I Decided to Kidnap the Male Lead

‘Okay. I know nothing.’

‘I couldn’t have known because I wasn’t paying attention.’

Ophelia was ashamed to the point of wanting to find a mouse hole to hide in, but she eventually said,

“Mother.”

“Yes.”

“If I say this now, I feel like I’m going to be a really ignorant kid.”

“Then don’t do it.”

“I want to do it. So, I’ll be an ignorant kid for a moment.”

Ophelia whispered with an expression that was unknown whether she was laughing or crying with shame, awkwardness, and joy beyond it all.

“You said they’re worried. I’m so happy.”

It meant that they watched and cared for her.

“You’re really ignorant. Now that you know, please turn it around. If they get even one glance from you, there will be a bragging contest.”

“Bragging… contest? That’s a bit.”

A faint smile spread on her mother’s lips as she flicked Ophelia’s forehead.

“It is noisy. So try not to have such an outrageous competition.”

“Okay.”

Straightening the crumpled blanket under Ophelia’s chin, her mother whispered, as if she was indeed a three-year-old.

“If you don’t want to talk, it’s okay. Just be aware.”

A soft and warm sincerity flowed into her heart.

“No matter what you do, the people of Bolsheik will always love you and wait for you.”

For some reason, Ophelia’s eyes were slowly wetting as she closed her eyes at the rather rough hand of her mother tapping her chest.

Perhaps… Ophelia must have had a premonition instinctively.

That this truly happy time would also fall asleep only in her memory.

.

It was a day when the sky had been frowning since morning, and it looked like it would rain soon.

Ophelia stared blankly at the gathering dark clouds in the western sky.

Black clouds. Rain. Heavy rain. Flood. And the fire rain that burned the sky red.

Ophelia lost her focus because all the associations were so gloomy.

Was it just melancholy, or perhaps despair?

As she swallowed a flowing sigh, a hot steaming cup appeared in front of her eyes.

Ophelia blinked lazily for a moment.

It was so peaceful and leisurely that when she closed and opened her eyes, she felt like this instance would disappear like an illusion.

How many days had it been?

This silence, like before a huge fire broke out…

Shaking her head to shake off the depression that was sinking to the floor, Ophelia accepted the teacup with a faint smile.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me for these little things.”

“How can I not appreciate the tea that Aide Fillite poured herself?”

“Cathy!”

Teasing Iris with her mischievous smile and exaggerated gestures, Catherine soon sat down to the left of Ophelia, who was sitting by the window with her chin resting on her hand.

Rough body movements that didn’t seem to recall even the ‘e’ of ‘ettiquette’.

She was called the hive of society, but in other words, Catherine, who had the power to exert influence enough to overturn society, could not be ignorant of manners.

“Are you going to sit there?”

“Give up, because I sat down first.”

Catherine seized the hem of the dazed Ophelia’s skirt and proclaimed childishly, and Iris shrugged.

“I’m okay to sit here.”

Iris sat down to Ophelia’s right.

Who was Iris Fillite? She was famous for keeping accurate etiquette as if measuring it with a ruler, and it was widely agreed that it was suffocating to stand in front of her.

But none of them cared about etiquette or anything now.

They just sat down and followed Ophelia’s gaze.

“What are you looking at?”

“Just the sky.”

“Do you think it will rain?”

“I think… Oh, it looks like it’s starting to rain.”

As soon as Iris finished those words, raindrops began to spread one by one on the window.

“How about it, am I right?”

Iris gave a firm nod to Catherine, who suddenly smirked.

“It’s a good suggestion.”

“What? Huh?”

Ophelia nodded towards Catherine, prompting an answer.

“Today, for some reason, was just right.”

“Look, you’re sitting in the aide’s office at this time, processing paperwork. How depressing is this! You should take a break once in a while!”

“Yes, yes. You were right when you rushed into the aide’s office and shouted, ‘You have to play with me today!’”

Iris’ words reminded Ophelia of the situation at that time, causing her to giggle.

“Cooper started the game.”

“I haven’t seen that face in a long time.”

Iris giggled as well, and Catherine puffed her cheeks.

“No matter how surprising it was, didn’t Aide Halsey overdo it?”

“Uh… Yes. It was too much… pfft.”

Iris, who was unable to speak halfway through because she was holding back a laugh, finally lowered her head and let it out, causing her shoulders to shake.

“Riri! Don’t laugh!”

