Isekai: Princess Marquess Becomes Entrepreneur of Tempe

Chapter 48. Heart-set

Meanwhile, afternoon in the capital.

"Order, Miss?"

A waiter approached Kiara, as the girl was sitting at one of the best tables in the One Suck Cafe. The table is on the balcony of the cafe on the second floor, with a view of the sunset so orange.

This afternoon, Louis invites him to meet at the One Session Cafe, and the girl agrees. Incidentally, because Kiara has long wanted to go to the cafe. Visiting the cafe alone is awkward.

And indeed this afternoon, Kiara is anticipating there will be one scene happening, according to the plot plot plot plot of Heart Story webtoon.

"Umm... what are the popular snacks here?" ask Kiara again, flipping through the cafe menu page. The waiter seemed to think for a moment.

"For snacks, there is our new menu, namely fried tofu. Can be spicy or ordinary messages. The drink is best matched with tea or soy milk. If Miss wants, can I-"

"In a moment," cut Kiara suddenly. "know fry...?"

"Yes, Miss. Tofu is a food prepared from soy milk-"

"Ah, I understand what it knows. It's okay, don't explain. All right, I ordered the fried tofu one, yeah" Kiara said. The cafe waiter immediately recorded it.

"Then, please wait. The order will come in about fifteen minutes." said the waiter, and he left in front of Kiara.

Shortly after, the order arrived. Kiara stabbed a piece of warm tofu with her fork and bribed it into her mouth.

A tear fell on the cheek. His sense of longing in his native world appeared, when he was still a Wulan. Not to his mother and half-sister, but to his father.

Wulan's father was a tofu factory owner in the Sumedang area. And Wulan was often invited to visit the factory by his father as a child.

"Wulan, someday, you'll be the leader of the factory know this, huh?"

"All this, Pa??"

"Yes, so you have to study hard! Learn how to process soybeans, so that later when you grow up you can replace Papa!"

"Yes, Pa... But, how does it smell, anyway?!"

"Haha! That's the smell of waste, honey! You will get used to it too!"

"Kiara...? Kiara!"

"E-eh, Louis! You have come!"

Kiara's daydreams broke and the girl rushed to wipe away the tears on her cheeks.

Already, already! I have lived in this world for 16 years. My life is here now. And Louis is in front of me now.

I want to meet Elona Locke. Maybe after everything is done, we can reminisce about the earth together...

"Why are you, Kiara? Why crying?" Louis asked worriedly. Kiara smiled in response.

"I'm fine, Louis..."

"Oh, okay." Louis sat down in front of Kiara. The girl looked at him expectantly. There is a scene that he is anticipating this afternoon, right at this table, in this famous cafe.

Louis Vandyke's impersonation of Kiara Perez.

After 16 years the girl was waiting for this opportunity. After the many obstacles he faced, Kiara was so looking forward to this day.

Although the antagonistic figure was no longer on the side of the two of them, but Kiara was quite relieved by that. Because that meant, everything went more smoothly than he expected before he met Louis. Kiara also felt tired if she had to face various attacks from the antagonist Elona Locke on her, as should happen in the webtoon Heart Story.

But none of that happened, and Kiara smiled happily looking at the man before her at the moment. In his heart he hopes, that the union of Kiara and Louis will still occur even without the interference factor of the antagonist.

"Kiara. I want to talk about something." said Louis. Both hands grabbed Kiara's hand that was on the table.

Is this the time? After all this time?? Well, I can't control my heartbeat...

"W-yeah..What do you want to talk about?" ask Kiara, as per the plot of the story.

Louis breathed. His red eyes stared fixedly at the girl before him. Kiara was also impatient for him to make.

"Nearby..."

"Yes, Young Master Louis..."

Oh, naw! Here goes! Here goes!

"As long as we're together, I feel something's changed. The old me who could only mourn my mother's departure and face the world in darkness, all that changed since you were."

Oh, according to the one on the webtoon! pekik Kiara in heart. The girl tried to calm her heart, even though it seemed to be in vain.

"You have given me something meaningful since I was present in my life. I don't know what will happen in the future, but obviously, I know that the current me won't be able to be here without you accompanying me.." continued Louis. Then, he fell silent for a moment.

At this point, Kiara held her breath and got ready.

"Nearby..."

"Will you be my wife?" come say...

"... I'm sorry..."

"Eh...?"

Louis looked to turn his gaze the other way, like deliberately avoiding Kiara's gaze. And the girl was stunned, trying to digest what the man said earlier.

Did I not hear wrong? Apologize...? Why would Louis apologize??

"Mi-I'm sorry why? What's up?"

"I'm sorry..." Louis sighed, then his grip on Kiara's hand came off.

"I've been thinking all along that I love you. I was sure you were the only one who could be by my side, but..."

The man's words were stifled, like he could not bear to reveal them. While Kiara herself is still flabbergasted not to believe that everything she is waiting for now is entirely out of the storyline that should be.

"But what?" there was a tone of disbelief and unwillingness in the girl's question. Louis seemed to sigh for the umpteenth time.

"But I'm still not sure of my heart..."

The scene that was supposed to be marked with the giving of an engagement ring, instead now replaced with an apology from Louis with his head lowered before Kiara as a symbol.

"You... don't love me?" ask Kiara back. His throat was hot, and his eyes were ready to shed tears once more.

"I don't know yet." replied Louis.

Kiara closed her eyes, hoping that everything that was happening right now would never exist forever. However, when he opened his eyes, Louis was still there with his head still lowered. The engagement ring was not there. There were only tears that began to drip slowly with warmth without realizing it.

"Then... How next? You want to dump me?"

"It's not so!" Louis denied it immediately. "I just don't know whose heart this is choosing. So..."

"So?"

"So let me go for a while. Give me time to set my heart..." Louis said carefully.

"Until when?" tanya Kiara wants certainty.

"I'll definitely come straight to you when I've set my feelings. I don't want to make you love me completely either, while I'm here to only give you half...

I just want to love someone without half a heart and no regrets..."

Kiara wiped the tears on her cheek. He had been hurt many times in the previous world, he was determined to be able to survive for something like this. At least until he wasn't within Louis's sight.

"All right, I'll let you.." said the girl unwillingly.

"really?"

"Yes, remember, I'm waiting for you."

"I promise you, I'll be back as soon as I get my answer!"

Louis then moved out of his chair, then took his coat that was draped on the back of the chair.

"I'll go first."

And that's all. Louis left the cafe without turning back at the girl behind him. Kiara could no longer see Louis there, and her tears spilled out.

Why is this. Why is everything in vain like this...

*****

Louis had just arrived at his house after coming from the One Suck Cafe and went straight to his room. He called some servants.

"Prepare a large suitcase. Tomorrow morning, I'll be out of town for a while. Is my dad around?"

"Your father is in the lower lobby" said a waiter. "What's up, Young Master? Where do you want to go so suddenly?"

Louis smiled. He pulled something out of the drawer, an object he had acquired years ago from his former fiancee.

"I'm going to Armelin Town."

*****

...\=\= original writing by @author.ryby \=\=...

...\=\= cover art by @fuheechi_ \=\=...