I’m Looking for the Male Lead for the Ending - Chapter 85

Chapter 43.2

I met Marie’s eyes again, encouraging her to respond.

After a brief hesitation, she finally stammered out a reply.

“I-If it’s not through something obvious like a carrier pigeon or a formal invitation, something His Excellency could easily track. He would definitely find out about those.”

“Alright. So if I find a way to reach him without my father finding out, you’re promising to continue the treatment?”

I glanced at Marie’s uneasy expression before rising from my seat. As I reached for the book where I had slipped the paper he had given me, my heart began to race with nervous anticipation.

There should definitely be a response by now.

I opened the book, silently hoping for an answer, but the paper he had given me remained blank.

Marie, just as tense as I was, tilted her head in confusion.

“My lady? What’s wrong?”

I let out a dry chuckle, caught between disbelief and embarrassment.

At this point, it wasn’t that something had happened to him. Rather, it felt like I’d been ignored, and I was the only one who hadn’t realized it. And the moment that thought crossed my mind, it hit me that I was far more drawn to him than I had ever realized. That was why I had placed so much expectation on him, and now, that very expectation was amplifying my disappointment.

The moment I realized it, warmth flooded my cheeks.

“My lady?”

‘…No, forget it.’

The only reason I had wanted a way to contact him in the first place was for Marie’s treatment. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t also thought about how it could make navigating the hidden route a bit smoother…

‘Besides, my feelings aren’t what matters here.’

Yet, despite knowing that, a peculiar feeling still lingered.

I forced myself to brush off the lingering discomfort, but Marie,who had been watching curiously, suddenly jolted and stepped back in surprise.

“M-My lady!”

“Huh?”

“T-There’s something on the paper! It’s moving!”

“The paper?”

The black-inked letters on the paper I had shown Marie began to squirm and move, slowly rearranging themselves into place.

I was unsure how to respond, which is why my reply took longer than expected. Truthfully, I hadn’t arranged this method of communication for your sake, but more for my own selfish reasons. My return to the capital had been delayed due to the situation in Neitzia, and I couldn’t help but wonder how the lady was doing.

…What?

Marie’s face filled with shock as she saw me frozen, staring at the paper as if time had stopped.

“W-What is that? I-Is that some kind of letter? Then who… Wait, don’t tell me it’s from His Highness the Grand Duke?”

I stood there, completely still, unable to respond to Marie’s startled question. To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure I understood what he was saying.

After a long pause of hesitation, I reached for my quill and began to write a response.

Why do you want to know?

The moment I added the question mark, I wondered if my words had come across as too sharp, harsher than I intended.

But despite my worries, his response arrived without delay.

Do you want an honest answer again?

Yes.

Because it’s been on my mind. Not just whether your god has placed you in another difficult situation like last time, but even the smallest personal details, like who you’ve met and what you’ve talked about. Everything.

His response immediately reminded me of something he had said before: that, for a number of reasons, he couldn’t help but be concerned about me. He had also mentioned that if those reasons ever became truly meaningful to him, if he started to place importance on what I said, he would only end up getting hurt.

The emotions from that moment resurfaced, and a wave of heat rushed over me.

I placed a hand over my heated face, covering my lips. Marie, who had been observing me carefully, spoke up again.

“My lady, are you okay?”

“…Yeah, I’m fine.”

Noticing Marie’s worried expression, I offered her a small smile before picking up the quill. Then, after hesitating for quite a while, I carefully wrote out my response.

I’ve been doing well; nothing unusual has happened. If it’s alright with you, could you set a date for Marie’s treatment?

“My lady, this is not the time for that!”

Marie, peeking at the reply I was writing, looked even more exasperated than I had ever seen her. She raised her voice in frustration.

But, oblivious to her irritation, his reply arrived almost immediately.

The magician handling the treatment had to leave for a while due to some urgent matters. He’ll return in ten days—would it be alright to schedule the treatment then?

That’s fine. Then, I hope Your Highness successfully completes your work and returns to the capital safely. You don’t need to reply further.

The moment his response came through, I ended the exchange quickly, as if I had been waiting for the chance to do so.

“You should’ve asked him out on a date instead of talking about my treatment!”

I laughed teasingly at Marie, who pouted in dissatisfaction.

“Just make sure to keep your promise, Marie.”

“…Thank you. Truly.”

Perhaps it was a mix of guilt and gratitude that made her voice rise slightly. After a moment of hesitation, she simply bowed her head instead of saying anything more.

I quietly slipped the paper I had been using to exchange written messages with him back into the book and turned my gaze away.

My heart pounded loudly, beating out of control.