The Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health – Chapter 200

Author: Asternkm

Mehen looked at the young woman sitting across from him.

By age alone, she was undeniably an adult—but perhaps because she was still frozen at seven years old in his memories, she only looked like a young girl to him even now.

I should be happy…

He was happy, he truly was—but at the same time, the sight of Arellin having grown up so much left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Where had his cute little daughter gone?

He knew time had passed, yet Mehen’s heart was tangled with emotions born from the wish to always hold her close, to feed her only the best, dress her well, and let her learn everything she wanted.

Is this… regret? No. Get a grip. You should be grateful she came back alive at all…

Still, the lingering ache of not having been by her side while she grew from a child into an adult settled heavily in his chest.

“Why?”

Perhaps she sensed his mood, because Arellin met his gaze first.

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. Whenever something bothers you, Mehen, you always make that face.”

She knew that too, apparently.

Smiling, Arellin pressed her fingers into the crease between Mehen’s brows, which had unknowingly tightened. Mehen let out a hollow laugh as he looked at her.

“Huh? You smiled.”

The way her eyes curved and her bright smile bloomed—so strikingly similar to her father’s—made Mehen think something he knew wasn’t true.

Was Valer her real father?

She’d always been pretty and cute as a child, but not quite to this extent.

“Why are you staring like that?”

“I was just thinking how astonishing bloodlines can be.”

“Bloodlines?”

Arellin tilted her head.

Her platinum-blonde hair flowed in soft waves, her pale pink eyes like polished rose quartz, her round forehead and straight nose—

Her cheeks, now flushed with life, her lips constantly tracing beautiful curves.

She really does look just like her.

The more he examined her, the harder it was not to think of Sione.

Judging by appearances alone, one could believe she wasn’t Sione’s daughter—but Sione herself.

Recalling Lady Sione, who always smiled gently yet was never someone to be taken lightly, Mehen shuddered without realizing it.

“?”

Seeing Arellin’s puzzled expression, he thought—

Thank goodness our Arellin didn’t inherit her birth mother’s personality.

News of my return brought familiar faces flocking in one by one.

The first to arrive were Dylan and Rena.

“Rena became Mehen’s aide?”

Once one of my senior maids from the caretaking unit, Rena hugged me tightly and cried for a long while.

Everyone who saw me—from Mehen onward—wore expressions like they’d seen a ghost, and that was so funny I ended up laughing.

That was when I heard something that made me doubt my ears.

“What do you mean everyone left the capital and went to El Sionel?”

“That’s how it turned out.”

Mehen said it calmly—the man who had turned a barren wasteland into the greatest city in just fifteen years.

I’d always known he was amazing, but hearing it like this made me understand why the Duke of Sperom had been so obsessed with him.

Meanwhile, Dylan—still looking dazed—asked carefully,

“Is it really… you, Lady Arellin?”

“You still don’t believe it?”

“To be honest… no.”

“Dylan, how dare you doubt our young lady?!”

Suppressed by the fiercely devoted Arell-mom Rena, Dylan was instantly branded a once-in-a-generation ingrate who couldn’t even recognize his own mistress and was chased off into a corner.

“No, Rena. It’s just… a lot has happened over the years—”

“Silence, you ingrate!”

“A lot… happened?”

“It’s nothing the young lady needs to concern herself with.”

Rena replied with a bright smile, still berating Dylan.

Right. I should never pick a fight with Rena.

“But how did you get here, my lady? This is the top floor of the hotel—the security should be extremely tight.”

“Oh. Just… magic, basically?”

“Basically… magic…?”

Watching Rena wrestle with whether basically and magic could coexist in one sentence made me laugh.

“Teleportation ignores security and all that.”

Sure, a mediocre mage would get caught—but I was the personal disciple of a grand mage born once every 2,251 years.

And not some honorary disciple who’d learned a spell or two—I’d been taught properly, from the basics up!

“It seems you’ve learned magic in earnest.”

“Yep. I’m really good.”

“I see.”

“You don’t believe me, do you? I’m serious! My master said I’m a genius!”

“Our young lady has always been a genius!”

They totally don’t believe me, do they?

“I mean, really! I was praised as a once-in-a-lifetime prodigy even by the Mage Tower!”

The day I first entered the Mage Tower, all the stars had blessed me!

