Luna was left utterly speechless.
This man was even more beautiful than half of the people in the modern world. Dark hair which was a bit wavy, reaching out to the shoulders. The violet eyes stared as if he would devour anyone who stood in front of him. Beautiful sharp nose, softer lips, and a jawline that could definitely cut apples. If he was existing in the modern world, he would have been a celebrity.
And the protagonist's halo was too brightening, it could almost make anyone blind.
There was no doubt Min Hwan could not recognise this was Alexis De Mevius, the main lead of the novel. The protagonist, the one on whose name this novel is sold. The one who he found so cool he ended up buying it and reading it in one night.
He almost forgot he is Luna Merino now, the girl he apparently hate a lot.
"Alexis? What are you doing-" The boy spoke nothing, rather turned to see Lucas and some more boys from the field coming, finding him.
'Oh dear brother, why do you make your own death even more miserable..!'
Now, it was time to think. Either Luna could just watch and be more hated by Alexis, or rather jump in and stop her brother.
To befriend the male lead? Surely the second one would be fine.
"Ah! Dear Sister!! Great timing, we were just about to show this kid his damn place." Lucas spoke up as his laugh grew sinister, approaching the two. This was the time.
Luna rushed to approach in front of Alexis as if standing a barrier between him and Lucas, putting everyone in a state of shock. Alexis's cold gaze went surprised and Lucas looked shocked by the action.
"No, you are not." She spoke up, red eyes narrowed down to look at her brother. Although her heart was beating fast. What if this didn't work?
'All for survival, anyways!'
"What do you mean by I won't? Sister, you never came in between me and this weakling like that!?"
"Because— Because isn't it time for your math class? Your tutor is waiting! You don't want to end up beaten up because of wasting your time on this weakling, are you?" She was actually thinking to reprimand him, but it felt like it would be too early. Luna wasn't that nice, was she?
"Ah, right, right. Well, I'll leave the weakling at your discretion, dear sister. See you later." Lucas waved and walked out of the garden, as she turned to look at the bruised boy.
'Wow, is this the face of the guy who would kill me?'
"Are you okay? I shall call a maid to treat your wounds—"
"Why..."
"Hm?"
"Why are you helping me? What has been into you..?" She furrowed her brows at his question. It was definite Luna was also one of the people who mistreated him badly.
But now, was a fight to survive more than anything else.
"Who knows? Maybe the water really reached my head. Be happy while I'm nice. Now, take this." She placed a pearl in his hand, which was just for the dramatic effect. Min Hwan learned it from novels, people giving souvenirs to make good relations.
'How smart you are, Luna!'
"Show this to the medics and tell Lady Merino sent you for treating wounds." Min Hwan decided, that topping this gesture with a little smile would just work, and so he did, just hoping it was not awkward.
While, from the outside, it was actually a beautiful girl showing the prettiest smile ever known to man.
"Now it is my cue to leave, bye!" Luna turned around swiftly, walking fast outside the garden to her room.
And what they missed seeing was Alexis's bruised cheeks turning a shade of red.
--
Luna was walking around the corridor, deep in thoughts, while the book kept flying around her as if thinking as well.
"Hm, how about you make him meet your friends?"
"Too suspicious."
"How about favoring him in the academy?"
"Lucas would drop kick me if I did that." The novel sighed, making a huffing sound before thinking again.
"Hm, offer him free food? He lives in a little room in the servant's quarters. Perhaps you could-"
"-plan a random visit on the quarters and see the condition and get him out of it?" As if completing each other's sentences, her eyes sparkled.
"That would work, would it? Or do we go the training grounds way to pretend that he has potential and make him my personal knight?" The book seemed to shake in disapproval, for which Luna nodded.
"That is the later plan, we cannot blatantly show we are favoring him, or your father would really consider the marriage." Luna stopped in her tracks at the mention of marriage. If it was only marriage, it would have been fine for Luna to choose the path of being a maiden first wife who does not care about what he does. Or just avert the marriage somehow with him.
But the marriage was important, to keep Alexis away from the cave of the devil. The underlying issue was, how would that be possible?
Issues kept piling up. The issue of somehow not getting Alexis in any demon's hands or cave of devil, to not getting married to him, to get both the main leads to a happy path..
"Hold on, do you think if we find the female lead early, would that reduce the crisis somehow? If he fell in love with her before, that would keep me away from that path!" The book almost let out a squeak at such a statement.
"This is probably the smartest idea I have heard from you!"
"Oh shut up, I'm always smart." Flipping her hair, she walked to the servant's quarter, which was still lavish. Oh, Min Hwan was contemplating how was he content with just a little room for his whole life.
Everyone bowed down as she entered, and she let out a rhythmic hum softly.
"Ah, do not fret, I am just here to inspect the place a little, hm? Just to see if anything should be done to make staff's conditions better." Luna could feel the staff looking surprised at the statement. Did Luna never do that?
Walking across the rooms, she found a little room underneath the stairs, which has its door open. Turning back, she saw a few maids who were obviously following her.
"Is this the storage or someone has occupied the room?" Luna had to seem clueless, but Min Hwan had an absolute idea. This was the room Alexis was in because even the servants did not wish to keep him, so they neglected him.
'Oh, you poor male lead!'
"Ah- this is a room for storage-" the maid could not finish when the door creaked open. Alexis, squished inside the tiny room, was trying to place the bandage on his arm when his elbow hit the door open. The room could only fit one person in, and Luna was really wondering how the hell Alexis even slept in such a room.
Even Min Hwan's room was bigger.
"Oh my- you live in this??" A statement of shock, Luna instantly looked back at the maids who were sweating in fear now. As they should.
Alexis came out of the room, blinking in surprise. Why was she here again?
Luna, before looking around, let out a little cough. She was still Luna Merino. Be in character, Min Hwan.
"Ahem, so- the conditions here are not as well as I thought. Where is the head maid? I shall place some amendments." She spoke up as a maid, aged than others appeared as she nodded.
"This place shall be thoroughly cleaned, more beds to be provided. And this young man.." She now had to look up to look at Alexis. "..would stay in the knight's quarter until this,, little room gets constructed to a bigger one."
Luna could see Alexis's eyes shining up brightly. She gave a smile in return and turned to walk outside the room.
Having no clue what sort of Alexis has been unlocked.