Felicity laughed involuntarily out of embarrassment, then quickly pulled herself together. With a hint of irritation, she grabbed her bag, ready to leave. She was already forming the report in her head—the one she'd eventually have to explain to her family. This boy simply didn't deserve good fortune. In fact, he was jeopardising hers.
"Ha-ha, very funny…" she said, throwing one last glance at Claude. The boy was watching her now with a completely serious expression, which made Felicity freeze in place.
"Felicity… I'm not joking."
A rush of thoughts overwhelmed her. She simply couldn't believe that Claude Holloway could feel this way about her—no matter how much he wanted her to think so. And yet, if it were all just manipulation, what would be the point? Over the years, she had learned that her fate had a path she only needed to follow. But Claude's presence seemed to disrupt her luck—and perhaps, in the long run, even the favorable unfolding of her destiny.
If Claude's feelings were genuine—and Felicity couldn't find a rational reason why he would lie about them—then by resisting him, she was actively sabotaging her own mission. If she agreed to go on a date, Claude might finally receive his fair share of luck, and maybe she could close this chapter. Even mechanically distributed luck was still luck. A well-timed hug, a few kind words, an accepted love confession—all could contribute to someone's good fortune. All could lead to a better mood. Although registering such things took time. But was this really how it was supposed to happen?
She let out a deep sigh.
"This afternoon…" she began slowly, studying her shoes. "By this afternoon, I'll see what I can do for you. If you still mean it then, and… you can properly express your feelings, then maybe you'll have a chance for a date with Felicity Ashbourne. I can't promise more than that right now."
Before Claude could answer, Felicity turned on her heel and left him standing there, staring after her in surprise.
She took a deep breath as she walked farther away from the music room. She had three hours to think it through, but no matter how she tried, she couldn't make sense of what had happened. She'd only known Claude for two days. Could it be that he had known about her earlier? Had his feelings developed even before they met? But no one acts that coldly toward someone they like…
Angela's face kept surfacing in her mind. Even though she would never find out, Felicity knew it was her who had dragged Angela into all this. And now she might hurt her even more by siding with Claude. The thought sent chills down her spine—that a granted piece of luck for one might mean misfortune for another.
That afternoon, she waited beside the usual pillar. At least some part of her fate still seemed to function— a scheduled meeting with Rosalia's friends, giving her time to think. Rosalia, Liam, and Claude exited the building together and headed toward the nearby park. Felicity tried to follow their conversation, but in truth, her mind was fixed on one thing: she changed her decision every minute. All the while, she could feel Claude's gaze on her.
Suddenly, Rosalia grabbed her arm, and the two girls fell behind the boys.
"Lissy!" she whispered excitedly. "I'm really sorry, but do you mind if Liam and I only stay for a little while? Something's developing between us, and I'd like to talk to him alone," she confessed, blushing.
Felicity shook her head with a calm expression, though her heart was pounding. She had suspected for hours that fate would once again lead her to be alone with Claude during this outing. The only question was how.
So it happened that she found herself sitting on a gentle hillside, on her coat spread out on the grass, with a clear view of the entire park. Claude sat right beside her. Her eyes followed Rosalia and Liam as they gradually disappeared into the distance. Felicity could only hope their evening would be luckier than hers.
"Things have never gone so according to plan," Claude remarked.
Too bad it still couldn't be called luck—Felicity thought with a sigh, glancing at him. Claude's gaze remained just as steady and serious as always. The air between them felt charged, as if time had slowed down. Only the soft chatter of nearby parkgoers and the distant sound of children playing on the playground broke the silence.
Felicity was still waiting for Claude to laugh and tell her this was all just a bad joke. Instead, the boy took a deep breath and smiled.
"You're not making this easy for me," he said quietly, his smile soft and faint.
"I'm still not sure you're being serious," Felicity replied, this time with more firmness.
Claude lowered his gaze, but that mysterious smile lingered on his lips. It was only then that Felicity noticed how long and dark his eyelashes were. Her thoughts drifted for a moment, until Claude looked at her again and jolted her back to the present. She felt her heart beat a little faster. She was certain this wasn't that feeling… but it was unsettling nonetheless.
She was sixteen. Alone with a boy about to confess his feelings. And she had to accept it—to continue her mission.
Claude spoke gently, softly:
"Lissy…"
She had never heard anyone say her nickname like that before.
"I mean it. I like you," he continued with conviction. "Would you like to go on a date with me?"
Felicity felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She closed her eyes for a moment, then turned her head and fixed her gaze on the park as she nodded.
"All right."
Silence settled between them. Felicity tried to gather her thoughts, calm herself down, and make sense of the situation.
That's why she didn't see Claude's face change the moment she looked away. The gentle, sincere expression disappeared, replaced by the familiar, bored irritation that Felicity knew all too well. His gaze remained fixed on her.