I’m Looking for the Male Lead for the Ending - Chapter 48

Chapter 25.1

‘So, she’s the young lady everyone is talking about.’

〈 Is the lady you’ve been talking about a moment ago the Young Lady of Marquis Aidelis? 〉

In response to that question, Diel leaned towards where Estieren was sitting. Although there was no one around to eavesdrop, he spoke in a low voice, almost like a whisper.

〈 Doesn’t this make you think those temple people are really stupid? Even though they kept praying to hear the voice of the gods, in the end, the one who could hear the gods was the Young Lady, who didn’t pray at all and didn’t have a shred of faith. 〉

Thud, thud.

Estieren fingers, which had been tapping on the desk, stopped abruptly.

He had listened to everything from Diel, the Master of the Magic Tower, as well as Perideline and Emma, but there was one person they all mentioned in common.

Ardi Aidelis.

In the end, it was Ardi who revealed the fact that Perideline was being attacked by the Elkar tribe, and it was also she who saved his sister’s life. Moreover, if what his sister told him today was true, then the benefactor who saved her life eight years ago was also her.

〈 Still, you must accept the brooch. Otherwise, I’d become someone who isn’t able to repay the person who saved my life. 〉

After hearing Perideline’s words, he couldn’t help but wonder if the hair of the girl who handed him the brooch back then had golden hair that sparkled like Ardi’s. Still, he wasn’t sure if that was really his memory or if it had been distorted by his sister’s words.

In a tangle of thoughts, Estieren leaned his head back on the chair and closed his eyes.

In any case, what was certain was that while he had received help from Young Lady Aidelis, he had given her nothing in return. Moreover, judging by the fact that she had been under restraint since the competition, it seemed that the jewelry he had given her had put her in trouble. There was no way the Marquis wouldn’t take his anger on her for not winning the competition.

‘Could it be that he thought gifting the prize he received to Aidelis was a mockery?’

The thought that suddenly occurred to him was quite plausible, making his mind swirl with complexity. Knowing the meaning of the lily of the valley ornament he had gifted, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

‘I’ve done something unnecessary.’

If he had known it was going to be like this, he would have given the gift in a different way.

Thud, thud.

Estieren, who was tapping the armrest of his chair, opened his closed eyes. Even though he wanted to express his gratitude to Ardi for saving Perideline’s life, it was clear that if the Marquis were to find out that she had traveled to the border forest during her restraint, it would bring unfavorable consequences to her, contrary to his intentions.

The corners of his mouth lifted slowly as he pondered what to do.

The fact that he now had an excuse to meet her brought him joy.
[ T/N: ⁄(⁄ ⁄•⁄-⁄•⁄ ⁄) ehehehe ]

̊ · : * ✧* : · ̊

“Follow me quickly, you punk!”

“W-wait for me, Sir Jen!”

“Hans, how do you expect to eat and live when you’re so weak?”

The middle-aged man named Jen spoke to Hans, the young man who was struggling to keep up with him while panting. Hans wiped the sweat that had formed on his bushy brown hair and pouted like a duck as he replied.

“Sir Jen, aren’t you scared at all?”

“Why should I be scared?”

“Honestly, isn’t this much creepier than what we heard in Efren? I’d heard about the dying world tree, but I never imagined it would become like this, even to the border forest on the path.”

Jen glanced around at the sound of Hans whimpering. Indeed, it seemed like death loomed everywhere he walked, just as he described.

“…Stop talking nonsense, and let’s move quickly. It’ll get really dangerous if it gets darker here.”

To be honest, Hans wanted to abandon everything, whether it was Philoia or whatever and just return to Efren. He bellowed as he trotted behind Jen, who was walking ahead of him.

“Do we really have to get Philoia in Arbonis? Didn’t they say that collecting or processing Philoia is prohibited in Arbonis?”

“Do you even know how much it costs for just a root, and yet you’re saying that?”

“It’s because no one knows that what they asked for comes at a price! To be honest, I didn’t want to say this much, but I have a bad feeling about it.”

Hans, who had been making grumbling noises in frustration, flinched at the fluttering sound of birds flying away. Even the moon, which had been partially visible through the clouds, was now obscured, and the forest had become so dark that it was difficult to take a single step.

Jen, who was walking ahead, eventually couldn’t stand it anymore and shouted at Hans.

“Ah, stop being so loud and boisterous and follow me!”

Hans, who stood frozen in place as if rooted to the ground, turned to Jen and spoke.

“N-No, I have to go back. I don’t want to die in a foreign country.”

“What? Hey, hey you!”

Hans, who let out a yelp, turned around and ran back the way he came without even looking back. Jen watched in frustration as his figure disappeared in an instant.

“That d*mn b*stard!”

Frustrated, he kicked a rock that lay at his feet.

Please consider sending some love either through the translator’s Ko-fi or by leaving a rating/review for this series on novel updates~!