I Give Up on the BL Novel's Male Leads - Chapter 165
She couldnât let go of his hand, so she had no choice but to lie next to him on the bed. However, lying down together was out of the question, so she gently laid him down and sat beside him.
“…Sleep well.”
She said this softly as she summoned a book with her wand. With Edwin in front of her, she began to study.
It was true that Edwin was incredibly skilled, and with Rodein also threatening her, but she still wanted to do her best even if she placed third. She saw it as the only way to avoid denying all the effort she had put in so far.
So, she studied until morning, until the time came for her to go to school.
* * *
When Edwin opened his eyes, Illein was asleep, curled up next to him.
“….”
He was startled to realize that he had fallen asleep in her bed.
He sighed deeply, knowing that he had been holding onto the sleeve of her clothes, making it difficult for her to sleep comfortably.
Quietly, he got up and carefully moved her to the bed.
Just as he was about to leave and head outside, the sight of her unguarded state caught his eye, and his heart skipped a beat.
At the same time, he couldnât help but think that she looked incredibly alluring.
Without realizing it, Edwin gently touched her cheek with his hand. He felt her warmth through his palm, and only then did he realize what he had done.
His heart raced relentlessly with the impulse he had just acted on. He felt a wave of guilt and quickly pulled his hand back.
He scolded himself.
He shouldnât have done that.
But despite his inside regrets, his hand lingered for a moment near her cheek before pulling away. He stood still for a while, gazing at her, then took a step back.
As he moved away from the bed, Illeinâs form was now fully in his view.
Edwin felt a strange sensation as he looked at her otherworldly beauty. She seemed like a creature from a legendâpale and beautiful. Her silvery hair shimmered with multiple hues, almost as if it were splitting light like a prism.
Every time he looked into her blue eyes, it reminded him of a lake formed from melting glaciers. Even with her eyes closed, he could still vividly recall the bright sky-blue of her gaze.
Before he knew it, his gaze drifted from her soft, pink cheeks to her lips, and he froze.
Her clear, pink lips were glistening, almost irresistibly tempting.
Feeling a strong sense of longing, Edwin swallowed hard and turned his body away.
Swoosh!
He immediately waved his wand. In an instant, the room was completely tidied, to the point that no trace of Edwinâs presence remained. With that, Edwin left, as if trying to sever any lingering attachments.
* * *
Illein woke up a little earlier than usual, just before it was time to go to school.
“âŚEdwin?”
She immediately searched for Edwin in a panic as soon as she opened her eyes. It was then that she realized she was lying in bed, and she calmed down.Â
She must have been laid down here by Edwin after he woke up. Illein felt grateful for his consideration, but at the same time, she felt disappointed that he left without saying anything.
“If you’re leaving, you should’ve woken me.”
She thought that at least he could’ve said goodbye. It made her feel that he could be a little thoughtless sometimes.
At the same time, she could still feel the warmth of his magic lingering within her was so passionate.
Illein smiled softly as she looked at the now pristine room, once again feeling Edwinâs care. It was then that she heard something.
Zzzzinngg!
“Who could that be?”
Illein wondered who could be visiting at such an early hour, she put on her cardigan over her night clothes and headed toward the door.
Zzzzinngg!
“Yes, I’m coming.”
She spoke aloud and then opened the door.
“Ah!”
“Hello?”
Standing in front of her door was the owner of the magic items shop she had visited with Melias before.
“This is the item I mentioned before.”
“Eh? Oh…”
Illein received a small box, about the size of her palm. She raised an eyebrow at how small it was, and the shopkeeper chuckled in response.
“You know about compression magic, right?”
Illein nodded. She knew about it, but she hadnât considered using it like this. Usually, people just send things as they are, without thinking much about it.
“Well then, I look forward to working with you again. Thank you.”
With a polite bow, the shopkeeper quickly turned and left. Illein stood watching them, suddenly realizing something.
No wonder the shop had such a great reputation.
Illein then glanced at the grandfather clock beside the door to check the time. There were about three hours left before she needed to leave for school. If she allowed an hour to get ready and travel…
“That should be enough.”
Since she had prepared yesterday’s meal in advance, she figured she’d have enough time to make the potion. It wasnât really that difficult of a task either.
With her thoughts organized, Illein began to head up to the third floor.Â
As she made her way up, she felt an odd sensation in her chest.
