Choi Yoo-jun and Morris's True Hearts – What Luck
I silently gazed at Emir. Had she been standing out here the whole time? Beads of sweat dotted her forehead. Perhaps unable to withstand the scorching sun of the Rolang region, a faint flush colored her cheeks as well. She had clearly waited for me to emerge. For over five hours.
"What a coincidence. Not something that happens every day."
"Y-yeah... hehe."
Emir averted her eyes from mine.
"Do you still have business here?"
"The city's so beautiful, I was just sightseeing. It's got a whole different vibe from our eastern lands."
"The southern cities are flashy, aren't they?"
An awkward silence fell. I had no intention of breaking it.
A few days ago, she had been the lady under house arrest. Hadn't I deliberately used Seria to drive her away, just to avoid seeing her again?
But Emir was different.
"Ha, haha. What did you think of it, Lord Morris?"
Emir was desperately scraping for conversation topics. A pang twisted in my chest at the sight.
"Flashy. But that's all it is."
"Do you dislike flashy things, my lord?"
"I don't dislike them." I met Emir's eyes and continued. "I despise flashiness forced to hide one's own frailty."
"Father's like that, isn't he?"
Emir nodded, holding my gaze.
That was when it happened.
Grrrrowl.
A rumble echoed from Emir's stomach.
"Ah."
Her face turned crimson. Had she really skipped every meal just waiting for me? Pity stirred within me.
"Shall we grab something to eat?"
"Huh? I'm n-not hungry or anything!"
Her frantic denial came out all garbled.
"I'm hungry. Let's go eat."
"O-okay."
I snapped my fingers.
Pop!
Tiny ice crystals floated around her, a freezing spell that cooled the surrounding air. Like a portable air conditioner, in simple terms. A cool breeze wafted from the crystals.
"Oh?"
"You looked sweltering, so I cast it. Better than nothing—let it be."
"Thank you."
Even though I'd lowered the temperature, Emir's face flushed even deeper.
Then.
Mary Jane's voice echoed in my head. I could sense her stifling laughter.
'Don't meddle.'
I swallowed a sigh and followed the address she'd sent.
Emir and I walked side by side, trailed by maids and her escort knights. Countless eyes turned our way. Plenty of academy students recognized my face.
"Isn't that Minister Morris?"
"Then the lady beside him must be Lady Solarion."
"What a handsome couple."
I ignored the whispers.
Emir must have heard them too. "Lord Morris, they say we're a handsome couple," she giggled.
"Don't get too thrilled over passing comments."
By then, we'd arrived at the restaurant Mary Jane mentioned.
A classy spot with a nice ambiance—an upscale restaurant.
'Enough. Disconnect.'
I spread a wide mana barrier to block Mary Jane's eavesdropping.
"This the place?" Emir asked.
"Let's go in."
That's when the restaurant manager stepped in front of us.
"Excuse me. Do you have a reservation? We operate strictly by appointment only, 100%."
He held a magical ledger—for security and precise records. Even with magic, faking a name on the list was child's play.
"Is that so? You should find Morris Dmitry listed there."
I twitched a finger behind my back.
"Let me check."
The manager tilted his head after scanning the list. "It's... here. Must've been an error on our end."
"Well done."
I waved him off and entered with Emir.
"Wh-when did you make a reservation?"
"Ways and means. Think of it as a gift from the academy chancellor."
I'd tampered with the ledger, but no need to advertise it. A rare indulgence. Can't be buried in work forever.
I placed our orders and awaited the meal.
"Honestly surprised. Never thought you'd book a place like this, Minister."
"Why not?"
"Well... you don't seem the type for spots like this."
"Stiff, you mean?"
"A bit, yeah."
"Honest, aren't you?"
Silence settled briefly. I tossed a light word to Emir, who kept fishing for topics.
"Don't push yourself."
"That obvious?"
I nodded instead of answering.
Soon, appetizers arrived: salad and mushroom soup. Exquisite at a glance.
We sampled the starters lightly, then moved to the meat soup with nuts.
The main was steak from southern beef.
"Mmm."
Emir popped a slice into her mouth, cradling her cheek in delight. "It melts in your mouth. So tender."
I didn't reply, but truthfully, I was impressed. I'd doubted Mary Jane's pick, but it was divine. A rare meal that sparked my appetite. Each bite unveiled new flavors—unbelievable.
I swallowed silent exclamations with every morsel.
"Superb."
Chewy yet tender in one dish. A revelation.
As we ate, I noticed sauce smeared on Emir's lip. How'd that happen?
