HOT 26

Chapter 26

If Lombre hadn’t been under the curse, nobles might have been making a fuss for years about him needing to get engaged.

And while other nobles might have kept their distance, Bloom—who had spent a long time with Lombre—might not have felt the same distance regarding the curse.

If the protagonist of this story weren’t Aurora, it would probably have been Bloom.

She fit the role of the female lead perfectly.

“Are you really asking because you’re curious?”

“Well… a little…”

A look of disdain briefly met him before he turned away.

“After all, what would there be for me to gain by marrying someone from the Ann family?”

“…….”

“If we got married, I wouldn’t be able to do what I want anyway.”

That made sense.

Creed, who was free and didn’t want to be tied down, and Bloom, who was ambitious and always seeking growth—

The siblings of the Valdafrik family were perfectly balanced.

“Start with Bloom, and put off all the other families for now.”

“Yes, understood.”

Nodding, he carefully left the office.

“…He really is indifferent.”

I realized again just how detached Lombre could be.

Meeting one’s destined partner and experiencing true love—that was something Lombre had to do himself.

That genuine love could happen by fate somewhere abroad, or perhaps even at a formal gathering like this one.

“I’m the only one in a hurry, huh.”

I was desperate to lift Lombre’s curse, but he was completely unbothered.

“Right, a male lead who gets excited over formal gatherings… that would be strange.”

Indeed, it was a bit unusual.

I muttered briefly to myself as I returned to my seat.

“Ah, how long has it been since I’ve been home?”

Stretching my shoulders once, I stepped into my home for the first time in a while.

At this hour, Mrs. Austin would have already left, and I had a feeling Aurora might be asleep.

Due to being away on missions for the past few days, and even before that working overtime, I hadn’t been able to come home to my cozy house.

I flung open the door, expecting a cold, dark house, but something felt different.

“Hmm?”

What tickled my nose was the smell of delicious food, making me hungry.

A slightly spicy, savory scent, accompanied by the aroma of roast chicken.

The steady sounds of chopping and something simmering filled the air.

“…What’s going on?”

My house, which had felt more like an uninhabited model home, suddenly felt like a lived-in home.

“Oh, you’re back?”

Aurora had noticed my arrival, putting down the knife and approaching me.

“First, give me your things.”

She took the briefcase I brought from the palace, along with my coat and travel bag from the mission, moving as naturally as a maid in her own home.

What on earth was happening?

There was a lot of food on the table, more than I usually had the chance to eat at home.

Seeing my gaze shift to the table, Aurora gave a small, embarrassed smile.

“I prepared dinner. I thought you might be coming around this time since most people leave work by now.”

“…….”

The food was perfect.

Gambas with bread, a small salad, and a low-fat roasted chicken.

The spread was enough to make me gape in surprise.

“Sorry for messing with your food.”

No, it’s me who should be apologizing!

“C-can I really eat this?”

Stammering, I asked, and Aurora, a bit startled, nodded with a smile.

“Of course.”

Not for nothing, she was the female lead—the angelic type.

It was delicious. I could have cried from how good it was.

Nothing beats a home-cooked meal. Chewing a mouthful of buttery bread and plump shrimp gambas, Aurora handed me a glass of water.

“I thought you might not have had a proper meal today.”

“Really… it’s amazing.”

I hadn’t had a proper meal in ages.

Honestly, my home felt more like a guesthouse to sleep in than a cozy, warm home.

The moist bread, the plump shrimp in the gambas—just the smell of food made the place feel alive.

“Didn’t you eat at home?”

“I never knew when you’d be coming back, so I left cleaning to Mrs. Austin.”

“Ah, I see.”

“And you’ve met Mrs. Austin, right?”

“Yes, she seems strict.”

He almost said, “She seemed strict,” but stopped himself.

Was that a slip of the tongue?

I smiled lightly and nodded.

“Yes, she’s a bit meticulous.”

In a good sense, meticulous; in a bad sense, strict.

With her tightly pulled-back hair, sharp eyes, and hooked nose, she was indeed meticulous and strict, yet her heart was warm.

“She probably didn’t have much time to come home. It didn’t feel very lived-in.”

“Ah… well, I’ve been busy…”

I wanted to continue, but I stopped mid-sentence.

Perhaps due to the cozy atmosphere, or the warm soup, my mouth spoke freely.

“I won’t run away just because of work. I have incredible perseverance.”

That made sense. She must have lasted so long with Lombre because of that perseverance.

I, on the other hand, only had stubborn ‘slave-like’ perseverance. Haha.

“I should have asked permission, but… I used the bathroom too.”

“That’s fine. People need to wash.”

For some reason, Aurora smelled faintly of lavender. We probably use the same product, but why did she smell better?

Maybe because she was the female lead.

“You don’t need to ask me permission. Really, think of this as your home and use it freely.”

There wasn’t much in my house—nothing particularly valuable.

Ah, except for some expensive birthday gifts from Lombre, Creed, and Bloom…

“You don’t need to ask about everything.”

Aurora didn’t seem like the type to enter my room recklessly.

After saying all this, her expression became oddly thoughtful.

This evening was entirely for me, yet she didn’t touch the food and instead rested her chin on her hand, asking:

“…I probably shouldn’t say this since I’m staying here… but, is it really okay?”

“Okay? For what?”

“For bringing a man into a house where a woman lives alone.”

Her words echoed in my ears like a bell.

At the same time, it hit me like someone freezing me in place.

“Puhahaha!!”

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Seriously? A tomboyish female lead worrying about me like that? It was too funny. I banged the table and laughed so hard I almost forgot dinner.

“…Aren’t you laughing a bit too much?”

She asked, looking embarrassed. I forced myself to calm down.

“You don’t even have that kind of intention.”

“Of course! I have no intention, but… what if I happen to be a bad guy?”

“Huh?”

“What if I seduce you, Amber, get some allowance, stay here freeloading… and then run off with your valuables?”

“…….”

“Or touch you!”

…Was that from experience? Pretty detailed.

Then I remembered—Aurora had lived only with her mother until now.

She must have gone through many unpleasant experiences.

“How many men irresponsibly get women pregnant and run off?”

“But you wouldn’t think that, right?”

“I wouldn’t, but… what if I ever had bad intentions?”

I listened quietly, then set my utensils down gently.

I couldn’t tell her that I brought her because she was the protagonist of a novel and had a verified identity, or that I had her followed before meeting her. I had to steer the conversation.

“If I had bad intentions and only wanted to exploit you, I wouldn’t have requested a palace job for you.”

“Well, that’s true…”

“And even if you weren’t planning to follow me, you came along because I offered to help.”

“True, but…!”

“So I judged you could be trusted. If you were really a bad person, you’d have ignored me when I got hurt.”

I shrugged and chuckled.

Aurora, who deliberately spoke as if warning me to stay cautious, looked utterly adorable.