Rolling in Bed with the Male Lead

"It won’t hurt, Cailus. I’ll be gentle."

The madman holding the dagger giggled, his face flushed.

"Guild Master."

While feeling a strange sense of satisfaction at hearing the name Cailus spoken in this situation, Richard simultaneously felt a chill run down his spine.

"Yes, Cailus. Is there anything else you’re curious about?"

Zahir asked in a kind voice.

It would have sounded kind if the other man had not been holding a knife and threatening him, that was.

"What about blood instead of eyes?"

Richard stared at the blade pointed at his face, breaking out in a cold sweat.

The force pinning his shoulders from behind was formidable.

Escaping from this position would be difficult. Not merely because of the situation, but because his opponent was no ordinary persistent madman.

"Blood?"

Zahir burst out laughing in amusement.

"Hahaha, my. Cailus. You don’t know the rules of this place."

He twirled the glass vial containing the potion with his free hand, the one not holding the dagger.

"A potion that changes one’s appearance. This is the item you wanted to buy."

"Yes."

"Unfortunately, this is one of the most expensive items sold here. You can’t obtain it with mere blood."

Zahir slowly shook his head.

"You’d have to offer up your pretty eyes..."

"Wouldn’t you like my blood?"

Richard abruptly dropped his polite tone and spat out the words, forcing the corners of his mouth upward.

Even with the tip of a blade pointed at him and the tavern owner restraining his shoulders from behind, he could not afford to appear intimidated. To deal with a madman, he had to act nonchalant.

"You’d better see my blood before you decide."

Richard added that Zahir would regret it otherwise and smiled with narrowed eyes.

"You... prefer a particular kind of blood, don’t you?"

His watery blue eyes held a leisurely gleam as he stared at the man before him.

Having visited this place multiple times in previous Regressions, Richard knew. Zahir was obsessed with a particular kind of blood, which he called "rare blood."

"Hmm."

As though intrigued, Zahir narrowed his eyes.

"What if it isn’t the blood I’m looking for?"

Richard shrugged.

"Then you can take my eyes. How about it?"

He had already naturally abandoned his polite manner of speaking.

"You’re interesting, Cailus."

Zahir grinned. An eerie aura swept through the room.

"I accept."

Soon afterward, he sheathed his dagger.

The tavern owner, who had been firmly gripping Richard’s shoulders, also released him.

"Just fill half of this bottle with your blood."

Zahir placed an empty wine bottle on the table.

Why the hell does he want blood?

Richard could not understand it, but he obediently nodded and extended his hand.

Zahir lifted his chin and handed him the dagger.

"..."

Richard stared at the gleaming blade. But only for a moment.

Sssssss—

He ruthlessly slashed his left forearm.

Drip,

drip.

Red blood dripped into the mouth of the bottle.

Richard watched the blood gush from his arm with indifferent eyes.

"Is this enough?"

After confirming that the bottle was half-full, Richard looked back at Zahir.

"Hmm, yes. That’s enough."

Smiling brightly, Zahir said that he would check whether it was indeed the blood he sought, then rose from his seat.

Thud.

The door closed behind him as he disappeared into the adjoining room.

"..."

After Zahir’s departure, only Richard and the tavern owner watching him remained in the room.

Richard pressed down on his bleeding arm to staunch the flow, recalling his first visit to this place.

Richard, my, I really like your eyes.

That day, too, Zahir had coveted Richard’s eyes.

"You said blood would suffice."

"Hmm, that’s right. What a pity."

Fortunately, the item Richard had come to purchase that day was "not expensive," and Zahir had decided to content himself with Richard’s blood instead.

The anomaly had occurred after Zahir collected Richard’s blood.

"Goodness, Richard! Is this really your blood?"

Zahir had rejoiced as though he had fallen in love.

Apparently, he had found the "rare blood" he had been searching for all this time.

So.

Richard crossed his arms and leaned back comfortably in his chair, waiting for Zahir to emerge from the room.

There shouldn’t be a problem.

As expected.

"Goodness, Cailus!"

Zahir, who had been threatening him with a dagger only moments ago, burst through the door with eyes as startled as a rabbit’s.

"Truly amazing! It’s the blood I’ve been looking for!"

His hand clamped firmly around Richard’s shoulder.

"That’s fortunate... Huh?!"

Something abruptly sealed Richard’s mouth.

"...?"

Richard’s watery blue eyes flickered violently.

A gag had been shoved into his mouth.

"Haha, ha... Well, Cailus. Sorry, but I suppose there’s no helping it."