"Emir."
"Yes, Lord Morris?"
Telling her and letting her wipe it herself wasn't gentlemanly. I leaned over, pure intent to clean it. Nothing more.
Yet why...
...was Emir squeezing her eyes shut, face beet red?
I smirked, pulling a handkerchief from my pocket. Gently dabbed her lip.
Emir flinched. The unfamiliar touch on her lips, probably. She even tilted her head slightly.
Adorable, I thought.
She finally opened her eyes, glancing between the handkerchief and me.
"Sauce on your mouth."
"Oh..."
"What were you thinking? Your face went red."
"S-sorry!"
Emir floundered, unable to hide her tomato face.
"Eat slowly. No one's stealing food from Lady Solarion dining with the Magic Minister."
"S-so embarrassing."
"It's fine. Made for an entertaining view."
Her flustered state struck me differently. Perhaps that's why, after finishing, I said something I normally wouldn't. A tease slipped in.
"Wasn't Lady Solarion here to buy something important in Rolang?"
"Oh, the thing?"
"Perfume."
"Ah, right! I meant to, but got lost and forgot all about it."
A clumsy excuse. Yet even that charmed me now.
"I'll pick the perfume for you."
"Huh?"
"Consider it my gift to you, Lady."
"R-really?"
Her smile outshone any I'd seen—pure, childlike joy, no pretense.
"Yes."
Leaving the restaurant, we headed to a perfume shop. The air thick with heady scents—enough to worry about the staff's noses.
Emir wandered like an excited teen, unable to hide her glee. I followed quietly.
Spotting one, I picked it up and offered it to the deliberating Emir.
"How's this? Lily scent. Suits you best, I think."
An old notion: Emir embodied lilies.
"Anything you pick is perfect."
She took it gladly.
After paying and stepping out...
"Lord Morris."
Emir handed me a small vial. Pale green liquid in clear glass.
"I picked this for you—matches you perfectly."
Lemon-forward fragrance.
"Bought it for me?"
"Yes."
"My thanks."
I accepted it.
"You're welcome."
Her smile beamed like sunlight, radiant and beautiful.
Locking eyes with her, my heart thudded. The world dimmed; only she filled my vision.
As if in love.
As if... love.
I clenched my will, squeezing my eyes shut. Breaking the gaze, reason trickled back.
'Damn it.'
At some point, Morris's emotions had fully ensnared me.
The original owner of this body, Morris Dmitry.
He'd truly loved Emir.
Yes. This pounding wasn't Choi Yoo-jun's.
It was Morris Dmitry's.
A feeling beyond my control left my mind reeling.
Why I'd distanced myself from her.
I'd dressed it up as politics.
Truth: sensing this body's original emotions dominating me.
The longer with her, the more I risked losing Choi Yoo-jun's self to Morris entirely.
Saving her from Seria's poison? Pure instinct, beyond my will.
The horror of becoming someone else. Constant reminders I was a possessor—an outsider.
So I kept her away. Acted cold. Even used Seria.
Yet...
Emir's persistence exceeded expectations.
"Lord Morris, um..."
Her voice pierced my closed eyes.
"What is it?"
"Can I see you again?"
I opened my eyes to her face. I'd planned refusal. Distance was key.
But...
I saw the dark circles under her eyes. Sleepless nights, perhaps.
My chest ached.
"Hah."
I sighed deeply.
"You keep making things hard for me."
A whisper so faint even Emir, right before me, missed it.
"Pardon?"
"Never mind. You can visit the mansion. But notify me first."
Prep countermeasures each time.
"Because of her?"
Pretending it wasn't her. Hurt flickered in her eyes.
My heart twinged.
"If I say yes, will you accept it?"
She gazed up steadily. "I'd have to. I want to visit your mansion."
"My thanks."
"Today was wonderful. Happiest day ever."
Emir clutched the perfume I'd gifted.
"I'll visit soon."
Her knights escorted her from the shop entrance.
"Safe travels."
Watching her recede, I pinched my nose bridge hard.
What now? How to handle this lady henceforth?
My head throbbed.
Inside the carriage, Emir blushed at the perfume.
'Gifting me perfume means...'
His feelings lingered still.
'There's hope.'
Jealousy toward slave Seria lingered.
But 'I can do this.'
Emir steeled herself for victory.
I'm in a very precarious spot.
Very precarious.
"Lord Morris..."
Baekseol entered my bedroom in sheer lingerie that left little to the imagination.
"This humble girl cannot sleep, my lord."
Damn it all.