IHIMML Chapter 61

 

“Yeah.”

At the unwavering answer, Liazell was neither flustered nor surprised.

Liazell, who was already convinced, nodded her head.

“I thought so.”

“Did it show?”

“Yeah. Were you hiding it?”

“No. I made it obvious on purpose.”

Liazell narrowed her eyes and looked at Kaien.

“Philome seems very concerned.”

“I want her to be concerned.”

“Why? Did Philome reject you?”

Kaien recalled what Philome had said in response to his confession.

If it were to be judged as a rejection or acceptance, it was indeed closer to a rejection. However, as long as there was no definite rejection, he firmly believed it was still on hold, so Kaien shook his head.

“No, she didn’t reject me.”

“Then she’s thinking about it?”

“That’s one way to put it.”

With that ambiguous answer, Liazell fell into deep thought.

She had sensed something unusual between the two for a few days now. Kaien acted like someone who was pursuing a romantic interest, while Philome busied herself pretending not to notice.

“But you know,”

Liazell suddenly recalled something she had read in a book.

“Isn’t it supposed to be that people who love each other get married? You and Philome are in a relationship where marriage is possible.”

Kaien suddenly remembered that Liazell was a pure 10-year-old who had spent half her life in the forest.

Knowing he couldn’t say, “Not all marriages in this world are bound by love,” while looking into Liazell’s eyes, Kaien quickly thought of a response.

“…Philome and I are in the engagement stage, so if we fall in love, we plan to get married.”

“Then Uncle needs to work hard. You already love Philome, but she doesn’t feel the same way.”

Kaien was at a loss for words at the child’s blunt remark.

“…I thought there was only one person I couldn’t win an argument against, but it turns out there are two.”

Both were formidable opponents he couldn’t defeat.

As he faced unexpected defeats in this area, Kaien could only bitterly taste the situation.

Then he turned to Liazell.

“Liazell, do you like Philome?”

“Yeah.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Liazell nodded.

“Why do you like Philome? Is it just because she took away your pain?”

At that question, Liazell pondered for a moment before responding.

“At first, yes…”

Liazell was grateful and fond of Philome for alleviating her long suffering. However, at the beginning, her gratitude far outweighed her feelings of affection.

She was also afraid of getting hurt again, so she intentionally clung to or hugged Philome more.

Every time that happened, Philome would gently stroke Liazell’s head, trying to calm her while Kaien watched.

At some point, Liazell began to enjoy that touch.

It felt kind, warm, and gave her a sense of stability.

“But as time went on, I started to like Philome more and more. The fact that she took away my pain has become just an additional factor.”

Philome was quite a unique person.

Among the few people Liazell had met so far, Kaien had been the most unusual, but Philome surpassed him in uniqueness.

“Uncle, you don’t like Philome just because she’s a suitable match, right?”

“Right.”

Kaien nodded.

“It’s the same thing. I don’t think you can like someone for just one reason. But why are you asking this?”

“Just curious.”

“Then why do you love Philome?”

At Liazell’s question, Kaien thought for the first time about why he loved Philome.

He had never felt romantic feelings for anyone before. He had never liked or loved someone.

It wasn’t that he had a particular fantasy about love, nor did he not believe in it.

He simply had no interest.

He believed that if there was a true connection, they would meet someday, so he didn’t feel the need to seek it out or wait for it. This was why Kaien hadn’t shown much interest in romance, even when Sebastian and Madonna were fidgeting.

In a way, Kaien believed in fate.

As he shared these thoughts, Liazell made a single remark.

“Uncle, you’re surprisingly romantic, aren’t you?”

If he had heard that about himself a few months before meeting Philome, he would have scoffed.

But now, having met Philome, Kaien couldn’t refute her words and let out a hollow laugh.

“Yeah, I guess I am romantic.”

Liazell glanced at Kaien and added,

“But you know…”

At that moment, the curtain of the changing room Philome had entered was drawn back.

