The Teddy Bear Sends the Insomniac Villain to Dreamland - Chapter 90
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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 90
The Mages’ gazes toward me grew laden with meaning.
It was as if they were thinking, ‘You know the Crown Prince?’
I immediately denied it.
“We’re not friends.”
“We are friends.”
“I’ve never had a friend like this.”
“You will have one. Vivian.”
He wouldn’t yield an inch.
Now that Edwin was even calling me by name, I glared at him with all the intensity I could muster.
Yet Edwin simply smiled beautifully, utterly unbothered.
I whipped my head around and tugged sharply at the hem of Ren’s cloak.
“Let’s go, Ren.”
“Where to?”
“Home.”
“Ah.”
Ren’s eyes, understanding that I meant returning to the Leblanc Mansion, flickered toward Edwin.
He seemed to hesitate for a moment, uncertain whether it was proper to leave and ignore the Crown Prince who had come to see him.
But true to his unrestrained nature as the Magic Tower’s resident lunatic, Ren nodded without hesitation.
“Right, let’s go.”
Pleased with his response, I immediately clung to Ren’s leg.
“Wait.”
As expected, Edwin quickly blocked our path.
With a smile so gentle that any observer would feel their tension ease, Edwin crouched down and grasped my hand firmly.
My soft hand was caught in his large, delicate one.
Startled, I tried to recoil in disgust, but he whispered softly to me.
“Vivian. Yet today, you haven’t returned to your original form in front of me.”
My eyes flew open at his meaningful whisper.
Oh… now that he mentioned it, that was true.
Why?
I quickly examined Edwin’s hand.
This time, there was no ring.
Witnessing my gaze shift toward his hand, Edwin’s lips curved into a knowing smile.
“Is it because of the ring, Vivian?”
Damn. His perception really was sharp—incredibly sharp.
His mind worked with remarkable precision. Edwin tilted his head, his cotton-candy-pink hair seeming to quiver softly, and smiled with his eyes.
“It seems I’ve guessed correctly. Vivian.”
He called my name again. I opened my eyes wide with fresh indignation and spoke.
“You’re deliberately calling my name over and over now that you know it.”
“Have I been caught?”
Edwin wore a disarming smile, and he looked genuinely delighted.
Why had he been smiling like this the whole time?
The Mages, who had been holding their breath to avoid disturbing the Crown Prince, were now rolling their eyes back and forth.
“Just give me a moment of your time. I came all the way to the Magic Tower because I wanted to see Vivian.”
“But you said you came because you had something to tell Ren.”
“I would say it’s a matter of killing two birds with one stone.”
“Why are you so good with words?”
Edwin dropped one knee to the ground and gently tugged at my arm.
“Surely there’s something we should discuss—about the ring, at least?”
Seeing how somewhat desperate he appeared, I agreed for now.
To be honest, Edwin didn’t seem like the type to harm me or put me in an awkward position.
Since we’d already met, there was no harm in hearing what he had to say about the ring directly.
Alfredo caught the Mages’ attention with a subtle flick of his finger.
At the signal to withdraw, the Mages lined up in a row.
“Huh?”
Then they promptly bowed by pressing their foreheads to the ground.
“Vivian! We’ll see you next time!”
“Please let us know when you’re coming!”
What kind of greeting was this?
It felt exactly like receiving a farewell from organization members.
“They’re about to start calling you ‘boss’….”
As I muttered to myself, Clinky seized the moment and shouted with all his might.
“Booooooss!”
This is insane.
Edwin, standing beside me with my mouth agape in bewilderment, let out a soft laugh.
“Boss, we’ll visit you again!”
“Go, go, go!”
Only after waving my hand to shoo them all out did the 85th Floor finally fall silent.
At last, only Ren, Edwin, and I remained.
“Phew, seriously. What a commotion.”
It had been such a chaotic time that my small ears were ringing.
After trudging over and flopping onto the sofa, Ren and Edwin sat across from me.
“Would you care for some tea?”
