For Sale: Male Lead, Obsession Included - Chapter 96
Feyden shot a sharp look at Ariel.
Was it possible that this soft-hearted priest had secretly freed the captured mages during the night?
Ariel furiously shook his head, his expression one of pure injustice. After all the risks he had taken to assist in the mage’s abduction, he had no intention of ruining the plan now.
The two exchanged uneasy glances, realizing that something was off.
Did that priest suspect something?
Just as Feyden, who had assessed the situation first, was about to step forward toward Estira—
“Ah, the mage is arriving as well.”
Taolti pointed toward someone approaching from a distance.
Feyden and Ariel’s gazes snapped toward the direction he indicated.
And then, they once again found themselves locking eyes.
“Greetings. My name is Plum.”
The mage who approached them at a leisurely pace was completely different from the one they had taken care of the night before.
A different gender, a different face, a different physique.
…Someone else had interfered in this matter besides them.
That was the conclusion Feyden and Ariel both arrived at.
***
– We just arrived in Dongguk.
“You got there sooner than expected?”
– Yeah. But the mage you mentioned wasn’t there. So things wrapped up quickly.
“What do you mean, the mage wasn’t there?”
Clovin adjusted his slipping glasses and peered into the communication orb.
The woman with short, deep pink hair widened her round eyes, her face clearly conveying that she had no idea why he was asking her that.
“I received some intel about how the temple had hired a mage. Why wasn’t that mage there?”
– How should I know? When I went to the lodging where the mage was supposed to be staying, it was completely empty. Are you sure you got the right information?
“I definitely passed on the correct—”
Clovin trailed off, deep in thought.
The mage who should have been there had disappeared?
Was it a mistake on their informant’s part… or was this a betrayal?
After mulling it over, Clovin stood up from his seat.
“In any case, that means they arrived safely in Dongguk. The girl, the two men, and the priest?”
– Yeah. I’ll check in at this time every day.
The communication orb went dark, leaving Clovin’s stiff expression reflected on its surface.
What a damn hassle.
How much longer was he supposed to clean up after Estira?
He instinctively reached for a cigar but paused, remembering he was supposed to meet Declan later. With a sigh, he returned the cigar to its case.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just get him engaged to someone?”
Clovin’s eyes scanned the neatly arranged documents on his desk—profiles of young noblewomen.
He picked up the topmost sheet and lifted it to eye level.
“Floria Marcel…”
His gaze didn’t linger on her age, status, or talents.
The only thing he cared about was her portrait.
How much did she resemble Estira?
How similar were her colors to Estira’s?
That was his sole concern.
He didn’t even expect Declan to fall for another woman. He just wanted him to be distracted, even if only for a moment.
Babysitting a teenage boy in the throes of first love was becoming utterly exhausting.
“Send word to the Marcel estate. Our little young lord needs a playmate. And tell them to have her wear a plain white dress when she arrives.”
***
The moment Estira stepped onto the portal, she lost consciousness.
Startled, Feyden looked as if he were about to cut down both the mage and the priest on the spot.
Ariel trembled as he held Estira’s limp body, while Feyden unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the mage’s throat.
He was convinced—this had to be the work of someone targeting Estira and themselves.
Feyden’s wariness spiked to its peak.
But as soon as the portal finished activating and they arrived safely in Dongguk, both Plum and Taolti, who had been accused, turned their attention to tending to Estira with innocent expressions of concern.
Just as they were about to clear themselves of suspicion, a new problem arose—
Estira, who was supposedly just unconscious, did not wake up even after two full days.
Feyden’s hostility and tension reached their limits.
Neither he nor Ariel slept—they took turns standing watch, guarding Estira’s bedside at all hours.
By the third day, Ariel, whose stamina was weaker, collapsed from exhaustion.
Feyden, forced to briefly leave to fetch medicine on the homeowner’s errand, vacated the room.
And in that short window—
Estira finally opened her eyes.
It had been four days since she had collapsed.
