CH 20.3

By now she was used to climbing on without being pulled.

“What else were you thinking with that little head of yours. You keep ignoring me.”

His lips parted for a moment, and he spoke in a voluble voice. He looked so much like Michael, Lila couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

At times like this, he was a very young husband.

“I’ll keep it a secret.”

“Again?”

“Yeah.”

“Really?”

Lucas slightly opened his brow, which was crumpled up by her rarely seen informal speech.

“What, you’re going to talk back?”

“Yes, I’m going to talk back.”

“Khk…”

Lucas let out a cool chuckle, his mood lifted by Lila’s response.

“Mmm, okay. So what do you want to eat this time?”

Lila’s gaze followed his finger to the desserts and fruits on the table, then quickly returned to Lucas’s face.

Then, pressing his gorgeous lips together, she replied.

“I want this.”

Lucas’s eyebrows shot up at her boldness. Beneath his rounded brows, his mint-coloured eyes curved like half moons.

“By all means.”

“That’s right, so what if my husband is the black screen. He’s so cute and sweet.’

For a moment, her mind cleared. Lila pouted her lips and lowered her head, determined not to think of the original story.

The cool touch of his lips was sweeter than any dessert.

* * *

Sitting down on the couch, taking a deep breath, Michael picked up the communication device he’d placed on the table.

However, he put it back down with an urgent gesture, as if he was surprised, and quickly drank the cold tea.

“Whoa…”

With a tiny slap on the cheek, Michael turned on his communication device.

Staring blankly at the sparkling, silent glow, he rolled his eyes at the woo-dah-dah-dah sound from across the room.

“Chloe?”

—…er, huh? This is…

“It’s me, Michael.”

—Little Duke?

“Yeah.”

—I was so surprised that I fell down when I heard a noise, and then I looked for my glasses, but first the beads that you gave me reached my hand, and I picked them up, and then I tried to look for my glasses, and then I fell down because I couldn’t see very well.

I didn’t know if I fell because I was surprised or because I wasn’t wearing my glasses, but I knew one thing for sure.

“It’s cute…”

—Huh?

“Ahk, not that.”

—Yes. What is this, anyway?

“This? This is a communication device that I made, but it’s not activate yet, so don’t talk about it anywhere.”

—Yes, I get it! Let’s keep this between us!

Michael relaxed at the familiarity of the conversation.

“Yeah, it’s a secret between us, and you can’t tell anyone else. Can you promise?”

—Yes, I can swear on my glasses!

“Haha, okay. I’ll believe you, Chloe.”

—…I’m glad that you call me Chloe.

“Um, um, sure? I’ll call you that often.”

—Hehe, yeah.

At the sound of Chloe’s happy, small laugh, Michael’s face flushed past peach and into apple red.

“The reason I contacted you is because I saw the book I bought with you the other day…”

—What? Was it fun?

“Huh? Well, it was good.”

—I can’t tell you how happy I was to hear that the Little Duke is also interested in romance novels.

Michael, who was going to be honest from now on, pursed his lips tightly at Chloe’s words.

He pursed his lips for a moment, then closed his eyes tightly and exclaimed.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realise it was actually a romance novel.”

As Lucas had advised, Michael didn’t lie. They were just getting to know each other, and he didn’t want to start off by lying.

—Ah… You did? What should I do… I thought the Little Duke also liked romance novels, so I bought the book that the Little Duke bought. I wanted to share my thoughts with you. But it’s okay! Thank you for being honest.

Michael’s eyelids fluttered at her wistful words.

“I mean, I bought it not knowing it was a romance novel, but I just wanted to say that I enjoyed it.”

It was the truth. There was a lot I didn’t understand, and at first I wondered why anyone would buy a book like this, but…

“Well, if it was me and Chloe in that novel… then it was worth it.

—Really?

Chloe asked in a tone that quickly brightened, and Michael answered her with a firm but sure voice.

“Yeah, it was a lot of fun.”

If it’s you and me.

—I read it because I wanted to share my appreciation with the Little Duke, too… It was one of the best novels I’ve read recently, and the story of the characters sharing their fate was poignant and heartbreaking.

“Well, I guess that’s what it’s like.”

—Have you read anything else?

“No. Why?”

—If you don’t mind, can I give you a recommendation?

“Well, would you?”

—Oh, sure. My favourite book is…

Michael listened to Chloe’s softly spoken voice, not moving except to take note of the title of the book she was talking about.

His entire attention was focused on his communication device, wondering if he would miss the slightest detail in her voice.

—The main character in the book is so cool, and I really want to meet a guy like him in the future.

“… Really? Is he that cool?”

—Yes! Just like…

“Like, what?”

The shyness in Chloe’s voice made Michael’s mouth water.

He squeezed her hand, hoping his name would be in the next sentence.

—He looked like the… Duke, all tall and handsome…

Michael’s face grew more and more rotten as Chloe’s voice took over, ecstasy pervading her tone.

