Bonita couldn’t hide her confusion.
‘Why are they like this?’
Aria and Luke were the same.
The atmosphere turned cold instantly as soon as she shook her head, indicating that she didn’t know her birthday.
‘What did I do wrong?’
Bonita habitually clutched the edge of her apron. It was a behavior born out of anxiety.
‘Is it such a big deal not to know my birthday?’
She had never been curious about things like birthdays in her life.
There were no birthdays for the kids in the alley. It was natural since they didn’t have parents. In cases where a child was adopted, there might be an effort to commemorate that day like a birthday.
Bonita thought of herself in a similar situation.
Aria was not Bonita’s biological mother.
Whether she picked her up, adopted her, or took care of her for some reason, Bonita was sure that the two had no biological relationship.
So, she never asked about birthdays.
Not knowing it didn’t affect her life, and Aria also didn’t celebrate her own birthday.
But now, seeing Aria and Luke’s expressions, Bonita became anxious, wondering if there was something wrong with her.
“Bonita.”
It was a gentle call.
But the voice was trembling.
Clutching her apron, Bonita noticed the emotions hidden in Aria’s tone.
She was angry, sad, confused, and felt betrayed at the same time. It seemed like a mix of various emotions.
Why was that?
“Your birthday is on April 8th.”
“Yes…”
Bonita nodded, glancing at Aria. Sweat had stuck her apron to her palm.
This time, Luke spoke.
“We were thinking of opening a birthday party for you.”
“A b-birthday party?”
Surprised, Bonita stammered.
‘A birthday party?’
Birthday party, a birthday party.
Thinking about the words that came out of Luke’s mouth, Bonita soon recalled a vague image.
There were occasional days like that.
Days when kids from affluent households, although it wasn’t a special occasion, held the hand of a child and went to a beautiful, hugging house with gifts.
On those days, kids wearing similar clothes surrounded that child, making a fuss. It was a sight she could occasionally catch when she went to the market to buy food.
Of course, those kids never bothered to befriend poor kids like Bonita, so all she could do was overhear fragments of their loud chatter.
“Yeah, a birthday party.”
Luke said with a soft tone.
Although it was somewhat unnatural, it was a smile that seemed to be suppressing anger. However, Bonita could tell from his tone that she wasn’t the target of his anger.
“So, a birthday party. We were thinking of inviting friends you like. I came to ask for your opinion on who to invite.”
‘I can invite friends?’
For a moment, Bonita struggled to suppress the rising joy.
Expressing joy as it is would be challenging given the atmosphere between the two. The moment they left the room, it felt like a bomb would explode soon.
‘I shouldn’t leave just the two of them alone.’
At least not now.
Bonita trusted her observational skills and intuition. Even if she didn’t know much about other things, she was confident when it came to sensing someone’s emotions.
‘For now, let’s go with that.’
Emotions are volatile.
No matter how strong they are, it’s just a moment. Anger, in particular, was like that.
Once you move past the moment of feeling the emotion, people inevitably become accustomed to it. Rather than exploding in anger, they become more accepting.
Bonita had learned in detail about the process of how an angry person calms down through her previous experiences with Aria.
So… for now, she thought that would be enough.
“I, I!”
Having quickly assessed the situation, Bonita shouted abruptly.
The gazes of the two were now focused on her.
“I want to invite Cassis and Alan, and Derek. Um, and also… that girl named Maya.”
“I see.”
Luke wrote the four names on the list. Even in the midst of anger, his attitude remained rational.
“And any other kids?”
“Well, I’m not sure. Should I invite many?”
“No, it’s entirely up to you. It’s your birthday party.”
Although Luke said so, Bonita still felt unfamiliar with the concept of a birthday party.
It couldn’t be helped.
She had never cared about birthdays in her life, let alone being curious about them. Suddenly being told that her birthday was a week away, and they were planning to throw a grand party, left her bewildered.
But being able to invite friends was a pleasant thing. It seemed like she could have another enjoyable day like the one she spent at the Hyaacinth Marquis’s estate.
Thinking about the upcoming meeting a week later, Bonita abruptly faced a reality wall.
“But how do I invite them? Should I go to their houses a day before and tell them to come to the birthday party?”
“What?”
Somehow, both Luke and Aria started laughing when they heard Bonita’s serious concern.
As Bonita tilted her head as if she didn’t understand English, the two of them laughed even more.
‘Both of them seem to be in a better mood than earlier.’
Thanks to that, the tense atmosphere was relieved. She didn’t know why they were laughing, but she was relieved.
Male lead is a Destined Young Husband (Female-dominant)
One-sentence summary: Wife-master, listen to my explanation!
Li Ruantang, a young lady from a prestigious family, stumbled and fell. When she woke up, she saw a noble and beautiful young man sitting by her bedside, wiping away tears.
The young master had slightly reddened eyes, and his every move exuded charm.
The sight made Li Ruantang’s eyes hot and her heart flutter. After all, she had made a bet with the young master Meng from the neighboring family. If she couldn’t marry a husband before the end of the year, she would have to admit defeat and give up the jade she had worked so hard to obtain.
Outside the window, the flowers were in full bloom.
Rather than losing the bet, the jade, and her face, Li Ruantang calculated that it would be better to seek marriage with the young master in front of her, killing three birds with one stone.
…
Meng Jun never thought that an accident during a spring outing would lead to them rolling down a cliff and into a river, yet still survive.
Now they were trapped in an unknown village, and Meng Jun had overheard that the family who had rescued them had their own intentions.
After all, it was Li Ruantang who had lost her mind and sought marriage first. He was only trying to protect himself!
Glancing at Li Ruantang, who was listing her own merits, the young husband’s voice softened, and he blushed as he lied, “W-wife-master, Wife-master, don’t you remember me?”
The young husband’s voice was clear and handsome, coaxing Li Ruantang’s heart to be soft and sweet, and she spared no effort to protect him.
It wasn’t until they returned to the capital that Li Ruantang suddenly remembered.
When they had fallen off the cliff, in order not to implicate Wei Yunruo, whom he secretly admired, the young husband had instead pulled her, who was slightly farther away, down the cliff with him…
Short summary by Yuushi L: Initially, the male lead (ML) liked another girl, while the female lead (FL) liked the ML. Both fell off a cliff. The FL temporarily lost her memory, and the ML, fearing others might take advantage of him, claimed FL was his wife while they were staying in a village. Later, when they returned home, the FL regained her memories and remembered that the ML liked someone else, so she kept her distance from him. However, during their time living together in the countryside, the ML’s view of the FL had completely changed. From this point, his pursuit of the FL begins.
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