I Give Up on the BL Novel's Male Leads - Chapter 94
Illein genuinely wanted to grow closer to Melias. She was also quite exhausted.
If she continued to be threatened by Rodein, she might not be able to graduate from the academy. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to ask Melias for help.
After all, Rodein was the second prince, favored by the Emperor and Empress. She didn’t want to cause any trouble for the Wignum family unnecessarily. If things went wrong and she got expelled from the academy, it had to be her own problem to deal with.
Holding Melias’s hand, she gradually found stability from the pleasant, grounding energy he was sharing with her.
“Melias’s magic feels so nice.”
“Illein’s does too.”
“Doesn’t mine feel cold?”
“It’s refreshing.”
“Melias’s magic is incredibly smooth.”
They continued to hold hands for quite some time, awkwardly complimenting each other. Melias tried hard to ignore the throbbing feeling in his heart but lost track of time while being with her.
‘If I become so overwhelmed that I can’t bear it, can I then do as Melias suggested?’
Illein had said before he left.
‘I’m always here for you.’
Melias’s response was concise, and Illein admired him even more for it. Such kindness wasn’t something that could be easily offered.
When she was absorbed in her studies.
– Zziiing!
She thought Edwin might be coming for his quota for the day, so she went downstairs and opened the door.
“Hello? Have you been well?”
But there stood Rodein, dressed in a pitch-black robe.
– Bang!
Illein, startled, instinctively slammed the door shut.
– Crack!
However, her resistance was in vain as the lock was immediately disengaged and the door swung open.
“If you lock me out the moment you see my face, it’s hurtful, you know?”
Rodein said, flashing a playful smile.
Illein felt a chill the moment she saw him. It was late evening now, and there was nothing around the vicinity of Baron Thierry’s estate.
The mansion she was in was empty as well. At least, it was a relief that no one else was in sight around Rodein. He was dressed in a dark robe, as if he had sneaked out.
“What brings you here?”
“What else? I came to make sure you cooperate with my plans.”
Rodein stepped inside and shut the door behind him. He then extended his wand towards Illein and said, “By the time you come to your senses, everything will be over.”
With that, he began casting an unfamiliar spell on Illein.
Her mind started to grow increasingly fuzzy. She felt as if she wason the brink of falling asleep after three sleepless days, teetering on the edge of exhaustion.
She felt like she was falling asleep, but her consciousness was only half-awake, caught in a painful limbo. Meanwhile, her subconscious seemed to be screaming that she shouldn’t fall asleep like this.
“Listen carefully!”
Rodein’s voice echoed as if spoken underwater, penetrating her dazed mind.
“You’re going to attack Edwin.”
“…Why?”
“Because that’s what you need to do.”
“I don’t… want to do that.”
“It doesn’t matter what you want. Your will doesn’t count.”
At that moment, darkness enveloped Illein. It was as if someone had turned off the lights in her room, leaving her unable to see anything.
When Illein opened her eyes again, everything seemed dreamlike and blurry. Yet, she knew it was reality.
She tried to shake her head to clear her mind, but her body didn’t move as she wished. She couldn’t do anything but stare blankly at her textbook. She desperately wanted to be free from this unpleasant feeling.
Just as she wished to move her body urgently, she heard:
– Zziiing!
Someone had rung the bell at Baron Thierry’s estate. She thought only Edwin would come at this hour. Curiously, the moment she thought of Edwin, her body reacted automatically and moved. Despite her dazed state, her body moved on its own and approached the door.
Through her blurred vision, Illein noticed an unfamiliar and strange symbol appearing on the back of her hand.
What is this? Why? When did this appear?
Illein’s memories were as if they had been fogged over, leaving her unable to recall clearly. She opened the door to the mansion, as if she was a puppet with no will of her own.
“Hello?”
Standing at the door was Edwin. The moment she saw him, she instinctively recalled the fleeting memory of their encounter during the dance party, when Edwin had filled her mind completely before vanishing.
Alongside this memory, there was also an odd feeling—a sense of unfamiliarity within the familiarity.
What was it?
There was something sinister and dangerous about Edwin that didn’t match the Edwin she knew.
“Have you been holding hands with someone else?”
“…What?”
“Why do I sense another person’s magic coming from you?”
As he spoke, he took hold of Illein’s hand. She noticed that he was wearing gloves and found this slightly puzzling.
The gloves seemed unusual, not merely because they were made of soft leather, but something about them felt distinctly foreign.
