You Can Keep The Male Lead - Chapter 33

When I first opened my eyes, everything was pitch black.

I closed my eyes again, and I had to squint at the overwhelming feast of light when I opened it again.

I was suddenly in the corner of a hall at a ball and wearing an old dress. Chloe stood in the center where the light shone brightest, and Rupert was on her right with his arm around her shoulder.

That was a familiar view. However, the person holding Chloe’s hand on the left was Enoch.

“…Why?”

Why was Enoch holding Chloe’s hand?

He looked at Chloe with eyes full of adoration as he asked her for a dance.

Chloe looked to Rupert for permission and went to Enoch. They looked so lovingly at each other.

My heart sank.

Why was Enoch over there? No, no. Enoch was originally the second lead. Did he end up liking Chloe just like he did in the novel? But… since when?

A beautiful melody flowed, and Enoch and Chloe faced each other in the center of the hall and began to dance. Then, leaving them behind, Rupert approached me.

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He showed the same cynical expression he had when we first met. “Erin Spilet.”

I wanted to answer, but my voice didn’t come out. Rupert continued to talk as if I wasn’t sputtering and struggling to speak.

“It’s a pity that we met again after the divorce. Have you settled your debts?”

Divorce? Debt? What do you mean? Still, no words came out. Rupert smiled as he looked towards the side door of the ballroom.

“I don’t think it worked out well. Ah, they’re here to catch you, Erin Spilet,” He whispered sullenly in my ear, then turned again and walked towards the center.

Enoch, who was dancing with Chloe, handed over her hand to Rupert again.

For a moment, Enoch’s gaze drifted towards me.

“Count, this is your destiny.”

I could clearly understand what he was saying even though I only saw the shape of his mouth from afar.

And I was soon dragged out of the ballroom by some burly men. A deep sense of helplessness took over me again. It was familiar and scary.

As soon as I was forced into the carriage, my vision darkened again.

My mind went blank before coming back again.

“This is…”

My voice was back. But the place I was in was strangely unfamiliar yet familiar. I looked around and realized this was my room.

No, not Erin’s room, but the room that I lived in my previous life.

Half-drunk bottles of soju and medicine bags littered the floor in one corner of the room, and there was me with a pale face lying on the bed.

So, I… I couldn’t remember my name. If that’s me, then who was this me standing and watching right now?

The door swung open.

My parents rushed to the bed and shook me, but I didn’t respond.

I was dead.

I had assumed that’s what happened, but it was sad and frightening to see it in person like this. Did I really die like that? In a ridiculous and vain way?

Suddenly, a cold energy enveloped my body. My body shivered from the chill.

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‘Count…!’

‘Erin! Count Erin Spilet!’

Someone called me desperately. I was cold, tired, and sleepy. But his voice continued to call me, so I was forced to open my eyes.

“Ah…”

As soon as I opened my eyes, I jumped up at the sight I saw. I was still in a cave, and someone was fighting the black monster I had faced earlier.

“Count, are you awake!”

Enoch was the main character. Enoch… how was Enoch here?

But he looked exhausted.

No matter how much he cut the monster with a knife, it regenerated and attacked him.

Why wasn’t he using magic? Was something wrong? Anyway, I should help him.

“Please hang in there!”

I ran out of the cave. I was surprised to see the corpses of the ogres outside, but I didn’t slow down and went straight to the body of the first dead ogre.

There I pulled out my dagger then ran back into the cave.

“…Your Highness!”

Enoch was really being pushed back.

His sword had been split in two, and Enoch was on the ground and fighting off the monster with magic. But, at first glance, it didn’t seem like he was using strong magic since it barely damaged the beast.

The demon opened its large mouth and tried to swallow him. I thought it would be too late if I ran there myself.

“Your Highness! Catch!”

I threw the dagger at him with all my might. Fortunately, Enoch heard me and grabbed the dagger that had fallen beside him. He then stabbed the monster.

At that moment, the monster’s terrifying scream echoed throughout the cave.

The monster didn’t die right away but ran wild.

Worried that Enoch would get hurt, I ran and jumped on him to wrap my arms around him, then grabbed my pendant. A transparent shield formed and wrapped around us. Five minutes.

I hope it dies in five minutes.

I gripped the pendant so tightly that the string broke. But I didn’t let go and kept holding it.

