For Sale: Male Lead, Obsession Included - Chapter 78
Captivated? Who would be?
‘What if Declan gets the wrong idea because of that nonsense…!’
I looked at Feyden, flustered by his ridiculous words, with a resentful glare. I expected him to give a playful wink, his nose wrinkling in amusement, but surprisingly, he was looking at me with a serious expression, as if genuinely seeking confirmation.
Startled by his sincerity, I blinked, and then Declan, who had let his arm drop weakly, asked me a question.
His hand was still on Feyden’s sword, the blade resting against his neck.
“Is that… true?”
What do you mean, is it true? Of course, it’s nonsense!
“……”
I sighed deeply, glancing between the two serious-faced men.
What kind of situation was this?
It was all because of Feyden’s unnecessary remarks.
As I stayed silent, sighing repeatedly, Feyden pointed discreetly at Declan, signaling for me to play along.
‘He’s playing the whole tune by himself and now expects me to go along with it.’
Rolling my eyes, I came up with a response, hoping it would be the right one.
“Well, yes. A man who’s gentle is more appealing than someone who’s possessive and controlling. Even as just friends…”
At that, Declan released the blade. Or rather, his hand fell away as if he’d lost all strength.
Declan stood there, looking devastated, staring at me with an expression as if he’d lost everything. Even the blood dripping from his hand had stopped.
Declan looked utterly crushed, while Feyden, with a smug expression, puffed out his chest.
I was so taken aback that I almost laughed.
Declan, who looked ready to cry, actually believed this silly performance, while Feyden wore his pride like a badge of honor.
‘…This is giving me a headache.’
Just as I pressed my temples and turned away from Declan, a few figures emerged in the distance, quickly approaching to stand beside Clovin.
Though they looked like ordinary merchants, the fact that they took orders from Clovin suggested they were from the Duke’s household.
Declan took a step toward me as I started to walk away.
Suddenly, he lost focus in his eyes, his body went limp, and he collapsed toward the ground. Before he hit the ground, one of the men swiftly caught him.
It seemed suspiciously like an abduction. When I looked at Clovin, he bowed in an exaggerated manner, like a gentleman.
A man as unhinged as him—I could never understand his true motives. He was someone I definitely didn’t want to get close to.
***
“Shall we erase their memories?”
“No. Too many people are watching.”
Clovin swept his gaze over Estira, her guard, the priest, and the few onlookers nearby.
If there had been only those three to worry about, he would’ve erased their memories without hesitation.
Clovin clicked his tongue in disappointment and shook his head at the mage.
“Erase the memories of the onlookers. Just keep an eye on the guard and the priest to ensure they don’t spread any strange rumors.”
“Yes.”
“If it comes to it, we can erase everything anyway.”
Blaming himself for letting Declan roam free only because he had a mage capable of manipulating memories on standby, Clovin began to walk away.
Maybe he’d enjoyed it too much.
He had leaked information to the gossip column, stalled for time outside the inn, and yet Estira hadn’t tried to escape. And the best plan she’d come up with was to ‘become friends’.
Recalling the earlier scene, Clovin couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.
The memory of that awkward play, seemingly coordinated between her and her guard, came to mind.
“A man who’s gentle, huh?”
Imagining how he might comfort a heartbroken adolescent dealing with his first rejection, Clovin walked off with a spring in his step.
And, of course, Clovin assumed that from then on, Declan would give up on Estira. They were friends now, not in some forbidden master-slave relationship, so he figured Declan would be satisfied with just exchanging letters.
What he didn’t foresee was that Declan would become even more obsessed with Estira in strange and unexpected ways.
***
That night.
The first thing Declan did upon waking up in the duke’s mansion was…
Surprisingly, it wasn’t to ask about Estira’s whereabouts.
Instead, he ordered a high-quality meal and inquired about the location of the mansion’s library. When Clovin showed him the way, Declan approached the librarian and said,
“Bring me every book that contains the word ‘friend’.”
The elderly librarian, taken aback, replied hesitantly,
“That’s a very large number… What type of story are you looking for?”
“A story about a man and woman, who were once master and slave, becoming friends.”
“…Pardon?”
The librarian’s monocle slid down his face in shock.
