Male Lead, Don’t Follow Me! - Chapter 10

I stepped back a couple of paces from Bishwaltz and waved my hand.

“Your expression seems quite curious.”

It seems Bishwaltz won’t let me go unless I give him the answer he wants.

Finally, I grasped my trembling heart.

I found myself stuttering as I asked.

“I… I see. What will you do when you find them……?”

At my question, Bishwaltz smiled, gently curling the corners of his mouth.

“Curious?”

The moment I heard those words, I could be certain of one thing.

That he wouldn’t let them off easily if he caught them.

“No! Whatever Your Grace does is none of my business. I, I hope you find the person you’re so eager to find.”

I shook my head vigorously and quickly returned to the group.

I walked straight ahead, never looking back despite feeling the gaze on my back.

“Phew….. This is driving me crazy.”

“What did the Duke say?”

Ephelia approached and asked me.

She seemed to have been searching the surroundings through her spirits for quite some time, as beads of sweat had formed on her forehead.

I took out a handkerchief and wiped Ephelia’s sweat.

“Why don’t you switch with someone else for a while?”

At my words, Ephelia shook her head. Being twice as capable as others, she helped with the investigation without rest.

Summoning spirits itself consumed a lot of energy, so it was no small feat.

“I’ll look around a bit more, the spirits were saying they felt something anyway.”

At Ephelia’s words, I looked up and around, seeing the round and cute spirits she had summoned moving here and there.

‘If we discover magical beasts, it’ll be even more tiring to purify and clean up the surroundings.’

However, such a thing won’t happen. Because magical beasts don’t exist.

I bit my lip hard while watching Duke Bishwaltz, who was still keeping his distance from the forest.

Without taking my eyes off him, I answered Ephelia.

“I just went over because it seemed strange that he was just hovering around.”

“Is that so? But what did you say to the Duke that……”

Ephelia glanced behind and widened her eyes.

Anxiously, I turned my head to look back.

But I quickly lowered my gaze to the ground.

It was because of Bishwaltz’s gaze that I had just met.

‘What’s with that look full of curiosity.’

This isn’t good. Somehow, I have a really bad feeling about this.

I guess I shouldn’t have spoken to him after all.

‘This won’t do.’

I decided to take matters into my own hands as it seemed people weren’t finding any traces.

Now that I knew Bishwaltz’s intentions, getting out of here quickly was the best option.

Just as I was about to turn and go to where I had worked, Ephelia shouted.

“I think they found something!”

Ephelia and I followed her spirits that were circling around and emitting light.

‘As expected, Ephelia’s spirits can find even things like this.’

I marveled at her abilities once again.

At that moment, my eyes met with Serhin who was standing nearby.

The one who knows everything, or rather, knows it in a strange way.

Serhin was clearly smiling at me as if finding it interesting.

As if he had been waiting for something.

I hurriedly turned my head and tried to pull Ephelia’s arm to get out of his sight.

But who was he?

“I’m sure our eyes met.”

He was the greatest Archmage in the novel’s world.

Serhin, who had suddenly appeared before me, smiled with his eyes.

“I must have imagined that you were avoiding me.”

No, you probably sensed it correctly.

I awkwardly smiled while slightly avoiding Serhin’s gaze. My lips trembled slightly.

Why does he have to be so perceptive!

“Oh my, did our eyes meet? You have really good eyesight.”

I immediately turned my head away and shrugged.

He, with his long hair neatly tied back, stroked his chin.

“Hmm, is that so?”

Serhin seemed to be carefully observing my behavior, then smiled and gently grasped and released my hair.

“I was almost disappointed, thinking you had already forgotten me.”

What nonsense is he trying to say……?

Feeling a sudden wave of uneasiness, I hurriedly stepped back a couple of paces from him.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Ephelia, a spirit summoner.”

At that moment, Ephelia intervened between Serhin and me, creating a gap.

“Ah, so you’re the famous Ephelia, I see.”

Despite clearly having seen her before, Serhin pretended not to know and responded.

His tone was quite insensitive. Serhin slightly tilted his head towards me, standing behind her.

“It hurts me when you avoid me like that.”

Seeing Serhin with genuinely sad eyes sent chills down my spine.

I couldn’t quite figure out what he was thinking.

Ephelia’s curious eyes turned towards Serhin.

From behind, I desperately put my index finger to my lips, making shushing sounds.

“As I thought, this is interesting.”

Serhin put his finger to his lips and smiled, raising the corners of his mouth.

I discreetly moved a bit away from Serhin, blending into the crowd of people.

