Lady Misfortune: Daddy, I'll Be A Righteous Villainess!

Outside the gates of Golden Rose Academy, there stood a boy all on his own.

Seemingly in a trance, he stays silent and still - a dreamy smile on his face. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he almost failed to notice the flashy silver luxury car that pulled over before him moments later. Only when the door was opened for him did he finally get to acknowledge its presence.

Without uttering a word, he stepped right into it and settled down on the passenger seat.

"Welcome back. You appear to be in a good mood..." the man beside him started, greeting him with a curious look. 

"Young Master Weiss."

"Oh, do I now, Khalil...?" the boy asked, finally snapping out of his reverie. 

"Here I thought I'd just keep it to myself. Didn't know I was being obvious."

Working for the Saoirse family for fifteen years has made Khalil capable enough to read their ever-so-unpredictable heir, Weiss – in some way, and to some degree, at least. 

As his butler, he has been by his side since the day he's born. He's proud to say that he's one of those selected few to have closely watched his exemplary growth from a smart toddler who's able to memorize the entire periodic table of elements at the age of three to a child prodigy who's topping college-level national competitions as the youngest contestant to ever be declared a winner.

For many, he may seem like a genius, but for someone who serves him, he is many things more. 

On top of being a child prodigy, he is the future head of one of the wealthiest families in the country. He is also the son of the Chairperson of Golden Rose Academy's Board of Directors – his ancestor being the founder of the prestigious elite school. His parents manage a chain of businesses aside from this scholarly institution, which includes department stores, resorts and hotels, a five-star diner, and a telecommunication company.   

And it doesn't stop there. 

Not only is he financially well-off and quick on the uptake, but he is also of fine looks and striking charms. His unique features give him a breathtaking aura that can easily catch attention. There's this prepossessing air around him that just always seems to attract others. 

So to say, Weiss is a boy of many wonders – 

Yet, certainly not of perfection. 

'I thought for sure that there's no more chance of cheering him up after the Chairman reacted apathetically to him winning the contest. That had really upset him. Even the Madam was not pleased. But then, that smile just now…' Khalil thought to himself as he continued to regard Weiss in silence.

'Hmmm... Could he have taken a liking to that young girl?' 

He wanted to ask more about what they did, and there was no doubt that he knew that.

After all, it was Khalil who made sure that their tour at school would be smooth and undisturbed for as long as it could. Weiss had secretly ordered him to deal with the academy officials and faculty staff who'd been looking all around the campus for Lady. 

"No need for direct contact. Just tell me which direction they'll go to and what place they're heading to. You may hack the system if you don't want to go inside and check the surveillance cameras. I'll handle the rest," was what Weiss told him through a phone call earlier, which he speculated he carried out while Lady was not paying attention.

At first, he had no idea what he was up to. He knows better than to question his intentions.  

Still, what he's sure of is that he's scheming something - again. When he wants one thing, he'll definitely get it. Fortunately, he's a child of very few needs and wants. He rarely asks for favors. However, when he does, it's not usually for innocent purposes like what he makes it appear to be. 

"You told me you'd come back in a few minutes. How come it turned into almost an hour, Young Master? The Madam is already at the airport," Khalil brought up eventually, no longer satisfied with mere presumptions. 

"It's not like we're not riding on a private jet. Let Mom wait for a bit," Weiss replied coolly.

"You haven't answered my question, Sir."

"I was with the new student the whole time. As the son of the Chairman, I have to welcome her, don't I? You already know that." 

"And pretending to be 'lost' a part of welcoming her? Though you don't go to that academy, I'm sure you already know that place like the back of your hand, Young Master."

Weiss did not say anything in reply to that. Instead, he just turned and looked at Khalil. 

His butler is a dashing gentleman. 

He's a tall man with tan skin color, hair as dark as coffee, and a pair of amber-yellow irises. His most distinguishable feature is his thick eyebrows. He's constantly wearing the Saoirse household's butler uniform - a black vest, white long-sleeved shirt, some grey pants to match, and a pair of black half-palm gloves. 

While most of those who work for their family are often too intimidated to comment on what Weiss does, Khalil shares a kind of bond with him that he can only describe as that of between colleagues.

Despite their age gap, they work well together. He's his number one companion throughout his childhood, and even now, he's the only one he can talk to all the time. Rather than a butler, he appears more like a guardian to him.  

With those in mind, Weiss finally puts down his guard and decides to open up to Khalil.

"Well, yes, you're right…" he began again, flashing him a meaningful smile that met his eyes.

"I lied about being lost – or more like, I got us lost on purpose." 

"Figures…" his butler sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"May I ask why, though?"

"I'm certain I already told you that she's President Mireille's daughter."

"Indeed. Was there something about the Mireille family that could've possibly intrigued you?" 

"I wouldn't say it like that. But that girl, in particular… she's just kinda different."

"Hopefully, not in a bad way. It's not like you to get her even more lost just because you can't stand her or something, though I don't doubt that you can be much more mischievous than playing her dirty like that."

"Just what do you think of your Young Master, Khalil?"

"Plenty things."

Getting the impression that what he said was not a compliment, Weiss gave him a taunting smile. Khalil simply looked away, pretending to have not seen anything. 

"It's not in a bad way, alright? She's not bad at all…" he then continued, sighing.

"Far from it, in fact."

"So, what is it exactly…?" his butler prodded. 

"Do you really like her? Even though it was just your first meeting?"

"That's what made her different, actually. Even though it was just our first time seeing each other, she was already… so good to me. I don't think she even knows who I am. She just did all of that on her own accord and treated me nicely."

"Are you sure she's a member of that Mireille family? As far I recall, they're not that… amicable to strangers, I guess."

"I'm sure she is. It's not just that. I also didn't expect that she'd talk to me so casually. It really threw me off guard. Then, before I knew it, she was already asking me to be her friend."

Looking back at it, Weiss didn't expect any of what Lady did earlier.

At first, he thought she would recognize him. But she just went straight to chatting with him and even invited him to join her. She didn't even mind that she's talking with a complete stranger. What's more, how she behaved was unlike anything he initially expected. Instead of acting well-mannered or haughty or timid, she was expressive and easygoing. 

Apart from those, Weiss expected many other things when he first caught sight of Lady and recognized who she was. 

"Right away, I'm already aware that she's the daughter of the current head of Mireille Group who just mysteriously appeared one day. There were some rumors about her, saying that she's a stuck-up, spoiled brat who knew nothing about the outside world. But after meeting her today, I realized that she's not like that after all…" Weiss went on to say, going over his impressions of Lady once again.

"She has a warm and sunny personality. I can only think of summer when I think of her. She's like a summer storm."

"I see. So, that's how it is…" Khalil mused out loud, nodding in understanding. 

"If you like her that much, why lead her astray?"

"Isn't that obvious? I want to spend more time with her."

"H-Huh? By getting both of yourselves lost?"

"Yes. So long as she's not found by her father and the others, I'd get to be with her longer. I really didn't want to show myself to the adults. It'd just be a hassle. That's why I came up with that plan." 

He stares at Weiss in disbelief, not prepared to hear that. With how intelligent and powerful his Young Master is, he sometimes forgets that he's still a young boy with certain desires after all.

"Well, ummm.... Congrats meeting your first friend then, Young Master," was all Khalil could say in the end, no longer sure what to tell Weiss at that point.