For Romantic Superpowers - Chapter 24 - Surprisingly Close
#24. Surprisingly Close
“Please have some tea. I’ve prepared herbal tea with calming effects.”
There wasn’t a separate greenhouse. Kevin and Perth decided to sit at one of the tables inside the tent and chat. Since Kevin’s assistant was Lia, Lia had to do the chores, including making tea.
“It’s been a while since I had tea made by Lady Lia.”
“It’s not often I get the chance to make tea.”
“It’s an honor to have that chance twice.”
Was he originally someone who knew how to speak so politely? Perth, who he’d never thought of as anything but blunt, strangely acted familiar with her.
“What kind of herbal tea is this?”
“If you don’t like it, I can bring plain water.”
“Who said I don’t like it?”
Kevin, who had been grumbling, ended up receiving a rebuke from Lia. Giving a rebuke to a superior even in front of a guest. With a displeased expression, Kevin glared at Lia. Despite his glare, she just filled Perth’s cup with more herbal tea.
“Would you mind leaving us alone while we talk?”
“No, she’s involved too, so it’s fine if she stays.”
Lia was also surprised at being called ‘involved.’ It was hard to guess what they were talking about.
“Then we should all discuss together. Sit.”
Kevin gestured to the seat beside him. Since it was a round table, it was also Perth’s seat. Eventually, the three of them sat facing each other. After taking another sip of the herbal tea Lia had made, Perth brought up the topic.
“Mr. Kevin, you’re Lady Lia’s superior.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Can you help Lady Lia?”
Both Lia and Kevin didn’t understand the meaning of Perth’s words, as he was being too direct. Seeing their questioning looks, Perth added another sentence.
“I would like you to be my introduction to Lady Lia.”
Kevin blinked his eyes, not understanding what Perth was saying. It was a completely unfamiliar expression to him. Finally, Lia understood the meaning of what Perth was trying to say.
“Mr. Perth, what nonsense are you talking about? Mr. Kevin is my superior, just as you mentioned.”
“I understand that. But Lady Lia, reconsider the condition you’ve set.”
“The condition I’ve set?”
She slowly recalled what she had said to him. She had indeed asked him to pick someone she would see while passing by or someone in her path. She had even said she didn’t want to meet someone she had to meet outside work hours. By those conditions, Kevin was a perfect fit. He was someone she met during work hours.
“But the first condition…!”
“Lady Lia.”
Perth interrupted Lia’s rebuttal. His gaze, unlike when they exchanged greetings, was now professional.
“In my opinion, you two seem to get along well enough. In this palace, is there another man who fits the conditions as well as Mr. Kevin does? Especially regarding the first condition.”
“No, that’s just being humane!”
She recently realized that Kevin has a pretty sweet side. The time they spent together had become more comfortable. However, he was undeniably her superior. It didn’t make any sense for her superior to be her introduction partner. Furthermore, Kevin was unaware of the deal between Perth and the Count. Lia didn’t want to inform him either, fearing she might hear some mockery about how noblewomen were different. She had finally begun to gain some acknowledgment as a subordinate and didn’t want to endure Kevin’s torment again.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about as the person involved.”
Kevin interjected between the two who were deep in conversation. He alternated his gaze between Lia and Perth, completely clueless. Lia gave Perth a look that told him not to speak, but he merely shrugged.
“Before Lady Lia entered the palace, Count Penelope and I made a deal. We agreed to introduce a single unmarried man to Lady Lia each month.”
“Is this… like matchmaking, Mr. Aide?”
“Well, if you put it that way, yes. It doesn’t sound very elegant, though.”
It wasn’t a matter of elegance. Kevin couldn’t comprehend the noble’s way of thinking as a commoner. Lia observed Kevin’s reaction with a mixture of red and blue. It seemed she was concerned about his prejudice against the nobility. However, thanks to Lia, many of his prejudices about noblewomen, especially Lia, had been shattered. There were often when he didn’t even consider Lia a noblewoman.
“It’s not difficult. If you agree to be an introduction candidate, you just need to spend some time with Lady Lia for a month.”
“Could you please discuss such matters with me beforehand?”
Lia leaned towards Perth and whispered. However, Perth pretended not to hear and just adjusted his glasses. Kevin looked at the two for a moment and then spoke after some thought.
“Well, it’s not that difficult.”
“Mr. Kevin!”
She expected a refusal, of course. She didn’t think she would be liked much, and she thought he would just laugh off such ridiculous things. But for some reason, he accepted it lightly.
“We see each other every day anyway, right? What’s the harm in meeting a bit more?”
Perhaps it was his mood, but Kevin emphasized “every day.” His shrug was also peculiar.
“How can you accept this so easily without knowing the intention behind it?”
“It’s not a bad opportunity. If things go well, I could even become a son-in-law to the Count. Then I’d be on the fast track to success.”