‘It seems convincing enough.’

As everyone was busy examining the traces of the magical beast, a shadow fell over me.

Looking up, I saw Bishwaltz standing with his arms crossed, wearing a suspicious expression.

He probably didn’t think there would be a magical beast. After all, he came to find the person who spread the rumors.

But he seemed somewhat perplexed by the traces that appeared right before his eyes.

‘I may not look it, but I’m quite meticulous.’

I nodded with satisfaction, praising myself for acting in advance.

“Serhin, what do you think of this?”

“Hmm….. It’s similar to what I’ve seen in ancient books.”

Serhin glanced at me and smiled meaningfully.

‘What’s that? That strange look……’

Along with an eerie feeling, a strange light swirled around the footprints.

“Huh……? What’s this.”

A peculiar yet warm sensation entered, and I found myself bending down unconsciously.

I slowly examined the glowing area.

“……Mana?”

Huh? That can’t be right.

My whole body froze at the thought that something that shouldn’t happen was occurring.

‘I, I need to avoid this. No, wait!’

Though I hadn’t expected it, I had a secret weapon.

The magical beast trace right in front of me started to emit an even stronger wave than before.

I blinked, seeing Ephelia’s urgent expression across from me.

“Yah!”

Just as I took out a potion from my chest and sprinkled it, someone wrapped their arms around my waist.

Whoosh.

My view suddenly turned towards the sky.

“Ugh.”

Along with a stinging pain, I felt a firm yet soft sensation.

My heart was still pounding heavily.

“……”

Amidst the silence, I got up from my position, clutching my aching waist.

“Oof, what in the world……”

I looked around, feeling the throbbing pain. Everyone’s gaze seemed to be directed towards me, or rather, downwards.

Blink, blink.

Slowly lowering my gaze, I saw Bishwaltz lying spread-eagled on the ground.

Moreover, he was…….

I rolled my eyes, trying to grasp the situation.

‘Don’t tell me he got hit by the potion?’

This was a nightmare. I quickly took off my outer garment and covered Bishwaltz’s body.

“Your Grace. A-Are you alright?”

“Hah…… What is this.”

With slightly disheveled hair and furrowed brows, he breathed heavily.

“Oh no! It might be better if you don’t get up.”

As I unconsciously turned my head away, Ephelia squinted her eyes and smiled meaningfully.

“Why, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Hmm, it’s nothing.”

Ephelia’s continued smile bothered me, but I couldn’t ask further. It was because Serhin had approached without me noticing.

“You’re a woman I can’t take my eyes off.”

Serhin guided me to sit on a rock, then knelt to meet my eyes. I noticed Bishwaltz’s brow twitch, as he had been observing us.

Serhin guided me to sit on a rock, then knelt to meet my eyes. I noticed Bishwaltz’s brow twitch while he had been observing us.

“You’re injured.”

“What? I’m not hurt.”

“Your knee is bleeding, look.”

Following Serhin’s gaze, I glanced at my knee. To my surprise, blood was trickling from a scrape I hadn’t noticed before.

“It’s just a minor scratch.”

Disregarding my dismissal, Serhin gently placed his hand on my knee. A warm sensation of mana spread through my leg, accompanied by a soft glow.

“If you had landed in my arms, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt at all.”

“……Was that being held? More like being thrown.”

If Bishwaltz had just stayed still, I could have suppressed the mana and his upper body wouldn’t have been exposed.

“Well, if it had been me, I wouldn’t have done that. Honestly.”

Serhin said, his lips forming a slight pout.

I chuckled and looked at my healing leg.

But why do I feel such a piercing gaze?

Slowly raising my head, I saw Bishwaltz with eyes that seemed about to shoot lasers, burning with intensity.

Although it was Serhin who was treating me, for some reason I couldn’t take my eyes off Bishwaltz, who kept bothering me.

‘What is it, why……?’

It was because of his eyes that looked like they could kill me at any moment.

Bishwaltz quickly turned his head away from my steady gaze.

Feeling annoyed for no reason, I became stubborn and sent an even more blatant look.

What’s the use of having a handsome face if you can’t live up to it!

Even the glib Serhin was better.

I glared at Bishwaltz and then smiled brightly at Serhin.

‘Yeah, maybe a madman is better than an ill-mannered bastard.’

As I continued to smile, Serhin suddenly moved closer to me.

Thanks to that, he firmly supported my waist as I fell backward in surprise.

“I thought you were seducing me, but I guess not.”

He raised me up with a somewhat disappointed expression.