The Obsessive Male Lead Is Actually Scary
Chapter 24: The Question I Should’ve Asked Sooner

Chapter 24: The Question I Should’ve Asked Sooner

"Ah, you’ve already received your new identity parchment, I see?" Caleb said with a delighted look, his brows lifting slightly in satisfaction as his eyes flicked to the document in my hands.

"Yes. I heard you were the one who arranged it. Thank you," I replied, offering a small but sincere smile.

"Ahh, I was just following His Highness’s orders," he said modestly, rubbing his cheek with one finger. Even so, a flicker of pride glinted in his eyes—as if, deep down, he was pleased that his work had been recognized.

"Even so, good work."

I gave him a smile that lingered, warm and appreciative, which made his expression brighten just a little more. It was a rare kind of reaction—someone genuinely happy to be useful, not for gain, but because they believed in what they were doing.

Then Mateo stepped in, voice a little quieter, like someone trying not to ruin the moment. "To be honest... I still can’t believe I’m talking to you like this. Back then, I only ever watched you from a distance."

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden confession. ’Watched me...?’

Now that I thought about it, Alessio had once told me that Marius’s residence had been under quiet surveillance the entire time—discreetly monitored by members of the Imperial Spy Division.

"Oh, haha. I didn’t even realize you all had been there the whole time. If I had... maybe I would’ve felt a little safer?" I said, my voice light but genuine.

"I’m sorry, my lady," Mateo said quickly, his expression growing a little more regretful. "Since it was a covert investigation, we weren’t allowed to intervene or reveal ourselves carelessly. There were strict boundaries."

He looked almost guilty, like he was personally responsible for everything I’d gone through while he remained hidden in the shadows.

"No, no. It’s okay. I understand—it makes perfect sense."

I stepped forward slightly and gave him a gentle pat on the arm, my fingers brushing lightly against the fabric of his sleeve. "You’ve all worked hard. Thank you for that."

There was a flicker of something in his eyes. Surprise, maybe. Or respect.

Alessio, who had been standing silently at the side with his arms crossed, finally stepped in. His voice was calm and to the point, breaking through the emotional air like a pebble tossed in still water.

"Since we’re done here, let’s head back and have lunch."

We parted ways soon after. Caleb and Mateo gave me a polite wave before turning and heading into Alessio’s room. Alessio offered a slight nod, quiet as always, and I returned the gesture with a smaller wave and a soft breath as I made my way to my own.

* * *

Lunch was a quiet affair. I ate slowly, more out of fatigue than hunger, but I still managed to finish the meal.

Afterward, I changed into more comfortable clothes—something looser—and threw myself onto the bed with all the grace of a wilted flower.

"Hahh..."

The training was still exhausting. Every muscle in my body throbbed with fatigue. But... I was getting used to it. Bit by bit. My stamina was improving. Somehow, my steps didn’t feel as heavy anymore, and my breathing didn’t catch as easily. My body—once fragile and trembling at the mere thought of strain—was slowly adapting.

It felt good. In a strange, painful, slightly masochistic way.

As I lay back on the bed, my arms flopped out to my sides, I found my mind drifting to a conversation I’d had with Alessio not long ago.

"I’ve been wondering about my family—the Mitfords. What if we tried reaching out to them?"

"That’s the strange part. We’ve tried reaching out discreetly, but there’s been no response. It’s like something—or someone—is blocking us."

’What exactly is happening with Sonia’s parents...?’

The thought hadn’t left me since.

They weren’t really my parents, but the memories in this body were so vivid—so full of warmth and safety—it was hard not to get pulled into them. They loved Sonia. I could feel it. I remembered it.

It was the kind of love I’d never known before.

Back then... my life had been anything but warm.

Growing up in the orphanage had been like trying to bloom in frozen soil.

"What do you think a filthy orphan like you can do for my daughter?"

"Hey, let’s go. My mom said not to play with her. She doesn’t even have parents."

Words like those cut deeper than any blade. And they stayed with me longer, too.

That’s when I learned something ugly about the world:

To survive in society, I had to flatter people. Smile. Make myself small. Useful. Non-threatening.

So, I did.

I smiled through everything—pain, loneliness, even betrayal. I became someone who listened. Who nodded. Who offered comfort. I called them "friends" because that’s what you were supposed to do... even if their smiles vanished the moment I turned my back.

I remember one day, returning from the restroom, I stopped in the hallway and heard voices beyond the wall.

"Hey, I’ve always wondered. Why do you hang out with that girl who doesn’t even have parents?"

"Oh, we only go because you always bring her along."

"She’s kind of fun to be around, and she’s smart, right? At least I don’t have to stress about assignments."

"Haha. Wow, you’re terrible."

My hands clenched so tightly at my sides that my nails dug into my skin. My throat tightened. I bit the inside of my cheek—then walked back out, smile painted on like always.

Maybe that’s why I clung to romance novels the way some people cling to prayers.

They became my escape—a world where the heroine was always loved, always chosen. And as I read, it felt like I was her... like I was the one being held, protected, cherished. Even if it was just for a little while.

The love I could never have... I found in those pages.

’Now that I think about it... if I’m here, in her body... then what happened to the real Sonia?’

The thought came to me like a whisper—cold and sharp, cutting through everything I’d just laid bare.

I stared up at the ceiling, haunted by a question I should’ve asked far sooner.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.