Vulnerabilities and False Repetitions

What a pathetic act.

The way he was behaving was undeniable proof that he knew exactly which version of himself I was weak against. Instead of feeling pity, I should have been disgusted by his audacity. But what was even more ridiculous than Cedric Klein hiding his true nature behind a performance was me—the one who saw right through the act and fell for it anyway.

As I watched that pretty face quietly shedding tears without a single sob, my rational side began to gain the upper hand. It wasn’t as if I had just found out today that “C.C.” was Cedric Klein. I had known for a long time, and my anger had already cooled. Wasn’t it a bit late to start nitpicking his faults after I had already asked for his help knowing the truth? Besides, I had received my apology.

Somehow, I couldn’t stop my thoughts from drifting into a favorable direction toward him.

Was I really this weak for a pretty face? A wave of self-loathing hit me. Forgiving Cedric for his mistakes was one thing, but if this pattern repeated in the future, it would be a problem.

I hadn’t even been this swayed by Dimension, who was arguably the most likable of the four. And if we were talking strictly about looks, the Crown Prince was the most overwhelming. Even when I ran into the Prince in the capital, I only lost my senses for a moment; it wasn’t enough to make my anger evaporate like this. If anything, I was more annoyed that someone with that face would act like such a jerk.

Cedric didn’t miss his chance and clung to me. I could see his eyes and cheeks were still wet. I looked at those shimmering eyes with a lingering sense of unease before reaching out and pinching his cheek. He was past the age of having baby fat, so it wasn’t particularly soft; if anything, he just looked stupidly caught off guard.

“It hurts…”

“You’re annoying.”

The problem wasn’t just his face. I became certain of this as I watched Cedric tilt his head, looking as if he had no idea what I meant. That attitude. That was the issue. I hadn’t realized it, but I was apparently weak to this specific brand of “weak-acting,” this pseudo-aegyo.

Even amidst the self-loathing, I felt a strange sense of relief. Honestly, only Cedric would do something like this… The other three would never dream of showing such a side.

“Fine, that’s enough.”

“Lin.”

Revived instantly, Cedric blurted out the nickname. I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even laugh. I pushed away his face as he tried to pull another stunt.

“We’re not there yet.”

Undeterred, his arms wound around my waist as if they intended to never let go.

Who am I even blaming? God… If I were to blame anyone, I should blame my own wretched fate for being possessed into a spectacular BL novel with four male leads. While I was swallowing a sigh, my body was lifted into the air.

21. The Whereabouts of the Holy Relic

After returning from the basement, we headed to Aiden’s room as planned. Those who had received the signal through the rings were already gathered there. Their faces, tight with alertness at the sound of the door opening, brightened the moment they confirmed it was me.

Louis ran over and pulled me into a hug. He must have suffered quite a bit dealing with that prickly Head of the Magic Tower. Understanding the anxiety he must have felt the whole time, I hugged him back.

“I knew you could do it!”

As I patted his back, Louis gave my head another squeeze. At this rate, he looked ready to plant a kiss on my cheek. I understood his joy, but that was a bit much.

However, I didn’t need to be the one to push Louis away. He suddenly looked as if he’d seen a ghost; he instinctively recoiled, his mouth hanging open in shock.

I understood his surprise. I offered an awkward smile to reassure him that everything was fine, but it didn’t have much effect. Louis’s eyes were fixed solely on the person behind me—Cedric Klein, who had followed me all the way to the room.

“Elliot, could you slap my cheek?”

“It’s not hard to do, but if you’re hoping what you’re seeing is an illusion, a slap won’t help much.”

“Then could you cover my eyes?”

“Just close them yourself, you idiot.”

Louis, who had lost his mind at the sight of Cedric, belatedly covered his eyes with his own hands. Seeing him so repulsed only increased my guilt. I really should have left Cedric behind.

Whether he knew my inner thoughts or not, the culprit who had sent Louis scurrying back just by existing hugged me from behind and rubbed his head against my shoulder. Had I developed an immunity in the meantime? I caught myself thinking this was almost cat-like and cute, but a look at Elliot’s face told me otherwise. Apparently, it didn’t look “okay” to outsiders.

“Get off him, Klein.”

“Mmm-hmm…”

Why did he say “okay” while his actions said “no”? If anything, the grip on my waist tightened. Louis peeked through his fingers at us. His horrified gaze moved from Cedric’s face to my waist, and his expression crumpled as if he were seeing something he wished he hadn’t.

