The Obsessive Male Lead Is Actually Scary-Chapter 56: The Road to Sahravhal

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"How did he die? Murdered?" Alessio asked, arms crossed, his expression unreadable as he glanced from Caleb to Mateo.

"Highly likely, though..." Caleb paused, brows knit. "According to the Empire’s report, they didn’t find any signs of foul play. Everything looked natural."

"But it reeks of orchestration," Mateo added grimly.

"Hmph." Alessio scoffed, lips curling in something between disdain and bitter amusement. "I figured he’d act eventually. Like he always does, getting rid of anyone who might pose a threat to his precious seat. Typical of him. Still... we’ve weakened his power, at least."

He exhaled slowly, then added, "Make sure you keep blocking whatever he’s trying to pull. Especially if it’s shady black market dealings or hush-hush weapon transports."

"Understood."

Both Caleb and Mateo bowed in perfect sync, but their eyes briefly flicked toward the side of the yard where Sonia stood, silent, observing.

They both blinked. Something about her presence felt... different.

Sharper. Firmer. Like the energy around her had shifted completely.

She wasn’t just a companion now. There was a weight in her gaze, a calm strength in her stance. Something that oddly mirrored Alessio. Steady. Commanding. Regal, even.

It startled them for a moment.

Then Caleb straightened, regaining his composure. "By the way, Your Highness," he began, carefully, "when are you planning to return?"

Alessio didn’t answer immediately. His gaze drifted across the yard. "In three days," he finally said. "You’ve both done well to buy us time, but it’s almost up. We need to return before we cross paths with that man—"

"What?!" I blurted out, voice higher than I meant. "We’re going back in three days?!"

Alessio raised an eyebrow. "We could return tomorrow, if you’d like," he said coolly. "But I thought we might as well take the chance to wander a bit. I was planning to bring you and the kids to the capital before we leave this kingdom."

That... actually made sense. We’d been cooped up in this coastal city the whole time—training, hiding, laying low. But we hadn’t explored anything beyond the harbor and the cliffs.

’Well... I am technically a fugitive on the run, so sightseeing isn’t exactly top priority.’

Still, I had to admit, despite the chaos, being here had been unexpectedly rewarding. I was stronger now, not just physically (thanks to Alessio’s training, no doubt), but mentally too. Clearer, more grounded, less likely to tremble at the mention of that bastard’s name or the crap he’d been pulling.

And if he was offering us a proper visit to the kingdom’s capital before we left, then why not?

"Sure," I said instantly, already curious. "When do we leave? Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow sounds good." Alessio nodded. "We’ll stay for one day. After that, we depart from the capital and begin the return journey. That should give us just enough time to reach the port again without delay."

"Sounds good," I said with a bright smile and a little bounce on my heels, already imagining what the capital might look like: grand towers, bustling markets, maybe even a quiet café with warm bread and strong coffee.

Then—

"Are we going somewhere, Mister?" Emir called, jogging up with a little skip in his step, cheeks flushed from the sun. He must’ve just wrapped up his own training session.

"Really? Are we finally leaving?" Amira followed behind, grinning wide.

"Yeah," Alessio replied. "But we’re stopping by the capital first."

"Th-the capital...?" Emir’s voice faltered.

I turned to him, confused. Then I saw the color drain from his face.

Amira, too, had frozen mid-step. Her cheerful expression melted into something much tighter. Her hand instinctively rose to her chest, curling into a fist right over her heart.

Something was wrong.

"...You two okay?" I asked quietly.

For a moment, neither of them said anything. The silence stretched, heavy and uncertain, like they were trying to find the right words but couldn’t quite shape them yet.

Then Emir finally lifted his head and looked at Alessio. His eyes were hesitant.

"We... we don’t want to go to the capital."

Alessio didn’t respond right away. When he did, his voice was calm, but there was a thread of curiosity beneath it. "Why?"

The kids exchanged glances, their expressions tightening.

A long, heavy pause followed, thick enough to feel. No one rushed to fill it.

