The Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health – Chapter 238

Author: Asternkm

Pession fell silent.

“I have to go find my dad.”

Saying something like this right after we reunited felt bad—but honestly, not telling him would’ve been worse, right?

This was just as important to me as he was. I couldn’t keep putting off finding my father.

“…Pession?”

He didn’t answer. Pession stayed quiet as if deep in thought, then soon smiled and nodded.

“You mean your biological father, right? Of course you have to find him. A complete recovery is important. I’ll help you.”

“No, not that dad.”

“…Not that dad?”

“Obviously, my dad.”

There was only one person I called Dad.

I narrowed my eyes sharply.

“Sion, don’t tell me you forgot my dad?!”

“Oh. Duke Halvern.”

Pession asked stiffly, clearly displeased.

“Why does that man matter?”

What was with this temperature difference?

Pession had never liked my dad much to begin with, but it seemed like his dislike had only grown stronger with age.

“No matter what, how can you call my dad that man?”

“He’s someone who treated you poorly. If I were your father, I would’ve treated you better.”

“That’s not true? My dad treated me pretty well in his own way.”

Pession looked at me like he was thinking, That counts?

“If you were my dad…”

I wanted to argue—but I couldn’t find the words.

If Pession were my dad, he definitely would’ve treated me well. Absurdly well.

Damn it. Dad lost!

Still, as a daughter, I couldn’t just stop defending him.

“Sure, my dad’s kind of impossible to read, has nothing going for him besides his face, ran away from home and didn’t come back for fifteen years, and I have no idea what he’s even useful for—but he’s still my dad!”

“There’s not a single compliment in that.”

“That’s his charm.”

Pession immediately looked sulky.

“So even though he’s that bad, you still like your dad that much.”

“Of course I do?”

My casual answer only made Pession’s expression more dangerous.

My dad didn’t like Pession much, and Pession didn’t like my dad either. Wasn’t this a tragedy waiting to happen?

I was already worried about the future, but for now, I focused on what I could do.

“No matter how useless he is, he’s still my dad. I have to find him.”

I’d meant to soothe Pession’s sulky mood—but it seemed like I’d only fanned the flames.

“Why are you so kind, Arell?”

“…I’m kind?”

That was the first time in my life anyone had called me that.

“Yeah. You’re too kind—that’s the problem. That’s why everyone likes you.”

“No, no matter how I think about it, that doesn’t sound right…”

Everyone likes me?

That wasn’t even a thought I had when I was seven.

Wasn’t I usually the one people disliked?

At my rebuttal, Pession narrowed his eyes. When our gazes met—his full of dissatisfaction—I shut my mouth without realizing it.

“Do you have any idea how many people hovered around you when we were kids because they wanted to get close to you? Do you know how hard it was for me to keep them away?”

Weren’t they just trying to get close to you through me?

“Even Harun and the twins. All three of them like you so much.”

That’s friendship.

“And Sirua! Do you know how hard it was for me to stop her from joining the childhood friends’ group just because she wanted to be close to you?!”

Wasn’t that more about rivalry over an older brother?

“Anytime there was even the slightest opening, you were always off playing with people who came out of nowhere.”

Was I?

The gap between the version of me Pession saw and the version I knew felt enormous.

So really…

“Isn’t it just because you’re wearing love-colored glasses?”

Pession immediately looked at me like I’d just said the dumbest thing imaginable.

“That’s—!”

He started to protest indignantly, then seemed to think better of it and shut his mouth with a deep sigh.

“Fine. It’s better if you don’t know. If I tell you, I’m the only one who loses anyway. This way is better for me.”

“…Huh?”

“Arell.”

Suddenly, Pession smiled brilliantly and called my name softly.

“Uh—what?”

Even though I was used to his looks, the sheer impact of that smile still made me flinch.

What was this? Why was he smiling like that all of a sudden?

“I’ll find your dad for you.”

“…What?”

“So.”

Pession took my hand, his gaze sweet enough to drip with honey.

“Stay with me.”

****

I got played.

By the time I came to my senses, we had already arrived at the imperial palace.

This time, instead of staying at Sirua’s Lord Palace, I was placed in a guest room at the Crown Prince’s Palace. Somewhere between eating the meals and snacks Pession brought me, listening to his stories, and finally realizing something was off—everything was already over.

“I can’t believe I fell for a honey trap.”

But honestly, when that guy smiles softly and coaxes you like that, how are you not supposed to fall for it?

“I’ll take care of all the dangerous and troublesome things, so Arell, you just stay here comfortably. Got it?”

I knew full well this was Pession’s ploy to keep me tied down, but still…

“When someone’s trying that hard, don’t you kind of have no choice but to give in?”

At my muttering, Rena stared at me in horror.

When Pession had practically reeled me in and brought me to the palace, Rena had chased after us desperately, clutching her forehead the whole time.

“I’m worried about your future, miss.”

“Why my future?”

“His Highness the Crown Prince…”

“Pession? What about him? There’s no one who treats me better than Pession.”

“That’s exactly what worries me.”

Rena looked at me like I was a little lamb caught in a wolf’s jaws.

“You really need to keep your wits about you. You understand, right? You never know when you might be swallowed whole.”

“Oh come on. Why would Pession eat me?”

“It already looks like you’re half eaten.”

At Rena’s words, I burst into laughter.

“Don’t laugh!”

“But it’s funny.”

Who’s eating who, anyway?

“There’s no way Pession would do that to me.”

“……”

Instead of feeling reassured, Rena pressed her forehead harder, looking even more troubled.

“Sigh… to think our miss is this innocent…”

I half-listened, half-ignored Rena’s lecture about not knowing where to even begin educating me, and turned my gaze to the window.

‘I really do need to go find Dad.’

I couldn’t bring myself to coldly shove Pession aside and leave, so I hesitated—and got caught.

‘Pession said he’d find Dad for me, but…’

I didn’t think it would be that easy.

He was probably somewhere no one could enter—or leave—lightly.

‘Maybe he’s in the reverse world?’

I’d even stopped by Halbern’s secret archives before setting out, hoping for some clues, but found nothing substantial. All I got was an earful of whining from Mac the dream fairy.

At least I confirmed that Dad’s books were steadily disappearing—which only proved he was in some kind of danger.

Naturally, my worry deepened.

“I can’t take Pession somewhere like that…”

How was I supposed to persuade him now?

****

Arellin’s reappearance threw the imperial palace into an uproar.

And to think that Arellin was that Arellin!

The Crown Prince never said it outright, but with how openly devoted he was, there was no way the people of the Crown Prince’s Palace wouldn’t notice.

Graham looked at Pession differently now that he knew it truly was Arellin herself.

‘As expected… the only person His Highness ever worries about and pays that much attention to is Lady Arellin.’

Though he did think it was strange that it had taken Pession so long to realize it, considering everything Pession had gone through, it was understandable.

The real problem was—

“Graham, Pession won’t meet me at all.”

Because of this incident, Pession had completely cut off all communication with both the Emperor and the Empress.

“Well, let him do as he pleases.”

Emperor Edward didn’t seem particularly bothered, but Empress Ageni was another matter entirely.

Worried that Pession’s feelings might be hurt, she paced anxiously.

“Her Majesty made the best choice she could at the time.”

“With time, His Highness will understand Your Majesty’s feelings.”

“That’s right—His Highness is such a devoted son.”

The maids offered comfort after comfort, but Ageni, who knew Pession’s personality better than anyone, thought differently.

‘With that rigid temperament, he won’t soften so easily.’

In the end, there was only one solution.