Chapter 14
An unfamiliar man—especially one with a very refined and beautiful face—is not someone you should follow carelessly, my late mother used to say.
I stared blankly at the hand the man extended, then shouted with full energy.
“Okay!”
Ah, this isn’t good…
My intention was already too clearly revealed to be taken back.
I had no choice but to stand up. Truly, I had no choice.
I couldn’t ignore kindness!
“I’m Ariel April. Nice to meet you.”
“Please call me Oscar. By the way, what are you planning to buy?”
After hesitating for a moment, I honestly shared my concern.
“I want to buy a gift for someone who helped me, but I don’t know what would be good.”
“Is it someone you don’t know well?”
“No, that’s the problem. He’s a very rich person. I feel like not everything I know about him would be liked.”
Oscar narrowed his eyes slightly as if thinking about something, then asked playfully,
“Is it perhaps your lover?”
“Wha—?! Absolutely not! Who would be with someone who only thinks about money like that…”
“Your reaction is interesting.”
When I jumped in denial, Oscar let out a low laugh.
“Please don’t tease me. I’m the type who’s bad at handling things like this.”
“Anyway, it seems the man is indeed male.”
I had no choice but to nod.
I couldn’t deny Simon’s biological sex.
“But just because the receiver is rich, does it mean the gift must be expensive? Even a small gift with meaning would be good.”
“Do you think so? He’s a very picky person, and it’s hard to understand what he’s thinking.”
If I brought a shabby gift, he would surely shake it in front of me and say annoying things, but I had my pride—I couldn’t stand seeing that.
But since I couldn’t speak ill of Simon in front of a stranger, I just gave an awkward smile.
“Then let’s look around slowly and pick something. Since I promised to guide you, please feel comfortable looking and thinking.”
“Thank you very much.”
How could someone be this kind…! So the capital wasn’t filled only with strange people.
I clasped both hands tightly and thanked Oscar.
“Please follow me carefully.”
And thus, shopping with a stranger began.
He took me around many shops—flower stores, dessert shops, souvenir stores, clothing stores, and more.
But even after looking around the commercial district for quite a long time, I couldn’t pick a gift that I truly liked.
‘Flowers don’t seem interesting at all to him, and desserts… I’ve never seen Simon eat anything in the first place.’
“What on earth should I buy…”
As I muttered to myself, Oscar, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped.
Because of that, my forehead lightly bumped into his back.
“Are you all right?”
“…Yes. I’m fine.”
I stared at him blankly for a moment.
Somehow, when I was very close to him—when my forehead hit Oscar’s back—I thought I smelled a familiar scent.
“You’ve been thinking for a long time. That person must be quite important.”
“Oh, I’m sorry! I must have taken too much of your time.”
“No, I didn’t mean it that way. I just thought you were thinking very deeply.”
I rolled my eyes and hesitated for a moment.
It was true that I was worrying too much about the gift.
If it had been a gift for Matthias or a friend, it might not have taken this long.
But for some reason, even when I saw something that seemed suitable, it didn’t feel right.
That was probably…
“Maybe I want to see that person truly smile.”
I wanted to see the same smile he showed when he said he felt rewarded because of me.
If it wasn’t that smile, I felt strangely unsettled even if I gave the gift.
“And I’m sincerely grateful too.”
“You said he was your benefactor, right?”
“Yes. I received help from him when I was at my lowest point. Well, it doesn’t seem like it was done purely out of goodwill… But still, it was the most impressive moment in my life.”
Even though I wasn’t talking directly to Simon, I felt strangely embarrassed.
But it was the truth. In the most desperate and miserable moment of my life, I received help from Simon.
Even if it was Simon’s scheme to covet my ability, he was the person who gave me what I wanted most.
“He must have done something amazing if you speak of him that way.”
“Yes. He made me realize that I am someone who can accomplish something too.”
Hearing my answer, Oscar’s eyes widened slightly. For some reason, he looked surprised.
At that time, what I wanted most was probably… someone’s recognition.
The acknowledgment that I was a useful and valuable person.
While working as a maid in the mansion, my sense of self was slowly being eroded.
“You are nothing, Ariel.”
“What can you do besides helping me with my dressing?”
Those cruel words Delia whispered to me gradually wore me down.
Very slowly, so slowly that I didn’t even notice.
So when I was finally abandoned on the streets, I thought, “So this is what was coming.”
And when I wandered the commercial district in desperation, pretending not to care, I was terrified of what would happen if I was ultimately discarded from the world since no place needed me.
If I couldn’t even send tuition money for my only younger brother and was not recognized anywhere, then I…
But Simon told me I was needed.
“Things worked out well. I was looking for someone to manage the shop. Someone kind and responsible like Miss April would be good. Would you like to work here?”
I now knew that those words were a lie said to monitor me.
But even so, it didn’t change the fact that I was saved by his words.
So I wanted to give Simon a gift he would truly like.
Oscar looked at me, smiling brightly, and slowly opened his lips.
Then he said quietly,
“I thought you would definitely say money.”
“…Pardon?”
What was this suddenly?
I stared blankly at Oscar.
Then he said again with a smile very familiar to me.
“So it wasn’t money that you needed the most back then. I thought so and unnecessarily raised the salary a lot.”
“…”
I opened my mouth wide and stared at Oscar—no, Simon.
‘Impossible…’
Then the person in front of me is Simon, and the one who heard everything I said…
“Eeeeek!”
“Oh, that hurts.”
Unable to bear the embarrassment, I started hitting Simon wildly with my hands.
“Why would you do something like this! How could you trick me like this!”
Simon couldn’t stop laughing as he heard my screams.
“Don’t laugh! Forget everything. Or I’ll make you forget it myself.”
When I seriously tried to pick up a stone, Simon finally stopped laughing and stopped me.
“Calm down. It’s not like I caught you badmouthing someone, so there’s no reason to be so embarrassed.”
W, was that so…?
I took a few deep breaths and thought for a moment.
“Of course, I did hear you calling me a money-obsessed person and reacting with disgust to the question about whether we were lovers.”
“…Maybe I should erase your memory…”
“No thank you.”
Simon stepped back lightly and said brightly.
Meanwhile, having calmed down a little, I pressed my burning face with the back of my hand and glared at him.
“Why did you do this anyway? I was planning to prepare a thank-you gift. I knew you would eventually find out, but I didn’t want to confess all my inner thoughts in this way.”
I was just planning to hand the gift over simply—saying I was grateful so far and that we should continue working well as business partners…
At my question, Simon shrugged his shoulders.
“Since you received a large amount as your first salary, I wanted to check whether Ariel might have other intentions.”
“Pardon? You mean you followed me because you were afraid I might suddenly disappear with that money?”
“Or return to the master who had been controlling you from behind until now.”
I let out a dumbfounded laugh.
I knew they were a very cautious group, but I never imagined they would still monitor me!
“If that was the case, you should have just done it without me knowing. Why did you appear in front of me and create this situation? You like certainty, don’t you?”
“I tried, but you were walking around advertising ‘Please take my money~’ like a fool.”
“…”
That was… hard to argue against.
“Anyway, even though it’s official work, I do have emotions too.”
“Yes. Then shall we continue choosing my gift?”
“Did you even listen to what I said?”
“Yes. I truly want to see you smile…”
“Not that!”
Simon burst into laughter like a boy and started walking ahead.
‘Seriously, he’s so annoying.’
I had no choice but to follow him.
“Let’s go together!”
