Chapter 247 Help me
So now, Luke didn’t want to be like Dave, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t play some schemes to get closer to Hera. He knew the others would.
He knew that Zhane hadn’t asked for equal chances for everyone out of fairness; he did it because he feared someone might monopolize Hera’s attention, leaving the rest without a chance. As someone as busy as Zhane, he was already at a disadvantage, whereas someone like Dave, with plenty of free time, had a clear advantage.
By asking for an equal chance, Zhane was giving himself a breather, preventing himself from feeling flustered. It was only Dave who grew impatient and flustered, knowing he had no inherent advantage over the others.
Luke stood beside Hera, helping her fold her long sleeves before they began washing the dishes together. His forearms lightly brushed against hers as he asked, "Do you have any plans after this?"
Hera felt a tingle where his skin touched hers, but she pretended not to notice and continued washing the dishes after folding her long sleeves. "Yes, I need to go to school since it’s the first day and there’s a welcoming ceremony for the freshmen," she answered matter-of-factly. Luke smiled at her, clearly pleased.
"Can I take you there?" His voice was gentle, making it difficult for Hera to turn him down. His considerate tone, combined with his cautious smile, as if he were afraid of annoying her, made it even harder to refuse.
Hera stopped what she was doing and looked Luke straight in the eye. She had long noticed the dark circles and red veins in his eyes. If she was not mistaken, Luke had yet to get any sleep. He was probably busy with company matters, yet he still took the time to cook for her and considerately offered to send her to school.
She gently shook her head, but Luke didn’t feel discouraged. He smiled back, pleasantly surprised when Hera showed concern for him. This unexpected gesture made him happier than if he had sent her to school.
"You should rest first. You’ve already cooked for me, and that means a lot. I really appreciate your consideration, but this is enough for me." With that, Hera ended the conversation, making it clear the topic was not up for further discussion. Luke understood and didn’t bring it up again.
After they finished washing the dishes, Luke and Hera dried their hands with a towel. When she was done, Hera went to her bag, pulled out a small item, and returned to him. "Here," she said, more animated this time. "I know you haven’t slept yet—I can see your dark circles from miles away. Put this on so your under-eye area. It will help your skin and the dark circles will fade after some sleep and prevent it from looking puffy." She placed the cream in his hand and started to turn away, but Luke gently caught her hand before she could leave.
"Will you help me put it on?" Luke asked with a hint of eagerness and expectation, looking almost like a child. Or maybe he had already grasped Hera’s weakness in the short time she had stayed at his place. That kind of insight was to be expected from the male lead.
Just looking at his face, Hera knew deep inside that she couldn’t resist. ’To hell with handsome men,’ she chided herself inwardly, but her expression remained unchanged as she nodded slightly. Luke led her to the couch where her trench coat and bag were. He made Hera sit down, puzzling her about what he was up to. She had expected him to crouch in front of her so she could apply the cream under his eyes, considering he was too tall for her to reach otherwise.