The Male Lead's Sickly Aide Is My Type - Chapter 22
Translator and Editor: Nana and Nabi
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Chapter 22
“Oh, really?”
“Come closer.”
Yes! For some reason, he had a change of heart. Carinne obediently handed him the hair strand.
As Archen accepted it and took a deep breath, he shut his eyes as he chanted an incantation. A white and blue magic circle soon appeared around him, and within the circle, a dazzling burst of light erupted.
“Wow…”
It was a magical sight, something she had only heard about but never witnessed until this moment. Her eyes widened in awe as she watched Archen perform his magic.
In front of him, a burst of light took the form of a rectangular shape. With a gentle blow, he guided the hair strand held between his thumb and index finger, causing it to flutter gracefully and enter the rectangular form.
As it ascended, the hair strand emitted a brilliant light that captivated her.
“Huh?”
The hair strand burned and disappeared, and in an instant, a blinding flash of light revealed a bewildered young boy.
He was holding money in one hand and had saliva-coated fingers from counting it diligently before being unexpectedly transported to this new place. The sudden change in surroundings left him visibly shocked.
Carinne acted swiftly, taking advantage of the moment, and firmly grabbed the boy by the back of his neck.
“Gotcha!”
“Wha-what’s this? Who are you guys?”
“What’s this? It’s tracking magic!”
Carinne exclaimed triumphantly.
Now that she had captured the boy, all she had to do was search the bag and find the basket. As she removed the bag from the boy’s shoulder, she firmly held onto the back of his neck with both hands.
“Thank you for using magic! Now I can go buy dessert.”
“You’re not letting me go?”
Her plan was to swiftly purchase the dessert and then hand over the boy to the guards. She wanted him to learn the bitter taste of facing consequences directly.
And, of course, she wouldn’t forget to taunt him as well. It was essential for him to see the full consequences of his actions. Carinne held the boy’s neck firmly, resembling a mother cat carrying a mischievous kitten in her mouth, and then passed him over to Archen.
“Can you hold onto him for a moment? I’ll quickly visit the dessert shop and be right back.”
“Let go of me right now!”
The boy protested.
“Archen?”
However, Archen’s face turned pale and he grimaced in silence. It wasn’t his usual slightly pale complexion. His face was completely drained of color as if he had seen the gates of the afterlife.
Why did his face turn so pale all of a sudden? Shouldn’t he be happy since they caught the thief?
“Are you okay?”
“I’m… I’m fine. Let’s go quickly.”
He replied, his voice sounding as usual.
Relieved by his answer, she handed the boy back to him.
“Hey! Don’t you hear me?”
Instead of taking the boy from her, Archen muttered incomprehensible words. As he did, chains made of light appeared and wrapped tightly around the boy’s body.
“If you don’t let go right now… Mmm, mmm.”
The burst of light that appeared sealed the boy’s mouth, silencing him. Then, he held onto the end of the chain and started pulling. The boy couldn’t say a word, forced to follow Archen’s lead.
“Wow, this is magic too? It’s amazing!”
“Let’s go quickly.”
His breathing sounded somewhat labored. Was he feeling overwhelmed after catching the thief? Well, it was understandable since they had nearly lost a month’s worth of wages, but thankfully, they managed to recover them.
Carinne came to her own conclusion and swiftly headed towards the dessert shop, feeling a sense of accomplishment. Luckily, she arrived just before the owner closed the door, allowing her to purchase the remaining desserts.
After putting the desserts in the basket and settling the bill, she lifted the cloth covering the basket and savored the sweet aroma. Feeling elated, she knew she had successfully secured her tea time.
“Now, let’s go hand over this boy!”
Carinne, who had exited the dessert shop, approached Archen and tapped the shoulder of the fidgety boy. The boy had a flushed face and couldn’t stay still for even a moment.
“Are you coming?”
Even though she called out again, there was no response from him.
Perplexed, when she looked up, she noticed that his face had become even paler than before. Archen’s pale face revealed unexplainable fear and anxiety.
“…Archen?”
Suddenly, his face contorted with intense anguish. He dropped the chain he had been holding and clutched his chest with one hand, gritting his teeth as if suppressing something.
Carinne was so surprised that she forgot to pick up the chain.
“Are you in pain?”
“My… stomach doesn’t feel well.”
He murmured in a soft voice.
How could he suddenly feel unwell when he hadn’t eaten anything? The setting of him being frail wasn’t just for show.
“Sit here and rest for a moment.”
There happened to be a bench nearby, so she held onto him and guided him to the bench. He sat down as if collapsing onto the bench, still keeping his head lowered.
“Should I go and buy some medicine?”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll… recover soon. But more importantly…”
Archen reached out his hand, pointing towards a spot. The mischievous little boy, who had been hopping around with bound feet, was right there.
Oh no! They almost lost the captured thief.
Carinne quickly rushed over, picked up the chain, and tied it to a nearby tree. She was so focused on tying the knot that she didn’t notice Archen taking something out of his coat pocket and putting it in his mouth.
After securing the boy to the tree, she returned to find Archen clutching his chest with one hand, breathing heavily.
Was there anything she could do to help?
After contemplating for a moment, she gently placed her hand on top of Archen’s other hand. He flinched slightly but didn’t pull his hand away.
Gradually, his face, which had been pale, regained color, and his rough breathing turned into a steady rhythm. He briefly hesitated, then withdrew his hand from Carinne’s as if wiping something off, using his other hand to wipe the hand he had withdrawn.
“Are you feeling better now? What did you eat…?”