The man who had gagged Richard in an instant flashed a maniacal grin. Then he snapped his thumb and middle finger.

Immediately, the door to the adjoining room opened, and two men as large as boulders strode out.

"Since it’s come to this, I need to see more of your blood."

Zahir’s lips curved into a horrifyingly beautiful arc.

At the same time, the burly men seized Richard’s arms.

"Mmph, mmmph!"

Richard thrashed his limbs. However, he could not overcome the strength of the two men determined to restrain him.

"Sorry, Cailus. But try to understand."

Zahir picked up his dagger again and twirled it.

Grinning, he approached Richard.

"Mmph! Mmmph!"

"Ah, right. You want to talk, Cailus. Take off the gag, boys."

At his command, the gag was removed from Richard’s mouth.

"Haaah, huff..."

Richard glared at Zahir as he gasped for breath.

This madman... No matter how many Regressions I go through, he’s unpredictable!

"Zahir."

"Yes, Cailus."

Zahir answered with a smile.

"Are you going to kill me?"

"Yes, Cailus."

Zahir answered, still smiling.

Goosebumps crawled up Richard’s spine. But he had to remain unfazed.

Richard forced the corners of his mouth upward and spoke.

"You’ll regret it if you kill me now."

At that, Zahir slowly tilted his head.

Thud. His head tipped to the left.

"I’ll be visiting this place frequently from now on. If you don’t kill me, you can continue getting my blood. But if you kill me, you’ll get a lot of blood now, and then that’ll be the end of it. Think carefully."

Richard poured out the words without pausing. He had to persuade Zahir. Otherwise, this Regression would end here.

"How can I trust that you’ll come back?"

Zahir blinked his eerie eyes.

"..."

Richard gritted his teeth. He truly did not want to reveal his identity...

"Richard Friedrich. That’s my real name. Is that enough?"

Now that he had revealed his real name, Zahir might come looking for him. Richard had used a false name to avoid that possibility, but he had to survive now, so he had no choice.

If he regressed one more time, wouldn’t he have to go through that disgusting locking of lips with Cailus again?!

Richard had no desire to regress even once more if he could help it.

"Hmm."

As though gauging his true intentions, Zahir’s black eyes stared intently at Richard.

His gaze was eerily, horrifyingly sharp.

"Fine. That makes sense."

Perhaps believing that Richard was not lying, Zahir soon shrugged with a friendly smile.

"All right, Richard. I had a feeling Cailus wasn’t your real name. I accept your proposal. But..."

His face turned cold in an instant.

"You’d better keep the promise you just made."

Richard stared at him with narrowed eyes, then nodded.

"Of course."

Richard could guess what would happen if he broke his promise. He had no intention of doing so.

"Let him go."

Zahir nodded toward the two men firmly gripping Richard’s arms.

The force constricting his arms vanished, and the tension drained from his stiff body.

"Then give me the item."

Richard gestured with his eyes toward the wine bottle filled with his blood.

"I’ve paid the price."

"Ah, of course, Richard."

Zahir smiled slyly as if to say, Surely you don’t think I’d break my promise? Then he picked up the "potion that changes one’s appearance" again.

"Then—"

Just as he was about to hand the potion to Richard—

"Guild Master."

The tavern owner, who had been watching the situation for some time, quietly approached and whispered in his ear.

"That is correct, sir."

"Huh? Really?"

"Yes."

"Ah. I’m sorry, Richard."

After hearing the tavern owner’s words, Zahir placed the potion back on the table.

"...?"

Sensing an ill omen, Richard stared intently at him.

"It seems the ‘potion that changes one’s appearance’ is currently unfinished. Apparently, it still lacks one final ingredient."

"Ingredient?"

Swallowing his plummeting mood, Richard asked with a forced smile.

"Can’t you add it now?"

"Ah. That’s the problem."

Zahir smiled gently, his expression nonchalant.

"Apparently, it requires the fruit of the Basvalrica, but they don’t have any at the moment."

...

Of course. Richard struggled to think positively and asked,

"You can obtain it, right?"

"Well, that’s the thing."

This time, Zahir spoke while subtly gauging Richard’s reaction.

"The Basvalrica fruit is rare and grows only in the north, you see."

"So?"

"It might be difficult to obtain right awa—"

Thwack!

Without waiting to hear the rest, Richard seized Zahir by the collar and yanked him forward.

"Zahir."

"Urgh, ugh."

"Hand over your eyes."

Richard whispered with a refreshing smile.

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