This BL Novel Is Ruined Now - Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Translator: Yonnee

RP: Haebaragi_syk

—

“Knock, knock—”

Reina got out of bed and approached the door, on the other of which someone was knocking using their words instead of their knuckles.

“You were so determined to get out of there as soon as possible.”

She didn’t need to ask to know who it was. It was Paul, who had just taken a leave of absence due to the epidemic.

However, Reina went on to ask who it was anyway, pretending that she didn’t know.

“Who is it?”

“Miss, please try out one of my apples.”

“I’m not looking to buy.”

“Oho, don’t be like that.”

“Yeah, not buying.”

“Even though it’s absolutely scrumptious?”

“I’m allergic to apples. ‘M not buying.”

Ka-chak!

Thud!

“What? You’re allergic to apples? Since when!”

With the door unceremoniously opened, Reina’s forehead promptly smacked against the hard wood. She scowled at Paul as she rubbed her stinging forehead.

“Never. I just felt like saying it.”

“You surprised me!”

“No matter how surprised you were, you can’t just open doors so suddenly like that.”

“Sorry.”

Paul took a step closer and tried to bring his lips close to the tiny bump on her forehead.

“What’re you doing?”

“Treatment?”

“What kind of treatment is that though?”

Paul had a rather quizzical expression on his face.

“Don’t you know that the breath through my lips carries enough magic that it’s like the breath of a goddess who can cure anyone who’s half-disabled?”

“Stop it with the hoodwinking. You think I don’t know you can bring up a healing spell with just your fingers?”

“Tch.”

Clicking his tongue as if in disappointment, Paul then brought one finger to her forehead and brushed it against her forehead. The bump was gone in a second.

“You didn’t send any word before coming,” Reina pointed out.

“Between us good friends, do we have to send such notices?”

“We can arrange for that starting now.”

They’re both past the age of just barging into someone else’s living space without any notice.

“Anyway,” Reina said. “Didn’t you say that you’re about to leave earlier in the day?”

“Ah, that’s true, but… Well, I just decided to leave tomorrow instead.”

“What the heck. What do you mean?”

As Reina puffed her cheeks at the vague answer, Paul grinned.

“Didn’t you say you missed me? You cried as soon as you saw me.”

“……”

Why did she even say that.

“Well… Yeah, I missed you a little.”

Maybe it’s because tensions continued to rise until now, but she truthfully didn’t have Paul or anyone in her mind at the moment.

The only thing that’s preoccupying her entirely was a plan to avoid Lehman. And, deep down, she also wanted to make a plan to reveal just how two-faced that damn punk was.

“So, why’re you here?”

“I wanna eat something that you’ll make for me.”

“…Just because of that, you delayed your trip back to your family’s estate? Which, by the way, you took an urgent leave of absence for because of the epidemic?”

“Yep.”

She looked at him incredulously for a solid ten seconds, but eventually, she relented and stepped out of the hallway. She pulled her hair up and tied it roughly as she walked.

Chasing after her like a baby bird, Paul casually recited which dish he wanted.

“Haemuljeon please!”

He didn’t even forget the Korean food name that she taught him. His pronunciation was a bit awkward though.

‘You keep forgetting the names of the noble kids who greet you everyday, but this…’

Well, as long as it was food, it seemed.

“Why are you laughing, Reina?”

“Never mind. So, just haemuljeon?”

“No? Kamjajeon, too!”

“……”

“Ah! And baek-kimchi, too!”

“……”

In the end, Reina started to think again about just how hungry her hungry spirea really was.

* * *

As the oil-smeared pan sizzled, the Chantra family’s kitchen was filled with an appetizing aroma. And when the dough was put into the hot oil, the sound it made rang pleasantly in the air.

“Is it done? Can I eat now? Hm?”

“Ah, gosh. Don’t rush me. But yeah, it’s done. So stop kicking up a fuss and just eat already.”

Reina sat down, nudging Paul aside as he was sniffing the plate in her hands.

As soon as he got her permission, Paul deftly used a pair of chopsticks. Then, he tore the edge of the crispy seafood pancake and brought it to his mouth.

“Uwaah— Delicious, as expected. Reina, your food is always the best.”

“You kept suspecting me of putting poison in the food though.”

“That was a long time ago.”

When they were still starting to get close, Reina recalled how Paul ever so hesitantly ate the food that she made. It was obvious that he was just grudgingly eating it back then.

“Still though, how did you come up with the idea of cooking up this weird-looking thing?”

Paul used his chopsticks to pick up a plump slice of squid from the seafood pancake, then brought it to his lips.

“The squid?”

“Yeah, that one.”

Squid wasn’t a commonly used ingredient in these parts.

‘That’s why I had to go through hoops to get some, too… Huu.’

Of course, there’s also octopus here and it’s easier and more commonly used as an ingredient. She could have replaced squid with octopus for this recipe, but no—the essence of seafood pancakes was squid.

“Reina, I think I wanna eat squid pasta, too.”

“I’ll teach you the recipe. Go talk to your family’s chef. It’s late now, so go back.”

“I did tell him about it, but he was so shocked.”

Paul kept eating only the crispy parts of the pancake, and he picked out all the squid as well.

Reina hit the back of his hand.

“I told you not to be picky. Eat the vegetables, too.”

“Haa…”

Paul obediently ate a piece full of scallions. He was eating pretty well considering he’s not very fond of that.

“Reina.”

With both his cheeks full of pancakes, he chewed and swallowed well. After which, he soon brought up the real reason why he came to the Chantra residence.

“I heard that something happened at the academy.”

“Ah… You did?”

“Yeah. I heard something unpleasant happened between you and Lehman.”

This guy, who wasn’t even at the academy at that time, was quite well informed.

“It’s not a big deal.”

“You’re only saying that it isn’t.”

“……”

“Did you say you want to start doing your internship because of Lehman?”

Reina sighed quietly. He hit the nail on the head with that single question, so she had no choice but to answer truthfully.

“Yeah… It keeps getting weird. I didn’t do anything, but I keep getting labeled as a bad person…”

Paul did not deny Reina’s words.

It’s exactly that. Anyone with a working set of eyes and ears would know just how much Reina was being criticized at the academy these days.

“Isn’t it difficult to get an internship post at the Ministry of Education?”

“Yeah…”

Chewing on the squid for a moment, he was lost in thought.

“That’s for sure. The Viscount is the kind of man who keeps a clear line between private and public matters.”

“Exactly…”

He turned her down so coldly that she was left in despair.

“Father, about interning at the Ministry of Education—”

“No can do.”

“…I haven’t even asked yet.”

“You’re not allowed to ask in the first place.”

“But—”

“No buts.”

“……”

“No making that face either.”

Regardless of everything, wasn’t she his youngest child? Honestly, Reina was already expecting that he’d say no, but at the very least with some remorse. But when she asked him as soon as he got home, he turned her down completely and utterly, with no exceptions.

“Just when the heck did he turn into such an upright public official…”

It’s not like anyone would fault him for having his kid intern at his place of work…

As Reina’s bright red lips pouted, Paul—who had emptied his plate clean—suggested something else.

“Then, how ‘bout the Ministry of Health?”

t/n: haemuljeon (seafood pancakes), kamjajeon (potato pancakes), baek-kimchi (white kimchi). Paul said all of that in Korean.

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