me by adopting me?’
That was when his true intentions began to dawn on me.
[ But Anette… you are pitifully young and pathetically fragile, aren’t you? ]
“….”
[ If I forcibly adopt you and take away your cigarette case… what could you possibly do? ]
“…!!!”
‘Look at this bastard just laying it all out.’
So now that his true nature is exposed, he doesn’t need to pretend anymore?
But hearing the laughter in his voice that followed, I understood.
[ What could a mere insect like you possibly do? ]
He had been looking down on me from the start.
Treating me as a powerless bug incapable of doing anything against him.
My fists clenched without my realizing it.
‘This man is truly beyond redemption.’
Then perhaps it’s my turn now?
“In that case, Prince Gerard.”
I stared at the parchment as if he were standing right before me, and boldly curved my lips into a smile.
“Wouldn’t I simply ‘accidentally’ lose the case?”
[ …What? ]
“As Your Highness said, I’m only a careless twelve-year-old girl, so mistakes happen often.”
I clasped my hands together and deliberately adopted an innocent expression like a remorseful hamster.
“So perhaps I might carelessly misplace it somewhere that no one—absolutely no one—could ever find it again? Your Highness’s most precious possession!”
[ …How dare you!!! ]
I finished speaking and broke into a bright smile.
‘Look how quickly his voice became sharp.’
Seeing the composure he’d maintained with that gentle facade shatter completely, my heart felt utterly refreshed.
‘Threats aren’t something only you know how to make, are they?’
After all, I hold something very—very precious to you in my hands, don’t I?
When you ignore the other party in such situations, you risk becoming X, Your Highness.
You have much to learn about life.
[ …. ]
A future Crown Prince who doesn’t understand the basics of negotiation that even a twelve-year-old knows? Tsk, tsk.
Prince Gerard remained silent for a long moment.
But soon, his breathing steadied as he replied.
[ …Very well. I’ll consider your proposal and contact you when dawn breaks. ]
Still, he was truly a cold-blooded man.
He didn’t linger in his anger, didn’t let himself be swayed, and chose the best course of action in this moment.
Regardless, my negotiation proposal had been accepted—this conversation was unmistakably my victory.
I bowed respectfully, a victor’s composure playing at the corners of my lips.
“Thank you, Your Highness. I’ll await your positive response with hope!”
A rather clean conclusion.
* * *
The next day, in the Dining Room.
The children were waging war over a meal heavy with fresh vegetables.
Of course, even in war, there are those who find happiness.
“Wow~ My favorite salad!”
Shasha’s face lit up as she popped a single leaf no bigger than a pebble into her mouth, then stuffed an entire handful of jelly inside and chewed contentedly.
I watched the scene with glazed eyes.
“Salad really is delicious!”
Shasha, at that ratio, wouldn’t a streetlamp taste delicious too…?
“Me too, salad tasty.”
Julian munched on small leaves one by one, his plump cheeks quivering with each bite.
Shasha, who had already devoured three pieces of salad greens and an entire packet of jelly, asked Julian a question.
“Um, but Julian, what’s that bag?”
“Um! This one!”
Julian bounced excitedly, showing off the bag slung across his body—a squirrel backpack cradling an enormous acorn.
“Squirrel bag good! Anette gave it.”
Julian looked at me with those enormous sky-blue eyes. They sparkled so innocently that my heart felt at ease.
“Thank you, Anette!”
“Not at all, Julian!”
I smiled brightly and matched his polite speech with my own, when a yawn escaped me. “Haaah.”
‘Ah, I didn’t sleep last night, so I’m terribly drowsy.’
It was clear that a child’s body was far more vulnerable to sleepiness than an adult’s.
Even though my favorite cream bread had been served today, I kept nodding off while eating it.
I rested my chin in my hand, eating the bread half-heartedly, and pondered.
Actually, yesterday―
Before the raven withdrew, at that precarious moment, I had asked him a question.
“But one last thing—I’d like to ask you a question too, Your Highness. …Why did you decide to adopt me specifically?”
‘Why me, of all people?’
I was known to be unawakened, and aside from my diligent attitude, there was nothing particularly remarkable about me.
The Forest had many children with higher grades than mine.
And that wasn’t even the half of it.
If Prince Gerard had announced he was adopting someone, the nobility would surely thrust their own legitimate children at him without hesitation.
Their own child becoming a member of the Imperial Family, no less!
“…There must be far more suitable children in the Empire than me.”
Prince Gerard answered curtly.
[ It has to be you. I have no interest in other children. ]
Normally, that’s the male lead’s line, isn’t it?
But why are you saying it…?
If my ideal father had said something like that, I would have been thrilled. But coming from this terrible father-to-be with no respect for his elders, it sent chills down my spine.
‘No matter how much I think about it, I can’t figure out his reason.’
By now, the Prince must be agonizing over it too.
Whether to accept the proposal I made or reject it.
There would be no other options for him.
‘Since I’m such a precious thing, he won’t dare cause a commotion in the Forest.’
That would make things noisy.
Something precious could become a weakness.
Whether it was a person or an object.
Especially for someone of Prince Gerard’s position in the Imperial Family, revealing a weakness would be fatal.
He’d want to hide it as much as possible.
‘So he definitely won’t be able to take rash actions like suddenly storming into the Forest.’
