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~Chapter 46~
“Lillian, welcome—!”
I jumped up from my seat to greet her.
My rope from heaven, my light!
In that moment, Lillian’s presence was worth more than ten customers.
She grabbed both my hands and bounced excitedly, showing even more joy than I did.
“I had some free time today, so I stopped by. Do you have any other guests coming?”
“No, not at all. I’m just grateful you came again, Lillian.”
After a short but heartfelt greeting, we sat down.
Instead of coffee, I made her a warm choco latte.
“Mmm—this hot chocolate is delicious. I forgot my shawl today, so I was feeling a little chilly.”
She blew on the cup and sipped it with a relaxed smile.
“It’s autumn now, so mornings are a bit cool.”
“That’s true. By the way, you haven’t been sick, have you? The other day I stopped by, but the shop was closed. I was a little disappointed.”
“Oh no, I’m sorry to make you come for nothing. I wasn’t sick—just stepped out for a while.”
“That’s a relief. One of my close friends told me Amelie’s health was fragile, so I worried.”
Fragile, my foot.
Maybe she was weak when she was younger—she had dropped out of the academy with Richard, after all. But from what I’d seen, the current Amelie was anything but frail.
Most likely, she had been faking it back then to win sympathy from Richard and Lyssa. And the Garnet couple’s overprotectiveness surely helped her act.
“I’ve been moving around a lot lately, so I feel healthier. Still, I’m planning to open the office only on fixed days from now on. Please visit often.”
“Of course. Oh, and since I was so grateful, I mentioned this place to some of my friends.”
“Lillian! You didn’t have to—but thank you.”
This angel was advertising for me on her own! I looked at her with shining eyes.
“But… maybe because I’ve had several lovers before, they didn’t seem very interested.”
“Ah. So you’ve dated a lot of people.”
By now, nothing about Lillian surprised me.
She was like a human onion—layer after layer, new sides kept showing. Honestly, I’d begun to look forward to her surprises.
“Well, that won’t happen anymore. Thanks to you, I’ve met my destined partner. I’ll make sure to emphasize that part!”
“Even just the thought is enough. I’m so happy.”
“Really? Then I’ll promote you even harder.”
Thanks to her fresh-in-love glow, Lillian clearly saw me as her savior.
Which made this the perfect moment to bring up social gatherings.
I fiddled with my fingers, pretending to hesitate.
“Lillian, well…”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“No, never mind. Forget I said anything.”
“What do you mean, Amelie! Is there something I can help with?”
Just as I expected, she jumped at my hesitation.
If I said it outright, it would be clumsy. What I needed was pity and suspense to make her eager.
“But… you already do so much for me, I don’t know if I should trouble you with another request.”
“Don’t hesitate. If I can help, I’ll do my very best.”
‘Perfect. She’s hooked.’
Her eyes were burning with determination. Now it was time to spin the story.
“Since you insist… I’ll tell you. In the past, I was often sick, so I never had a proper debut in high society.”
“Oh my! I never would have guessed. You’re always so bright and cheerful.”
“Yes. I’m grateful just to be healthy now. But after meeting you, Lillian, I started to feel a little regret. I thought… if only I had more friends like you.”
“Goodness!”
Moved, Lillian let out a gasp of pity.
I felt like a scammer, but my mouth kept going on its own.
“The truth is, Lyssa is my only real friend. I’ve never even been to a proper party or gathering.”
“That can’t be! If you had gone, Amelie, you would have been the center of attention.”
“But… I have no friends to invite me.”
“Leave it to me, Amelie.”
Did I overdo it?
Lillian’s face grew firm with resolve, like she had just taken on a great responsibility.
“I’ll take you to every single social party in the Vieneder Empire and introduce you to everyone. So don’t you worry at all, alright?”
“…Every single party?”
It seemed Lillian was planning to turn me into the biggest social butterfly in the entire empire.
After meeting Lillian, the Garnet mansion really did receive dozens of party invitations.
It turned out she was incredibly well-connected.
Overflowing with enthusiasm, Lillian urged me to attend every single party. But after some bargaining, I managed to settle on only one per week, using the counseling office as an excuse.
“I scored 70% I-type on the MBTI test. I’m an introvert through and through.”
Just imagining myself at those parties drained my energy. I was already dreading it.
“These shoes—how about these? They have a platform at the front, so they’ll be comfortable even for long wear.”
“Oh… you’re right. They really are.”
To make the ordeal a little easier, I went out to buy shoes.
Of course, sneakers would’ve been the best, but even in a K-romance fantasy, that was impossible.
“I think coral would suit you better than this color, yorp.”
Walking beside me was Omok—who had taken on human form after being scolded and kicked out by Chorong (a.k.a. Team Leader Cho).
Apparently, he’d spilled coffee on an important report.
So, until further notice, he wasn’t allowed near the office and was ordered to help me instead.
“Oh my, such a cute boy—he has good taste too. Is he your younger brother?”
“…He’s my cousin.”
“Ah, I see. Now that you mention it, you two don’t really look alike.”
The shop clerk glanced between me and Omok with a smile.
Honestly, even cousins should look at least a little similar.
Now in the form of about an eight-year-old boy, Omok had kept all his cuteness even as a human.
His fluffy white hair and glossy black eyes made him stand out.
“I’m way cuter, yorp.”
Of course, his bratty attitude hadn’t changed a bit.
‘If only he weren’t in human form, I would’ve rolled him away like a ball.’
Maybe Chorong had passed her troublesome burden onto me instead.
“I’ll take these shoes—in coral, please.”
Well, I had to admit, coral suited me better.
After paying for the shoes Omok picked, we left the store.
We had only walked a few steps when—
Grrrowl.
A loud stomach growl echoed beside me.
“…Don’t tell me you’re hungry?”
“How did you know, yorp?”
“How? That growl sounded like thunder! And didn’t you already eat bread earlier?”
I stared at Omok’s round belly in disbelief.
That tiny stomach had somehow fit five whole loaves.
“Bread was just the appetizer, yorp.”
“Most people count that much as a full meal. How much more can you even—”
Grrrrowl—
“Alright, alright!”
His stomach roared again, leaving me no choice but to stop scolding him.
If anyone overheard, they’d think I was starving the poor kid. I glanced around, looking for a nearby restaurant.
But then—
Two figures in hooded robes suddenly appeared and blocked my path.
