I Give Up on the BL Novel's Male Leads - Chapter 37
As soon as the cauldron turned transparent, it revealed the black liquid inside.
“The group with the brightest and clearest potion will receive an A+.”
Without hesitation, Edwin placed Willai’s wand into the now-clear cauldron.
“Oh my goodness,” Illein exclaimed, as Marian also stared in astonishment at the cauldron.
The once black liquid quickly became transparent.
“No need for the ring, then!”
Willai said with a sigh of relief, only for Edwin to smirk and drop the Macintosh family’s heirloom ring into the cauldron as well.
“What?!”
With a plop, the ring sank into the cauldron.
Willai’s face turned pale. The family heirloom, priceless and irreplaceable, was gone just like that. His reaction was understandable.
The liquid, which seemed as clear as it could get, suddenly became even more radiant.
“Oh my!”
The professor gasped, visibly shocked by the shimmering, rainbow-hued clarity of the potion.
“This is the first time I’ve seen such a perfect potion of luck. The score is SSS! Group 1 is exempt from the midterm exam. All members will receive the top grade for the midterm, with no additional assignments.”
“Oh my!”
Illein was equally stunned. Achieving a triple S in the hardest subject meant even if she made mistakes in other subjects, she could still make it up.
“Now you just need to refine it and bottle it up.”
The professor handed a small vial.
Illein beamed at the professor, unable to believe she got an SSS. She took the round vial, her smile radiant like sunshine.
They closed the cauldron and began boiling the potion. Marian lit the fire, and the potion of luck was refined through a long tube.
The potion class concluded smoothly for everyone.
Except for one person.
At lunchtime, Edwin was nowhere to be seen, leaving Illein to eat lunch alone again.
Carrying her lunchbox, she headed to the rooftop and opened the door, finding it empty as expected.
She waved her wand, returning the small cloth she carried to its original size and spread it out on the ground. Then she sat in the shade.
The sky was a brilliant blue, with clouds drifting by like a flock of sheep.
Illein felt a peculiar sense of relief as she gazed at the azure sky.
-Click.
The soft sound of the door opening drew her attention from the sky.
“Melias?”
At the end of her gaze stood Melias, who knew she often had lunch here.
“I thought I’d join you for lunch today.”
He approached her with a large lunchbox.
“May I join you?”
“Ah, yes, of course.”
Illein felt a bit uncomfortable as she saw him exhale slightly, as if relieved by her permission.
She had hoped for some time alone.
Not that she disliked him, but the news of her mother’s pregnancy and the changes in her responsibilities made her uneasy around him.
None of this was his fault.
The Wignum Marquisate needed a water attribute user, and if she was to marry him, she wouldn’t have to worry about the Thierry family anymore.
He would clear her family’s debt. As described briefly in the original story, he was someone who had no interest in either women or men.
He simply became a Marquis and lived as a border lord, nothing more.
In the original story, he didn’t marry anyone.
“Would you like some green apple with peanut butter?”
“Yes, it’s quite good.”
Illein chuckled when she noticed he shared her taste.
“Most people don’t appreciate this combination.”
Her laughter made him momentarily stare at her in a daze.
Then, he sat beside her, eating slowly in sync with her pace as she moved her fork to her lunchbox.
“The weather is really nice today.”
His uncharacteristically talkative comment eased her mind a bit.
After all, if he wasn’t prominently mentioned in the original story, either he wasn’t important enough to be included, or the story had changed.
Deep down, Illein hoped it was the latter case. That way, she could survive without dying.
“I’ll maintain the engagement until you graduate from the academy.”
When he suddenly got to the point, Illein froze with a piece of green apple on her fork.
“I won’t oppose your wish to work at the palace either.”
She shoved the apple into her mouth, trying to avoid the conversation. The crunch was crisp, but it didn’t bring the same refreshing feeling as before.
“So, I just need to fill the dam with water once a month?”
“Yes.”
“And after we marry, I’ll just fulfill the duties of a noble?”
She asked, thinking she needed to prepare for the worst.