For Romantic Superpowers - Chapter 23 - His Sincerity

#23. His Sincerity

It is said that the feeling when using one’s ability varies from person to person. Perth’s ability required concentration. The moment his hand touched her forehead, Perth’s ability manifested automatically. Even without intentionally trying to see, her memories flowed in on their own. 

The moment his ability was manifested, it felt like sinking into deep water. As the feeling of sinking deeper intensified, the vision was automatically blocked. And the memories were transmitted vividly as if experienced firsthand. 

Finding the desired answer from the start was not possible. The first memory that appeared was either the most intense recent memory of the other person, or the memory they had been thinking about. Lia’s memory began from the yard. It was natural since she had just been with the yard until now.

– I can’t understand.

She was looking at the two people sitting and having a meal. She hadn’t noticed the part where he was only paying attention to approaching her from the yard. Her mind was greatly shaken. Following her gaze, a white flower that had just bloomed briefly caught her eye.

Perth’s heart was also shaken as he looked at that flower. His guard against her had loosened a bit. It was a flower that meant something not only to Lia but also to Perth. She seemed to be reminiscing about the time when she got along with Perth without any reservations.

To act as if she hated it so much, yet secretly longing to go back to that time. Perth indeed found it difficult to understand Lia. It seemed that understanding her would require looking at different memories.

After being immersed once, it was easy to see other memories. They kept coming relentlessly even if he tried to resist. Eventually, he found himself recalling her memories over the past few days in order. She quietly shed tears every night. Every day was a struggle.

After forcibly turning away Perth’s apology, she always looked back at least once after he left. It was May who embraced the pale-faced Lia. He already knew that the rookie was close to Lia. But he didn’t expect them to be this close. She was genuinely worried about Lia.

– Why are you crying so much? Do you even like that jerk Mr. Perth?

May’s words stung a little. But there’s a proper way to curse someone who’s not there in the first place. He decided to overlook it with a big heart. What she brought up was more interesting than that anyway.

– It’s not like that, though.

She replied without hesitation. The answer Alfonse wanted to know was ‘no’. He had expected that, but he felt a sense of disappointment in the unknown. 

– But Mr. Perth was the one who let me into the palace and helped me in many ways. I sincerely thought we had become friends.

– You didn’t even know what a friend was to that person? How could you be friends then?

– It seems like it was just my one-sided thinking. From the beginning, I was just a business deal to him.

Once again, he couldn’t understand her words. From the beginning, their relationship was built on transactions. Even becoming friends seemed like a rational part of the deal. But now, is she saying the deal went wrong?

– Still, I believed. I became sincerely close to him. It was something he should report to Prince Alfonse, but as we asked and answered mundane questions, we got to know each other well. Since we spent time together every day. When things got tough, we thought of solutions together, and sometimes he listened to my complaints.

– To that person, it was all just calculations. Just hearing about it makes me mad.

– But he comes to apologize every day. Can I trust him once more?

– A person who apologizes without knowing the reason? You know that too. He truly doesn’t know. Your feelings, your emotions. He’s clueless.

Listening to May’s words was unpleasant throughout. But she wasn’t speaking falsehoods. Surprisingly, her subordinate understood her accurately. Every time Lia wavered, it was May who held her back. 

Then, what does Lia want? Even that which he cannot understand. What is it, exactly? Perth wanted only the answer to that question. Viewing more memories would be disrespectful to Lia.

However, he couldn’t view only the desired information. Perth had to see the time Lia spent with Kevin as well. He had to see that she was with Kevin when he wasn’t around, and how they were getting closer.

In the chaotic unfolding of memories, snippets of himself appeared sporadically. It seemed that Lia occasionally pondered her thoughts. And he could vaguely sense her heart as she looked at her past self.

– Please be my friend.

– It hasn’t been long since I lived in the palace, but still, having a friend would put my mind at ease. You’re good at listening to stories, and it’s fun to be around you.

A peculiar person. That was Perth’s impression after hearing Lia’s story for the first time. Unlike other noble ladies, she didn’t act difficult and was very friendly. Especially, her idea of becoming close to him was unique. People usually referred to him as a machine or cold-blooded and kept their distance. He wasn’t unaware of people cursing him. 

But why? He wanted to hold the hand she offered. He hid his true feelings beneath white gloves, yet she didn’t seem to care. No, she seemed to expect it. When talking to her, he realized she was different from his usual self. It was an unfamiliar appearance. It felt like becoming someone else. So, without realizing it, he hid behind the word “deal.” He convinced himself it wasn’t genuine.

– What about Mr. Perth? What do you think of him?

– Well, he’s nicer than I expected. A good friend, perhaps?

