Raising my Fiancè with Money

Chapter 80: Happy Birthday Lilia!

•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•

As usual, he was on his way home after class. Karhan, who was walking in the hallway of the annex, made eye contact with Cliff, who was walking on the other side. As Karhan greeted him first, Cliff spoke awkwardly,

“What a coincidence. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Karhan tilted his head. Cliff, who looked around quickly, walked from the direction he was coming. And as he passed by Karhan, he put a note in his pocket and walked away. Cliff disappeared swiftly, and Karhan entered the study room and took out the note to open it.

[In 10 minutes, let’s meet in the room located at the east end on the third floor. Knock four times in a row.]

Karhan felt like he was having a meeting with spies. He slowly packed his bag and went to the place Cliff said.

He stopped at the door and looked around. After making sure that no one, not even an ant was present, he knocked on the door four times in a row. Then a voice came from inside.

“There’s no one in the hallway, right?”

“Yes.”

When he answered and the door opened, it was a meeting that almost resembled an espionage operation. As Karhan entered, Cliff locked the door.

“Please understand, Lord.”

He was still wary of Violet and Heinley. He couldn’t even show his friendship with Karhan and secretly met him like this.

“Please have a seat.”

As Karhan sat in an empty chair, Cliff immediately brought up the subject.

“Do you have time in two days?”

Karhan thought of the class schedule in his head. Fortunately, it was a holiday two days later.

“Yes, I have time.”

“Then why don’t we go out together?”

Exhibition? Orchestra? I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t been able to touch music…… Should I expedite my studying? 

The nervous Karhan asked cautiously,

“…Orchestra by any chance?”

“That’s a good idea, but this time it’s for a different reason. Why don’t you go buy a birthday present with me?”

Karhan blinked.

“Birthday…..?”

“Oh, you didn’t know?”

Cliff whispered as if he were telling a secret story.

“It’s Lilia’s birthday in a week.”

“!”

“I’ll go.”

***

Two days later, Karhan and Cliff decided to find out what Lilia needed and see each other in the downtown area.

Karhan spent two days pondering what gift he should give to Lilia. However, no matter how much he thought about it, Lilia didn’t seem to need anything. She had it all. In the end, Karhan decided to see for himself and buy a present.

Karhan, like a habit, arrived earlier than his appointment. Since he came early, he was going to think about the gift a little bit more. After a while, Cliff, wearing a hat, called Karhan with a very welcoming face.

“Lord!”

He was very careful in the mansion, but he was very happy because they met outside. Cliff, who stopped in front of Karhan, checked his watch and looked surprised.

“You’ve already been waiting.”

“Oh, I feel more comfortable when I arrive in advance…… But the Count came early, too.”

“Oh, I came out early on purpose because I thought my family would ask me where I was going.”

After listening to Cliff, Karhan recalled what happened yesterday. Yesterday, Lilia asked him what he was going to do for the holiday. Karhan said that he had to study at home.

His heart throbbed. He felt guilty because he seemed to lie often these days. Karhan walked down the road with Cliff, vowing not to lie in the future.

It’s been a while since he has been out, but the street was familiar. It seemed to be because he came with Lilia several times. Remembering their first date, Karhan smiled faintly. He was so surprised that Lilia bought him a lot of clothes. He couldn’t forget it even after time passed.

Karhan, who was looking through the store window, stopped. It was a store that sold stationery such as notebooks, pens, and ink.

“Let’s go in.”

Cliff was also interested and led Karhan. Upon entering the store, all kinds of items were on display.

Karhan looked slowly at the shelves. Glass ink bottles, crafted pens, fancy letter paper……. If you like stationery, it is diverse enough to turn your eyes around.

Karhan’s eyes stopped after watching for a while. A gold-rimmed diary was placed on a dark navy cover. 

Karhan, who picked up the diary, looked inside carefully. The paper quality was good, and it spread out smoothly on both sides, making it look comfortable. She had said before that she writes in a diary.…. This is it.

Karhan, who chose a gift he liked, visited Cliff with an excited face. In the corner of the store, Cliff could be seen writing something diligently. Cliff, sensing Karhan’s gaze, put down his pen and said,

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was busy writing the purchase order.”

“……What?”

Cliff picked up the paper and showed it to Karhan. It was a sale contract.

“I bought it because I thought it was to Lilia’s taste.”

Cliff laughed without knowing Karhan’s heart. He quietly put down the diary. It seemed to run in the family to buy the whole store if there was something they liked.

Karhan, who had no income, and Cliff, who had bought a store, went back to the street.

Joy and sorrow crossed their faces. Karhan spontaneously became nervous. For some reason, he thought everyone would prepare something amazing.

He wants to give her a nice present, but how much money is in the safe……. In fact, it was unclear whether he could buy a gift that Lilia liked even if he spent all his money.

“I’m having a lot of fun these days.”

Karhan, who was in serious trouble, turned his head.

“It’s been a while since she has officially celebrated her birthday like this.”

Cliff looked at Karhan with a big smile.

