My New Love That Isn’t Fated - Episode 12

A plate of fish and chips, crispy and golden with ketchup, mustard, and a lemon wedge on the side, along with a ginger honey coffee featuring whipped soy milk and a swirl of honey like a fluffy cloud. There were cinnamon rolls dusted with powdered sugar, and scones served with raspberry jam and clotted cream.

The café latte had a cute bunny-shaped foam floating on top, peeking out from the cup.

One by one, delicate, cute, and delicious dishes were placed on the table—each one handmade by the café owner. It was a wonder that someone with such strong, sturdy arms could create such delicate things.

“Please, enjoy your meal,” she said. “Thank you, Sienna,” Owen replied. “You remembered my name? I’m happy to hear that, Lilia. My father’s coffee has a mysterious power that soothes the heart of a person, like walking in the rain for hours. The Nighttime Rain Café is open until dawn, so feel free to take your time.”

Sienna gave a charming smile and then headed to the kitchen to begin wiping dishes. She seemed to be around Lilia’s age, maybe a little younger.

The words “like walking in the rain for hours” echoed in Lilia’s mind. Was she perhaps walking in the rain? She hadn’t thought about it that way, but maybe…

“Shall we eat, Lilia?” “Yes, let’s.”

Lilia took a sip of the café latte. She felt it was a shame to ruin the fluffy bunny foam, but the smooth sweetness of the milk and the deep, slightly bitter taste of the coffee spread over her tongue, and she smiled.
“It’s delicious.” “I’m glad to hear that.”

She took a bite of the cinnamon roll. The scent of cinnamon and the gentle sweetness of the sugar relaxed her shoulders. Owen squeezed a bit of lemon on his fried white fish, added some mustard, and took a bite. His face lit up with a satisfied smile.

“This place’s fish and chips are the best. I can’t cook, so I’m always grateful to the owner. I have a habit of sticking to places I like—the sofa by the window at the Tenegro Library and here. Lately, I’ve been going back and forth between the two.”

“It’s nice to have a place you love. This is a lovely shop. The coffee and food are both very delicious.” “I’m glad you think so. This is the first time I’ve brought someone here. I always felt like it wouldn’t be my place anymore if I invited anyone, so I preferred to come alone. But when you’re here… it feels as though we’ve been coming here together for a long time.”

“…T-Thank you.”

Lilia lowered her gaze, feeling a little embarrassed.

“Did I say something wrong? I’m sorry, Lilia.” “N-no… that’s not it. I’m just happy to hear that.” “Good… I’m glad. I was about to try and flirt with you, but I don’t want you to dislike me.” “You mean talking about work, right?”

Owen nodded. Outside the window, the rain had started falling lightly.

“I suppose I should tell you about myself. It’s hard to judge someone who’s been approached by a man with no clear background.” “Of course. Please, tell me.” “I was born between the king and Octavia. That was twenty-six years ago. My father—now deceased, King Ludman Rafal—was already over forty when I was born. Despite that, he was still healthy and hadn’t yet passed the throne to my half-brother, the Crown Prince Harvey. But then, when Octavia gave birth to a son, my father announced he would pass the throne to him.”

Lilia’s eyes widened. That violated the usual succession rule. According to tradition, the firstborn son of the queen is given the throne. If no son is born, the firstborn son of a concubine is next in line. The order of succession is strictly followed.

That’s been the tradition for a long time. Without these rules, disputes over succession would occur, and the kingdom would fall into chaos. The kingdom of Rafal had achieved peace through such struggles.

But for him to try to pass the throne to a son born from a seventh wife—this was a scandal. Lilia hadn’t known this secret before.

“…Was the throne going to be given to you, Owen-sama?” “Yeah. At the time, I was just a baby. I had no say in the matter. My mother, fearing a conflict, begged my father to stop and entrusted me to the Linhardt family. She had already been disliked by the other consorts, and it seems she feared for my life.”

“Would something like that happen in today’s world…?” “I hope not. But for my mother’s position, it must have been that precarious.”

Owen’s calm voice echoed in the quiet space. The sound of rain growing stronger outside, hitting the cobblestones with a plunk, seemed to accompany his words.

“Were you raised by the Linhardt family, Owen-sama?” “Yeah. I was under the protection of my mother’s brother. But the problem was, my father’s affection for my mother stirred ambitions in my uncle. He thought he should be in the heart of politics and tried to use me as a pawn to get into the Senate. It was a very troublesome situation.”

“…How old were you at the time?” “I was around ten. Eventually, my mother died. Everyone said it was from the stress. My father followed her not long after, and when I was fifteen, my half-brother brought me back to the castle.”

“Harvey-sama is a remarkable person, I’ve heard.” “Yeah. He made sure that no complaints arose about how the children of the seven concubines were treated. It must’ve been difficult. He’s a remarkable person.”

“Owen-sama, did you encounter any further difficulties after that?” “Just like you. I graduated from the Royal Academy in the capital, then went to the Royal University and lived in the dorms. After I graduated at twenty, I spent about two years just drifting around.”

“Drifting around?” “There’s no better way to put it. My existence felt completely empty. My birth had caused my mother’s family to develop ambitions they shouldn’t have had. My mother died, and my father strayed from the royal path. I didn’t want to be near power… so I just drifted along, like a paper bag blown by the wind.”

Owen shrugged as he said this. Lilia could relate to the feeling of aimlessness, the emptiness he spoke of. She understood that feeling.

“But my brother called me back. He said, ‘Since you’re so smart, you should work for the country.’ So, I reluctantly joined the Royal Research Institute. I ended up working in the history department, and now I’ve become completely obsessed with ancient history.”

“Ancient history, you mean?” “Yeah. I’m researching the time before the founding of the Rafal Kingdom, when ancient scripts were used. Not many people study that period. Even the history books of the Rafal Kingdom have gaps in them, so it’s not like we can fully understand what happened over 1,500 years ago… I want to know what happened, why it all fell apart, and who the people of that time were.”

“So that’s why you’re reading books about ancient scripts…” “I can’t decode everything. It takes time. In the history department, there’s just me and two subordinates. They’re focused on compiling the history of the Rafal Kingdom, so they call me strange for studying ancient history.”

Lilia tilted her head lightly after listening to Owen’s story.

“Ancient history is… something that fascinates me as well. If I could learn from books about what people in ancient times thought and how they lived, I would definitely be interested. But since I just started my job as a librarian, I cherish it very much.”

“If you don’t mind, would you spend your day off with me? There’s a book I’m interested in, and I’d like your help in decoding it. You’re the only person I know who can read ancient scripts. The other librarians can’t, and that’s why the books in the third archive are a mess…”

Lilia hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. She stared at the bunny foam floating in her coffee.

The Nighttime Rain Café, she whispered in her heart.

Lilia had always lived her life pushing forward through the rain without seeking shelter. But now, it felt like Owen was offering her an umbrella.

It wasn’t so much that his proposal was tempting, but that the café and the coffee were so delightful. She felt like helping him because he had brought her to such a lovely place.

“Alright, I’ll help you.” “Is that so? Thank you, I’m so happy.”

Once Lilia agreed, Owen let out a relieved sigh and smiled.