Living as the Villain’s Stepmother - Chapter 197

Lila kicked herself for letting her emotions slip. She had been thinking about how handsome Lacias was and how his face always made her smile. But that was something that Lugar never needed to know

“Did I? I didn’t. It seems like you’re seeing things. That’s not good, Lugar.”

“No, you just…” Lugar was confused.

“When we go back to the mansion, I’ll send a doctor to you. Don’t worry.”

“What, no…” Lugar sputtered, surprised that the joke had been turned around on him.

“We don’t have time to play around like this,” Lila said, wanting to move on.

“Because the master is waiting dearly for you!” Lugar did not want to let this farce go.

“Sir Lugar!” Lila said, angrily.

Lugar erupted in laughter, folding over while holding his stomach. He eventually got control of himself and wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Let’s go,” he said, helping Lila into the carriage. “It’d be bad if the master becomes love sick.” He just couldn’t help himself, throwing in one last joke as he pulled himself up into the driver seat.

***

“Is she here?” Lacias asked as Lugar pulled up in the carriage. It appeared that some of Lugar’s jokes may have had some truth to them.

“How did you know? Were you waiting for me?” Lila asked, as she stepped out of the carriage.

“I wasn’t waiting. I just happened to be taking a walk in the garden when you pulled up, so I came over.”

Lila was suspicious. The garden was enormous. For him to be at the area where the carriages stop, right when she pulled up, seemed like more than a coincidence.

“I just wanted to make sure you came back safely.” Lacias appeared to be slightly embarrassed. “I heard you went through a lot of trouble.”

“Already? How does the news travel so fast?”

“I got a report from Roxana,” Lacias informed her. Roxana had enough time to finish the trial and give her daily report to the Duke. Lila didn’t think she had stayed so long at the Hiln mansion but, apparently, she had.

“Roxana came back but you hadn’t returned yet, so I was waiting…” Lacias cut off. He really was embarrassed about the fact that he was concerned for her.

Lacias normally never let anything concern him and, if it did, he never let it show. So, what was different now? Lila didn’t answer, realizing how awkward this situation must be for the Duke.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Lacias asked, putting a hand to his cheeks. “Is there something on my face?”

Lila just smiled and embraced the man before her, unable to hold back her emotions any more.

“Why are you being so cute today?” Lila asked, giggling. Lacias smiled awkwardly, but Lila could tell he didn’t mind, even if he thought she was being weird. He then turned serious.

“Did something happen? If something has bothered you, tell me. Even if it’s something small.”

“Something did.”

“What happened?” Lacias’ smile disappeared. He thought Roxana had given him a thorough report, and there had been nothing indicating harm to Lila in it. He would need to speak to Roxana if she had missed something important.

Lila pulled the document out of her pocket with a flourish and trumpeted “Ta-Da! Take a look at this!”

“This is the something? You had me worried. What is it?”

“It’s an amazing thing! You’ll be surprised? I was quite happy.” Lila was grinning like a fool. “The owner of the diamond mine changed! I just got possession of it from Dawson Hiln!”

“The diamond mine? The one that is listed in the clause from our last contract?” Lacias didn’t look happy. In fact, he seemed to be a bit bitter.

“That’s right. You really wanted to have this back, didn’t you?” Lila didn’t know why he wasn’t happy. Lacias just gave a snort of amused laughter. It was as if he had forgotten that the mine even existed.

This wasn’t the reaction that Lila had anticipated. He seemed as if didn’t care about the diamond mine at all. If anything, he actually seemed sad that Lila had brought back the diamond mine that had been detailed in the contract. Was he in shock that their relationship was now bound up through a contract again?

In the original story, he was mad that he had lost the diamond mine, Lila thought. Why would his interest in the mine have disappeared? The only thing she could think of was that his interests had turned to somewhere else.

“Aren’t you happy?” Lila asked. “I thought you’d like it.”

“No, I like it. I’m just sad about what you must have gone through for me.” It was an understandable answer, considering how Lacias had a tendency to overprotect her.

“Well, it wasn’t like I didn’t take any effort, but it was nothing compared to what you do every day.” She didn’t want to boast so she tried to be as polite as she could. She certainly felt proud at what she had accomplished.

Lacias smiled. “You worked very hard. I got my diamond mine back thanks to you.”

“It was a promise to you, so that’s why I worked hard.” Lila, feeling a little embarrassed at his compliment, waved her hands and pretended it was nothing. However, she had worked very hard every day, so she really couldn’t say it wasn’t nothing.

Thanks to what she had done, Hir would be able to start on the right path. The diamond mine was something Hir should be entitled to. He seemed to be headed for misfortune, but she was proud that she had shown him a new direction on that road.

My role here is really done, Lila thought. The contract she had with Lacias was indefinite and unbreakable, except for one clause. The clause stated that the contract immediately ends the moment he owns the diamond mine. It’s really too bad. It was now time to start forgetting everything that made up her life right now.