Chapter 13

There's a saying that goes like this.

When an unlucky person were to fall backwards, it's still very possible for them to break their nose. In other words, a person who's competent was competent, a person who's incompetent was just incompetent.

"I'm so glad Lehman is here to keep us together."

Anyhow, among the people who'd break their nose if they fell back, among all incompetent people out there in the world, Reina was at the top of the list.

'I've been looking forward to this for so long now but I finally met Ethan, and it made me so happy already, but then…'

How did she end up in an awkward situation like this?

"Haa…"

Sighing in dismay, Reina stared at the excited people gathered around her in a group.

"It's thanks to Lehman that I survived."

"Yeah, same here."

Everyone happily talked like this, and Reina was the only one in the dark.

"I always seemed to fail my group projects, but this time, I was able to trust Lehman."

Yup. Right now, Reina was faced with the situation where she's assigned to work on the notorious 'group project'.

Besides that, as if it wasn't enough that she had been placed in a group full of men she didn't know, the very person himself that she'd been avoiding all this time was also in the same group—Lehman.

Other people would say that this must be a joke, but.

'The existence of group projects is the reason why communism failed…!'

"Reina."

"H-Huh?"

As she was grumbling to herself, only Lehman, who had a fair face, called out to her.

"Then can you research the reference materials we need?"

"…I beg your pardon?"

Was she in too much shock? She automatically spoke in a respectful manner.

Reina observed Lehman in a flurry.

'I heard you're a good-natured guy though?'

But why was he making her do 'that' heaviest load as if it's natural that she did it? When she just looked back at him in a daze, Lehman nodded casually.

At that time, another group member, whose hair was neatly slicked back with pomade, stopped Lehman hurriedly.

"Um… Lehman, give me a second. Can I talk to you real quick?"

That group member dragged Lehman away and then glanced back at Reina, whispering to him.

"Reina's head is, you know, not very good…"

You might wonder why someone would say such a thing about her when Reina was a certified hard-working genius in her previous life, sleeping only three hours a night and studying the rest of the day, but Han Jae-hee had died in vain back then throughout all this. So there's nothing strange about why she was being called 'not right in the head'.

'No matter how hard I try to live properly in this world, I'll still end up as a frog that'll get stoned to death, right?'

So she decided to live as a carefree grasshopper who just freely enjoyed all the luxuries she was given in this life. And of course, that included squandering away a huge amount of riches.

"If you let her do the research, we'll be in trouble…"

It was thanks to that resolution that people thought she was 'not right in the head'.

Lehman stared at House Chantra's troublemaker.

"Then we can just sort out Reina's—"

"Lehman…! W-Wait just a second."

As soon as Lehman tried to suggest this, the other group member who was standing to the left spoke up in a hush. He was a bit short and had curly hair.

"I also think that's not a good idea. I don't even think we'll be able to sort it out. I'm sure…"

'…I can hear you even if you try to whisper, amigo.'

All the members of the nine major households were born with unspecified talents, and one of the talents she inherently had was 'acute hearing'.

'I'll be able to hear what you're saying even if you're fifty meters away, let alone when you're right in front of me… What a tiring life.'

"If we leave it up to her, we might all get screwed, okay?"

As the other group members stopped his first suggestion with many whispers, Lehman pursed his lips together for a moment as he thought about it harder.

"Um… Then Reina will stand-by and assist."

"Huh?"

Assist, he said? Was he saying that she's practically being given a free ride? The other kids might not take this well.

"Yeah! That would be great!"

"Right, we do need someone to take that role!"

…What…? Was this really fine?

Of course, her conscience still twinged when she was faced with the opportunity to do nothing.

"Umm…"

But truthfully, she wanted to live a life that's different from the life she lived before, whether that was just a pretense or not.

'That's why I also just want to try receiving from others during my life.'

After a moment's consideration, Reina soon shrugged.

"Well, if that's what everyone has agreed on."

By the way, when would she get the chance to see Ethan again?

'We'll run into each other again one of these days.'

* * *

Did she say 'one of these days'?

"Oh…"

They ran into each other just three hours later.

"Is that my love over there?"

It's been just three hours since she grumbled about wanting to meet him again, but what's this? Ethan was sitting in front of the chocolate store that she decided to visit for a change.

"Did I get some extra luck after getting cursed once?"

Reina made a finger heart and pointed it at someone out there in the sky who might be watching over her.

"You're doing great. Really great. Please keep this up from today onwards!"

If that deity was the one who gave her this second life and this role, then they could give her that much more leeway, right?

As Reina was given the opportunity of an unexpected meeting with Ethan at such an unexpected place, she snuck up on her future fiancé with a huge smile on her lips.

Humming, she pointed her index finger and reached out, tapping him on the shoulder as though she was knocking.

Knock— Knock—

Feeling the light touch on his shoulder, Ethan turned around in response. However, the moment he saw who it was, his expression hardened right then.

"..."

Even so, Reina widened her eyes deftly and asked.

"Oh my, are you alone by chance?"

"..."

He looked up at her with the same serious face, but he didn't reply to her. So, she opened her lips once more with an even more seductive smile.

"Are you alone?"

"What are you getting at."

"I'm asking if you're alone, my fiancé."

"…You're absolutely crazy, aren't you."

"That's right. Absolutely crazy about you."

The same moment she answered, his face tilted about fifteen degrees to the side. With that angle, his black hair fluttered gracefully in the wind, and his deep, unreadable gaze stared straight at her.

'Haa… You're as handsome as ever, even if I stare at you for a long time.'

Indeed, it's a face that could easily save the entire country.

'That's why you're definitely going to be my fiancé.'

She already vowed this, but in this life, she truly intended to live off the sustenance of visuals and visuals alone.