Chapter 26

Last 2 episodes, sorry for the consecutive posts.

Luke sighed deeply as he watched Matthias and Fiona from a distance.

It has been two weeks since Fiona's statement, "Matthias is not my mother anymore." When questioned by her companions about the meaning of her words, Fiona blushed and fell silent, but everyone present realized her true feelings. She had started to see Matthias as a romantic interest and was making efforts to win his affection.

At first, her companions found her efforts endearing, but gradually they became frustrated. It was obvious that the two were in love, yet they were hesitating. The companions silently urged them to get together already.

Matthias loves Fiona very much, and they thought he should just confess his feelings, but Fiona believed that her companions were just being considerate. She thought that Matthias was taking care of her out of a sense of responsibility.

On the other hand, Matthias took no action. He continued to live his life as usual, with a relaxed and carefree expression.

When asked before if he should express his feelings, Matthias replied, "She will accept it out of consideration, so I haven't told her yet."

Indeed, that made sense. Fiona is somewhat absent-minded and not very perceptive of others' feelings, but she has a strong desire to be helpful. She is considerate of others and avoids causing trouble.

To her, Matthias is an irreplaceable benefactor. If he showed affection, she would accept it, whether or not it was romantic.

So, at that time, Matthias' reasoning made sense. But now the situation is different. Why hasn't he told her yet?

"Mr. Matthias, why don't you tell her your feelings?"

When asked, Matthias turned his eyes away.

"Of course, I want to tell her... but her awareness of me is just too cute. It's endearing, and I want to see her like this a bit longer..."

"...Huh!?"

Luke was taken aback by the unexpected answer. To not tell her because of such a reason...

He could understand why Matthias found her blushing and being considerate cute. He felt the same way. But it was also making Fiona miserable. He wanted her to be happy after all the hardships she had endured.

"That's not right."

Luke gave a look of disdain, left the scene, and headed straight to Leila's office. He reported the conversation that had just taken place.

"...What a jerk."

Leila was also exasperated, leaning on her hand with a disapproving look.

"Should we do something about it?"

"Yes, of course. I'll allow it."

"Got it. With Leila's backing, I can do it to the fullest."

Matthias rarely defies Leila. She is like a scary older sister in the neighborhood, and he has been afraid of her since childhood.

Luke felt he had a strong supporter. The two were on the same page, and no words were needed. They exchanged intense glances and nodded in agreement.

* * *

It was a sunny day off. After finishing lunch and returning to her room, Fiona was getting ready. She had the afternoon off.

She put on a white blouse with a large collar and polka dots, chosen by Muriel during a trip to town. The blouse was designed to show a hint of cleavage when she bent over, a design that was just on the edge of what Fiona could wear.

The navy blue pleated skirt was slightly shorter than usual, but not enough to be noticeable. It was just short enough for her to manage.

Her hair was down today. She had heard that women who usually tie their hair up look cute when they let it down. She also remembered someone saying that showing the nape of the neck was sexy, so she decided to take the advice.

After applying light makeup and preparing her handbag and coat, she was ready. As she waited, reading a book, Matthias came to her room. They were planning to go to town together.

"Fiona, are you ready?"

"Actually, I want you to come over here before we go."

Matthias entered the room as instructed, closed the door, and noticed a piece of paper stuck to the inside of the door.

"Don't break the door or windows. The walls too. Everything. – Leila"

Matthias was puzzled by the mysterious message.

"What's that paper?"

"I don't know. Leila came and stuck it up this morning, but she wouldn't tell me what it was."

"What is this? I don't understand."

Leaving the mystery unsolved, Fiona led him to the sofa and handed him a white envelope.

"This is a letter from Luke. He asked me to have you read it here."

"??"

Matthias's head was full of question marks. He decided to read the letter to understand the situation. After reading the first page, he frowned, and after finishing the second page, he immediately stood up and headed for the door.

He grabbed the handle and rattled it violently. Despite not being locked, the door wouldn't open.

"Damn it..."

He moved to the window and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge either. Matthias put his hands on the window and hung his head.

"What's wrong?"

Fiona, confused by his strange behavior, approached and peered at his face.

"It seems... Luke's prank has trapped us in this room."

