Landlord World - Start with SSS talent

Lylia saw Noan through the gap in the door and instinctively slammed it shut in surprise.

BAM!

However, the door didn't close because Noan's hand was in the way.

When Lylia realized she had slammed the door on his hand, she panicked, hurriedly opened it, and anxiously looked at him. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I… I…"

Lylia stammered, unable to find the right words. At that moment, she didn't understand why her emotions had lost control—her tears began to flow again like twin streams.

"It's okay." Noan held the door and opened it. After all, his physical strength had already reached the level of a rank D Hero, so a minor accident like this didn't affect him at all.

"Can I come in?" Noan asked softly.

Lylia glanced at her slightly messy room and quickly said, "Ah! Um… I… my room is…"

"Don't worry, I don't mind any of that."

Hearing Noan's words, Lylia quickly wiped her tears, her face flushing red with embarrassment.

She silently scolded Noralia in her heart—why would she let Noan into her room so suddenly like this?

At the very least, she should've had time to tidy up or touch up her makeup.

So embarrassing!

So embarrassing, she just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.

Seeing that Lylia didn't answer, Noan stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

He noticed Lylia's swollen, red eyes, and a twinge of discomfort stirred in his chest.

He hadn't thought she truly liked him—none of it made sense.

But seeing Lylia's expression, he had no choice but to believe it was true.

They sat silently on the bed for a long time, neither saying a word.

Lylia was wearing pink pajamas. With her pink hair, she looked incredibly adorable, like a creature one couldn't help but want to cuddle.

She sat still, lips pressed tightly together, clutching the fabric of her pants with both hands. Countless emotions surged within her, leaving her unsure what to do next.

Noan sat quietly, waiting for Lylia to speak, but it seemed she had no intention of starting the conversation, which made things awkward for him as well.

The atmosphere was silent, yet Lylia felt a strange mix of excitement and embarrassment.

It was the first time she had ever sat next to Noan like this—and the first time a young man entered her bedroom and sat on her bed.

Though she was embarrassed, a deep thrill bloomed in her chest.

'Noan came here… that means he cares about me. Maybe he likes me too,' Lylia thought to herself.

'But… what about that other girl? Am I going to become a concubine? Is that okay?'

'What if she doesn't like me? What if she wants me to stay away from Noan?'

'AAAH! What should I do? Mom, this is so embarrassing! I wasn't even mentally prepared for this yet.'

Noan sighed and said, "Lylia, do you like me?"

He suddenly cut straight to the point, startling Lylia. Her hands instinctively gripped her thighs, her fingernails digging into her skin, the pain snapping her back to clarity.

Lylia pressed her lips together, her face so red it looked like it might catch fire at any moment.

But after a moment, she summoned all her courage and nodded.

Noan glanced at her, then asked again, "Since when?"

Lylia lowered her head and said nothing. The silence stretched on for quite a while, and finally, she spoke: "If I told you… I've liked you since we were kids… would you believe me?"

Noan tilted his head and looked at the ceiling. After a moment, he gently nodded and said, "I believe you. But… I don't remember any of that."

He then repeated everything he had told Noralia.

After listening, Lylia looked up at him, her eyes misty, her expression filled with surprise—and a mix of guilt and sympathy.

"I'm sorry… I didn't know you'd been through so much. I… I…"

Before she could finish, she covered her face with both hands, but the tears still streamed down through the gaps between her fingers.

Noan shook his head and gently patted her on the head. "Don't worry, it doesn't bother me. It's just… there's a lot I've forgotten. Can you remind me?"

Upon hearing that, Lylia immediately took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

Even so, her heart was overwhelmed with guilt.

'Noan has been through so many terrible things, and not only did I fail to understand him—I even blamed him for being cold.'

'AAAH!!! I'm so sorry, Noan! Truly, I'm sorry!'

Lylia apologized to him repeatedly in her heart, though she tried her best to appear calm outwardly.

But she couldn't stay calm whenever she looked at his face.

Someone who had suffered so much was now comforting someone who had grown up in a palace like her.

That only made her feel even more ashamed.

