Male Lead, Don’t Follow Me! - Chapter 23

“What?”

He smiled and leaned his body completely towards me.

“Is that really what you want?”

Bishwaltz’s face came close with a whoosh, and his faint body scent brushed my nose.

Surely, he’s not thinking of using force if I don’t open my mouth?

At the same time, I felt goosebumps. Lightly covering my mouth with both hands, I cautiously asked.

“Are you going to tear my mouth?”

“…Heh, heh.”

He lowered his head and shook his body. I remained vigilant, still not erasing the fearful expression on my face.

“Why are you laughing! I’m being serious.”

“Well, I had something else in mind, but I didn’t know you preferred the cruel option.”

Bishwaltz quietly looked at me, all huddled up. He seemed to be thinking about something, then soon smiled faintly.

‘What’s this, why is he smiling to himself like that?’

Anxiety overwhelmed me, and I unconsciously gulped.

I had many things I wanted to ask, but having sinned, I couldn’t open my mouth carelessly. Once again, silence fell.

“How long do I have to wait? Don’t you know why I called you here?”

He furrowed his brow with a voice tinged with irritation.

One moment he’s laughing to himself, and the next he’s suddenly getting angry – as expected of the foul-tempered male lead.

“What do you mean? The person who called should know, how would I know when I was dragged here?”

I feigned ignorance.

“Are you really asking because you don’t know? Why did you say those things in the forbidden forest?”

“That’s…”

Because I was fed up! Why!

But if I said that, my head would probably explode.

“I can’t say.”

“I don’t know if you’re brazen or fearless.”

“Probably neither?”

I was trembling in fear right now. My head was throbbing from how much I was racking my brain.

“I didn’t do it on purpose.”

“That’s right. After all, you and I weren’t even acquainted.”

“Right…?”

“Then isn’t it even stranger? How do you know the secrets of my body… no, my physical secrets, and even understand parts that others don’t know?”

“If I tell you, will you forgive me?”

Bishwaltz nodded slightly at my words. Fortunately, it seems he won’t kill me.

‘Is he more open-minded than I thought?’

As they say, you only know a person after you’ve experienced them. I felt a bit sorry for thinking of him as the scum of the earth for a while.

Actually, I thought he might chop off my head for cursing in the forbidden forest, but fortunately, he doesn’t seem to be that narrow-minded.

“Of course, I’ll have to think about what to do regarding your actions.”

Cancel, cancel that.

Let’s just say he’s narrow-minded and has a nasty personality.

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at Bishwaltz.

Wait a minute. Oh, come to think of it, this means he won’t kill me, right?

I shouldn’t be like this, but humans are truly fickle. From just wanting to survive at all costs, now I’m getting greedy.

‘Come to think of it, it seems like I might have the upper hand…?’

Unlike just a moment ago, I spoke with strength in my voice.

“But what’s in it for me if I tell you everything?”

“It seems you’re under a misunderstanding.”

Bishwaltz withdrew his smile and raised one corner of his mouth crookedly towards me.

“I think it’s more than enough benefit for you to be alive and having this conversation with me right now.”

His eyes narrowed menacingly. It was a clear threat.

And Bishwaltz was more than capable of following through with it.

“Of course, I was just joking.”

I quickly changed my attitude and put on a harmless smile.

“Well then, shall we talk now? About how you know so much about my body and me.”

“Well, I want to tell you about that… but I can’t speak.”

Because you wouldn’t hear it anyway.

But this guy didn’t seem to believe my words as he stared at me intently.

“Are you saying you won’t open your mouth till the end?”

“No, I can tell you all the information I know, but…”

I could only talk about things unrelated to the novel.

For example.

Although I didn’t blurt it out in the forbidden forest, there was one more secret about the male lead’s body. It was probably possible because of the novel’s characteristics, which required a reason for the male lead to become devastated.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

I stood up from the chair and grabbed Bishwaltz’s collar.

Along with his contorted expression, I forcefully pulled his shirt collar to the side. I gently traced the scar that appeared before my eyes.

The mark that extended from his neck to his collarbone must hold memories of the past.

“There’s a scar here that no one knows about, right?”

He bit his lip with an incredulous face.

Seeing it with my own eyes, the scar was quite deep. Bishwaltz’s dark childhood memories, which could never be erased, were still with him.

Despite growing up with his parents’ love, he always felt empty. It was due to the mana power he possessed in his body, but he didn’t know the reason when he was young.

Occasionally, he would lose consciousness and unknowingly harm himself, or use his power, which caused quite a bit of trouble at the temple.

It was a conflict that arose because his young body was overwhelmed by his power.

Perhaps such scars are engraved all over his body.

‘That’s also why he became sensitive.’

“I can’t explain the details, but I know everything about you. I might know everything from head to toe.”

I shrugged and detached my body that was close to him.

Through the open shirt, I caught a glimpse of his firm chest muscles. People shouldn’t be like this, but instinct is truly frightening.

I turned my head, but my gaze kept escaping control.

‘How can that catch my eye in this situation?’

I forced a cough and smiled awkwardly.

His face, even more handsome than before, crumpled. At the same time, Bishwaltz smiled meaningfully as if he had realized something.

“Right, it was strange from the beginning. Now I understand.”

Bishwaltz looked at me with confident eyes. Suddenly, he grabbed my wrist and his expression hardened.

“What are you doing?”

Just like the obsessive male lead, he is.

I raised my hand and slapped Bishwaltz’s hand sharply.

A sharp friction sound cut through the air.

“Ha.”

Bishwaltz swallowed a laugh and stared at his reddened hand.

He opened his mouth in disbelief at my fierce glare.

“Does it hurt? It hurts me too when you grab me like that.”

I clutched my wrist and narrowed my eyes as I stood up.

“It doesn’t seem like you’re in the mood to talk, so I’ll be going now.”

“…Sit down.”

“Are you ordering me right now?”

Yeah, as if I’d listen when someone orders me! But my body was very honest with fear.

My body, which was slowly approaching the chair, eventually couldn’t take a few more steps and returned to its place.

“Do you think I’m joking right now?”

Intimidated by Bishwaltz’s fierce eyes, I immediately sat down on the chair.

It’s a bit unfair to emit such murderous intent.

Is this necessary against someone who can’t even use proper spirit magic!

“It was strange from the moment Lady Kirin talked to me about you.”

“She talked about me?”

There was no reason for the two of them to talk about me, no matter how I thought about it.

Above all, didn’t she know that I didn’t like Bishwaltz?

“Yes, she did. She told me in detail about a woman named Kiara Lowell.”

“Why… would she do that?”

“That’s right. Why would she tell me about you?”

I quietly rolled my eyes.

I don’t know this either. I couldn’t say anything in response to Bishwaltz’s words.

What was Ephelia thinking when she talked about me to Bishwaltz?

“What did Ephelia say?”

“Are you curious? I thought you already knew.”

I’m asking because I don’t know. I furrowed my brow, feeling like the situation had been reversed.

What on earth did she say to make Bishwaltz so confident?

“Now everything falls into place. I’ve figured out your act too. Did you want to be by my side that badly?”