The Teddy Bear Sends the Insomniac Villain to Dreamland - Chapter 69
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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 69
Nix sat in the middle of the swaying boat, casting her fishing line for the tenth time already.
Though the absence of her two companions left a void, Nix felt content. Her benefactor, the Military Commander, had looked so happy.
“According to Ronald, there should be plenty of fish in these waters.”
As she reeled and cast repeatedly, the branches of a tree just beyond the lake’s edge rustled.
With her sharp senses, she quickly surveyed her surroundings and spotted—
‘Silver hair.’
At first, she thought Blake had returned, but looking more carefully, it wasn’t him.
It was a boy whose head came up only about two heads shorter.
‘Ah! Young Master Eren Leblanc!’
Nix’s feline eyes widened slightly.
He was the second young master of the Leblanc Family—a rare sight, even living in the Mansion as she did.
He stood near the trees, gazing up at the dense canopy above.
What was he doing?
As Nix observed him quietly, Eren sighed, sat down on the grass, and then turned his gaze toward the lake.
“…A boat?”
Eren murmured softly as he finally spotted the boat floating on the water.
Nix, from atop the boat, gave a small bow from a distance, then deliberately turned her head away.
It wasn’t that she disliked him or found him intimidating. She had simply never spoken with boys her own age, and Eren was a noble of different standing than herself.
Why would she bother speaking to someone like that?
The bobber on her fishing rod began to bob frantically.
“A fish!”
This time I’ll catch it. But was this one bigger than usual?
It was heavier than expected.
Nix swiftly yanked the rod upward. The forceful motion caused the boat to sway precariously from side to side.
“Wh-what?”
Her center of gravity tipped backward in an instant.
“Eek.”
With a muted cry, the boat capsized.
“What?!”
Eren, who had been sitting on the grass by the lakeside, witnessed the scene and jumped to his feet.
Beneath the overturned boat, there was a person.
“Wait. What just… no. A person. I need to call someone!”
Eren’s face went pale as he hopped anxiously in place. Yet the girl in the water showed no sign of surfacing.
With no one around, Eren hesitated between running to the Mansion or taking action himself, clenching and unclenching his fists.
Then, without further thought, he bolted toward the lake.
Splash!
The sound of something plunging into the water echoed.
Nix, who had freed herself from beneath the capsized boat, broke the surface with her face.
‘…A sound?’
What was that?
While searching for the fishing rod I’d lost when I fell into the water, I heard a sudden splash as I was making my way out.
Nix tilted her head in confusion, then caught sight of the overturned boat and clicked her tongue sharply.
“Someone got greedy.”
I was frustrated at losing to that fish again. Next time, I’d have to ask Vivian to use magic to catch those fish for me.
Nix began swimming leisurely toward the shore.
If only she hadn’t heard the spluttering sounds from the lake.
“Gah-gah, hey! Hey, are you alive, puh-uh, are you alive?”
Nix’s eyes, floating on the water’s surface, narrowed. In the middle of the clear lake, thrashing about with clumsy strokes, was…
“Prince Eren Leblanc?”
Surprisingly, it was Eren. The startled Nix glanced beneath the apple tree.
The space under the tree was empty, confirming that it was indeed Eren who had fallen into the lake.
But why had he jumped into the lake?
Nix’s mind froze at this incomprehensible action.
Meanwhile, Eren was desperately moving his hands and feet, trying to reach Nix.
“Don’t move, guh, you can’t!”
“I…”
“I, I’ll come, puh-uh, to you!”
Only then did Nix grasp the entire situation.
Eren thought I had fallen into the water. That’s why he was coming to rescue me.
And Eren, thrashing about down there and sinking deeper, couldn’t swim.
Having reached this conclusion, Nix placed the fishing rod she’d been holding onto the overturned boat.
Then she swam toward Eren with fierce determination.
Eren was sinking deeper into the water. His wet clothes were far too heavy.
Water kept entering his nose, and his limbs moved more slowly.
‘This won’t do.’
“Get a hold of yourself!”
