For Romantic Superpowers - Chapter 42 - By Any Means Necessary (2)

#42. By Any Means Necessary (2)

 

“Lia! I’ve never thought like that!”

 

Rufus’s face flushed. Even though she and Charlie didn’t get along, Lia never took her frustrations out on him, so when she was genuinely upset, he was taken aback.

 

“Did you think I wouldn’t know? Both of you have been undermining my abilities.”

 

It was something from Lia’s very young days, walking directly to them to have a meal. Their conversation leaked through the door gap.

 

– Lia wants to go to the palace?

 

– Just childish thoughts. Who would bother using mere plant-growing abilities?

 

– Still, could there be a use somewhere?

 

– Rufus, what about you? Do you think that ability could be useful somewhere?

 

– …Well, it’s not useful in war.

 

To Charlie and Rufus, it was a trivial matter they wouldn’t even remember. They probably didn’t know Lia had overheard them since she left immediately. However, even a young Lia could sense the disrespect towards her abilities. Especially since the two, whom she considered allies, were like that, the sense of betrayal was greater. Even though she never directly told them, those words were always stuck in a corner of Lia’s heart. That’s why she wanted to prove it even more—that her abilities were not useless.

 

“You thought my abilities… were useless in war, didn’t you?”

 

It was Perth, not Lia, who brought up the buried words from deep within.

 

“I’ve heard that a lot too. It’s a common thought. Judging whether it’s useful or not based on one’s own standards. Perhaps being a knight makes you think that way even more.”

 

Rufus felt like his inner thoughts were revealed. He hadn’t openly stated that he didn’t think Lia’s abilities were useful, but he only comforted her as she felt melancholic about not being able to go to the palace.

 

“It seems neither of you has properly seen Lady Lia’s abilities. I thought her abilities were miraculous after witnessing them firsthand. It wasn’t an ability that harmed anyone. I think that’s even more remarkable.”

 

He genuinely felt that way. The moment white flowers bloomed before his eyes was still a vivid scene in Perth’s memory. It was a very small miracle, but whether big or small, a miracle was a miracle. He understood why she so desperately wanted to prove her ability. Her family didn’t acknowledge her abilities from birth, so Perth could fully understand her feelings.

 

“Mr. Perth…”

 

Lia felt tears welling up. Perth had brought up the emotions she had deeply buried. Moreover, he recognized them and embraced them. He was closer to Lia’s heart at that moment than her two brothers in front of her.

 

“Lia.”

 

After a long silence, Charlie spoke first. He realized he hadn’t intended to apologize from the beginning. He had dismissed it as a sibling matter, but seeing Lia genuinely hurt, he realized his mistake.

 

“I’m really sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I’ve indeed been ignoring your abilities all this time. I apologize for all of that.”

 

Charlie bowed deeply, regardless of whether Perth was present or not. Lia’s well-being was more important than his pride. Similarly, Rufus also bowed his head to apologize.

 

“Lia, although it wasn’t intentional, I’m sorry if I hurt you. I’ll be careful not to speak thoughtlessly about your abilities again.”

 

Both of them were sincerely apologizing. Lia didn’t feel good seeing them, who had always been proud and confident, bowing their heads.

 

“Okay. Please raise your heads.”

 

“Lia, are you forgiving us?”

 

“Instead, will you promise not to oppose my decisions or pressure me to marry? Both of you!”

 

“But…”

 

Charlie glanced briefly at Perth. While the reason he apologized to Lia was genuine, he didn’t like him. If Lia asked him to approve of her friendship with Perth, he wanted to oppose it.

 

“Don’t stare at Mr. Perth like that. How many times do I have to say he’s my friend?”

 

But Lia’s strong words made him wonder if he needed to worry.

 

“Lia, are you going to keep going… uh, with this person?”

 

He wanted her to stay with them from now on. Even if Lia claimed not to have any feelings, he wasn’t sure about Perth.

 

“Since I promised Mr. Perth, of course.”

 

“How about all of us going together?”

 

Surprisingly, it was Perth who made the suggestion.

 

“Mr. Perth, are you okay with that?”

 

“I don’t mind. Since we’re here, it might be fun to watch the festival together.”

 

He wore a forced smile when meeting people outside. It was clear he wasn’t particularly happy about it but agreed to accompany them. Lia was puzzled but agreed for now.

 

“Okay then. Let’s stick together for the remaining time, shall we?”

 

* * *

 

It had been a long time since Lia had walked the streets with her brothers since childhood. Consequently, she had forgotten that unlike her, the two were very popular with the opposite sex. Therefore, with Perth joining them, having three men surrounding her like a guard naturally attracted attention.

 

“Lia, what do you want to eat first?”

 

Rufus had always been popular with women. Having experienced many festivals, he naturally guided the group. He didn’t forget to wink at the women who glanced at him as they passed.

 

“Someone comes to mind.”

 

“That’s why I don’t particularly like that person.”

 

“Usually, everyone likes that person just based on their appearance. So, Lady Lia wasn’t one of them. I understand.”

