I Sell Bottled Water for Gold in Another World!-Chapter 237: The Greedy Man - Alex

"I don’t know if I’m ready for this, Nathan," Alex finally admitted quietly.

Nathan was silent for a moment, then leaned forward with a small smile.

"You don’t have to decide right now. The challenge doesn’t start for two weeks at least."

He walked toward the door, then suddenly paused as if remembering something and looked back.

"Oh, and one more thing Brother Alex...if you haven’t decided yet, I think this might motivate you to do it. Henrik is definitely going to participate in this competition."

That is all needed as Alex’s head snapped up at that. "What?"

"You heard that right Brother Alex, Henrik Bjornson," Nathan repeated with evident disgust. "Apparently Lord Edmund, despite his misbehavior is still letting him compete as part of some agreement with Lord Bjornson. Probably trying to save face, whatever. But Henrik will be there, competing for Miss Evelyn’s hand."

The thought of Henrik competing for Evelyn’s hand sent something spiking through Alex’s chest.

Anger? Jealousy?

Whatever it was, it seemed to leave a bad taste in his mouth.

"That shouldn’t happen..." Alex started but cut himself off, not quite sure how to finish that sentence.

"Yeah," Nathan agreed, with a knowing grin. "That’s what I thought too. Anyway, I’m going to tell Lucy about this. She’s going to freak out with excitement that Miss Evelyn is having a suitor’s challenge, they are always used to stay so close to each other."

The moment Nathan mentioned Lucy’s name, Alex’s expression changed into alarm.

"Wait, Nathan—"

But it was too late. Nathan had vanished through the doorway with that infuriating grin still plastered on his face.

Damn it.

If Lucy found out about the Suitor’s Challenge, she would definitely get upset about it.

Though she does not show it in their daily life, he could still feel that in some corner of her mind she thinks that he will leave her for a better girl.

If she knew about it, she might assume something unhealthy.

Alex sat in the sitting room, the afternoon sun still filtering through the windows, his tea now cold and utterly forgotten.

The book on recent gossips had been left lying on the table.

His peaceful afternoon was thoroughly ruined.

Alex looked down at the announcement still lying on the table beside him; the elegant calligraphy is almost seem to be like mocking him.

A Suitor’s Challenge for the hand of Miss Evelyn McCoy.

Alex stood up abruptly, walking to the window and staring out at the gardens without actually focusing on it as his eyes and mind are already somewhere else.

Two weeks.

He had two weeks to decide to enter a contest that would practically declare his engagement to Miss Evelyn McCoy.

And honestly, no matter what he tried to tell himself, he really didn’t want Henrik near Evelyn at all.

Or for that matter, any of the other suitors who were more ambitious and none different than other.

"Well," Alex muttered to himself, a wry smile tugging at his lips despite himself. "I guess Nathan was right about one thing. I’ve apparently already made my decision, even if I haven’t admitted it yet."

He turned away from the window, his mind already making the switch from philosophical reflection to practical planning.

If he was going to do this, and apparently he was, then he was going to do it properly, with no possibility of failure.

And most importantly, he needed to make sure that whatever happened in this challenge, Miss Evelyn herself had a real choice in the outcome. While he had come to realize he has feelings for her, he still doesn’t know about her mind.

Because unlike most of the other suitors, Alex actually cared about what she wanted, not just what he could gain from winning.

His thoughts were interrupted with a soft knocking on the door.

Alex heard the knock, and with a surprise, wondered who it might be.

The door opened slowly, and Lucy slipped inside, carefully closing it behind her. She wore a simple afternoon dress of pale green silk, her hair still with the butterfly ornament he’d bought her at the market.

"Brother Alex," she said quietly, her hands clasped in front of her. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

Alex began to have a bad feeling about where this might be going. "Of course. Of course... come in."

Lucy settled into the chair looking comfortable, though her fingers twisting nervously in her lap told the story otherwise.

"Nathan told me about the announcement," she began. "About the Suitor’s Challenge."

Sigh, why am I not surprised?

