Imprinted with the Obsessive Male Lead - Chapter 66

Just what kind of state was he in to walk around the streets so confidently looking like that?

But now, even that didn’t matter. Facing Nita like this, it simply stopped mattering.

Chase brushed back the strands of hair scattered by the wind and lightly grabbed Nita’s chin, turning her gaze toward him. Perhaps she was still a little tipsy, because a faint pink hue lingered on her clear face.

“What did you do today?”

“…What?”

He knew it was an abrupt question. But he was curious.

Looking back, his entire day had been filled with thoughts of her. So what had she been doing?

“Tell me. Then I’ll move.”

Nita frowned slightly as if she didn’t quite trust those words, but soon answered indifferently.

“I slept.”

“Not that. In detail.”

“…What are you trying to do?”

“Whatever I do is up to me. Answer.”

At Chase’s inexplicable behavior since earlier, Nita let out a small sigh, then, as if making up her mind, cleared her throat.

“Fine. I…”

“Yeah?”

“Today, I woke up in the morning and took off my bandages like this.”

As if out of stubbornness, Nita deliberately waved her now-free left hand for him to see.

“And then?”

“And then I ate meat, drank a nutritional drink, and after that I went back to my room, thought about some things, and fell asleep. Then Logan came and woke me up, I drank some juice, and just as I was about to return to my room, you showed up.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s all. That’s why I said I didn’t do much. It’s been a while since I had a day off, can’t I at least enjoy this much?”

There was no problem. She was diligently doing what she had to as a mage as usual. Even so, it seemed Nita felt a bit guilty about having done nothing all day.

Now that she had officially become a mage of the North, she didn’t need to worry about such trivial things. But thinking about it, it was understandable. It was because of the way he used to habitually say that someone like her wasn’t needed.

“What were you thinking about?”

“…What?”

“I asked what you were thinking about before you fell asleep.”

“Do I even have to tell you that?”

“You do.”

Because I’m curious.

Swallowing those words, Chase watched her. Nita tilted her head, as if she couldn’t understand the situation.

“You…”

Yeah, me. What?

“Should I try to find Joel? That’s what I was thinking. And if possible, I tried to remember more about Joel. It would be easier to find him if I had more information.”

The corners of Chase’s lips, which had slightly lifted, sank coldly.

“That brown-haired idiot?”

At that, Nita’s mouth fell open in shock.

“No! Joel has brown hair, and he looks gentle and is smar-”

Damn it. Who doesn’t know that? Why bother correcting me and taking his side?

“Right. That poor bastard.”

Irritated, Chase cut her off. Then, with a deep frown, he asked,

“What about me?”

What about my thoughts?

But her innocent eyes blinked slowly, as if she didn’t understand the point of his question. Once again, Chase swallowed the irritation rising up.

I thought about you all day, and you didn’t think about me even once? You were thinking about another man instead?

This… this really makes me feel like a complete pathetic fool. So much for saying earlier that none of it mattered.

“…Why? Did I do something wrong?”

At his unusual attitude, Nita’s eyes wavered uneasily, as if she thought she had made some big mistake.

You didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t, but…

Chase released the hand holding her chin and lightly brushed her cheek. He felt her body flinch. But he didn’t care.

He slowly caressed the soft skin again with his thumb. The warmth of her cheek against his fingertips was slightly hot.

His blue eyes, carrying an unusually cold glint, gradually lowered. Passing lightly over her large eyes, straight nose, and soft cheek under his hand, his gaze came to rest on her red lips.

A mage he had kept by his side because he couldn’t pretend not to know the circumstances.

He had given up Vivian Grace and chose her, so it’s true that she’s important to him. She’s even pretty, has grown healthier, and is faithfully meeting expectations with her remarkable purification ability.

If only it had been just that. Why did she have to occupy his mind to this extent?

Chase believed he understood himself well. For the sake of his goals, he wasn’t the type to be swayed by trivial emotions, and others thought the same of him.

That’s why this side of himself felt unfamiliar.

Because she annoyed him. Because she irritated him. Because she came to mind. Because his gaze kept drifting to her.

All of those things had gathered, and at some point, it felt like the woman before him had consumed all his attention. Every little thing about her bothered him, his emotions jumped at a single word she said, and everything from one to ten got on his nerves so much it felt like he might go mad.

I need you. I know that you need me just as much as I need you. And yet, isn’t it a bit unfair that I’m the only one this hung up on you? It’s infuriating.