Read Novel Full Chapter 859: Novels
Chapter 859: Chapter 859: Novels
The weight that had seemed to disappear mysteriously when she had previously tried to gain it was now returning to her body, and she couldn’t help feeling that she had become much chubbier than before.
As she looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, she instinctively touched her cheeks and waist, her expression growing increasingly dissatisfied.
‘Have I really gained this much weight? I don’t look the same anymore.’
Before Ivy could dwell on the thought for too long, Silas returned with a towel, warm water, and some water for her to rinse her mouth.
He moved quickly but carefully, his concern evident in the way he stayed close to her without making her feel rushed.
“Come here, Ivy. Let me help you,” he said gently.
Ivy accepted his help, but as she looked at her reflection once more, she couldn’t help voicing the insecurity that had been bothering her.
“See? I look so ugly now. I don’t feel as beautiful as I did before.”
Silas paused, his hands stilling for a moment as he looked at her with a serious expression. He gently turned her toward him so that she would meet his eyes.
“Ivy, don’t ever say such nonsense again. You’re beautiful to me now, and you’ll always be beautiful to me, no matter how much your appearance changes. You don’t have to look exactly the same as you did before for me to love you.”
Ivy stared at him for a moment, her lips parting as though she wanted to argue, but the sincerity in his eyes made the words catch in her throat. She eventually lowered her gaze, unable to bring herself to continue the argument.
Silas helped her clean herself up and made sure she was comfortable before guiding her back to the bedroom.
Once everything was settled, Ivy lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling, feeling the lingering discomfort in her stomach gradually ease.
After a while, she murmured, “I think I should get some rest.”
Silas nodded and adjusted the blanket around her before settling beside her, remaining close enough to help if she needed anything.
Another twenty days passed in the blink of an eye.
During that time, two significant developments took place, one of which involved the Lesi family and Alana’s restaurant.
Lova Lesi had decided to take action against Alana by opening a competing restaurant of his own.
He was convinced that he could attract customers away from her establishment and prove that he was just as capable of succeeding in the restaurant business.
However, when his grandmother learned about his decision, she was furious.
She had never approved of his reckless behavior, and his attempt to compete with Alana only made matters worse. In her anger, she directly ordered him to leave the family.
Rather than reconsidering his actions, Lova became even more furious.
His pride had been wounded, and he stubbornly decided to proceed with his plan, convinced that his success would eventually silence everyone who had doubted him.
Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out the way he had expected.
Despite opening the restaurant and searching for several dishes that he could reproduce, Lova failed miserably.
The food he offered couldn’t compete with the quality of Alana’s cuisine, and customers showed little interest in his establishment.
No matter how much money he spent trying to improve the menu, he couldn’t attract enough customers to keep the business running.
In the end, Lova had no choice but to close the restaurant.
Meanwhile, Gemma Lesi felt deeply ashamed of her own grandson’s behavior.
Although she was disappointed in him, she didn’t want his foolish actions to damage the relationship between their family and Alana. To make amends for the trouble he had caused, she compensated Alana with a substantial sum of money.
Lova, however, remained unwilling to accept his defeat.
When he heard that Alana’s restaurant was still thriving, his anger flared up once again. Unable to swallow his pride, he decided to approach Alana directly, hoping to confront her about the matter.
By the time Lova arrived, the restaurant was packed with customers.
Several people were even waiting for a table, their eyes occasionally turning toward the entrance in anticipation of being seated.
The moment Lova stepped inside, a few customers recognized him and began whispering among themselves.
“Isn’t that the younger heir of the Lesi family?” one of them murmured, leaning toward the person sitting beside him.
Another customer nodded in agreement. “Yes, it certainly looks like him. I didn’t expect someone from the Lesi family to visit this restaurant.”
A third person glanced toward Lova with undisguised curiosity. “Wow, I never imagined that even a noble like him would be interested in eating here.”
Someone nearby chuckled upon hearing that remark and shook his head.
“Do you really think nobles are strangers to this place? They have been coming here for quite some time. In fact, there’s an entire second floor reserved specifically for nobles, so it’s hardly surprising that someone from the Lesi family would show up.”
“It even has private rooms, and I’ve heard that they offer a separate menu for those who dine there. I can only hope that someday I’ll be fortunate enough to try those dishes myself,” one customer whispered wistfully as the others continued discussing the restaurant’s special arrangements.
Meanwhile, Lova marched straight toward Alana, who was busy writing down orders and ensuring that everything in the restaurant ran smoothly.
He pointed an accusing finger at her, his face twisted with anger, and demanded, “So, you’re the one who pretended to save my grandmother, aren’t you?”
Alana paused her work and calmly raised her head to look at him. She recognized the idiot immediately, but instead of showing any sign of nervousness, she regarded him with an indifferent expression.
“Yes, that was me. What about it?” she replied casually.
Hearing her straightforward answer only made Lova angrier. He had come here prepared to confront her, and her lack of guilt or fear made him feel as though she wasn’t taking him seriously.
“Then why didn’t you clear up the misunderstanding earlier?” he demanded, his voice rising with every word.
“I thought it was your boss who had saved my grandmother, and I almost changed my opinion of her because of that. Don’t tell me you deliberately kept quiet because you like me or something!”
Alana stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.
She had dealt with all sorts of unreasonable customers since the restaurant opened, but this man’s sheer confidence in his own foolish assumptions was something else entirely.
“Are you an idiot or what?” she asked bluntly, shaking her head in disbelief.
“Even if you misunderstood the situation, you never bothered to investigate it properly. Instead, you jumped to your own conclusions, and now you’re blaming me for your mistake. What kind of ridiculous logic is that? Are you one of those CEOs in the novels who mistreat their wives, girlfriends, or mistresses just because they hear a few rumors without bothering to find out the truth?”
The moment those words left her mouth, Lova’s expression changed dramatically. His face darkened, and he pointed at Alana as though she had committed an unforgivable offense.
“Don’t you dare compare me to those naive CEOs in those ridiculous novels!” he snapped. “I’m nothing like those so-called noblemen who blindly believe every rumor they hear!”
Alana raised an eyebrow, looking thoroughly unimpressed by his outburst.
The irony was that those very novels had become immensely popular on Planet Astra, and their popularity had largely been the result of Ivy and Bella’s efforts.
Although novels had existed on the planet for a long time, they had never become such a widespread form of entertainment.
Ivy had been the one to realize that introducing a new kind of storytelling could turn the planet’s residents into loyal customers of their restaurant businesses.
She wanted people to return not only for the delicious food but also for the experience and entertainment the establishments could offer.
While Ivy was considering how to attract more customers, Bella had proposed an idea that initially sounded rather unconventional.
“Why don’t we start publishing novels about overbearing CEOs and their relationships with innocent, naive girls?” Bella had suggested.
“We can use all those familiar clichés that readers love. People who come to the restaurant can read the stories while they eat, and once they become invested in the characters, they’ll keep coming back to find out what happens next. Some might even become interested in buying the novels themselves. That way, we can earn money from the stories while attracting more customers to the restaurants.”