The Male Lead isn't Following the Script!
Chapter 271: Smell of Death

Chapter 271: Smell of Death

In a single breath, she stepped forward, using the element of surprise to slam her shoulder into the woman and push past her into the hallway.

Shouts erupted behind her as she bolted.

She could hear the woman recovering, the sound of boots pounding against the stone as she gave chase.

Adeline turned sharply at the first intersection, then the second, moving fast—faster than any of them would expect.

Her heart thundered as she spotted the exit.

She was almost there—

Then—

A figure stepped into her path.

Adeline barely had time to stop before she collided with him.

Edward.

Of course, it was him.

"What are you doing here?!" she whisper-shouted, barely resisting the urge to strangle him.

Edward only smiled. That infuriating, smug smile that made her want to punch him in the face.

"I had a feeling you would get caught." He said it so casually, as if she were some reckless child who needed rescuing.

Adeline opened her mouth to argue—because she had not gotten caught, thank you very much—but before she could, she noticed the shadow moving toward them.

The woman she had bumped into earlier had recovered far too quickly, and her sharp eyes locked onto Adeline like a hawk spotting its prey.

Edward sighed dramatically. "Honestly, I let you go in alone for five minutes."

"Five minutes?!" Adeline hissed. "It was at least fifteen!"

"Exactly. Far too long."

Before she could even respond, Edward lifted a hand—and in an instant, a blast of neon purple magic erupted from his fingertips.

The woman flew backwards as if struck by an invisible force, slamming into the wall before slumping to the ground. She didn’t move.

Adeline blinked.

"Did you just—"

"Knock her unconscious? Yes."

"With neon purple magic? Wait that is forbidden magic... Hah."

Edward smirked. "It’s stylish, don’t you think?"

"Ugh, shut up," she muttered, but she didn’t argue further. They had bigger problems.

Because the woman, in the brief moment before she passed out, had sent out a signal.

The air around them suddenly felt charged.

Adeline knew what that meant.

Reinforcements were coming.

Edward must have realised it too, because his hand shot out and grabbed hers.

"Time to go," he said, before yanking her into a sprint.

Adeline barely managed to keep up as they darted through the dim corridors, twisting and turning down different paths. The torches lining the walls flickered, their shadows stretching ominously as they ran.

"Do you even know where you’re going?!" she asked, breathless.

"Not at all!" Edward replied cheerfully.

Adeline groaned.

They turned another corner, and finally, Edward seemed to spot something useful—a small, secluded alcove hidden behind an old, half-broken bookshelf. Without hesitation, he dragged her inside, pressing her against the cool stone wall as they both caught their breath.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Outside, hurried footsteps echoed as guards rushed past, their voices urgent as they called out instructions.

"Find the intruder!"

"She couldn’t have gone far!"

Edward let out a soft hum, as if pleased with himself. "Ah, I love it when they underestimate you."

Adeline scowled. "They underestimated us, actually. You were the one shooting neon magic like a beacon of ’Please come catch us’!"

Edward merely smiled. "Ah, but it worked, didn’t it?"

He should know how forbidden magic attracts others yet he dared to use it so openly.

Adeline rolled her eyes.

After a few minutes, the noise outside began to die down. The guards, failing to locate them, moved further away, leaving only a faint hum of voices in the distance.

Only then did Adeline realize something.

She was still in Edward’s arms.

And he—was not letting go.

Her breath hitched as she became painfully aware of just how close they were. His arms were firm, wrapped around her in a way that made it impossible to move. She could feel the steady rise and fall of his chest, the warmth radiating from his body.

Her face heated.

"Edward," she said through gritted teeth.

"Hmm?"

"Let. Me. Go."

Edward did not let her go.

Instead, he tilted his head, a mocking glint in his violet eyes.

"Why?" he asked, voice far too amused. "Are you uncomfortable?"

Adeline turned her face away, refusing to meet his gaze. "You’re trapping me against a wall. Obviously, I’m uncomfortable."

He hummed thoughtfully. "Strange. You don’t look uncomfortable. You look—hmm, what’s the word? Flustered?"

"Edward."

"Blushing, even."

She snapped her head back to glare at him. "I am NOT blushing." Her hand was now placed on his chest. "What would happen if I sent bolts of lightning straight through your heart."

