I Give Up on the BL Novel's Male Leads - Chapter 60
Marquis Wignum looked at his son and said.
“If you’re meeting Illein purely out of obligation, I’ll let you break off the engagement when she becomes an imperial official.”
“Father.”
“Of course, I will still provide the agreed support to the Thierry family. It’s not a significant amount for us.”
Marquis Wignum expressed this hoping his son would not feel pressured by the arrangement.
However, Mellias felt more certain after hearing his father’s words.
“Father, I don’t love Illein. But if someone must be my wife, I would prefer it to be Illein.”
Mellias had always found Illein to be a person of great kindness and warmth.
And such a person would make lifelong companionship enjoyable. He liked the trivial conversations with her.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Marquis Wignum, who was much older than Melias, was reminded of his own joyful conversations with his late wife and the simple pleasures they shared.
“Then let’s proceed that way. I’ve always supported you, you know that?”
“Yes.”
Mellias considered how it must have been for Illein. The restrictive and frustrating life under constant pressure.
“If we do marry, I’d like us to live a bit apart from the Thierry family.”
“Ah, already thinking about marriage, are you? Well, that’s fine.”
“The marriage will wait until Illein is ready.”
Marquis Wignum laughed heartily at his son’s words.
Though their conversation did not continue much longer, they enjoyed a genuinely warm moment together.
That night, Illein had a strange dream.
She found herself alone in the mansion after her mother had hastily abandoned her and returned to Candelaria’s manor.
Waking up briefly, she realized someone was watching her.
She often experienced sleep paralysis. It was because of her relentless study habits, lack of sleep. On top of that, the intense pressure she felt.
Illein lay in bed, where more than four hours of sleep was a rarity for her, so she cherished these moments dearly.
But now this is happening.
She wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or if it was sleep paralysis.
All she knew was that her eyes wouldn’t fully open, and through her squinted view, she could see a large, dark figure standing at her feet.
Soon, the figure reached out a hand and gently stroked Illein’s cheek, saying.
“Found you.”
Illein felt chills from the warmth spreading across her cheek.
“In this life, I will never let you go.”
The voice was astonishingly similar to Edwin’s, making Illein terrified of the situation.
Unsure if she was dreaming, but clearly unable to move, it was apparent she was experiencing sleep paralysis.
But why did Edwin appear in such moments?
Although she had grown quite close to him recently, she had never seen this side of him.
Yet now, he resembled the frightening figure she had read about in the book.
While struggling to calm her racing heart, Illein’s eyes still wouldn’t fully open. She could only squint without seeing clearly.
However, through that narrow slit, she was sure she was seeing Edwin’s face.
‘Get a hold of yourself!’
She told herself inside.
Suddenly, she realized her hand was touching his cheek as he guided her hand across his face.
“I’ve been looking for you for so long.”
“…?”
“I was terrified I wouldn’t find you again. Yet I missed you so much I overcame my fears.”
The warmth she felt on her hand seemed to be his tears, which felt odd to her.
‘Wait a moment.’
Illein suddenly remembered she was in her female form.
“I love you, Illein. I won’t lose you again. Even if you’ve forgotten everything.”
But how did he know she was Illein?
At that moment, Illein felt a sudden jolt as if waking up from a deep sleep.
This had to be a dream.
The real Edwin didn’t know she was a woman.
He thought Illein and Illenas were fraternal twins.
But the Edwin in front of her seemed to know they were the same person.
This must be a nightmare caused by sleep paralysis.
She desperately wanted to wake up from this dream. She tried to activate her toes, but that wouldn’t relieve the paralysis.
All she could feel was the touch of his hand and the warmth of his cheek.
“I won’t make the same mistakes as before.”
The softness of his lips pressing against her palm was unsettling.
“So forgive me, okay?”
She then felt a squeezing pressure, as if being bitten.
“I won’t let everyone die this time.”
Suddenly, a deep sleepiness overtook her, as if someone had injected her with an anesthetic.
Just before her consciousness completely faded, she saw Edwin’s face close to hers, crying.
His face was so radiant in the dreamlike state, making it all seem even more surreal.
His shimmering red eyes were like red diamonds.
