The Original Work Got Ruined After I Quit Being the Sub Male 77

“…That’s not what’s important right now.”

“Did Prometil tell you? Or maybe Terion?”

“Just answer my question!”

Without realizing it, I got angry and roughly shoved him. Cedric, who was pushed back helplessly, bit his lips tightly before speaking.

“I really like you. Please believe me.”

But how could I believe him just because he asked me to believe him unconditionally? Since the topic had come up, I interrogated him with the thought that I absolutely had to know the whole story.

“Then why did you act like that back then? Wasn’t it because you also liked Ret? I remember most of what you said to me.”

“…What?”

“You told me… that Ret was yours so I shouldn’t even think about coveting her. You said Ret would never like me so I should give up. You always acted so obviously in front of me!”

He had always flaunted his relationship with Riette publicly as if to make sure I could never even dream of it. Naturally, people were convinced the two would even have a wedding.

No matter how much I interfered between the two, there wasn’t even a gap for me to squeeze into.

“…”

“Say something.”

I urged him for an answer pleadingly.

But Cedric, who had been hesitating until the end, ultimately maintained his silence. Doesn’t he look exactly like someone caught lying?

At that point, betrayal surged up within me. Cold anger boiled.

“Why can’t you speak? Is there some reason you can’t talk?”

“…”

“Now I understand. You were playing with me.”

“No. I…”

“Get out. I don’t want to talk with you anymore.”

“Wait, Eddie!”

“I said get out!”

I pushed him with all my strength, drove him out the door, then slammed it shut. After the loud noise, silence fell.

After closing the door, I stayed in that position without moving and panted heavily for a long time. There was no sound of movement from outside the door either, and only after silence so long I almost thought time had stopped did I hear footsteps moving away.

“…”

Only then did my suppressed grief surge up.

My vision wavered and blurred, so I squeezed my eyes shut.

Though I had said he was playing with me, I still couldn’t believe that all of it was really false, so I had to suffer in the gap of confusion from the hesitation Cedric had just shown.

‘Why… won’t he tell me anything?’

Is there really some reason he can’t talk about it?

Was it all really lies?

Such questions kept sprouting like mold.

That day I curled up in a corner of the bed and cried until my eyes were puffy and swollen. I had no appetite and refused meals.

During this time, I realized one thing.

The fact that I liked Cedric much more… than I had thought.

I had become accustomed to the affection he gave as if it were natural, and had settled into a relationship I thought would never change forever, so I only now knew the depth of my feelings.

…What will happen to us now? How should I define our relationship going forward?

‘I don’t know.’

Right now, I didn’t want to think about anything.

* * *

Cedric didn’t show his face for a while. When was it that he desperately begged to meet me? Since that day, he hasn’t sent even one letter.

Of course, since only 3 days have passed, I could think that he’s also organizing his thoughts… but what do I care? Those 3 days feel like 30 years to me.

Just when I was having the impulse to completely let go of my feelings and cut off our connection, Riette, who had notified me of her visit by letter yesterday, came to see me.

The letter said she would bring Cedric as always, but she came alone.

“Eddie! Have you been well?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Ah, Cedy… I was going to bring him, but he suddenly insisted he wouldn’t go. So I came alone for now.”

Riette added the reason she came alone while reading my expression. I had roughly expected this situation, so I wasn’t shocked.

But it was very difficult to act normal. I tried not to show my low mood in front of Riette as much as possible, but it seemed to show through the atmosphere I inevitably gave off and my reactions. Riette, who had been continuing the conversation with me in the salon, was the first to change the topic.

“Did something happen between you and Cedy again?”

“…”

I couldn’t readily answer and looked up at her.

Come to think of it, does Riette know about the regression? Should I bring it up casually? I had such thoughts but calmly reconsidered and soon gave up.

‘It seems right that Ret doesn’t know.’

Looking back at her actions so far, that’s the case. So I didn’t want to bring up the topic and confuse her too.

