“No, it’s not. That was someone else…”
Instantly, the somewhat fierce aura around Lakis softened a little.
“Then how did you get to know Kalian Crawford?”
There was no reason for Yuri to answer but somehow, she wanted to tell him everything right now.
“He disrupted my work.”
Immediately, Lakis paused.
“Your work?”
“I didn’t need any help, but he butt in so…”
Yuri continued, her tone almost grumbling. Although she could fully handle it by herself, Kalian Crawford suddenly stepped in and gave her unnecessary help. So she didn’t like it.
In a way, she seemed like she was complaining a little. Lakis was quietly listening to what she said, then soon opened his mouth.
“So you have nothing to do with that guy.”
“Of course…ng….Wait, Mr. Lakis…”
At last, Yuri gave a pleading whisper like she couldn’t bear it anymore. She tried to pull her arms back but Lakis did not let go. It had reached the point where her whole body was tingling. As she almost lay on the table, Yuri’s face grew red hot. The rims of her eyes were also red.
Lakis felt heat rising in his body.
“I guess you don’t like Kalian Crawford because he interrupted your work.”
Yuri blinked.
Of course, she didn’t really like the guy but…
However, the moment Lakis tapped their foreheads together and looked deep into her eyes, Yuri’s mind went blank.
“Right? You don’t like that guy.”
Lakis urged, almost entreating her to answer. Yuri simply gave him the answer he wanted.
“Yes.”
At that, Lakis’ lips curved in a wide smile that made even Yuri stop breathing for a moment.
“Good.”
His mild whisper flowed meltingly into her ear. The next moment, Lakis’ feverish lips pressed against Yuri’s forehead. Yuri didn’t understand what just happened and stared at him blankly.
“Thanks for answering me.”
The eyes facing her were as sweet as the voice flowing into her ears. The lips that covered hers soon after were also just as sweet.
For a moment, she felt like she had been deceived.
But as Lakis meshed their lips deeper, Yuri eventually melted in his arms.
* * *
Yuri chewed over what happened yesterday.
‘Like I thought, I was deceived.’
There were deep furrows on her forehead.
As soon as she got home, he grabbed her hand and locked her in a beauty trap. And for some reason, she felt like she wanted to tell Lakis everything yesterday.
‘When I hold his hand, it feels like my emotions return…so is that why the beauty trap is very effective on me? Or maybe Lakis has another ability that captivates people…’
There was the saying ‘the sleeper’s net catches fish’.[1] Indeed, Yuri’s thought was correct. However, Lakis didn’t use the power of the ruins on Yuri yesterday. So although Yuri didn’t want to admit it, yesterdays’ incident was really just her falling for Lakis’ beauty trap.
“Tsk, why are the streets of this neighborhood so narrow!”
Then suddenly, Yuri heard a loud voice outside the store.
“That’s why I said you don’t have to come here personally.”
“Enough, you rascal! We don’t speak the same language, what do you think will happen if I don’t come myself?! Just get in and get out!” [2]
“Do you really have to be like this? She seems like a nice young lady, why don’t you just accept it this time…”
“You conscienceless bastard! She’s a nice kid so the more reason not to keep her! Ah, hurry up and get inside!”
It was some old man and a middle-aged man. Somehow, from their appearance and atmosphere, they seemed like a master and his butler, or the president and secretary of a large corporation.
Even after the middle-aged butler-like man entered the clinic reluctantly, the old man remained standing upright on his cane. On top of having a great presence, his posture was also very good so at a glance, he didn’t seem the slightest bit uncomfortable. But anyone with good eyesight could tell that the hand on his cane was trembling slightly. Then again, since he was a very old man, perhaps that was natural.
As someone from a country of courteous people, Yuri knew how to respect her elders.[3] So she approached the old man to offer him an empty seat in the coffeehouse across the street while he waited. However, the old man quickly noticed Yuri approach. So before Yuri could draw close enough to speak, the old man noticed her first.
For some reason, the moment their eyes met, the old man’s mouth fell open. When she saw his trembling eyes, Yuri paused. That very moment, the old man’s cane dropped to the floor and he cried out.
“Se…Selena!”
The random name made Yuri frown a little.
“Selena, my child!”
