I Give Up on the BL Novel's Male Leads - Chapter 50
“You.”
“Yes?”
“Should I teach you magic?”
“Me??”
“You seem to have similar magic powers and abilities as Illein, but you don’t attend the academy, do you?”
“Are you offering to help me?”
Illein was suspicious, knowing he wasn’t one to offer favors without reason, and wondered if he was pretending to be kind.
“If we’re going to spend 20 minutes together every day, it might be better to make it mutually beneficial.”
“Then, could you teach me transformation magic? I once saw my brother practicing it, and I really wanted to learn.”
“Sure. While we’re at it, how about we also cover some combat magic? In case….someone threatens you or Illein, you should be able to defend yourself.”
“Yes, that sounds good.”
Illein was particularly bad at transformation magic, so she was genuinely excited by his offer.
Then it struck her.
The reason he wanted to get close to her while she was in her Illenas form. Could it be that he wanted to be friends with Illein?
“But, Edwin.”
“Yeah?”
“What do you think about men loving each other?”
He looked at her with a curious expression as if wondering why she would ask that, then sighed and responded.
“That’s not my business to judge. What’s wrong with it?”
Illein clenched her fists, reassured by his response.
“So, so you think it’s okay?”
“Yes, but coercive relationships are wrong. I think it’s wrong to push if one side says no.”
“That’s not just a problem in relationships between men, right?”
“True.”
She thought it best not to stir any bizarre thoughts in him.
“Um, Edwin. Our 20 minutes are up.”
“Ah, right. Thanks.”
With that, he stood up and left promptly.
“I’ll bring books on transformation and combat magic tomorrow.”
“Okay. Take care.”
“….Uh.”
He left without hesitation.
Illein felt an odd sense of relief as the fiery energy from their shared magic made her fatigue vanish.
Removing the mystique, it didn’t feel like the original story anymore.
She couldn’t help but wonder if the lukewarm reaction from him was because, unlike in the original story, he didn’t hate her.
Was fiery love supposed to emerge from intense hatred, as it did in the original story?
And what about the opposite?
What if his kindness toward her went beyond and turned into love?
Hadn’t he walked away abruptly when she mentioned liking him?
What would happen if she confessed real love? Could that end everything?
“I can’t believe I have to resort to this method…”
She shook her head, finding the fleeting thought both reasonable yet profoundly inhumane.
But her survival was at stake. In the face of survival, all measures might be reluctantly forgiven.
“It can’t be helped.”
She told herself, trying to soothe her pricking conscience.
– Chiiing! Chiiing!
Illein wondered who could be visiting her at this hour of the night.
She didn’t want to go out, possibly because of the last incident with Willai, but pretending not to be home wasn’t an option due to the light in her room.
She had lit the lights in her room, the adjacent room, and the Baron’s room with magic.
It seemed risky to let anyone know she was home alone.
“Sigh.”
She sighed and got up from her seat.
Thinking positively, thanks to Edwin, she was overflowing with energy.
With a forced smile, she tried to feel better. She had read somewhere that smiling can improve one’s mood.
She put a shawl over her negligee, trying to smile.
– Chiiing! Chiiing!
Transforming into a man seemed too troublesome at the moment.
Instead, she decided to take her magic wand and went downstairs.
– Chiiing!
She contemplated not opening the door, but she felt if she didn’t, they might keep ringing the bell all day.
“Who is it?”
“Uh? Is Illein there?”
Illein opened the door.
“My brother is asleep.”
Hearing Damon’s voice, she opened the door without hesitation.
“Hello, Illenas.”
“Ah yes. Hello, Young Duke Damon.”
Seeing the usually kind Damon, she greeted him without suspicion.
“Oh, Illein is sleeping.”
“Yes. Did you need something? Can I help you instead of my brother?”
“Uh? Oh… um.”
Seeing Damon’s light smile, Illein didn’t feel threatened despite the late hour.
Damon and Illein had been friends for a long time. Damon, whom she had known since childhood, couldn’t possibly feel dangerous to her.
“These.”
Illein received a bouquet of rapeseed flowers from him, looking puzzled.
“Are you giving these flowers to my brother?”
“No, they’re for you.”
“For me?”
“Yes. Can we go for a walk?”
“Uh, yes, of course.”
Illein was curious about his intentions but went along, thinking he must have something to say.
She held the bouquet of rapeseed flowers he had given her as they walked together.
“Our manor’s garden isn’t very pretty.”
“How about coming to the Duke’s manor next time? The garden connected to my room is really beautiful.”
“Yes, I’d like that. Did these flowers come from there?”
“Yes. I asked the gardener.”
Illein remembered the beautiful garden at the Duke’s manor where she had been a few times before.