Edward backed off and raised his hand to say he surrendered. Adeline straightened up but she was still annoyed by his behaviour.

"Happy?" he asked.

Adeline stepped away as quickly as possible, crossing her arms. "I’ll be happy when we get out of here."

Edward chuckled. "Then let’s make that happen."

He peeked out from their hiding spot, scanning the corridor. After a moment, he nodded.

"Coast is clear."

"Good," Adeline said, adjusting her cloak. "Then let’s go—"

Before she could finish, Edward reached out and tugged the hood over her head, making sure it covered most of her face.

Adeline frowned. "What was that for?"

Edward smirked. "Just making sure your ’disguise’ stays in place. After all, we wouldn’t want them to see that lovely, red-faced expression of yours, would we?" He truly thought she was funny when she was angry. She looked like a strawberry.

Adeline kicked his shin.

Edward yelped, hopping slightly on one foot. "Rude!"

"Let’s move before I kick you again," she said sweetly.

He huffed, rubbing his leg. "So violent."

They slipped out of their hiding place, moving quickly but carefully. Adeline took the lead this time, her sharp eyes scanning for any remaining guards.

Edward followed, annoyingly casual, as if this were all just a fun little adventure.

"You know," she mused after a while, "I’m starting to think you did this on purpose."

Edward smirked. That smirk. The one that always meant trouble.

Adeline narrowed her eyes at him, suddenly suspicious.

But before she could demand an explanation, Edward’s expression changed.

The shift was so quick, so subtle, that Adeline almost missed it. His casual amusement faded, replaced by something sharper, more calculating. His violet eyes flickered with an unreadable emotion.

Adeline didn’t notice—not yet.

She was too focused on making it out of this cursed place.

But Edward?

He noticed something. With no hesitation, he quickly reached for a vase that looked inconspicuous but his hand slipped and it immediately fell down.

Within seconds, hurried footsteps echoed through the corridors. Shadows flickered against the dimly lit stone walls. Voices rose in alarm.

Then—

Armed figures appeared, surrounding them from all sides.

Adeline spun around, her pulse spiking.

They were trapped.

"You absolute—" She cut herself off, biting back the curse that burned on her tongue. "You did that on purpose!"

Edward sighed theatrically, shaking his head. "I told you I had a feeling you would get caught. I was just speeding up the process."

Adeline was going to kill him.

The group of enemy magic users—cultists, she assumed—tightened their circle around them, their weapons raised, their gazes cold and merciless.

Adeline clenched her fists, electricity crackling at her fingertips.

Edward, meanwhile, looked positively delighted.

"Well," he said cheerfully, "I suppose we have no choice now."

One of the robed figures stepped forward, her voice sharp. "Surrender, and we’ll make this painless."

Edward laughed.

Actually laughed.

Adeline sighed. She knew what was coming next.

"Apologies," Edward said, raising a hand lazily. "But I don’t do ’surrendering.’"

Before the cultists could react, a surge of neon purple magic exploded from his palm, crashing into them like a tidal wave.

Several of them screamed as they were flung backward, their bodies slamming against the stone walls with a sickening crunch.

Adeline took that as her cue.

Lightning erupted from her hands, arcing like a violent storm.

She didn’t hold back.

Electricity surged through the enemy forces, bodies convulsing before collapsing.

One of them lunged at her with a dagger—bad mistake.

She whirled around, her foot connecting with their stomach, sending them flying back before finishing them off with a bolt of lightning to the chest.

The room smelled of death and burning flesh.

The fight didn’t last long.

When the last enemy fell, silence settled over the space.

Adeline exhaled sharply, her heart still pounding from the adrenaline. Edward blocked most of the hits that were aimed at her. No, she did not feel grateful in the slightest. She was furious.

Edward, of course, looked completely unfazed.

He smoothed out his robes, then dusted off his sleeves, as if he hadn’t just committed mass murder in under five minutes.

Then he turned to her, his lips quirking into a smirk.

"Well, that was fun."

Adeline gaped at him.

"Fun?! Are you insane?!"

Edward hummed, tilting his head. "No, I just have good taste in entertainment."

Adeline glared at him. "You set that up. You wanted this to happen."

Edward didn’t deny it.

Instead, he gestured lazily toward the now corpse-littered room.

"Now you can explore this base more freely," he said, completely serious.