This Novel is not my Novel

Big trouble.

I ended up unintentionally succeeding in an influence event I hadn't even planned to attempt.

Even worse, the target was none other than Reisir, the original protagonist designated as the number one person to avoid.

My head, which was already hurting, began to throb even more intensely.

"What should I do to reclaim the territory?"

"Why are you asking me that? You should handle your own affairs yourself."

"Haha, that's true too."

I deliberately spoke sharply and coldly, but achieved no particular result.

Reisir didn't seem disappointed at all. He simply laughed awkwardly and agreed that my words were correct.

Sneaking a glance at his expression, I could see that the gaze directed at me was filled with trust and affection.

What a headache-inducing situation. It seems he has become very firmly influenced.

"Ugh... why on earth are conversations like this even happening..."

I groaned while clutching my throbbing head.

Then...

"Right...! Holding onto a patient who needs rest, what kind of things are you saying?"

Vigdís scolded Reisir, agreeing with my muttering entirely on her own.

"Gasp! Sorry, Karvaldr. Does it still hurt a lot? The nosebleed seems to have stopped, fortunately. Do you still have a fever?"

Reisir made a fuss, lifting my face to check beneath my nose and placing a hand on my forehead.

Then, saying that the wet towel had become lukewarm and that he would soak it in cold water again, he left and entered the shower room before I could even stop him.

He certainly wouldn't know that such openly concerned behavior is exactly what truly troubles me.

'And Vigdís wouldn't have known either that bringing up my insomnia would lead to this result. Nor would she know how difficult it is for me to deal with this overwhelming concern and favor from Reisir.'

Unable to even explain properly, what could be more pointless than resenting someone who knows nothing?

Moreover, Vigdís had only said those things because she was worried about me.

'No matter how I think about it, proceeding with the influence event was my mistake.'

I should have chosen my words more carefully.

Would it be an excuse to say my judgment was clouded because # Nоvеlight # my head hurt?

I felt like sighing, but held it back for fear of inviting more unnecessary worry and misunderstanding. Instead, I stroked Yor, who still refused to leave my side.

Then I realized something again.

Yor's body temperature was low.

'Without even needing to soak a towel in cold water, I feel like rubbing my face against Yor would lower my fever...'

The thought crossed my mind, but I didn't act on it.

Doing something like that in front of others didn't suit Karvaldr's personality.

And just then, Reisir emerged from the shower room carrying a wet towel.

For some reason, his face was much stiffer than before he had gone in.

"Come to think of it, we were discussing your safety issue, weren't we?"

I wondered why, but it seemed he had simply remembered what we had originally been talking about.

"It's a pointless concern. Seeing as I've been fine until now, the culprit must be unable to enter the academy. Or perhaps they never intended to kill me and were merely curious whether poison would work on me."

"If you really think that, why hasn't your insomnia improved?"

"That's... because what the head thinks and what the heart feels are different?"

"Either way, it means you're still anxious, right?"

"......"

I truly was anxious.

Wondering what exactly Reisir was planning to do after saying things like this.

'It can't be helped... Web novel protagonists are a breed that will do anything to protect the people within their circle, aren't they?'

In the original story, Reisir truly endured all kinds of effort, hardship, and sacrifice.

Sometimes, he even betrayed his own convictions.

But even so...

Let's not think any further about it. For now, that's probably for the best.

"Vigdís. Could you look after Karvaldr for a moment?"

Instead of placing the wet towel directly on my overheated forehead as before, Reisir handed it to Vigdís.

Even though both of my hands were clean now. I could easily stroke Yor with one hand and cool my forehead with the other.

So I decided to take the towel myself.

"Give it here. I'll do it myself."

"But Kar is a patient...?"

"Isn't it just that I was tired, the heat went to my head, and I got a nosebleed? Even if I went to the health center with something this minor, they wouldn't do anything."

"Still, wouldn't they at least give you a fever reducer?"

"......"

I questioned whether there was any point in continuing this argument.

So I simply shut my mouth and snatched the wet towel from her hand.

Reisir let out a deep sigh, and Vigdís gave a short lament at my actions, but I placed the stolen towel on my forehead and pretended not to notice either reaction.

"...Ríolíkin, what do you intend to do now?"

"Y, yes...?"

Reisir withdrew his gaze from me and addressed Ríolíkin.

Unlike usual, his attitude was remarkably grave and heavy.

Meanwhile, Ríolíkin responded awkwardly with his usual bewildered expression.

Because the atmosphere surrounding the two was so different, Reisir's presence felt especially fierce.

"You heard everything too. Someone tried to kill Karvaldr."

"Uh, th-that is..."

"Even so, will you remain by Karvaldr's side? Or will you leave?"

On the surface, it sounded like he was giving him a choice.

But in reality, since remaining frightened and doing nothing would only endanger both parties, it was no different from telling him to get lost.

To Reisir's words, Ríolíkin...

"I, I just... want things to stay like they are now..."

Offered a vague answer in a hesitant voice.

'Like they are now' sounded as though he wanted to continue following Karvaldr and receiving protection.

It also sounded as though he wanted to maintain the current arrangement without making any effort to overcome his fear.

'Based on Ríolíkin's behavior so far, it's probably not one or the other, but both.'

