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

It seems that things have gone according to Weiss's plan even without him doing anything. 

The thing is, what Hartigan doesn't know is that the Acquaintance Party is supposed to be for the high school division only. However, he had Lloyd, the head of Golden Rose Academy himself, allow the middle school division to attend the event this year. Catalina eagerly supported the idea, which he doubted was for no particular reason. 

Basically, Weiss has prepared something special for Lady on Friday night.  

He was actually thinking of inviting her to the party himself. But it was still fine with him that someone else beat him to it. What matters is that she has agreed to come. 

"You look quite thrilled," commented Fallon all of the sudden, wondering why Weiss could not seem to stop grinning the whole time they were having lunch.

"Oh, it's nothing." 

"Try me. You're up to something, I know. Don't hide it." 

"I just wanna do my best for her too, okay? It's not fair that you're the only one who can be there for her all the time."

"Blame her father. She would've been ecstatic to have you come over the other night."

"It's alright. I got it handled."  

Fallon cocks his head at that, intrigued. But since the surprise is meant for Lady – not him, Weiss just gives him an apologetic smile and says, "Sorry. Can't tell more than that."

"Lame."

"Say what you want."

"I thought we're friends now?"

"We are?"

Weiss beams brightly in pleasant surprise. Fallon makes a show of being dazzled.

"Yeah, yeah. Unofficially, we are…" he deadpanned, waving his hand dismissively as if shooing him away. 

"So long as you managed to cheer Lady up, I'll consider making it official."

And that's exactly what Weiss is planning.

---

"Ready to go?"

Weiss waited until the classroom was empty before approaching Lady.

He may have been in heaven when she agreed to let him escort her to the Acquaintance Party tonight. But now that it's finally happening, he feels like he's over the moon. 

Under her curious gaze, he revealed a small bouquet of red tulips and offered it to her. He tries to stay calm as he observes her reaction – cheeks warm, heart pounding in his chest.

Weiss spotted the flowers at the shop before he went to school that morning. Instantly, the idea blossomed in his mind. Wanting to surprise Lady with a bouquet, he hid it in his locker until classes were dismissed.

She blinked down at it, eyes fixed on the vibrant arrangement in his hand. Her eyebrows were slightly raised, but otherwise, her expression didn't change. When he was about to panic at her lack of response, she reached out both of her hands and took the flowers from him. 

His heart leaps in joy then, skin flushing by how her fingertips briefly graze it. 

Lady continues to stare at the red tulips. Her expression begins to turn brighter and brighter by the second. Weiss can't resist a grin. 

She raises her eyes to meet his, and he swears he feels his heart melting. 

"I found them on the way to school, and I thought of you. Do you like them?" he asked, scratching his reddened cheek bashfully. 

"I love them! Thank you!" she chirped, already blushing as well.

Happiness exploded like fireworks in his chest at that moment. He had certainly felt infatuated with her before. But this was different – it felt so much stronger. 

Lady is special to Weiss. 

It's not necessarily because of her staggering beauty. It's a combination of her outward appearance and her inside essence. 

Her voice inspired adoration in him. It's a melody that he's certain he'll never get tired of listening to. Even if he does so all his life, he'll never get enough of it. Her smile, on the other hand, is like the sun to him. Before he knew it, he's desperately reaching for it. He's drawn to look for it every time he wakes up in the morning. 

Now, seeing and listening to how even more wonderful she looks and sounds when she's happy, he knows he'll find a way to give her all the flowers in the world if it means keeping that smile on her face.

"If you want to, I can show you more of those…" Weiss offered with a soft and gentle expression while Lady perked up in delight.

"I'll take you where the flowers are blooming tonight."

---

The waxing gibbous moon shines over the quiet garden. 

The cool evening breeze kisses Lady's skin, making her long wavy hair sway behind her back. Weiss walks beside her in silence, completely aware of how her hand would brush against his from time to time. 

His fingers twitched against his will, desiring to know how her hand would fit in his. However, he fears that he will overstep any boundaries, and besides, he thinks that he has moved close enough to doing just that today. 

They have been strolling around for a while now. 

Weiss usually had no problem breaking the silence. But right now, his heart was drumming in his ears, and he was too focused on keeping his confidence. Still, he really felt like he should say something. Catalina advised him about this kind of situation before. Apparently, taking the lead can make him appear cool.

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" he started.

"Yeah, it is. Didn't know there's a garden here," she replied.

Weiss stole a glance at Lady who's now humming. 

It never ceases to amaze him how breathtaking she looks under the moonlight. He's not sure if he likes it more than how she looks in the sunshine. 

"We're almost there."

After a couple more minutes of walking, they have finally reached a corner of that palatial garden where white, pink, and yellow evening primroses, moonflowers, and tuberoses are in full bloom. Since they're the only ones who're allowed to enter that place, they have the exquisite scenery all for themselves.

"Here we are," he announced, raising his arms.

Lady is too astounded to speak. Quietly, she takes a step forward and squats down in front of the sea of pale-colored flowers. Weiss stares at her for a moment before doing the same. He silently watches her as her gaze dances over the festive bed of colors. 

Then, she reaches out and plucks a yellow primrose. She holds it in her hand for a few seconds before she turns to him and offers it without a word. Taken by surprise, he does not immediately react. He smiles sheepishly as he accepts the flower. 

"Thank you, Lady." 

"No. I'm the one who should thank you, Weiss." 

"For what?"

"For the flowers earlier. And for this."

He smiles at her then looks down at the unexpected gift. Technically speaking, his family owns the garden. But that doesn't change the sentiment. 

"No one's given me flowers before," he added as an afterthought. 

It's not that surprising, he thinks. Women are the ones to usually receive flowers. But what he means is that he's not used to being given things – much less from a girl. 

Seemingly pleased, Lady sits back on the grass. The breeze ruffles her hair, and she reaches up to move a loose strand behind her ear. The small yet entrancing gesture gives Weiss an idea. He looks over the flowers before picking a pink primrose. He turns towards her then gently places it in her hair - over her ear. 

"It matches your eyes."

Lady carefully touches the flower before looking up at Weiss and grinning. 

His heart skips a beat then. Her eyes look so beautiful wrinkled in happiness and with the reflection of the moonlight in them. Before she catches him staring, he takes a seat beside her and looks up at the sky.

"I can give you flowers as many times as you want…" Lady then said out of nowhere, surprising Weiss.

"Not just flowers. Other things too."

His first reaction is to blush, her unusual seriousness rendering him speechless. Then, his eyes soften. 

"You're too nice, Lady."

"Again, I should say that to you, Weiss."

Without really thinking, he gently holds her hand in his, momentarily forgetting his embarrassment. They both glance at each other.

"I'm not really nice. But I can be better. I want to be better…" he confessed, absentmindedly running his thumb on the back of her hand. 

"I want to become someone people can depend on – someone capable of protecting those I care about." 

Her face is full of understanding, her eyes compassionate as they regard him. Sometimes, he gets the feeling that she struggles to grasp everything he says, but now is not one of those times. She lightly squeezes his hand, oblivious to how the action sends a wave of heat that floods his chest.

Without any warning, she lies down on the grass with a contented sigh. She gazes up at the sky, her hand still cozily inside his. Gingerly, he lies down next to her, and together, they enjoy the wonderful sight above them. 

Everything is so peaceful. Everything feels so right. 

His hand feels warm with hers in it. Smiling to himself, he holds it a bit more tightly.

Weiss wouldn't trade this moment for anything in the world.