The Unlikely Imprint of the Villainess and the Male Lead - Chapter 76
Chapter 76
Translator: Yonnee
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Luciana amiably glanced at Louis, who would be her partner for the day and was also her cousin.
“If only Her Lordship the Marquis and Lord Terzion were here, I’d at least say hello. I heard Brother Lorrain has also gone to the fief?”
“Yeah, that’s right. My parents happen to have plans this morning as well…”
“Oh, what a shame.”
Louis, who was two years younger than Luciana, had silver hair like her father, but his eyes, resembling those of his mother—Luciana’s aunt—were a vivid orange.
“But you know, it seems you’ve grown taller than last time, haven’t you?”
Just last year, neck wouldn’t hurt this much just looking up. Look at all the men around her—what on earth were they eating to grow so tall?
“Sister, aren’t you the one who’s gotten smaller?”
“Louis!”
“Just kidding. Now, come on, get in, oh Lady Leslie who resembles a bellflower.”
“Really, you…”
At Luciana’s disdainful reaction, Louis chuckled and extended his hand, clearly in high spirits.
‘He’ll be of age in just a few months, but everything he does is still just like a kid’s antics.’
Before even exchanging a brief greeting, Luciana sighed as she watched her busy cousin teasing her, then climbed into the carriage. As Louis sat down across from her, the coachman began to speak in earnest.
“Don’t forget the promised amount, okay?”
“I got it. I’ll send it within this week, so stop asking.”
“You know that’s what I love about you right, Sister? How hot-headed you are.”
Recalling the savory sum she had promised, Louis whistled like a spoiled brat.
‘Damn, that guy’s completely money-crazy.’
Luciana shook her head in exasperation at him.
When she received the Spring Festival invitation, she racked her brain over who to choose as her partner.
Sure, a few partner invitations had arrived, but attending with a man driven by ulterior motives would have been too much of a burden. Then she thought of Louis.
Although Louis Dalton was at that age when curiosity about the opposite sex was in full bloom, he had long since declared his bachelorhood and loved money more than anything.
If it were Louis…
It wasn’t common to attend with a relative, so it might attract a few glances, but such cases had happened before, so it wasn’t really a problem.
Thus, Luciana proposed an amount that Louis wouldn’t refuse and asked him to be her partner for the Spring Festival. Naturally, Louis accepted.
“Judging by your expression, you don’t seem too keen on going to the Spring Festival—so why would you insist on even paying someone to attend with you?”
“Maybe if it was just a little tea party or something, then I wouldn’t have come. But I’ve been holed up ever since my birthday, so it’s about time I showed my face.”
“People sure do live miserably. Who cares what others say.”
“…You’re the weird one here.”
Even though they exchanged such words, Luciana, like him, wanted nothing more than to focus on her research without worrying about what others thought. Perhaps if this world weren’t as obsessed with reputation as her past life, she might have done just that.
“Hmm? The carriage stopped, so I guess we’ve arrived.”
“Already?”
Disembarking with her escort, Luciana took in the view before her and let out a soft exclamation.
This year’s Spring Festival was held in a small forest owned by the imperial family.
As Luciana gazed out at the scene, her lips parted slightly.
Under the vast sky, nobles dressed in a riot of colors mingled with butterflies fluttering gracefully between them. Even the occasional, cottony breeze brushing past the skin was exactly as described in the novel.
“Right. Wasn’t this your first time at the Spring Festival?”
“Huh? Well, yeah. I haven’t had the chance to attend because of the Academy.”
Though she hadn’t particularly wished to participate, seeing this peaceful, gentle scene made her truly feel that spring had arrived.
The sight—a perfect recreation of the novel’s descriptions—was fascinating, and before she knew it, Luciana was looking around like a child on their first outing.
Watching her intently, Louis suddenly made an unusual suggestion.
“It still seems a bit early for things to start. Would you like to take a look around a bit?”
“Um… sure, why not?”
Luciana agreed cheerfully, thinking it wasn’t a bad idea.
“Wow, Louis, the crowd here is almost as impressive as that at the year-end ball.”
Even after just about five minutes of walking, it felt like she’d spent a whole month people-watching.
Noticing that Luciana looked utterly overwhelmed, Louis chuckled softly and, in his signature joking tone, said,
“Hmm, spending several hours in a bustling place like this… now that I think about it, the amount you mentioned doesn’t quite add up. Looks like I might need an extra fee.”
“You heartless kid! Are you really going to ask for more money?”
A mischievous laugh lightly danced in the air.
The two bantered back and forth for a while as they circled around the area.
“This must be the end of the pathway.”
“Yeah, it really is more spacious than I thought.”
How peaceful.
As they retraced their steps, enjoying the leisurely atmosphere, suddenly the conversation of someone nearby became distinctly audible.
“Look over there! It’s Duke Cassio!”
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