Bluebird Lady and The White Lion Family Chapter 69
‘This beautiful smile.’
And Ricardo’s smile was instantly eaten up.
Sophina pursed her lips and asked, “What are you planning to do?”
“I haven’t decided. Is there something you want to do, milady?”
Ricardo shook his head and waited for Sophina’s response.
She pondered. Then, coyly, she made eye contact with Ricardo and gave a subliminal affirmative.
“Do you think the cherry blossoms are over?”
“Almost?”
Ricardo was about to answer when he suddenly changed his tune.
“No, no. There might be, and I think there will be.
I don’t think so, since spring has already passed.
Ricardo’s insistence was puzzling, but Sophina nodded slowly.
“Okay, let’s go.”
“Oh, no, you can’t take Canus with you. It’s just the two of us, milady.”
At that, Ricardo nailed her firmly.
‘You’re being unreasonable.’
Sophina teased Ricardo with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
“I suppose you’re disappointed I’ve only been playing with the young master lately?”
“Yes.”
And back came the dagger-like affirmation.
Puzzled, Sophina rolled her eyes and asked, “Yes?”
“I’m upset, very much so.”
Ricardo tugged at the sleeve of Sophina’s clothes, his gaze downcast.
As if he were distraught. His blue eyes, hidden beneath those long lashes, shone with a pristine, guilty glint.
“Hey, uh… um… sorry?”
Sophina apologized, as if she had been caught off guard.
The beauty charm had worked on her.
Stroking her chin with her hand, she analyzed the situation seriously.
‘I mean, it’s kind of upsetting when your best friend suddenly starts seeing other people.’
Ricardo seemed to be a bit of an exclusive type, probably because he was the Male lead of Ropan.
There were times when I thought, ‘Does he like me?’ but I wondered if I would get the same lukewarm response as last time.
It would be embarrassing if he said ‘No’.
‘Oh, it’s customary for the male lead of a Ropan to be jealous of anyone he likes.’
Let’s play along for now.
Keeping it simple, she paired up with Ricardo and high-fived him.
In return, he slipped his hand into hers and made casual contact.
“Let’s go. We need to get some sleep if we’re going to be out and about all day tomorrow.”
Sophina’s eyes narrowed.
But he strode away, his manner insinuating that this was no big deal.
She hesitantly followed him across the garden and into his room.
“Come on.”
Somehow, Riccardo’s insistence had gotten them to bed earlier than usual. Sophina pulled the covers up to her chin and squinted in the room.
The lights were out in the room.
A darkness where only the faintest of people are recognizable.
Sophina’s retinas formed the image of Ricardo lying on her side.
‘What a beautiful nose.’
She found herself admiring his angelic face.
The corners of Ricardo’s eyes twitched.
Sophina turned over in a huff and pulled the covers over her head.
It was hard for her to sleep. Then she heard Ricardo’s slow, soothing voice, damp with sleep.
“Don’t move, just sleep.”
Ricardo wrapped his hand loosely around Sophina’s as if to tell her not to toss and turn.
“Sleep early, my lady, so you won’t be tired tomorrow.”
The words that followed were barely audible.
A line drawn in the middle of the bed by an overlong doll, the line that had never been crossed, had been broken.
Flinch—
The embarrassment was short-lived, and the warmth of another gradually seeped into Sophina.
It had been a sleepless night.
🐾
The next day.
Sophina went out with Ricardo as planned.
And…
“Wow, real cherry blossoms!”
The cherry blossoms, which she’d thought would be done for, were in full bloom along the winding path.
Thin, fluffy pink petals dotted the surrounding air.
Sophina stretched out her palms to catch one of the petals and waved them in the air.
“I told you, I knew there was one.”
Ricardo smirked as the excited Sophina naturally moved toward the suggestion.
And then he thought, ‘I guess I did a good job of making the cherry blossoms bloom again, he thought.’
A favor to a baby snake with regenerative powers.
It was a little annoying that Canus had asked for so many things in return, but Ricardo felt an inward sense of pride when he saw the look on Sophina’s face that made him happy.
Not knowing the full extent of the situation, she innocently suggested.
“Let’s make a bet, since we’re already here!”
“What kind of bet?”
“Well, a bet that the first person to run to the front of that store over there wins!”
Sophina pointed her finger at the dessert shop at the end of the path.