At last, Amira stepped forward slightly. Her voice was so quiet it almost got lost in the stillness. "Our parents... they were sold to a noble there."

Caleb’s brows twitched, as if holding back something he didn’t want to say.

Mateo looked down and frowned, his jaw clenched tight.

"It was..." Emir started, but the words caught in his throat. He took a breath and forced the rest out. "We tried to visit once, but they were barely recognizable. Covered in bruises, thin, like husks. We could hardly even tell it was them."

His voice cracked. "...They just cried when they saw us. Said they wanted to die holding our hands, so they wouldn’t forget they were still human."

There was a long silence. Even the wind had gone still, as if it too was holding its breath.

Amira’s eyes glistened, but she didn’t stop. Her voice was quiet, with a faint tremble, like the words had been sitting inside her for a long time, waiting for the right moment to come out. "The nobles in the capital... they don’t see people like us as anything. Not as neighbors. Not even as human. We’re not worth their time or their pity. They treat commoners like dirt. No, not even that. Worse than dirt. Like we’re disposable."

Something twisted deep in my chest, raw and sickening. I didn’t know whether it was anger or shame or both.

Emir swallowed hard. He hadn’t looked up once, eyes fixed on the ground. "We tried to survive. We really did. But it was impossible. Mr. Kareem’s men lent us money just so we could eat. Just enough for a bit of rice or a piece of bread. Then they buried us in interest so high we couldn’t breathe. Every payment made things worse."

"Then the beatings started," Amira murmured. "Forced labor. Every day. That’s how they kept us in debt. That’s how Kareem’s men kept control of us."

Caleb clenched his fists, his knuckles white. Beside him, Mateo’s jaw tightened, the muscle ticking with restrained emotion.

I stood frozen for a moment, unable to move. My chest felt too tight, like I couldn’t draw a full breath.

Then I stepped forward, slowly at first, and without even thinking it through, I wrapped my arms around both of them.

Emir stiffened against me, his whole body rigid with tension. But after a heartbeat, he exhaled shakily and buried his face into my shoulder.

Amira trembled as well. Her small fingers curled into the fabric of my sleeve, holding on like she was afraid to let go.

"I’m so sorry," I whispered, shutting my eyes tight. "I didn’t know you’d been through something like that..."

Alessio said nothing for a long time. His eyes were distant and hard to read, but his hands were curled tightly at his sides.

Then, finally, he spoke, his voice steady and low.

"I didn’t know you’d gone through something that cruel in the capital." He looked at them with a sharpness that cut through the air. "We’ll forget the visit. You don’t need to go there."

"Yeah!" I chimed in, stepping back slightly to look at the kids. "The people in that place are total trash! They don’t even deserve to be called human!"

"That’s right," Caleb said firmly.

"Absolutely," Mateo nodded beside him. "Nothing worth seeing there anyway."

Emir and Amira exchanged glances.

Then... something shifted.

They didn’t speak. They didn’t have to. One look was enough. In that brief pause, they understood each other completely. Whatever doubts they’d had were already gone.

Their expressions changed almost at the same time. Amira’s jaw tightened ever so slightly, and Emir straightened, his brows drawing together with quiet resolve.

And then, after a steady breath, Emir spoke.

"No. We’ll go."

Amira nodded beside him. "We want to face it. All of it. And move on."

I stared at them, stunned.

’They’re so... brave.’

There was nothing more I could do in that moment, except place a hand gently on both of their shoulders and smile through the sting behind my eyes.

"Okay," I said softly. "Then we’ll go. Together."

That day, we started preparing for our journey. Caleb and Mateo made sure our route was clear and safe.

We were going to the capital.

The next morning, just as the sun began to rise, we set out.

The air was cool, and the sky was painted with soft colors: pink, orange, pale gold. The road ahead stretched long and still, while behind us, the port city faded into the early morning bustle.

The capital of Yelvanti, Sahravhal, waited far ahead. For Emir and Amira, it was more than just a destination. It was a place full of memories they’d tried to forget.

But now we were heading there together.