Eventually, the old man wobbled and he began to approach Yuri. Even as he did so, he cried bitterly again.
“My dear, it’s your father!”
I don’t have a father like you though…
“Uh…this Selena person…”
“My child, you don’t recognize me?!”
While Yuri wondered what the heck this situation could be called, she unconsciously supported the old man.
Right then, Anne-Marie rushed out of the clinic for some reason and upon seeing this scene, her eyes went wide. From the way she covered her mouth in surprise, she looked like she was about to believe the old man’s words right away.
“Gasp, Young Miss Selena?!”
The middle-aged man who entered the clinic earlier also came out after Anne-Marie and looked astonished to see Yuri.
“My child!”
“Young Miss Selena!”
“Ms. Yuri!”
Faced with this chaotic onslaught, Yuri couldn’t help but frown.
Part 12: Who set up this flag?[4]
–
“I’m sorry for what happened earlier. You look a lot like how our young miss Selena used to be…”
The butler-like man who was also surprised to see me earlier, apologized to me.
The old man who accompanied him fainted after holding onto me and crying out ‘Selena.’ Anne-Marie and the middle-aged man who also called me ‘Selena’ were shocked and quickly moved him into the clinic. I impulsively helped them as well and went into the clinic. That said, I was glad it happened in front of the clinic because we could take proper measures right away.
Like I expected, the old man was a noble because not long after, someone called the chief physician and other attendants filed into the clinic.
After the physician examined the condition of the old man lying the ward and declared him to be okay, the attendants began to carefully move the still unconscious old man. Apparently, he wouldn’t be staying in the clinic anymore, they would be taking him back.
“Our eldest master isn’t very healthy these days. He already had a chronic illness but after losing his youngest daughter, his mind grew ill…”
And while they were moving the old man to the carriage, the middle-aged man approached me, apologized and briefly explained the situation.
“And it seems he was very surprised to see someone who resembled our late miss a lot.”
“I see. I hope he gets well soon.”
“I also have to apologize for my rudeness earlier; I didn’t have time to think.”
“No, it’s fine. It could happen.”
He apologized politely again then he followed the old man into the carriage. The people of Ferret in the area blankly stared as the dazzling carriages that were lined up in front of the clinic began to move into the distance.
“Ms. Yuri!”
At that moment, Anne-Marie ran out of the clinic, calling my name. From how hard she was breathing, I could tell she had run over in a hurry.
“Did the butler leave?”
And when I heard what she said, I was a little surprised.
‘Oh? He was an actual butler?’
I thought the man looked like a butler but to think he was actually one. That said, like I thought, Anne-Marie seemed to already know the middle-aged man and the grandfather that just left the clinic.
“Yes, they just left.”
“Ms. Yuri, um, that Sir from earlier, could he be…I mean, Ms. Yuri’s…”
Anne-Marie stammered a little as she asked. After that scene earlier, I could easily guess what she was imagining. I didn’t want her to misunderstand anymore so I spoke firmly:
“He mistook me for his late daughter for a moment because I resemble her.”
“Oh, so it’s really not a lost family or something situation?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, okay…”
Anne-Marie looked a little disappointed for some reason. Was she expecting a dramatic family reunion? But that didn’t mean I’d get some birth secret that didn’t exist.
“How does Ms. Anne-Marie know them?”
I also asked Anne Marie what I was curious about.
“Ah, that…I think I’ll be working as a caretaker for that grandpa you saw a while ago.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, that’s why I’ve seen them a couple of times. It’s not confirmed yet.”
So that’s what it is.
If she was doing separate work as a personal caretaker, was it similar to something like a business trip?
I wasn’t really familiar with this field of work, so I just nodded my head.
Translator’s Corner:
[1] An expression used to describe a situation where you get something by slim chance or pure luck. In this case, Yuri’s wild guess was correct.
[2] We don’t speak the same language: I think this is self-explanatory but just in case; he is saying they think differently.
[3] The meaning of this disappears in translation. South Korea tends to be called [a country of courteous/polite people] so that’s what this refers to.
[4] If you’re not savvy with anime/manga lingo, this is basically when an event is created or triggered in a storyline. You can google ‘anime flags’ or ‘dating sim flags’ for more information.
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