For Romantic Superpowers - Chapter 64 - Everything Happens Suddenly

#64. Everything Happens Suddenly

“Why are things like this now?”

“I don’t know. Everything seemed fine until this afternoon…”

“Regardless of the cause.”

The queen glared at Lia with sharp eyes. Lia couldn’t bring herself to meet her gaze and instead looked down at the floor. Fear overwhelmed her more than confusion. She didn’t know what might happen next.

“As the manager, you must take responsibility.”

“Your Majesty.”

Perth expected what would come next and tried to intervene. However, the queen was someone who never reversed a decision once made.

“Lady Lia Penelope. Leave the palace immediately.”

The shocking words silenced the room momentarily. Kevin was the first to regain his composure and object.

“If there’s responsibility, then as Lia’s supervisor, I’ll take it. I’ve been overseeing her!”

“Lady Lia.”

Once again, the queen ignored his words as if she hadn’t heard them.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Lia couldn’t fully grasp the situation at hand. But regardless of the reasons, it was clear that there was a problem with the Miracle of the Desert she was in charge of. Amidst her spinning thoughts, Lia realized one thing: her fleeting dream of working in the palace was over at this moment.

“Yes.”

In the end, all she could do was nod her head.

* * *

Lia didn’t remember much of what happened afterward. Kevin tried to say something in defiance of the queen’s decision, but those around him desperately stopped him. No matter how unruly he might be, going against the royal family would do him no good.

Throughout packing, May clung to Lia, crying. She wanted to comfort her, but May had no power. Moreover, Lia didn’t know when she would see her again. May couldn’t leave the palace except on permitted outings, and Lia couldn’t enter the palace except on days allowed.

Perth kept speaking to her, but his words didn’t register with Lia. How could she believe him after everything was over? Regardless of the reasons, it was her responsibility. Throughout her departure from the palace, Lia closed her eyes and shut her ears.

The Count didn’t ask Lia anything upon her return to the palace. He simply greeted her with the same affectionate smile as always. He instructed a welcome feast to be prepared in celebration of Lia’s return. However, Lia declined and went upstairs. She needed nothing. She just wanted to rest in her room.

Lia opened the door to her room after a long time and entered. Despite being neglected for a while, the room was clean. It seemed Jacqueline had been diligently cleaning. Leaving the unpacking to Jacqueline, Lia sank into the soft bed. There were no nagging reminders that would have quickly come before, like ‘You should wear shoes and lie down! Miss, I told you not to lie down because your skin will get sore.’ It seemed Jacqueline was considerate of Lia’s lack of energy.

“I’m exhausted.”

After uttering these words, Lia was even more certain. She was simply exhausted by every situation. Making excuses, making efforts, it was all pointless. Her body felt heavy and tired. With her last bit of strength, she took off her shoes and buried herself under the blanket. For the next three days, Lia slept only.

* * *

Knock, knock.

“Lia.”

At the sound of her name being called, Lia woke up slightly. It wasn’t hard to know who the owner of the voice was. It was her second brother, Rufus.

“Still sleeping?”

But she didn’t feel like answering. Pretending not to hear, she closed her eyes. She didn’t want to see anyone, didn’t want to speak. Lia erected a solid wall around her like a nutmeg and didn’t open up to anyone.

* * *

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside her room, and Lia reluctantly opened her eyes.

“I can’t stand by and watch anymore!”

“Wait. Lia is the one who’s suffering the most right now. We’re the ones who need to wait for Lia to shake it off and get up.”

“So? Are you going to watch her starve to death without eating for days like that?”

“You’re pushing too hard, bro. That’s why Lia keeps rebelling against you.”

“Whatever you say doesn’t matter. I’ll wake Lia up.”

“Bro!”

Rufus and Charlie were arguing. It was commonplace for the two to fight, but this time it seemed a bit more intense. From the thumping sounds, it seemed like they were wrestling in the hallway.

“Lia! Do you know what Father’s been hearing because of you?”

“Stop it, bro! Why are you trying to say such things to someone who’s already struggling?”

Rufus, who was usually not one to raise his voice, became agitated. But whether in martial arts or swordsmanship, he couldn’t beat Charlie. And before long, Charlie’s uproar continued.

“Lia needs to know too. She needs to know to get up and fix things herself!”

“Not everyone is bound by a sense of obligation like you, bro!”

Listening to the two bickering for a while, Lia finally struggled to sit up. Despite the door she had longed to open finally being opened, the two didn’t notice because they were wrestling. It wasn’t until a while later that Rufus noticed Lia first.

“Lia! You’re up.”

“You little… I thought I’d be fooled once or twice… You did get up.”

The two stopped fighting when they saw their sister’s face, which they hadn’t seen in a long time. Their hearts ached even more because her face looked so gaunt. Approaching with concern, they murmured something very softly.