“It’s been quite some time. Shouldn’t you go now?” He interrupted Carinne and stood up from his seat.
“I’ll hand this thief over to the guards.”
“Oh, wait.”
Why was he in such a hurry? Carinne held onto him, preventing him from leaving.
“Don’t go just yet…”
Although they had completed their task, parting ways like this felt a little disappointing. She needed to gain something, even if it meant improving their rapport. For example, increasing the level of friendliness.
What should she say to make him stay? What words could she use to create an opportunity to spend more time together?
‘Ah, that’s it.’
“Let’s watch the stars together!”
Even though it may have seemed sudden, it was the best choice at the moment. What could be more romantic than watching the stars together? Besides, the stars looked incredibly beautiful in Esmeril. In a fantasy world, would there be factories or cars?
In a world without air pollution, the stars in the sky were dazzlingly beautiful.
Carinne often found herself mesmerized, standing still and gazing at the night sky. It must be getting dark now, and the sky would be clear. This was a perfect opportunity to build a connection and increase her rapport.
She sent Archen a pleading look.
“Let’s watch the stars in the sky before we go. Please? It’s a request.”
“…”
“Isn’t it beautiful when stars appear, one by one, in the pitch-black sky? It’s such a waste to watch them alone. It feels lonely, you know.”
He initially wore a bewildered expression, but when she began whimpering like a puppy, he couldn’t help but sit down reluctantly.
“Just for a moment.”
“Yes! Awesome!”
Carinne exclaimed in joy, causing him to rub his forehead and let out a small sigh. Whether he liked it or not, she leaned back against the bench and tilted her head back.
“Look, they’re coming out! Look over there!”
As the sun set, stars began to emerge one by one.
Big and small, white and blue stars adorned the sky, creating a beautiful spectacle. The Milky Way cut across the heavens, surrounded by colorful clouds. Carinne lost herself in the mesmerizing sight, gazing at the stars for a long time.
Archen was equally captivated by the celestial display. He gazed at the pure white stars with an expression of awe.
“How is it? Did you listen to me well? It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“…Yes.”
He replied after a while.
When he seemed to agree with her words, her heart raced, thinking the plan was successful.
“It feels like we’ve stepped into a book, doesn’t it? Romantic…”
…Like a romantic novel.
Carinne was about to blurt out her thoughts but hesitated.
‘We’re not at that stage yet, are we?’
It was true that she had entered a romance novel. Even so, it wouldn’t be a good idea to mention romance when they weren’t even dating. If he got surprised and ran away, it would be troublesome. She had spoken the words, so she needed to bring the conversation to a close.
In the end, she slightly changed the last word.
“…Fairy tale.”
Yes, that should do it. A fairy tale was safe enough. Satisfied with her quick thinking, Carinne turned her gaze back to the sky. One star, two stars, three stars…
As she silently counted the stars in her mind, a faint voice was heard from beside her.
“Do you believe that the stories in fairy tales can come true, Princess?”
What was he suddenly talking about?
“What kind of fairy tale?”
“Just an ordinary fairy tale. The one where the protagonist overcomes hardships and lives happily ever after… do you believe that such sweet stories can come true?”
Believing that fairy tales could come true…
A few months ago, she would have firmly dismissed such an idea. Yet now, she found herself possessing the role of a villainess in a romance fantasy novel, sitting under the stars with her beloved character.
If this wasn’t a fairy tale, then what was it?
“Of course. It’s possible, naturally.”
Carinne was a living witness.
“It’s my goal!”
To live happily ever after with her favorite character now that she had been reincarnated as the villainess. Since they had started with a fairytale-like beginning, why not end it the same way?
‘I can’t do anything else after becoming a character from a novel, right?’
Filled with confidence, she nodded her head.
“My goal is to live a long and happy life.”
“…I see.”
His face, as he said that, looked highly skeptical. Although he had asked the question himself, Archen seemed to have already made up his mind internally.
“Do you think it’s not possible? That fairy tales are just fairy tales? Fairy tales aren’t real.”
He replied without hesitation.
That was true. Carinne pondered for a moment before opening her mouth.
“Still, I want to believe that they can be real. It’s what I strive for. If my goal is impossible, it would be sad.”
“….”
“By working hard and living a good life, you can eventually have a happy ending. That’s what I believe. Even though you may face various difficulties along the way, every challenging experience comes to an end.”
Under the starry night sky, she smiled brighter than the stars.
“….”
His deep blue eyes flickered momentarily as he turned to face Carinne. He wore an ambiguous expression, tinged with awe or melancholy. Then, without a word, he gazed at her before abruptly turning his gaze forward.
For a few moments, they sat in silence. His elegant profile held a tinge of sorrow, prompting her to deliberately spoke in a lively tone to counter it.
“I have a feeling.”
“….”
“You’ll live the life you desire… a life without envy, happier than anyone else’s. That goes for me, too.”
She playfully narrowed her eyes at him.
‘…Even if you’re not, I’ll make you like that.’
“…I see.”
He grinned, raising an eyebrow. It was still an enigmatic smile.
The conversation ended there. As they finished stargazing, it had become quite late, and only a few night patrol guards remained before they could go home. The little boy seemed to have given up and no longer resisted.
Carinne handed him and his bag over to the guards. She bid farewell to Archen, shaking his hand. He had a gentler look in his eyes compared to when they first met.
That would have been enough.
…However, a problem occurred the next day.
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Zepelim
😍😍😍
Mangagirl4
I had a feeling he’d get sick if he used magic 😭 but the star gazing together was so cute!!