I Give Up on the BL Novel's Male Leads - Chapter 130
“That’s something you wouldn’t know. I might be quick on my feet!”
Illein found it amusing to see Edwin’s expression change, showing his frustration at her words.
“I know you’re slow in that regard.”
“That’s true.”
Perhaps it was because he found her playful banter irritating.
“Hey!”
He playfully tugged at her cheek.
“It feels similar to water magic.”
Edwin, caught up in the moment, offered a clumsy excuse for his impulsive action.
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, it is. Your cheeks are as soft as water.”
He released her cheek, and it quickly returned to its original color, now a rosy red.
Illein rubbed her flushed cheeks and resumed the water magic lesson they had momentarily paused.
“Now, try summoning the water.”
With a sigh, he waved his wand, but not a single drop appeared. Illein was taken aback by the complete lack of reaction.
“Goodness!”
She hadn’t anticipated that he would be so inept at water magic.
While he might not be skilled, she thought he would at least manage a little; this was concerning.
At least when it came to water magic, Edwin was the clumsiest of the bunch.
Illein considered that there might be a correlation between Edwin’s inability to wield water magic and his struggle to control his powers.
Frowning slightly, she pondered solutions, which made Edwin feel a bit awkward as he spoke up in a subdued tone.
“On days when I can really focus, I can manage to create a little.”
His defense sounded weak.
“Let’s practice together every day!”
Illein couldn’t help but chuckle at Edwin’s demeanor. His slightly defeated expression struck her as cute.
Seeing him like this, she thought he likely wouldn’t be able to summon water today, so she refrained from discussing water magic further. Instead, she naturally reached out to hold his hand.
“What are you doing?”
Edwin’s eyes widened in surprise at her sudden action.
“There are about ten minutes left.”
Illein smiled at his flustered reaction, finding it adorable.
“Oh!”
Edwin was slightly startled by Illein’s natural behavior, but he quickly regained his composure as he remembered the original purpose of their time together.
He also squeezed her hand firmly in return.
“We’ll test the defensive magic after ten minutes.”
He recalled the reason for his visit; the original purpose was to teach her defensive magic.
“Sounds good.”
“And about what you asked earlier… if I’m considerate to all women.”
“Yes?”
“That might be true. I had to be, really. I’m not great with women.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I haven’t been close to any women since I was young. So I don’t really know how to interact with them. I have no close female friends, after all. Because of that, I tend to be extra cautious.”
That was the truth.
Edwin’s mother had passed away when he was young, and he grew up surrounded by servants.
His nanny had also died. The nanny who had originally cared for him was executed for a false charge of imperial disrespect, and since then, no one had dared to approach Edwin closely.
As he matured, the women who approached him all had ulterior motives.
So when he accidentally lost control of his magic and caused a serious incident, they all distanced themselves from him.
For these reasons, Edwin still found women difficult. The unfamiliarity made him act more carefully.
He didn’t want to inadvertently create misunderstandings. However, his interactions with Illenas were not a result of self-defense mechanisms.
“Of course, you’re the exception. I haven’t acted that way towards you.”
Edwin’s sudden shift to talk about her felt awkward.
He wasn’t normally the type to ramble on like this, but for some reason, he wanted to share. Illein’s earlier question had lingered in his mind.
So, after finally answering, he felt a sense of relief. That was before Illein opened her mouth to speak.
“Then I must be your first girlfriend.”
“What?”
“Oh, I mean a female friend. That sounded a bit strange.”
Edwin’s eyes widened at her unexpected statement.
“Choose your words more carefully.”
“True. But I didn’t expect you to react like that.”
“It’s not something I can dismiss.”
“Anyway, I’m your first friend. Your first female friend.”
He hesitated, considering whether to deny her claim, but he couldn’t bring himself to say no while looking into her bright blue eyes.
“Yeah… I guess that’s true.”
A brief silence fell between them. Time, which had momentarily stopped, began to flow again.