“It’s all thanks to the Lord.”

“Thanks to me…….”

Karhan blinked slowly with a puzzled face.

“I was very worried after she broke up with him…… But she felt better soon after. It’s all thanks to the presence of the Lord.”

“…….”

“These days, her relationship with the family has improved a lot.”

Karhan lowered his eyes. Rather, it was Karhan who received a lot of help. It was not surprising that Lilia recovered from her broken heart because of him.

“I’m sure there will be a day when other family members acknowledge the Lord.”

Cliff was referring to Violet and Heinley. He knew that the two still didn’t like Karhan.

“Until then, I’ll cheer for you in the middle ground.”

“……Thank you.”

Karhan thanked him without knowing what to say.

“Oh, I heard that Heinley is in charge of the birthday party. It’s a secret to Lilia. It’s a surprise party.”

“May I join you?”

“Of course! That’s….”

Cliff, who opened his mouth quickly, coughed with a slightly unsure face.

“You are her boyfriend, and everyone will understand.”

Karhan only nodded.

“So what kind of gift are you going to give?”

He hadn’t decided yet. He thought there might be a present that he liked as much as the diary he saw earlier. Before that, he thought he should give her something more expensive and better than the diary.….

Karhan, who was walking on the street, stopped sharply. He replied with his eyes fixed on the window.

“I’ll choose it now.”

***

Time passed quickly, and finally, Lilia’s birthday came. Karhan got into the carriage in an unusual state of nervousness. Tession, who sat opposite, looked very happy, unlike Karhan.

“We may be the first outsiders to be invited to the Bloden family’s birthday party.”

Unlike other nobles, the Blodens did not hold a birthday banquet. Most of the time, it was spent quietly with family. So Tession seemed so proud to be at the birthday party.

“It’s Lilia’s birthday, so it’s going to be amazing, right?”

Unlike Tession, who is full of expectations, Karhan is a little afraid. He was only told it was being prepared under the leadership of Heinley, but he didn’t know the details.

The carriage crossed the vast garden of Bloden’s mansion. Looking through the window at the garden, Karhan was lost in thought for a moment. In the end, Lilia never talked about her birthday. If Cliff hadn’t told him, he’d be the only one who didn’t know.

Why didn’t you tell me? Feeling sad, Karhan shook his head. As Tession explained, she might not have said anything because she wasn’t going to celebrate her birthday with her family. 

With a shake of his head, Karhan recalled the mission given to him. As it was an important mission, he had to complete it without making any mistakes.

Eventually, the carriage arrived at the main building of the mansion. Karhan and Tession looked around lightly. The unique excited atmosphere of the birthday was not felt at all, and it was quiet and serene as usual.

Karhan was relieved inside. He was a little worried about how loud the birthday party would be, but it seemed to be more normal than he thought.

Karhan, who sent Tession first, entered the main building. When he asked the employees and went up the stairs, he immediately met Lilia who came out of the room.

“Karhan? What are you doing here?”

Surprised, Lilia asked. Karhan uttered the lines he had memorized beforehand.

“I came here because my class ended early today. Do you have time?”

“Yes.”

“Then…… can we take a short walk in the garden and talk?”

Karhan muttered with a troubled face. Lilia, who was tilting her head, replied, “Yes.”

The two left the main building and headed to the back of the garden. Karhan’s task was to lure Lilia to the lake.

“Actually, I have a problem…….”

“What is it?”

Karhan began to speak as slowly as he could. There was quite a distance from the main building to the lake, so he had to continue the conversation. Karhan talked about all kinds of worries.

“The problem is that my back hurts because the chair is hard…….”

Later, embarrassing words he claimed to be worries came out. But Lilia took it quite seriously. Karhan paused and looked down at Lilia.

Come to think of it, it’s been a long time since they spent a lot of time together. It was because he deliberately avoided a situation where the two of them were alone together.  Karhan suddenly remembered what Mezra had said.

That’s love.

He had been thinking about it ever since, but he still couldn’t understand what love is. It seemed that there was something lacking to call the feeling he had, love. The love he saw in the book was more grandiose and beautiful, but his felt terrible.

And if he falls in love with Lilia……. Karhan was silent with a worried face. He also forgot that he was luring Lilia to the lake. And it was when the two people reached the lake.

Boom!!

A huge roar stopped Karhan from breathing. Lilia also looked up in shock. A huge amount of fireworks exploded one after another in the wide sky. It was so big and colorful that the clouds were obscured.

Then a magnificent sound of music reverberated everywhere. Karhan, who was lost for a moment, grasped the situation and straightened his head. The lakeside, sprinkled with rose petals, looked like a carpet had been spread.

Knights with swords raised to either side of the road were lined up, and on the other side, the servants stood in an orderly manner.  Next to them was a colorful table and chairs, and a portrait of Lilia.

Karhan lastly noticed a huge ship floating by the lake. Violet, Cliff and Heinley on board shouted at the same time,

“Happy birthday! Lilia!!”