Chapter 3

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​”We seem to be getting a lot of visitors these days,” Julianne remarked, her gentle fingers dabbing away a crumb from the corner of my mouth.

​Of course, we are, I thought, reaching for another muffin. The main story has finally begun.

​Across the table, Michael simply smiled, his eyes curving into pleasant crescents. Ah, there it was. The signature smile of a cunning male protagonist—that placid, unreadable warmth they use to mask their true intentions. It was a look I’d seen on countless masterminds in my previous life.

​My thoughts were interrupted by a burst of flavor. Wow, this is good. Blueberry cream cheese? They never made anything like this back at the mansion, much to my despair.

​”Liri, you shouldn’t eat so many,” Julianne chided immediately, as if on cue. “It’s not good for you.”

​And this was precisely why. It was just cruel! I knew Lilianne’s body was supposed to be frail, but was it so delicate that a simple dessert was off-limits?

​”She’s at a growing age,” Michael interjected, his voice as smooth as silk. “She needs to eat delicious things to grow up strong.”

​I shot him a quick glance while chewing my mouthful of heaven. Why is he being so nice to me? Well, whatever his reason, the muffin was undeniably delicious.

​”Liri’s constitution is weak,” Julianne insisted. “We have to be careful right now.”

​”If her constitution is weak, isn’t it more important that she eats something, anything, to stimulate her appetite?” Michael countered.

​”But she’s become such a picky eater… She skips her meals and only wants dessert.”

​”I admit, that is a problem.”

​Don’t you dare back down now, you fool! Make your case! I glared at him, my cheeks puffed out. Michael’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second before that polished smile slid perfectly back into place.

​”Still,” he said, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. “I sometimes want to bring Liri a little treat.” He then turned his attention to my sister. “You like dessert too, don’t you, Lia?”

​Especially chocolate muffins.

​He slid a chocolate muffin towards Julianne, his gesture intimate and charming. Look at this guy, laying the flirtation on thick. I narrowed my eyes and, with the speed of a hawk, snatched the muffin from its path.

​Did he really think I, of all people, would be swayed by a single muffin?

​A normal eight-year-old might have been, but unfortunately for him, I was a twenty-year-old mind trapped in a child’s body.

​”Liri likes chocolate muffins, too,” I declared, though I felt a pang of shame every time I had to resort to such childish tactics.

​Julianne let out a small laugh. “Alright, but no more after this one,” she warned.

​Oh, my dear sister, I thought. If only you knew. In my past life, I once survived an entire week on nothing but fast food at the age of eight, and I turned out fine. Compared to greasy fries and burgers, a muffin is practically health food.

​Shaking my head, I took a large bite of the chocolate muffin. All the while, Michael watched me with a peculiar, unreadable expression.

​Keep staring. It won’t get you anywhere. Did you really think you could win over my sister with a few pastries?

​As if reading my thoughts, he finally broke his gaze and changed the subject. “I heard Lobein paid a visit.”

​Ah, so the rumors had spread. The true purpose of this muffin-laden visit was becoming clearer.

​I swung my legs back and forth beneath the chair, my eyes darting between them. Julianne, meanwhile, gently took the half-eaten muffin from my hand as she replied.

​No! My muffin!

​”Yes,” she said. “He came to ask for a favor.”

​”A favor?”

​”He asked if I would act as his fiancée for a short while.”

​The serene mask on Michael’s face cracked ever so slightly. It seemed that part of the story hadn’t reached his ears. He probably only heard the simplified version: ‘Lobein tried to make a move but was thwarted by her little sister.’

​I propped my chin on my hand, observing him with renewed interest. The lack of a muffin made the conversation far less entertaining. But I am a rational, intelligent individual. Throwing a tantrum over a muffin is something only an eight-year-old would do…

​”Lia-unni… I want my muffin…”

​So much for rationality. I tugged on the hem of Julianne’s sleeve, my resolve crumbling. For someone forced to subsist on broccoli soup and mushroom risotto packed with carrots, dessert was a precious, sacred thing. I couldn’t let it be taken from me like this.

​”No, Liri. That’s enough for today.”