Perhaps because I had completely given up expecting anything from him, I no longer even found him pathetic.

Wasn't he originally just a villain's lackey who hadn't even been given a proper narrative?

Given the role originally assigned to him, it was only natural that his conduct and way of thinking would be unfavorable.

That's why I could simply think, 'It is what it is,' and let it pass.

But Reisir, unaware of such circumstances, seemed to find Ríolíkin's answer extremely displeasing.

The original protagonist narrowed his golden eye sharply and glared at him.

Startled by the gaze, Ríolíkin hurriedly opened his mouth.

"Lord Ka-Karvaldr said the academy w-would be safe... Besides, he said it was u-useless meddling too... S-so doesn't that mean we d-don't need to worry about it...?"

In his own way, he seemed to be defending himself.

But no one could be called a web novel protagonist if they accepted words like that.

As a result, Ríolíkin's excuse only irritated Reisir further.

"So, in short, you intend to remain under Karvaldr's influence and have your safety guaranteed, while planning to ignore it and run away if Karvaldr falls into danger?"

Is it because his favorability toward me skyrocketed after the unintentionally successful influence event?

It felt as though the protagonist of someone else's novel was treating my affairs as his own and becoming excessively emotional.

Judging from the bewilderment plainly visible on Ríolíkin's face, he seemed to feel the same way.

"S-suddenly, why... why are you doing this...? It-it's scary..."

"Ríolíkin. There are so many things you're afraid of, yet you feel neither empathy nor concern for others who are afraid?"

"I, I do worry, but..."

"Do you call what you're saying right now concern?"

Rather than raising his voice and venting intense emotions, Reisir spoke in a cold voice tinged with irritation.

Even so, the fact that he was angry was unmistakable.

The frightened Ríolíkin trembled and glanced toward me.

It looked as though he was pleading for me to stop the original protagonist.

But seeing that only prompted another response from Reisir.

"Even at a time like this, you're trying to rely on Karvaldr?"

Indeed.

I knew he would react like that.

It was the most predictable response imaginable.

And yet, to ask me for help in this situation...

Did he really not understand why Reisir was angry?

I honestly think Ríolíkin did something incredibly foolish.

However, if I ignored what he had just done, I wasn't really in a position to criticize him.

"There is no need to get so worked up. Ríolíkin only stayed around me for his own benefit. He never followed me sincerely. And I never exactly looked after him out of concern either."

"Karvaldr, why are you accepting that so calmly?!"

"As you guessed, I intended to use him as well. I thought that if I trained him properly, he might become useful as an escort. But that was impossible from the beginning. After all, nothing is more precious than one's own life. Guarding someone who could be attacked by an unknown threat at any moment is naturally something people would hate."

Wasn't that the very reason I had constantly tried to distance myself from the original protagonist?

Despite that, when Reisir offered to help with ether separation, I accepted without hesitation and took the benefit.

Even if Reisir had been the one to offer help first, the fact remained that I had accepted it without any intention of repaying the favor, all to spare myself.

In that sense, I wasn't much different from someone else.

A self-deprecating smile slipped onto my face before I realized it.

Apparently, it looked rather pitiful to the others.

"You... Was that why you kept trying to distance yourself from me? Because you were afraid I would get caught up in danger? And because Ríolíkin was someone trying to use you, you allowed him to stay by your side because the relationship was mutually beneficial?"

How exactly was I supposed to interpret that statement? ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

So this means the protagonist of someone else's novel knew all along that I was trying to distance myself from him, yet still acted close to me every day?

Not because he thought I was some kind of tsundere who was acting difficult for no reason?

"Ah...! So that's why...!"

I don't know why Vigdís suddenly reacted as though she had just realized something.

Even in my own mind, the words 'so that's why' flashed past.

N-no way. Surely not.

No matter what, she couldn't possibly have mistaken the broken engagement contract as an attempt to distance myself from her and keep her away from danger.

"Lord Ka-Karvaldr... I, I..."

Perhaps wanting to take advantage of the atmosphere, Ríolíkin tried to say something.

But he couldn't form a proper sentence.

Honestly, that was probably better than saying something pointless like the other two.

"The fact that I spoke as though I understood you wasn't to cover for you. You lack both the courage to charge at those blocking my path and the resolve to stand before those trying to harm me. Since there is no value in keeping someone who cannot be useful in any situation, I said what I said."

"Uh... uh..."

"Therefore, you can no longer stay 'as you are now.' You must choose. Either stay by my side and strive to overcome your fear, or continue abandoning everything out of fear, prioritizing your own safety and running away."

"I... I..."

"I won't criticize you even if you choose the latter. Likewise, even if you choose the former, I won't consider you special. It would merely establish a relationship where we use each other. A relationship only slightly better than that of complete strangers."

Even as I spoke, I wondered whether I had any right to say such things.

Perhaps because of that, part of me hoped he would choose the latter.

Just as I had chosen to run away while carrying guilt, I wanted Ríolíkin to run away too.

Thinking that if I wasn't the only one running away, perhaps my own self-reproach would lessen.

But...

"Ef-effort... I w-want to try..."

Ríolíkin did not act according to my wishes.

Was it because he, too, was a character in someone else's novel?