The Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health Chapter 202

If there was one lesson the past fifteen years taught me, it was a baseless confidence that no matter what I went through from now on, it wouldn’t be as agonizing as that time.

A crude treatment that relied solely on the effects of elixirs—destroying and regenerating organs and a body that were already broken.

The core of the treatment was “how much to destroy and regenerate at once.”
If too little was destroyed, the regenerative effect weakened; if too much was destroyed, it could be fatal. So every single time, I had to endure—fully conscious—the pain of my body being shattered and rebuilt.

They say that when a person goes through something too painful, something inside them breaks.

Maybe I wasn’t much different.

“Come to think of it, Miss, you seem a lot brighter these days.”

“It’s because my body feels refreshed. It’s light and moves the way I want, so I don’t get irritated.”

I finally understood why people kept saying physical strength is national power, and that health comes first.

Back when I had the frail constitution of a mola fish and a trash-tier body, everything bothered me and I was easily irritable. But when my body was comfortable, my mind became comfortable too.

“So this is what everyone’s been living with from the start.”

A healthy body was a blessing.

I also reminded Rena not to neglect her health.

“…Yeees.”

Anyway, back to the main point.

Mehen said there was no way for me to see Pession, but—

“Didn’t the imperial family send an invitation to you again this year, Mehen? Wouldn’t that be enough?”

“Oh.”

There was a method I hadn’t thought of.

Right now, Albrecht was holding its Founding Festival, and the highlight of the festival—no matter what anyone said—was the imperial ball held at the palace.

“Do you think Pession will be there?”

“He’s just returned from the Northern Fortress after a long time, so even if he doesn’t want to, he’ll probably have to attend.”

The problem was—

“With Valer absent, it’ll be difficult to enter under the name Arellin.”

If Mehen were still properly acting as the Grand Duke’s proxy, it might have been possible, but since he’d been in hiding for so long, there was no helping it.

“So, we need a new identity…”

As the three of them hesitated, unsure how to pull it off, I smiled brightly.

“What’s there to worry about? Just say I’m a mage. A star-rank mage, the personal disciple of the Archmage. Isn’t that status more than enough to get in?”

Rena blinked.

“Miss, you’re a star-rank mage?!”

“Yeah. I told you I’m good at magic.”

“……”

“So, you didn’t believe me.”

All three of them cleared their throats.

I already knew they hadn’t believed me, but seeing it play out like this was oddly irritating

 

 

****

 

 

Among all the events hosted by the imperial family, the imperial ball for the Founding Festival had the clearest purpose.

You could tell just by looking at how the Empress held a debutante party before the festival—it was a rather blatant objective.

As a grand event meant to provide opportunities for the empire’s young noble men and women, it was a ball that many nobles were practically obligated to attend.

“What? Who showed up?”

Mehen’s attendance.

Upon hearing the swiftly delivered news, Emperor Edward stroked his chin.

After more than ten years of invitations without even a glimpse of him, what wind had blown Mehen here now?

“There’s no trouble, is there?”

“Doesn’t seem so. Perhaps it’s just a whim?”

“Haha. Mehen, acting on a whim? The chamberlain has quite the sense of humor.”

Though Mehen had gone into hiding, his movements were quietly being tracked.

The fact that he had appointed a figurehead mayor in El Sionel while hiding his identity and effectively running the city himself was actually something to welcome.

After all, since Mehen became the Grand Duke’s proxy, Halbern’s influence had only continued to expand—but this development had taken some of that pressure off, which the imperial family didn’t mind at all.

“What about Valer?”

“The Grand Duke of Halbern is not in attendance.”

Still, no matter how reckless and unreadable Valer was, he had never crossed certain lines before…

Or has he finally lost it and crossed them now?

Valer’s disappearance was an issue the imperial family treated quite seriously. Emperor Edward frowned, then shrugged and muttered,

“Well, I suppose I’ll find out once I meet Mehen.”

That, however, wasn’t what mattered most to him.

“So, what about Pession?”

“Someone was sent to the Empress’s palace, and fortunately, he will be attending today.”

“That’s a relief.”

Emperor Edward let out a deep sigh.

