To Be the Perfect Childhood Friend - Chapter 103

“Oh, we have a guest here?”

“Now that you know, maybe you could step aside?”

“Trying to kick out the host, are you?”

Liliana raised an eyebrow, ready to snap back at him, when someone came running down the hallway, breathless with excitement.

“I just heard something unbelievable!”

“Huh?”

“I overheard the chef talking. Apparently, one of the fishermen from the lower village went out fishing today and…”

“Just get to the point.”

“A shark got caught in their net!”

Some looked unimpressed, as sharks could easily be seen in aquariums.

“Hold on. Why don’t we buy the shark from the fisherman? And for dinner, we can have caviar. What do you think?”

“We already have caviar in the kitchen.”

“Where’s the fun in eating pre-prepared stuff?”

Liliana, who had been holding the doorknob while chatting with the others in the hallway, closed the door and left. The hallway remained noisy for a while, but after some time, silence settled again. That’s when Rutger got up from his seat.

“Why are you hiding like you’ve committed a crime? Come on.”

He bent down and locked eyes with Anita, who had been hiding under the table. When she met his gaze, she smiled awkwardly and tried to get out from under the table. However, as she stood up absentmindedly, she banged her head on the underside of the table.

“Ow!”

“Are you hurt? Come out.”

Rubbing her head, where a bump was surely forming, Anita’s face was filled with surprise. It wasn’t because of the pain, but because of his concerned voice and the hand he offered her so kindly.

Rutger wasn’t the type to ignore someone who was hurt, but his worry usually came with a hint of sarcasm.

“No, it doesn’t hurt much.”

Anita stammered without realizing it. Rutger, still somewhat bewildered, lifted her effortlessly from under the table. As she was being moved, she just stared at him in disbelief, eyes wide open.

“Go on, it’s late. You should get some rest.”

Was that his way of kicking her out?

Luckily, it didn’t seem like he intended to send her away for good. As proof, Rutger offered his hand to her. Without another word, they both walked out into the hallway.

Their interlocked hands felt awkward. The touch of his palm against hers was almost ticklish. Anita held his hand and walked as slowly as she could—not because she wanted to prolong their time together, but because every time her pace quickened, his grip would tighten, as if she were a child at risk of tripping. Was he really that worried she might fall?

Finally, they reached the door to her room. With her hand on the doorknob, Anita hesitated for a moment. She sensed his presence behind her. She suddenly found herself worrying about how to say goodbye, even though it seemed like such a trivial matter.

“Goodnight.”

The words came out in the coldest tone she could muster, though it wasn’t intentional. His expression, however, remained unreadable as he looked at her.

After a long pause, Rutger lowered his head. As his face moved closer to hers, Anita instinctively squeezed her eyes shut. What felt like minutes passed, but her lips never met his. She slowly opened her eyes, only to find his face mere inches away, his lips impossibly close.

“Sleep well.”

His lips brushed against hers as he whispered the words, the sensation of his lips moving against hers unmistakable. She stared at him, feeling slightly dazed. Rutger’s eyes softened, a gentle smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

Then, a series of light kisses followed.

Rutger walked away, leaving Anita still dazed in the hallway. Left alone, she absentmindedly touched her lips, which still held the warmth of his.

She had no recollection of how she made it back to her room. By the time she gathered her thoughts, she was already changed into her pajamas and lying in bed.

She closed her eyes, trying to sleep, but his face kept appearing before her. It was as if his image had been etched into the inside of her eyelids.

Frustrated, Anita sat up abruptly and turned on the bedside lamp. She rubbed her eyes several times, hoping to erase the lingering image of him.

When nothing more appeared, she turned the lamp off again.

This time, however, the image danced on the ceiling in the dark. Sighing, she flicked the light back on.

Throughout the night, the light in her room flicked on and off, as she tried unsuccessfully to find peace.

***

The last day of the holiday had arrived. Having packed diligently from the early hours of the morning, Anita stepped out of her room. Yesterday had been a blur, but after thinking it over, she was convinced that the mysterious breaking sound had to be related to Finian.

Otherwise, how could someone who had gone to the kitchen suddenly vanish?

Descending the stairs, Anita glanced around, searching for Liliana. The villa was so vast that finding someone was a tiresome task. She could always ring the bell on the table to summon her, but Anita wasn’t fond of the idea.

“Have you seen Liliana by any chance?”

A man carrying a shiny, freshly polished plate silently pointed in a direction.

“Thank you.”

Following his gesture, Anita walked toward the indicated spot. In a sunlit corner of the room, she found Liliana, sitting with a cup of coffee in one hand and a magazine in the other.

“Finian Nigel?”

When Anita asked about Finian’s whereabouts, Liliana tilted her head in mild confusion before calling over a servant.

“Seems like he hasn’t been seen since early this morning. Probably left for another party. He tends to flit around like a bat, moving from place to place.”

“……”

Liliana seemed entirely unconcerned by his absence. Anita decided to brush off her own worries about him. After all, Finian was known to be lighthearted and infamous for dating several women at once. The likelihood that he still had feelings for Anita was slim. Last night’s incident was probably just a shock because he had seen his closest friend, Rutger, with her.

In truth, it was partly an excuse. Anita’s mind was already overwhelmed with thoughts of Rutger, and she didn’t have the capacity to let any other issues creep in.