Since I Don't Know Anything About It, Shall We Break Up, Your Majesty? - Chapter 44

Her heart thumped once more.

The emotion she had been trying to suppress burst out, causing a soft blush to spread across her entire face.

‘Why should I be so flustered? It’s not like I did anything wrong?’

But contrary to her thoughts, her eyes were shaking unnaturally.

He reached out and grabbed her chin as she turned her head away.

And after making her meet his eyes, he grasped the paper bundle that was placed next to her.

Rustle.

The loosely wrapped paper came off.

His approaching hand was slow enough that she could have easily avoided it.

She could have easily stopped him. But Lumiere couldn’t stop him.

The scent of lisianthus flowers spread throughout the narrow carriage.

Karl, having confirmed the bouquet, murmured with a small smile.

“Look at this.”

His fingertips caressed the flower buds that were hanging their heads dejectedly.

There was affection in his touch, like he was stroking something pretty and admirable.

“…It’s just flowers.”

“Yes, just flowers.”

“That’s right. Just flowers, I didn’t know there would be someone who would sulk because they were rejected. For a man who looks like he wouldn’t bleed even if stabbed…”

“You could have ignored it. You could have ignored it and trampled on it, considering it a wicked trick to shake you.”

Lumiere glared at him as he deliberately spoke unkind words.

‘…Why did I bring this back?’

It was impulsive.

It was indeed just flowers, but the sight of him drooping his shoulders as if greatly rejected tugged at her heart.

Of course, it might not have looked that way to others, but that’s how it appeared to Lumiere.

Even though she was the one who had rejected him, strangely, she didn’t want to see that man looking hurt.

Yes, and it’s just flowers, isn’t it?

Just… flowers.

It was just a bouquet that could be seen commonly anywhere.

‘…A bouquet that is both mine and not mine.’

It could be accepted, or it could be thrown away.

She could pretend not to know with a hardened heart.

Lumiere raised her gaze to look at Karl.

‘Something that can be kept or discarded…’

The man, beautiful like a sculpture, was looking back at her.

She was in his golden eyes.

It would be easier to throw it away as it was irritating her nerves and making her confused.

She knew this in her head.

But it didn’t work out as she thought.

Her heart wouldn’t do as she wished.

“If you do this, you’re making me hope, Lumiere.”

He looked happy.

His golden eyes seemed almost ecstatic for a moment.

He delicately caressed the flowers with his fingertips, then raised his hand to cup her cheek.

The scent of flowers lingered on his fingertips.

It was a fragrant touch that made her head spin.

Without blinking once, the two drew closer.

She should tell him not to come closer.

She should say that they agreed not to do this.

That she shouldn’t love him, that he must have done something bad to her.

…That’s what she should have said.

But the gradually overlapping breaths were so sweet that her tongue became numb.

The warmth of the lips carefully overlapping was so desperate that her heart loosened.

So this kiss.

It was like an ambush, caught off guard and taken by surprise.

The intruder who had found her weakness and seeped in imperceptibly stirred her up relentlessly.

‘I’m afraid of you. I want to run away. But…’

Lumiere’s trembling fingers grasped his clothes.

‘I’m curious about you. I want to know.’

The deeper her curiosity towards him grew, the more her throat burned with thirst.

Her heart pounded loudly, and her anxiety intensified.

When facing Karl, her mind changed more than twelve times a day.

She wanted to throw herself into the flames like this, but then she wanted to run away even one step further.

She wanted to entrust everything to those eyes that seemed to love her completely, but a warning that she shouldn’t be like this rang noisily in Lumiere’s head.

This wasn’t like Lumiere Lashantia.

She wanted to stop this confusion.

…But before that, just once.

Just once.

She wanted to embrace this pitiful man.

Even if she might regret it again tomorrow, at least for this moment that had already happened…

At that moment.

Knock knock knock!

“President! I’m sorry, but it seems you need to come out for a moment.”

The sweet air enveloping the two was shattered in an instant by the rough knocking on the carriage.

* * *

“Miss! You’re late? Have you eaten?”

Lumiere returned home alone.

Despite the late hour, Cindy and Tamia, who had been waiting for her while chatting, welcomed Lumiere.

“Miss?”

With a somewhat dazed look, Lumiere trudged into the mansion.

Her appearance, merely mumbling ‘Yeah, right’ even after seeing Cindy and Tamia greeting her, seemed unusual.

‘Why is the Miss like this?’

‘I know, right?’

As the two exchanged glances, Lumiere, who had come to her senses a bit late, answered again in front of them.

“What did you say? Meal? Ah, no. I’m not hungry. Could you prepare for me to wash up right away?”

“A bath? Yes, I’ll prepare it right away.”

Tamia went up to Lumiere’s bathroom, and Cindy followed Lumiere to help her change clothes.

“By the way, Miss, what’s that in your hand?”

“Ah, this…”

Lumiere looked down at the rustling bouquet in her hand.

A few flowers were crushed, but fortunately, most were intact.

She recalled the large hand caressing the flower buds.

That fragrant touch that caressed her chin and embraced her waist.

The heat that stirred her inside without a moment’s hesitation.

“…Miss?”

Startled by the cautious voice calling her, Lumiere handed the bouquet to Cindy with a jump.

“Ah, ah! Oh, right. It’s a bouquet, could you put it in a vase?”

“Yes, Miss!”

“Um, you know, Cindy. Did I ever…”

Cindy, who was about to leave the room, turned to look at Lumiere.

She looked at her with a face that seemed ready for anything she asks, but Lumiere had to close her mouth that she had opened.

“Yes?”

“…Never mind. It’s nothing. I’m going to wash up.”

“Ah, yes, Miss. Please call if you need anything.”

Cindy carefully observed Lumiere’s complexion until just before closing the door.

Her face was redder than usual, and her eyes were deep as if lost in complex thoughts.

Something must have happened, but what could it be?

Was today’s schedule somewhat tiring?

Or, those fox-like actors might have bothered Lumiere again.

Although Lumiere said that such actors had already been weeded out or taught a lesson, they still couldn’t let their guard down.

When Lumiere had just started meeting Karl, some actresses bullied her.

They poured water on her, or locked her in a dark prop room.

One actress even asked Lumiere for a portrait, only to tear it to pieces in front of her once it was completed.

Cindy was so angry then that she almost went to hit that actress from behind while wearing a mask.

But fortunately, before Cindy could do anything, that actress had already disappeared from the theater district.

Word was that she had vanished not only from Karien’s theater street but from the opera scene altogether, but Cindy wasn’t the least bit curious about that actress’s current situation.

With such a personality, she’d have many enemies elsewhere too, so she’d struggle to live well anywhere, hmph!

Anyway, after Lumiere went through such incidents a few times, Cindy became sensitive.

Unlike Lumiere, who didn’t bat an eye at most things, Cindy wasn’t so broad-minded.

Dare to mess with our House Lashantia?

From that day, Cindy’s curse would begin.

May they stub their little toe on a corner while walking barefoot.

If bitten by mosquitoes, may they only be bitten between their toes.

If not that, then may they be unable to hold in their farts at important occasions!

‘You can’t live with honor after touching Miss Lumiere.’