CH 18.3

Amanda, who was following behind Karin, looked up at the imposing Duke of Montefeltra and swallowed hard.

“Come on, we have to go.”

Karin, Gale, and Amanda alighted at the carriage stop instead of the entrance and walked toward the mansion.

The Duchess had been kind enough to send them a carriage, but she hadn’t had the guts to get off at the entrance. Though they pretended not to, Karin and Gale were also flushed red with nervousness.

Amanda’s breath caught in her throat at the mere sight of the nobleman’s mansion, fearing that the nobleman would see her face and scold Karin and Gale.

“Karin, I think it’s best if I don’t go in. I’ll wait outside, outside.”

“Amanda…”

Karin looked wistfully at Amanda, who stared back at her in disbelief.

She remembered the first time she’d met her. She’d been so surprised to see her wandering the streets in nothing more than rags.

She hadn’t been easy to get to, with her face covered so tightly, but as she made her way down a back alley, Karin, with Gale by her side, called out to her.

Amanda was wary of strangers, but Karin was kind and invited her to her home.

It was there that she was able to see Amanda’s face for the first time. Seeing her face, with all the marks of the beating, Karin burst into tears.

As a woman herself, it was very sad to see.

Karin had heard rumours of women being beaten by their husbands or lovers, and she assumed that Amanda was one of them.

But Amanda was beaten not by her lover, but by the nobleman she served, and not only by her, but also by her colleagues, who would beat her repeatedly.

Despite this treatment, Amanda could not be kicked out of Count Pinatelli. Even if she was kicked out, she had to leave with a letter of introduction.

Amanda thought she could survive with her parents and siblings in the countryside, but one day, without a letter of introduction, she was beaten and kicked out.

She barely had time to pack her things. The reason given was the simple fact that the nobleman she was serving found her face disgusting.

After hearing her story, Karin tried to get her to join her and Gale in their beauty cream business.

But she couldn’t do it on her own terms, so she brought her to the duchy to ask permission…

“I’m afraid I’ll cause unnecessary harm, and nobles are very interested in the appearance of their maids, so just… leave me alone. I’m just a maid, and I can do it. I’m strong, even if I look like this…”

“Amanda…”

Karin didn’t know what to do with Amanda as she floated away seizure-stricken. Just then Jessie spotted them and came out of the mansion.

“What are you doing? My lady is expecting you.”

“Oh, hello.”

Karin recognised Jessie and greeted her. Gale took off her hat and greeted her as well. Beside them, Amanda covered her face and bowed deeply.

“Come on in. I’ll show you around.”

Jessie urged the three of them on. Lila, whose mood had been dampened by the baronet’s presence, thought they must be good news, and her eyes narrowed at the motionless trio.

“What’s wrong?”

Karin asked, stunned by Jessie’s question.

“I brought another person along on my own accord, and I was wondering if… She could come work with us?”

“Karin!”

Amanda gasped in surprise. Jessie looked at Karin, then at Amanda.

Amanda was flustered as she locked eyes with Jessie, who had fair skin and beautiful eyes.

She quickly covered her face with the bandana she was wearing, knowing it would be offensive.

Jessie thought for a moment, then cleared her throat briefly.

“I’ll show you to the parlour first, and I’ll ask my lady for her opinion, if that’s alright?”

Jessie had heard of them from Lila, so she knew. She knew how much Lila likes them. She figured it would be okay.

Besides…

Maybe it was because Amanda’s attitude reminded her of herself a few months ago.

“Don’t worry, just wait. Tea and refreshments are on the way, I hope you’re enjoying yourself.”

Karin, Gale, and Amanda nodded mesmerised as Jessie spoke in her elegant accent.

Vincent’s training was paying off.

* * *

Leaving the Baron and Baroness Este behind, Lucas returned to her room with Lila in his arms.

“I’m sorry, Lucas.”

Lucas’s sombre voice drifted into her ear as he set her down on the couch. Sitting down beside her casually, he asked.

“What is it?”

“I just feel like you’re taking a toll.”

Leaning her face against his shoulder, Lila thought for a moment. She wondered what she would be doing if Lucas hadn’t been there.

“Really, what would I have done without you?”

“Haha.”

Lucas let out a pleasant chuckle at Lila’s comment.

“It’s working out just the way I like it.”

With that cheeky comment, Lucas kissed the top of Lila’s head. Her sweet scent made him feel languid. He had been so busy lately that he hadn’t had time to take her in, and he closed his eyes quietly.

Lila wondered why he hadn’t asked her any questions since she’d told him her secret.

“Why don’t you ask me anything? You could have called me out on my bullshit story…”

Now that she said it, she was even more curious. Lila lifted her leaning head and looked Lucas in the eye.

Her dark blue eyes looked into his fresh-mint ones, and Lucas, amused by her attitude, leaned in closer.