Meanwhile, the screams and anger of the monster continued over the shield.

“Count.”

As I was trembling above him, Enoch’s hand patted my back. Then he stretched his other hand out of the shield.

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Enoch chanted an incantation in a barely audible voice, “Esto Glacias.”

The hand that was stroking my back hugged me tightly. I could tell he had used some magic.

I thought the surrounding air was getting cold, but the monster, which had been running loudly, became quiet. I could hear Enoch’s beating heart in the now silent cave.

Slowly, I got up, and our eyes met.

Under the soft light emitted by the magic stone, beautiful emerald-colored eyes stared back at me. My gripped hands relaxed, and the pendant fell to the floor.

Feeling a little dazed, I looked at his eyes, nose, and lips, and then I saw the corners of his lips drawing an arc.

“Are you going to stay like that? If that’s the case, I’m more than happy to accept it.”

His words made me realize our current position. I laid on top of him, my full weight on him.

“N-no!” I jumped off of him in surprise.

“That’s too bad.”

He was still lying on his back with a smile on his face. I looked away to hide my red face.

The monster was frozen in place. Not only that but the whole area was covered with thin ice. Seeing that reminded me of something.

“Ah… Did you not use magic on purpose?”

“You’d need to use powerful magic to catch a thing like that. But in such a small place, using such magic could hurt Count, or even me. Normally, I would have adjusted the range, but…”

Enoch’s words trailed off. Finally, he smiled as if in trouble but did not get up and lay still.

It was then that I realized that his condition was different from usual. His clothes were torn everywhere, and blood seeped out of them.

“Your Highness, your wound…!”

“It’s okay, I’m okay. A moment, Count.”

I ignored him and took off his top.

“…Uck.”

He had spear-like wounds around his torso and chest. In this state… How the hell did you fight? Besides, I couldn’t believe I was lying down on someone like this.

Enoch turned his head in embarrassment and murmured, “I usually heal quickly, but I’m covered in monster blood… so it might take a while. Don’t worry. I’m fine. It will heal over time.”

My heart ached at his words. “But… It hurts.”

Enoch was speechless.

What should I do? Who should I call? But how? In what way? It was already dark outside the cave.

Enoch stayed on the floor and watched Erin silently. She took out her handkerchief and carefully wiped his wounds.

Viscount Therien was probably looking for him, and Damon must have already informed the Imperial Knights, so they’re looking for him, too.

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He had enough energy to go out and let them know he was here somehow, but Enoch remained silent.

It’s because Erin’s gaze, looking at him as if it’s breaking her heart, was quite satisfying.

It actually hurt quite a bit. If Erin hadn’t embraced him, he might have fainted and could not have used the final magic.

Erin, who was wiping blood, tilted her head. “The wound… How weird. It’s getting better… isn’t it?”

At Erin’s wounds, Enoch glanced at his wounds. His wounds really were healing. Not long ago, when he was hit by an arrow stained with monster blood, his injury also recovered faster than usual.

Did he now have the ability to defeat the blood of monsters? If not…

Enoch slowly sat up and stared at Erin.

“Uh… Is it okay if I get up?” The brooch on her chest caught Enoch’s eye. “What is that?”

When Enoch nodded his head towards it, Erin took off the brooch and showed it to her.

“To keep monsters from getting close… Hmm? Why is the color like this?”

“What color was it originally?”

“It was black… The color has faded a lot.”

“May I take a look?”

Enoch looked at the brooch that Erin had given him. He knew as soon as he touched it– this was a magic stone full of monster blood.

“…Weak monsters would definitely not come.”

Weaker monsters don’t come close because they’re instinctively afraid of the stronger monster’s blood. However, beasts that exceed a certain level could be attracted to it.

“Rupert gave it to me. I honestly don’t know why he did.”

“…Rupert did, huh.”

He couldn’t figure out what the faded color meant. Then, suddenly, Enoch thought of the possible connection between the healing of his wounds and the faded brooch.

“Your Highness?” Erin carefully called out.

Enoch stood up without answering and began to look around.

This was a magic stone cave. When Enoch first came here, he was suffocating with the magic that each of the magic stones emitted.

But now, the magic has faded quite a bit.

With meaningful eyes, Enoch turned to Erin again.