At the mention of “fast track to success,” Lia frowned. She disliked using her background as a nobleman’s daughter and her father for such purposes.
“You have no interest in success.”
He laughed loudly, as if in good spirits. That was true. When he was in the Order of Knights, proving his abilities was important to him. He wanted to succeed and had ambitions.
But now, he wasn’t interested in such things. He preferred being immersed in research every day, away from politics and everything else. It was somewhat amusing, even comforting, that Lia, whom he had only recently met, seemed to understand him well.
So, people like Perth in front of him were less desirable. He was someone entrenched in the political circles under Prince Alfonse. Despite looking like he’d only handle paperwork as an aide, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that all sorts of manipulations originated from this person’s mind.
He found it suspicious that he entrusted an amateur who knew nothing about the Miracle of the Desert, which the greenhouse staff were all engaged in researching. He couldn’t fathom what was going through this person’s mind. But one thing was certain: he was trying to politically exploit Lia.
“Are you sure about this?”
Perth’s expression asking that didn’t seem pleased at all. It was his own suggestion after all. Kevin quickly caught onto Perth’s expression. Despite proposing himself, there was something he wasn’t openly endorsing.
“It’s not going to be free.”
“Unfair deals are unacceptable.”
“If you’re in a position like Mr. Perth, it’s a simple condition.”
“Please, go on.”
“I’d like to exclude interference from the prince’s palace regarding the greenhouse.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means, in the future, when selecting new members, we’ll follow the procedures within the greenhouse.”
It meant they wouldn’t accept anyone sent from outside the palace anymore. Lia realized once again that she was selected not for her abilities but because of her background, and her face flushed. Kevin might have harbored resentment towards her from the beginning.
“Understood. We didn’t have any intention of actively intervening in the greenhouse anyway. Would it be better for Lady Lia to move to the prince’s palace?”
“No, Lia is fine. She’s doing half the work if not all of it.”
Lia was unhappy with Kevin’s comment that she wasn’t doing her part, but she was relieved to hear that he wasn’t pushing her away. It was typical of Kevin to be verbally abrasive whenever he could and then to be cryptically complimentary at times like this.
There was something that bothered Perth though. It was the casual way Kevin referred to Lia, just as ‘Lia.’ No matter the relationship between superiors and subordinates, addressing someone so informally was odd. Perth’s eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.
Kevin noticed that moment. Despite being friends or so they claimed, this wasn’t child’s play. He knew very well that Lia had been upset recently because of that. Kevin felt uneasy as if Perth was toying with Lia.
“Now what should we do from now on? Should we finish work right away and meet separately?”
“You don’t need to allocate too much time. Just focus on your work during business hours, and you’ll just have a meal together once a week for a short while. I’ll also join you.”
“If it’s about matchmaking, wouldn’t it be better for us to eat separately as two individuals? We’re not strangers after all.”
“No, it’s not. I need to report to the Count.”
There was a subtle tension between them. Lia looked back and forth between the two before placing the tea kettle she had been holding down with a clatter.
“Aren’t you both forgetting something?”
Both of them turned to Lia simultaneously. They seemed clueless about what was going on. They were both so clueless! Lia inwardly sighed.
“You proceeded with the conversation without even asking for my opinion?”
“Oh.”
“I’m sorry, Lady Lia.”
Perth quickly apologized. He was even faster, given his previous record of losing credibility. He couldn’t afford to mess up any further here. He thought he was acting for Lia’s benefit, but again, he had rushed ahead due to his mistake. He couldn’t understand why he made such frequent mistakes when it came to her affairs.
“Of course, even though my father entrusted you with the selection, you should have asked for my opinion before proceeding with the matter. After all, I’m the party involved, aren’t I?”
“Yes, I’ll do that from now on.”
Seeing Perth flustered in front of him, Kevin couldn’t help but laugh. If this person showed emotions other than disdain and indifference, everyone would surely be shocked.
“Mr. Kevin, didn’t you think about how I feel before agreeing?”
“What are you implying?”
“This is a personal matter. While I appreciate your willingness to sacrifice for me as my superior, how could you assume I needed your help?”
“So, you’re saying you don’t want me?”
Why does he have to phrase it like that again? It felt awkward to outright say she didn’t want him, yet it wasn’t exactly an enthusiastic yes either. Lia pursed her lips in silence. Kevin shrugged and summed up the conversation.
“So, it’s settled then.”
“Is it really that simple?”
“Well then, I’ll leave it to you. For the next month.”
As they concluded their conversation, Kevin extended his hand for a handshake. Lia hesitated as she looked at his hand. Perth’s conditions were acceptable, and with Kevin, there was no need for pretense like with Prince Alfonse before. However, the situation was a bit complicated. After hesitating for a moment, she finally took his hand.
“I’ll leave it to you.”