My New Love That Isn’t Fated - Episode 10

Owen suddenly seemed to realize something and let go of Lilia’s arm. Lilia pulled her right arm to her chest and touched her wrist with her left hand.

“I got a bit flustered. Did I hurt you?” he asked.

“No, I’m fine… So, you’re a researcher at the Royal Institute, right? If I’m not mistaken, your last name is Linhardt…?” Lilia asked.

“The name of the king’s seventh wife,” Owen replied.

“…Ah, I see. I apologize for the mistake.”

Lilia hurriedly bowed her head. King Rafal had seven wives, and the seventh one, much younger than him, was particularly favored by the king. Her name was Octavia Linhardt. She was the youngest daughter of the Linhardt family and worked as a maid for the princess before being chosen by the king.

This was a story from before Lilia was born, something the professor had briefly mentioned in the kingdom’s history class. It caused quite a stir in high society at the time.

No matter the title, if a girl was cute enough, she might catch the king’s eye, and everyone tried to get their daughters to work in the royal palace, which led to some chaos.

“So, you’re a prince,” Lilia said, suddenly realizing. “I’m terribly sorry… I should have recognized you by name.”

When Owen introduced himself as Owen Linhardt, she should have figured it out. There were plenty of clues. For example, when Lilia introduced herself as Griez, he immediately recognized her as the wife of the Marquis of Griez. That’s something someone from noble society would notice.

Most common folk wouldn’t pay much attention to noble middle names.

Of course, if a scandal came out in the papers, that would be a different matter…

“No, that’s not important,” Owen said, waving his hand. “Forget about that.”

“But—”

“…Lilia, could you spare me a little time? Just a little.”

“Owen-sama, I really should be heading home…” she replied.

“How about dinner? No, that might be a bad idea. Coffee, then? There’s a café I like just a short walk away. Just thirty minutes… no, even ten minutes would be fine. Of course, let me pay for it.”

Lilia looked around, her gaze wandering. Thirty minutes wasn’t a big deal. Even if she hurried home, Elad wouldn’t be there.

Tomorrow was Sunday, and the library was closed. The only thing Lilia had planned was to open a shop at the open-air market.

In the evening, the servants and maids returned home. By the time Lilia got back to the Griez household, there would be no one there.

So, being a little late wouldn’t matter much. In fact, Irma and the others would probably suggest, “Madam, why don’t you have dinner somewhere? You should indulge yourself a bit. If you’re going to be late, you can always come back by carriage.”

And now that she knew Owen was a prince, rejecting him outright felt… wrong.

She found herself making excuses in her mind, but then she dismissed them all.

Lilia was interested in his offer. Even though it wasn’t ideal for the wife of Elad to spend time alone with a man, she knew that a divorce was inevitable. Even if she wasn’t divorced, once she was ready, Lilia planned to leave that house.

If Owen’s suggestion could lead to her independence, then it was worth listening to.

“Alright, I’ll join you,” she said.

“Yes, great! I’m glad… Ah, sorry. I’m not very good at talking to people. I tend to choose my words poorly. My subordinates often tell me I’m bad at it. Honestly, I was desperate to keep you here, so… well, I’m just happy.”

“…Heh, yes. Thank you for asking me.”

Owen smiled, somewhat innocently, and for a moment, he looked like a young boy. Despite his appearance—a charming, handsome nobleman with a high-ranking lineage.
Lilia couldn’t help but smile, and Owen, looking a bit embarrassed, quickly turned his gaze away.

“Well, let’s go. Just thirty minutes. I’ll borrow some of your time. You’re probably in a hurry.”

“No, there’s no rush. When I get home, no one will be there,” she said.

“…I see. Well, it’s the same for me. I guess we can eat. The coffee is good, but the pancakes, peach tarts, and fish and chips are amazing too.”

“I love fish and chips! And I also adore sweet things. Strong espresso and lemon Perrier too,” Lilia said.

“Ah, I love those too. The owner of the café has recently gotten into latte art. He often draws rabbits.”

“That sounds cute! I’d love to see it.”

Walking side by side, they left the library grounds.

After securely locking the iron gate, Lilia followed Owen to the café.