"Can't we get out? ...Oh, did he seal the door and window with a curse mark?"

"Yes."

"Uh... What is that?"

Why today of all days? He knew they were planning to go to town in the afternoon.

Luke used to be a prankster and often sealed doors with curse marks, but why did he choose today and this room?

"We can't go out now."

"Ugh..."

Seeing her dejected and weak voice, Matthias felt a sense of guilt. This was Luke's fault, but it was also his fault.

The first page of the letter he read earlier was a list of complaints from their companions.

"You need to get a move on. Tell her soon and put her at ease. It's heartbreaking to watch."

"Matthias, take care of her. Fiona is suffering."

"Don't be so coy. Just get together already. You're a pervert."

"Take care of it soon."

The second page was from Luke.

"Until you properly confess and become a couple, the door and window will remain sealed. I'll check back in an hour, so settle this by then."

Matthias sighed deeply. He knew the others were looking at him disapprovingly, but he didn't realize they felt this strongly.

(Poor Fiona...)

Hearing that, he felt even more guilty. But he couldn't help it; she was just too cute. What was wrong with enjoying this moment that he might never see again?

He glanced at Fiona. Her slightly more revealing clothes were an effort to get his attention. He knew she had consulted Muriel multiple times and tried to follow her advice.

To put it mildly, she was incredibly cute. Today, her hair was down, following Muriel's advice. Of course, she was cute no matter what, but knowing it was for him made her even more adorable. He couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with affection.

But it seemed this moment had to end now.

(Damn it, Luke. I'll remember this.)

His frustration grew stronger than his guilt, and he clicked his tongue. Tears welled up in Fiona's eyes as she realized why Luke had done this.

"I'm sorry... It must be my fault... What should we do? We can't go out... I'm sorry."

"–What? Wait a minute. Why are you apologizing?"

Matthias gently wiped away the tears that were about to spill with his thumb. Seeing her worried face made him feel even more guilty, and Fiona's tears overflowed.

"Ugh... I'm sorry. It must be for my sake. I haven't tried hard enough, so Luke couldn't bear it and did this. I'm sorry."

She felt she lacked charm, causing unnecessary concern and inconvenience to Matthias.

Matthias had mentioned earlier that he wanted to go somewhere. His expression when talking about it was very gentle, and it was clear he was looking forward to it. Now, because of her, they couldn't go.

Fiona's tears flowed freely. Matthias frowned and clenched his teeth.

"I'm so–..."

Before she could finish her apology, she was pulled into a hug. She was enveloped in his large arms. His right hand gently caressed the back of her head, and his left hand firmly pulled her waist, pressing her body against his.

"I'm sorry. It's not your fault, but mine. You were just too cute. I loved you so much that I kept putting off telling you my feelings. I should have told you much earlier, or even as soon as I brought you to this country. I'm really sorry."

"Too... cute? Loved...? As soon as...?"

The words were incredibly sweet and touched her heart. Fiona's mind couldn't process it all.

Looking up at Matthias, she felt his hands gently touch her cheeks.

"Fiona, I love you. I've been attracted to you since before I brought you here. I couldn't resist wanting you. That's why I brought you to this country."

He whispered his love in a low, seductive voice. His eyes, slightly lowered to meet hers, were clear and sincere.

"Do you... love me? Even before I fell in love with you?"

"Yes. I've loved you since you broke my arm."

"Arm? ...What? Why? Why then?"

What did that mean? Why did he fall in love in such a situation? She had been trying so hard to make him fall in love with her, but why did he fall in love at such an odd moment? It seemed more like a reason to dislike her, but it was a mystery.

It was so confusing that she started to laugh.

"Love...? There's no reason to... Hehe, you're strange."

It was strange but made her happy. The reason didn't matter; she was genuinely happy that he loved her.

Fiona blushed and smiled through her tears. Matthias, overwhelmed with affection, gently pressed his lips to hers. He pulled away quickly, and Fiona's smile disappeared, leaving her stunned.

No matter how long he waited, she remained frozen, not reacting.

Matthias kissed her again, but she still didn't react. Wanting a response, he playfully licked her lips.

"Ah!"

