The Object of your Obsession is Wrong, Lord of the Tower!

CHAPTER 003

It was definitely the man from yesterday. But his hair was brown, and his eyes were an unusual golden color.

He looked exactly like Lewis as described in the original novel.

Could his appearance yesterday have been fake?

Ding dong, correct!

Proving that our encounter was real, he looked at me with a subtly smiling face.

He kept staring at me throughout the party, with that same unreadable smile from yesterday.

I'm going to get indigestion. Today’s protagonist is you, not me! So why do you keep looking at me?

I couldn’t swallow any of the food the Duke’s house had prepared to welcome Lewis.

I couldn’t stand the discomfort any longer and eventually sent a pleading look to Bella.

'Bella, your cousin is acting strange...'

I heard he had a head injury; is that why he's acting like this?

Can you ask him why he keeps looking at me?

At that moment, Lewis spoke.

"Why is your friend so nervous?"

It's because of you!

Though his voice was somewhat amused, he was undeniably a madman capable of killing people if provoked.

Who could stay calm in front of a constantly staring Lewis?

Even those who seem calm must be panicking inside.

"Isn't it because of your crazy reputation?"

Bella, pretending it wasn’t her problem, delivered a blunt truth.

"I didn't kill anyone while I was away."

"Really? Didn't you fight with anyone?"

"No. I just didn’t kill them. I appropriately handled those who picked fights."

Handled them appropriately?

"I just left them half-dead."

"How many?"

"I don't know. About 50?"

Oh, I came to the wrong place...

"But it's a relief no one died!"

Relief, my foot...

Listening to Michael's joyful laughter, I gulped down juice in frustration.

The tense welcome party for Lewis, which was tense only for me, ended three hours later.

"Already leaving? Why not stay a bit longer?"

"No, I've had enough! You four have fun, and I’ll visit again later!"

When Lewis isn’t here!

Ignoring the Duke’s insistence, I quickly left the mansion.

Only after the carriage started moving did I let out a long sigh.

"Ha, now I can breathe."

I was alone in the carriage. Finally, back in my own space.

'So, there's no need to be anxious anymore!'

As I was feeling relieved, I heard a voice right next to me.

"When did you feel like you were going to die?"

"Ah!"

What the heck? Why is Lewis here?

Seeing me clutch my chest, Lewis nonchalantly muttered.

"I didn’t expect Bella to have a friend."

Is that something you say to your cousin?

But that wasn’t the point.

Lewis was in my carriage! A carriage already leaving the Duke’s mansion!

Being a renowned genius magician, appearing suddenly in a moving carriage shouldn’t be difficult.

Still, this is trespassing, you know?

Of course, I didn’t have the courage to say that out loud, so I nervously asked.

"W-why is Lord Lewis here...?"

I couldn’t control my trembling voice.

Seeing me cowering, Lewis chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you."

That’s even scarier.

"I just wanted to check something."

"Check...?"

Why do I feel guilty when I’ve done nothing wrong?

I asked cautiously, but Lewis didn’t answer.

"Is there something you want to say...?"

Then Lewis reached out his hand to me.

"Let me see your hand for a moment."

Hand?

When I politely offered one hand, Lewis held it and stood still.

What is this? What are you doing?

After a while, Lewis spoke.

"Are you human?"

Excuse me?

Are you asking if I’m human? What kind of question is that?

If I’m not human, then what am I...?

"I don't think you are."

Lewis seemed genuinely curious.

Feeling baffled, I asked back.

"If I say I’m not human, what will happen?"

"Hmm..."

Lewis squinted his eyes and replied with a meaningful smile.

"I'd want to study you. It's interesting."

"Study?"

"Yes. But I’ll hold off for now since you’re a friend of the twins."

What kind of study makes you say you'll hold off for now?

Lewis gave me chills and then disappeared suddenly, just as he had appeared.

I was left alone in the carriage once again, finally able to breathe.

"It’s absurd. A novel character asking me if I’m human."

Having lived as a novel character for 19 years, it’s ridiculous for me to say that, but knowing this is the original setting makes Lewis’ words even more absurd.

"And by this world's standards, you're the one who’s not human!"

You possess a level of magical power that is beyond human!

The most powerful magician in the history of the empire. No, so powerful that a human body can’t handle it!

