I Give Up on the BL Novel's Male Leads - Chapter 113
Furthermore, the monsters couldn’t enter the capital due to the sacred barriers. The moment they attempted to enter, they would be purified and burn away.
This meant that Illein’s words were generally seen as the truth.
Of course, Rodein’s statements couldn’t be completely ignored. Still, the atmosphere had shifted back in favor of Illein’s claims.
It seemed that Illein’s reputation had influenced the students’ perceptions. Because of this, the police officers also found it difficult to act decisively.
“No, what were you doing at 3 AM? What could the two of you possibly be up to at such a late hour?”
Rodein, now feeling the effects of the serum wearing off, asked irritably.
“And are you sure it was really Edwin?”
“Yes, it was Edwin. He came to see me. I suppose he was worried…because of some past events and how I had felt unwell at the recent dance party.”
“Oh, if that’s the case…”
Damon, who had been on Illein’s side from the start, subtly agreed with her. After all, it wasn’t entirely unbelievable that Edwin would be concerned for Illein.
In truth, according to the family’s stance supporting the second prince, Damon shouldn’t have stepped in. Yet, Damon felt an urge to back Edwin, as he seemed more humane and considerate than he had expected.
At least, compared to Rodein, who subtly dismissed the students, he thought it was a better stance to take. As a result, the atmosphere became more favorable toward Edwin.
Rodein couldn’t back down from this. He pressed Illein even harder.
“Aren’t you just being naively deceived?”
“No. I can feel Edwin’s magical presence as well.”
As she began to speak, a wave of embarrassment washed over her. It wasn’t an issue to express what she felt, but the fact that Edwin was listening made it difficult.
The thought of revealing her honest feelings to him held her back. Yet, she gathered her resolve and opened her mouth again.
“I feel a pleasant warmth from him. And sometimes, he seems to share his energy with me. I really enjoyed that… and I often envied his magical power.”
“You must be misjudging him. There’s no way my brother’s magic feels that way.”
Rodein was incredulous. No matter how much he disliked Edwin, he hadn’t lied about the feeling of Edwin’s magic.
“That’s just your opinion, Second Prince. I see it differently. I have the water attribute, so my body is cold, and my magic is cold too… Maybe that’s why I’m drawn to warmth.”
Illein said this while looking directly at Rodein.
At that moment, he felt a strange resemblance between Illein and Illenas. Perhaps that’s why he found himself surprised, as he should have reacted harshly to her response.
“Well, if that’s your preference, I suppose that makes sense. But what I meant was, is it really Edwin? You could be mistaken, right?”
Rodein’s response came off awkwardly, almost as if it was worse than saying nothing at all.
“I’m not mistaken. How could I confuse Edwin? Maybe it’s you who’s confused?”
“Uh… well.”
Strangely, Illein’s boldness kept striking a chord in Rodein’s heart.
Today, her confidence in confronting him stuck with him more than usual. Since he had only experienced such treatment from his mother, it felt strangely familiar.
So, he found himself unable to respond further and simply fell silent.
“Anyway, I met Edwin and talked to him. Then, when he tried to leave again, I told him not to go.”
As the atmosphere shifted, a police officer who had been quietly standing back due to Rodein finally spoke up.
“Why’s that?”
“Well, it was 3 AM, and he kept insisting on going somewhere. So, I asked him to teach me some magic while he was here.”
Everyone was taken aback by Illein’s answer.
It was largely due to Edwin’s well-known public image.
Even if only half of the rumors were true, Edwin was not the type to take anyone’s words at face value.
Moreover, the aura he projected was more akin to that of a fierce beast than a gentle rabbit.
The idea that he had actually listened to Illein’s words was almost unimaginable.
Perhaps that’s why the police officer’s voice trembled slightly while asking questions.
“Did he… willingly teach you?”
“Yes. You just saw me using lightning magic, didn’t you? I didn’t succeed on my first try, so Edwin helped me. I want to stop confessing now!”
“Oh, yes!”
The police officers exchanged quick glances before handing Illein a vial of antidote.
As soon as she received it, she opened the cap and drank it down.
“Second Prince, I think today…”
“Tsk.”
“It seems we need to secure a proper warrant.”
Of course, at this rate, the chances of obtaining a warrant seemed slim.
“Annoying.”
Rodein said this as he turned to leave. The police officers followed behind, properly greeting the first-year students before departing with him.
It seemed like the stormy events were finally coming to a close.