It was a dress of the same design as Liazell’s, but with a different length. The green accents matched Philome’s eyes perfectly.

“I think Philome likes you too.”

Liazell turned her head away as she watched Kaien, unable to take his eyes off Philome.

Then, seeing Philome with a bright smile, she waved her hand.

“So, uncle, try a little harder.”

 

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

 

Philome stood before them.

“Are you okay? Does it look good?”

“You look so pretty, Philome!”

Liazell bounced over to Philome like a rabbit, her eyes wide with excitement. She then alternated her gaze between her own dress and Philome.

“This…”

“Right. It’s the same design.”

Liazell’s white cheeks flushed bright red.

“To think we’re wearing the same clothes… I love it!”

Liazell grabbed Philome’s hand and stood in front of Kaien. Kaien was following Philome’s movements with a dazed expression.

“Uncle, what do you think of Philome? Does it suit her?”

Philome answered with an awkward smile.

“Liazell, why are you suddenly asking the Duke that…?”

“She’s pretty.”

It was Kaien’s voice that interrupted Philome.

Kaien continued to gaze intently into Philome’s eyes.

“She’s very pretty.”

“……”

Suddenly, Kaien’s words came to her mind.

Sometimes, short and bold words are more sincere than lengthy ones.

So, what Kaien said must be words filled with his sincerity. Words without a trace of falsehood.

“She’s pretty.”

Kaien continued to repeat the same words, staring blankly at Philome. Philome fluttered her eyelids and barely turned her gaze away.

However, because Kaien’s gaze left such a strong impression, her face felt almost prickly.

Philome forced a smile and waved her hand.

“Who’s saying it’s a lie? I get it, so stop saying it. Let’s go quickly. Liazell must be hungry.”

Philome took Liazell’s hand.

They had planned to go shopping and eat, so they left the Beauté Salon and headed straight for the restaurant.

The restaurant, with its vintage atmosphere, was the most famous in the capital, requiring at least a six-month wait for reservations. Although it was quite pricey, the restaurant successfully established itself by only accepting a small number of reservations, enhancing its exclusivity.

But above all, it was well-known for its delicious food, so many were willing to wait six months to dine there.

Even Philome, who had no interest in such things, had heard of it.

However, surprisingly, the famous restaurant was almost empty.

Despite accepting only a few customers, the spacious interior was filled with staff waiting for them.

“Do you have a reservation?”

Kaien nodded as he personally took Philome’s outerwear and handed it to the staff.

Yeah.”

Liazell sat down in the chair Kaien pulled out for her.

As always, Philome sat between the two of them.

“It’s better to be quiet than noisy.”

Philome shook her head as she tried to gauge how much it would cost to rent out the entire place.

After all, the Duchy of Wintbell’s assets could easily afford such luxury.

“Did you know there’s a saying that’s been around for a long time? Even if the Wintbell Duchy goes bankrupt, it’ll be richer than the royal family.”

Kaien winked.

“You know the financial status of the Wintbell Duchy’s family, right?”

When Philome officially took on the role of hostess, the first thing she received was none other than the financial documents of the Duke Wintbell’s family, which could only be accessed by the Duke and his wife.

At that moment, Philome realized just how deeply wealthy the Wintbell family was.

A conglomerate might go bankrupt but still support three generations, but the Wintbell family could live comfortably on several times that amount.

In the past, Philome might have thought that Kaien renting a famous restaurant was a luxury, but after learning about their assets, she realized it was truly nothing.

After placing their orders, a light appetizer was served.

“Eat a lot, Liazell.”

“Yes!”

“Duke, shall we eat and then go to the square? You mentioned it started a few days ago. I want to see it.”

The “Spirit Image Transformation” project Kaien had mentioned began three days ago. She had already confirmed how it was being carried out, but she still wanted to see it in person.

“The square?”

Liazell’s eyes sparkled as she ate her appetizer.