The girl I thought had fallen into the water was suddenly right in front of me.
Had I already swum this far? Gritting my teeth to rescue this girl?
Eren mustered his last strength and reached forward.
Then his memory faded.
In his dim unconsciousness, Eren thought.
Even if I’m not a good swimmer, I have to save that girl.
Should I have called for help?
The instinct to act seized my body—if I didn’t save her now, the girl would drown.
And the result was disastrous.
‘What do I do.’
I wanted to become someone admirable like my brother, someone who saves precious lives.
But I was too reckless.
Splash.
My right cheek stung sharply.
Slap, slap!
Now both cheeks burned with pain.
I’d fallen into the water—why did my face hurt?
I cracked my eyes open slightly, and realized where I was….
“You can’t die! Open your eyes, quickly!”
A girl with short black hair stood before me, striking my cheeks repeatedly.
When that didn’t seem to work, she switched to pummeling my solar plexus with her fists.
“Cough up the water! Hurry!”
With each forceful blow, water erupted from my mouth.
“Cough, cough cough!”
After a violent fit of coughing that left me streaming with tears and mucus, I finally regained my senses.
I gingerly touched my stinging cheeks and pushed myself upright, examining Nix carefully.
She was drenched like a drowned rat, but she appeared uninjured.
My voice hoarse with emotion, I cried out joyfully.
“You’re alive!”
The girl said nothing, merely staring at me blankly for a moment.
She scrambled to her feet and swept her wet hair back over her shoulders.
Then she laughed loudly.
“I saved you!”
I thought I’d drown, but I swam all the way through and rescued this girl!
Pride swelled in my chest. At the same moment, the sharp pain in my cheeks came flooding back all at once.
But wait—I saved her, so why did she hit my cheeks?
How could she be so ungrateful?
I’d saved her, and now suddenly irritated, I glared at Nix with narrowed eyes.
“How dare you strike your benefactor’s cheeks?”
Nix’s dark eyes, which had been fixed on me in a daze, trembled faintly before focusing.
Her face crumpled.
“Pardon? My benefactor?”
I was equally bewildered.
At her absurd attitude—as if questioning whether I was truly her benefactor—I felt a surge of indignation.
“Yes! I jumped into the lake to save you! You should be thanking me for rescuing you, not hitting my cheeks!”
Nix opened her lips, her expression utterly perplexed.
“I was the one who saved you, sir.”
“…What?”
“I saved you as magnificently as a prince saving a princess.”
Nix pointed to herself with her slender finger.
“….”
My eyes rolled to the side in disbelief.
Nix gazed quietly at those beautiful violet eyes of mine, then brushed off her palms and stood up.
“In any case, I’m relieved you’re unharmed.”
“Wait. You’re saying you saved me? I didn’t save you?”
“That’s right.”
Nix nodded lightly.
“You were sinking in the Lake, so I pulled you out. You were trying to save me, weren’t you?”
Nix brought her hands together respectfully.
Then she bowed her head in gratitude.
“Though you weren’t able to save me, I’m grateful for your concern. Next time, it would be better if you didn’t jump into the Lake.”
It was a sincere expression of thanks, utterly devoid of sarcasm or mockery.
Eren stared at Nix with a dumbfounded expression.
With an unhurried motion, Nix ruffled her wet hair dry, then stepped back and leaped nimbly onto a tree branch.
Sprawled lazily across the broad branch beneath the brilliant sunlight, Nix resembled a languid cat.
She was a type of girl I had never encountered before.
Despite knowing I was the second son of this Mansion, she maintained an ease and composure that was utterly unshakeable.
‘What exactly is she?’
Completely forgetting the embarrassment of having been rescued, I found myself utterly captivated by Nix.
I asked.
“You—what’s your name!”
The mysterious girl who had dared to wander freely through the Leblanc Mansion grounds and had fallen into the Lake answered flatly.
“Nix.”
Nix.
I rolled my tongue slightly, testing the name. In that moment, Nix vanished without a trace.
My violet eyes lingered long on the spot where Nix had been, alone in the Apple Tree Garden.
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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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