I’ll Become the Female Lead in this Trashy Webnovel - Chapter 89.2

I Like You (2)

After a while, Joshua loosened his tight tie and slowly parted his lips.

“I don’t care what happens to that woman.”

Unlike his usual cold demeanor, his tone was now tender, reminiscent of one used to console a child. Only then did Sohee lift her head to meet his gaze.

His expression was unchanged, but today, to Sohee, it felt different. Behind that stoic facade, his red eyes seemed to gently undulate.

“I said that because I’m worried about you.”

With her tears pouring out, Sohee’s emptiness was quickly replaced by rosy fantasies. She found her shifting emotions both amusing and puzzling, but she couldn’t help herself. His hand, fixing her tousled hair, felt irresistibly gentle.

After tidying her hair to the best of his ability, he shifted his gaze from her lavender locks and inspected her face. Seeing the mess she was in, he once again wiped away the running mucus with the back of his hand.

When he pulled his hand away, Sohee hesitated before asking,

“…How did you get here?”

“I followed you.”

It was a simple statement, but that one sentence made her heart race.

The story Sohee had written had been altered. While the tale of Kelly and Daniel progressed exactly as planned, the aftermath had changed, particularly due to Joshua, who still had feelings for Ariadne.

“I’ve been looking for you all this time,” Joshua said, pausing briefly before adding a somewhat self-deprecating justification.

“I was worried that something might have happened to you, so I was looking for you.”

Despite the sudden coldness in his voice, Sohee let out a faint chuckle. She was now certain she had understood his true feelings. After all, she wasn’t so naive that she wouldn’t grasp something this apparent.

Joshua still harbored feelings for Ariadne. Without needing to step outside the novel to directly verify his emotions, the altered trajectory of the story, uniquely modified by Joshua, confirmed it.

All the rosy fantasies she had entertained now felt like certainties, making her heart flutter.

While observing Sohee’s peculiar face, which alternated between laughter and tears, Joshua raised an eyebrow. But it didn’t matter. In that moment, Sohee felt so elated she could momentarily forget the sensation of her scalp being torn off.

Just then, there was a knock on the firmly shut door.

“My lord, it’s time to leave.”

It was Macon’s voice. With that, Joshua adjusted his loosened tie.

“I tried my best to fix your hair, but it’s still a mess. Return to the annex now.”

“There will be fireworks in a few hours. I’ll be here. Want to watch them with me?”

With those words, Sohee smiled brightly and waved. Joshua stared at her face for a moment, then, as if avoiding her joyful expression, he abruptly turned away.

Although he didn’t respond immediately, Sohee was confident he would come back.

“Wow, what a disaster…”

Looking at her reflection in the room’s mirror, Sohee couldn’t suppress a sigh.

She looked far from her best. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and her nose was red. And that wasn’t the worst of it. Beyond the tear stains, traces of mucus had streaked down from her nose.

“What in the world…”

She vigorously rubbed the area under her nose until it reddened. Compared to this, her hair, which Joshua had tried to soothe but which remained tousled, was the least of her concerns.

Thinking she had smiled so brightly in this condition, it occurred to her that Joshua’s swift turn might have been to hide a chuckle at her appearance.

Sohee slumped onto the sofa, pounding the cushion with her fist. Perhaps she should have gone back to the annex when she had the chance. She wondered why she had set the mood to watch the fireworks, especially in such a disheveled state. Engulfed in these unproductive regrets, about an hour had passed when the sound of fireworks bursting outside began.

Slowly lifting her head, she stared at the window. Turning off the room’s lights for a better view, the brilliant fireworks became vividly visible from her vantage point. Approaching the window, she opened it.

The gentle breeze caused her tousled hair to flutter, tickling her cheeks. Shortly afterward, the refreshing scent of a man wafted in as the door opened.

As she listened to the fireworks, Sohee slowly turned around. Immediately, her eyes met with those of a man who had approached from behind. In that charged atmosphere, a statement bubbled up within her. The whirlwind of emotions from the day surged forward, in sync with the colorful fireworks.

Although she felt slightly ridiculous, Sohee couldn’t help but blurt out, “…I like you.” Her voice quivered, perhaps a result of her earlier tears. “Sincerely,” she added with determination. A heavy silence followed her awkward confession, with no sign of a response.

After a seemingly endless pause, Joshua finally spoke. As fireworks painted the night sky, their light momentarily highlighted his face, enhancing his handsome features. Yet, his expression betrayed no acknowledgment of being moved by her confession. Instead, it was tinged with sarcasm.

“So-called sincerity of yours,” he remarked coolly. Sohee felt a sting from his words. “Your sincerity seems to be quite fickle, doesn’t it?” It became clear to her that winning over this man would be quite the endeavor.

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