If They Get Obsessed, I’m Doomed - Chapter 84

Chapter 43.1

Lexius, who was supposed to be attending another lecture, had somehow ended up in the Magic Combat classroom.

Was it just a coincidence that his previous class was running late, or had he intentionally waited until this one was over? Ariel found his sudden appearance rather curious.

Skylar rubbed his forehead, looking like he was getting a headache.

Ignoring whether Skylar was bothered or not, Lexius walked down the classroom steps and stood in front of the desk where the two of them sat. His eyes landed on Skylar’s arm, which was blocking the back of her chair.

“Are you resorting to threats now?”

“What’s it to you?”

“It’s very much my business.”

Lexius responded with a smile before grabbing the corner of the desk in front of him with his right hand. As if ripping it apart, he pulled forcefully. The mahogany desk, fixed firmly to the floor, emitted a splintering sound as it broke apart. The heavy piece of furniture, weighing dozens of kilograms, was effortlessly torn away under his hand.

Ariel’s mouth fell open in shock at the monstrous display of strength. The previously blocked path was now clear, freeing her legs that had been trapped under the desk. A way forward was revealed to her.

Skylar, realizing that blocking the back of the chair was now pointless, dropped his arm.

“What kind of brute behavior is this?”

“What do you think?”

Lexius, who had been acting nonchalantly, suddenly grabbed Ariel’s arm as she sat quietly. Before she could react, he forcibly pulled her up, and she fell right into his arms.

“What is… mmph!”

Before she could protest, Lexius covered her mouth.

Skylar, quickly catching on to what was happening, leaped to his feet and reached out to grab Ariel, but he couldn’t reach her in time.

“Too late, idiot.”

Lexius taunted, and Skylar’s arm slashed futilely at the air.

The entire setting around them shifted in an instant. The elegant classroom was gone, replaced by the entrance of a familiar library she recognized. Ariel flinched as she caught a glimpse of the shifting scenery, realizing that Lexius was behind the sudden upheaval.

‘What is he trying to do?’

Frightened, Ariel pushed hard against Lexius’s chest, which was pressed close to her face. However, he didn’t budge.

“Senior Lex, what are you…”

“Just wait a moment, Ariel. I’m trying to help you.”

Lexius cut her off with a gentle, reassuring tone.

‘Help me? But why?’

Ariel couldn’t help but question his intentions. As she looked up at the man whose arms were holding her tightly, Lexius was smiling, his eyes focused on something in the distance.

“You followed us, huh?”

He spoke to someone, but there was no response. The only sound that broke the silence was the crunching of footsteps on the grass.

It was undoubtedly Skylar. With his appearance, Ariel quickly pieced together Lexius’s intentions.

‘Since I seemed uncomfortable with Skylar’s questions… is he trying to help me escape so I won’t have to answer?’

Even so, she couldn’t help but feel that this whole teleportation chase was excessive. If anything, it would only provoke Skylar further.

‘It would be better to resolve this through conversation.’

Ariel tried to turn her head, but Lexius prevented even that.

His heavy hand pressed firmly on the back of her head, forcing her face against his chest, covered only by a light, billowing shirt. The soft fabric, the glimpse of his collarbone and chest, exuded a strong scent of soap mingling with the warmth of his skin, which she could feel clearly through the thin material.

It was far too close.

Though this wasn’t the first time Ariel had been this close to Lexius, she suddenly became acutely aware of it. Before, it had only happened when she was so exhausted she was on the verge of falling asleep. But being this close with a clear mind was naturally overwhelming.

She wanted to pull away from him.

“Don’t move.”

She barely twitched her hand, yet Lexius commanded her as if he’d read her thoughts. As his hold around her tightened even more, her cheek pressed against his chest, brushing against him. She tried her best to ignore the sensation of his skin through the thin fabric.

“It’s not like I can move anyway…”

Ariel muttered with a hint of complaint, but Lexius paid her no mind. He kept her firmly in his arms as he stepped back, putting more distance between himself and Skylar.

“Don’t you dare touch her.”

Skylar’s restrained voice revealed his anger.

Lexius let out a dismissive scoff, showing no intention of retreating. He knew the situation would tip in his favor if things continued this way.

“You’ve only got one left now, don’t you?”

As Skylar’s face hardened at his taunt, which cut straight to the truth, a sly smile spread across Lexius’s face.

“I still have three more.”

As soon as Lexius’s mocking words ended, Ariel’s surroundings shifted once more. The library vanished, replaced by the fresh scent of water.

Ariel struggled to turn her head and check her surroundings.

Instead of weeping willows, ash trees stretched over a calm lake that gleamed like a sheet of silver. Far across the grassy field stood a large building she had never seen before.

‘…Where are we this time?’

Just when it felt like she’d seen this place before, the scenery changed to yet another unfamiliar lakeside view. After being here three times, each time with a different view, it was clear the lake was far larger than she had initially thought.

“Sen—”

“Not yet, keep quiet.”

Lexius murmured in a low voice, his eyes fixed on the relentless pursuer who had tracked them. The commanding tone left Ariel frozen, unable to make a move.

“Just stay still.”

“…Do we really have to do this?”

“If we separate, I can’t teleport us. But if you want to stay behind and get dragged back to the capital, then go ahead and let go.”

Lexius spoke as if he knew her situation all too well.

Left with no choice, she stayed in his embrace. His grip around her waist then tightened, almost crushingly so, as if he were holding onto a toy he didn’t want to let go of.

“I told you not to touch her!”

Skylar shouted fiercely, like someone who had something stolen from him. The sound of his footsteps cut through the tall grass, carrying the urgency in every step.

“Let go.”

Skylar growled, his face rigid as he closed the gap between them. Still, despite the threatening tone, Lexius remained unfazed.

“This is full-on stalker behavior.”

He sneered, throwing the scathing remark right in Skylar’s face.

“Your eyes have gone crazy.”

He added with a mocking laugh, bringing his taunt to an end.

Lexius’s observation was spot on. Skylar’s eyes burned with a feral hunger and madness, like a starved predator robbed of its prey. If Ariel had seen it, she would have been terrified and fled. The fierce, predatory glare was directed straight at Lexius.

“I told you to let her go.”

Skylar’s voice remained calm, but it felt like a final warning. It was clear his patience was on the verge of snapping.

Lexius watched him teeter on that edge, then slowly took a step back.

The only reason Skylar managed to maintain a semblance of rationality was the fact that Lexius wasn’t Devoncia, and that brief hesitation made his movements uncertain. He didn’t hate Lexius enough to recklessly lunge and grab him by the throat, so he still stuck to warning him with words for now.