ARC 1: The Abandoned Lover’s Salvation (4) Chapter 4: Lunchbox Deal (Part 1)

After getting discharged, Lumiere easily got better due to Augustine's pampering. Although he is busy with the company, he never fails to visit Lumiere and wipe away his sweat. He also always asks what he wants, where it hurts, and shower him with hugs and kisses.

Because of that, Lumiere only spent 2 days of not being able to get up in bed and in another two days, he is already fully healed. Now, the favorability level rose up to +3%.

Lumiere also managed to keep the naïve obedient and lovable act because the nanny who manipulates him was assigned to do other things that doesn't include going near him. He already knows it was done by his adorable luck clover. Moran even newly hired a maid just to take care of him. When Lumiere found out through the system that the maid is actually a person from Augustine's side and was working and training as an agent before, he couldn't believe it.

Such a cute and lovely sixteen year-old girl, how can she be working already?!

As he pass by his day idly, he also didn't forget to consult with the system about the affection level of his luck clover to his calamity star. The system told him while flashing the screen that the affection level is constantly moving in between 50% - 55%. On the other hand, the misfortune level stayed at 4%.

Lumiere sighed, "Looks like I really have to do something in order to raise his misfortune level ah…" he's feeling a bit sad that his peaceful and idle life is about to end when Sheena, the maid, brought him a pudding so he instantly got up from the bed and ate happily.

That night, the system who's bathing with him in a warm bath finally gave him something to do.

[Host, tomorrow at lunch time, the calamity star will give a handmade lunchbox for the luck clover. Based on the original plot, his affection level will add +30%.]

Lumiere, who's about to fall asleep carelessly while bathing, gasped and pouted, "He can't! Damn Gus! He already had me, why be affectionate with someone else?!" he sat upright and cupped his cheeks with a frown. The bathtub water ripples and traced his slim waist.

"That's it…" he has decided.

[What do you plan to do, dear host?] the system wondered.

"I'll cook him lunch and deliver it to the company. If that luck clover of mine chose that guy's cooking instead of mine, I'll cut of his **!" he stood with conviction and covered his wet body with a dark blue robe.

The system actually went silent. At first, Lumiere thought it was because it's amazed by his idea but when it opened its mouth, Lumiere felt that he was crushed by a boulder.

[Host, can you cook?]

"Yeah, I'm very good at it. One bite will take people to the moon!" Lumiere confidently declared. Even with no memories, he feels like he can really cook well that he spoke so naturally.

[But host, Eclaire doesn't know how to cook.]

"What?" Lumiere looked dumbfounded.

[Eclaire has never entered the kitchen before. He can't cook.]

"That means…"

[That means, if the host cooked a very delicious food that can send people to the moon, the host will be penalized.]

"..."

When Lumiere was still sad, the system informed him that Augustine will be staying overnight in the company to finish his work. Therefore, if Lumiere started practicing cooking a simple dish with Eclaire's character, then a beginner's presentable dish won't be considered as going out of character.

As the hardworking person he is, Lumiere quickly went to the kitchen and with Eclaire's personality and skills, he tried his best with the help of Sheena, who caught him sobbing and sniffing in the middle of the night while cutting onions. He kept on cooking until the next day. When he finally cooked a proper scrambled egg with a golden fish fillet, fried rice with tomatoes and vegetables and sliced apples, he felt that injuring his fingers were worth it.

Though if he is cooking as Lumiere, this dish was too basic.

After resting for an hour and preparing himself, Sheena helped him pack the lunchbox while he adds some cute stickers on the box and in the paper bag.

After telling Moran what he wanted to do, Moran drove them both to the company. Both he and Sheena noticed the pink flush on Eclaire's cheeks and his rosy lips curving upwards with his eyes twinkling. His action carry a childish impatience.

They both felt healed with the boy's innocence.

"Sheena, I'm okay now! Let's go?" he asked after fiddling with his hair and Sheena followed.

Making their way to the office, Eclaire stopped in his tracks abruptly. Sheena wanted to ask why but when she saw that her boss is actually accepting and eating someone else's homemade lunchbox, she regretted trying to hide the little master's surprise gift.

Surprises be damned! She should've just informed the boss in advance!

Lumiere felt betrayed. It wasn't even lunch time yet. He tightened his grip on the paper bag upon seeing the contents of the lunchbox. Those were even better than what he could whip up with Eclaire's skill.

"L-Little master, it's alright! Let's enter and give it to the boss, okay?" Sheena persuaded.

Lumiere thought of something and began acting according to the script. He hung his head and shook it left and right, "I…I want to go to the restroom…"

After entering a cubicle, he sat down on a closed toilet bowl. He calmed himself by looking up, not wanting a tear to drop until he could no longer hold it and cried. Biting his lower lip, he cried as silently as possible, only letting out 'hics' and 'ngg' sounds.

Sheena stood outside the men's restroom while holding the lunchbox. She waited for three to five minutes until she grew a bit panicked and impatient so she entered.

The moment she is about to knock in the locked cubicle, she heard Eclaire's weak sobs.

She went outside and finally sent a message to her boss about the matter. Right after sending, Eclaire already finished washing his face, his eyes are still swollen and his lower lip was bitten too hard that's why it's been chapped.

"L-Let's go back…" Eclaire suggested sadly. Of course, Lumiere, who's burning with rage, won't wait for that scum! Watch how he cuts off Augustine's ** later!

Sheena was about to persuade him to wait since she already sent a message to Augustine but before she can even speak, a group of female workers pass by them and entered the other restroom while gossiping.

"My god! Did you see how the boss looks when he accepted Jen's lunchbox?"

"I'm actually jealous about the two of them!"

"Same, I wanna give some heartfelt lunchbox to the boss too…"

"I wanna eat Jen's cooking! The boss really liked it, it must be very delicious!"

"Isn't he just seducing the boss? Every day he follows him like a shadow. Look, we're going to have another boss soon!"

"Hey what are you talking about? Sir Lughrenoir already has a lover!"

"So? I've heard that his lover is no good!"

"I heard that too! What's his name again? Claire? Eclaire? Anyways, he always cause trouble! I've heard he obstructed the boss' business deal so it failed!"

"You know what? I saw Jen crying last time! His head was wet with water, I bet that lover got hella jelly~"

"It's his own fault, if I were the boss, I'd already break up with him!"

"Yup yup! Jen's so much better!"

Sheena felt as if her blood is boiling, still, she conducted herself well and faced her little master. Eclaire's face lost its color and his expression distorted. His lips quivered as his eyes flooded. He was standing stiffly.

He looks wretched.

"No need to listen to them! Little master is much much much better! I can guarantee it!" Sheena hurries to cover her little master's ears but she was too late, the light in Eclaire's eyes already dimmed.

Eclaire pulled the paper bag from her hands and ran outside while she gave chase.

Moran, who's waiting was startled when the car's door opens and shuts loudly. He turned to see his little master as Sheena enters the passenger seat beside Eclaire.

"Home! I want to go home!" he shouted.

Moran drove back quietly while Eclaire pitifully bawled loudly, hugging the paper bag. Sheena kept on comforting him, saying that those rumors aren't true and the like.