​”But you won’t give me any tomorrow either!” I protested. You’ll throw them out, saying day-old pastries can’t be trusted! And you won’t buy new ones! All the servants only listen to you! For a former snack addict, this was pure torture.

​As I glared at Julianne, my cheeks puffed out in a furious pout, Michael intervened.

​”Julianne,” he began, his gaze shifting from me to her. “There’s a matter for the upcoming council meeting I’d like to discuss with you. I think you’d have more insight into it than I would.”

​His smooth interruption snapped me back to my senses. I immediately retracted my hand. Get a grip, I told myself. Losing the muffin almost made me lose my mind.

​Once she saw I had calmed down, Julianne answered him softly. “If it’s a council matter, that must be official business. Are you sure it’s alright to discuss it with me?”

​”You’ll be joining soon enough anyway,” he said casually. “You don’t plan on staying cooped up in this mansion forever, do you?”

​”Well, no, but…” She glanced at me, her voice trailing off. I saw it then—a flicker of disappointment in her soft, green eyes. Of course. No matter how much she prioritized me, she had her own ambitions. She was a brilliant talent who had consistently graduated at the top of her class from the most prestigious academy in the Empire. She wouldn’t have worked that hard if she didn’t have her own dreams.

​”…I still have to take care of Liri for now,” she finished, her smile returning as she gently stroked my hair.

​It seemed I was still her number one priority. And that just made the guilt churn in my stomach. I looked back and forth between Michael and Julianne, my mind racing. His fiery brand of flirtation was a definite concern, but it was clear Julianne wanted to help him. And… if Michael visited more often, that might mean more desserts for me.

​Okay, that last part was a very minor reason. I couldn’t be bribed with mere sweets.

​”Unni, Unni,” I called, looking up at her with what I hoped was an earnest expression. Don’t give up everything for my sake. It makes me feel too guilty.

​”Does that mister need you to help him?”

​”Mister…” Michael muttered under his breath, looking as shocked by the title as Lobein had been.

​I ignored him and pressed on. “Helping people is a good thing. But… you won’t have to go far, far away, will you?”

​”Not at all, Liri,” Michael cut in, recovering quickly. To my surprise, he adopted the title himself. “The mister will come here to visit.” A smart, scheming character indeed. Quick on his feet and sharp as a tack.

​I beamed, delivering the final blow. “Then it’s okay! I want you to help the mister! Just like you help me!”

​Technically, she took care of me, but the justification was what mattered. The moment the words left my mouth, Julianne’s face lit up. She had wanted this all along.

​I snuggled into her embrace and shot a subtle wink at Michael over her shoulder.

​You owe me, mister. You’d better be on your best behavior.

​It wasn’t that I approved of him, of course. I was only doing this because Julianne clearly wanted to work again. And if he happened to bring more desserts with him… well, that was just a bonus.

​”…That’s settled, then,” Michael murmured, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

​He probably thought I was a deviously clever child. But he was a sly fox himself. I was certain that the real eight-year-old Michael Evans was far more cunning than I could ever pretend to be.

​For now, though, it was a happy ending for everyone. I got desserts, Julianne got the satisfaction of work, and Michael got a legitimate reason to be with her.

​Of course, I wouldn’t let him get any further than that. The moment he tried to pull anything, I’d be there to intervene.

​This was absolutely, definitely, not about the desserts.

​A few peaceful days passed after Michael’s visit. It was a perfectly tranquil afternoon—or rather, it had been, up until a few moments ago. The only small problem was that the taste of those sweet muffins had triggered a severe case of dessert withdrawal. I was tiptoeing around the mansion, searching for a secret escape route to satisfy my craving while avoiding Julianne’s watchful eye when…

​”Hello, you must be Liri. You’re just as pretty as your sister. Would you like a cookie?”

​A hand suddenly appeared, phasing straight through the solid stone wall to stop directly in front of my face.

​”And be a dear,” the voice continued, “and make sure you tell your sister that a handsome big brother gave it to you.”

​The hand hadn’t just appeared. It had passed through the wall as if it were air.

​My world tilted. I was so stunned that I fell backward, landing hard on the floor with a thud.

• ​What the hell?