Ren, still insisting this was his floor, offered to prepare some tea.
“Sure.”
“I have a tea I developed with the flavor of unwashed mustache and aged fish bone.”
“Why would you develop something like that?”
I asked, utterly dumbfounded.
Ren then murmured as though he felt slighted.
“Creating mysterious flavors is one of the stages in potion development, after all.”
“Is there no normal flavor?”
“There’s a distinct taste of soil.”
“I’ll pass then.”
Edwin politely declined.
Ren’s lips pouted.
Was that really something to be upset about? When he asked if I would drink it instead, I also refused. He was being ridiculous.
Ren clamped his mouth shut and turned his head away sharply. His entire body screamed that he was sulking. Edwin turned to me and asked.
“Were you truly kidnapped by this Mage?”
“Yes.”
“Does willingly following along count as kidnapping?”
Ren grumbled, now feeling wronged after kidnapping me in the first place.
“Anyway, I had business at the Magic Tower, so I came. I was about to leave when the Crown Prince conveniently showed up.”
“You may call me Edwin.”
“Sure.”
He said to call him by his name freely, so I didn’t refuse. But Edwin didn’t stop there.
“Would you call me by my name?”
“Edwin?”
“….”
He asked me to call him by his name, yet said nothing. Then, quietly, the corners of his mouth lifted. With a languid smile, he leaned back against the sofa with satisfaction.
“Before coming here, I heard stories. About a bear doll that you speak of, a dragon’s friend, and such things. So I became increasingly curious about your true identity.”
“Mystic, that bastard told you.”
Ren immediately figured out who had spoken, grinding his teeth.
“I had so many questions I wanted to ask, but strangely, now that I see your face, I can’t think of anything.”
Perhaps it would be better not to ask anything at all, he said with a carefree tone.
Hmm….
I stared at Edwin and asked.
“Do you like me?”
“Huh?”
That sound didn’t come from Edwin.
Ren looked at me, startled by the sudden question.
Then, quietly but audibly enough for everyone to hear, he muttered.
“No matter how great a being you are, isn’t a bear doll being a bit too confident?”
If the Crown Prince liked someone who isn’t even human—a bear doll—that would be a perversion.
I heard that. I heard it all.
When I glared sharply at Ren, he quickly averted his eyes. Though he seemed embarrassed, he had no intention of taking back what he’d said.
He had an annoying stubborn streak.
I’m an incredibly beautiful witch, thank you very much!
It’s just that Edwin forgot his ring today, so I couldn’t transform back to my true form immediately!
Besides, today I’d expended a lot of mana with magic, so returning to my original form was somewhat difficult.
I needed to conserve my mana until Blake arrived.
“Do you know how beautiful you are?”
Feeling wronged, I lashed out at him, and Ren’s eyes widened as he shoved his face right up to mine.
“Tsk, that’s not it….”
“Won’t you back off? Do you want to get beaten again?”
“I’m going, I’m going!”
While the two of us bickered, Edwin remained silent.
“Edwin, why aren’t you saying anything?”
The moment he heard those words of affection, Edwin’s expression went blank.
He could have just said no.
I’d asked because it seemed like he’d been feeling some human warmth toward me lately.
Ren whispered from beside me.
“Doesn’t seem like it.”
“I was too hasty.”
“We need to salvage this.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Ugh. I stood up with an apologetic gesture and bounced off the sofa.
I extended my short, plump hand and tapped Edwin’s leg gently.
“I guess I misread the situation. I thought we’d grown closer after meeting a few times.”
Of course. It would be difficult for the Crown Prince, who despises Blake, to like me—his doll.
“I understand. It’s hard to like me when you’re always with Blake, right? Let’s just exchange information when we need it…”
“Vivian.”
“Hm?”
A soft, gentle voice called my name. It was a voice so smooth it sent goosebumps cascading across my entire body.
When I looked up, I saw Edwin’s furrowed brow.
His pale blue eyes wavered softly. Hesitating, he asked.
“Would it displease you if I said I liked you?”
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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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