For Sale: Male Lead, Obsession Included - Chapter 79
Was it because I didn’t smile even once?
Despite leaving the village without staying even a single night, not a single complaint came from our group. Even Feyden, usually so playful, silently stayed by my side until the duchy was no longer in sight.
I especially felt guilty toward Feyden, who loved looking at the weapons in Steel Village like a kid. It was likely the village he had most looked forward to visiting on our journey.
I turned my back to the wind and glanced at Ariel. I was curious about his thoughts, since he had never once voiced an objection to any of my decisions.
Seated atop his horse, which resembled him in temperament, Ariel’s eyes met mine as I turned around, as if he’d been watching me.
Ariel, with wide, startled eyes like a rabbit, held both the reins and the Kerina gossip paper in his hands.
Why has he been holding that for hours?
I looked at Ariel’s delicate hands gripping the magazine tightly as if it were precious, then turned away.
He must feel guilty, given how pale I’d gone after seeing that flyer he’d given me and the mess that had ensued. Ariel was a sensitive and kind person, after all.
I resolved that once we set up camp, I’d tell Ariel that none of it was his fault. Otherwise, he’d probably keep holding onto that gossip paper until he went to sleep.
While fleeing from Declan as if escaping on a sudden evacuation, I realized too late that we were out of provisions.
After unpacking at our campsite, I looked blankly into the empty provisions bag, then tossed it to the ground in frustration.
Nothing seems to be going right.
Realizing I hadn’t had a proper meal all day, a wave of irritation surged with the sudden pangs of hunger.
At that moment, Feyden came over, dropping the firewood he’d gathered with a loud clatter.
Sitting against a tree trunk, I watched as a cloud of fine dust rose. Feyden strode over and cast a shadow over me.
I looked up at him, his side face illuminated by the crimson sunset.
“Potato.”
“…Yes.”
His voice still carried no trace of playfulness, making it easy for me to guess what he wanted to say.
“Just out of curiosity—who was that guy back there?”
“…I told you, he’s a friend…”
“Enough with the ‘friend’ nonsense.”
Feyden’s sharp gaze told me he was determined to get answers today.
“We’ve been traveling together for a month now. Isn’t it time you tell us? Why are you traveling like someone on the run? And what’s your relationship with that guy we saw earlier? As your travel companions, we have the right to know at least that much.”
“……”
“Don’t you agree, Priest?”
Ariel, who had been awkwardly unrolling his sleeping bag, froze at Feyden’s words. Even if he tried to hide it, Ariel must have been listening and seemed to agree, as he made no attempt to contradict Feyden.
Watching the two of them, I let out a low chuckle.
How brazen.
Slowly, I met Feyden’s brown eyes and stared at him intently.
A travel companion? The one selling my information to the guild?
“Are you still not trusting me? Is that it?”
Feyden bent down, bringing his face closer to mine. His light brown eyes held a faint disappointment, as if blaming me. His pained expression, urging me to respond, made me hesitate as I parted my lips.
“Hm?”
“Feyden, I…”
What could I say to satisfy Feyden and Ariel? What could I say to stop them from asking more about Declan?
As the two sets of eyes focused on me, a commotion came from the back of the campsite.
I closed my mouth and turned around, and Feyden had already positioned himself protectively in front of me, ready for anything.
“They look like merchants.”
Peeking out from behind Feyden, I watched a group of seven people approaching in a hurry. They all carried large bags, appearing to be ordinary peddlers, yet their faces were filled with terror, raising questions.
What’s going on?
The bald peddler at the front spotted us and rushed over, clearly shaken.
“Are you really planning to camp here?”
“Yes, but… is there a problem?”
“Oh, heavens, absolutely not! Haven’t you heard the news?”
“What news…?”
“Dark mages! A dark mage has appeared, kidnapping priests!”
“Oh, there’s a priest here! You must flee immediately!”
As the rest of the group arrived, each of them cast worried glances at Ariel.
“We barely escaped ourselves. The priest we were traveling with… we couldn’t bring him along…”
Piecing together their frantic words, it seemed that they’d been attacked by dark mages, resulting in injuries to the priest and the mercenaries guarding them. Only a few had managed to escape.
When we asked if it could have been mere bandits, they all shook their heads vigorously. They said the attackers showed no interest in the valuable goods they were carrying.
“Anyway, you mustn’t go down this road.”
“But isn’t this the only route to the Holy Kingdom?”
“The Holy Kingdom is even worse! It’s absolute chaos over there!”
“If you’re going, be prepared to risk your lives. Especially that priest.”
Feyden and I turned to look at Ariel. His tightly clenched fists were trembling. He looked utterly terrified.