Because of that, you suffer from unexplained noises.

Since no one else hears them, it must be called auditory hallucinations.

I recalled what Lewis had said on the street yesterday.

'I think I just lost my mind.'

You were already insane. Why are you acting like it’s my fault?

And why does Lewis want to study me?

Thinking about it, I didn’t get a chance to ask.

'This wasn’t in the original...'

Moreover, the heroine Charlotte's role was to end the noise by sealing the magic, not to be studied by Lewis.

'Ah, studying the heroine is out of the question.'

With a quick realization, I had a bad feeling.

"I... might end up as an experiment and die."

The phrase 'I’ll hold off for now' kept bothering me.

It was only natural that I wanted to avoid Lewis even more.

In this situation, the best countermeasure I could think of was only one.

'I have to stay friends with the twins for life.'

If we ever part ways, it’s my death.

I quickly changed my mind about distancing myself from the Croft family.

* * *

A few days later, I subtly asked Michael while we were alone at the Duke’s residence.

"Do magicians feel something special?"

"About what?"

I told Michael about the strange things Lewis had said to me.

Hearing my words, Michael opened his eyes wide.

"Lewis said that? I don’t feel anything."

"Really?"

"Yes. Selina, you are definitely human."

I didn’t know being confirmed as human could make me this happy.

Not sure whether to laugh or cry, I had an awkward expression, and Michael continued.

"But there is something unique about you."

"Unique?"

"Yes. When I’m with you, I feel at ease."

This was new to me.

"Is it because we’re friends?"

"No. I felt that way from the moment we met. When Bella introduced you to me."

Michael seemed to be recalling something, then said gently.

"I felt strangely calm. Bella probably felt the same."

"Really?"

I tried to remember the first time I met Bella.

It was at a picnic hosted by the royal palace.

Everyone was curious about Bella but didn’t actively approach her.

By chance, I was sitting next to Bella that day.

It was a free-talking event, and it felt awkward not to speak to the person beside me.

So, I struck up a conversation, and Bella surprisingly responded well.

"When I first met Bella, we got along well... Maybe it’s because we became comfortable while talking?"

"That might be part of it, but feeling at ease must have been real too."

"Really?"

When I talk with Michael, I feel at ease too.

Anyone would feel at ease seeing Michael’s bright and pure smile.

Even if he does bake cookies from hell and summon flaming Cerberus.

As our conversation wrapped up, Michael led me.

"Let’s go down. Bella won’t like it if we talk without her."

"Oh, okay!"

With a strange feeling, I followed Michael.

Actually, when I first approached Bella, it wasn’t just because she was beside me.

'Back then, my relationship with my parents wasn’t good yet.'

Though slightly different from my situation, Bella's sullen face reminded me of myself in the mansion, so I spoke to her first.

'Embroidery is trendy nowadays; are you making anything, Lady Croft?'

Asking if she knew about the trend.

'I’m trying hard, but it doesn’t turn out pretty.'

'Of course, I am. I’m making a doll these days.'

'You make dolls yourself?'

'Yes. It’s manageable once you try.'

The conversation flowed easily, and we’ve been close since then.

Even when I didn’t have memories of my previous life, Bella was that kind of friend to me.

Hard to approach but welcoming once you do.

Thinking about my first meeting with Bella, I must have been smiling unconsciously.

Seeing my face, Bella widened her eyes.

"Did Michael say something bad about me? Why are you smiling?"

"No. I was just thinking about our first meeting."

"Suddenly?"

I sought Michael’s advice because of Lewis, but it brought back forgotten memories.

Looking back, Bella hasn’t changed, so why was I so scared of her?

'Was it because I recalled my past life and fell into the same prejudice as others?'

I even worried about how to distance myself politely.

Suddenly, I felt a surge of guilt.

Sorry, Bella. I was such a bad friend!

Though Lewis’ words were chilling, they helped me realize my true feelings toward Bella.

I have no reason to avoid Bella, even if it means avoiding Lewis!

I gently linked arms with Bella and asked her.

"So, what was the doll you were making when we first met? You never showed it to me."

"Oh, I can't show that to anyone else. That’s why I didn’t show it to you."

"Why?"

"It’s a cursed doll."

"......"

Of course, this is Bella, after all.

I smiled wryly and let go of her arm.

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