My New Love That Isn’t Fated - Episode 31

Lilia took a shower and changed clothes.
Her reflection in the mirror showed a red, swollen mark on her face. It wasn’t a serious injury. The swelling would likely go down by tomorrow.
Her lip was slightly cut too, but it was so small you wouldn’t notice unless you looked closely.

Once she changed out of her torn, messy clothes, the familiar Lilia was back, as if nothing had happened.
She smiled at her reflection in the mirror.
She had cried enough. That was more than enough.

“Owen, thank you very much.”

When she stepped out of the bathroom, Owen turned off the stove and called to her from the kitchen.

“Lilia, over here. Let me treat your wounds.”
“I checked them. They’re not bad enough to need treatment.”
“It would be terrible if that pretty face ended up with a scar… Ah, wait. Lilia, are you afraid of men right now?”
“No, not at all. I’m not afraid of you, Owen. You even lied for my sake.”

Wearing a chiffon dress from her suitcase with a thick shawl over her shoulders, Lilia walked over to Owen.
She had finally gotten away from Elad.
It had been a rough time, but it was over now.
Lilia knew that not all men were like Elad or her father.

If anything, she felt more guilty for being taken care of so much.

“You lied…?”
“About our relationship… to make Elad angry. You said you loved me.”
“Oh, that. When I said I loved you.”
“Yes. I really appreciate it. I’ll leave tomorrow. I don’t want to cause any more trouble.”

Owen removed the kettle from the stove and turned off the flame.
He poured hot water into two cups of instant coffee, then placed them on the table in the living room.
Next to the cups, he set down a sugar pot and a bottle of skim milk.

“Sit down, Lilia.”
“Okay.”
“Here, drink. Want milk or sugar?”
“Thank you.”
“Do you prefer it sweet or bitter?”
“I… I’m not really sure. I’ve never thought about it much. I don’t have any strong preferences.”
“Then maybe you should think about it. About how much milk or sugar you like.”
“…You’re right. I never really considered it before.”

It was early afternoon.
Raindrops began to fall, tapping gently against the window.
Owen’s question made Lilia pause and think.

She didn’t have preferences. Sweet or bitter—it didn’t matter to her.

“For today, would you like it the way I take mine? Two sugar cubes and a bit of milk.”
“Yes, please. …It’s delicious, Owen. Really, it is.”

The sugar dissolved, the milk mixed in, and Lilia took a sip.
A soft sweetness spread over her tongue, warm and comforting as it slid down her throat.
She realized she was hungry.
The gentle taste seeped into her body, bringing her a bit of peace.

“I like it. Just like yours.”
“…I’m glad to hear that. …Lilia, you try too hard to be considerate. You’re not a bother to me. If you don’t have anywhere to go, you can stay here for a while.”
“That’s very kind, but I couldn’t possibly ask that of you.”
“I’m saying it’s fine. It’ll take time to find a new place. And if you go back to your family home, you’ll probably have to quit the library. Besides, I asked for your help with my research. If you’re not around, I’ll be in trouble. Well… more than that, I’d be lonely.”

Owen’s eyes widened slightly, as if surprised by his own words, and he looked away a little awkwardly.

“That… came out wrong. But I meant it. I liked seeing you working at the library. I’ve been watching you for a while. I even knew you were the woman with the owl embroidery.”
“…Why?”
“No big reason. I just found you interesting, especially with the ancient script embroidery. Then I happened to see you at the library, and since then… I started watching you from a distance. But I really do want your help decoding those ancient texts. If you stay here, I think we can make good progress.”
“Are you sure, Owen?”
“Of course. Just… I’m not good at cooking or cleaning. I might make things harder for you.”
“Please don’t worry about that. Since I’m staying here, I want to be useful. Leave it to me.”

Lilia smiled brightly.
Owen was being kind because he saw her as a partner in his research.

While she stayed here, she’d look for a place to live.

“…Lilia. I’ll take care of the divorce paperwork with Elad. You just focus on your usual life. I think you should take the day off from the Tenegro Library tomorrow, though.”
“I can work. Your home is close to the library, isn’t it? I’ll have more time in the morning than usual.”
“I see… That’s good to hear.”
“I can handle Lord Elad.”
“You shouldn’t see him. At least not until everything is sorted out. Please rely on me.”
“Thank you. Owen, if there’s anything I can do to help, please tell me.”

Lilia decided to rely on Owen openly.
Since he was helping her, she wanted to be helpful in return.

She couldn’t keep walking around with a gloomy face forever.
She looked at him with determination, and Owen gave a sheepish smile as he gently stroked her hair.

“Just having you here is more than enough for me.”

As a research assistant, of course.

Lilia nodded. “I’ll do my best.”