Chapter 7: There’s More Than One Obsessive Male Lead (1)
For the past week, taming Baizen had been going smoothly.
Whenever he displayed obsessive tendencies, I skillfully stomped them down with the teasing tactics I had so diligently devised. Thanks to that, an amusing rumor had started circulating around the Snifter Marquisate.
Apparently, the gods, enraged by the bloodthirsty Marquis, had cursed him by driving the young lady he was obsessed with mad. Now the Marquis was at a loss watching his cursed sister lose her mind in his stead and had become remarkably docile.
I couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile. That rumor was half true, half false.
I wasn’t mad. This was just… me being normal.
Leaving behind that bitter truth, I stretched with a quiet yawn.
“…I’m bored.”
The longer the peace dragged on, the more boring it got. Lucy and Annie, who were tidying up the room, stared at me like I had just said something truly outrageous.
“Please don’t say things like that!”
“If you say that again, I’ll start crying!”
Behind the two of them, I could almost see the desperate willpower to hold back a tantrum like children. Was the last incident really that traumatic for them?
Even so, their recent behavior felt far from what maids should act like toward their master. It was more like two older sisters trying to keep their bratty youngest sibling in line. Or maybe like younger sisters struggling to contain their mischievous older sister?
“Please. Just behave for one more week.”
“I’ll make sure you’re not bored! Should I bring you a book?”
Their oddly not-so-scolding scolding reminded me of my younger siblings from my past life. We were all born just a year apart and grew up almost like triplets.
Maybe because of our parents’ stingy affection, we were unusually close—though we all had very distinct personalities.
My younger brother, a year below me, had defied our parents’ wishes and majored in police administration. He proudly became a police officer. My younger sister, two years my junior, got a job at a pretty good cosmetics company right after graduating from a vocational high school for beauty. Unlike them, I had ended up as an ordinary office worker.
Come to think of it, for siblings who grew up so closely, our personalities and tastes couldn’t have been more different.
My brother was a cheerful, sociable guy who got along with just about anyone, while my sister, having grown up witnessing all his messes, became the most clear-headed and meticulous person I knew.
And me? I was always the mediator. The one who had to be reliable and responsible. The one who had to be upright and diligent—so I could clear the path ahead for my siblings to walk without stumbling.
Yet now, I was being treated like an unpredictable youngest child who needed constant supervision. It was… a weird feeling.
“You’re listening to us, right, my lady? You’re not cooking up something strange again, are you?”
“Just sprinkle dirt in my eyes instead!”
Lucy had somehow brought over a flowerpot and now stood with her eyes tightly shut, looking deadly serious.
Oh, come on, now…
I smiled softly at their adorable reactions. It was meant to reassure them, but instead, their faces paled instantly.
Geez… why do my ‘big sisters’ look so scared? Maybe I really should behave today.
“I’ll behave.”
“…Really?”
“Of course. Maybe I’ll just head to the library and read a book. Peacefully.”
I put a bit of emphasis on the word peacefully, trying to give off a strong “I’m not up to anything” vibe. Lucy and Annie exchanged a glance. Their eyes practically screamed, We don’t believe you.
Was I really that untrustworthy?
I mean, all I did was steal a maid’s outfit, act like a lunatic among the staff, and constantly look for ways to torment Baizen…
…Yeah. Okay. Fair enough.
I took a moment to reflect, remembering the way those two always stared at me with deadpan expressions.
“You need the master’s permission to enter the library,” Lucy said.
“My brother’s permission? Really?”
“The library holds important family documents, so the family head must grant access. If it’s something simple, we can bring it out to you, but staying there for the day—”
“So basically, I need to get permission.”
At my summary, Lucy nodded.
Pfft. Like getting permission from my brother would be hard. I cracked my knuckles with a grin, and Lucy visibly shivered.
Sure, our first meeting was like confronting a deranged murderer, but now Baizen had turned into the docile gentleman of the century. He didn’t scare me anymore.
And honestly? Teasing him was fun. Just giving him a meaningful glance was enough to put him in full-on defense mode. Watching someone who had once tried to dominate me shrink back little by little was oddly satisfying—and a little fascinating.
Lately, we’d even had some sibling-like conversations—talking about foods we didn’t like, what we did that day, or whether there were any fun games to play.
Maybe I should suggest a little outing sometime?
“Here we are.”
Lucy led me to Baizen’s office. The large brown door was adorned with vine-like patterns. Every time I saw it, I couldn’t help but think it looked ridiculously oversized.
And the gold on the doorknob? I’d even bitten it once to see if it was real. The teeth marks were still there. Would they notice if I took it with me when I went back to my world?
Knock knock.
I tapped on the door. A muffled voice inside—Baizen’s—answered, but I couldn’t tell if he said “come in” or not.
Well, I knocked. That should count.
“Brother, I’m coming i—”
“Odelia!”
