Despite his inner turmoil, Luke’s exterior remained chillingly cold.
Known for his ruthlessness, his icy demeanor caused Bonita’s eyes, like barley in the harvest season, to waver.
‘Am I not supposed to enter?’
His face was so intimidating.
She feared he might suddenly explode in anger and command her to leave the mansion.
“Come on, Bonita. What are you doing standing there?”
“Th-that’s…”
A sinister voice echoed from behind Bonita. Luke involuntarily flinched at the chill in those words.
Creak.
As the door fully opened, a blonde woman with blue eyes stood there as if it were the most natural thing. Luke and Aria’s eyes met.
With a displeased expression, Aria sarcastically greeted him, pulling Bonita towards her.
“Hello? I’m the dimwit who can’t understand simple words.”
“That’s not what I meant…!”
Luke started to erupt in anger but stopped upon seeing the tears welling up in Bonita’s eyes. His expression turned into that of a complete fool.
“Yes, I didn’t mean you. Please don’t cry…”
“Sob.”
Damn it.
A vulgar word, unusual for him, but nothing else came to mind. Luke froze on the spot.
The sight of a nearly 2-meter-tall giant looking foolish in front of a child was quite a spectacle. Especially for that Duke Lysianthus, the subject of so many grim rumors.
Servant Ed almost burst into laughter at the scene but coughed awkwardly instead, seeing Aria’s brazen demeanor.
‘How could he say that to a child?’
Aria, too, had mistakenly said harsh words in front of Bonita before, but never directly to the child. Even if it was a mistake, it was upsetting.
‘And here I was trying to help them bond!’
After happily making a cake with Bonita, Aria suggested bringing it to her father.
“Daughter, how about showing this to your father? It’s a gift.”
“But it’s a mess. Won’t he find it annoying? Besides, the Duke hasn’t come to see me in three days…”
“He surely loves you very much. It’s just a bit awkward right now.”
‘I convinced her, and now this!’
It precisely hit the spot Bonita was worried about.
Aria resisted the urge to throw the cake box at him (once, during their courtship, Luke actually got hit with a cake by Elodie) considering her situation, but she didn’t want to let Luke fall apart in front of Bonita.
“Well, I mean, that is…”
Aria turned her gaze to Luke.
He was still stammering like a parrot, repeating the same foolish words.
His characteristic stammer when truly flustered. A trait unknown to others.
Aria decided to help her ex-husband.
“Come here, Bonita.”
Bonita stepped back and clung to Aria’s skirt. Luke glared at her resentfully.
“Why didn’t you warn me?”
But his accusation was absurd.
“We knocked, didn’t we?”
“…That’s…”
Speechless, Luke looked at Bonita, hiding in the folds of Aria’s dress. His fierce red eyes were filled with frustration and regret.
This is going to take all night. Aria sighed and urged him.
“Duke. Maybe you should apologize to Bonita?”
“Ah.”
He uttered a dumbfounded exclamation.
His hands hovered awkwardly in the air.
“Ahem, well, Bonita.”
“…Yes, yes?”
Her voice trembled in response.
Even though Bonita was accustomed to such situations, she couldn’t help but be intimidated by Luke, who was far more daunting than other men. Realizing this, Luke took a step back, which slightly relaxed Bonita’s expression.
“I truly didn’t mean those words for you. I thought it was someone else.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Luke tried his best to speak in the gentlest and kindest tone he could muster.
“You’re my daughter. You can come to my office anytime, for any reason. You’re always welcome.”
Bonita’s eyes widened at this unexpected remark. The fear in her red eyes diminished a little, replaced by curiosity. Luke sighed in relief internally.
Ed, the servant standing by, cleared his throat. He decided to ask the young lady a question on behalf of the tense Duke.
“Miss, why did you come to the office? If I’m not mistaken, that looks like a gift box Miss Aria is holding.”
“Oh!”
Bonita gasped and glanced behind her. Aria nodded.
Bonita, a bit hesitant, then cautiously shared with the Duke, who seemed less scary now.
“Mother and I made a cake… and she thought you’d like it. So, we came to give it to you as a present.”
Luke looked at Aria in surprise, particularly at the gift box she was holding.
‘A gift for the Duke?’
He was torn between being saddened by the formal title and being happy about receiving his daughter’s first gift. Meanwhile, Bonita nervously watched Luke’s reaction.
“I, I mean, you might not like it. I think it wasn’t a good idea after”
“No way!”
Luke exclaimed, almost snatching the box from Aria. He then carefully placed it on his desk as if it were a precious treasure.
“I really like it. Can ‘Daddy’ open your gift now?”
He emphasized ‘Daddy’ as he asked, but unfortunately, Bonita, captivated by the Duke’s kind smile, missed his earnest cue.
Bonita blinked slowly and then nodded.
Male lead first thought she played hard to get, only to realize she
really disliked him
Short intro:
What she can’t stand the most is the streets full of effeminate men, especially that so-called top beauty whom she avoids at all costs.
Shen Yaoxing looks at Jiang Mingyue, who keeps approaching her with coy shyness.
Shen Yaoxing: Bro, don’t be like this, I’m really about to throw up!
She fears nothing in heaven or earth, except for him getting close to her.
*
At first he thought she was just using the trick of feigning indifference to attract his attention. Later, he learned that she truly despised him.
This dealt a heavy blow to Jiang Mingyue, and he vowed to make her, like everyone else, fall at his feet in worship!
***
Synopsis:
Before transmigrating, Shen Yaoxing only wanted to find a reliable man to spend her life with. Who knew that after transmigrating, she would become a reliable woman herself…
A forced misandrist, highly skilled, and reliable female lead
vs.
An initially aloof and arrogant, later morbid, obsessed male lead
_____
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