Something Beautiful
Chapter - 44

The next day Lisa wakes up feeling refreshed after a night of crying over her own stupidity. He knows Mingyu's betrayal has shattered his illusions, but as he slowly carries out his morning routine, bathing, and dressing, he began to realize that what he knew last night had freed him from the need to be faithful and obedient, which kept him attached to the memory of the man for a year.

Now he has freed from Mingyu Kim. A faint, bitter smile rose on Lisa's lips as she sat in front of the dressing table and began to brush her long, bushy hair. It is funny, because trying to be considered worthy as Mingyu's wife she transforms herself into a stiff and polite woman who is suitable to be a priestess, but not suitable to be an immoral playboy wife. And it was really funny, Lisa thought cynically, because her original nature was not at all stiff and hard.

I've always been like that, Lisa suddenly realized, I've always been what my loved ones expect. For his father, he became a boy and not a girl. For his mother, he became a parent, instead of being a child, and for Mingyu, he became something else entirely. Lisaya, now you must be you, someone who is indeed you.

From today onwards, however, all that will change. In either hard or happy, Lalisa Kim will enjoy her life.

However, for that he needed to improve his reputation for having been arrogant and stupid in the eyes of the nobles. Since Yugyeom had invited the most vocal and most influential critic noble, he had better start with the man, maybe he could say or do something that changed the man's opinion while he was here.

While thinking about the matter, Lisa suddenly remembered the last sentence of her conversation with Jisoo Jeon last night. Lady Jeon said her friends called Lisa the most innocent person ever to appear in London, so it seems that she knew if Lisa was an ostracized person among the nobles, but the woman still wanted to be friends with him. In fact, the woman seemed to have the same intent as Yugyeom had said. The hairbrush on Lisa's hand stopped moving, and a glimmer of an astonished smile decorated her face. Maybe he'll finally have a real friend in London.

Feeling lighter than he was this year, he clamped his hair at the top of his head and rushed to wear the tights and shirts he used to wear every time when practicing fencing with Yugyeom. Snapping his sword from the closet and taking the face cover, he walked out of the room humming cheerfully, his steps light and relaxed.

Yugyeom stood alone in the middle of the empty dance hall where they practiced every morning, tapping the tip of his sword all the while into the sole of his shoes. He turned his head when he heard Lisa's quick steps on the shiny floor, his facial expression changed in relief when he saw Lisa's appearance.

"I'm wondering if you'd be interested in doing this after last night..."

Lisa's smile told her that the woman did not hold a grudge against her for not telling about Mingyu's rot, but Lisa did not say anything about the events last night. He wanted to forget about that event and Mingyu Kim. Lisa took a chest protector from the dance hall floor and put it on, then she put up a face guard, fixed the location, and touched her sword to the forehead as a sign of respect to her co-star, "En garde..." he said cheerfully.

"Geez, Kim," the lazy voice of a newly arrived noble makes Lisa and Yugyeom stop suddenly in the middle of an exciting fight. "Isn't it still too early to do something overzealous?"

Moving his lazy gaze to Yugyeom's fencing partner he didn't know his identity, he admiringly said, "Whoever you are, you are a great fencer."

Waiting for her breath to calm down a little, Lisa stood around her waist, wondering if it was better to show herself now to the nobleman, who she hoped would be able to change her image among other nobles. Or should he show himself later in the sitting room, as was his original plan. Recalling Yugyeom's words about the man last night, Lisa decided to ventured instead of being a coward.

Lisa reached out to the back of her head opening her face protection and simultaneously pulled her hairpin. In one quick motion, he pulled his face shield while shaking his head so that his beautiful hair was draped down over his shoulder like a glittering brown waterfall.

"I can't believe this!" exclaimed the nobleman who was not easily startled while looking at the laughing young lady in front of him, the man's expression was almost comical as he tried to grasp the fact that the cold and stiff duck who married Mingyu was the same woman as the dazzling young lady who was now standing before him.

Lisa was wearing brownish tights that were physically more seductive than the low-neck dance dress the noble saw at the dance the other day. Moreover, the woman's greenish hazel eyes seemed to be dancing around amusedly when she noticed the noble's shocked expression.

"It certainly is," Lisa said with a hint of pity as she walked towards the man with the natural elegance of a young athlete. "And if you're not damned now, you'll be damned later" he added, then gracefully reached out as if he had just not cursed the man.

Feeling that this was some kind of game, maybe they were twins, the noble automatically grasped Lisa's hand. "Why should I be cursed?" she asked, angry at herself for not being able to control her facial expression.

"Because," Lisa replied lightly, "you've made me the object of a joke, which is mostly my fault. Even so, maybe you'd like to consider fixing it up, so that you can enjoy the tranquil atmosphere of a lifetime?" Next to her beautifully arched brows raised up, as if waiting for the man's reply, and though reluctant, the noble barely smiled widely.

Yugyeom stood at the back without making a sound and was pleased to see the infuriating nobleman's reaction to his fencing opponent, exactly as he had expected when giving Ramsey instructions to drive the man to the dance hall once the man arrived.

"I conclude you blame me for less... uh.. may we say, popular?" the noble explained, starting to regain control of himself.

"I blame myself" answered the beautiful woman, her smile so sweet, yet she did not realize how alluring it was. "I asked for your help to change things.'

"Why should I?" ask the man bluntly.

Lisa raised her eyebrows then her smile widened, "Why? To prove that you can do it, sure."

Challenges had been posed as lightly as dropping gloves, and the noble looked indecisive before answering the challenge. He could bring down the reputations of dozens of women full of theatrics just because he wanted to be idle and very bored, but he had never fixed the reputation he had destroyed. Trying to do so meant risking his influence on the nobility, a huge bet. Ah, but if it fails...

However, the challenge was very tempting. Old Lady Kim has enough influence to force the older generation to accept Lisa, but only that man can make Lisa popular among the younger generation who follow her.

While looking at Lisa, she saw the woman watching herself through the corner of the eye, a mouth-watering knotty smile dancing on her soft lips. To his surprise he realized how long and plentiful the black fan-like eyelashes were, casting a shadow on his delicate cheek. Almost against her will, and contrary to her common sense, the noble reached out toward Lisa. "Can we talk about our strategy next time. For example, tonight, when I come to accompany you to the dance later?"

"Then you want to help me?"

The nobleman smiled and answered with a philosophical quote, "Nothing is impossible for man, not even heaven will we attack. It was quoted from Homer's words, it seems," the man explained.

The nineteen-year-old beautiful woman standing next to him shook her head then unperturbedly smiled knowingly. "Horace."

The nobleman looked at Lisa, momentarily unable to think. "You are right" he said softly, and in his eyes that I began to appear a twinkle of admiration.