NOVEL NEXT After Resignation, I Refuse the Obsession from the Male Leads
Chapter 24
He’s not even married yet, and calling someone from a prestigious imperial family ‘Uncle’…
‘I’m dead.’ That thought flashed through my mind instinctively, but the male lead brushed it off without a second thought. “Henry, I have a favor to ask. Is that okay?” “Yes!” “You’re really brave. Much more brave than the knights of the royal palace.” “More than a knight…Really?” “Of course.” The male lead gave a faint smile and patted Henry’s head. “So, you should receive a medal later.” “A medal! What… What’s a medal?” “It’s a round medal made of gold. It’s an award given only to the bravest person in the world.” “A gold medal! Really?” “That’s right. You’re already helping the adults as soon as you wake up.” “Hehe!” At those words, Henry straightened up happily. The excitement of wanting to help with anything in response to the male lead’s praise sparkled in Henry’s large eyes. ‘You talk to the child better than I thought.’ I was worried he might bombard the kid with scary questions. [If you can’t handle that one thing, what can you do elsewhere?] It feels like just yesterday when he said that, and it was a little touching. “Okay. Want to try recalling that day? The moment right before the bad person came.” “Um. At that time… I was playing in the garden, and I lost the ball, and it rolled onto the road.” “And then?” “I stood up to get the ball, and oh, there was no one on the road, but suddenly something appeared.” “What appeared in front of you?” “Mhm…Something like a doll!” “….” “But, I don’t remember the shape very well. Um, and then I woke up here.” I tilted my head at Henry’s testimony. ‘Something like a doll?’ But the male lead seemed to understand it perfectly. “It seems like they lured the child with a black magic artifact.” “Is that possible?” “Of course. So that’s why the knights missed it…” The male lead sighed deeply. “If it had been left like that that night…” “….” Now that I think about it, the child who was kidnapped in the original story… ‘They said he was dead.’ If I had been a little unlucky, this kid would have died. ‘Now, I was making a fuss about twisting the original story to get out of the company early, so I somehow managed to save him.’ But at that moment, someone awkwardly patted my shoulder. ‘Hmm?’ When I looked up, the male lead was awkwardly clearing his throat. One of his hands was hovering over my shoulder. “That’s why I meant I was really glad you were here.” “Ah…” “Thank you. You must have been really scared that day.” I rolled my eyes in embarrassment. This might be the first time I’ve heard such a thank-you in my work life, and it’s a bit awkward. ‘I can’t remember hearing compliments back then or now.’ The orphanage took my efforts for granted, and the company… isn’t a place to go for compliments. However, when the male lead smiled with the face of the strongest in the world, I couldn’t say anything more. “Then Lowell, you should head back to the office first.” “Huh? Isn’t Senior coming?” “I’m going to the interrogation room with Finley. The minister should be waiting.” Interrogation room. My eyes widened at those words. ‘The kidnapper hasn’t opened his mouth yet, right?’ I need to uncover the mastermind quickly to get one step closer to my resignation. But at that moment, a red light flickered near the male lead’s wrist. As the male lead fiddled with the mark, the voice of the mastermind flowed out. – Lupesque. Are you at the ward? When will you come? “I’ll be coming down soon.” – Then bring Miss Lowell with you when you come. “…What are you talking about?” The male lead’s expression suddenly turned grim. It was similar to the expression I used to make when my boss would say something absurd in my previous life. – There’s something I want Miss Lowell to help me with. “You, what you’re doing there right now…” – M, mhm, I’ll see you later. “Edgar!” Tuk! Without waiting for the male lead’s response, the mastermind abruptly cut off the communication. The male lead had a look on his face as if he wanted to strangle the mastermind. ‘Wow, even the future Young Grand Duke male lead gets frustrated with his boss when working at a company, just like any other office worker.’ By the way, I broke out in a cold sweat at the mastermind’s schemes. ‘Taking me to the interrogation room, what is he planning to make me do?’ Honestly, looking back now that I’ve calmed down, bringing me to the park was a risky move, wasn’t it? That’s true, but… “Senior, I want to go with you too!” “What?” “Ah, can’t I?” At my words, the male lead froze. And he even stammered with a face that asked if I was serious. “That… really?” “Yes, of course…” “They might be torturing the kidnapper, is that okay?” “Oh. b, but still, yes.” In this fantasy world with a modern Western setting, where workers’ rights are shattered like this, there’s no way prisoners’ rights would be protected… ‘Is there any way!’ But I have to go. I can’t let only the male leads have exclusive information. ‘Even though I got some information from the original story with the mandrake, I still missed details like Henry’s kidnapping.’ So, even though I hated it and was scared, I had no choice but to stick my head in. “For the sake of everyone’s smooth follow-up report, I’ll go. It’s company business, after all.” “Lowell, going that far…” “And since he kidnapped my family, I want to spit in his face.” “…Lowell.” The male lead murmured, looking as if he was at a loss for words. Then he started rubbing the bridge of his nose. Why have you been acting like that since last time? “…Senior, are your eyes hurting by any chance? Would you like me to tell you how to lower the eye pressure?” “Haa, that’s not it.” The male lead replied in a more hoarse voice than before. “Yeah, if you feel uncomfortable, you can leave anytime.” “Yes!” “You might hear screams from beyond the glass wall sometimes. At that time, cover your ears.” “…Ah, yes!” Suddenly, it seemed really scary. I suddenly regretted it, but it was already too late. * * * The ‘interrogation room’ is located in the central basement. “Keugh…!” The kidnapper who took Henry was rolling around miserably on the floor. His other ‘comrades’ were the same. Edgar and Seamus were looking down at them with expressionless faces. Men who appeared to be in their early twenties to early thirties. A slender face. Palms without a single callus. Judging by this, they looked like they came from a decent family. At least middle-class commoners. Or maybe local nobles. Edgar laughed quietly. Those who live comfortably commit crimes. “Seriously. How is it that your language skills are worse than those of the kids you kidnapped?” “Keugh…” “I’m so disappointed… I’m really disappointed. How will you compensate for my disappointment?” Edgar murmured as he examined the instigator’s mind. However, all that was visible before him was a world darkened in black. ‘It’s too polluted to figure out.’ Could it be that the ‘mastermind’ behind these guys did this? So that even if they were captured alive, they wouldn’t be able to find any clues… Just then, the door opened and Carlyle joined them. “Is there anything they’ve revealed?” “Not yet. Ah.” Wasn’t Leila Lowell standing frozen on the other side of the glass wall of the interrogation room? “You’ve brought Miss Lowell with you. Then…” “Don’t call her inside.” Carlyle’s face twisted as Edgar greeted him with a big smile. Although he held back from swearing out of courtesy, Carlyle had been expressing his dissatisfaction with Edgar since the day he caught the kidnapper. After they finished capturing the kidnapper, Carlyle nearly fainted when he arrived at the scene. [Why is Lowell here?] The person who was supposed to be the backup at the office is here in this dangerous place! He was furious and asked Edgar. [Edgar. Did you bring Lowell?] [Mhm. She was really helpful.] [What do you mean helpful…!] At that time, they didn’t argue because of the children’s condition, but now they had crossed the line. “What are you going to do if Lowell really can’t stand it? What happens if something happens!” “Haa, Carlyle Lupesque.” Edgar sighed. “Since we’ve tied her down with a three-year contract anyway, what’s the problem?” “Edgar…” “More than anything, with Lowell’s power, we might be able to restore these guys’ memories.” I would greatly appreciate your continued support by leaving a positive rating on NU so I can continue translating this novel. Thank you.
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