“What do you want to eat? Are you hungry?”

“If there’s anything you want, this servant will fetch it for you. Just say the word.”

Lia’s voice was drowned out by the talkative duo. Eventually, she gathered all her strength, gripped both hands tightly, and shouted.

“Quiet!”

Suddenly, as Lia shouted, both of them fell silent. Blinking for a moment, the words that came out of their mouths exceeded Lia’s expectations.

“She finally woke up!”

“See, she can shout this loud. She would’ve starved if we left her like that.”

Her ears were ringing. It was burdensome to have her two older brothers so involved in her affairs.

“Okay. I’ll eat anything, so please, just be quiet.”

Lia tried to go downstairs for a meal. However, her body, unused for days, didn’t have enough strength. Rufus hugged her tightly.

“Let’s quickly go downstairs and show Father how bravely you can eat.”

“Am I a kid?”

“Considering how your insides are churning, you seem like one.”

Rufus’s usual mischief made Lia unintentionally smile. Despite Charlie murmuring that he could help too, they both ignored him. When Rufus set Lia down in a chair in the dining room, a meal was served as if it had been prepared in advance.

“Everyone was worried.”

As she lifted her head, several people, including Jacqueline, who worked in the mansion, looked at her with moved eyes. Responding to their expectations, Lia scooped up a spoonful of soup. It was a soft and warm soup that a recently awakened patient could eat. Surely Jacqueline had nagged the chef in the kitchen.

“It’s delicious. Thank you.”

As Lia thanked them, everyone’s faces, including Jacqueline’s, brightened. They were all people she had grown up with in the mansion. Only now did she feel like she had finally returned home. She had been putting all her energy into enduring in the palace with a single determination. By trying not to think about it, she finally realized how much she had missed home and the people there, even though it had only been two months.

* * *

Since that day, Lia gradually returned to her old routine of living in the mansion. During the day, she mostly went to the greenhouse to read books. The plants she had nurtured with her abilities before going to the palace were now neatly arranged. It looked like an ordinary greenhouse now. Compared to the palace greenhouse, it was much smaller, but it was cozy enough for her. She used to read only plant-related books. But now, she was deliberately reading everything except plant-related books. Now she just wanted to enjoy an unexpected break without thinking about anything.

Creak. Creak.

As she frequently visited the greenhouse, the butler, Dev, immediately prepared a table and rocking chair. Everyone in the mansion was worried about her and taking care of her. Thanks to them, she felt like she had returned to her childhood days, where she was only protected. The book she randomly picked up was a romance novel. Normally, she would have concentrated on the novel, but now she couldn’t focus on the content. Just as the words became blurry for a moment, his voice echoed in her mind.

– Lady Lia.

When everything from the palace came to mind, nostalgia washed over her. Among them, the one she missed the most was undoubtedly him. His voice, was low and polite when addressing himself, his scent that lingered softly when he approached, the texture of his hand that felt unfamiliar yet thrilling every time it touched hers. Everything felt vivid as if he were right beside her.

“Lady Lia.”

His voice seemed to come from right beside her. It wasn’t until she moved away from him that she realized the name of this emotion. A passage in the book she was reading caught Lia’s attention.

‘It was love. It was.’

It would have been better if she had at least answered him and then left the palace. But now that she had left, seeing him was difficult. As soon as she thought that, her nose tingled.

“Lady Lia.”

The persistent hallucination didn’t stop. It was getting rather severe.

“Why are you ignoring me?”

It was a gentle but angry tone. If she turned around, she might see not only the hallucination but also the vision. Lia couldn’t tear her gaze away from the book. Then, a white figure flashed before her eyes. Lia’s face was suddenly grasped, and she turned her head. Then, he appeared with an expression as angry as his voice. Was it a hallucination? But it felt like pain surged through his face as if it were real.

“Ah, it hurts.”

As Lia spoke, his grip loosened immediately. The angry expression on his face also softened. Only then did Lia realize that this was not a dream but a reality.

“I’m sorry. But Lady Lia, you don’t seem to want to see me no matter how much I call you.”

Though he apologized, there was an underlying unevenness in his tone. Lia freely examined the man in front of her. His glossy auburn hair, sharp jawline, and slightly uplifted eyes gave a cold impression, and even the thin glasses covering them. It was the person she had been waiting for.

“Mr. Perth, what brings you here?”

When Lia asked, Perth slowly raised his eyes and smiled at her. It was a tender smile reserved only for her.

“I thought you might want to see me.”

Even his playful tone was only for her. The perfect real Perth had come to meet her. Lia’s heart swelled, and without hesitation, she got up from her chair and hugged Perth.

“Lady L-Lia?”

“I like you too, Mr. Perth!”

It was the answer from some time ago.