CH 5.07

Chapter 5: Are people born a tsundere?

Part 7

Lila woke with a grunt as she felt something pressing against her, the first thing she saw was a short leg passing exactly in the middle of her stomach.

“Ugh…”

Lila let out a stifled breath and rubbed the corners of her eyes. She turned her head slightly to see Michael breathing hard.

Unable to let him sleep through the night, Lila pulled Michael aside and said, “Why don’t we go to your room for dinner?”

She told him that they would have dinner together in her room, and that he should bring a nutritious meal, that way she could exclude cucumbers from Michael’s diet. From now on, he will be sleeping with her for the time being.

On impulse, she told Vincent, but since Lucas wasn’t at the mansion right now, Lila got her way.

She was glad she had made that decision, though, especially when she saw Michael sleeping with a relaxed expression on his face.

His skin was lighter than yesterday and all the redness was gone. She was relieved to see that although he was allergic to cucumbers, it wasn’t serious.

For now, Lila would watch what he ate.

While freckles are probably a combination of genetics and sun exposure, it’s good to be mindful of what you eat.

And skin problems aside, Michael needs to eat more.

“I think he’s thinner than his peers?”

She hadn’t met many kids his age, but Michael seemed unusually thin. She noticed it more when she had given him a massage yesterday.

“Good night.”

Watching him sleep soundly reminded her of her own childhood. Not her childhood in this world, but the childhood when she was Cho Yoon Seol.

She lost her parents at an early age. At that age, she was forced to move from relative to relative.

Perhaps that’s why Michael’s work stood out to her even more, and why her eyes were turned upside down* by the words of the maid.

*to be mad, insane

“What the hell happened?”

She only knew the broad strokes of the story, so it was frustrating to be in the North, where she knew nothing, unlike the capital, where she knew the general outline of the story.

But after a few years here, she would be free.

“They didn’t let me leave the room, but I didn’t hear anything about breaking the contract, so I hope we’re okay?”

She remembered Lucas getting mad at her for something she didn’t remember.

“What would I do if your face was my type? The duke obviously hates me.”

Then why the hell had he sent her a proposal?

Even the most appearance-conscious aristocrats eventually engage in arranged marriages to solidify their position.

“He’s handsome in my eyes. The standards of beauty here are really high.”

She was staring at the bed, talking to herself, when a voice interrupted her.

“What were you muttering to yourself earlier?”

Michael asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Are you awake?”

“Yeah…”

Feeling oddly awake at a time when he would normally have already been up, doing his early morning workout and eating breakfast, Michael blushed at the beautiful face that filled his vision.

“Do you want me to bring you breakfast then?”

“Yeah…”

Mumbling a reply, Lila gently stroked Michael’s chocolate hair as he burrowed into the comforter.

It felt good, and he was lost in the unfamiliar sensation. 

“Just sleep a little longer.”

At the gentle nudge to sleep, Michael closed his eyes again. He’d never woken up so relaxed and cozy before, and he wanted to do as she said.

Once she was sure he was asleep again, Lila slid off the bed, grabbed her purse, and headed for the bathroom.

She couldn’t go barefaced today. She had a premonition that the Duke would call for her, now that she had told Vincent yesterday.

After washing her face, she began to apply her ugly makeup. She left her familiar mole behind and applied deep, wide strokes of orange-pearl eyeshadow.

To finish, she applied an orange tint and lip balm to her lips, then slipped on a pair of socks and slipped into her dress.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Lila pulled back the curtain that separated the center of the room into a corner and rang the doorbell.

It wasn’t long before Vincent came to the door.

“Make us breakfast. No cucumbers, please. Bring me orange and lemon juice, and potato soup with plenty of meat, and milk bread, and omelets and sausages. And bring me a salad of boiled broccoli, cabbage, and carrots tossed in olive oil.”

Vincent looked at Lila, who was sitting alone on the couch, before answering.

“Yes, my lady, I understand. Is the young master still in bed?”

“He must have been very tired.”

“I see.”

Vincent gave her a quizzical look and left. Lila went to the bedroom and started to wake him up.

“Young master, it’s time to get up and get cleaned up.”

“…Yes.”

After only a few calls, Michael staggered to his feet and headed for the bathroom.

Lila followed close behind, and when he entered the bathroom and saw her face in the mirror, he screamed.

“Yuck! When did you change your face again!”

“Whoops.”

Lila laughed as she watched him freak out, because he was the first person to see her bare face, except for those who knew her as a child.

She felt a pang of relief inside. Why would Lila want to hide her pretty face?

As a makeup artist, her fingers tingle at the beauty of her face.

She wanted to do this, she wanted to do that, but she held back for the sake of future safety.

It was nice to have someone share a secret she had to keep to herself.

“How did you change your face? What about your body? You’re not really fat.”

“Ho-ho, it’s a secret. Now, wash yourself with this water.”

Lila said, handing him the vitamin-laced water. Vitamins were the best thing for freckles, something he would have to eat with his mouth and skin from now on.

“Don’t scrub hard, just feel the water on your skin.”

“Got it.”

Michael had come to trust Lila with her magic, and even if it wasn’t true, he wanted to do what she said.

It wasn’t like he had any other big reason, he just liked the warm cobalt eyes looking back at him.

But because of his shyness, words came out slurred.

Ripple ripple.

Moving carefully, Lila wrapped a towel around Michael’s neck as he splashed water on his face, then pulled a vitamin-rich skincare product out of her purse.

“Isn’t this enough, how long do we have to do this, do you normally wash your face this long?”

“Just ten more times from now.”

Lila said, taking out a lavender-scented oil.

Michael looked at himself in the mirror, his face brighter than it had been yesterday. He hadn’t slept well in a long time and felt refreshed.

“Done.”

At Michael’s words, Lila patted his face with a soft washcloth and began applying the vitamin skincare products she had pulled out, one by one.

A toner prepped his face, and she finished with a light layer of essence and sunscreen.

“Young master, why don’t you sit here for a moment?”

She sat him down on the small couch in the bathroom, and Lila massaged his neck, fingers, and feet with lavender oil.

He loved the way she patted his face and gently rubbed his hands and feet.

“Duchess, Young master.”

Meanwhile, Vincent, who had come up with the food, found them.

“It’s a beautiful day, so… would you like to have breakfast on the balcony?”

“…Uh, yes.”

Michael stammered in excitement. Ever since he could remember, he had eaten breakfast alone.

Not when his father was alive, not when his mother was still part of the ducal family, not after his uncle became a duke.

Lila took Michael’s hand and led him out of the bathroom. She said to Vincent, who was waiting for them.

“I think we’ll eat on the balcony. Oh, and I want you to bring a change of clothes for the little duke.”

“Yes, Duchess.”

Vincent’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of Michael, who was wearing a more cheerful expression than usual, then returned to their original state.

The breeze was cool, the sun was warm, and the balcony smelled wonderful. Michael couldn’t take his eyes off the plates, which were loaded with more food than usual and some of his favorite things.

“So, young master, shall we eat?”

Lila said, picking up a knife and fork. As if waiting, Michael picked up a knife and fork that fit perfectly in his hand.

That’s when Vincent drew the magic bell from his chest, and bowed.

“Please excuse me for a moment.”