The Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health Chapter 182

My body felt chilled to the bone. Somehow I had no strength anywhere, completely limp and sagging.

While I lay there wheezing like a sick chicken, Mehen brought me some warm porridge and fed me.

“Are you all right?”

I didn’t even have the energy to answer, so I weakly shook my head. Everyone looked at me with worried eyes.

“That’s strange. There doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with her body.”

Not only the personal physician who had been summoned in haste, but also the healers from the Mage Tower and the priests from the temple all raised their hands, saying they had no idea what was wrong.

…I think I know the reason, though.

[!Warning! A blessing that affects the body is intensifying]
[Status abnormality ‘Weakness’ is intensifying]

Stamina is greatly consumed.

Natural recovery is greatly weakened.

Dizziness and abdominal pain occur.

These new lines had been added to my status window, which I’d kept open.
It felt like my body was telling me it had reached its limit…

“Ugh…”

“For now, please get plenty of rest.”

“Mm.”

“Shall I stay by your side?”

Nod, nod.

Maybe because I was sick, I couldn’t stop acting spoiled even though I knew Mehen was busy.

“I won’t go anywhere. Sleep well.”

 

 

****

 

 

 

When I opened my eyes, Pession was right in front of me.

A dream?

“You okay?”

Guess not.

“Why’re you mumbling?”

“I was worried…”

I must have been speaking too quietly—my words came out slurred.

A small hand touched my forehead, then pulled away.

“You didn’t come to the gathering and skipped class, so I was worried.”

“I’m fine.”

I just had no strength, and I felt chilly, that was all.

“What about the twins?”

“I ditched them.”

“Harun too?”

“They said too many people coming and going isn’t good when you’re sick.”

“Then what about you?”

When I stared at him, Pession broke into a soft smile.
It was the kind of smile that made me smile without realizing it.

“Ah—you smiled.”

I thought I wouldn’t get to see it, so I’m glad I did.

I had Pession open the drawer by the head of the bed. He took out a small, neatly wrapped box.

“Take that.”

Pession blinked as he stared at me.

“What is this?”

“A present.”

“Uh…”

“You saw me buying things.”

Pession’s body twitched.

“You bought something for me too?”

“Yeah.”

Since I was already buying things, I just got everything.

That was thanks to Chloe. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have gone to the department store at all, let alone thought of getting gifts.

“Give the other boxes to the twins and Harun.”

Pession nodded slightly, still looking like he couldn’t quite believe it, and handled the gift box carefully.

“You happy?”

“…Yeah.”

Is it really that nice?

Watching Pession smile shyly, unable even to unwrap it, I tilted my head without realizing it.

“But you already gave me a birthday present.”

I’d agonized over what to give Pession, who already had everything, even clutching my head in frustration.

In the end, I’d picked a precious artifact from among the Regent Duke’s gifts—things he handed out like he was emptying the Southern Empire’s treasury.

“But that was just giving it to me.”

What nonsense is he talking about? I’d carefully chosen something valuable!

“This is something you bought because you thought of me, Arellin. That makes it more special.”

“….”

The sharpness in my gaze softened.

Well, put that way, I didn’t really have a comeback.

“But it’s a mass-produced item.”

You can find tons of them at the Sperom department store.

“It’s different.”

I thought artifacts were more valuable, but Pession stubbornly shook his head.

“I’ll treasure it.”

He said that without even opening the wrapping. It was a small pocket watch—if I’d known he’d like it this much, maybe I should’ve bought something nicer.

“Use it however you want. I’ll buy you another one.”

“Another?”

“Yeah. I’ll empty my entire fortune and give it all to you.”

“Then I’ll give my entire fortune to Arellin.”

Wait—doesn’t that make me the one getting the better deal?

As I felt strangely conflicted at the unexpected crisis of possibly exchanging fortunes with the Crown Prince, Pession—completely unaware of my inner turmoil—looked at me with concern.

“Get better soon. We’ll eat together, play together, and study together.”

“Yeah.”

