Hearing Camille's voice behind him, Lucas nearly stumbled and fell.
Damn.
What... what did you just say?
Lucas turned around in utter shock, disbelief written all over his face.
"Miss Camille, you... what did you just say?"
He pointed at his own face. "You like me?"
Holy crap.
My mind is blown.
But then, he couldn't help but touch his own face. Maybe his looks and his 'warm guy' persona had won her over.
Sigh.
The troubles of being handsome.
It's only been a few days?
Camille already likes me? What comes next?
Would her (favorability) shoot straight to 'Undying Loyalty'?
Tsk, tsk.
Seeing Lucas's reaction, Camille nodded firmly. "That's right. I like you!"
Although she slightly regretted being so hasty,
since the words were out, there was no turning back. The arrow had left the bow.
Better to strike first while Lucas didn't have someone he liked yet.
Lucas still hadn't recovered.
Was she... was Camille serious?
But it's only been a few days!
At most, from the time he transmigrated until now, he hadn't known her for more than a week.
How did you manage to switch affections so fast?
Sure, I was a bit of a 'warm guy' to you before, showed you some extra care, some (hypocritical affection).
But.
You can't defect this quickly!
You're supposed to still be chasing Adrien!
Lucas felt pressured.
He was getting anxious.
This wasn't going according to his plan at all.
Seeing Lucas frozen in place, Camille walked up to him and said earnestly, "Lucas, could you... try to accept me?"
"We can take our time getting to know each other."
"If you agree, in the future, the Cheng family's resources..."
Before she could finish, a finger pressed against her lips.
Under her confused gaze, Lucas said seriously, "Miss Camille, I want you to remember one thing."
"No matter the time or place, don't let emotions cloud your judgment."
"It's not wrong to bravely pursue someone you like, but you have to see the person clearly."
"Not everyone is trustworthy."
"Sometimes, it's best not to even trust me."
He was sincerely trying to guide her.
Yes, you can't be this rash.
If you keep being this rash, what am I supposed to do later?
I have a whole harem to manage!
Lucas placed his hands on Camille's shoulders, his gaze sharp, his tone grave. "You need to take your feelings seriously. Think it through first, then make a decision."
"Acting on impulse leads to regret."
"What if the person you confessed to wasn't me, but someone with ulterior motives, someone who covets your family's assets?"
"What would you do then?"
"So, you must keep your eyes open. Never, ever let emotions cloud your mind."
After saying all that, Lucas's message boiled down to two words:
Calm down! Calm down!
Miss Camille, you need to (calm down)!
What he feared most was Camille's 'love-struck fool' syndrome kicking in, making her act recklessly.
Sigh.
So troublesome.
Why is my charm so overwhelming? Wherever I go, why am I always the type girls fall for?
Exhausting.
Camille stared blankly at the man before her, whose handsomeness could make the vast majority of people pale in comparison.
She was confused.
She didn't understand.
Why, after she expressed her feelings, was he still rejecting her?
Was it not enough money?
Or... did he actually prefer being treated badly?
Seeing Camille zoning out, Lucas shook his head. "Miss Camille, think it over carefully."
"We can be good friends for now, but we can't develop that kind of relationship."
"Right now, we are just good friends."
Hmm...
As he left, Lucas added one more thing, afraid Camille would get her heart broken again and he'd lose a steady source of... well, everything.
Lucas walked away.
Camille remained standing there dumbly, looking somewhat lost.
But several voices were arguing in her head.
"Camille, what are you still thinking? Lucas just doesn't fancy you. Give up!"
"He's actually quite conservative, right? It's perfectly reasonable not to accept a confession from someone you've only known a few days."
"Does Lucas think I'm too ugly? But I really want to hug him..."
"Ugh! Lucas might say that, but what man would dislike a girl who actively pursues him?"
"There is one. Adrien, for example."
"Hmm... you have a point. So what should I do?"
"I see he's gotten pretty close to that vixen Claire. What if that vixen Claire seduces him away?"
"Ahhh! I won't allow it!"
"Maybe... you could kidnap him, take him home, and tie him up?"
"If that doesn't work, carve a mark on your body showing you like Lucas? Like carving the character 'Lucas'?"
"Where would you carve it?"
There were many voices in her head, but they shared one common trait: insecurity.
Even Lucas didn't know Camille would change this much.
Camille suddenly clenched her fists so tightly her fingernails seemed about to pierce her skin, a trace of blood seeping out.
"I don't care. I want him. I want him!"
Camille screamed wildly in her heart: "Adr... Luc—Lucas can only be mine! Mine! No one else can take him away!"
If anyone familiar with anime from the neighboring country heard her inner voice, they'd surely exclaim, "Holy crap! This is a fusion of Yuno and Satou!"
While not that severe, Camille was indeed showing slight signs of 'Yuno-ization.'
The milder aspect was 'Satou-ization'—wanting to give Lucas everything good.
Camille bit her lip, almost hard enough to draw blood. Gazing at the corner where Lucas had finally disappeared, she murmured, "I only want you."
Ding!
The elevator arrived.
Lucas hurried inside, letting out a sigh of relief. That was too close.
Just as he pressed the 'close' button, a pair of delicate, slender hands suddenly reached in, stopping the doors.
Seeing this, Lucas was startled, a national exclamation escaping his lips.
"Holy shit!"
Could it be Camille chasing him down?
How toxic!
However, once he clearly saw who it was, Lucas was instantly dumbfounded.
"Cl-Claire?"
"What are you doing here?"
Outside the elevator, Claire Dubois stood looking at him with an amused smile.
"I was just watching the show outside."