Raising my Fiancè with Money

Chapter 82: You Are In Love

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T/N: Song recommendation for this chapter- https://youtu.be/KgL0t6nu-Mo

Lilia looked up at Karhan blankly. Lilia, who belatedly came to her senses, opened her mouth,

“Then can I ask you for this favor?”

Lilia took the necklace out of the box and handed it to Karhan. Slowly turning back, Lilia swept her hair aside. A white, thin neck showed.

Karhan put down the object he had in his hand. He offered first, but he had never given someone a necklace. It was even more unfamiliar because he didn’t enjoy wearing necklaces himself.

Karhan grabbed both ends of the necklace, feeling a little nervous. His hand was so big that the chain of the necklace looked like a thin thread. He held one side of the necklace and wrapped it half way forward. 

After checking the other end of the necklace, Karhan slowly united it. The wearing structure was quite complicated, so delicate hand movements were needed.

Karhan gave a slight force to his fingers that grabbed the ring. Then the ring opened wide as if it were about to break. When he was surprised and relaxed his hand, it opened moderately. Phew, Karhan swallowed a sigh of relief. He almost broke it with his own hands as soon as he gave it to her.

Karhan put on the necklace with more concentration. When he was in the middle of concentrating, a scent hit him. It was not a flower scent, but a warm smell like a sun-dried blanket. He came to his senses a moment later. He didn’t know he was this close because he was concentrating.

He quietly flinched. At the same time, there was a click and the sound of the necklace snapping into place.

“Is it over?”

Lilia, who was standing back, asked. Karhan hurriedly took his hand off before he had time to answer. Obviously, it was quiet all around, but only his heart was noisy. Karhan, who gently pressed on his chest, replied a beat late.

“……It’s done.”

Lilia slowly turned around. The amethyst necklace with the bluish light before darkness completely fell, revealed its existence. As expected, although it was a necklace that he bought at a glance, it suited her as if it belonged to Lilia from the beginning.

Karhan smiled faintly. It made him feel better to see her wearing his own choice. That’s why everyone gave each other gifts.

“What do you think?”

asked Lilia, brushing her hair lightly. Karhan answered immediately without hesitation.

“Beautiful.”

He felt like he was only praising her necklace. Karhan shook his head and corrected himself.

“I mean, it suits you very well.”

Seeing his sincere face, Lilia fiddled with her necklace as if she were embarrassed.

“Thank you. I’ll have to look in the mirror later. What’s that thing you’ve been carrying around?”

“Oh.”

Karhan picked up the object he had left on the ground and held it to Lilia.

“There’s actually one more present.”

“Is this mine, too?”

“I was going to give it to you before, but I couldn’t keep up with the timing…….”

Previously, Karhan had received cufflinks from Lilia as a gift. He bought a parasol in return and went to Blodon’s mansion. And on that day, the incident with Richard happened.  He had not been able to give her the parasol he had bought at that time because he had completely forgotten about it.

“What’s this?”

“You’ll know when you open it.”

Lilia, who received the gift, untied the ribbon. When the wrapper came off, a white parasol was revealed. The lace at the end was impressive. Karhan muttered with no confidence.

“I’m sure you already have a lot…….”

“I don’t have this.”

Lilia replied with a smile. The parsol, full of lace, was to Lilia’s taste in fancy things. She couldn’t imagine Karhan, who would have chosen the parsol himself, so Lilia asked playfully.

“You didn’t buy it because you were forced to buy it, right?”

“No, of course not.”

Karhan shook his head confidently that he had at least done that. And he continued with a tone of subdued pride,

“The clerk recommended something else, but I refused.”

Lilia imagined Karhan, who would have refused with a nervous face. It feels like yesterday when he was forced to refuse……. She laughed for no reason.

The parasol, which looked small when held in Karhan’s hand, was appropriate in size when it came into Lilia’s hand. Lilia looked around the parasol, and she unfolded it. The parasol spread round like a hollow bowl but was light and strong, so it was perfect for carrying around.

“The sun is out longer and the days are getting hotter, so I’ll use it well.”

Lilia folded the parasol again and held it in her hand.

“By the way, did you try on the cufflinks I gave you?”

“It’s a pity to use it, I’m still…….”

