Male Lead, Don’t Follow Me! - Chapter 21

***

“Lady Erin, what happened?”

Ephelia and I also attended the tea party that gathered after a long time.

We had rushed here, unable to contain our curiosity about what had happened that day.

Lady Erin’s eyes quickly reddened, and she began to shed tears.

“Oh, you won’t believe it!”

I leaned in, wondering what on earth Bishwaltz had done.

“He started talking about his longing for that woman right in front of me!”

“What?”

“At first, I listened to him because he looked so pitiful, but it never ended! If that’s not toying with me, then what is it?”

She said that when she finally couldn’t take it anymore and cursed at him, he took out a recorder and started recording.

“And I’m not the only one who’s been treated like this.”

“He does something deserving of curses every single time, without fail.”

Since he wasn’t such a virtuous man in the original story, this behavior wasn’t too surprising.

He might have led a dissolute life before meeting Ephelia, for all we know.

“Are they saying he’s collecting voices?”

Whatever Duke Bishwaltz was thinking, it was clearly not good for me.

Not only was interest in that woman gradually increasing, but people were also getting hurt because of it.

‘This is driving me crazy. I didn’t expect him to act like this.’

It was like sitting on pins and needles.

Restless, I gripped my skirt tightly and let out an awkward laugh.

But I couldn’t make any hasty moves, so I had no choice but to pretend not to know anything.

“It seems so. I don’t know why, but he did end up apologizing in the end.”

“What good is an apology! The damage is already done.”

Lady Erin and some other affected ladies expressed their anger.

They say he didn’t even treat them well during their meetings.

He deliberately did things to provoke curses, to the point where they couldn’t help but curse at him.

“I can truly understand why that woman cursed the Duke so much.”

The ladies grumbled as they gulped down water repeatedly.

Somehow, this seems to be going in a direction I didn’t want…?

I need to leave this place as soon as possible. Before the Duke goes even more insane.

“It’s okay, I’ll be gone from here tomorrow.”

I took a deep breath and composed myself.

As I returned to my room and packed my belongings, I became curious about what Bishwaltz was thinking.

‘Hmm, should I go out for a bit?’

Although I was anxious, this would all be over tomorrow. So, I put on a cloak and snuck out of the house.

***

As I quietly made my way towards the Forbidden Forest, keeping an eye on my surroundings, someone suddenly grabbed my hand.

“Gasp.”

Just as I was about to scream in surprise, a large hand covered my mouth.

‘W-what’s this? Could it be an assailant?’

I struggled frantically, trying to break free from the embrace. Taking advantage of a slight loosening, I bit down hard on the hand.

“Ugh!”

As I was about to bite the fingers again with my canines, growling, a familiar face caught my eye.

“…Serhin?”

“That’s too much. Biting without even checking who it is.”

You’re saying that now?

I raised my hand and struck Serhin’s head.

With a dull sound, his dumbfounded expression became visible.

“Are you crazy?! I almost had a heart attack!”

Serhin clutched his head and brought his index finger to his mouth.

“Alright, I get it. Be quiet now. We’ll be discovered.”

He pointed his finger forward.

I could see women entering the Forbidden Forest. And Bishwaltz following behind them.

“Has he been coming and going like this every day?”

“Probably so.”

I applauded Bishwaltz’s obsession anew.

“I wonder how he knew the barrier had disappeared.”

“There was a barrier too?”

I hadn’t known about that.

According to Serhin, it seems the women had good timing up until now.

Or maybe they managed to find the right day after several attempts.

“Yes, though it was only for a short while.”

Serhin scratched his chin with an indifferent expression.

If I had gone now, I might have been caught by him without a chance.

“But what are you doing here?”

“I thought you might come.”

I tilted my head at Serhin’s words.

“What? Someone might think you put a tracking device on me… Did you?”

Serhin kept his mouth shut at my words. When on earth?

We hadn’t even met once since that day!

I tried to examine my whole body, widening my eyes.

“Don’t move. It’s cramped here.”

Perhaps because he had pulled me into a narrow alley, I felt our bodies pressed together.

His firm chest was right in front of my eyes. Not knowing where to look, I just stared straight ahead.

“Where are you going, by the way?”

I flinched involuntarily at Serhin’s low voice.

My body shrank at his voice tickling my ear.

“Where else? I have to go to Kaibern.”

“You mean you’re leaving…?”

Serhin’s hand holding mine tightened. I looked blankly at his hand.