“Oh, come on. Don’t play around. If you have any questions, ask me anything. I really have no secrets from you now.”

Her sincerity made Lucas’s stomach growl. Not the kind of fullness that comes from eating, but the kind of fullness that swells in his chest.

“I don’t have any questions.”

Lila’s eyebrows rose at the languid tone of his voice.

“Why? Just because this is in a novel? Then no, that wouldn’t happen, or if it did, tell me what big event is going to happen in the future? Isn’t it possible to ask like this? I kept the secret hidden tightly and finally let it out, but the reaction seems too weak, don’t you think?”

As she spoke, she felt her temper rise. No, why is his reaction so hot and cold?

Pressing his crimson lips together, Lucas grabbed her waist.

“So, what’s going to happen next? What’s going to happen?”

Lila pondered the question as it came out of nowhere.

An event, a big event…

“Ah! I don’t really remember when, but I know it was before we started preparing for winter, and I remember a scene where food prices suddenly skyrocketed, and the nobles were having a hard winter. I don’t remember much of the explanation of the one-dimensional world, but I do remember that, and I remember that the lords were having a very hard time…”

Lila, who had dismissed herself as an unimportant figure, spoke excitedly, then her voice trailed off.

The female lead was suffering a lot, but the male leads didn’t just help her.

She hadn’t remembered much about the original, so she’d forgotten for a while, but 〈Birds are happy when they’re in a cage〉 was a Rated-19 novel.

Lucas raised one eyebrow in question as Lila looked away in surprise.

A flush rose to her cheeks.

“Why don’t you speak, wife?”

“That happened anyway…”

Lucas snorted a ‘hmmm’ as he caught her chin in the way she always did when she turned her head to ask first.

“That’s suspicious.”

“What, what?”

The corner of Lucas’s mouth curled up at the sight of the growing heat at his fingertips.

“The way you’re acting, the look on your face, everything.”

Lila rolled her eyes as Lucas continued to press closer and closer to her face.

His full lips touched briefly and then parted, his scented lips looking good.

Lucas whispered to Lila, who couldn’t take her eyes off his lips, which had a nice upturn to them.

“What I want to know most is…”

Once more, they touched, then separated, and Lucas spoke.

“I just want to know if you’re going to be by my side forever. I don’t care where you come from… I don’t want to know, I just want you to smile by my side for years to come.”

Lila’s eyelids fluttered at his words. She was touched by the sincerity of his words. She opened her lips to respond, only to have them devoured by him.

A hot tongue invaded her mouth with a familiarity that felt like home. His saliva slid across his even teeth. His scent, sweet and green, seeped into her body.

The bittersweet smell of grass mingled with the sweet scent of flowers, creating an intoxicating scent. Lila stretched out her arms, inhaling deeply, the scent as addictive as chocolate or whiskey.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Lila gently stroked Lucas’s hair.

Long, hard fingers slipped into his earlobe. He craned his neck away from the tickling touch.

His grip tightened around her waist. Climbing familiarly into his lap, Lila pressed her lips back together after a moment’s separation.

“Lucas…”

She called his name with a sigh before she attached herself. A pounding heart responded to him.

Her vision blurred and then brightened as pleasure rose from her toes.

“Lila…”

Lucas rumbled lowly, his nose buried in the nape of her neck. His rapidly warming body wanted her.

Her body, the one he hadn’t held in days, was in front of him. There was no reason to hold back.

As he casually reached for her back, there was a knock at the door.

“Madam, the appointed guests have come.”

“…”

The two froze in place, their tempers blazing. Lucas swallowed a small curse and started to answer, but Lila’s hand was quick.

Clamping both hands over his mouth, she turned her head and spoke loudly to Jessie, who was speaking through the doorway.

“Just a moment.”

“Yes, Madame.”

Her hand was clamped over his lips and Lucas gripped her hips hard in protest.

“Aaah!”

Lila muttered softly, avoiding his disgruntled glare as his eyebrows rose and fell.

“Work can’t be put off.”

Her reply, full of determination, did not deter Lucas. He stuck out his tongue and licked her palm.

“Lucas!”

She pulled her hand away in surprise, and Lucas looked at her, his face full of anguish.

“You’re leaving me like this, wife?”

“I’ll be back soon.”

“If I can’t send you off.”

“Well, then, later tonight…”

Blushing and barely audible, Lila got up from his lap in a hurry.

Lucas, grabbing her wrist as she tried to turn away, asked with a sly smile,

“Whatever I want?”

“…I understand.”

“Anything?”

“Yes, yes. Am I in a hurry?”

Forgetting that they’d been running together, Lila shivered at the thought of Karin and Gale waiting for her. So she gave him the answer he wanted, and the hot grip on her wrist disappeared.

“Well, I guess I’d better take care of business, then.”

Brushing a stray strand of hair out of his face, Lucas held out his hand to Lila. Lila straightened her clothes and they left the room together.