I Give Up on the BL Novel's Male Leads - Chapter 82
When Illein arrived at Class 1, she was panting heavily from exhaustion.
She resented that the fourth-year students had to be on the very top floor.
Her thighs were aching, and her calves were sore, but Edwin appeared completely unaffected.
She then noticed him closing the door to Class 1 and casting a Silence magic around them, which made her a bit nervous.
As he approached her with a serious expression, she extended her hand, thinking he might want to take her hand to sense the control device’s energy.
Edwin, who had absentmindedly taken her hand, sighed and said,.
“You should doubt me every time you see me from now on.”
“What?”
Illein was puzzled by Edwin’s words, wondering if it had something to do with what had happened today.
“Illenas, why did you side with me earlier? You and I aren’t close, and I’m not even a friend of your brother’s.”
Illein couldn’t understand why Edwin seemed so unsettled while saying this.
Despite pushing her away with his words, he was still holding her hand tightly, as if he didn’t want her to escape from his words.
And Illein, being somewhat perceptive this second time around, could sense that he was conflicted.
“Even if you’re not a friend of my brother’s, aren’t we friends?”
That was why she could say that.
Edwin’s eyes widened at her words, and Illein felt a bit intimidated by his stern expression.
“Do you want to be friends with someone like me?”
Illein was taken aback by his question.
She had expected him to be upset by her words and to pull his hand away.
However, Edwin did not react that way. Instead, he looked both surprised and somewhat rational, with a hint of expectation in his eyes.
“It was Edwin who taught me magic last time.”
“That wasn’t a difficult task.”
“And it was Edwin who promised to teach me attack magic.”
“That wasn’t difficult either.”
“Even if it’s not a difficult task, showing kindness isn’t always easy.”
Illein said this while staring intently at Edwin, who seemed very confused by her words, his pupils visibly shaking.
Seeing Edwin so unsettled was new to her, and she felt she needed to get him to express everything he wanted to say.
“Edwin hasn’t told me much. But since I came here as Melias’s partner, I’ve learned quite a bit about you.”
“……That’s…”
“Could you start by explaining those things? I only knew you as a friend of my brother’s, not as someone… so intimidating.”
That was the truth. Edwin was the one who didn’t want to reveal his identity to Illenas.
He remembered how he had strongly advised Illein about it.
“First of all, I’m a prince.”
“Yes.”
Edwin disliked saying that.
“I’m the First Prince.”
“I see.”
Illein was pretending not to know much of what she actually did through the original story.
Even though she lived in the capital, there was no reason for a Baron’s family like the Thierry’s to know much.
She only picked up bits of information from when they managed various tasks at the Candelaria Duchy.
And important information wasn’t shared with someone who wasn’t even the chief aide, especially not with a maid responsible for managing the Duchess’s laundry.
The Thierry family only heard minor, inconsequential rumors circulating in the capital.
“How much do you know about the imperial family?”
“I just saw that Edwin doesn’t seem to get along well with the other princes.”
“That’s right. My mother has already passed away, and the Second and Third Princes are the children of the current Empress.”
“I see.”
Illein looked directly into Edwin’s eyes, as he was looking directly at her.
“There was a murder in the palace.”
“A burnt body was discovered.”
“…I see.”
“Magic cannot be used within the palace. There’s a large magic control device there.”
Illein was intrigued by this new piece of information and looked at him with interest.
“So why do they think Edwin is the culprit?”
“If there’s a powerful magic that can surpass the magic control device, then an attack would be possible.”
“…Ah!”
“My magic control isn’t perfect. But when it was measured before, the concentration was higher than the control device in the palace…”
“So you carried another control device with you?”
“Yes. With a dual control system, mistakes are less likely.”
Illein noticed that even as Edwin spoke these words, he seemed to avoid eye contact. It didn’t seem like he was lying.
It felt more like he didn’t want to talk about it but was forced to.
“I must have caused you trouble by breaking the control device.”
“…Yes.”
“But I don’t think Edwin is the culprit.”