Lylia pressed her lips together, rearranged her memories, then said, "Back then, when I was seven years old, we met…"

As Lylia recalled the past, the "old Noan" memories gradually became clearer.

It was a story often seen in many novels.

When Lylia was a child, she chased after a swan and fell into a lake.

At that time, Noan had been nearby. Of course, he knew how to swim—he had survived in harsh environments all his life.

He saved Lylia, but before her parents arrived, he had already left.

It wasn't because he wanted to be a hero without expecting her gratitude.

It was because, at that time, he had been delivering newspapers.

After rescuing Lylia, all the newspapers he carried fell into the lake and were soaked, making them unsellable.

Panicked and terrified, he fled.

However, in the end, he was found by the two scumbags who called themselves his parents.

And of course, they beat him nearly to death.

"Noan…"

Suddenly, Lylia tilted her head, her tear-filled eyes filled with longing as she looked at him. "Did… did you remember?"

Noan gave a gentle nod. "I remember. That day… it was because of that I was beaten so badly by my adoptive parents that I nearly died."

"Heh?!" Lylia was shocked. "Why? You saved me—why would they beat you?"

Noan told her everything.

Lylia clenched her fists tightly, her voice trembling angrily: "Bastards! Those monsters don't even deserve to be called human."

"How could they do that to you? They didn't just abduct you as a child—they… they treated you so cruelly."

"Noan, don't worry. I'll help you get justice. If I can't do it through the law, then I'll use the power of darkness."

Noan shook his head, a gentle warmth rising in his chest. He hadn't expected such a strong reaction from Lylia—

as if she were the one who had suffered instead of him.

He smiled and said, "It's alright. This is my problem. I'll deal with it. Besides, those people have already disappeared. I'm still trying to track them down."

He said this because he didn't believe Lylia could find them.

If she did, it would just mean being transferred from one prison to another, with no real difference in outcome.

Lylia pouted upon hearing that, clearly displeased. "Noan, do you think I can't do it?"

"No! I believe in you. It's just… this is something I must face alone. I don't want to trouble you," Noan replied.

"We… we're about to become… a couple soon, aren't we? I don't think it's any trouble," Lylia said, her face blushing bright red, voice stammering.

Noan laughed and said, "Aren't you jealous? I already have a girlfriend."

Lylia lowered her head, feeling a bit disheartened, but she immediately looked up, her gaze firm as she stared at Noan: "I don't care! Noan, do you like me?"

Noan looked at Lylia, nodded, and said, "I like you. You're so beautiful—anyone who sees you would like you. But I still want to make sure of one thing."

"Lylia, saving you back then was just an instinctive act. Besides, we were both kids then—you don't have to repay me this way. You can—"

"No!" Lylia suddenly shouted, her face filled with frustration as she looked at him: "This isn't repayment—I truly like you. Ever since you saved me, I've always been watching, looking at, and paying attention to you."

"But you're like a stone! You never notice me and keep avoiding me like I'm some villain."

"You… you… you jerk!"

Lylia pressed her lips together tightly, then suddenly rested her head against his chest.

Noan didn't move away. He gently patted her head. He sighed—he never expected this girl to be so resolute.

A flicker of affection from childhood had endured until now, and it hadn't changed.

"I don't care if you like me or not—you have to accept me, you have to let me stay by your side," Lylia said, crying.

"I can't take it anymore, I can't hold it in. You jerk! You… you… huhuhu…"

Her hands gripped his shirt tightly, as if she wanted to tear it apart.

Noan sighed again and gently patted her back: "I already have a girlfriend."

"I don't care! I don't want to hear it! I don't want to hear that!"

Hearing Lylia's words, Noan couldn't reject her any further.

At that moment, he pulled her into his arms. Lylia looked up at him, her teary eyes gazing into his, and he looked back at her.

Their faces drew closer, their breaths mingled in a haze of warmth and tension.

Suddenly, Lylia half-closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly upward. Noan knew exactly what she wanted to do, and he slowly lowered his head, bringing his face closer to hers.

When their lips were less than a few centimeters apart—

Suddenly, Noralia's voice rang out from outside the room.

"Lylia! Jankos is looking for you."