Help, I'm in Another World and All the Men Are Are So Dangerous! [BL]-Chapter 144: A Tangled Web of Lies and Affections

It wasn’t the kind of moment where he could lie, so with a soft, sheepish smile, Rocco began to answer.

"Ah, well... actually, Laxus—"

He was about to say that Laxus had confessed his feelings for him, but stopped himself with a chuckle.

Rocco had tried to say it, but stopped halfway through.

What on earth was he about to say?

The person standing right in front of him was the protagonist who was supposed to end up with Laxus someday!

If one of the protagonist confessed to the villain, even if it were a lie, Sylas, the other protagonist would surely view it badly.

While Rocco wasn’t entirely sure about Laxus’s full strategy, one thing was clear: Laxus had lied, saying he liked him, all for his own selfish desires.

That was an undeniable fact.

It was completely distasteful, and there was no way Sylas would ever grow to like Laxus after hearing that.

Of course, there were always possibilities in the flow of the story, with fate and everything, but even so, it still felt uncertain and worrying.

He had to hide this, no matter what, for the sake of his family’s happy ending!

"Well, Laxus... he asked me to play with him! But, I thought it would be better if you could come too, Brother..."

His voice grew quieter as he spoke, likely from the guilt of lying.

He shifted awkwardly, and for a few seconds, Sylas stood still before suddenly moving with great force.

He scooped Rocco up into his arms, holding him close, and brought his joyful, beaming face into Rocco’s personal space.

Sylas’s amethyst eyes seemed to sparkle brightly.

"I see, I see... So, playing with me is more fun than playing with that bastard Laxus, huh?"

"Brother...?"

In an unusually cheerful tone, Sylas murmured this, then began to nuzzle his cheek against Rocco’s.

It seemed like he was truly in a good mood.

"My cute Rocco. My precious Rocco. Don’t let that bastard Laxus get to you. Only look at me."

Sylas whispered in a low, resonant voice right by Rocco’s waist.

It was as though he already knew Rocco would turn to jelly at his words.

In an instant, Rocco’s strength melted away, and he leaned his head softly against Sylas’s shoulder.

Embarrassed and blushing, he curled up, hiding his face.

Sylas tightened his embrace and, still in a great mood, smiled wider.

Rocco sighed dramatically, as if releasing steam, and said, "Brother, you’re so cool, I love you..."

Sylas immediately rubbed his cheek against Rocco’s head and sweetly whispered, "I love you too," his words carrying an almost dangerously seductive tone.

What was going on?

Rocco couldn’t help but think that Sylas’s character was completely breaking down.

Even after Sylas ended up with Laxus in the original story, he never showed such obvious affection.

This was completely out of character.

As Rocco was lost in thought, Sylas suddenly lifted his head, narrowed his eyes, and glared sharply at something in front of him.

Rocco who is confused by the sudden change, turned around to see what was happening.

When he noticed the person standing in front of them, he instinctively looked away, feeling awkward.

"Bastard... Don’t ever get in Rocco’s sight. Get lost..." Sylas’s voice dripped with a dangerous, menacing aura, as if he could kill someone with his gaze.

The person on the receiving end of Sylas’s intense glare, however, just smiled wryly and walked toward them.

"Don’t say that. We’re friends, right?" Laxus said with a smirk.

"Don’t spout nonsense. Stay away from my little brother or I’ll kill you," Sylas growled.

"Geez... You’re such a brother complex," Laxus muttered.

Rocco caught a subtle shift in Laxus’s expression, as if his mouth slightly twisted into a "this would be difficult" look.

He couldn’t help but wonder what it meant.

Was Laxus implying that Sylas’s brother complex was making things difficult for him?

Was it because Sylas couldn’t be easily manipulated?

Rocco’s suspicion grew, especially after the events that had just happened.

Noticing Rocco’s slight hiss, Laxus paused for a few seconds, seeming surprised, before flashing a weak, empty smile.

"...Rocco, I’m sorry about earlier. I’m leaving now, so you don’t have to be so cautious," Laxus said, his smile tinged with sadness, which almost seemed genuine.

But Rocco couldn’t shake the doubt in his heart.

He silently stared at Laxus’s back as he walked away, unable to do anything else.

...

"Ughhh..."

Rocco sat on a bench in the garden he visited every morning, feeling restless and frustrated.

With his favorite Mr. Bunny in his arms, he waited and waited, but "that guy" never showed up.

This wasn’t just a one-day thing, either.

Today marked the second week of sitting here sulking, waiting for Laxus to appear.

"Why isn’t he coming? That idiot Laxus!"

Rocco puffed up his cheeks in annoyance, trying to let off steam by swinging his legs back and forth.

Even his Mr. Bunny who he clutched tightly in his arms, seemed to radiate the same frustrations as him.

He thought back to the last time he had seen Laxus.

That day, Laxus had said something that upset him, and Rocco, in turn, had lashed out with harsh words.

He’d called Laxus a coward and spineless—a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black.

However, still, Laxus, who was supposed to be destined to love Sylas with unwavering devotion, had said something so out of line that Rocco couldn’t ignore it.

As someone who knew the story’s future and as Sylas’s little brother, he just couldn’t let Laxus’s lies slide.

This was all Laxus’s fault!

It was all because Laxus was being stupid.

Everything—everything—was his...

"Ugh... ughhh..."

Rocco hugged his Mr. Bunny tightly and hung his head.

His teary eyes trembled as he bit his lips hard, trying his best not to cry.

Don’t cry.

Don’t cry...

Why was he such a scaredy-cat, such a pathetic mess?

Deep down, Rocco knew it wasn’t all Laxus’s fault.

He’d said terrible things to Laxus, too.