But apparently, to everyone else, my indignation just looked like something cute, because they only smiled warmly.

“Then, my lady, does this mean you’ll be staying with us from now on? You won’t have to go back to the tower?”

“Probably?”

If my body felt off or overloaded, I’d have to return—but at this point, it was basically like being discharged.

The moment she heard my answer, Rena called out to Mehen as if she’d been waiting.

“Mehen!”

“Yes, Rena.”

“I’m submitting my resignation!”

What—suddenly?!

While I froze in confusion, Rena placed a hand over her chest and laughed softly.

“I’ve decided. Starting today, I’ll live as the young lady’s personal maid.”

“You became his aide for this from the start, didn’t you, Rena?”

“So you noticed! Exactly. If the young lady were to return, where would she come first? Naturally, to Mehen’s side. This is why one must learn and think ahead.”

As Rena delivered her impassioned speech, Dylan rubbed his forehead and I just blinked. Then Mehen, who’d been tapping the armrest with his fingers, nodded.

“We can’t entrust the young lady to just anyone. I’ll be counting on you, Rena.”

“Hehe, leave it to me!”

Having completely overwhelmed Mehen, Rena puffed out her chest confidently.

“My lady? Since it’s been fifteen years, many things must feel unfamiliar and difficult. Just trust me!”

“Mmm, okay. I trust you.”

“If there’s anything you’re curious about, ask me anything!”

Rena smiled with absolute confidence, as if she could answer anything.

“Really? Then perfect timing. Do you know where Pession is? I want to go see him.”

—Freeze.

All three of them shut their mouths at once.

“…?”

What is this atmosphere?

Originally, Mehen’s group had planned to stay for just three days before returning to El Sionel—but my appearance forced them to change all their plans.

They even came out to enjoy the Founding Festival’s eve celebration, which they’d had no intention of attending.

“Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve done something like this.”

A Founding Festival celebration—it felt even more nostalgic because it had been so long.

“Looking at it like this, it doesn’t seem like that much has changed.”

“Haha.”

“Dylan looks a bit older, but Rena’s still pretty.”

“Oh my, my lady.”

Maybe because I’d briefly explained what kind of treatment I’d gone through while trapped in the grand mage’s domain for fifteen years—nearly traumatizing the three of them in the process—

They all looked especially pleased seeing me enjoy myself.

“But why are we staying at a hotel instead of the Halbern estate?”

“…….”

Another miracle-like silence descended.

“Thaaat is…”

“It’s under renovation,” Mehen said.

The estate is under renovation?

Let’s just go with that from now on.

I could see Rena and Dylan whispering something behind me, but I couldn’t hear them.

I had heard a rough summary of what happened in Halbern. Mehen had stepped away from his duties and gone to El Sionel to focus on building the city, and most of the caretaking unit had moved there too, each living well in their own way.

“Since things turned out like this, how about you come to the estate in El Sionel as well, Arell?”

“Hmm. El Sionel…”

The city my dad had built for me—and a deeply meaningful city whose name I’d chosen in honor of Mom Sione.

Of course I’d planned to visit someday, but going there immediately felt… somehow unfinished.

After all, I’d lived in the imperial capital for seven years. I had more memories here.

And—

“Shouldn’t I see the others before leaving?”

The twins. Harun. And Pession.

Ah—Pession was at the Northern Fortress, wasn’t he?

At my muttering, the three of them froze again like broken machines.

“Haha. My lady. It’s already been fifteen years.”

“Yeah. It’s been a long time.”

“So, really… a lot has changed.”

“I know. Everyone must be adults now, just like me. They say this hotel was the twins’ project. I thought they’d spend their whole lives causing trouble for others, but I guess they grew up with age.”

“Hoho.”

Rena muttered something like ‘Is that really what growing up means?’ but she said it so quietly I didn’t hear.

“What was that?”

“Oh, nothing.”

At this point, even I couldn’t help but sense that something was off.

“Ha… how are we supposed to explain this?”

The three of them whispered among themselves again.

“Shall we head back now?” Rena suddenly suggested.

It was suspicious, but we’d enjoyed the festival enough, and for some reason the crowd seemed thicker than usual tonight—so I nodded.

That was when—

“Look over there! It’s His Highness the Crown Prince!”

“Kyaa—Your Highness!”