The Original Work Got Ruined After I Quit Being the Sub Male 76

Meanwhile, Cedric, who was in the lobby…

“Young Master Edgar said he has no intention of meeting Young Master Cedric for the time being, so please tell him to return.”

He felt like he’d been struck by lightning at the message from Redward, the Lowell family’s head butler.

He had visited the mansion with a happy heart wanting to meet Edgar, but what came back was an utterly unbelievable answer.

“…The reason.”

“He didn’t give a reason.”

Redward showed difficulty and shook his head. Cedric, who had been denying this situation, shook his head and tried to go up to Edgar’s room, but Redward blocked him again.

“Don’t stop me. I need to meet Eddie.”

“Young master… please calm down first and visit again next time. It’s probably a temporary mood change. Since he firmly refused, if you go up on your own, things might get worse.”

“……”

Cedric’s eyes shook anxiously. Why on earth? What was making him avoid him again this time?

He had a much more ominous feeling than usual. Just when he couldn’t leave but also couldn’t forcibly go find Edgar due to unknown anxiety, standing there as if nailed to the spot—

“What’s all this commotion?”

He heard a familiar voice and glanced toward the stairs. Castian, whom he hadn’t expected, was coming down the stairs.

“Ah, Your Highness the Prince…”

Redward couldn’t dare answer and bowed his head. Soon Castian, recognizing Cedric, curled up the corners of his mouth.

“Look who it is. A familiar face.”

“……”

“Hmm? Why does our young master look so dejected?”

Though he didn’t know the situation properly, Castian, sensing the strange atmosphere, approached closely and secretly observed Cedric’s condition.

Cedric glaring at him as if he’d kill him was no different from usual, so there was nothing particularly to worry about, but it was strange that gloominess was reflected in that expression.

Castian tilted his head and asked Redward directly.

“This fellow came to meet Edgar, didn’t he? What were you discussing standing here?”

“Well… Young Master Edgar said he has no intention of meeting Young Master Cedric for the time being, so he told us to send him away…”

Redward answered while watching Cedric’s reaction. Just when Castian raised one eyebrow at this interesting story—

There was one more person quietly coming down the stairs after hearing the commotion. Terion had come down to the lobby wondering what was happening, then flinched and stopped walking when he discovered a familiar face.

‘That fellow…’

It was a face somewhat younger than what Terion remembered, but that was definitely Cedric.

Around then, Cedric also discovered Terion standing by the stairs. Though it didn’t show much outwardly, Cedric was very flustered by the appearance of someone he thought he’d never see again.

But he didn’t acknowledge knowing Terion. Because he assumed that, like others, Terion wouldn’t have memories of the regression. Terion also noticed that Cedric was treating him like a stranger for that reason.

So he was conflicted about whether he should reveal it first or not, whether he should mention that he had told Edgar about the regression.

“Oh dear. Did you two fight?”

“…We’ve never fought.”

“But why would he say he won’t meet you?”

Because he understood the situation indirectly through the conversation between Cedric and Castian, even more so.

‘Hmm. Is it because of me?’

Terion felt very troubled because it seemed Edgar was avoiding Cedric due to him bringing up the regression yesterday.

Edgar had referred to Cedric as his lover, and from his memory, Cedric had also missed him greatly, so he thought some external pressure was forcibly separating them…

If his guess was right, there would be no reason to suddenly avoid him like this just from hearing about the regression. Rather, wouldn’t it be more endearing?

The way Edgar’s expression hardened as soon as he heard about the regression yesterday too…

There seemed to be other problems between them.

“Haa.”

Then Cedric let out a big sigh without hiding it. He seemed displeased with Castian’s constant pestering.

Terion watched Castian gently needling Cedric and thought, so this man is like this with everyone.

“Why is Your Highness here?”

Cedric shot back in a stiff voice. Though he didn’t add anything after that, his glare at Terion seemed to say ‘and why is that man with you?’