I really hope so too.

 

 

 

****

 

 

 

It seemed Pession had left, and I’d fallen asleep again. When I opened my eyes once more, a different person was there.

Why is Cheyen here?

Is this a dream too?

Feeling hazy, I closed my eyes, ignoring what I saw—then opened them again at the sharp sensation of someone’s gaze on my cheek.

When I turned my head, I met Cheyen’s eyes as he stared down at me with a strange expression.

sigh.

“How did you get in?”

“You think I couldn’t get in here?”

Right. He probably snuck in again.

“I came as a hospital visitor.”

“……”

I glared at him skeptically, and Cheyen—who’d been resting his chin on his hand—leaned closer.

“Why are you insisting on holding out? When there’s such an easy, fast way.”

He looked at me as if he genuinely couldn’t understand.

“Is taking my hand really that unacceptable? Hm?”

As if he were the only salvation cast over my answerless life, as if I were just being stubborn for no reason, Cheyen muttered to himself.

“There’s not much time left.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s still a year left.”

“You even know that?”

I was the one who felt death creeping closer each moment more keenly than anyone else.

“Aren’t you scared? You’re dying a little every moment.”

“It’d be a lie to say I’m not scared.”

A dry cough escaped me.

My body still felt heavy—so heavy it felt like I was trapped inside it.

“But I don’t want to run away just because I’m scared.”

Cheyen’s calm eyes fixed on me.

“If I made you my retainer…”

“……”

“…could you live entirely by your own will?”

Cheyen reached out and toyed with my hair. It seemed I’d seen straight through the truth he’d been hiding while only showing me the good parts.

“No, right?”

“That’s right. You’d belong to me.”

I knew it.

“That’s why I don’t want it.”

Someone might tell me that surviving at any cost is what matters most, that nothing is more important than living.

But I’d already learned my lesson after ruining one life completely.

My life has to be lived for me.

“I need to be able to live entirely by my own will.”

I have to decide what kind of life I’ll live.

I couldn’t do that in my past life.

The old me—who claimed to love and live for my mother, yet lived like a puppet, like a doll, exactly as she wanted—was wrong.

If I truly cared for my mother, I should have been able to tell her what I wanted too, even if that led to a result I didn’t want.

Because I knew exactly how things would turn out, I denied it, ran away—and the result was disastrous.

So this time, I’ll play my own tune.

“So you’re choosing to die?”

For such a trivial reason?

Cheyen let out a hollow laugh, as if he couldn’t understand refusing his hand over something so insignificant.

“You can live.”

At my stubborn answer, Cheyen scoffed.

“You know it too—your life doesn’t have much time left. Do you really think you can hold out?”

“I can.”

This time, I wasn’t going to give up until I truly died. I wasn’t like before, when I gave up so easily.

Now I have a father who’s trying desperately to save me, a biological mother who loved me so much she didn’t know what to do with herself, and kind Mehen who does whatever I ask…

And Pession, who just wants me to be happy.

“I don’t like it.”

Apparently my obstinate reply got on his nerves—Cheyen glared at me like he was about to dissect me.

“Hmph.”

Yeah, right. Did he think I’d be scared if he acted like that?

Maybe because death didn’t feel far away, my nerves had thickened. A scoff slipped out without me realizing it.

“You want something from me too, don’t you? That’s why you’re so obsessed.”

The look in his eyes—one that had found not just interest or curiosity, but utility.

As if I wouldn’t notice.

Cheyen’s golden eyes grew clouded. Even though he looked younger, his long, slender fingers were the same as ever as they lightly tapped my cheek.

“That was true.”

His gaze dropped, confusion flickering across his face.

“…But now, I don’t know anymore.”

As he muttered lowly, irritated by someone like me—who insisted on walking on my own, who looked like I’d die if he so much as poked me—yet unable to just leave me alone…

Before I could ask what he meant—

“Just this once.”

From Cheyen’s hand resting on my forehead, a cool sensation flowed into me.

The next day.

I got up, completely fine.