CH 8.8

When she gasped, almost fainting, Lucas pulled away and whispered.

‘Well, I’ll see you tonight.’

The nightmare, now completely out of her mind, was the least of her worries. Lila stirred and sat up, the lanterns turning on automatically. Jessie would probably be here in a little while. With her dinner.

Ever since she’d been confined to her room, Lila had shown Jessie her bare face.

First Michael, then Lucas and Vincent. After a while, she realized that Jessie wouldn’t mind, and it was nice not to have to wear ugly makeup.

“What the hell did he mean?”

Lila’s mind was rattled by his completely different behavior.

Honestly, she couldn’t help but be tempted to give in when the man of her dreams flirted with her so openly.

And that scent.

“What in the world is that scent doing to me?”

She doesn’t remember smelling it when they first met, but after that night, it just seemed to get stronger and stronger.

“Is he wearing perfume? He’s a man of great sense, he could be wearing perfume.”

Even though she knew it was qualitatively different from cologne, she couldn’t come to any conclusions. It was the best she could do with her common sense.

Then it dawned on her.

[“The lady used to say that. She said that when she got close to His Highness the Crown Prince, the sweet scent made it hard for her to stay awake.”]

[“…Is that so?”]

[“Perhaps you’re wearing a deceptive perfume made by an alchemist.”]

[“That is forbidden by law, and I, the crown prince, would not break the law.”]

[“That is an unknown law. Can a man blinded by love distinguish between criminal acts?”]

Surely, in her dreams, Theobald and Heinrich had had such a conversation.

“Even Lila in the original had trouble staying awake because of the sweet scent…”

Tapping her lips with her fingertips, Lila thought to herself.

“A sweet scent from the crown prince…”

The original Lila said it was hard to stay awake when she smelled the crown prince’s scent, a scent that didn’t come from any of the other lords in the original…

“The crown prince is royalty. The Montefeltras are also royalty.”

Lila, who was mumbling in a daze, let out a terminal scream at the thunderous realization.

“Ah ah!”

What if not only the crown prince but all members of the royal family had such characteristics or special perfumes?

Does that make sense?

Lila got out of bed and went to the parlor, where she noticed the gem blocks still sitting on the parlor table.

“I think I’ll ask Michael for help first.”

She decided that since she couldn’t just say, ‘Your uncle is a little weird,’ or ‘We’re actually a contract couple,’ they should do the blocks first and make arrangements for Michael to sleep in his room.

“Let’s put some distance between us.”

She didn’t want to get any closer to Lucas when everything wasn’t clear yet.

If she was going to be swayed now, she needed to make sure she wasn’t going to be swayed later.

She didn’t realize that she was already thinking about Lucas to the point where her head was exploding.

It wasn’t long after she rang the bell. Jessie came.

“I’ve come, my lady.”

“Yes?”

Lila, who had assumed she had brought dinner, narrowed her eyes at the sight of Jessie standing there empty-handed.

“My lady, the former Duchess says she’s leaving, which is why the young master is in the concourse right now, and I think the Duke has gotten the news.”

“What?”

The news was so sudden that Lila could only blink in confusion.

“I’m just saying that I think it would be a good idea for you to go out as well.”

Lila looked at Jessie, who was finishing her sentence cautiously.

“No, you’re right, we should say goodbye to those who are leaving.”

Not sure why they were leaving in the evening instead of during the day, Lila rushed to get ready.

As she grabbed her purse and headed into the bathroom, she turned to Jessie.

“I can get ready by myself, but I need you to go downstairs first and tell the Duke that I’ll be there too.”

“Understood.”

Lila turned to Jessie as she quickly left the room. She pulled a quick makeup kit from her pouch and finished her ugly makeup in no time.

She tied her hair up in a loose bun and left the room. As she descended the stairs, she didn’t see any servants, so she knew they were already gathered in the concourse.

By the time she reached the first floor, she heard Michael’s voice.

“Don’t talk to me like that.”

“Michael…”

“I’ve never rebelled against you before, because I’ve always been sorry.”

Anna’s subdued voice was followed by Michael’s slightly exasperated voice.

“It’s just that I was worried.”

Anna’s voice, falling hard, was somber. Michael’s next voice was calm, or more like resigned.

“I don’t know what you mean when you say you’re worried about me now.I know I’m not your favorite, but I can’t change the face I was born with, so I’ve come to terms with it.”

As Lila reached the concourse, she saw Michael, his voice changing from resignation to hope.

He looked directly at Anna and replied with a strong voice.

“I appreciate your concern, but please don’t dictate my life anymore. From now on, I’ll only listen to people who love me, because I’ve realized that’s all I need to be happy.”

Lila smoothed down the hem of her skirt, which had been fluttering from the moment she heard the child’s voice. Sensing her arrival, Michael turned his head and smiled out of the corner of his eye.

Looking at Lila, he said.

“I’m really better now.”

Michael and Anna’s pink eyes met Lila’s at the same time.

Breaking eye contact, Lila stopped fiddling with her hands and bowed politely.

“Welcome, madam.”

Lucas, who had been standing off to the side, expressionless, saying nothing, stepped forward.

His hand was offered politely, and Lila took it familiarly.

“I didn’t expect you to leave so suddenly.”

Lila said, turning to Anna. She stared at Lila for a moment before answering.

“I guess I’ll see you at the formal wedding.”

“You’re not coming before then?”

Lila asked, and Anna was silent for a moment before she spoke up.

“I intend to, just as I always have.”

Anna’s eyes lowered as she spoke, and there was a hint of regret in her expression.

Lila didn’t know what her change of heart was, but if she could look at it positively, it could only mean good things for Michael and Anna’s relationship in the future.

“Still, this is your home. I hope you’ll tread lightly.”

Anna’s gaze lifted at Lila’s reply. Her pink eyes, identical to Michael’s, were no colder than before.

With a thin smile, Anna turned to Vincent.

“I assume you’ve loaded all the luggage.”

“Yes, madam.”

“Well, then, I’ll take my leave.”

The three of them watched in silence as Anna left the manor with graceful strides.

Lila turned her gaze to Michael as the small figure disappeared. The child’s words shocked her.

The idea that she could be happy just by listening to someone who loved her had a profound effect on her, even though she had been living in a novel.

She is lucky to meet someone who loves her, but how lucky she is to be able to love that person herself.

Sometimes a child’s words can be more frightening than an adult’s. In terms of sincerity, a child’s words are more innocent than an adult’s, but in terms of weight, they are different.

Lila’s brow furrowed as she remembered the words she hadn’t been able to say to Michael: ‘contract couple.’

Even if she hadn’t meant to, she realized she couldn’t hide it from him anymore.

“Lila, why don’t we eat together in the dining room for the first time in a while. Now that you’re out of your room, are you feeling better?”

She realized that she hadn’t been able to leave her room because of the nightmares, first because of Lucas during the day, and now because of Anna.

Smiling softly, Lila nodded.

“Shall we?”

“You’re going to be okay, right?”

Lila answered honestly, gently brushing Michael’s hair out of his face as he worried about her complexion.

“Yes, I’m okay, I’m still a little scared, but I’m okay because you’re here, Michael.”

“Yeah, I’m okay with you, too.”

Taking her hand casually, Michael pulled her toward the dining room. Lucas, standing still behind them, followed in silence.

As they entered the ornate chandeliered dining room, she felt a surge of pleasure. Lila had gotten so used to the Duke of Montefeltra’s house that the barony was no longer on her mind.

She had been alone there for nearly a decade, she thought, but here she had two people who cared about her.