The Heir's Secret Bride

Iman

The old man was sipping his coffee at a leisurely pace, looking more like he was enjoying life than running a tarot reading stall Maeve found it curious and couldn't help but glance over a few more times.

Noticing her interest and having nothing better to do, the old man waved her over. "Hey there, young lady. Want to draw some tarot cards? I can read your career, love life-whatever you need. If it's not accurate, it's free! Maeve hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat down.

"Sir, how does this work?" she asked.

"Just draw a few cards."

She drew a few cards, and the old man studied them thoughtfully.

This is the most complicated reading I've seen in a while. The old man frowned. "You have a younger brother, right? So your parents don't pay much attention to you. Financially, things are also a bit tricky-you're losing money, mostly to help your family? Maeve's heart skipped a beat. She thought, 'How could he be so spot-on?"

The old man continued. "On the bright side, your career prospects look good. If you put in the effort, your promising. But as for your love life..."

His serious expression made Maeve nervous. "What's wrong with my love life?" she asked.

"It's going to be a bumpy road

Maeve bit her lip, thinking, "Bumpy" is an understatement. How could he be this accurate?'

future is

"Don't feel discouraged, young lady," the old man added. "Even if your love life is rough, there's a way to turn things around." Curious, Maeve asked, "What's the solution?"

"Find a man whose love life is even worse than yours. Fight fire with fire."

Maeve was speechless, thinking. 'Fight fire with fire? That doesn't sound reliable at all.

Just as she started doubting him, the old man peered closer at her cards and suddenly made a sound of surprise. "Oh, you're already married? And your husband happens to be just the type I was talking about." Maeve's eyes widened in

Maey

I in admiration. "You can even tell that? That's amazing!"

The old man grinned smugly. "Of course! Back in the day, my tarot readings were unbeatable. Everyone said I was always on point."

דיי

Then

why are you running a stall here?"

The old man was caught off guard. He couldn't very well tell her that he was loitering around just to catch a glimpse of his future granddaughter-in-law, so he cleverly set up a tarot stall instead. Unexpectedly, while he hadn't found her yet, a steady stream of customers kept coming by for readings.

Maeve didn't press further. She stood up and asked, "Your readings must be expensive, right? How much do I owe you?"

It was so accurate that she didn't mind.

d paying a bit more.

The old man-Gilberi-was just about to casually name a small amount when his stomach suddenly growled.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Π

Gilbert's face flushed red as he stammered, "I've been busy all day and haven't had time to eat. An old man's got to cat-I'm not made of iron..."

Maeve blinked. She hadn't even said anything yet.

After a moment of thought, she offered. "Would you like to come over for a simple meal at my place? I'll still pay for the reading, and consider it a thank-you for helping clear my mind She'd been feeling lost recently over her engagement, but after hearing what the old man said, she felt much more at ease.

And besides, something about the way he talked reminded her of her late grandparents, whom she hadn't seen in years. Gilbert noticed the groceries she was carrying and was tempted, but still tried to be polite. "Oh, I couldn't impose." "It's really no trouble. I always cook too much for just myself, so if you could help me finish it, I'd actually appreciate it." Hearing this, Gilbert immediately stood up and handed his coffee cup to his assistant.

"Well then.

I'll shameless

accept your invitation."

"But sir, what about me!"

The a assistant

Go

was

find yourself something to eat and pick me up later."

The a assistant was left speechless, thinking. 'Poor me-I have just been ditched.

Listening to their exchange. Maeve felt a warmth in her heart.

She could tell the old man was looking out for her. Having a young man accompany her home would have been awkward, not to mention bad for her reputation.

But with just the old man, it felt safe and considerate.

Once inside the apartment, Maeve handed over a pair of spare indoor slippers. "Here, you can wear these. Make yourself comfortable in the living room while I prep the ingredients."

"Alright, go ahea go ahead. No need I to worry about me," Gilbert said with a smile, hands clasped behind his back.

This was the first time he'd been invited into someone's home for a meal like this, and it felt far more relaxing than any of those fancy, formal gatherings he was used to.

As he wandered into the living room, his attention was drawn to the lush greenery on the balcony.

Curious, he walked over

and saw several neatly arranged plant stands and ceramic pots, all filled with vibrant seasonal vegetables. Gilbert's eyes lit up in delight. "Young lady, I didn't know you were into gardening."

-From the kitchen, Maeve replied a bit shyly. "It's just a casual hobby. I'm only growing common vegetables. If you'd like, pick

some, and I'll cook them up for you to try."

"Really?" Gilbert rubbed his hands together in excitement.

"Of course"

Without hesitation, Gilbert-zeroed in on the crisp, tender lettuce. As he picked the leaves, he couldn't help but reminisce "My wife used to love gardening too-flowers, vegetables, you name it. But she didn't have much of a green thumb: everything she planted would end up dying. "After she passed, she left me some seeds, but I couldn't grow them either. I just kept them as a reminder of her

Hearing this. Maeve couldn't help but say, "You and your wife must've been really close."

It was

easy to o tell from his tone how much he still cherished his late wife. It was the kind of love that made people envious. brought out the last dish and set it on the table.

Before long,

Maeve

Gilbert took a few bites, and even with his refined palate, accustomed to gourmet cuisine, he couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised by these simple home-cooked dishes, "You've really got some skills, young lady," he

Maeve blushed and scratched her cheek. Tmid, giving her a thumbs-up.

glad you like it.

As Gilbert continued eating, he couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.

He'd been hanging around here for days, hoping to taste his future granddaughter-in-law's cooking, yet here he was, enjoying a meal made by someone else's daughter instead. He wasn't asking for

r much-if I

But he thought, "Who am I kidding? granddaughter-in-law's cooking was even half as good as this, he'd be content. And if she were as well-mannered, kind, and sincere as Maeve, he'd be over the moon.

Even if such good fortune landed right in front of that stubborn grandson of mine, the boy would probably be too indifferent to care "Stubborn brat, always making things tough for me," Gilbert muttered under his breath. "What was that?" Maeve asked, not quite catching his words.

"Oh, nothing. This soup you made is really delicious Gilbert quickly covered up.

Maeve cou

couldn't help but smile.

Just then, there was a faint sound of footsteps at the entrance.

A familiar cool I voice calle

called out, "Maeve, could you grab me a towel?"

Gilbert thought. 'Byron'

Surprised, Maeve turned her head but didn't notice the sudden change in Gilbert's expression. She got up and headed to the bathroom to fetch a towel When

she reached the entrance, she found Byron standing there, his dark suit slightly damp from the rain and his black hair a bit wet, giving him a more relaxed, casual vibe than his usual polished appearance. "Here. He handed her a drink and took the towel from her hand

Maeve had gotten used to him bringing her drinks every day, so she naturally held it and asked. "Didn't you bring an umbrella?"

The parking lot outside the apartment building was uncovered so it wasn't surprising he'd gotten wet.

"No." Byron was drying his hair with the towel when he suddenly noticed sounds coming from inside the apartment. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you have a guest?" AS MOR UACC 14

pter 30

e quickly explaned about the tarot reading and added. "Go change your clothes and come eat. I made a lot of food

instead of being Byron walked straight toward the dining area.

bad assumed it was just some scammer trying to take advantage of Maeve's kindness.

what he didnt expect was to see, sitting at the dining table... Gilbert himself.