Because She Had A Time Limit, She Became The Villain’s Daughter-in-law - Chapter 179

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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The carriage carrying Evan and me rolled slowly through the streets of the Capital.
A brief silence settled between us.
I tilted my head and spoke first.
“Evan, where are we going?”
“The timing for a meal seemed a bit off, so I suggested we head to Cafe Erelin first.”
“Cafe Erelin?”
I widened my eyes and murmured.
“I heard the reservation waitlist there is absolutely massive. Can we just show up like this?”
“We can.”
Evan kept his gaze fixed on the window as he spoke.
“I’ve already arranged for them to accommodate us whenever we arrive.”
“…They agreed to that at Cafe Erelin?”
“It’s simple. You just keep raising the fee until they agree.”
“But why would you even…?”
“You said you wanted to eat their macarons.”
“I heard Cafe Erelin, which opened a few days ago, was opened by a famous chef from the Royal Court. Would you like to go sometime? I really want to try their macarons—I’ve heard they’re delicious. But since they don’t do takeout and the reservation list is enormous, it seems like it’ll be difficult to go for a while.”
I remembered saying something like that during a tea time at Duke Icard’s Mansion long ago. It had been just a passing remark…
As I blinked, Evan shrugged his shoulders.
“Originally, I was planning to stop by after going to the restaurant on the day I was supposed to buy you jewelry. I had requested the reservation that day.”
“I reserved Estrint Restaurant, and then for the tea time afterward…”
“The schedule after that won’t work. I really do have somewhere else to be.”
Without realizing it, I gripped the hem of my dress. I remembered that on the day Evan said he would buy me jewels, I had brought up tea time—but I hadn’t even finished listening before I refused him.
That day, I had been so consumed with the desire to accomplish something at the Card House that I hadn’t given it much thought. But it seemed Evan had planned out the entire day.
“You should have… said something…”
“It wasn’t a prior commitment I had made myself, and besides, you were busy. You must have had something you wanted to do.”
Evan continued matter-of-factly.
“I wanted to spend the whole day with you, but I couldn’t monopolize your time when you didn’t feel the same way.”
“…”
“I simply paid more to ask if they could accommodate us on a different day that you preferred. After your Debut Tante ends and you have some free time, we can go whenever it suits your schedule.”
By my own standards, this wasn’t something I should feel sorry about, yet apology washed over me.
It wasn’t as if there had been a prior reservation as Evan said—I had simply made one myself and then postponed it.
But my heart felt strange and prickly, and the sensation was unfamiliar even to me. So I deliberately changed the subject.
“But Evan, why won’t you look at me properly? I did what you gave me.”
“Ah…”
Evan let out a shallow sigh. There was heat in the gaze he turned slightly toward me.
“…You’re too beautiful.”
His ears had flushed crimson.
He fidgeted with his red cravat as he mumbled.
“I expected it, but… you’re so beautiful I can’t even look at you.”
“No, don’t you want to keep looking at something beautiful? Why can’t you look at me? What’s going through your head?”
Laria asked teasingly.
Evan slowly turned his gaze toward her. As if he’d been restraining himself from looking at her for a long time, his crimson eyes finally fixed upon her with such clarity that they seemed to pierce right through her.
“It’s just… when I think about other bastards seeing you like this, it infuriates me, and also….”
“….”
“Laria.”
The carriage lurched slightly. Only then did the reality of being alone together truly sink in.
As Laria swallowed dryly, Evan continued.
“Would you… not accept a proposal letter?”
“What?”
“…Could you wait just one more year?”
Laria’s face flushed crimson.
Evan brushed back his bangs and slowly closed and opened his eyes.
“…That’s why I couldn’t look at you. Because whenever I see you, I can’t help but say things like this.”
“Evan.”
“Ah, I wanted to do this more gracefully, but holding back is… difficult.”
Evan laughed at himself as if in self-deprecation, and the sight of it appeared subtly dissolute, causing Laria to flinch involuntarily.
Evan slowly raised his hand and tidied her disheveled hair.
“Honestly, when you seemed to suit other viscounts better than me, it did bother me, but since I thought of myself as your closest friend, I managed to be fine with it?”
While Laria remained silent, Evan spoke slowly.
“Well… it was just the level of not eating well that day and losing sleep?”
“That’s… fine, right?”
“If I just do better than the others so they can’t get closer… But about the proposal letter….”
Evan pressed one hand against his eye as if the mere thought tormented him.