The moment I opened the door, Baizen’s shout rang out—just as a blinding golden light hit my eyes.
A man stood there, shining like the sun, with radiant golden hair and features so dazzling I had to squint.
He smiled as brightly as his looks.
“My moon, Odelia.”
“Go back to your room, Odelia.”
The two men’s voices echoed in unison. And with the blond man’s words, I immediately knew who he was.
Golden hair like threads of sunlight and clear blue eyes like the open sky—he was Ian Imperial, the Crown Prince and one of the male leads from “The Flower-Grasping Man.”
Where Baizen was rugged and earthy like a man of the sea, Ian was elegance incarnate. Baizen was handsome, sure, but this? This was a whole new level of beauty. Your Highness, you are absurdly good-looking.
I nearly ascended to heaven just staring at him before I came back to my senses.
I couldn’t forget. This man was a tragedy novel male lead. And the first to kidnap Odelia. A thug with a crown.
“I greet Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
Snapping out of it, I gave a proper bow.
Baizen may have told me to go back to my room, but this was a royal. I couldn’t just bolt.
My awkward bow brought a radiant smile to Ian’s angelic face. God, he was dangerously beautiful.
Ian stepped up and wrapped an arm around my waist, then declared to Baizen:
“As per Odelia’s request, I shall take her to the Imperial Palace.”
“You mustn’t, Your Highness!”
“Huh? Why me?”
I asked dumbly as Baizen barked in protest and Ian talked about “requests.”
Then I remembered the red-stained desk in Odelia’s room—the letters begging for help, and their recipient.
No way… those letters…
A chill ran down my spine at the thought of Ian’s sinister smile, another harbinger of Odelia’s misfortune.
Their eyes turned to me. Ian was the first to speak, his seductive voice like a devil’s whisper in my ear.
“My dear Odelia, I received your letter, trembling with fear in this prison-like place. I rushed here with all my heart to rescue you.”
“This is Odelia’s home. Who would dare imprison her—”
“Marquis.”
Ian cut Baizen off with a single word. Simple, but coming from royalty, it carried weight. Intimidating. Unrefusable.
“I came because she asked. Therefore—”
“Your Highness.”
He turned toward me with a heavenly smile. Watching his expressions shift was fascinating. Still stupidly handsome, though.
But blood is thicker than water. I couldn’t just let him bully my brother.
“Do you have macarons?”
“…What?”
“I said, do you have macarons at the palace?”
Ian blinked, confused. It was a random distraction, sure, but I really hadn’t had a macaron since coming here.
Those magical little pastries—tiny, tasty, and criminally expensive. My sister used to bring them home sometimes. The memory hit me suddenly.
Ian looked puzzled but quickly composed himself. Judging from his expression, he didn’t even know what a macaron was.
“If it is what you desire, I shall prepare anything.”
“Then I’ll go.”
Ian’s smile bloomed like spring. I could’ve sworn flowers were sprouting around him. No matter how many times I looked, that face was still divine.
But while Ian beamed, Baizen’s face twisted like a cornered beast.
“Shall we go, my moon? My Odelia.”
“Alright, Brother, I’ll just—”
Just as I was about to follow Ian, Baizen leapt to his feet, thumping his chest.
“I can make macarons too!”
Both Ian and I froze in disbelief.
I looked at Ian, then back at Baizen. Honestly, he really was a sweet guy.
But in this dramatic moment, instead of pulling out a weapon or making a threat, he just puffed out his chest and talked about baking macarons.
I couldn’t hold it in.
“Pfft—hahahaha!”
I doubled over in laughter, unable to stop. Ian frowned in confusion, and Baizen flushed red with embarrassment.
Of course you’d be embarrassed. Did he really think I’d follow Ian just for macarons? Seriously?
“God, I’m dying! Maca—macarons—!”
I wiped away tears as I laughed so hard my sides and back ached.
“Ugh—gonna burst a lung here—!”
After laughing myself hoarse, I gently removed Ian’s arm and approached Baizen. I never really intended to go to the palace.
I just wanted to create a bit of distance and send Ian away, maybe jump off a carriage for dramatic flair.
But after seeing Baizen like that… I didn’t feel like going that far anymore.
“Pfft!”
“…Enough.”
“Sorry. You’re just too cute, Brother.”
When I walked over to him by the sofa, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing again. A glance at Ian showed confusion all over his pretty face.
And he was probably furious about losing the ‘flower’ he thought he had in his grasp.
“This is outrageous—”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. But I’ve just remembered I had prior plans today.”
“I did not come to seek the Marquis’s permission.”
“Oh? Then what did you come for?”
My sarcastic tone made Ian grit his teeth. He forced a breath and continued.
“You seem to have forgotten—I came because of your letter.”
“Well, I’m retracting that request. This house isn’t scary at all anymore.”
I put special emphasis on not scary at all. Ian’s angelic face twisted.
And just as I expected, his fury soon exploded.
