For Romantic Superpowers - Chapter 59 - Unlucky Day (1)

#59. Unlucky Day (1)

The morning of that day had exceptionally good weather. But Perth didn’t care about the weather anyway. Since it was manipulated by artificial climate abilities, it made no difference to him, except for slight variations between sunny and cloudy. However, sunlight mattered. The plant Lia had given him when they first met was now budding. Most spring flowers had already bloomed and withered, indicating it was likely a summer flower given it hadn’t bloomed yet. 

Perth wasn’t originally interested in the growth of plants, but this one was different. It was the first plant he received at birth, and most importantly, it was from her. He didn’t want it to wither at least. Perth looked at his reflection in the mirror. As usual, there stood a neat-looking man. Straightening his collar, he was about to leave the room. He hesitated upon seeing the white gloves laid on the desk.

It was a dilemma he wouldn’t have had under normal circumstances. He always wore these gloves to avoid reading other people’s minds. Recently, due to Lia’s work, he had walked around Hiver without them until he returned. However, exposing oneself to others’ thoughts in a place as crowded as the royal palace without gloves wasn’t pleasant. Eventually, he hesitated for a moment before picking up the gloves again.

Clatter.

“Ah.”

As he picked up the gloves, the brooch beside it fell to the floor. It was a prize they had won together at the festival during a couple’s contest with Lia. It was somewhat inadequate for a prize prepared for a local festival. He stooped to pick up the brooch, noticing some pieces were missing. It seemed poorly made. He picked up the missing pieces and placed them on the desk.

“I should find someone who can repair this.”

The start of the day wasn’t particularly good.

* * *

“Welcome to the palace, Lady Ferdinand.”

“No need for formalities. I’m glad Prince Alfonse safely returned from Hiver.”

“It’s all thanks to the young lady’s concern.”

Seeing the outwardly perfect couple as always, Perth sighed inwardly. Even if it was a strategy, he wondered if there was a need to pretend to be so perfect. Abigail’s visit this time was due to the queen’s invitation. Ostensibly, that was the case, but in reality, the queen had invited Alfonse and Abigail, hoping they would truly become close. However, as he hadn’t informed Alfonse’s side in advance, he had other commitments.

“I apologize, young lady. You’ve been so gracious to me, but I won’t be able to accompany you.”

“It’s okay. I shouldn’t have come without prior notice.”

“No, lady. I’ll be back by dinner, so why don’t we have a meal together? How about looking around the yard until then?”

Thinking of the yard in the prince’s palace, Perth put on a slight expression. Due to Alfonse’s strange allergy to flowers, there was not a single flower in the yard. Well, there was precisely one flower once, but now it was all gone.

“When I met the queen mother earlier, she insisted that I must see the greenhouse. If you’re okay with it, may I take a tour of the greenhouse?”

“Of course. If you head towards the greenhouse, the caretakers will guide you well.”

“But I don’t know the way to the greenhouse.”

Abigail said so while glancing briefly at Perth. However, he merely blinked, wondering why she was looking at him. It was Alfonse, unusually perceptive at times like this, who recommended Perth.

“Then you should follow my aide, Perth, to the greenhouse. Perth, please guide Lady Ferdinand to the greenhouse.”

“Oh, yes. Understood. Lady, this way, please.”

Normally, anyone could guide her through the palace. But since Abigail singled him out, he had no right to refuse. It was somewhat unfortunate to have additional tasks piled up on such a busy day. Moreover, he was worried about Alfonse being left alone, but he had prepared thoroughly, so he trusted that things would go smoothly. 

As they walked towards the greenhouse, Perth thought of Lia. What conclusion had she reached after all her deliberation? Had she perhaps come to a positive conclusion about Kevin? Thinking of her made him feel a bit uneasy.

“Mr. Perth, I’ve only heard about it, but is the greenhouse beautiful?”

At that moment, Abigail’s voice brought him back to reality. Not being particularly talkative, Perth had been silently guiding her. Unable to endure the long silence, it was she who spoke first. When she asked if the greenhouse was beautiful, Perth hesitated. He hadn’t judged things based on whether they were beautiful or not, especially not objects or spaces. Then, he recalled something Lia had said with a smile.

– Queen Mother is truly amazing! To think she had the idea to create such a beautiful greenhouse. Thanks to her, I’ve seen a lot of rare plants and I love them.

Honestly, if she had asked him about the greenhouse, he would have just said it was unnecessarily large. But if she said it was beautiful, then it was beautiful. If she said it was perfect, then it was perfect. Unbeknownst to him, a slight smile formed on Perth’s lips.

“Yes, it’s beautiful.”

Enchanted by the sincere smile she saw for the first time, Abigail was ecstatic. Indeed, his face was perfectly to her liking. People judged him as cold, but she knew there was a different side to him. Seeing him smile like that, undoubtedly meant he had opened his heart to her. Unconsciously feeling pleased, she wanted to link her arm with him. But this was the palace. If she wanted to touch him openly in such a public place, she needed an excuse.

