Living as the Villain’s Stepmother - Chapter 152

Chapter 152 – More Gifts (1)

Lila was very good at execution. Once she decided on a task, she was quick to put it into action. Her head was filled with thoughts of seeing Hir and seeing his progress with the ring.

“Are you heading there right now?” Jane asked expectantly.

Lila shook her head in response. “No, I have something to do before that. I received such a beautiful present, so I shouldn’t return empty-handed right?”

Jane’s confusion changed into a bright smile. “You’re right. The young master would be very glad.”

As Lila appeared lost thinking about what to give Hir, Jane showered her with suggestions. However, none of them seemed to satisfy her as they were things she gave Hir on the regular. She wanted to give him something unique, something he hasn’t received from her before.

It seemed obvious that Hir would have been happy to receive cake or cookies made by Lila, but that wasn’t what she wanted. Just like the things that she got from Lacias, she wanted to give him something impactful.

While thinking of a suitable gift, Lila habitually tinkered with her necklace which instantly sparked an idea.

The necklace I got as a gift from Lacias. It’s been a long time since I received it, and it still feels like it’s attached to my body as one. A gift that Lacias gave by putting his ring in a jewel. A very special gift… this is perfect!

She knew it would be a very suitable gift for someone like Hir who had just developed his ring. Thinking that she should ask Lacias for the craftsmanship first, Lila stood up

Jane saw the enthusiasm in her eyes and couldn’t help but ask her. “So which one are you going with?”

After hearing the question Lila quickly tried to compose herself. “Hm… I think it would be nice to give him something special but I don’t know how things will go yet. I think I’ll first need to visit Lacias, is he here?”

“The duke will probably be at his office. He didn’t mention any plans for going out today.”

After hearing that Lila packed up some documents on her desk. “Then I should go and see him.”

“Please do. I think I should work on some stuff in the kitchen.”

“Okay.” Lila waved the drawing at Jane. “Thank you so much for bringing this to me.”

Jane smiled in return. “No problem.”

Thanks to her, she found the proper way to treat Hir. If Jane hadn’t brought that drawing to Lila, she might have continued avoiding Hir and made him feel worse.

*

Lacias’ office wasn’t far from Lila’s own. As soon as she made up her mind to see him, she found herself already standing in front of his office. As she raised her hand to knock on the door, a shadowy figure approached her. Seemingly out of the blue.

“You scared me,” said Lila, holding onto her chest.

Lugar nodded his head in apology. “I’m sorry.”

“You approached me without any sound.”

“I didn’t approach, I was here to begin with.”

Lila thought about it for a moment and concluded that she couldn’t see him because he was standing behind the pillar. Hence why she couldn’t see him.

“Are you here to see the master?” Asked Lugar after a moment of silence.

“Yes.”

“He’s not in the office right now. He said that he’s going to the garden to cool his head.”

Lila looked at him appreciatively. “Thanks for letting me know.”

Lugar grinned and saluted before entering the office. It was quite a dizzying sight to see through the slightly opened door. Judging from the documents that were piled on the top of the cherry wood table, it seemed that the knights were also struggling for many reasons.

They must be investigating the case of Hir’s hole addiction and Baron Dough Blake. Besides, with the method of destroying Baron Blake, which I proposed, they must also be contemplating various ways to perfect it.

Feeling the weight of everyone’s combined efforts, Lila slowly made her way to the mansion garden.

Lila marveled at all the lively colors present in the garden. The last time she visited it was a different season so she couldn’t appreciate them at their bloom. Back when she was installing Hir’s swing, she used to think that the garden was very dull, but now she couldn’t keep her eyes off it.

It would be nice to enjoy a picnic later with delicious deserts on a blanket.

She thought it would be nice to bake a cake filled with sweet cream and unsweetened cookies for Lacias. She had once ruined their previous picnic, so this time, she would make happy memories with them.

Only then will I be able to endure the loneliness in the future. Later, I’ll have to live with the little memories.

“The wind is blowing so pleasantly.” The post-rain wind felt comfortable on her cheeks. It was slightly cooler than her skin temperature so it quickly made her feel better.

But where’s Lacias?

Last she heard he was going for a walk, but she couldn’t tell if he left already or not. Lila took a walk around the entire garden but still couldn’t find him.

Did we miss each other on the way?

While thinking about returning to the office, a new set of footprints caught Lila’s attention. They led to a small playground where Lila moved the swing. Piquing her curiosity, she followed them

When she finally reached Hir’s swing, a small sound came out of Lila’s mouth. In front of her stood Lacias, who she was searching for. He immediately noticed her presence and turned around as a result.

“Lila? What are you doing here?”

“… I’ve been looking for you.”

Hearing this, Lacias’s mood shifted from a bleak one to an excited one. “Oh, I think we’re really meant to be together. How did you find out where I was?”

Hearing Lacias’ confident tone, Lila got swept up in the moment, and without realizing it, she almost nodded her head. He seemed to have noticed Lila’s dazed state, as he approached her with a smiling face.

“What were you doing in front of Hir’s swing?” Asked Lila, having to look up at him now that he was closer.