“Nothing happened.”

I shook my head and opened my mouth again.

“You know, Ret. Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“When we were young, about Cedy…”

Unorganized words circled in my mouth. While rolling my tongue and hesitating about what to ask first and how,

“About Cedy? What kind of thing?”

Riette smiled mischievously.

I recalled the fact that she would have noticed that Cedric and I were secretly dating, or whether we were still just having feelings for each other, we were involved in some way.

I asked with a more comfortable heart than before.

“…Cedy said he liked me since before he got to know me through you. Did you know about this? Is it really true?”

Suddenly she smiled brightly and her eyes sparkled.

“Are you deciding not to hide what’s between you two from me now?”

“…Mm, well.”

“What he said is true. At first, he asked me to introduce you to him, so I introduced you.”

“He… did?”

This was the first time I was hearing this.

“Yeah. I wasn’t trying to hide it on purpose, but you know how things were between you two when you were young. So there wasn’t an atmosphere to talk about it and there was no timing either, so time just passed like that.”

Riette scratched her cheek awkwardly, then soon took a sip of warm tea and made a fluffy expression. Seeing her like that made her feel like someone completely unrelated to the current conflict between Cedric and me, which rather relieved my mood that had been turning negative.

‘…But then why couldn’t he speak properly?’

Though my heart was still unsettled.

‘And what was that kissing about?’

Did I see it wrong? I didn’t go close to confirm if they were really kissing… that could be possible.

While I was troubled not knowing the exact truth, Riette continued the conversation.

“This is something I’m saying now, but Cedy really liked you a lot from before. He was even jealous of me because you were only close with me.”

“…”

“I don’t know what you fought about, but I hope you make up quickly. It’s inevitable when you’re in a relationship, but it’s still better to fight in moderation. When liking each other isn’t even enough. Don’t you think?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Hmm. So there really was some trouble?”

…Ah. I fell into Riette’s leading trap.

Caught in the lie that nothing had happened, I glanced at Riette. She softened her face gently and raised the corners of her mouth in a smile.

“You won’t tell me why you fought until the end?”

“…”

“You can comfortably open up. Don’t you trust me?”

“I-it’s not like that.”

I quickly waved my hands in denial, worried she might misinterpret my silence with different intentions and be hurt.

At that, Riette glared at me sideways and pressured me. Eventually, I, who had been hesitating, moved my lips with difficulty.

“He just… acted in a way that made me think whether he really likes me. We had an argument because of that.”

“I see.”

“Yeah. So because I wanted to know his true feelings, I asked you about Cedy-related things. As you said, Cedy and I were somewhat distant when I was young. Since I don’t know much…”

…I still don’t know many things about Cedric. Isn’t it funny that I’m doubting his sincerity on such a topic? Somehow I felt pathetic, so my words trailed off.

But Riette nodded kindly as if she understood all my feelings.

“So did what I told you give you some answer?”

“…Mm, a little.”

“A little? You’re still anxious.”

“…”

“Well, the only thing I can tell you for certain is that that guy really likes you. If Cedy did something untrustworthy, how about giving him just one more chance?”

“…He doesn’t even come to see me.”

Though I was the one who shouted at him to get out first.

“How long could a guy who’s been following only you around since childhood last doing that? And I think there’s a higher probability that he’s not coming because he doesn’t want to see you, but because he’s struggling alone trying to solve something.”

Riette waved her hand gently and spoke with conviction. Even though she didn’t know the detailed circumstances and was only counseling based on rough situations, she spoke with such certainty. Thanks to that, my heart became quite comfortable.

“…Yeah. That might be it.”

“So don’t be too anxious.”

“Right. Thanks, Ret.”

Riette smiled brightly.

That day I spent time alone with her after a long while, then saw her off when she said she would go back around early afternoon.

After sending Riette off like that and quietly going up to my room, I was lost in my own thoughts for a while.

* * *

A few days later, late evening.

Cedric came to our mansion.