For Romantic Superpowers - Chapter 62 - Vivo (1)

#62. Vivo (1)

Lia thought it was unfair to use Kevin’s liking as it was. So, she decided to convey her feelings to him. But the timing just wasn’t right. During break time, everyone else was around. She hoped for a moment when he would be alone, but he vanished like the wind, elusive. Even after everything was over, she couldn’t catch him, hidden like the wind.

“Where on earth did you go?”

In the end, she wasted a day. She had spent the whole day paying attention to Kevin’s movements, and she was too tired even to use muscles she didn’t usually use.

“Lia.”

A familiar voice came from behind Lia, who was walking unsteadily.

“May.”

She was on her way out of the dining hall with colleagues, perhaps having dinner early. After greeting them, Lia and May entered the dining hall together.

“Aren’t you eating with him today?”

“He said he had work today.”

And today, he’ll probably feel embarrassed to see her. The last words he left with a smile lingered in Lia’s mind. She remembered what had happened in the morning, and her cheeks flushed again.

“Why are you blushing?”

May’s index finger tapped Lia’s reddened cheek. There was mischief in her expression.

“What’s with that expression?”

“Judging by your expression, something happened even to the airhead Lia, right?”

May couldn’t be fooled, indeed. Still, Lia went to get dinner without saying anything to avoid further discussion. But May followed along, silently laughing. Lia couldn’t ignore the pressure. As soon as they sat at the table, May bombarded her with questions.

“So? What happened?”

“Nothing happened.”

“Don’t lie to me. When have you successfully hidden anything from me?”

“… Never.”

Lia broke the bread into pieces. She lost her appetite with all the questioning. Seeing Lia fidgeting, May forcefully stuffed a few pieces of bread into her mouth.

“Eat quickly and tell me. Don’t keep people waiting.”

Why was she pushing her to speak so much? Lia glared at May with fish eyes but obeyed, eating quickly as instructed.

* * *

The destination for the two was Lia’s room. As always, all the secretive conversations took place there, with only the two of them. And perhaps because it was her own room, Lia felt more comfortable being honest there.

“Confession! Finally, that guy did it!”

“May, speak quietly! But more importantly… did you know?”

“Of course. You’re the only one who didn’t. How could you not, when it’s so obvious.”

Everyone around had noticed, except Lia herself. She was always dense when it came to romantic matters. Not only with Kevin, but she hadn’t expected Perth’s confession either.

“So, what did you say?”

“I couldn’t say anything.”

“Why? Are you going to ask for a month’s grace like you did with Mr. Kevin?”

“No. I was too shocked. Mr. Perth took me to the greenhouse and left….”

Upon reflection, she felt pathetic. She should have said something, anything, but she just stood there with her mouth agape like an idiot. How ridiculous it must have looked.

“Oh my, you fool. Are you going to say no again?” 

“I don’t know. I’m so confused. Why did he choose me of all people…?”

Lia buried her face in her hands. She felt embarrassed yet also happy. She didn’t know what to call this confusing mix of emotions. But whenever she thought about it, her heart raced too fast. So, she tried her best not to dwell on it.

“Why did he choose you? You’re quite charming in my eyes.”

“But what about Mr. Perth?”

“Well, it’s surprising that he could like someone. I’ve been there too.”

May remembered the few times she’d tried to leave Perth. Every time, she received a cold response. It was clear that they were not even on speaking terms. That’s why Lia couldn’t imagine Perth confessing to her. 

“It’s not like that. I just didn’t think I was Mr. Perth’s type.”

“But do you even know what his type is?”

“No…”

“But you seem so sure.”

To her, it was clear that Perth didn’t have a specific type. Just like a duck imprinting on the first thing it sees as its mother, Lia’s presence was surely Perth’s type. So, he must have blindly followed her even before realizing his feelings.

“So, did you reject Mr. Kevin nicely?”

“Not yet. I was going to tell him today, but we haven’t had a chance to be alone.”

No chance to be alone with her direct supervisor. It was obvious that Kevin was avoiding her intentionally. But Lia, oblivious as ever, didn’t seem to notice.

“Well, it might take some time. Why don’t you say no to Mr. Perth as well?” 

May asked as if deliberately teasing. Sure enough, Lia’s expression turned dark. She had reservations about rejecting Perth.

“If I reject him… things might get awkward, right?”

“You’ll have to accept that much. But how long is he going to wait? It’s not fair to keep someone waiting indefinitely.”

“We’ve been fine until now, so why…? Why does it have to be that kind of relationship?”

Lia looked down at the floor with a pained expression. She couldn’t forget her mother’s face as she left the Penelope mansion. Is there anything as fleeting as the emotion called love? She couldn’t understand why she had to embark on a familiar and comfortable relationship with emotions that could vanish in an instant.