It was not a consumable item that would wear out when worn, but even that seemed to be a waste. She knew his heart, so Lilia didn’t say much more.

The two started walking side by side. The wisteria tunnel that seemed far away was getting closer and closer.

“How did you know about my birthday?”

“The Count told me.”

Lilia nodded slowly.

“……I was actually thinking about moving on quietly again this time. I was afraid I’d put pressure on you if I said it.”

“It was a relief that I found out even though it’s late.”

Thanks to him, I was able to give you a present, Karhan murmured.

“When is your birthday?”

“My birthday is in winter.”

Now early summer is coming. They had to wait half a year for winter to come.

“I’ll wait and wish you well then.”

At Lilia’s words, Karhan was relieved inside. At least they can be together until then.

Lilia and Karhan entered a tunnel with wisteria spread out on both sides. As if a purple curtain had been tightly hung, flower petals in full bloom covered the sky.

“I’ve been thinking that you’ve been avoiding me lately.”

Karhan stopped at the words that were thrown. Lilia, who stopped at the same time, faced Karhan.

“I asked you last time…… You’re not avoiding me, are you?

Karhan could not immediately say no. He really had been avoiding Lilia.

“Did I make a mistake?”

“No.”

That was a clear answer. However, Karhan had nothing to say when asked why he had been avoiding her. In fact, it was because he himself could not find a clear reason. Karhan still hasn’t figured out what his feelings for Lilia are.

At that moment, a petal fell from the sky and sat on Lilia’s hair. Seeing this, Karhan stretched out his hand without realizing it. His long fingers touched the meandering blonde hair. The petals that had been clinging to her hair fell off and began to fall very slowly.

Lilia and Karhan faced each other. It was a breathtaking distance.

Karhan looked at Lilia as if possessed. The purple eyes that captured the twilight seemed to embrace the boundary between early evening and night. Karhan saw a landscape through Lilia’s eyes. To the extent that he will never find a scene more ecstatic than that again……….

A huge wave rushed in from the depths of the entangled gaze. He was afraid that he was going to fall into it, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. The petal slid from her shoulder to her waist, and then to the knee.… And finally it landed lightly on the floor. The moment felt like forever.

A few more wisteria petals hanging overhead fell down. A petal came down between the eyes of the two, who seemed to be confidential and dense, so much so that nothing could intrude on them.

Karhan blinked slowly. Only then did the gaze that had been tightly intertwined come undone. When he came to his senses, he was deafened by the beating of his heart. His heart ached as if someone were pressing him.

Karhan let out a voice that was submerged like a person who had come out of the water.

“……My legs hurt, so please go ahead. I’ll be right behind you.”

Lilia closed her mouth as she was about to ask if he was okay. She seemed to have noticed that his legs were an excuse.

“I won’t go far, so take your time.”

Lilia took the first step. As the distance widened, Karhan hurriedly took the pillbox out of his arms. He chewed the pill without water and swallowed it. Even if he exhaled slowly, the pain only got worse.

While waiting for the medicine to take effect, he looked at Lilia’s back as she was moving away from him. At that time, the wind swirling at her feet soared into the sky, and fell heavily. Hanging wisteria petals fell like a purple shower.

Karhan closed his eyes tightly to the enormous rain of flowers blocking his view. The sensation of petals brushing against his head and face was vivid.

When the wind slowly stopped and all the petals that had been hovering in the air fell to the floor, Karhan slowly opened his eyes. It was dark all around. The twilight, which had been there, was gone. It was hard to tell whether the petals that filled the floor were purple or black.

Nevertheless….There was one person who was particularly bright. From a distance, Lilia, opening the parasol to stop the pouring petals, turned around and looked at him.

Boom 

His heart pounded. Karhan dropped the bottle he was holding. The pills were scattered in all directions and the empty barrel rolled over the petals.

For some reason, Mezra’s words lingered in his mind.

—If the word “I like you” is not enough…… Then you can call it love.

Mezra’s words, that he still couldn’t understand, sometimes came to mind from time to time. Like now.

And she, who doesn’t know his heart, called his name.

“……Karhan?”

So this.

Is love.

***

T/N: The chapter title is the name of a song, performed and written by Taylor Swift, it’s from the album 1989.

P/R: Excuse me for a second i need to collect myself cause im SOBBING