CH 4.4

Chapter 4: Is this cohabitation really okay?

Part 4

“Who’s there?”

All around her were lilacs and small landscaping trees, and only the wind seemed to answer her question.

“What… scary…”

Lila, who had always had a small liver 1, mustered up the courage to get up and look around.

That’s when she saw something hiding under a small landscaping tree. Lila cautiously and warily approached.

The creature let out an ‘ah’ and scurried away, perhaps sensing her approach.

Its hair was caught in the tree, immobilizing it.

“Who is it!”

Lila crouched down to see the figure wedged between the landscaping trees.

“Huh?”

She sounded surprised.

“My lord?”

A head of chocolate-colored hair stood out among the green foliage. She froze, wondering what the hell was going on, and Michael snapped.

“Don’t just look at me, pull my hair out, you ugly!”

What? Ugly?

Lila’s face tilted to the side as she looked at the young master, whose foul mouth belied his cute appearance.

“My lord, that is not a request.”

“…”

“Okay, try asking for a favor again, this time you know how to ask for a favor, right?”

“…Can you pull out my hair.”

His voice grew hoarse with the pain of the snagged hair. It wasn’t a polite request, but he had not called her ugly, so she decided to let it slide.

“How the hell did you get in here?”

Lila asked, looking at Michael’s body wedged between the densely packed landscape trees.

With delicate finger movements, she pulled his hair out of his face and slipped her hands under Michael’s armpit, lifting him up.

“Mm-hmm.”

The sound was heavier than it looked. Stepping out of the landscaping, Lila and Michael caught their breath for a moment.

Lila ran a hand through Michael’s hair, which stood on end.

“Why were you in there?”

Michael, who had stiffened as if her touch was awkward, stuck out his lips and grumbled.

“It’s none of your business.”

His face flushed pink with embarrassment, a color that was quite cute when paired with his extraordinary pink eyes.

Lila stifled a laugh and brushed the leaves from Michael’s clothes.

“You must have been out exploring.”

Michael watched wordlessly as Lila finished removing the leaves and gave his hair a final touch.

Then she saw Vincent approaching in the distance. Lila grabbed Michael’s hand and asked.

“I was just about to have tea, would you like to join me?”

At her gentle smile and innocent voice, Michael looked at her with a blank expression.

“Young master Michael?”

Vincent called out, surprised to find Michael. The sound of his voice startled Michael, who swatted Lila’s hand away with all his might.

“Why do I have to drink tea with an ugly person, you can go eat a lot and be a pig!”

Lila gave him a dumbfounded look as he disappeared into the garden with a squeak.

“Vincent.”

“Yes, Duchess.”

“Is the young duke always like that?”

“…He’s shy.”

“You mean he’s always been like that.”

“…”

Lila briefly wondered if Michael and Lucas were in the original. The fact that she couldn’t think of them made her realize that maybe they weren’t important, or maybe they weren’t in it at all.

Most of the important characters were remembered.

Lila sat back in her chair, deciding that she would check her diary when she got back to her room.

* * *

A week or so passed after her talk with Lucas when Vincent came to visit.

In the meantime, Lila hadn’t left her room and had been idle.

If she needed anything, she could just ring the bell and it would be brought to her room, so she didn’t feel the need to leave.

It was such a comfortable life that she thought it would be worth living as a duchess.

When she was alone in her room, she felt even more comfortable because she didn’t need to dress up as an ugly person, but was dressed comfortably and barefaced.

Giving her strength to be ugly after a long time.

The main color is white.

White eyeshadow, white mascara. The dress was white with ruffles and lace. Her hair was also white, accented with white roses.

She was escorted by Vincent into the Duke’s office, a room she’d been in before. Lucas sat at his desk in the sunshine-filled office, poring over papers.

Lila sat down on the couch and Lucas stood up. His stride was cool and suave, like that of a model.

Lila noticed the clothes he was wearing. He wore black pants, a blue shirt, and a black vest, accented with emerald earrings and a brooch on his vest.

The sleeves of his blue shirt had obsidian cuffs that glowed faintly.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

As he sat on the couch, Lila looked away in surprise and uttered in a quiet voice.

“Not at all.”

“Vincent, serve tea and refreshments.”

“Yes, my lord.”

As Vincent turned to get some tea, Lucas held out the papers he had brought.

“I’ve filled in the terms you spoke of that day and the ones I want, but I’d like you to review them first and then we’ll revise the terms of the contract.”

Lila took the papers and studied them carefully. The contract was simple. It spelled out her desired length of marriage and the country and identity documents she wanted for her new life.

Lila liked the country and identity Lucas had chosen. It said she would be a lowly noblewoman in a country that favored artists, and she would be a woman who had wandered and settled because of her love of art.

“I love it.”

Lila’s heart swelled in her chest.

“I’m glad you like it, and after the wedding, as the official Duchess of Montefeltra, you’ll be expected to take care of the inner workings of the manor. You’ll have Vincent as your assistant, so you’ll have nothing to worry about.”

“Yes, I understand, and I will actively assist the Duke during my time here.”

Lucas stared at her as she smiled brightly.

She was dressed very uncharacteristically today, and even if he hadn’t been to the capital for a long time, he could tell just by looking at her that Lila’s current attire wasn’t exactly the fashion of the capital.

Sitting on the couch, he didn’t know if the folds of her waist or stomach would be frowned upon. Most people turned their heads or averted their eyes at the sight of her shuffling gait or chubby figure.

But Lucas did not, for the next thing he hated after imperial romance was outward superficiality.

He calmly met her gaze and watched her behavior.

Then he noticed something odd: her thin wrist. In his hand, they were no more than a handful, and they contrasted with her thickly folded stomach.

It wasn’t the only thing. Her neckline was thin and her jawline was strong.

Just as he was scratching his head in disbelief, Lila asked.

“But why do you say we can’t get married until after the coming-of-age ceremony in May?”

If they were right for each other, they didn’t have to wait the full year of the customary honeymoon period.

In response to her question, Lucas picked up Vincent’s glass from where he’d set it down and answered in a dignified tone.

“Because we can’t be officially married until I have my coming-of-age ceremony.”

to be skittish and cowardly