I Give Up on the BL Novel's Male Leads - Chapter 49
Edwin still looked at her with a dazed expression, and she, confident that she did not at all fit his preferences, tried to interact with him more comfortably.
Yet, despite her efforts, she couldn’t shake off an instinctive fear and was shaking without realizing it.
“Ah, I see.”
His face was expressionless, then he frowned before relaxing again.
Illein looked at him directly. Seeing his vacant stare made her feel like she was seeing his face anew.
In the original story, he had been a madman who threatened her, but to her, a woman, he was just another person.
And there were his jet-black hair, thick eyebrows, and those red eyes beneath his eyelashes.
Upon closer inspection, he was remarkably handsome, just as described in the original story.
“Edwin, you are really good-looking.”
She commented without any ulterior motives, as casually as if she was making everyday small talk. At that, his eyes widened dramatically.
“Isn’t your brother much more handsome?”
She smiled again, reaffirming that his interests lay elsewhere.
“Do you think my brother is pretty, Edwin?”
“Yes, very. Thatās why it’s annoying.”
“I donāt annoy you? People often say we look very alike.”
As she said this, he frowned and seemed to take another look at her.
“But youāre different. Illein looks like a man, and you canāt hide that youāre a woman. Even the lines are different, and the scent you emit is different too.”
His voice trailed off towards the end, and Illein responded with a hint of relief.
“What kind of scent is it? Canāt you smell it now?”
“It seems to be stronger again now. Maybe itās the fluctuations from the magic control device melting into you.”
As she remembered Damonās vacant stare, she asked,
“Does a scent come out when a magic control device is absorbed?”
“Thatās what the power imbued in the device does. It makes you feel good. Thatās why youād want to keep wearing it.”
Somehow, she felt that the scent he mentioned might be linked to the ring she wore as a man.
When she was wearing the ring, she hardly noticed any scent.
However, once she took it off and completely reverted to her feminine form, she could distinctly feel the scent.
“Oh, my.”
Her small exclamation made him chuckle lightly. Seeing her wide-eyed expression, words unexpectedly escaped him.
“Would you like to be my partner for the dance party?”
Illein realized that his hand, which had held hers, had now interlocked fingers with hers.
“For the dance party?”
“Yes.”
Edwinās tone, asking her to be his partner, seemed too nonchalant compared to his request.
“Why?”
“It seemed better for both of us if weāre going to spend 20 minutes together anyway. If thereās a time during the day when we need to be together, it might not be too bad to do it at the dance.”
“What’s better about it?”
“You could come instead of Illein. It seems like Illein is too busy with studies.”
Illein chuckled realizing that his suggestion to attend the dance party together wasnāt really for her benefit.
“I could be tired tooā¦”
“Iāll send a carriage to make it less tiring, and Iāll send clothes too.”
“You said you arenāt even friends with my brother.”
It felt odd to Illein, referring to herself as if she was someone else.
“Everyone wants to attend the dance party. Donāt you?”
“No? Iām not really curious about it.”
Illein answered without hesitation. He seemed surprised by her response, quickly averting his gaze.
“Iām sorry then. Everyone else seems to want to go, so I assumed you would too. I apologize for my presumption.”
“Itās okay.”
Illein understood him. She had felt this way herself when she was Illein.
Everyone might disregard the impoverished Baron Thieryās son, but they were quite friendly toward the student council president of Bellaine Academy.
Especially during the dance party season.
āIāll help with your living expenses if you make me your dance party partner.ā
āIāll give you a ring.ā
āIāll pay you money.ā
Recalling the events of the past three years made Illein involuntarily shake her head. That’s why she thought what he said wasn’t entirely wrong.
“May I think about it?”
She didn’t want to outright refuse, as it seemed impolite.
“Uh.”
Then, a few minutes of silence passed. Unable to bear it, Illein broke the silence.
“But why aren’t Edwin friends with my brother? My brother considers you a friend.”
It was a bit embarrassing for her to ask, but Illein decided to be bold.
“Being friends with me brings no benefits.”
“Why is that?”
“Our family has complicated issues. My… family might talk nonsense to Illein. And sometimes, even if they are family, they don’t really act like it.”
Illein knew he was cautious about revealing his status. So she simply nodded in understanding when she heard that.
