I’m Raising the Male Lead Inside My Pocket
Grace
남주를 주머니 속에서 키우고 있습니다 Jul 10, 2026 39 views
Chapter 26
After jumping down from the window, Lishid landed in the bushes and immediately lowered his body.
Carefully raising his head, he surveyed the area.
Large servants bustled back and forth throughout the estate.
This is going to be troublesome.
Lishid clicked his tongue.
If the post office didn't close in the afternoon, he would have waited until the quiet of night.
Since there was no telling when the western nobles would make their move, he had no choice but to hurry—but there were simply too many risks.
Flattening himself against the ground, Lishid crawled out of the flowerbed.
"Just this once...!"
The young lady's voice from before he had jumped out the window lingered in his ears like an echo.
"It's far too dangerous for you to wander around alone in that body. So please promise me."
As she lightly clutched the hem of his trousers, her eyes had looked more anxious than ever before.
The cheeks that were always so lively had gone pale.
She's always been like this.
He could still vividly remember how she always treated him as though he couldn't even deal with a crow or a stray cat.
One moment she'd wear a mischievous grin and tease him like a child...
Yet whenever she worried about him, her expression was always completely serious.
As though the world were about to end.
Because... she likes me...
There was no way Lishid could misunderstand the reason.
For some reason, the back of his neck suddenly grew hot.
Why does my body keep heating up at the strangest times?
At this point... is this some kind of illness?
The moment Lishid mocked himself—
The young lady's face flashed through his mind against his will.
"I like sweet things too, Your Grace."
His footing slipped.
He lost his balance, and the grass rustled beneath his feet.
"What was that?"
A maid passing beside the flowerbed turned toward the sound.
Lishid hurriedly rolled behind the stone border of the flowerbed and hid himself.
One step.
Then another.
The footsteps stopped right in front of him.
A dark shadow slowly fell over his head.
Just as the maid was about to discover him—
"Meow."
A cat suddenly darted around the corner.
"Eek! You scared me! It was just a cat!"
The maid crouched down and reached toward it.
The fluffy white cat purred happily under her touch.
"Aww, you're adorable! Yes, you are!"
Lishid quietly let out the breath he'd been holding.
...Ha.
How did things end up like this...?
All she'd said was that she liked sweet things too.
So why had that scene suddenly popped into his head?
People always said love was like this.
That you became anxious when the other person wasn't in front of you.
That you felt sad.
Lonely.
Depressed.
That you lost all your energy.
Even after hearing far more embarrassing stories than that, he'd never reacted like this before.
Ridiculous.
Lishid let out a hollow laugh.
If he was going to think about her, then it should have been—
The way her rosy lips curved gently whenever she smiled.
Or her violet eyes that sparkled like precious jewels.
Or the faint scent of roses that drifted over whenever she looked at him.
Or the soft way she called him...
"Your Grace..."
"...What?"
Lishid's face abruptly froze.
You idiot.
He immediately slapped himself across the cheek.
The cat looked over in surprise, but Lishid, whose face was already burning hot, didn't even notice.
Please... get out of my head, my lady.
Grinding his teeth, he forced himself to think about his foolish subordinate, Cassel Elviance.
Only then did his racing heartbeat gradually return to normal.
Lishid let out a long sigh and lowered his hand from his face.
I must be possessed by an evil spirit.
No matter what, he had to find a way to break this curse as quickly as possible.
At this rate, not only his body, but even his mind seemed to be growing stranger by the day.
"Oh! I'd better get going. See you again, kitty!"
Just then, the maid stood up after petting the cat.
The cat, which had been rolling around with its belly exposed only moments before, instantly returned to a dignified sitting posture the moment she disappeared.
Left alone, it sighed with a thoroughly bored expression.
"Sigh..."
...Wait.
Did that cat just sigh?
Lishid stared at it in disbelief.
The cat leisurely licked its fur before finally turning its head toward him.
Their eyes met.
Slowly, the cat stood.
Its hindquarters rose into the air.