Alex thought, leaning back in his chair trying to ease the awkwardness that he felt. "Haha... Your brother has never been particularly good at keeping exciting news to himself."

"He thinks you should participate," Lucy said, her eyes studying his face. "He’s quite adamant about it, actually."

"Oh yes, he made sure to inform me about it, but I want to know what do you think?"

The question hung in the air between them.

The only response from Lucy was silence for several moments as she dropped her gaze to her hands. At last, she spoke in a soft voice, but clear and unwavering.

"I think that Miss Evelyn is an exceptional woman. She’s intelligent, accomplished, beautiful, and kind. Any man would be fortunate to win her hand."

"Lucy—"

"Please, let me finish," she said gently, interrupting him and looking up into his eyes. "I too think that you like her, Brother Alex. I saw the way you look at her. You don’t have to overthink things, really. I stand with Nathan on this.

"What?" Alex was surprised, not knowing what to think about it.

A faint blush colored her cheeks, but she didn’t look away.

"You saved my life, Brother Alex, and knowing that in some corner of your mind you care about me... that is enough for me."

She paused, took a deep breath.

"Brother Alex, I understand the world we live in. I understand that a man of your standing could have multiple wives if you wished. It’s accepted, even expected in some cases."

Alex opened his mouth to reply, but Lucy raised her hand.

"When I first realized my feelings for you," she went on, the strain in her voice now beginning to break, "I knew that I might not be the only woman in your life. And I’ve made peace with that." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

She leaned forward.

"Miss Evelyn deserves you, Brother Alex. And if your heart has room for her as well as for me, then I will not stand in your way. I won’t be that obstacle in the way of yours in pursuing happiness."

Alex reached across to take her hand. "You’re not an obstacle. You could never be an obstacle."

She squeezed his hand softly.

"I am not asking you to end what we have, Brother Alex. I’m not that selfless, and I’m not that foolish too. I do care about you too much to walk away.

By the end of the sentence her voice dropped to a bare whisper.

"But I am asking you to be careful. To think about what you want before you make a public declaration by entering this challenge."

Alex studied her face trying to search for any signs of pain but what he got to see was only happiness for him.

"What if," he began slowly, choosing his words with care, "what if I want both? What if my heart has room for both you and Miss Evelyn?"

Lucy’s breath caught a little.

"Then I would say," she replied after a moment, "that you are a greedy man, Brother Alex."

A small smile tugged at her lips.

"But I would also say that I understand."

She stood up from her chair and walked over to where he sat, her movements graceful despite the emotion clearly visible in her eyes.

Leaning down, she pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, her lips lingering there for just a moment.

"I don’t want to be your cage to hold you back, Brother Alex. I want to be your choice."

Her hand moved to cup his cheek gently, her thumb brushing across his skin with tender affection.

"If you decide to enter this challenge, I’ll support you. I’ll be there, cheering for your success. Because your happiness matters to me, even if it means sharing you with another woman."

Alex caught her hand as she started to pull away, bringing it to his lips and pressing a kiss to her palm.

"You are my choice, Lucy. You will always be my choice. Having feelings for Miss Evelyn does not take away what I feel for you."

"I know," she whispered, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "I know you care about me, Brother Alex. I know you would never intentionally hurt me."

"Lucy—"

"I know," she repeated, her voice growing softer with each word. "I know you’re worried about how I’ll feel. I know you’re concerned about complicating things. I know you want to protect me."

Her free hand moved to rest against his chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath her palm.

"I know," she said again, barely audible now. "I know..."

The words trailed off as she leaned down further, her face now inches from his.

Alex’s hand moved from the palm of her hand to the back of her neck, gently pulling her closer. Their foreheads touched.

"Lucy," Alex whispered thickly with feeling.

She didn’t answer him with words. Instead, she closed the distance between them, her lips meeting his in a soft-sweet kiss full of all the things they couldn’t quite say aloud.

The other hand came up to cradle her face as he returned the kiss, pouring into it all his love towards her.

Lucy’s fingers clutched at his robe, holding onto him as though he might disappear if she let go.