 

Thanks to Rufus, Lia could easily recognize Alfonse’s acting at a glance. Lia, who had known Rufus’ way with women since childhood, could distinguish at least the false smiles he conjured. Charlie didn’t like the idea of the two of them chatting right next to him. So, he deliberately intervened as if he hadn’t noticed their conversation.

 

“Lia, didn’t you like seafood dishes?”

 

“I’m not a big fan of seafood.”

 

“Lady Lia, over there, they sell fruit skewers. Would you like to go?”

 

“Wow, that sounds great!”

 

However, it was difficult to bridge the gap that had existed between them until now. Being family meant they thought they knew a lot about each other, yet there were many things they didn’t know. Lia’s smile she showed to Perth was distinctly different from the smiles she showed her family.

 

“They seem close.”

 

Suddenly, Rufus, who had joined Charlie, murmured. Watching Lia from behind, he thought she had grown a lot. It made him feel oddly sad about her growth, even though he wasn’t her parent.

 

“Seems like it.”

 

It was Charlie grumbling for no reason. Despite accompanying them, he still didn’t like it. It was evident that Perth was overtly displaying their closeness.

 

“I have a feeling there’s something off about that guy.”

 

“What? You think he harbors ill intentions towards Lia?”

 

“Not in that sense. He just… seems shady.”

 

Rufus was discussing something more fundamental. Having met many people, he judged them by instinct. Since most of his instincts were correct, Charlie tended to trust his judgment.

 

“Do you know what his ability is, bro?”

 

“No. It’s not publicly known.”

 

“Then it’s probably a very weak ability or…”

 

“Or it’s mental-based.”

 

Given that he was adept at paperwork, the likelihood of having a weak ability was high. Even though it was rare to be recognized solely for one’s ability, it wasn’t impossible.

 

“He said it’s useless in war. But wouldn’t a mental-based ability be very advantageous in warfare?”

 

Trying to piece together what Perth had said, but Charlie and Rufus weren’t brainwave readers, to begin with, so it was difficult for them to speculate about his ability.

 

“Because everyone is different….”

 

“Big bro! Little bro! Aren’t you coming?”

 

“We’re coming!”

 

From afar, they heard Lia calling out. As Rufus responded loudly, he locked eyes with Perth. He smiled the same way he did a while ago. His lips curved upwards, but his eyes weren’t smiling.

 

“Whatever Lia says, I’m against that guy.”

 

“Me too.”

 

The two of them were in agreement for the first time in a long while.

 

* * *

 

Kevin’s lab was unusually quiet. Outside, the festivity was still lively and noisy. Technically on vacation, he had come to the lab because staying quietly in his room would only bring up useless thoughts. He needed to focus on work to keep from feeling miserable. He didn’t regret telling Charlie and Rufus about the two. After all, they had started the underhandedness first. What bothered him more was not being honest about his feelings on that matter.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

And faster than expected, the tent flap opened. It was someone he had been waiting for. Not exactly a pleasant meeting, though.

 

“You said you were going to watch the festival, but you’re back early?”

 

“Her brothers were worried about Lady Lia, so we had to come back earlier than planned.”

 

“You’ve been through a lot. Go rest, why don’t you?”

 

“You probably already knew I would be here.”

 

Kevin’s hand, which had been sifting through research materials, finally stopped. It was a meaningless action, pretending to be nonchalant.

 

“Would you like some tea?”

 

“I’m fine.”

 

He was someone who didn’t bother with unnecessary formalities. Perth Versier.

 

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

 

Something unfamiliar glinted on his collar. It was a thing that didn’t suit him. A flower-shaped brooch? The odd combination automatically furrowed his brows. He wasn’t someone who would wear jewelry in the first place.

 

“I didn’t have any intention of getting in your way. It seems you were the one being quite obvious about it?”

 

“Getting in the way? I said it was out of friendship. Wouldn’t that mean it wasn’t getting in the way?”

 

Then where on earth did that brooch come from? Even if he tried not to guess, his mind spun on its own. Lia. Festival. Flower-shaped brooch. The answer came too easily.

 

“But why did you bother then? Saying it’s friendship. Simply because friends don’t obstruct, Lady Lia wouldn’t start liking you just because you got in my way, right?”

 

“You know how to hit where it hurts. But isn’t eliminating other candidates to turn Lia’s heart also a method?”

 

What Kevin found most annoying was still Perth. Seeing the brooch in front of him made it even more certain. Whether it was intentional or not, he gained Lia’s trust under the guise of friendship and was undeniably the closest. Perth knew Kevin’s gaze had fallen on his brooch. That’s why he deliberately didn’t remove it and came straight over.

 

“You keep provoking me like this. And I’m beginning to wonder if I’m already on the same playing field.”

 

“What?”

 

“And if I am on the same field, Kevin, don’t you know how annoying of an obstacle I would be for you? Don’t keep provoking me when you know that.”

 

After saying that much, Perth turned away. Kevin asked him from behind.

 

“So, do you like Lia too?”

 

Without turning around, Perth answered.

 

“Haven’t you already convinced yourself of that?”

 

And without further words, he left the tent.

 

“That guy!”

 

This time, it was Kevin who had to kick the ground with his foot.