I Give Up on the BL Novel's Male Leads - Chapter 44
He looked troubled as he tried to head downstairs. But the sight of a crowd heading towards the cafeteria blocked his path.
Faced with no other choice, he turned upwards instead.
Illein thought this turn of events worked in her favor and began to chase after him. His long legs quickly outpaced her as he climbed the stairs.
Though slower, Illein struggled to keep up. Despite not getting ample sleep the previous day, she was fine, but her chronic lack of stamina weighed her down.
“Gasp, gasp…Ed, win…!”
Climbing the stairs so quickly was exhausting, and she was gasping for air.
But Edwin relentlessly moved ahead, soon reached the rooftop and tried to lock the door.
Just in time, Illein swung her wand to prevent him from locking it.
“Edwin!”
As she pushed the door open and caught up to him, Edwin looked back at her like a cornered animal.
“Why are you doing this?”
Illein noticed he had been holding his nose the whole time and wondered what his deal was. She floated her lunchbox nearby and approached him.
“Edwin, can I have my ring back?”
“Don’t come any closer…!”
He recoiled like a wary cat, retreating until his back hit the fence. Inadvertently, his hand reached out.
“Uh?”
And touched her chest—specifically, the area she had tightly bound with bandages.
Both froze from the shock, and Edwin hastily withdrew his hand. Yet, he was no fool. The texture he felt when pressing and releasing was unmistakable…
“Illenas?”
“Ah…”
Illein couldn’t think of any excuses. She was overwhelmed by the situation and feeling her cheeks burning.
“Is it really Miss Illenas?”
She turned her head away, avoiding his gaze. She was surprised by how calmly he seemed to be taking it, although his voice quivered.
Edwin also timidly raised his head, his cheeks and ears burning red from embarrassment.
“Please, give back the ring.”
When she said that, he cautiously reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring to hand it to her.
Illein extended her hand, and he gently placed the ring on it.
“Did you come here for the ring? Pretending to be Illein?”
“Yes.”
“Take off your scarf.”
Illein felt she somewhat understood what he was thinking, so she unwrapped her scarf without hesitation. When she had worn the ring before, there had been an Adam’s apple there.
But now, in her original female form, her neck was slender and smooth, like a deer’s.
Edwin sighed as he looked at Illein’s neck, which was not the one he had seen on Illein before, but clearly that of a woman.
“Is it an important ring?”
“….Yes.”
“Then I’m sorry. To trouble you further after all the help you’ve already given me.”
“No, it’s okay.”
She hadn’t really lied. Since he was concocting excuses for her, she just let it flow.
“What about Illein?”
“My brother is sick.”
“Ah, I see.”
Illein wasn’t angry about the situation because it seemed more like an accident. Besides, Edwin appeared more embarrassed than upset.
“I’m sorry anyway. I shouldn’t have done that…ugh!”
He covered his face with his hand again and turned his head away. For a moment, he looked as if he was nauseous then stayed still.
“Why are you acting like this?”
“It seemed strange for you to be Illein.”
“What about it? The height was a bit off, but nothing else should have been noticeable, right?”
Illein thought she had disguised herself quite well, but his reaction slightly deflated her confidence.
“You have a certain scent about you. It seems to be getting stronger because of the magic control device being assimilated by you.”
“What kind of scent?”
“I don’t know. I feel like I shouldn’t keep smelling it.”
As he covered his face and stepped back, Illein decided not to approach him further.
She had found her ring, and there was no further reason to see him.
And with him seeming so frightened, there was no need to get any closer. Illein did not enjoy causing harm to anyone.
“I guess I’ll go down first.”
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
As she began to leave, Edwin called out to stop her.
“Have something to eat before you go. I’ll go down.”
“…Okay.”
She picked up her lunchbox again and stepped back as he was about to pass by her.
“But why aren’t you attending the academy? Your magic seems almost the same as Illein’s.”
“Well…”
Illein and Illenas are the same person, but she couldn’t say that.
‘What’s the use of a girl learning! Attending the academy as a girl is a waste! You’re not going to inherit the family estate!’
“I’m a girl. Our family situation isn’t so great.”
She echoed the words her mother had said.
Edwin’s expression then turned sour, and he frowned.
“Who said that to you?”
“…Just.”
He frowned, looking displeased with her response.
“Tell me who.”
“…It’s difficult to say.”
He sighed at her reply. But when she managed a smile, showing that it was hard to speak of it, he sighed.
“Alright, then.”
He seemed concerned by her smile as he headed for the door and looked back once more before heading down.
Once his footsteps were no longer audible, Illein let out a deep sigh.
“Haa…”
Perhaps because of the relief that she had found her ring, she was utterly exhausted.
Now, she was worried whether she should wear the ring now or not.