CH 5.04

Chapter 5: Are people born a tsundere?

Part 4

After the meal, Lucas made his way to the Duchess’s private chambers.

Knock knock.

He knocked on the door and heard a voice.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, my lady.”

“Duke?”

“Yes.”

“What brings you here at this hour…?”

“May I speak with you for a moment?”

“Ah… just a moment!”

There was a loud bang, and then it was silent. And time passed. Just when he thought ‘This is taking longer than I thought,’ the door opened.

“Sorry!”

Looking at the sweaty face, Lucas realized he had made a mistake.

He hadn’t realized that he shouldn’t be in the lady’s room so late at night.

“I apologize for barging in unannounced.”

Lila’s eyes widened slightly at his polite apology.

“May I come in for a moment?”

“Yes, of course.”

Lila went inside first. Lucas followed behind her, watching her softly flowing mauve hair.

Lucas sat down on the couch, following Lila’s lead. Facing each other, they opened their mouths at the same time.

“Today…”

“There…”

Then they closed their mouths at the same time and opened them again at the same time.

“First…”

“Duke…”

Again, they were speechless, but Lucas spoke first.

“You go first.”

“Lila nodded in agreement.

“Well, I’ll go first. I overheard earlier, and it seems that the Duke’s handmaidens are in charge of his diet.”

“Is there a problem with that?”

Lila interjected.

“Not really, but I think it’s a little problematic that they don’t let him have dessert because they’re worried he’ll get fat. If he eats a lot, that’s one thing, but I think once a day is okay? He’s still growing.”

Lucas gave Lila a puzzled look.

“Does Michael like dessert?”

Lila didn’t know what to make of his words.

“He seemed to enjoy it…”

Clearly, Michael had eaten the dessert, and he seemed to like it.

She figured it might be because she also liked to learn more about fruit.

But she squirmed a little when she realized that his uncle, the Duke, seemed to know even less than she did. Maybe it was because she remembered what the maid had said and the look on their faces.

“He enjoyed the dessert, my lord, he really did. He looked happy and he enjoyed it.”

“I see.”

Lila felt an odd stirring in her stomach at the unexpectedly mild answer.

“The maid said he shouldn’t have dessert because he’s ugly and that he needs to get in shape, but it never occurred to me that he was ugly, and I don’t understand how someone so cute and lovely could be treated like that.”

Lila clenched her fists tightly together and spoke in a raspy voice, and Lucas gave her a cold glare. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice the look in his eyes.

“I know I shouldn’t be saying those words so suddenly, but…”

Taking a deep breath, Lila added.

“I think it would be better to change his maid. A maid with such contemptuous eyes…”

Lucas spoke up, cutting off Lila’s words as she continued with her head slightly bowed.

“Do you see those eyes now that you’re not as beautiful as you were when you were younger?”

“What?”

Lila looked up in surprise at the coldness in his voice, the mint-colored eyes she now found herself staring into were as cold as frost.

“Really… A lot has changed since I was a kid. Why has it changed so much?”

It was unclear to whom he was referring, so Lila couldn’t answer.

“What’s the harm in a scornful glance, it’s what you’re going to get when you get out there anyway.”

Lila bit her lip as Lucas spoke so coldly about his nephew.

“I think you should rest for now. If you need anything, you can find Vincent.”

As if he didn’t want her to answer, Lucas scrambled out of his seat, pushing past her without a word of goodbye.

Lila let out a small gasp as the door slammed shut behind her. The look in his eyes was so cold and determined that she didn’t dare open her mouth.

And the way he spoke as if he knew her. The way he seemed to know who she was as a child, the way he seemed to know her, made her stiffen as if cold water had been poured over her.

She didn’t know.

Just because she hadn’t seen him in the original.

She had mistakenly thought he didn’t know her.

It dawned on her.

Lila didn’t get up from the couch for a while. Even when the hastily stuffed bolster pressed against her flesh and smothered her breath.

***

Michael went down to the dining room for lunch after his morning lessons. The maid, seeing him come down, slowly made her way to the kitchen without asking.

After placing the familiar plates, spoons, and forks in front of him, the maid gave him a curt bow and left.

Michael looked at the plate, which contained the same contents each time. Thin vegetable soup, green salad, and rye bread.

It was his daily diet.

The mere sight of the food made his appetite disappear. But if he skips lunch, He would go so hungry before dinner so he can’t help but pick up a spoon.

During lunch, he always eats alone. His uncle is the only family member in the mansion, and he’s always busy. He’s lucky if he happens to join him for dinner.

Chelsea and Rose showed up just as he was emptying the contents in the same old way. They checked the food Michael was eating and stood around him.

His mother had told them to do it, and he had complied. It was a fad diet in the capital.

The lettuce rolling around in his mouth didn’t taste particularly good today. He remembered the peach and strawberry tarts and honey tea he had yesterday.

The memory of the sweet and refreshing desserts made the watery soup taste even worse.

Along with the sweet desserts, he remembered the ugly woman with the sweet eyes. When he finished his dessert, she didn’t scold him, but smiled with pride and offered him a dessert that the ugly woman hadn’t touched.

For a moment, he was tempted, but he firmly refused.

“It’s not like I’m not eating because I’m upset.”

By this time, he could tell she was eating her lunch by the clattering of the maids…

‘What do I care, she needs to control her eating. She’s not a commoner, she’s a noble, and she’s not supposed to be eating like that.’

Michael’s common sense told him it was ridiculous.

But it bothered him. So when he finished eating, he didn’t leave, and the maids stared at him.

He wondered if he should ask them about the ugly woman. Michael was very perceptive and knew how the maids and servants viewed her.

And despite being in the position of an employer, the employees make him uncomfortable. So he couldn’t give orders easily, and he would stutter over and over again before asking for a favor.

He scratched his face in frustration, not knowing what else to do.

“You can’t!”

Just then, Chelsea came running up to him, squealing.

“The massage effect is still there, how can you scratch it like that!”

It was difficult to concentrate in the morning class because of the massage he received before going to bed. It was itchy all the time. To the point where he couldn’t even sleep properly.

“Okay, but…”

Chelsea looked at the redness and frowned. It was embarrassing to see his freckled face up close.

Rose turned to Michael.

“Do you have something to say?”

Her tone was friendlier than Chelsea’s, so Michael said what had been on his mind.

“Did that…  girl have lunch?”

Expecting a nonchalant response, Michael looked up when he didn’t get one right away.

His heart sank at the disgust in Chelsea’s eyes.

“It is none of your business, my lord. The Duke has forbidden all but the butler to approach her, so you would do well to stay out of it.”

Michael’s pink eyes widened at Rose’s answer.

“My uncle did what?”

“Yes, she’s locked up in her room.”

Chelsea replied sarcastically. Michael stiffened in surprise. Chelsea pushed him on the back and said,

“You need to get some exercise before your afternoon classes start. You haven’t forgotten the Duchess’s request, have you?”

At the word duchess, Michael shifted his feet.

Back in his room, Michael made his way to the balcony. The wind, which had been cool this morning, felt scorching.

As he looked up from the balcony, he thought of the ugly woman in his mother’s room.