And before Ricardo could say anything, she was off and running.
“Let’s go!”
He couldn’t help himself and started running.
When he was halfway down the road, Sophina, who had been running, waved cheerfully.
“Ricardo, I’ll have the strawberry whipped cream waffle, and oh, one vanilla gelato, please!”
The corners of her mouth curled upward.
‘What a great treat!’
She was going to grill him anyway.
Without a second thought, Ricardo took Sophina’s order and brought her dessert.
Sitting down on the bench he’d reserved for her, he tapped his foot on the floor as if to indicate she should sit down.
Ricardo took a seat next to Sophina.
“Oh, whoever bought these, they’re delicious.”
Sophina paid him lip service as she unwrapped the waffles, not even looking at Ricardo.
Then she took a big bite of the waffle. The combination of melting whipped cream and tart strawberries.
The flavors were fantastic.
After a trance-like state of eating, Sophina, who had finished her share of waffles, looked up at Ricardo.
Unlike her, who was eating like a champ, he hadn’t even finished half of his.
“What, you’ve barely touched it?”
“It’s sweet.”
Hearing the question in her voice, Ricardo replied dryly.
Ah. Right. He’s never been a big fan of sweets.
“Then I’ll get something less sweet.”
These are all syrup bombs.
Ricardo held up a blueberry whipped cream waffle.
Sophina’s second favorite.
‘You’ll be punished for leaving food.’
She took Ricardo’s share of dessert, perhaps out of necessity.
“I’ll eat it for you then, okay?”
Just the right amount.
Again, Sophina was eating like a dirty rabbit, getting bits of whipped cream all over her mouth.
Ricardo pulled a tan handkerchief from his arm and held it out to her.
“Here.”
He flicked it across her right cheek. Sophina, watching from afar, slowly rubbed her left cheek with the handkerchief.
“Here?”
Ricardo, not realizing that she’d reached for the wrong place, wiped it off himself.
Sophina nudged Ricardo with an elbow, nailing him once and for all.
“Think about it. Nothing unreasonable.”
Ricardo covered the corner of her mouth with the back of his hand at her tone.
‘I’d already thought of the wish.’
The perfect way to get Sophina to stay by his side, something she couldn’t possibly dislike.
Ricardo’s eyes grew misty, as if he were trapped in a fog.
“No, I’m just saying I’ll do what I can to listen.”
She stammered out, stung by the look on his face.
Just then, a cool drop of water landed on the bridge of her nose. She held her hand out in front of her.
A thin droplet of water trickled down her open palm.
“Huh? It’s raining.”
With that, a drizzle fell.
Quickly cleaning up after herself, Sophina grabbed Ricardo’s arm and ran.
Under the shade of a tree, out of the rain.
She brushed the water off the hem of her white dress. She glanced up at the quickly clouding sky and muttered wistfully.
“The cherry blossoms, they’re all gone.”
“They’ll bloom again in the spring.”
Ricardo spoke in a calm, soothing voice as she led the way around.
Then he turned to Sophina, “I’m bored, do you want to make another bet, milady?”
“On what?”
“Ten seconds in the rain for the loser.”
Ricardo played rock-paper-scissors before Sophina had a chance to think.
Still unable to grasp the situation, Sophina continued to clench her fists, and Ricardo condescendingly opened his palms.
“What are you doing? Not leaving.”
He snapped. Pouting her lips, Sophina stumbled forward and counted.
Tossing her tousled bangs to the side, she glared at Ricardo.
“Hey, do it again.”
Ricardo pretended he hadn’t won.
Excited, Sophina shamelessly extended the duration.
“What are you doing, count to 20.”
“It was 10 seconds.”
“I don’t know, and I have no idea. Now 20 seconds.”
When it finally rained, the two of them got along. Nothing but warm laughter filled the air between them.
Sophina’s shoulders heaved with pleasure.
“Ricardo, look at your hair.”
“Milady’s got plenty, too.”
Ricardo ran a hand through his fine hair, his eyes locked with hers.
They looked like a wet mess. The air was soft enough to let their guard down and talk about anything.
A lump rose in Ricardo’s throat.
His lips were about to curl, but it was Sophina who spoke first.
“But that wound, how did it happen?”
A fairly deep scar, visible through the gap in his shirt that the wet rain had made visible.
Sophina’s gaze was fixed on it.
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