Not once had he thought Pession would become a problem child—unless it were Shirua, with her strong will and sharp likes and dislikes.

He had only ever dreamed of raising Pession quickly, passing on the throne, and enjoying a peaceful life as a retired emperor, flirting happily with Empress Ageni…

“Should I just change the heir to Therion while I still can? It doesn’t seem too late.”

Granted, Therion’s achievements paled in comparison to Pession’s, and he didn’t show even a speck of imperial aptitude—but wasn’t he cute?

And if he was cute… wasn’t that enough?

“Your Majesty, it is time to enter.”

“Very well.”

Setting aside his worries, Emperor Edward entered the grand hall of the imperial ball, accompanied as always by his radiant and beautiful other half.

And then—

“Shione?”

After finishing the customary greetings and taking their seats of honor, Empress Ageni’s eyes widened.

At a name she never thought she would hear again, Emperor Edward flinched.

He followed the direction of the Empress’s unwavering gaze.

“Hm.”

Standing beside Mehen was a young lady who unmistakably brought the name Shione to mind.

A sense of foreboding crept in.

“That young lady couldn’t possibly…?”

 

 

 

****

 

 

“Everyone’s staring.”

“…That can’t be helped.”

Mehen glanced sideways at the carefree Arellin with an uneasy look.

“Why?”

Ninety percent of those gazes were directed at this young lady. She seemed completely unaware of it.

She really does stand out.

Mehen, who had grown up seeing Valer’s and Shione’s looks up close since childhood, wasn’t easily impressed—but Arellin’s beauty, now that she was healthy and radiant, surpassed even theirs.

There was a reason Rena had practically screamed and procured a dress for her instead of letting her wear a star-rank mage’s robe just because she said she was going as a mage.

“This kind of beauty going to waste is a crime!”

When she was younger, her health issues left her pale and expressionless—pretty, but doll-like. Now, seeing her lively face smiling brightly again and again, Mehen could tell, just as Rena had said, that Arellin’s personality had changed.

It’s nice to see.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I just find it fascinating.”

“What’s so fascinating?”

“Well…”

Mehen set down the wineglass he was holding and rested a hand at his waist.

“When did our little kid grow up so much?”

“What kind of question is that?”

Arellin let out a soft laugh. At that smiling face, he could feel the surrounding murmurs rise once more.

“Everyone keeps stealing glances at Arel and can’t seem to look away.”

“Really? I don’t really notice.”

“…That shamelessness must be hereditary.”

At the answer that immediately brought Valer to mind, Mehen narrowed his eyes, and Arellin shrugged.

Their gazes shifted toward the hottest spot in the ballroom—the cluster of young ladies gathered around Crown Prince Pession.

“Aren’t you going over there?”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“I thought you’d rush straight to His Highness the moment you arrived.”

“I do have something called social decorum.”

Just then, an attendant approached Mehen’s side. Mehen let out a light sigh, as if what he’d expected had arrived.

“His Majesty is calling for me. I should go.”

“Okay. Go ahead.”

“Don’t cause trouble.”

“Do you still think I’m a kid?”

“In my eyes, you always are.”

Hearing Mehen’s warning, Arellin shrugged again.

 

 

****

 

 

 

“Popular, huh.”

After Mehen left, I stood alone, sipping white wine and lost in thought.

Just as Mehen said, I’d planned to approach Pession the moment I entered the ballroom—but there were far more people than I’d expected.

There was no opening to slip through.

“Huh?”

While I was briefly lost in thought, Pession disappeared from my view.

I hurriedly scanned around and saw Pession leaving the hall, as if something had come up.

After a moment’s hesitation, I moved.

I came all this way to see Pession—leaving without even talking to him would be ridiculous!

“Where did he go?”

I was sure he came this way.

I hesitated in a corridor of the palace I was fairly familiar with, having visited it several times—

Clatter—the door suddenly opened, and a large hand shot out through the gap, grabbing my arm.

Bang!

Startled by the loud slam of the door, I looked up to see who would do something like this—and froze when I saw the face right in front of me.

…Pession?

For a split second, I wondered if this was a dream, trying to make sense of what was happening.

“Who are you?”

A cold voice fell down over my head.