“…Even if I wanted to send a more impressive proposal letter than any other bastard, I can’t. Because I’m not old enough yet….”
He let out a shallow sigh and continued.
“Thinking about that drives me mad. It’s like my blood is rushing backward, like my head is boiling over. Until then… I thought I definitely didn’t like you, but….”
“….”
“It seems I don’t prefer being your closest friend—I prefer being your closest man.”
A moment of silence filled the carriage.
Evan laughed softly and spoke one last time.
“That’s why I couldn’t look at you—because I was afraid I’d fail to hold back and do something this ungraceful. Understand?”
Just then, the carriage arrived at its destination and came to a halt with a jolt. Before Laria could even respond, a knock sounded and the carriage door opened.
“We’ve arrived, Young Viscount.”
“Right.”
Evan descended slowly and extended his hand to Laria. His expression was calm and composed, as always.
“Be careful—you’ve never worn heels this high before.”
“…How did you know that?”
“Is there anything about you I don’t know?”
Laria’s ears flushed crimson, and they slowly made their way toward Cafe Erelin.
Regardless of when word had gotten out, the cafe was nearly empty of customers. Thanks to this, Laria and Evan were able to claim the most spacious table with the best view.
The moment Laria sat down, servers began placing all manner of famous tea foods onto a large three-tiered tray.
Laria watched it all quietly, but when the server brought out the cake last, she burst into laughter. A card with elegant handwriting was planted in the cake. Naturally, it was in Evan’s handwriting.
[Happy twentieth birthday, Laria.]
As Laria laughed for quite some time, Evan scratched behind his ear and spoke.
“…Your Debut Tante is thoroughly ruined. What should we do, Laria? But why on earth did it turn out this way?”
“Oh, don’t worry. I planned all of it.”
“I suspected you’d planned it. Everything always works out according to your calculations anyway. But why did you orchestrate something like this?”
“Well… Father’s arrival wasn’t according to my calculations, was it?”
“That’s…”
Evan furrowed his brow as he answered.
“That must be because I didn’t realize how much I love you.”
“…”
“I’m not asking you to feel obligated. Even if you don’t love me, that’s fine. Feelings can’t be forced.”
“…Really?”
“If you’ll just wait one year for me, I can work harder in that time. Tell me, Laria. What am I lacking? I’ll work desperately to improve.”
Laria felt an enormous burden and cold sweat trickled down her back.
Evan continued speaking, his eyes burning with intensity.
“So, if you just don’t marry anyone during that one year… I’ll find a way somehow.”
A brief silence fell.
Evan couldn’t bear the silence and spoke first again.
“Of course, I know you’re skeptical about marriage. But I… I absolutely will not…”
“Absolutely what?”
“That expression you always make when you think of your father—I’ll never let you make that expression again.”
“…”
“Whenever you make that expression sometimes, I… my heart hurts a little.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Not much, but… my chest feels tight and suffocated, my blood boils, and I can only think of that face all day long?”
“Ah… So your heart really does hurt a little.”
Laria laughed softly and brushed her hair back. It was also a signal that she was ready to eat properly.
She habitually picked up a macaron and placed it directly into Evan’s mouth. His cheeks flushed crimson from the sensation of her fingers touching his lips.
“Evan.”
Laria, who had been silent for a long time, smiled and leaned forward. Then she pointed to the red necklace and spoke.
“They say that if you wear a jewel the same color as the eyes of the man you love on your Debut Tante, your love will be fulfilled, right?”
“Ahem, ahem.”
Evan coughed awkwardly. In truth, the moment he heard those words, he’d contacted a jeweler who specialized in rubies.
And while he couldn’t force Laria to wear a red gemstone accessory, he’d simply bought her the most expensive one. As if she’d been chosen.
“That saying seems to be true. I…”
Laria continued speaking, slightly embarrassed.
“…Actually, I had no interest in proposal letters at all, and I always thought, just as Mother said, that living alone would be fine… but your proposal letter made me curious.”
Evan’s eyes widened.
Now it was Laria who averted her gaze. She poked at the cake absently.
“Well, waiting about a year isn’t… it’s not that difficult either…”
And Laria could say no more. A warm, large hand cupped her cheek.
Evan tilted her head with his hand, forcing her to look directly at him.
“You promised me, Laria.”
A brief silence fell between them, but it was not the uncomfortable quiet of before.
“You can’t break it. I mean it.”
Their eyes met, swelling with anticipation as if they might burst. It hinted at a relationship entirely different from what they had shared until now.
【Complete】

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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