DARLO 10

That was how he had always secured his place.

Just like how I had joined a black company for the sake of a stable life.

Even knowing he was being used, he couldn’t run away.

Because he wanted someone—anyone—to need him.

Because being useless was worse than that.

“……”

I understood that feeling better than anyone, so I couldn’t easily refuse him.

But I couldn’t accept his request either.

I didn’t have the luxury for it, and more importantly, Damon was…

“Please, use me however you like. I don’t eat much. It’ll actually be convenient since you can work me without pay.”

At that moment, Damon, who had been quietly waiting for my answer, suddenly added.

He must have assumed I was hesitating because of money.

The idea that he was willing to starve himself just to be exploited made my head spin.

Just what kind of life had he been living?

“…Ha.”

Maybe it was because I hadn’t slept and had been dealing with one insane situation after another.

Fatigue suddenly crashed over me.

I felt like throwing everything away and just lying down.

“You said you’d do anything, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then listen carefully.”

At my firm tone, Damon’s expression softened slightly.

He even looked… relieved.

“You see the bread on the table? Do you know how to spread jam on it?”

“Yes.”

“Then eat. Until you’re full. If it gets stuck in your throat, drink the boiled water.”

“……”

The honey water I had poured earlier had already gone lukewarm.

I pointed at the kettle.

“Heat it up with that and drink it. And sleep in the room with the bed over there.”

“……”

“Do you understand?”

Damon just blinked silently without answering.

Inside his empty eyes, a small crack formed, and emotions I couldn’t identify began to seep out.

I couldn’t bear to look any longer, so I turned my head away.

That should be enough for him to understand.

Leaving him standing there staring at me, I turned around.

“See you tomorrow.”

And then I immediately left for the office space.

* * *

I threw myself onto the sofa and let out a sigh.

I was exhausted, but I couldn’t fall asleep.

Damon’s face—saying he’d rather be used than abandoned—kept resurfacing in my mind.

It overlapped with my past self, struggling desperately to secure a place.

Still, I couldn’t take him in.

Because Damon was clearly…

‘A male lead from another story.’

He practically screamed, “I’m the protagonist somewhere.”

With that extreme pessimistic mindset, he was probably a wounded male lead with a growth arc.

Whatever the case, he wasn’t someone I should keep around.

His story belonged somewhere else.

I didn’t want to get dragged into it.

It was better not to get involved from the start.

So I had to send him away somehow.

‘A typical transmigrator would be kind for a while, then send him off.’

Like, “I raised you well, now go follow the original story.”

But I wouldn’t do that.

The reason was simple.

That was the number one cliché for creating an obsessive male lead.

‘Do you think I’ve only read one or two romance fantasy novels?! Absolutely not.’

Picking up a wounded male lead, raising him, then letting him go?

That was ridiculously dangerous.

Male leads in romance fantasy were like cursed dolls in horror movies.

If you threw them away, they would always come back.

And this time, as obsessive male leads.

I could bet my entire e-book library on that.

Clutching my fingers, I thought desperately.

‘What should I do? How can I make him leave on his own?’

If I could help him just enough as a passing connection…

Without being mean, but without being kind either…

If only there were a way for him to run away from me first…

As I agonized over it—

A system message popped up, as if it had been waiting.

We have prepared a new book for you, who is full of worries!

System Recommended Book!

Would you like to read
<How to Turn an Obsessive Male Lead into a Runaway Male Lead>?

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Preview

“…What kind of book is this?!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculous title.

What kind of person would waste their life writing something like that?

‘…But it’s exactly what I need.’

Like a perfectly tuned algorithm recommendation, it had an irresistible pull.

…Maybe I should at least check the preview.

Drawn in by the clickbait title, I pressed [Preview].

0. Overview: Use the Principle of Obsession

The fundamental cause of obsessive male leads is emotional deprivation.

If you give candy to a man who has never known sweetness—then take it away?

He will evolve into an obsessive man to get it back.

But what if you did this instead?

What if you put candy in his mouth before he even asked?

Not just one—but many?

What if you stuffed about fifty pieces into his mouth?

Wouldn’t anyone think this?

“I want to spit it all out and run away…”

That’s right.

In this book, you overwhelm the target with affectionate obsession—

Shh! Preview ends here.

Want to know what happens next?

Purchase now to continue reading!

“…And it cuts off here?!”

This cliffhanger tactic never got any less annoying.

Still, I got the idea.

Beat obsession by being even more obsessive first.

What a crazy method.

Was it really worth wasting time and cash on something like this?

As I hesitated with the window open, another system message appeared.

This book is currently on a spe—special event!

• Limited-time discount: 5000 → 500 cash (90% off)
• Compensation cashback: If the method fails to make the target run away, up to 100,000 cash will be refunded

“What?! 90% off?!”

The price was absurdly cheap.

And there was even a compensation guarantee.

‘This might be worth it.’

With that kind of insurance, there wasn’t much to lose.

Without hesitation, I pressed purchase.

* * *

“……”

After Celia left, Damon stared at the empty space.

Her “orders” replayed in his mind.

‘Eat. Until you’re full. If it gets stuck, drink water.’
‘Heat it up. Sleep in the room with the bed.’

Her instructions were the easiest tasks he had ever been given.

The kind he could do over and over again.

“…That doesn’t make sense.”

He didn’t trust people.

Whenever someone showed kindness, it was because they wanted something.

They would act nice at first, then suddenly push dangerous tasks onto him.

Once Damon was completely in their grasp, they would change and torment him.

So this would disappear too.

The warm hand that steadied him.

The gentle touch that dried his wet hair.

The sweet drink that seemed prepared just for him.

All of it.

‘She looks so young…’

When he had been captured by Kasha, a notorious figure in the underworld,

Damon had secretly wished to be killed.

He desperately wanted someone to end this miserable cycle.

But even to him, Damon had only been a nuisance.

Kasha had found him troublesome and subtly encouraged him to run away.

Each time he realized he was a useless existence who belonged nowhere,

Damon lost more of his will to live.

Everything felt meaningless.

Maybe it was better to just die.

To stop struggling and give up.

And then—

He met Celia.

‘…Shh. Stay quiet and follow me.’

Before he even understood what was happening, she appeared and pulled him out of the box.

When he staggered from being tied up for so long, she even held his hand.

That warmth—

Soft, gentle—

Still lingered vividly in his palm.

If you want, I can also:

• translate the next chapter
• or explain what this scene means for Damon’s psychology (it’s actually very dangerous 👀