In fact, when I sent that card to Prince Gerard, I had already calculated this part.
In the end, he’d have no choice but to consider my proposal….
‘What choice will he make?’
Curious and genuinely intrigued, I let a slightly wicked smile play at the corners of my mouth.
“Sister, why aren’t you eating?”
“Hm?”
At the sound of his voice, I lifted my head, and there was Heinrich with his eyes narrowed.
“It’s your favorite cream bun. Why aren’t you eating like you usually do? Is something troubling you?”
Caught off guard, I shook my head.
“No, no? Nothing’s troubling me. I’m eating just fine.”
Then, as soon as I finished speaking, I devoured the cream bun with gusto.
‘I absolutely cannot let the children find out I’m agonizing over the adoption. No way, absolutely not.’
“….”
Heinrich was watching me with his violet eyes narrowed.
Sisrain alternated his gaze between Heinrich and me.
Sensing danger before these sharp-eyed little ones, I picked up my tray and laughed as naturally as I could.
“Oh my~ I left my supplies behind, so I need to stop by the Dormitory for a moment. Eat well, you two.”
“See you, Anette.”
“Don’t be late coming back, okay~”
“Yep, yep.”
I waved cheerfully at Julian and Shasha before quickly excusing myself.
* * *
‘Phew, now I understand what they mean by not being able to drink water carelessly in front of children.’
They’re all surprisingly perceptive, after all.
Especially when it comes to me.
‘I really hope this gets resolved as quickly as possible.’
Why haven’t I heard anything yet?
I was lost in thought about whether it was too impatient to pester for an answer right after breakfast when I stepped into the Dormitory.
“…!!!”
‘Who is this? An intruder?!’
My bed and locker were in complete disarray.
As if a thief had broken in.
“…Caw!”
Just then, a clever-looking raven, which had been holding my key and attempting to open the treasure chest (drawer), dropped it in surprise.
Oh, I know this raven!
“You… Prince Gerard sent you, didn’t you?!”
This Mansion had a powerful barrier that prevented intruders from entering, but there was one exception.
It was the messenger birds (sometimes not birds, but other animals) that the nobility kept.
The nobles of Eldorado wanted to exchange letters whenever they wished and verify the knowledge and character of the Tree members they would bring.
So while everyone could enter up to the Garden of the Forest, only the small creatures carrying letters could move freely inside the Mansion.
That was what he was exploiting.
‘To make a voiceless creature do something so despicable!’
But for a creature that couldn’t speak, the raven’s expression was… how should I put it, quite contemptible. As if it knew exactly what was happening.
“…Caw.”
The raven cautiously picked up the key again, watching my reaction.
‘Hmm?’
I’ve seen this scene somewhere before.
Right, that time I turned on the light to get water in the kitchen at night and made eye contact with a cockroach.
Except the cockroach was watching my reaction…!
‘This calls for punishment.’
I quietly picked up a pillow.
And then.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh! I charged forward, swinging the pillow wildly.
“Caw?!”
Smack! The bird took a direct hit from the pillow, dropped the key, and wore a momentarily stunned expression.
“Bad ravens deserve a spanking, yes they do!”
Smack!
“Caw!?!!”
Crash!
“Caaaaw!?”
The raven bolted frantically toward the window, flailing about in disorientation as it tumbled downward with a wheezing sound, then flapped its wings erratically and fled.
‘Phew, I’ve driven it away.’
My belongings—surely nothing’s missing?
I quickly unlocked the treasure chest drawer with my key.
There lay all my precious treasures.
The bubble wand, the teddy bear I’d made with Shasha, even the tin lid Julian had gifted me.
Fortunately, nothing was lost—everything remained safe and sound.
‘Isn’t he being rather dismissive of me, Prince Gerard?’
Though dismissive wasn’t quite the right word—
‘He simply had no other choice.’
He must have been grasping at straws in desperation.
Sorry to say, but that straw of yours has rotted through.
The cigarette case wasn’t hidden in that treasure chest.
Absolutely not—I’d stashed it somewhere Prince Gerard could never imagine!
I headed straight for the Classroom.
In the distance, I spotted Julian padding along the Corridor with his characteristic soft footsteps.
“Julian!”
—Pad?
Julian turned to me and approached with a cheerful laugh.
“Anette~! Are you heading to class?”
“Yes! Wait a moment. Could you turn around for me?”
“Sure thing.”
I smoothly withdrew the cigarette case from the secret compartment inside the acorn that the squirrel backpack was holding.
‘Hehe, safe and sound as expected.’
This ‘moving padded vault’ proved remarkably effective for concealing valuables.
After all, an innocent child like Julian rarely drew suspicion, and even in the unlikely event someone rummaged through the squirrel backpack, the acorn looked purely decorative—nothing like a storage compartment.
‘Originally it was just decoration, but I’ve modified it with my own craftsmanship. Hehehehe.’
How satisfying.
I rubbed my nose smugly and grinned wickedly.
Suddenly, I grew curious.
‘How will Prince Gerard respond now?’
That afternoon.
Prince Gerard’s reply arrived from the Imperial Palace.
It seemed he’d finally realized that petty tactics would no longer work.
Gulp—
‘What could his answer be?’
To my proposal.
I took a deep breath and opened the card to examine its contents.
My eyes widened considerably.
“…This is.”

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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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