“Hehehe.”

Covering her mouth with her fan, Abigail laughed softly. Seeing her strange laughter, Perth turned away and put on a composed expression. He couldn’t understand why she was laughing so oddly. He decided to ignore it, expecting her excitement about the greenhouse.

* * * 

“Where would you like to start?”

“I heard there’s a plant that the queen mother cherishes the most in the Desert Climate Plant Management Department.”

It was a tale of Miracle of the Deserts. Naturally, there was a face that came to mind. It was a good excuse to see her face.

“Understood. If you wait a moment, the attendant will come and guide us.”

The attendant who came wasn’t exactly pleasant. It was somewhat expected. The other party didn’t seem particularly cheerful either.

“I am Kevin Arkwood, the head of the Desert Climate Plant Management Department. It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Ferdinand.”

“The honor is mine.”

Though he didn’t show it, a slight discomfort was evident in his eyes. Abigail seemed to have guessed his identity upon hearing Kevin’s name. She didn’t bother to hide her attitude and seemed to ignore him.

“The sand here is really hard to walk on. Could you please hold my hand?”

Abigail stumbled as they entered the greenhouse. It wouldn’t have caused much strain to walk a little. Suppressing his doubts, Perth reached out his hand to her. It was fortunate that he wore white gloves today.

They headed to the Oasis area first. Perth was secretly pleased to meet Lia here, as he had anticipated she would be somewhere nearby. However, she showed blatant hostility towards Abigail, who was standing next to Perth.

“You shouldn’t touch them.”

It was the first time he heard such a cold voice. Not even when Perth was angry did she speak in such a tone.

“Oh, really? They look so pretty, yet they’re poisonous. How surprising. Isn’t that right, Mr. Perth?”

“Yes, indeed.”

Abigail came closer to Perth and stood. He instinctively recoiled, but he couldn’t show it outwardly.

“Lady, I apologize for not informing you in advance. Any plant inside here cannot be touched without the supervision of the caretaker. There’s also a possibility of damage if someone who isn’t an expert handles them recklessly.”

Kevin also seemed displeased with Abigail’s attitude. Abigail, perhaps feeling intimidated by the antagonistic attitudes of the two, tried to lean on Perth.

“Oh my, I really didn’t know. Mr. Perth, could you please explain to them that my actions weren’t intentional?”

It was blatant disregard. The people around couldn’t even manage to control their expressions properly. But this level of disregard was familiar to Perth. Above all, he couldn’t disrespect Alfonse’s fiancée’s feelings.

“Lady Ferdinand isn’t aware of the greenhouse rules. Please forgive her.”

He bowed his head without hesitation. As he raised his bowed head, he saw Lia’s flushed face. It seemed she thought he had sided with Abigail and ignored her. It was a misunderstanding, but there was no way to resolve it right now.

“Oops!”

“Be careful.”

At that moment, Abigail stumbled. Perth instinctively supported her. Wasn’t the problem from the start that she was touring the Desert Climate Plant Management Department in such attire? Perth found himself unintentionally eyeing Abigail’s dress hem.

“He’s quite the social butterfly.”

It was a low voice, but Perth with good hearing caught it. Kevin’s remark was mocking him. He was just doing his job. He wished Kevin would stop the unpleasant misunderstandings. However, Kevin turned away pretending not to notice.

* * *

“I want to see the Miracle of the Desert next time.”

“Unfortunately, young lady, to see that plant, you have to cross the desert area where your feet sink in deep. But with your current attire, it seems a bit challenging.”

“Mr. Perth…?”

When Kevin opposed her opinion, Abigail demanded support from Perth. However, he shared the same thoughts about this matter.

“How about going next time, lady?”

Abigail stared intently at Perth. Her gaze was an obvious pressure for him to comply. However, it was clear that the young lady wouldn’t be able to go without being carried. Sensing his embarrassment, Abigail reluctantly decided to withdraw for once. If it weren’t for Perth, her gaze would have turned unpleasant even on the plain. As evidence, Kevin’s expression as he looked at Perth was already twisted.

“…Alright. Then let’s go see the prince’s yard.”

“Don’t you want to see other departments? There’s not even a single flower worth seeing in the yard.”

Kevin asked. There were various departments in the greenhouse based on different climates. Among them, the Desert Climate Plant Management Department was not known for its diverse plant life. However, she had singled out the Desert Climate Plant Management Department from the beginning and refused to even consider other departments. He had a rough idea, but her intentions were clear. Kevin’s eyes narrowed.

“Understood. Let’s go, Mr. Perth.”

“Yes.”

Since Kevin didn’t need to be in charge of other departments, he didn’t move from his spot. As they passed by, Perth and Kevin’s eyes met.

“You’re truly a fool.”

Kevin whispered in Perth’s ear. Perth didn’t hide his displeasure as he replied.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard such words in my life.”