“Take your hands off, Cedric.”

Seeing my two friends in such shock, I didn’t even dare to check Erkel’s reaction. Come to think of it, I had been furious at Cedric for deceiving me. Displaying such intimacy now was incredibly embarrassing. Realization hit, followed by a wave of shame.

I grabbed his wrist firmly, intending to pry him off by force if he didn’t listen. Only then did Cedric loosen his grip. I pushed his head off my shoulder and approached Louis.

“Here.”

Louis’s face, which had been turning pale like he was watching a haunting as Cedric trailed after me, brightened instantly. Upon receiving the Holy Relic, Louis immediately began inspecting it here and there, letting out exclamations of wonder. He really is a mage through and through.

However, Louis’s academic fervor didn’t last long. Cedric cut in and placed his hand over the Relic Louis was holding.

“Wouldn’t it be better if I did it?”

“Wha—what, what. Get away!”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but I’m better at it than you. By the way, why are you shaking so much, Louis? Does… does stuttering like that increase the efficiency of the incantation?”

“Llewellyn!”

A terrified Louis clung to me. Cedric pouted his lips while glancing at me.

“I was just asking. I was curious.”

It seemed he still hadn’t let go of the suspicion that Louis had told me the rumors about him. I comforted Louis, who was curled up clutching his stomach as if he were having a gastric cramp, and said:

“Cedric. Don’t bully the kid for no reason.”

“I wasn’t bullying him…”

Like the top student he was, Cedric didn’t easily forget what he had learned; he knew how to apply it. Having confirmed that his “weak act” was effective, he put on a sorrowful face again. He looked as fragile as a leaf about to be blown away by a breeze.

Even though I knew there was a dark interior behind it, I found myself feeling pity. But it seemed I was the only one who felt that way. Louis, leaning against the wall, muttered in a voice that sounded like he wanted to gag, “Is it possible Llewellyn left the real Cedric Klein in the basement? That thing is definitely a fake…”

I almost fell for it again, but thanks to the whispers of my friends nearby asking if I’d gone crazy, I was able to snap out of it. When I gripped my rationality and cut him off firmly, a dejected Cedric gestured with his chin toward Louis.

“Are we making a replica?”

“Huh? Uh… yeah.”

Cedric sent a look my way with his shoulders slumped. It was a silent proposal: he would volunteer to help Louis, and in return, I should praise him when it was over. When I nodded, the corners of Cedric’s mouth twitched upward. I could almost see an imaginary tail wagging furiously behind him.

I really must have lost my mind. Otherwise, there’s no way he would look cute when I know exactly what his personality is like. As if reading my thoughts, Elliot began nagging me.

“Why did you bring that thing along?”

“He said he was following me, what was I supposed to do?”

I’d received plenty of help, after all. I couldn’t just cut off Cedric like a cold-hearted person when he said he was coming. A person has to have a conscience.

“So what are you suggesting I do? Tell him, ‘Thanks for risking your life, but your job is done so go home now’? I couldn’t exactly do that.”

“You could have said, ‘You worked hard today. You must be tired, so go rest. I won’t forget your help. I’ll see to it that you’re compensated.’ You could have made an excuse or cut him off.”

Elliot countered my excuses without missing a beat. Honestly, what he said was the logical course of action. I was the one who failed to do it. I couldn’t exactly bring myself to say, “I can’t help it when he acts weak.” All that would get me was a cold reaction.

Seeing my expression, Elliot tapped my forehead with a look of disapproval.

“The Prince wasn’t the problem here, was he?”

“What?”

“I think I finally understand why your brothers are so overprotective.”

He was implying that my tendency to leave doors open like this was what made the problems grow. A rebuttal rose to my throat, but I couldn’t spit it out. After I’d just spent the last few minutes looking completely entranced by the guy, trying to deny it wouldn’t build trust; it would only reinforce the impression that I was someone who couldn’t even grasp the reality of the situation.

Erkel was standing beside him, smiling calmly. His fists were clenched tight—he was clearly using every ounce of his strength to hold back his laughter. If there hadn’t been other people around, he would have burst out laughing, clutching his stomach and rolling on the sofa. He probably would have gone on for hours, bringing up the old days when I was wavering because I thought C.C. was a girl. At least I was lucky Elliot hadn’t connected Cedric Klein to C.C. yet.

“He’s just… a bit unique. I’m not like this all the time.”

At my words, Elliot replied with a look of utter disgust.

“I truly hope that’s the case.”