Fiona's shoulders jumped at the sudden sensation. She covered her mouth with both hands and trembled.

"Hehe... Sorry. Hehe..."

He hadn't meant to do it, but he hadn't expected her to react so strongly. Laughter welled up inside him.

Fiona glared up at him, but it was unclear whether she was angry or expecting more. Of course, Matthias interpreted it in his favor. Just as he was about to touch her cheeks again, a knock echoed through the room.

"Mr. Matthias! I have an emergency and will be gone for about two hours. Have you overcome your cowardice yet?"

The casual question irritated Matthias.

"...I forgot."

He had forgotten something important. He quickly went to the door and locked it. He didn't want to be interrupted now that they had finally connected.

"Let's leave it at that."

"Matthias? Don't you need to get Luke to open the door? You said you wanted to go somewhere today, right?"

"Yes, but it's fine. I thought you would enjoy the place I planned to take you to. We can ask Luke to open the door and go to town now, but what do you want to do? I don't mind either way. By the way, if we stay here, it won't just be a kiss."

He whispered the warning in her ear, and Fiona's face turned red all the way to her ears. Matthias felt that seeing her blush and being held like this was enough for today.

He expected her to plead for mercy with teary eyes, but instead, Fiona, who had been trembling in his arms, hugged him determinedly.

"...I want to stay like this for now."

"Ugh..."

He was taken aback by the unexpected response. He had given her a choice and warned her. If she still wanted to stay...

(There's no need to be shy...!)

But even so, it was too early to take things further. Matthias was torn. Not wanting to stand there, he decided to move and picked Fiona up.

"Ah!"

In a fluid motion, he scooped her up, carrying her to the bed and gently laid her down on the soft mattress.

Her blue eyes, which always looked gentle, now held a clear heat. He could tell she was attracted to him. The feeling he had longed for, knowing she was directed at him, made Fiona smile and hold his hand tightly.

Seeing her accept everything without hesitation, Matthias continued to struggle.

No, it was too early. They should deepen their relationship more slowly. But...

Why should he hold back?

If she didn't reject him, there was no need to hold back. It seemed like the right thing to do, and his rationality and desire were in conflict.

"Chicken! Are you still a chicken? Which is it?"

Ignoring the noise from outside, Matthias kissed her cheek and embraced her softly.

"Hey! Can you hear me? Even a progress report would be fine. I'm in a hurry, you know?"

The loud knocking on the door ruined the mood. Matthias sighed in exasperation.

After a while, Luke, satisfied that Matthias had overcome his cowardice, removed the curse mark. When he opened the door, Matthias's face looked extremely unhappy, but he was relieved that their feelings had connected. Luke sighed in relief.

Glancing at the bed, he saw Fiona trembling. Luke froze. She wasn't disheveled, but she was gripping the neckline and hem of her skirt tightly, looking down. Luke turned pale.

(–Damn! I didn't think about what would happen after they connected...)

In a private room, a couple who had just confessed their love wouldn't spend the time talking happily. The man in front of him wouldn't be able to hold back.

Luke grabbed Matthias by the shoulders and shook him.

"Mr. Matthias, it's too soon! It's only been a few minutes since I locked you in! You didn't force her, did you!?"

"Are you kidding? Of course not. I tried a few things, but nothing happened."

"What do you mean, a few things? What did you do?"

What did this man try to do from the start? Luke rushed to Fiona's side.

"Fiona, I'm sorry for locking you in. Did Mr. Matthias do anything bad to you?"

"...No, I'm fine."

Fiona replied in a trembling voice. Her red, teary face made Luke's heart ache.

"Ah, this is bad. I'm getting all flustered. What should I do with these feelings?"

"Get rid of them now. Or I'll kill you."

"That's harsh, man."

"Shut up."

Seeing the two bickering in front of him, Fiona's mood gradually calmed down. She watched them for a while, but when Matthias started to choke Luke, she intervened.

"Matthias, stop it. I want to go to town. You said you were going to take me somewhere, right?"

At her words, Matthias quickly released Luke's neck.

"Ah, right. Let's go now."

It was a beautiful day for an outing.

Fiona's heart was light as they went on their first outing after connecting. Luke, satisfied with the outcome, clenched his fist tightly.