I Don't Want to Be in The Male Lead's Family - Chapter 4

 “Uncle apologizes for not telling you about them earlier. We’re truly grateful that you’ve kindly forgiven us, but at the same time, we want to make sure you’re safe even if you refuse to live with us.”

 “Believe me, it’s not safe for a 14-year-old to live alone. If a criminal finds out, they might think you’re an easy target.”

 Lana pondered Julian’s words. They made sense and were hard to argue with. In the eyes of adults like Julian, she was still a child.

 “But I won’t be able to pay both of them. They might work in the kitchen or garden, but they don’t look like people who’ve done that kind of work before.”

 “You don’t need to worry, Miss. We are skilled and versatile. Besides, Mr. Julian already hired us to work at your house. If you reject us, we’ll lose our jobs.”

 What? How could that be? Lana felt something was off. Oddly enough, she ended up giving in, even though she had intended not to live by accepting help from the male lead’s father.

 If I keep refusing, maybe it’ll only make the male lead’s family more curious and feel more indebted to me. Maybe by accepting this one favor, our relationship will gradually fade.

 “Then, please take care of me from now on. Uncle, thank you very much.”

 Julian smiled brightly and patted her head again as if he were her father. After escorting her inside, he explained that he had replaced the furniture and fixed the doors and windows. Then he left.

 Lana walked through her house, noticing all the changes—even her bedroom was different. Her ordinary mattress had been replaced with a plush bed with fragrant sheets. Teddy bears and bunny dolls decorated the space. A large white wardrobe, a study desk, a vanity, and beautiful curtains and carpet. Why did Julian remodel the inside of her house?

 Lana lay down, exhausted from holding in her anger and frustration.

 Is it because they’re rich that they think they can do whatever they want to someone poor like me? Or is it because they think I’m pitiful? Don’t poor people have the right to voice their opinions or to keep their things untouched by the rich?

 If she had become Julian’s adopted daughter, what kind of feelings did she carry that led her to become a background villain?

 I don’t hate being born. I just hate that my miserable life exists only to make someone else’s life shine.

 Tired and upset, she eventually drifted off to sleep. When she woke up, it was already late in the day. The aroma of delicious food made her stomach ache. She stepped out of her room and found Audy and Herman setting the table.

 “Miss, perfect timing! Lunch is ready. Please have a seat,” Audy greeted her with a warm smile.

 Lana, on the other hand, was stunned. Why were they acting like they owned the house? Herman, unaware of her confusion, approached and gestured like a restaurant manager, inviting her to sit at the prepared chair.

 Lana obeyed, her face expressionless and slightly sour at the presence of these two uninvited people. But seeing that they had cooked for her, her irritation slowly faded. The house was also clean. Hadn’t she accepted them so Julian wouldn’t feel overly indebted?

 So why did she feel annoyed at them?

 “Where did you get the ingredients for this meal?”

 “I checked your kitchen, Miss. I cooked water spinach, eggs, and salted telang fish. I’m sorry for using them without permission.”

 Lana shook her head. “You don’t need to apologize. From now on, you can cook with whatever’s in the fridge or what I buy. If there’s any money from Mr. Julian that I don’t need, just reject it or use it for your own needs.”

 “But Miss…”

 “I’m used to living simply. So don’t treat me like a young mistress of the Atmaja family. You might not believe it, but I’ll prove to you that I don’t need their money.”

 ***

 After the meal, she returned to her room and sat in silence. The furniture had changed so much that it no longer felt like hers. Even the fridge Audy mentioned wasn’t the one she used to have. The old second-hand mini fridge her mother had bought after saving for so long—and which had forced them to survive on only tempeh—had been replaced by a large two-door fridge.

 Fortunately, it hadn’t been filled with anything she didn’t approve of. Only the water spinach remained, which her mother had originally planned to cook. Lana felt tightness in her chest thinking about it, but now she had to survive.

 She searched for the trash bag to see if the roots of the water spinach were still there. Once she found them, she grabbed a small trowel and went outside.

 Herman and Audy followed her out. Herman tried to take the trowel and do the work himself.

 “This is the last batch of kangkung my mom ever bought. I don’t know where the fridge she bought with her hard-earned money went. But at least I can grow this again and remember her every time I eat it.”

 Herman froze for a moment, but then gently took the water spinach roots and planted them carefully. He treated the roots—something others would call trash—as something precious.

 It was a memory and the heart of a child. Herman felt responsible for taking care of and nurturing it. Audy also stood still, quietly watching Herman plant the kangkung. They were sent here by Julian, while Julian had given many things that might have hurt Lana.

 Especially the fridge her late mother had bought. Julian likely hadn’t considered how meaningful such items could be. That’s because Julian hadn’t lost anyone, while little Lana had lost her parents in this very place—and sought their warmth from what remained.

 “It must be nice to eat kangkung from your own garden all the time,” Audy said, trying to lighten the mood.

 “Kangkung is easy to grow. Maybe it won’t take long before we eat homegrown kangkung,” Lana replied. She didn’t say yes or no, but both Audy and Herman imagined picking the vegetables from this very garden.

 After planting, Lana returned to her room and stayed there until dinner. Herman went out to find fertilizer for the kangkung, while Audy sent a report to Julian about how Lana’s day had gone. Including the part about her not being happy with him replacing the furniture.

 “I did it for Lana too. Some of the items in her house were old and not in good condition. Can you persuade her that accepting new things is better?”

 “Sir… I’m sorry. Miss Lana just lost her parents, and you replaced items full of memories. Do you think she’d be happy about that? She said the old fridge was something her mother bought with great effort.

 “It’s true the items you gave are high-quality and expensive. But Miss Lana has her own way of defining what’s valuable. It’s her way of appreciating things. If you continue doing things like this, she might end up resenting you even more.”