Its tail stiffened into a straight line as it assumed an attack stance.
Damn it.
Apparently, it had decided Lishid was an intruder trespassing on its territory.
"Myaaow!"
This time, unlike before, Lishid immediately drew the sword he had remembered to bring with him.
An hour had already passed since Lishid climbed out the window.
After washing his bedding, I hung it over the windowsill to dry and let out a sigh.
I knew how important the contents of the letter to Cassel were, so I couldn't stop him.
Still...
I couldn't shake the terrible feeling in my chest.
Why am I so anxious...?
The post office was located in the central plaza.
For someone as small as Lishid, the round trip would take quite a while.
Yet my heart wouldn't stop pounding.
What if he never comes back?
What if he runs into danger?
Or worse... what if, by some twist of fate, he runs into Seria?
Should I have stopped him no matter what?
A wave of regret washed over me.
But if I'd forcibly prevented him from leaving, all the trust we'd painstakingly built might have crumbled.
It's okay... I'll just wait a little longer.
If he'd intended to leave from the beginning, he would have gone with Cassel long ago.
Besides...
He'd promised he'd come back.
The room suddenly felt unbearably quiet now that I was alone.
Trying to distract myself, I searched for something to do.
Fortunately, there was one thing.
Since Lishid wasn't here anyway, I decided to continue reading Airel's diary—the one I'd left unfinished yesterday.
Making myself comfortable on the bed, I opened it.
I stopped around here yesterday...
Found it.
I began turning the pages from where I'd left off.
From the middle onward, much of the diary repeated the same themes as before.
Jenice's name appeared every now and then, but only in passing—mentioning gifts exchanged between them. Nothing seemed particularly important.
The truly new entries began here.
April 5
Laura left home.
She said that now that I'd had my debutante, there was no longer any reason for her to stay in this house.
Without Laura...
I'm truly alone now.
May 7
I wrote Laura a letter, but she still hasn't replied.
I've probably sent twenty by now...
What am I supposed to do?
June 23
I don't want to be left alone.
I miss Laura.
September 9
Laura finally wrote back!
She said she'd been worried because I didn't seem to be adapting well to high society.
From now on, she'll secretly help me.
Laura really is such a wonderful person.
December 18
Just as Laura said, no one in high society criticizes me no matter how recklessly I behave.
For the first time...
I feel free.
Laura.
Laura.
Laura.
The diary had become almost entirely about Laura.
This feels incredibly suspicious.
No matter how I look at it... it seems like this Laura person was manipulating Airel.
Turning a few more pages, another half-year passed.
The diary reached July 9—the birthday celebration of Crown Prince Closel, the day Airel first met Lishid.
From then on, it talked about the other noble ladies who coveted Lishid.
Edwin's name no longer appeared.
The diary was nearing its end.
January 6
Laura said that the Grand Duke of Eppenterion is the best possible choice for me.
She said there could never be a better match.
So I have to show everyone how sincere my feelings for him truly are.
The moment she said that, I spent every last coin I had buying all of his portraits.
After covering an entire wall of my room with them...
It almost felt like I already possessed His Grace.
February 14
No matter what it takes...
I will make him mine.
April 29
That day is drawing near.
Now I...
"..."
The diary ended there.
The remaining pages had been torn out.
Silently, I ran my fingers over the ragged edge.
Naturally...
None of this had appeared in the original novel.
Airel Blandiche had been portrayed as an unmistakably one-dimensional villain who simply delighted in cruelty.
But this...
Isn't this strange?
It felt as though every single one of Airel's actions had been influenced by Laura.
For the first time, I began wondering whether the information I knew might not have been entirely accurate.
Why had Airel hidden this diary?
And why had the Duchess returned it after finding it?
The biggest mystery of all was that there was no way to know who had torn out the final pages.
First, I need to find out who Laura is...
Since she left the house after Airel's debutante, she's most likely her former governess or nanny.
Once my confinement was lifted, I'd have to visit Edwin and see what I could learn.