No one has ever described him with the word “good” before. At least not among those he had directly held hands with to confirm their sincerity. No one. It was only then that he realized why Lia was angry. She had believed from the beginning that he was genuinely a good person, but in the end, he had shattered her faith, which she had painstakingly built up.

Approaching her from the beginning to deceive her. With a purpose in mind. Thinking about the tears she shed made his heartache. He wasn’t sure what this emotion was. But one thing was certain. The time he spent with Lia wasn’t bad at all. Although it was a short time, only after feeling Lia’s emotions did he realize that.

His vision was becoming blurry again. He heard Lia’s voice calling him. To organize what he wanted to say besides what he had seen and heard, he needed time. He saw her trembling before him. Quickly, he concocted an excuse to be with her.

“Oh, sorry. There’s still no fever.”

Now, it was Perth’s turn to convey his sincerity.

* * *

For a while, Lia had been preoccupied and hadn’t properly taken care of the Miracle of the Desert. Reflecting on this, she decided to dedicate her afternoon work hours to researching the Miracle of the Desert. It was partly because Kevin had called her into his tent again and even prevented her from tidying up the desk. Although he worked well alone, he seemed to be a hassle when it came to delegating tasks to his subordinates. A senior colleague had subtly advised her that only those who were good at handling themselves would survive under such supervision. 

Lia sorted out Kevin’s research materials on her own. Whenever Kevin needed something, he would rummage through his entire desk, muttering, ‘Where was it?’ He should have asked her to do it a long time ago rather than asking to clear the desk. While grumbling to herself, Lia classified the materials she received to make them easily accessible for him.

“Thanks to me, things are much faster, aren’t they?”

“I was going to ask you once you got used to the work.”

“It’s been three months. If you wait three months, will you ask then?”

When Kevin first referred to her as a “three-month-old,” it was a mocking remark. Kevin, feeling awkward, thrust the research material in front of her.

“Sort this out too.”

“I’m already doing it.”

In any case, she managed to shut Kevin up like this. Who would have thought that a noblewoman like her could be so good at sarcasm? She was excellent even as an assistant without needing much instruction. Thanks to her, she deviated from her original plan to rotate between various departments and became his assistant ahead of schedule. The greenhouse staff seemed to secretly like her for handling the difficult Kevin. 

“Are you taking good care of the Miracle of the Desert?”

“I’m giving it water occasionally, but it’s hard to say it’s in good condition. It’s not exactly thriving, but it’s not easy to say it’s in a bad state either.”

It seemed like watering once a month was the right answer. Although there were signs of overwatering, things improved when the water dried up a bit. However, it was only an improvement to a certain extent; it was difficult to say it had become healthier. Once the tips of the leaves started drying up, it was over. She felt anxious, wanting to come up with a solution quickly, but nothing came to mind. She even thought about going back to the library after work.

“If we go to the desert, we might be able to understand it more accurately.”

“The element of water is indeed the most significant factor in plant growth. But think about it carefully. The plants we’re dealing with grow in arid environments without water. So, shouldn’t we consider factors other than water?”

Kevin advised quietly. It wasn’t an exact answer, but to Lia, who had only ever worried about the amount of water like the previous researchers, it was like a ray of hope. Finally, Lia found the courage to try other conditions. Until now, she had been passively observing, worrying about what would happen if the root she was in charge of died. Now was the time to take action.

“Thank you, Mr. Kevin.”

“It’s nothing. This is just common sense.”

He said curtly, but Kevin’s ears turned red. Noticing this, Lia started teasing him.

“Surprisingly, you can say nice things too?”

Hehe. Lia deliberately let out a laugh that Kevin disliked. She knew that whenever she laughed like a noblewoman, covering her mouth, Kevin made a disgusted face. Sure enough, as his brow furrowed, satisfied Lia laughed aloud again. It was amusing to see Kevin feeling embarrassed.

“You two seem to get along well.”

Without warning, Perth appeared after opening the tent door. Kevin momentarily put on a more hostile expression upon seeing him. In contrast, Lia smiled brightly.

“Mr. Perth!”

Kevin was surprised by Lia’s attitude. Not long ago, she had been gloomy because of him, but now she was back to her warm demeanor as usual. Something must have happened between them. Lia didn’t say anything, but he was suddenly annoyed.

“What brings you here, Mr. Aide?”

Naturally, his tone became curt. Perth noticed his attitude, but since Kevin was usually like that, he wasn’t flustered. Perth walked into the tent and exchanged nods with Lia. It felt awkward smiling at each other.

“What’s the matter? If you’ve come all the way here personally, it must be a very important matter, even if I don’t know what it is. Please tell me.”