The Male Lead Is Obsessed With My Health Chapter 271

Whether it was because of the ruins’ power or because of divinity, I couldn’t tell—but I was now able to observe all the parallel worlds connected to the ruins.

‘If I want to smash the ruins, I’ll have to sever all of these first.’

Countless worlds were repeatedly meeting their end. Just how many worlds were connected to these ruins?

I’d vaguely wondered what had happened to the world my dad regressed to, and now I knew for sure.

‘They’re all destroyed.’

Only after a world reached its end could I close the gate connecting it to the ruins.

And in the process, I unintentionally witnessed my dad’s long, desperate journey to save me.

Worlds the novel never showed—after my death.

‘Mehen…….’

Life hadn’t been easy for Mehen after leaving Halbern.

Perhaps from overwork, Mehen’s health was poor overall.

And after completely letting go of work, she couldn’t endure the sense of loss from losing me.

‘If it was going to hurt this much, why did you draw such a hard line with me? Honestly!’

To me, Mehen had always seemed endlessly great and strong—but she was human too.

Thinking back to how she said she didn’t really know what family was, even while saying she’d be my mother, maybe she had been afraid too.

‘When I get back, I’ll make sure she gets a full medical checkup. No excuses.’

The next person my gaze naturally went to was Pession.

‘That Pession doesn’t know me.’

Since I died without any point of contact or chance for mutual recognition, that was only natural.

‘But where did the female lead go?’

What was strange was that Chloe—the novel’s female lead, whom I’d assumed would naturally be with Pession—was nowhere to be seen.

In none of the parallel worlds could I find any trace of Chloe.

After the death of Empress Azeni, Pession struggled desperately to do something about the cascading crises facing the Empire and the continent, only to die together with the Empire.

Without exception—in every world I had seen so far.

‘…Wasn’t this supposed to be a sweet romance fantasy?’

What kind of world did I even reincarnate into?

In my twenty-second year since reincarnation, I felt doubt about this world for the first time.

“If this was reincarnation, shouldn’t you explain everything upfront before starting?”

Aren’t web novel protagonists these days all supposed to be experienced “entry-level veterans”?

‘Gods, divinity—none of that was even in the novel.’

I didn’t read part two, so I couldn’t say for sure, but still……

Thud.

Another world was severed.

Thud.

What matters to me is whether the people I love are happy or not.

Thud.

For that, it would be best if this world didn’t collapse and remained intact—but—

‘That’s not something I can solve right now, so I’ll set it aside.’

It hurt that all I could do was watch versions of Pession in other parallel worlds struggle alone to restore empires and continents that had fallen into ruin.

‘I always wanted Pession to be happy.’

Liking someone was a feeling that sometimes surprised you like this.

I wasn’t usually this kind of person. Really.

“But Pession, I hope you’re happy—no matter which world you’re in.”

Even if you don’t know me.

Even if I’m not in your life.

I hope you’re never unhappy, and happy forever.

Thud.

Another gate closed, cutting off a world from the ruins.

The ruins shook violently, and I could feel the people inside panicking.

[What in the world is this—?!]

[The Black Star—where is the Black Star?!]

[What is happening?!]

Regardless, I kept closing the open gates to the parallel worlds.

In the process, I saw Luca—whom I had sent off to the secret archive—running around looking for me.

[No, we have to find her! A person has gone missing here!]

I also saw a version of Pession stopping Luca and asking about me.

[That lady from before……]

[Your Majesty, is that young lady really bothering you that much?]

[Yeah. Why does she bother me this much?]

Meanwhile, the world where I had destroyed the ruins was no longer visible—perhaps its connection had already been severed……

Thud.

The end of yet another world.

As the number of worlds connected to the ruins dwindled, I could feel the ruins’ power weakening.

And beyond that—

My dad’s presence, wandering somewhere out there.

‘Dad’s presence is getting stronger.’

If I cut off just a few more connections to parallel worlds, I felt like I could pinpoint exactly where he was.

“Dad, get ready to be scolded.”

Just try running off on your own again.

When I bring you back this time, I’ll tie you up tight and hand you straight over to Mehen.

I was giggling to myself at the thought when I felt a massive presence blocking my way.

—Arellin.

A voice that pierced straight into my mind, not my ears.

‘This is…….’

Before, it had only been terrifying—something I couldn’t truly perceive. But now, it felt different.

—It’s been a while.

 

 

 

*****

 

 

“It’s been a while.”

