For Romantic Superpowers - Chapter 28 - Unusual Everyday Conversation
#28. Unusual Everyday Conversation
“Charlie!”
Kevin was the first to react to his words. Upon hearing his name called out loudly, Charlie finally snapped out of his reverie. He realized what he had just said.
“Oh, Lia. I’m sorry….”
Charlie apologized immediately, but tears had already welled up in Lia’s eyes. It wasn’t sadness. She was extremely angry. Whenever she was furious, tears would start flowing first.
“How many times have I told you that I don’t want to marry, and how many times have you refused to listen to me?”
“Calm down, Lia. It wasn’t intentional; it was a mistake.”
“Yeah, Lia. Big Brother doesn’t mean it. Your abilities are quite useful.”
The two brothers tried hastily to console Lia, but it was futile. Lia stood up from her seat and turned towards the door. Before opening it, she turned back and said,
“Big brother, I don’t think we’re a good match. You might as well stay with the royal guard for the rest of your life. I’ll never come this way again. Let’s not cross paths anymore.”
It was tantamount to Lia expelling Charlie from her life. Charlie, pale and speechless, stuttered in shock. Rufus nudged him to quickly go after and apologize, but he was too stunned to do anything. Kevin regained his composure first and followed Lia out of Charlie’s study.
“Get that kid to pull herself together and come back to the greenhouse once she’s calmed down.”
“Got it.”
“And be prepared for a punch.”
“…Yes.”
As they opened the door, Lia was already walking far ahead. Fortunately, Kevin’s brisk pace caught up with her quickly. Gone were the tears in her eyes, replaced by a furious expression. Whether she knew he was there or not, she kept cursing Charlie continuously. Other words were barely audible due to her low voice, but one thing was clear:
“Become bald already!”
Upon hearing this, Kevin burst into laughter despite the seriousness of the situation.
“Haha.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“It’s just too funny not to laugh.”
“I’m serious!”
As they walked and chatted, they soon reached the dormitory. Only the lights from the dormitory illuminated the surroundings, as it had been dark for a while since the sun had set.
“Forget about Charlie’s matter.”
“I won’t even bother. Talking about people who don’t contribute to life is pointless.”
“If they talk about your abilities, prove them with your abilities.”
“My abilities? How?”
“Save the Miracle of the Desert you’re currently assigned to. So that the First Prince, the aide, Charlie, the Duke, and even myself recognize it.”
“But my abilities don’t work on the Miracle of the Desert, do they?”
It was Lia’s first weak voice to Kevin. Anyone else would have scolded her, but she’d always been so strong that he listened to her weakness.
“If we research together, it should work. After all, the Miracle of the Desert was something I was researching too.”
“Mr. Kevin.”
“We’ll be working overtime starting tomorrow. Don’t think of it as an introduction for this month; think of it as overtime with me.”
It seemed like Kevin had considered Lia’s dislike for marriage. Thanks to his consideration, expressed in the term “overtime,” Lia managed to muster a faint smile. The night air was chilly, making it hard to stand any longer. But thanks to Kevin in front of her, she felt somewhat warmer.
“Thank you. I’ll work hard during overtime. Please go inside quickly; it’s cold.”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
Although he had told her to go first, Kevin stood there until she disappeared into the dormitory. Quietly murmuring to himself as he gazed at the spot where Lia had vanished.
“If I tell you I’m not kidding… you’re going to run, aren’t you?”
Because of that word, unheard by anyone else, he had trouble falling asleep that night.
* * *
Once he declared his intention to help, Kevin wholeheartedly began assisting her. The first task was deciphering the research data on the Miracle of the Desert that Kevin had handed over. When he read the notes she had complained were hard to understand, it became much easier to grasp the information. As they observed the various symptoms of the Miracle of the Desert, she became troubled.
“How about going to see it in person? It’s much better than peering at papers from a tent.”
Lia nodded in agreement to his suggestion. Although she had looked at it when she had time, she wondered if seeing it with Kevin would reveal something different. Now, they headed towards the Miracle of the Desert along the familiar path. The feeling of sand underfoot had become familiar. Kevin, too, had become accustomed to walking with Lia and naturally adjusted his pace.
“Hello.”
The Miracle of the Desert was being managed separately by the researcher responsible for the desert environment. Besides the root that Lia was responsible for, the other four roots were under the management of that person. When Lia went alone, he didn’t talk about research at all, but when Kevin arrived, he began speaking fluently.
“As you mentioned, I’m planning to water it at monthly intervals. I gave it water last month and haven’t supplied any yet. The condition seems to be moderate to severe.”