As if unaware that he was holding my hand, he didn’t let go until the end.

If anything, it felt like he was gripping tighter to avoid letting go.

“I never intended to play hide and seek.”

Serhin kept muttering. Feeling a bit scared, I finally couldn’t hold back and called his name.

“Serhin? Hey?”

He stared at me with quite a shocked expression.

“Don’t you think we can go out now?”

There was something strange about Serhin’s gaze as he stared at me.

Thinking it might become dangerous if we stayed longer, I carefully slipped out of his arms.

“You probably won’t be able to go.”

“What are you talking about? I’ll contact you even after I go to Kaibern.”

I waved at him and headed home.

Serhin’s slightly angry appearance was strange, but I didn’t have time to worry about it.

***

Finally, today’s the day!

I ran around the room, silently screaming. If I could go to the countryside, I planned to hide where no one would know me.

‘So now he won’t be able to find me anymore, that’s what I mean.’

Once I left Ephelia and his side, I would also avoid my death flag, so there was nothing to worry about now.

I waited for the response to my application.

It’s time for it to arrive, but the response seems to be later than expected.

“Why? There’s no reason for it to be this late…”

As I was anxiously staring at the door, Ena rushed in with a letter, looking urgent.

“…This can’t be.”

For some reason, my application to the Kaibern region was rejected.

I couldn’t believe it and spent a long time reading the letter intently.

“This, this must be a dream…”

It can’t be.

Moreover, the reason for rejection was kindly explained as the application being returned due to improper methods of application.

“Forgery?”

I continued reading the letter in disbelief. I had certainly received the application form directly from Crown Prince Liandore.

So this application couldn’t possibly be a forgery.

I had to go immediately and demand an explanation about this matter.

“My lady… Is it true?”

“What is?”

“That you’re the hidden woman Duke Bishwaltz was talking about.”

“…What do you mean?”

Ena told me about what she had heard the day before.

Someone who heard about my circumstances of going to another region had told the Duke that I was that woman.

The Duke immediately took measures to prevent me from leaving, she said. As a result, I was unable to go to the Kaibern region.

I immediately rushed to the Duke’s residence.

“The Duke is away on business.”

“…Huh?”

“He said he would be attending the soirée held this evening, so it might be easier to meet him there.”

“By soirée, you mean the regular social gathering, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct. For some reason, he said he would be attending today.”

Here, they hold soirées in turns. This time, it’s probably… Bellita’s turn.

He plays a trick on me and then runs away? And what? He’s going to a soirée?

Blinded by anger, I eventually went to his office, but it was in vain.

In the end, I gave up on meeting Bishwaltz right away.

After waiting at home until evening, as soon as it was time for the soirée, I immediately turned the carriage towards the venue.

Going to where he was meant becoming the talk of the town. However, that wasn’t important.

With nowhere left to run, how could I be in my right mind?

Now it was all or nothing.

Bang!

As soon as I entered the venue, I heard the whispers of people around me.

“Oh my, it seems to be true. After pretending it wasn’t her to us, she comes looking for him like this.”

“I know, right? If it were me, I’d be too embarrassed to show my face.”

Along with my fuming expression, people’s gazes turned towards me. Drawing attention wasn’t important.

‘Not only did you deceive me, but it was a forged document? And what? That woman is me?’

The reason I couldn’t help but be so angry was that the application form he had given me was a forged document.

Thanks to that, I couldn’t even apply to other regions for years.

How does this make any sense?

My hands clenched with so much force they were trembling. As I recalled living in silence for years, only hoping for the day I could escape, my blood pressure rose along with my boiling anger.

That’s it. I don’t care anymore!

Bishwaltz, who spotted me from afar, stood still in his place.

Without even checking who the woman next to him was, I quickly approached.

He seemed to have a somewhat surprised expression upon seeing me, but he must be feeling guilty for what he had done.

As I was striding across the venue, I stopped midway and stared at him intently.

Taking a deep breath, I shouted.

“Duke Leperta Bishwaltz!”

All eyes turned to me at my words.

To others, I might have looked like a tragic heroine, but my combat power was beyond imagination.

I quickly covered my mouth at the words that had unconsciously stuck to my lips, but it was already too late.

Serhin, who was beside Bishwaltz, visibly furrowed his brow and then came over to grab my hand.

“See? I told you you wouldn’t be able to go.”

“…Don’t tell me. You.”