Playing the Villainess, He Fell for Me

The transparent glass case was about the length of a finger, with a golden stem connected to the bottom. At its peak, an Eternal Flower carved from a blue gemstone glistened warmly under the light.

Perhaps because the creator’s skills were still unrefined, the carved edges of the "Eternal Flower’s" petals looked a little stiff.

Simon Lockwood held the "flower," his handsome face a blur in the flickering candlelight. Only his voice, clear and pleasant, seemed to find its way straight into her heart. "Joanie, happy birthday..."

Many years ago, on his birthday, at 9:04 a.m., Joanna Kennedy had carefully presented him with a self-made Eternal Flower. It had been a vibrant, passionate rose—the first birthday gift he had ever received.

From that day on, the rose took root and grew in his heart.

And so today, he was giving a "rose" to Joanna Kennedy as well. This one was truly eternal, never to wither.

Joanna Kennedy didn’t know how long she had been staring, but her gaze finally settled on the faint red marks on his fingers. They were scratches.

"...Since when do roses look like this..." Joanna Kennedy said with a laugh, though her eyes were shimmering. A tear escaped and rolled down her face. She wiped it away fiercely, took the "rose" from Simon Lockwood’s hand, and said with feigned haughtiness, "Fine. I forgive you for all this."

Despite her words, her hands moved to carefully place the eternal "rose" into an inner pocket.

The wish had been made and the gift received, so next came the cake. Joanna Kennedy, who had no sense of proportion when it came to slicing, cut a massive piece and placed it on a plate for Simon Lockwood, her eyes sparkling. "For you."

Simon Lockwood stared at the crooked, bowl-sized slice of cake before him. "..."

"It’s your birthday. You should have the first piece," Simon Lockwood said, silently sliding the "bowl" back toward her.

Joanna Kennedy frowned, about to protest, but the feeling of the Eternal Flower against her chest made her swallow her words. She mumbled under her breath, "Fine, I’ll indulge you just this once..."

’On account of the Eternal Flower.’

Simon Lockwood: "..."

She cut another piece for Simon Lockwood, a perfectly normal-sized one this time. With two-thirds of the cake still remaining, Joanna Kennedy started to worry.

’It’s such a waste to throw it away. Maybe I should take it home and keep it in the fridge to eat over the next few days?’

While she was agonizing over it, Simon Lockwood spoke, his tone unreadable. "Cut two pieces and put them by the door."

Joanna Kennedy gave him a puzzled look.

Then it dawned on her. "Is it for the stray dogs?"

"’No, they can’t. I read online that dogs can’t eat cream. The fat content is too high, and it’s hard for them to digest and metabolize..." Joanna Kennedy said, a little deflated.

A muscle in Simon Lockwood’s brow twitched. "It’s fine," he said, deadpan. "The dogs here can eat it."

Joanna Kennedy blinked.

’Are they that special?’

’There must be a reason for what Simon Lockwood said.’

She dubiously cut two pieces of cake—not too big—and set them by the door. Then she peered around expectantly, hoping to spot a dog.

Simon Lockwood closed the door. Seeing her puzzled expression, he explained, "They won’t dare come over if you’re watching."

’Oh, right. Strays are always afraid of strangers.’ Joanna Kennedy accepted his explanation without a second thought. A little while later, she opened the door to check, and sure enough, the cake was gone.

Joanna Kennedy was pleased, but she quickly noticed something amiss. "...Why are the plates gone too?"

’Have dogs really gotten that smart? Do they just carry off the plate with the cake?’

Just around the corner, two silhouettes could be faintly seen shifting. She would see them if she just turned her head. Simon Lockwood’s brows furrowed. He moved quickly, cupping the back of her neck and pulling her into a kiss, using her moment of distraction to shut the door.

Around the corner, beneath an osmanthus tree, one person stood while another squatted. The one standing was elegantly eating his cake, his eyes flicking sideways to the one squatting.

His granny-gray hair was a windswept mess as he hunched over, wolfing down his slice like he hadn’t eaten cake in his last three lives.

Jack Warren: "..."

’Why in the hell was I hiding here on a chilly night, eating cake with a lunatic like Sean Grant?!’

’What was wrong with my warm bed at home?!’

The more Jack Warren thought about it, the angrier he became. He lashed out with a kick, not caring that a certain someone had just landed flat on his ass. Holding his unfinished cake, he turned and walked away.

Even after walking several paces, he could still hear Sean Grant’s baffled voice call out from behind.

"JJ! JJ! Hey, wait up!"

Cream was smeared around Sean Grant’s mouth, and his clothes were covered in dust. Seeing Jack Warren getting further away, he threw caution to the wind and stuffed the entire remaining piece of cake into his mouth.

’Mmm... delicious... That dog Lockwood’s cake is so damn good...’

He finished it off, wiped his mouth with a complete disregard for his image, and broke into a trot on his long legs to catch up to Jack Warren. "How dare you kick me?" he complained. "You’ve got some nerve!"

Jack Warren ignored him and quickened his pace.

Sean Grant kept babbling, "Do you have any idea who you just kicked?! Hey, I’m asking you a question! Say something!"

"C’mon, JJ, talk to me!"

"..."

Under the dim yellow streetlights, two figures of roughly the same height walked side by side.

Meanwhile, in her daze, Joanna Kennedy thought she heard a man’s shout. The voice sounded familiar, but before she could place it, she felt a gentle nip on the tip of her tongue.

Simon Lockwood managed to pull back, his voice husky. "Focus..."

Then he kissed her again.

Joanna Kennedy: "..." ’He’s going to be the death of me.’

When the kiss finally ended, Joanna Kennedy felt like she’d just arrived in Tibet—out of breath, chest tight, her vision swimming with black spots and golden stars.

’Who else gets this wrecked from a single kiss?!’

It was already late, so the two of them made do for the night in the small bedroom. Thankfully, the bedding had been aired out ahead of time and was ready to use.

Two adults in a single bed, yet Joanna Kennedy didn’t feel cramped at all. She snuggled into his embrace. So much had happened today, and she was exhausted. Just as she was drifting off,

Simon Lockwood suddenly spoke. "Joanna Kennedy."

"What is it?" Joanna Kennedy answered groggily.

Simon Lockwood pressed his lips together, a smile touching his eyes. "It’s nothing..."

Joanna Kennedy: "..."

"Good night." Joanna Kennedy figured that’s what he wanted to hear. She leaned in and planted a comforting kiss on the corner of his mouth—though it was less a kiss and more of a clumsy nuzzle.

Simon Lockwood said slowly, "Stop moving. It hurts a little."

Joanna Kennedy: "..."

Joanna Kennedy was dead tired, but his words still managed to wake her up in a huff. She turned her head away, ignoring him.

The smile in Simon Lockwood’s eyes deepened. He inched closer, then contentedly buried his face in her neck and closed his eyes.

In the middle of the night, Joanna Kennedy woke with a start. She could feel the man’s familiar warmth behind her. Outside, the high moon cast an ethereal, almost unreal glow. Beside her pillow, the blue Eternal Flower seemed to flash for an instant in the moonlight.

When Joanna Kennedy looked closer, the glimmer of light was gone.

She rubbed her eyes. ’I must have been seeing things. It was just the moonlight.’