“…Who?”

—The Duke from the other day.

“My uncle?”

—Yes…

A small hand touched his forehead for a moment, then fell away. Pink eyes blazed with bewilderment.

“Well, in case you didn’t know, my dad’s a lot bigger than him, which means there’s a good chance I could be bigger than him, and, you know, I wasn’t going to tell you this, but you have no idea how childish my uncle is, and how jealous he is, and how he doesn’t even want my aunt and I to see each other.”

Michael had torn Lucas apart, flawed and unflawed, but Chloe’s reaction was more of a welcoming one.

—I mean, he’s like the hero of that book.

“What?”

No matter how he thought about it, he was far from the leading man Michael had in mind. Michael quickly flicked through the book he had placed on the table, entitled ﹤Do You Believe in Fate?﹥

The male protagonist in this book was far different from the one Chloe had just described.

The male protagonist was dutiful, kind, gentle, and consistently behaved in a dignified manner, and Michael thought he was handsome.

Later, he told himself that he should strive to be like that…

—I think I’d rather have a guy who’s nice to me than a guy who’s nice to everyone, and I’d rather have a guy who’s childishly jealous of me than a guy who’s usually cold and distant, and the hero of my favourite book is just like that… and there’s something about him that just fits the image of the Duke that I had of him.

Michael wanted to shut Chloe’s mouth as she chattered excitedly, his pink eyes staring at the pink cover of ﹤Do You Believe in Fate?﹥

“…What’s the name of the book you read?”

—It was called Kissing Under the Chandelier, and later, at the ball, they defeat their enemies and become lovers. And then, as if to announce it to everyone, they dance and kiss, which is so romantic, don’t you think? It’s a great scene that shows a passionate and tender side to the normally stoic male protagonist!

At the sound of Chloe’s increasingly high-pitched voice, Michael’s hands moved busily.

“I see. So, can you introduce me to a book you enjoyed?”

For a moment, the line was dead, and Michael looked at the note with eager eyes. In his hand, he held up a magic pen.

Chloe, delighted, began to pour out titles.

—Meet Me on That Bridge, Don’t Unmask Her, His Secret Life, The Flavour of Love, Love Is a Dessert, …

Michael’s hands fidgeted as he scribbled away at the feast of romance novel titles.

When he’d filled a page of his notebook, Chloe’s voice stopped.

—Little Duke, would you like to go to the bookstore with me? When you’re free, of course.

Michael, who had been frantically scribbling down the title, spoke up before he could take a breath.

“Okay.”

—So, are you free tomorrow?

“Yeah.”

—Then I’ll buy you some bread, because I really enjoyed the bread you bought me the other day, and I wanted to make it up to you.

“Okay. By the way…”

—Yes, Little Duke.

Michael put down his magic pen and lightly turned his wrist. He stood up, a beaded communication device in his hand, and headed for the window.

“I call you Chloe, but you call me Little Duke, so it seems a little awkward… Do you want to be friends first?”

Michael, who had been nervous to the point of having a dry mouth before he turned on the communication tool was now rolling his eyes furiously.

—…But would it really be okay?

“At the academy, everyone becomes close friends regardless of rank. Chloe, if we met at the academy too, then we’re friends.”

Chloe was hesitant at Michael’s persuasive words, but she was quick to say yes.

—So… Michael?

“Yes, Chloe.”

—Hehe, let’s be friends from now on.

At Chloe’s unselfish words, Michael let out a small smile. His reflection in the window bore a striking resemblance to Lucas’s childhood. Right down to the pouty mouth.

“Firstly, friends…”

—What?

“No, I want us to be best friends.”

—Me too! Well, see you tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.

“Me too. Well, I’ll hang up.”

—Yes, okay. Bye, Michael.

“…Bye, Chloe.”

The light faded from the communications device. Michael stared at the window, then turned away.

Sitting on the couch, notebook in hand, Michael looked for the magic bell. Michael gave a quick order to Henry who soon entered the room

“Get me all the books listed here. I don’t want any of them missing.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Henry knew how hard Michael usually worked on his studies. Assuming that the books would be academic in nature, he handed over the notes without looking at them.

About an hour later, when he was sweating it out in the romance section with all the attention he could get from the ladies, Henry said cheerfully.

“Well, I’ll be right back.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Michael muttered softly as he watched Henry’s back as he quickly left the room.

“The most basic and important aspect of magic and academics is research and analysis.”

Michael decided to start with Chloe’s crush.

“How come its my uncle…”

At the thought, he remembered how Lucas popped out of Chloe’s mouth, much to Michael’s displeasure.

Pulling another communications tool from his pocket, Michael pressed the button familiarly.

Immediately, he saw his uncle beside her, a disgruntled expression on his face.

—Michael!

It was time for revenge. Michael smiled more cheerfully than usual and called out to Lila.