Saving My Childhood Friend Through... Questionable Means... - Chapter 43
Seria stared at the cart, dumbfounded, and peeked at its contents. Inside were mountains of tea leaves—enough to last for an entire year, even if she brewed it day and night without pause.
‘Did he buy in bulk because it was cheaper? Or is he planning to share it with others?’
The sheer quantity was overwhelming.’
Seria’s jaw remained slack, and Lucas, noticing the servant was momentarily distracted, winked at her. Then, leaning in close, he whispered softly.
“Don’t worry. No one else knows what that tea is for. They’ll just think it’s regular tea leaves. I bought a ton so you can brew and drink as much as you want, day and night.”
“Huh? Oh… uh…”
Lucas seemed immensely proud of himself, as if he’d just accomplished something remarkable. Seria nodded awkwardly, though her expression was less than enthusiastic.
‘Brew and drink as much as I want, day and night? Just how long does he think this is going to go on?’
Did he expect her to avoid pregnancy while continuing to have s*x with him endlessly? Or was he implying that after their arrangement ended, she should use the leftover tea to enjoy carefree relationships with other men?
Watching him chuckle to himself, seemingly pleased, made her mood plummet. An inexplicable frustration welled up, leaving her chest tight with a faint ache she couldn’t fully understand.
The cart loaded with tea sacks was moved into Lucas’s private storage. Leaving it in the kitchen would risk the maids discovering the tea’s true purpose.
Though she felt irritated, the immediate issue had been dealt with, and Seria quietly drank the tea before heading to Lucas’s office. She closed the door behind her and turned around. Lucas, focused on the documents on his desk, only noticed her once she stood nearby.
“You’re here. Did you drink the tea?”
“Yeah… I did. What about you? How are you feeling? You look completely fine to me.”
“How am I feeling? Why?”
Lucas blinked at her as if confused, his violet eyes filling with curiosity. Though Lucas looked as healthy as ever, Seria had asked because of the supposed effects of the curse. Yet, his strange reaction made her feel uneasy.
Realizing her concern, Lucas awkwardly said, “Ah,” as if suddenly understanding.
“I’m fine. It’s all thanks to you.”
As he replied, he averted his eyes uncomfortably and focused back on his documents. He’d been so blissfully distracted by the indulgence of the previous night that he’d forgotten to keep up the act of pretending to be cursed. For a moment, he had nearly let his deception slip.
Seria sighed and moved the documents aside.
“I need to talk to you. I’m feeling so frustrated, I can’t take it anymore.”
“Talk about what…?” Lucas asked, his voice tinged with awkwardness.
His smile was uneasy as he lifted his head, but his heart skipped a beat. Did she figure it out? Nervously, he bit his lip as Seria spoke.
“Why did you buy so much of that tea? And telling me to drink it day and night—are you saying I should keep doing this with you endlessly? No matter how much we’ve been… involved, that’s too much! Do you think I’m some kind of long-term investment or something?”
“Uh… well, I just…” Lucas stammered, trailing off in confusion.
He hadn’t thought deeply about it. He had simply bought a generous amount of tea, thinking they would need it if they kept sleeping together.
Unsure of what to say, Lucas decided to soothe her. After all, he needed her cooperation to continue. His brows furrowed slightly, and his voice dropped to a softer tone.
“I don’t know how long it’ll take for the curse to lift… so I bought it with that in mind. I didn’t think it through. I’m sorry.”
Seria’s expression softened slightly. Hearing his apology, she couldn’t bring herself to stay upset. However, she knew she couldn’t keep engaging in such an ambiguous relationship forever. She wanted to ask, What exactly are we to each other? but she was too afraid of receiving a cold answer.
With a deep sigh, she met Lucas’s gaze.
“We need to see the sorcerer again. I want to know how much longer this will last. Or maybe when we return to the duchy, the sorcerer who came before can check again. By the time we get back, he should’ve arrived.”
Trusting only the sorcerer from the capital wasn’t enough. Since they had already sent a message to the first sorcerer, that one should visit the duchy around the time they returned. Since the first sorcerer had seen Lucas’s condition from the beginning, Seria thought they might provide a better explanation.
Lucas visibly flinched at her words.
“Didn’t you hear what the capital sorcerer said yesterday? He’s more reliable and precise. Do we really need to hear from that other one? I already sent him a letter saying not to come.”
“What? Why would you decide that on your own? We should be hearing from multiple people! I’ll just send another letter.”
“Ah…”
Lucas let out a helpless noise, utterly panicked. If she sent another letter, everything would fall apart. Desperate, he quickly tried to discredit the first sorcerer.
“That sorcerer is unreliable. Otherwise, there’s no way my body would’ve started acting up again!”
