Chapter 101 - Good Luck Charm

Marcellus can be quite unpredictable sometimes.

Not only did he claim that he also fell in love with Winter during the previous timeline, but he was about to initiate yet another flirtatious gesture too, which seemed a little more preposterous than usual since it had to do with what he was asserting. Even if he does this, though, he can't change the perception she has of his past self. He neglected his wife and flirted with other women – no matter how she looks at it, he was in no way in love with her.

Winter believes that Marcellus is no longer the same as back then, however. 

They've gotten a lot closer over the course of time. He helps her out whenever she needs it, and she does the same to return the favor as much as she can. It even came to the point that everyone's perception of him has changed – he's one of the Untouchables of high society, they say. What's more, he doesn't go around flirting with different women anymore. Clearly, he's already on the road of becoming a much better man.     

'I can't say that he changed for good, though. I mean, look at this rascal…' Winter thought and grimaced as Marcellus continued to invade her personal space. 

'He's still as cheeky as ever!'

And here she was thinking that he was still mad after her whole revelation. Now, he's nowhere near mad at all. His playful switch turned on again. Old habits really die hard, it seems – once a flirt, always a flirt.       

"You're asking what I love about you, Winter?" he quipped while he grabbed her chin so that she would look straight at him.

There comes her first name, too. 

It's like some unspoken rule between the two of them. They use each other's first names either when they are being serious or they want to emphasize a certain emotion. Said emotion can be affection in some cases like this – and she's not a fan of it at all. 

Still, for some reason, Winter is letting Marcellus have his way this time. Odd.

"I love your hair, the softest I've ever seen. I love your lips, the sweetest thing I dare believe. I love your feisty personality despite your stubbornness. I love your voice, your skin, your legs, your hands. To sum it all up, I love everything about you," he confessed with the gentlest and warmest of smiles. 

She can't help blush a deep shade of red at that. Unsure of what to say, she just remained silent.

"Your eyes are special, though…" Marcellus continued. 

"They were the first thing I ever noticed about you."

"M-My eyes? Oh…" Winter breathed out, trying her hardest not to let her bashfulness show. 

"Anyway, that's the cheesiest thing I've heard all day. Still, it's kind of poetic. I'll give you that."

He rapidly blinked at her several times, a little stupefied.

A moment of awkward silence prevails then. Seeing how endearing she looks as she does her best to act nonchalant and unmoved, he then lets out a guffaw. At that, she ends up blushing again, annoyed and embarrassed. Before she gets any more upset, he immediately ceases his mirthful laughter and makes an attempt to console her.

That's until Winter threw a fit and started hitting Marcellus all of the sudden. 

"Why does it always get awkward when I'm the one who's saying something?! This is unfair!" she cried out and cringed while throwing cute little punches at his arm.     

"Maybe you just don't have a knack for this kind of thing?" he teased as he laughed at her antics, doing the exact opposite of consoling. 

"Are you saying I can't flirt, too?!"

"Wait, what? You're trying to flirt?"

"When I said that it's poetic, I meant it as a compliment!" 

Then, he's guffawing again.

Their banter went on for some time until they realized that it was already getting too late. They struggled to get their heads back to the game and continue their previous conversation. As they settled down and composed themselves once more, they ended up in a seating position that seemed intimate yet strangely calming.

She is leaning against his shoulder while he has the side of his head on top of hers. Their hands are intertwined together, sharing their warmth with each other. And in that moment, everything appears perfect and still. It's like they're the only ones in the world, trapped in their own little universe.

"I still don't like how you're gonna live with those people from now on. Are you sure you can handle it?" Marcellus asked, silently wishing that they could just stay like this forever.

"I got this. Don't underestimate my year-long preparation. Besides, I'm not completely alone. August is there with me," Winter reassured him, touched by how concerned he was.

"Alright. I trust you. But if it's fine with you, may I get a gist of what you're trying to achieve? I'll help you whenever you want me to."

"Thank you, Sir Lexington. The thing is, I'm planning to learn more about the deaths of my parents. I don't believe that they died on an accident. I'll make sure that the truth will be revealed and justice will be served. At the same time, I'll be taking over our household and family business little by little. I may be the rightful heiress, but I don't have power among our people yet. So, I'll continue to gather allies and form connections."

"I see. Well said. I'll lend you a hand. For your parents' case, it'll probably better if someone who isn't in your family handles it. Is it okay if I start a private investigation on that?" 

"So, you also think that the perpetrators are in my family?"

"It's kinda obvious, to be honest, considering that they're after their wealth and all. Even if the ones behind their deaths can't be found among your relatives, it's still a good idea to have another party deal with the case. We can get some help from someone who previously worked on it, but we'll have to make sure that no one in your family will learn about it. Perhaps, it can be-"

"My parents' former lawyer?"

"Yes. That's right."

"Perfect. Just as I thought. Sir Victor is the one who found me. And I guarantee that he'll be on our side."

For a while, the two discuss their plans.

They fail to notice that they're beginning to catch attention because of their seating position. Some of the onlookers chatter among themselves while others settle with taking stealthy glances. Little do they all know that they're no ordinary lovey-dovey couple. To start with, the scene isn't anything like a lovey-dovey moment, especially if they find out that what they've been talking about all this time are hiring info brokers, making use of blackmails and bringing down certain individuals of prestige and affluence.

Instead of sugarcoated words, they're exchanging ideas for their evil scheme.     

"By the way, before we go back, I want to give you something…" Marcellus said before pulling out something from his pants' pocket.     

"Here is my graduation gift to you. Congratulations on graduating."

That's when he gave Winter a silver chain necklace with a snowflake as a pendant.

She smiles at the sight of the accessory that seems to be gleaming up at her. It appears like he has really become fond of snowflakes, which is understandable since it does share quite an apparent relation with her name. This time, however, he chose one that is embellished with green and yellow gemstones – the colors of their eyes.

'You can be cute sometimes, Sir Lexington,' she silently mused, giggling.   

Winter lets Marcellus put it around her, much to his delight. 

Him giving her a simple yet meaningful gift may be one of the changes in him that she finds good. He already knows what will make her happy, so he no longer stands out by giving her expensive presents all the time. When he first heard the news that she would be graduating as the top of her batch, she learned from his secretary that he thought about taking her on a trip on a cruise ship and offering other kinds of extravagance as his congratulatory gift.

To her relief, he ended up deciding to give her something much simpler.

"Thank you for this, Sir Lexington. And for lending me your help, too. I'm grateful to you," Winter expressed with a thankful smile.     

"This is nothing compared to your assistance. Because of you, Lexington Empire has reached higher heights. The same goes for Ratri Order and Miller Holdings. Most of all, though, your existence alone has helped in more ways than I can explain…" Marcellus replied, reaching out to fiddle with the pendant of her necklace.

"May this serve as a good luck charm to you. Continue doing your best. I'll always be here to support you."

Never did Winter imagine that their relationship would come this far – not that she has anything bad to say about it because she sure isn't complaining.