A heavy voice spread through my ears and my mind at the same time.

As if a curtain were being drawn back from the darkness, a presence revealed itself.

“Cheyen.”

In the past, just seeing those golden eyes had been enough to paralyze me with fear—but now, even facing them head-on, I wasn’t afraid at all.

Rather, it felt like a single lingering question had finally been answered.

“So it was you who activated these ruins.”

The “him” the Duke of Gremwat mentioned must have been Cheyen too.

“Arellin.”

Cheyen smiled, narrowing his eyes. It was a bright, beautiful smile—so why did it feel so chilling?

“How are you alive?”

“Why? Are you unhappy about it?”

“Well. I never once considered the possibility that you might be alive. So how are you? Hmm?”

This arrogant immortal still seemed bothered by the fact that I had rejected his offer.

“Someone saved me.”

“Who?”

“A blunt, terribly lonely, pitiful but kind person?”

“Is that so?”

Cheyen’s gaze fixed on me.

As if responding to his emotions, mist billowed out, enveloping both Cheyen and me.

“Then why do you carry the presence of someone familiar…?”

The pressure felt like a blade pressed right up under my chin, yet strangely, all I could do was laugh.

“That’s because my master is a blunt, terribly lonely, pitiful but kind person.”

Cheyen burst into loud laughter.

Watching him laugh like a madman, I thought once again that he really wasn’t right in the head.

‘I shouldn’t have gotten involved with someone like this in the first place.’

But what could I do? My life was cursed enough that I’d already gotten tangled up with him.

Wiping at the corner of his eye, Cheyen spoke.

“That was a very amusing joke.”

“It’s not a joke.”

“Actually, it wasn’t amusing at all.”

“Really? I thought it was.”

In an instant, the smile vanished from Cheyen’s lips. Under his piercing gaze, this time I smiled brightly.

“As you know, I don’t really stick my nose into other people’s business. Honestly, aside from the people I like, I don’t care what happens to anyone else.”

“I know. That’s why I like you. I told you—we’re alike.”

“But my master is different.”

My master hadn’t loved me unconditionally. From the start, he had drawn a line and never tried to grow attached to me.

‘I wasn’t planning to get attached either.’

I don’t know why I ended up liking my master this much.

I only meant to repay the debt of being saved.

“Why did you heal me?”

I still remembered my master’s answer.

“Pity.”

“Or compassion. Atonement. Substitution. Perhaps hypocrisy.”

I clearly saw the complicated storm of emotions that had flickered faintly across my master’s face back then.

“And because there must be a reason you appeared before me.”

At the time, I didn’t understand—but now I could grasp how much resolve it must have taken for my master to save me.

“Was it you? The painful thorn in my master’s side?”

Only now did I understand: for a human, rising in rank meant becoming an immortal.

‘That’s why he kept telling Mac to be reborn.’

The reason I could see Cheyen while he was hidden, the reason I could purify the corruption of mages, the reason all the stars bestowed blessings upon me, the reason I was a magical prodigy—and the reason I became terminally ill—all of it followed the same logic.

‘Because I possess power too great to bear without becoming an immortal!’

That’s why I kept dying every time!

‘Power that guarantees death unless you become immortal—does this life difficulty even make sense?’

So my current body was half-immortal, having received my master’s rank.

My master had shaved down his own rank to make my body similar to that of an immortal.

Which meant…

‘The “treatment” I received was actually a procedure to create an immortal… something like that.’

And my master had publicly declared that there existed someone who survived even after receiving that treatment.

“So it was you? The decisive culprit who turned my master into a shut-in loser?”

The one responsible for keeping my master—who had passionately spread magic as the first Archmage—from ever leaving the Sky Tower.

‘You’re probably that so-called stain on the Mage Tower, the incomplete god of magic or whatever.’

I vaguely knew what had happened back then. Hadn’t he killed all living mages and shattered stars before being sealed?

‘Was he sealed because my master couldn’t bring himself to kill him?’

Just as Cheyen sensed my master’s rank within me, I too sensed the rank of my master that had made Cheyen an immortal.

“I can’t believe it.”

Cheyen glared at me with the face of someone who had lost the world.

“My master… saved you? Of his own will?”

“Yeah. That’s me.”

Cheyen stared at me with the expression of a child who’d had a parent’s affection stolen.

Your master’s amazing, by the way.

“So,” I said,
“who’s my master’s favorite disciple now?”