The condition of the Miracle of the Desert that Lia was in charge of and the condition of the other four roots were almost identical. It was natural since she hadn’t actively done anything differently so far. Fortunately, unlike the five roots that had withered, there were no problems such as leaves drying up or mold growing on them.
“Keeping a defensive attitude like this might save it. But as the Queen Mother mentioned, it may be difficult to grow it significantly.”
“Should we try changing the conditions?”
“I’ve already tried changing almost all the conditions regarding water, but how much more detail do I need to change…”
“What if we try changing the method of watering?”
The sudden suggestion from Lia caught the attention of both the person in charge and Kevin. She spoke while gently touching her Miracle of the Desert.
“Spraying water through rain is a good method, but when I directly water it, it feels like it’s pooling between the leaves. I’m afraid it might rot if left like this.”
“Then how should we water it?”
“I read in a book that deserts don’t get much rain. So I thought about how to water it besides once a year. But this one has tiny spots near the leaves. Could that be related?”
Lia and the other two leaned in closer to the Miracle of the Desert. Looking back, their faces were close enough to touch. But everyone focused on the plant. As she mentioned, there were tiny white spots near the leaves.
“Could these be used for water absorption?”
“For example?”
“In your research, Mr. Kevin, there are rare plants that live by absorbing water from the air. Could it be something like that?”
Kevin was also familiar with the appearance of that plant. Upon hearing and seeing, it seemed similar. Once they decided to act, trying was the only answer.
“Do we need to keep the air humid?”
“Not like regular rain, but it needs to be sprayed like mist.”
“Mr. Kevin, are you going to act immediately based just on this new suggestion?”
The person in charge standing beside them showed signs of discomfort. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to accept a simple opinion, but he didn’t like the attitude of his boss immediately accepting Lia’s opinion.
“Then let’s try it with just these roots.”
Lia pointed to the Miracle of the Desert she was responsible for. She didn’t want to be misunderstood as only favoring her side because of Kevin’s position. He had just listened to her opinion.
“All right, that should work. You can manage the other four roots however you like. The First Prince said he would reward whoever grows the Miracle of the Desert.”
“Understood.”
They immediately separated the person in charge’s four roots from Lia’s area. The space around the Miracle of the Desert was managed by a space ability user. Thus, even if the environments were different, there would be no impact on each other’s plants.
“How do we spray it like mist?”
“I can do that.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a hazy mist began to emanate around them. Spraying water very finely was a simple task for Kevin’s ability. However, he had to concentrate to use his ability. In an instant, the area around them was filled with moisture.
“Stop!”
At Lia’s command, the movement of the mist ceased. Tiny water droplets slowly fell and settled on the white spots of the Miracle of the Desert. The sight resembled white powder drifting in the air.
“I think it shouldn’t rain too much.”
“Okay. Since it’s your assigned roots, you should water them as much as you want.”
“I’ve never seen mist up close… it’s prettier than I thought.”
“It’s my first time making mist, too.”
Their eyes met. Because of the mist, tiny water droplets clung to Lia’s long eyelashes and scattered across her face like tiny feathers. Kevin found himself thinking, almost involuntarily, that she looked beautiful. As he stared at her blinking eyelashes in embarrassment, his mind went blank.
“This… might be a bit early.”
As he began to speak, Lia turned her head. Once again, their eyes met. When he faced her eyes, glowing with a faint light, Kevin swallowed nervously.
“I…”
“It’s lunchtime.”
Interrupting Kevin’s words, a familiar voice was heard. It was Perth. He even leaned his face between the two. Startled, they reflexively moved away from each other. Kevin, disturbed by the interruption, didn’t feel good.
“The lunch bell hasn’t even rung yet.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the bell rang, announcing mealtime with a ding. Perth chuckled, pointing his finger into the air.
“It rang.”
He doesn’t think he can like this guy for the rest of his life, Kevin thought to himself. However, it was evident that Perth, who was laughing in front of him, had similar thoughts.
“Mr. Perth, what’s going on?”
“I’m here to have lunch together.”
Because both Kevin and Lia, were sitting and observing the Miracle of the Desert, Perth was also in a crouched position. He rested his chin on his elbow, looking at Lia intently. It felt strange to see him acting so considerate towards Lia, who had always seemed indifferent.
“Weren’t you avoiding eating together for a while?”
“I don’t care about rumors anymore. I’ve decided not to bother about them.”
Saying so, Perth stood up and extended his hand while still crouching. Though he was wearing white gloves, it was surprising for Lia that he initiated the contact, considering he disliked it. Feeling a bit flustered, he extended his hand again.
“Aren’t you going to get up?”
“Oh, no. I’ll get up. I should get up.”
Feeling a bit dazed, Lia cautiously reached out her hand. Perth, firmly grasping her hand, pulled her up forcefully.
“Whoa!”