Actually, he was thinking something similar to what Terion expected.

Yesterday, he had heard from Edgar that Castian was planning to visit the mansion, but judging by Castian’s current appearance, it seemed he was staying at the mansion.

If his business was done, why didn’t he leave quickly instead of still remaining? Moreover, the fact that Terion was among those visiting the mansion was completely news to him.

To think they would end up meeting like this…

‘Since Terion was part of the Seraphium Cult, I thought he might be connected to this incident.’

This was before the regression. Cedric had vaguely learned of the Seraphium Cult’s existence while searching for information related to Chronos, and through that had also contacted Terion.

‘…It couldn’t be related to Edgar’s change in attitude, could it?’

Cedric felt strangely uneasy.

“Do you know that the Seraphium Cult has collapsed? I came yesterday to convey stories related to that, and decided to stay at this mansion with that man for the time being, so I’m remaining here.”

Castian, unfazed by Cedric’s sharp momentum, pointed to Terion behind him and added.

“That man is, well, something like a spy from the Seraphium Cult. He said he has nowhere to go since the cult disappeared.”

“…That man aside, why you?”

“Ah, I agreed to go with him when he travels. Though I’ll need His Majesty’s permission before that. Anyway, various things happened. I’ll be leaving soon, so don’t hate it too much.”

“……”

In the end, Cedric turned around without resolving his frustration. He wanted to hold out until Edgar came down from his room, but thinking that Castian would keep bothering him until then, it seemed better to return for today.

“I’ll come again tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry, young master.”

Redward apologized on behalf of the powerlessly departing Cedric.

And Terion, who had been quietly watching that series of events, pondered silently. He was hoping that the unknown conflict between the two would be resolved well.

* * *

It had already been five days since I started avoiding meetings with Cedric. Cedric came to the mansion every other day, and not only Redward but also my parents, who heard the story, ended up trying to persuade us by getting between him and me.

Somehow it felt like déjà vu.

‘It was like that then too.’

Right after I recalled the traces from before the regression that I had firmly believed were memories of a previous life.

And…

“Eddie.”

“……”

Just like then, when my parents gave permission on their own and Cedric came all the way to my room, it was no different from that time.

‘Should I say it’s my fault for leaving the door open?’

I, who had been sitting at the desk, turned my body at Cedric’s voice coming from the doorway. He was standing at the door with a dark face, staring intently at me.

“…I’m reminded of what happened not long after my birthday passed. That day too, you came in on your own and got angry.”

“What did I do wrong again?”

Cedric, who seemed to find it hard to bear the emotions curdled inside him, strode into the room. As he reached right in front of me and tried to touch me, I unconsciously lowered my head to avoid him. The hand that stopped in mid-air touched the desk instead of reaching me.

“I… have no idea why you’re acting like this.”

The voice falling over my head trembled weakly.

“It feels like all the blood in my body is drying up.”

“……”

“If I did something wrong, just tell me.”

“……”

If I did something wrong, tell him…

I’m just as confused.

To think that he, who acts like someone truly anxious about not getting an answer from me… like someone hurt, is the same person as that man who liked Riette.

“Do you… like me?”

“I like you.”

“……”

“Eddie, please. You know my heart.”

…Right. Perhaps Cedric had reasons worth hiding. Maybe Riette and Cedric’s feelings weren’t genuine.

“Then let me ask just one more thing.”

“Yeah.”

“You regressed, didn’t you?”

I took a deep breath and focused all my senses on Cedric. Though I was too scared to look at his face and kept my head down, I could clearly feel his momentarily stiffened atmosphere and bewilderment.

“You who liked Ret, why are you saying you like me now… I don’t understand.”

“……”

“What’s real? Do you really like me?”

I kept fidgeting with my hands that were growing cold from anxiety. I wanted him to tell me there were reasons for that back then. That everything he said about liking me was true, so I shouldn’t worry…

“How did you find out about that?”

But what came back was questioning mixed with perplexity.