The Villain’s Aide Has Run Away - Chapter 20.2
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Under Robin’s disapproving gaze, Leslun forced himself not to clutch his stomach.
“Leslun.”
“Yes, Sir.”
When Leslun answered stiffly with his shoulders drawn tight, Robin let out an audible sigh. His brows knit, his eyes narrowed, and a rough breath slipped between his parted lips. That only made Leslun freeze even more.
“If you’re uncomfortable, say so. Or at least quietly set aside the food you can’t eat. Why did you accept it all?”
After just one day, three meals, Leslun was badly overstuffed.
How could a meal with the Crown Prince ever be comfortable? Especially when those meals were clearly arranged with an ulterior motive directed at him.
He hadn’t the mind to savor the warm, soft dishes. Of course he couldn’t say he was uncomfortable, and he couldn’t refuse food the Crown Prince himself declared delicious and offered to him.
In only a day, Leslun was already so bloated he could barely stand—pale-faced, looking ready to collapse at any moment. Blue prowled lazily around him, as if agitated by his distress. Worse, the beast kept batting at objects nearby, as if it might soon pick a fight with whoever had made Leslun suffer.
“Do you… happen to enjoy being hurt?”
Robin wondered if he had been approaching Leslun too much with ordinary assumptions, and so he asked carefully. Leslun, aghast, shook his head.
“I do not.”
“Really? Then what about being bullied?”
“Absolutely not.”
Robin stroked his chin with a grave look.
“I thought you were fine since you never complained when you weren’t fed properly…”
The truth was simply that Leslun had never been in any position to insist on regular meals.
“You just said you don’t like being hurt. And you also said you hate being bullied.”
Leslun nodded. In moments like this, honesty was best.
Especially since Robin had sternly warned others before, ensuring Leslun wouldn’t go hungry even when left alone. For that, he was deeply grateful.
“A sick man has nothing to apologize for. Go lie down.”
“…Pardon?”
Leslun blinked in confusion, slow to understand. When he finally followed the line of Robin’s outstretched hand, he saw that the senior aide was pointing toward the door.
“I’m fine. I can keep working.”
“To my ears, that sounds like you’re trying to hold out.”
“I still haven’t finished sorting my reports. At least let me complete those before I go.”
“You’ll have to do those beside His Highness. Would you prefer to sit with the Crown Prince, eat, and work at the same time? If so, I’ll go tell him right now that you—”
“I’ll go rest.”
Leslun spun around quickly.
He knew Robin’s concession wouldn’t last if he delayed, so he hurried off. The truth was, his stomach hurt and his body felt drained. He longed to rest. Still, since his pain was no one’s fault but his own, the kindness shown to him warmed him even more.
If he lay down for a while, surely he’d feel better.
But as Leslun swung the door open to slip out before running into the Crown Prince, he froze. Blue, trailing after him, bumped into his legs and tumbled backward.
When Leslun didn’t step outside, Robin turned to see what had stopped him.
“Lady Miroi.”
Robin, about to enter, spotted Lady Miroi standing there, halted as soon as she encountered Leslun. Robin’s voice broke the tension, and Leslun scrambled to compose himself, stepping aside.
How had he failed to consider this?
That one day he would inevitably come face to face with Lady Miroi again.
The Crown Prince knew about the kidnapping, but if she declared she would never forgive him, that would be the end.
Leslun shut his eyes tight, focusing on the faint presence of Lady Miroi as she passed before him. He intended to slip away the moment she moved on.
But fate was unkind. The sound of her footsteps stopped—she was standing right in front of him.
“We meet again.”
At her voice, Leslun slowly opened his eyes.
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