If They Get Obsessed, I’m Doomed - Chapter 53

RP: Haebaragi_syk

Chapter 27.2

He walked, trying not to feel the satisfaction from her gaze. Perhaps it was just his consciousness, but his steps quickened. With a swift motion, he slipped through the tangle of desks and chairs with nimble movements.

The exit door was just ahead.

Crash!

There was a loud crashing sound from behind.

His steps, which had been about to leave, came to a halt, and soon, curiosity arose at the cascade of noise. Racine eventually turned his head towards the source of the commotion.

A few meters behind, a chair had been knocked over, and dozens of books spilled onto the floor.

The princess hurriedly gathered the fallen books.

There was a long wound on the back of her hand, as if she had scratched it while falling. Despite blood seeping out, she seemed oblivious. It was clear that she had tried to keep up with his pace and had stumbled in haste. Unfortunately, she had also disturbed the neatly stacked books the librarian had set aside for later organization, adding to the mess.

Picking up one of the books that had been pushed towards him, he gave a glance to the servant standing behind and motioned for him to leave first before he approached the disarray. The woman, who was preoccupied with picking up the books, didn’t notice him approaching. She hurriedly gathered the books that had fallen and stacked them.

Racine placed the book he had picked up with a loud thud onto the empty desk.

It was only then that the woman, who had been looking at the floor, turned her face towards him. There was still a pile of books in her arms. Her white face was stained pink, showing embarrassment from the fall. He found it intriguing that despite her usually stoic expression, subtle emotions were now evident.

Then, he leaned on the desk and slowly lowered his head, closing the distance between them.

The woman in front of him parted her lips, unable to say anything. Her disheveled hair from the fall still clung messily to her flushed cheek, yet to be tidied up.

Then, he opened his mouth while staring at the disheveled figure.

“When it comes to conversations, do it with people you’re close to.”

His eyes, resembling those of an investigator, glared fiercely at the defenseless Ariel, drawing a clear line. It seemed as though he wouldn’t let it slide if she crossed it.

“Don’t follow me.”

With a stern tone, he delivered his words and walked away. His golden hair, tied in a single piece behind his back, fluttered as he boasted his towering figure. He walked away at a fast pace.

Only Ariel was left amidst the scattered books.

The scene of the empty library, with the sunset casting its glow, was as gloomy as late autumn when the leaves were falling.

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

『 A target has been detected far away. 』

『 Racine di Solem

▷ Favorability towards you: — (He’s not interested in you.)
▷ Current Location: The Duchy of Solem (Due to the distance, accurate tracking is difficult.) 』

Ariel sighed as she looked at Racine’s profile, which remained unchanged. After parting ways with him and returning to the Count’s residence, she felt a bit gloomy.

She leaned back against the back of the couch and slumped.

Not only did she fail to fill a single heart, but he also seemed to build more walls instead. She even threatened not to talk to him.

‘To return to the original world, I need favorability…’

Although the situation was desperate, she couldn’t bring herself to catch him. Emotionally, it was too difficult for her to do that. To be honest, to her, Racine wasn’t just intimidating but downright scary. Whenever she met his piercing gaze, she felt her very bones shiver.

‘But I shouldn’t be afraid.’

Ariel put down her phone and buried her face in her hands before she took a deep breath to gather her resolve. Yet, she still couldn’t muster the courage to approach him again. It was unlike her personality—neither this game nor the targets or even the people she had to attack.

‘…Is there no other way?’

Although she desperately sought the next best solution, there was no such thing. The only way for her to return was to raise everyone’s favorability to three hearts or more and achieve a special ending.

She took a deep breath and let it out in a long exhale.

“Ugh, I don’t know.”

There was no way it would be resolved if she avoided him because of a threat.

Ariel got up from the sofa and went downstairs. After she asked for a private conversation with the Countess, she made a difficult request.

“Could you please provide a personal letter for me to visit the Duchy of Solem as a gesture of friendship?”

The Countess, surprised by the unusual request from her daughter, widened her eyes.

“Please.”

Ariel, who was sitting across from her, lowered her head.

The Countess watched her and then closed her eyes, lost in thought.

Upon closer examination, her daughter’s request wasn’t entirely frivolous.

The Duchy of Solem tended to maintain a meticulous neutrality, and most noble families would like to have at least one friendly exchange with them.

‘Well, it’s about time to make that visit.’

The Countess saw it as a good opportunity.

While it might seem a little blatant for her to pay a visit herself, sending her daughter, who even had a letter of recommendation from the prince, as a means of fostering friendship presented a different story. By sending her daughter in her place, she would be able to claim the authority of the Countess, and with someone of high standing and the trust of the prince representing her, it wouldn’t challenge the sensibilities of the Duchy of Solem.

However, there was one problem with the Duchy of Solem, or more precisely, with the grounds of their residence.

“I can provide you with a personal letter. However, entry to the Duchy of Solem is restricted to those specially invited. If you wish to enter without an invitation, you may have to pay with your life.”

“My… life?”

“You’ll have to take a kind of test. It’s a tradition passed down in the Duchy of Solem. It’s a custom that outsiders who aren’t specifically selected and invited by the Solem family must go through. I don’t know the details myself, but it’s certain that there are deaths every year. There are complaints abound, but nothing has changed so far. So, if you’re going, you have to be prepared.”

“….”

“To be honest, I don’t want to let you go.”

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