“They knew they could lose you if things went wrong, but they couldn’t turn away. Emotions blossoming in the heart are like flowers.”

Like cultivating flowers even though you know they will wither. Perhaps because you know they might fade away in an instant, you have to cherish them even more. Once the flower has bloomed, you can’t turn away from it.

“Got it. I won’t run away cowardly. I’ll face them both.”

“That’s our Lia.”

May hugged Lia tightly. It was nice to see Lia’s heart growing little by little. She was curious about that inexperienced yet pure heart, which it would eventually embrace. Lia, in turn, hugged May back. She was like a friend and an older sister, always looking out for her clumsy self. Though their time in the palace was short, Lia had learned a lot, much of it from May. She was grateful to her beyond words.

Tomorrow would finally be the day she would be honest.

* * *

As Lia left the dining hall after breakfast, she found herself unconsciously scanning the surroundings. Just in case. However, there was no sign of Perth being busy early in the morning. Lia felt a strange emptiness and headed to the greenhouse. From the moment she arrived at work, she had been focused on finding Kevin. He hadn’t been looking her way more than usual. It wasn’t easy to strike up a conversation either. But Lia wasn’t giving up. Today, she had resolved to convey her intentions. So, she followed Kevin almost like a duckling followed its mother.

“Alright. What’s going on?”

At this point, it was difficult for Kevin to avoid her. He was well aware of his situation. It was the third month, and the grace period he had given was over.

“I want to talk alone.”

There was no need to confirm separately. He wanted to tell her not to tell him, that he’d figured it out by now, but the look of determination on Lia’s face told him it wouldn’t work. Kevin sighed deeply and headed towards the tent first.

“Speak.”

He deliberately turned away, pretending to be busy. Watching Kevin move briskly, Lia hesitated for a moment.

“Um… I don’t know how to say this…”

Despite her determination, her introduction was weak. She couldn’t bring herself to say harsh words. It was just her. Without realizing it, a wry smile escaped Kevin’s lips.

“Thank you for seeing me in a good light, Mr. Kevin. And for saving me in Hiver.”

Talking about Hiver seemed to hurt him even more. He had thought he could protect her to some extent, being a knight himself. But in the end, they were both kidnapped together, and he ended up becoming her weakness without being able to do anything. Ironically, it was someone else who saved her.

“I didn’t save you. I couldn’t protect you.”

“But having you by my side made me feel secure, Mr. Kevin. Of course, I’m sorry for causing you so much pain.”

“Stop it. Didn’t we agree not to talk about that anymore?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Unintentionally, she annoyed him. She couldn’t hide her anxious heart. She felt pathetic for being so indecisive until the end.

“Enough. Continue.”

Lia didn’t know what to do about Kevin’s irritable attitude either. She wandered, unsure where to direct her gaze. The familiar tent, where she worked every day, felt unfamiliar.

“Um… Mr. Kevin, you’re a wonderful person, but I don’t think I can accept what you’ve said because of my own shortcomings… I’m sorry…”

Fiddling with her fingers meaninglessly, Lia dropped her head. She knew what she had said. Surely, Kevin would have been hurt by her cruel words. Asking him to go back to how things were before was a selfish request.

“Fine.”

Kevin’s response was so flat it could take the edge off a knife. He showed no emotion. But he still stood there with his back turned, so Lia couldn’t see what expression he was wearing.

“And what about that guy?”

“What?”

Not knowing who he was talking about, Lia was bewildered. Kevin bit out the words again.

“Perth Versier. How do you feel about accepting that guy?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Lia froze. May’s words from the previous night came to mind. Everyone knew, except her, because she was so clueless. She hadn’t thought Kevin would be one of them.

“Oh, Mr. Perth…?”

“What’s so special about that guy?”

Different? Exceptional? He didn’t continue his sentence. Perhaps he refrained from asking further, afraid Lia hadn’t realized her own feelings. He found out about Perth’s confession yesterday morning when he arrived at the greenhouse. 

He could tell what was going on just by seeing the two of them talking near the greenhouse. His tense expression and Lia’s absent-minded look made it obvious. He didn’t need to ask. Unintentionally, he had approached and listened. That’s how he found out. 

Lia’s answer was likely a rejection. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been any mention of Perth being introduced as the third candidate. Thinking of Perth’s face made him angry. But Lia rejecting him didn’t give him the right to be angry. After a few deep breaths, Kevin spoke softly.

“Check the state of the Miracle of the Desert before you return. You’ve been neglecting it lately.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Don’t question it, just do it quickly!”

Though it sounded like an order at first glance, there was a hint of agony in his voice. Lia hesitated for a moment before leaving the tent.

“…Yes, Mr. Kevin.”