“Come on, Cathy, calm down. It’s because I’m so surprised.”

“No matter what, grabbing my hair all of a sudden!”

“Ahahaha! Stop! Ahahahahahahaha!”

Unable to just hold back the burst of laughter, Iris kept laughing, and Ophelia’s shoulders started to shake vigorously.

It was an hour ago.

Quietly, Catherine opened the door to the aide’s office.

If it had been the usual, she would have just burst the door open and hugged Ophelia.

Maybe it was because the weather was dreary, but she was in the mood to surprise them a little today.

‘I shouldn’t do that, but…’

As Catherine moved stealthily through the mountains of papers, she spotted a figure.

At this point, of course, it was near Ophelia’s desk, so without thinking twice, Catherine rushed straight to the figure.

Hwak!

“Argh!”

“Kyaaaah!”

A feast of screams followed.

Cooper was so startled by Catherine’s surprise that he swung his hand as an instinctive defense mechanism.

Unexpectedly, he grabbed her by the hair.

Catherine pouted, stroking the still tingling side of her head.

Ophelia comforted her by patting that side.

“Cooper said he was preparing something good as an apology, so relax.”

“Yes, yes. If Cooper says it’s good, it’s really good.”

As Iris joined in, Catherine, who had a gruff look on her face, rubbed her head against Ophelia’s hand with a laugh.

“It was my fault for surprising him, so I have to apologize as well. And from now on, I will be sure to knock and enter.”

Patting the side of the head of the downcasted Catherine, Ophelia said,

“However…”

She tilted her head, belatedly finding Catherine and Iris sitting at her feet with her as the center.

They didn’t sit on either side of her…

“Why are you two sitting there?”

“Is that how you feel?”

“Do you think Catherine needs to be balanced because she is sitting like this?”

The three of them looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Watching the pouring rain, Catherine smiled brightly and touched the hem of Ophelia’s dress.

“Yesterday…”

So the three of them conversed.

It was nothing, trivial stories that would be forgotten tomorrow, and small laughs flowed.

How long has it been since she drank tea and messed around with snacks?

The rain did not pour down in torrents, but it continued to fall lightly and showed no signs of stopping.

Feeling full and holding a warm cup of tea, Ophelia was about to close her eyes as the drowsy air wrapped around her body.

—Tok tok.

“Excuse me, ladies.”

Leaning on Ophelia’s lap, Catherine, already half-asleep, let out a long yawn and blinked.

“What’s the matter?”

“Aide Halsey is here.”

At that, Catherine fully opened her eyes, and Iris turned her head toward the door.

At the same time, Ophelia reached out her hand towards the two friends and lifted them up, then quickly tidied up their clothing and hair.

If it was just Cooper, Ophelia, and Iris, the latter two would not have paid much attention to their appearance because they were overflowing with warm comradeship.

But it was different for Catherine. Even before her hair was pulled, they were always in a bad relationship.

Even in a state where they both committed a very awkward and uncomfortable mistake to the other.

“Come on in.”

Catherine had the appearance of a perfect Lady Sheffield, as if the previous stretched out body and smeared snack crumbs on her mouth were all lies.

Before long, the door opened, and Catherine, upon seeing the man who entered, widened her eyes.

“Lady Sheffield.”

Lawrence smiled and waved his hand behind Cooper, who greeted and bowed politely.

Harsh words reached the top of her throat, but Cooper was there, so Catherine had no choice but to let Lawrence in.

Eventually, Cooper handed over a small box and apologized at the same time, and Catherine waved her hand and the hair-pulling incident was quietly settled.

Five people, including Lawrence, who was an unexpected guest, sat face to face.

In terms of whether it was comfortable or uncomfortable, it was closer to comfortable, but if one asked if it was comfortable, they would reply ‘yes’ with an ambiguous silence.

Catherine widened her eyes wildly at Lawrence and silently hurled harsh words, but Lawrence smiled cheekily and passed his sister’s curses like a snake sliding over a wall.

To think that three of the crown prince’s aides were gathered in private at the same time.

It was a picture one didn’t see very often.

Lawrence, befitting of his position as the next Marquis of Sheffield, had no intention of missing this chance opportunity.

Ame: It’s strange, it’s strange… Something feels off… Like all this cute and peaceful times are gonna come crashing down (╥﹏╥) am I gaslighting myself?

Dea: This is like that one last party soldiers have together before heading into battle in the morning… bad things are about to go down, prepare your tissues everyone T^T