CH 20.1

Based of that day, Lila took care of things at the mansion.

When she still had time, she moved cosmetics and made preparations for the wedding. She wasn’t the only one, the entire duchy was busy as if there was an emergency.

Lucas tended to manor and upper-class affairs to the point where he could hardly leave his office, and Vincent investigated the employees for negligence.

Returning to her room after sending Kate off, Lila was startled by an ornament that collapsed as soon as she walked past it.

“Phew, not again…”

After her near abduction, strange things kept happening.

Once, when she went out for a walk in the garden, a brick fell on her.

She don’t know where it came from, but before Lila could realise, Lucas pulled her away and she was safe.

So Lila was extremely cautious as she moved around the mansion. She was deeply troubled by the situation.

Back in her room, Lila sat down on the couch and called out to Jessie.

“Can you get me something to drink?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Lila was deeply remorseful, realising once again that she had almost gotten herself into trouble that day, not just with Lila but with Jessie as well.

In the privacy of her room, Lila muttered to herself.

“Whoa… I think this is it, right?”

It was a common occurrence for Lila in the original novel that even if she was just walking down the street, a thug or a bully would appear and attack her.

Then she would get lucky and one of the three male protagonists would come along and dramatically save her.

Even when Charlotte, the villain, was harassing her, Lila was safe because of the three men.

In other words, such an incident was a device to connect the female and male characters.

A woman who received help from a man would express her gratitude. The male lords, in turn, would expect to be paid for their gratitude.

What would you expect as a price in an adult-rated trash novel? Of course, it’s that kind of price.”

“I mean, really… Seriously, why did I read this novel? I really don’t understand, why should my life be in danger for such a plot device!”

She wondered how the protagonist’s trials went, and regretted desperately that she had trembled.

RING RING.

Slamming her tiny fist down on the table, Lila gasped at the sound and reached for her video communication device.

“Michael?”

—Lila.

Michael didn’t know that something had happened to Lila. Lucas hadn’t told him, and she didn’t want him to know.

“What about the capital? Has the wind turned chilly there?”

—Compared to the north, it’s still autumn here. More than that, Lila… I need to ask you something.

“What is it?”

—That… Does Lila read romance novels as a hobby?

Michael asked after a long pause. Lila blinked for a moment at the out-of-the-blue question before answering slowly.

“Um… not now, but I used to be quite fond of them, do you?”

—You did? Why is your voice trailing off? What, you mean you don’t read them anymore?

I mean, I loved romance novels, I even wrote about it in my diary, and if I told you what was in it, you’d know how much I loved romance novels… Aah, it was something I could never tell Michael.

And lately, for some reason, Lila had been hating romance novels. Or worse…

“But why do you ask? Do you like romance novels?”

Michael blushed and stammered as Lila stared at him with an innocent expression.

—No? That’s not true… I was just curious. Young people seem to like romance novels. They seem to believe in fate, so I was just wondering if Lila believes in fate or not, too.

Lila narrowed her eyes at Michael as he rambled on. It was a suspicious reaction.

“I see.”

But she didn’t want to leave Michael alone. He might be young, but he still had things he wanted to hide.

—I was just curious. So, do you believe in fate?

Fate…

Lila’s mind wandered when she heard Michael’s question.

It had never occurred to her to apply the word fate to her and Lucas, but now that she heard it…

‘Maybe we’re not meant to be?’

Even if it had returned, if the story had gone the way it did, I might have ended up with one of Theobald, Heinrich, and Alfonso.

Whether it would have been a happy ending, a bad ending, or a merry bad ending, is an ending no one can know now.

She’s happy to have met Lucas, who didn’t appear at all in the novel, and now she doesn’t have the slightest desire to relate to them, and she feels like a lot has changed.

‘I guess we shouldn’t worry about the bad things that have happened… because we really are meant to be.’

It was as if her confused head had suddenly been cleared. Lila smiled broadly, her face bright with relief.

And when Michael’s eyes lit up, she replied with a straight face.

“Yes, I believe in fate.”

Maybe all the trials and tribulations of her life were all for the sake of meeting Lucas.

Michael narrowed his eyes at Lila, who smiled brightly at him and sheathed his device.

Scratching at his brow with his adorable fingertips, he glanced down at the book on his desk.

The book, titled ﹤Do You Believe in Fate,﹥ was as pink on the cover as his eyes.

“I didn’t realise the book I picked was romance…”

He was embarrassed that he’d bought it without checking the title. Surely Chloe must have misunderstood.

“What if she thinks it’s weird that I like romance?”

Michael tapped his fingers on the desk, looking serious. This was why he hadn’t been able to contact Chloe after handing her the communications tool.

He’d contacted Lila because he wasn’t sure whether she would hate or love a man who bought a romance novel, and her response had only confused him more, so he’d pulled out another communication device.

Unlike Lila, who responded immediately, the other person took a while before responding.

—Why.

“Uncle. What does my uncle think of guys who like romance novels?”

At Lucas’s puzzled response, Michael got straight to the point.

—What? Romance novels?

“Yeah. Girls don’t like romance novels, do they? Is it better to say that I bought the wrong one?”

—…Cough, cough.

After a moment of silence, Lucas suddenly burst out laughing.

“What, why are you laughing?”

—Pfft hahahaha.

“Uncle!”

Michael shouted at Lucas, who couldn’t hold back his laughter and burst out even louder.

—Puhhhhhh, why are you asking me that all of a sudden?

To his question, which seemed a little genuine, Michael replied bluntly, his tone full of frustration.

“Forget it! Uncle won’t know, and I’m wasting my time!”

—You’ll have to explain it to me.

Lucas said in a soothing, easygoing voice. Michael stuck his lips out in a pout, but since he had no one else to ask, he couldn’t help himself.

“I was just wondering. For one thing, Lila seems to like romance novels, and I know she believes in fate.”

—… Did she say that?

“Yes, she said she believes in fate. Not all girls do, do they? Women have different pursuits.”

—…She said she believes in fate…

Lucas muttered to himself, not listening to Michael.

“Ah, really! Chloe saw me buying a romance book. I don’t think she’ll like it if I tell her I like it, and I don’t know how to tell her I’m buying the wrong one now! Do you know anything, Uncle?”

Lucas chuckled at the question that finally came out right.

—If it’s Chloe, then it must be the young lady.

“Yeah.”

—Hmm… You’re right, there’s no way I’d know about that.

“I knew it… Well, good luck.”

A disappointed Michael was about to disconnect when Lucas spoke up.

—I don’t know whether to hate or love a guy who likes romance novels, but I do know one thing…

“… What?”

—If you want to win her favour… don’t lie to her. It doesn’t matter to others, but never lie to the person you want to make yours.

“…”

His pink eyes grew round at Lucas’s words.

—To love and love again.

“What’s that?”

Michael asked in a softened tone, and Lucas replied.

—You just have to show her your true heart, don’t try to win her over. Just love her for who she is, and everything will go your way.

Lucas let out a small laugh, and Michael thought to himself.

He can’t see his face, but he’s sure he’s smiling too, like Lila earlier. Like the happiest person in the world.