Chapter 13: A Villainess Fantasy Simulation? (4)
What the… how does he know that? I quickly turned my head in that direction, but it was pitch black. Nothing. Either I have night blindness or this kid has owl vision. Judging from the fact that he works in the garden at night, it’s probably the latter.
In any case, I should at least thank him.
“Huh? Thanks…”
But when I turned back, the boy was gone.
Fast too. No sign of his lantern. He must have already made it past the hedge. I considered wandering along the wall to try and spot him again, maybe to thank him properly, but I gave up on that quickly. What if I forgot the direction he pointed out?
Come to think of it, maybe he really was a rose fairy and just vanished into thin air. The thought of actual ‘fantasy’ in this romance fantasy world made my heart flutter. I grabbed my lantern and headed quickly in the direction he indicated. The kitchen? Forget it. I’ll go in the morning. It won’t kill me to sleep hungry for a night.
“…”
And then my sense of direction completely failed me again.
I stood dumbfounded before a massive iron gate and high wall at the far edge of the garden.
This is the exit. I went the wrong way entirely. No doubt about it now. I’m night-blind and directionally challenged. The realization of yet another flaw in this body briefly shocked me, but I bounced back.
This is a special case. If I were rich, I wouldn’t have to navigate the dark, I’d be relaxing comfortably at home.
But still, how do I get back to the mansion? This garden is massive; even walking in a straight line could take over fifteen minutes. And with all the hedge paths winding like a maze, it might take even longer.
“Looks like I’m… camping out tonight.”
I solemnly prepared myself for the possibility.
Just then, a voice came to the rescue.
“Rose?”
“Huh? Lord Moore?”
It was my fiancé’s voice. I looked around in surprise but couldn’t see anyone. What the…?
“Up here.”
“Gah!”
I looked up to see a dark silhouette waving from atop the wall near the main gate. The figure then lightly jumped down and landed gracefully.
If this were a sports competition, I’d already be holding up a ten-point scorecard.
I mean, I’m happy to see him and all, but what is he doing here, climbing over walls in the middle of the night? And I didn’t even notice when he left.
“Were you taking a walk through the garden tonight, Rose?”
“Oh, I just… happened to get lost. But what about you, Lord Moore?”
“Hmm.”
He hesitated for a moment, then walked toward me. As he got closer, the light from my lantern revealed his face. When he was right in front of me, I could see a bright, unmistakable smile on his lips. It reminded me of the first time we met.
Wow. His face literally shines brighter than the lantern. A miracle.
“I stepped out briefly to bring you this.”
Without warning, he held out a wrapped paper box. I instinctively took it, and the scent that wafted from inside hit me like lightning.
This… This is beef!
“I felt bad that I hadn’t prepared a proper dinner for you. …You seemed disappointed.”
“Wow.”
I swear, I wouldn’t be surprised if laser beams were shooting out of my eyes right now. I nodded vigorously, aware of the awe sparkling in my gaze.
“To be honest, I was actually on my way to the kitchen when I got lost.”
“…In search of food?”
“Well, also to check for signs of poison… secondary objective, of course.”
“A secondary objective… I see.”
“Yep.”
Maybe I was too hungry or the smell was too intoxicating, but words were tumbling out of my mouth. Whatever. I was just grateful to receive this. It’s not like this would lower my likability, right?
“Anyway, thank you so much. Let’s eat together!”
That last part was a token gesture of politeness. Okay, maybe it wasn’t entirely selfless, I didn’t want to eat late-night snacks alone. But I swear, it was at least 60% conscience.
He didn’t answer right away. Maybe he avoids late-night meals to maintain that beauty. I mean, to go out and buy food at this hour for someone else, knowing he won’t eat it himself… Could this be a subtle ‘true love’ flag?
God, beef and a handsome man… how could I not gush?
“…Very well.”
“Oh!”
“It’s already quite late, and navigating the garden in the dark to find your way back to the mansion could be dangerous.”
Sir, weren’t you literally doing that yourself just now, vaulting over the wall?
“If you don’t mind, my carriage is just outside. I could take you into town to find a suitable inn. We’ll contact the estate in the morning.”
Wait, is this flirting? Is this a flirtation event?
No, stay calm. Even if it is, sometimes saying ‘yes’ leads to a bad ending.
Realistically, we haven’t built up enough emotional rapport for something romantic to happen between us, not yet. If I really did get transported into a romance strategy game, then a spontaneous late-night getaway and inn-sleepover isn’t something that happens this early. Not unless we’ve already built up a whole storyline.
In fact, this could be setting up for a conflict or misunderstanding. That’s also a common trope.
Of course, those kinds of ‘angsty’ developments can deepen the bond later on. It’s predictable enough.
But I hate angst. I want pure, fizzy romance only.
So I’ve made my choice!
“I’ve got my lantern so it shouldn’t take too long if we walk carefully. We can eat this in the parlor. Besides, I have something I need to do early in the morning anyway, so I’ll have to be back at the mansion.”
And maybe, just maybe, I’ll suggest exploring the mansion together at dawn to move the relationship forward…
That was my plan. But then, his smile vanished.
Excuse me, sir, your poker face is impressive, but this is not the time for it!
“…Understood. Let’s go with that, then.”
Wait. Was that actually the ‘correct’ option? He sounded just a bit… cold. As he turned toward the garden, I followed and asked:
“Are you upset?”
“No.”
“Angry?”
“Not at all.”
“You’re sulking, aren’t you?”
“Sulk…”
He stopped and turned to look at me. Bullseye.
“I’m not feeling any such thing.”
“Riiight. Got it.”
Totally sulking. He’s 100% sulking. I tried my best to hold back the grin creeping across my face. Even though I’d chosen the ‘wrong’ option, I was oddly delighted. For the first time, it felt like we were having a relaxed, genuine conversation. Like we were really starting to grow closer.
Alright. Then how about I turn the tables and ask him out on a date?
“Um, I was thinking of walking around the estate early tomorrow morning. Would you like to join me?”
“…For what reason?”
“As you know, there are still parts of the mansion I don’t remember well. I thought this would be a good chance to check where everything is. And since I might attract attention during the day, I figured early morning would be better.”
“…”
My fiancé covered his face with one hand and remained silent. That’s definitely him feeling too embarrassed to say yes right away. I get it, I get it. Sure enough, when he lowered his hand, a soft, faint smile had appeared on his face.
“Very well. Thank you for inviting me. I’ll help you check everything thoroughly, so you don’t miss a thing.”
“Wow, thank you!”
“It’s only natural as your fiancé.”
The polite, formal demeanor that had dipped slightly just surged back up again, but that’s fine.
Based on years of vicarious experience, I know that once enough affection points have been built up, these events will eventually bring out his unguarded side again.
Until then, I’ll enjoy this gallant, well-mannered historical drama male lead. Either version of him is absolutely delicious. Ha ha ha!
After that, I followed silently behind my fiancé as he strode through the garden, and surprisingly, we reached the mansion entrance in no time. I mean, is he some kind of human GPS? How is he navigating so well in the middle of the night?
We carefully opened the main doors and slipped inside, crossing the quiet mansion to sneak into the sitting room just as I had planned. While my fiancé turned on the lights, I quickly placed the paper box I’d been carrying onto the table. Once I confirmed he was walking over, I opened it.
Even though it had probably cooled down and gone lukewarm, a delicious aroma immediately hit my nose.
“Whoa.”
