Chapter 63.1
I clicked my tongue and turned my head, as if I’d seen something unpleasant. Of all times to run into him, it had to be now. Luke hadn’t noticed me yet, it seemed.
“[A blind date?]”
Unlike me, Slinky was still staring in Luke’s direction. The little snake tilted its head, muttering, “A blind date?” over and over.
“Grandfather Rupert Randy has been pushing for Luke to get married.”
“[But didn’t Luke say he wasn’t interested in marriage?]”
“Even so, it’s his grandfather’s order. He has no choice but to obey.”
Luke’s mother might be the head of the Randy family, but the true power lay with Rupert Randy. No matter how successful Luke’s loan business, Heylandyrone, was, it couldn’t compare to Randy’s Bank.
“[I can’t imagine Luke getting married.]”
Slinky wriggled, lost in thought.
“I can’t imagine it either…”
Trying to ignore him, I glanced over at Luke. They were a surprisingly well-matched pair. The woman looked at Luke with obvious interest. Luke, on the other hand, wore a forced smile. But that was Luke. Maybe marriage would finally make him grow up.
‘Maybe he’ll even give up on trying to annoy me.’
The thought of Luke married was actually quite appealing. I crossed my arms and nodded slightly. If this blind date went well and Luke actually got married, I’d have to get him a huge bouquet.
“I’ll have to celebrate his wedding, even if it costs me a fortune.” I could practically see Luke’s scowling face.
“[Oh! They’re hugging!]”
Slinky’s excited exclamation from my shoulder made me look up involuntarily. A hug? So maybe Luke was more interested in the woman than he let on…
“Slinky…”
“[Yeah?]”
“That’s not a hug. He’s helping her up.”
The woman had stumbled, and Luke had simply reached out to steady her. It couldn’t be interpreted as a hug, no matter how you looked at it.
“[Oh, really?]”
“Anyway, let’s get out of here before Luke sees us.” Inwardly, I wished Luke luck with his date. They were heading toward the large fountain in the center of the square, so I deliberately took a longer route to avoid them.
“[But I’m curious!]” Slinky wagged its tail rapidly as I turned away, sounding disappointed. “[Aren’t you curious, Amelia?]”
“Not really.”
“[But think about it! That Luke, getting married? I thought he’d be alone forever…]”
“…Slinky, did you dislike him that much?” Alone forever? That was a bit extreme. Though, I couldn’t say I didn’t understand the sentiment. I chuckled, patting Slinky’s head.
“[Yeah… I thought he’d be alone forever, meddling in your life, Amelia.]”
“…Please don’t drag me into this.”
I shook my head and started walking again. As a man brushed past me, I caught a familiar scent. I couldn’t help but turn around after only a few steps.
“[Amelia? What’s wrong?]”
“No, it’s just… Damian…”
“[Damian?]”
The man wore a robe, obscuring his face, but the fleeting scent was similar to the one I’d encountered when I first met Damian, only stronger. It also resembled the scent of Ronen’s tobacco.
“Lots of people probably wear similar scents…”
Besides, if the robed man had been Damian, he wouldn’t have passed by so quietly. I’d stopped just because of a similar scent? Damian had clearly had a bigger impact on me than I’d realized.
“[Oh!]”
Just as I was about to turn back, Slinky cried out in alarm.
“What is it?”
I looked up, following Slinky’s gaze. Luke’s blue eyes were fixed on me, sharp and intense.
“[L-Luke noticed us.]”
“Where’s he looking? He’s on a date!” Luke’s expression hardened as he recognized me. He seemed to forget the woman in front of him for a moment, his forced smile vanishing as he clicked his tongue.
‘Just ignore me and focus on your date.’
I smiled brightly at Luke, silently mouthing the words. I even waved, putting all my genuine well-wishes for their success into the gesture. The way Luke gritted his teeth was incredibly satisfying.
“Let’s stop bothering them and go.” I hadn’t intended to be seen by Luke in the first place. Suddenly, Luke Randy’s expression softened. His blue eyes lit up, as if he’d had a brilliant idea. This wasn’t a forced expression. Seeing his sudden good cheer, I had a bad feeling.
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.