Chapter 1

Translator: Nox

Episode 1

Clouds drifted lazily in the azure sky, and the sun shone brightly on a fine day.

In a secluded corner of a grand mansion, where people rarely frequented, stood a pair of young man and woman.

The man was taller than most, with raven-black hair that cascaded down like silk and eyes as crimson as blood.

His striking appearance would captivate anyone who passed by as he leaned against the building wall, looking down at the person before him.

In front of the man, who seemed to emanate a chilling aura, stood a petite and dainty woman, fidgeting with her hands.

She was not as strikingly beautiful as the man before her, but she was quite lovely. She was a cute woman with dark, wood-brown hair and blue eyes like the clear sky.

With a flushed face, she squeezed her eyes shut and mustered all her courage to face the man before her.

“Herwin! I like you! Please go out with me!”

“I refuse.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the man called Herwin coldly rejected the woman’s confession.

Herwin sighed, a hint of annoyance in his voice, and swept his hair back.

“Lucia, how many times has this been? Don’t you ever get tired of it?”

His tone was friendly, considering he had just rejected her confession.

Lucia cautiously opened her eyes, unable to hide her flushed cheeks, and gave an awkward smile.

“Umm… 98th time.”

“Knowing that my answer is always the same, yet you never give up. You truly are something.”

Herwin shook his head, seemingly weary of the situation.

In a situation that could be quite embarrassing, Lucia could only manage a foolish grin.

Herwin glanced at her and sighed again, pushing himself off the wall.

“You’d think you’d give up by now. Do you like me that much? Even though I never accept your confession?”

Lucia was silent for a moment, then her eyes curved into a smile.

“Yes, it would be great if you accepted my confession, but if that’s difficult, I want to convey my feelings like this. At least I don’t confess in front of everyone, right?”

“Ugh, just try confessing publicly like you did on your 16th birthday. I won’t see you for a month.”

“That’s not allowed!”

Lucia responded firmly, her tone playful, to Herwin’s lighthearted words.

“I’m doing this because I like you. Don’t feel too burdened.”

Despite being a 21-year-old adult, her words were utterly innocent.

Herwin frowned, feeling overwhelmed by her sincerity.

“…Lucia Agnes. I like Arista.”

“…”

Herwin casually spoke the name of the woman he held in his heart. Yet, he glanced at Lucia, seemingly concerned about her reaction.

A fleeting look of sadness crossed Lucia’s blue eyes.

“…I know.”

“Haa…”

Herwin took a deep breath to relieve his frustration and glanced at Lucia.

“Let’s go. If we stay here any longer, the others will misunderstand.”

“I wouldn’t want to trouble you. Let’s go quickly!”

Lucia returned to her usual cheerful self, flashing her bright smile.

Relieved, Herwin followed Lucia, who was already walking ahead.

It was an odd sight, a woman who had just been rejected and a man who had rejected her without a second thought, acting so nonchalantly.

The strange atmosphere dissipated as the two left the spot.

Only a deep shadow remained in the empty space they had vacated.

* * *

“Oh, there they are.”

“So, you were together. We were about to go looking for you, as you’d been gone for quite a while.”

“What, what? Did you two have a secret rendezvous?”

As Herwin and Lucia, who had disappeared from the social gathering of close friends, reappeared together, people began to tease them with playful jokes.

Herwin brushed off Ethan, who was poking his side, with an annoyed gesture and frowned.

“It’s not like that, so don’t say anything weird.”

“Well, it’s just that you were with ‘Lucia,’ of all people. ‘Lucia’!”

Ethan wiggled his eyebrows up and down with a knowing look.

“How many years has Lucia been in love with you? Isn’t it about time you accepted her?”

Ethan poked Herwin again.

Herwin’s red eyes turned cold as he haughtily looked down at Ethan.

Ethan, meeting his murderous gaze head-on, wore a blank expression and broke out in a cold sweat.

Shut your mouth.

His red eyes seemed to say.

Ethan, understanding his intent perfectly even without words, tucked his tail and clamped his mouth shut.

“Ethan’s not wrong, though. Everyone knows Lucia likes you.”

This time, Brian, who had been quietly sipping his tea, spoke up.

As he swept his long hair back, the maids nearby swooned and melted into a puddle of giggles.

Brian, annoying in a different way from Ethan, began to grate on his nerves.

“You, shut your mouth.”

Herwin warned, grinding his teeth, but Brian didn’t back down like Ethan, merely shrugging nonchalantly.

Herwin found Brian, who always slipped through his fingers like an eel, truly detestable.

Herwin’s fists trembled, and a thick vein stood out on his forehead.

“Really, Lucia is here, yet you’re saying all sorts of things. Lucia, ignore what these people are saying.”

Christine, who had been silent as people kept mentioning Lucia’s name as if she weren’t even there, finally spoke up.

“Thank you for your concern, Christine. But I’m fine, so don’t worry.”

Lucia calmed Christine and returned to her seat.

“But seriously, where did you two go?”

The person who spoke this time was Arista, the woman Herwin had confessed to having feelings for.

She was a woman of such beauty that one could understand why Herwin was smitten with her, as if a goddess had descended.

Her light blonde hair, which fluttered slightly with every breeze, was like golden thread meticulously woven by the Gods, and within her long lashes lay mysterious violet eyes.

Lucia waved her hands with a smile.

“No, we just ran into each other on the way.”

“That’s right, nothing happened, so don’t misunderstand, Arista.”

Herwin added to Lucia’s words.

Arista tilted her head, then shrugged.

“If you two say so, then I guess that’s how it is.”

Herwin breathed a silent sigh of relief as the situation passed without further suspicion.

He quietly sat down in the remaining seat between Lucia and Arista.

Conversations flowed around the round table.

Lucia laughed heartily as they exchanged lighthearted stories.

Lucia, who was emitting a refreshing laugh like a burst of vitamins, secretly glanced to the side.

Herwin was also smiling, seemingly enjoying the conversation.

The man with the cold demeanor was now wearing a truly warm smile.

And that smile was directed at the person next to him.

Not at Lucia, who was sitting on his left, but at Arista, who was on his right.

Lucia trembled slightly, then hid her hands under the tablecloth, clenching them tightly.

Arista laughed heartily at Ethan’s silly jokes.

Arista was truly charming, laughing freely without losing her noble grace.

Even Lucia, as a woman, couldn’t help but be captivated by her, so how much more would Herwin, who was in love with her, be?

Throb- Throb-

Lucia felt a slight throbbing in her chest.

The dissonance she had always felt was particularly grating today.

She had a small hope that Herwin’s head would turn even slightly, that his eyes would reflect her image.

‘That’s impossible.’

Lucia shook her head, realizing the futility of her wish.

She couldn’t ruin the gathering with her friends, whom she hadn’t seen in a while.

She decided to enjoy the moment as much as possible, ignoring the awl that was slowly pounding at her heart.

Lucia blended seamlessly into the group of laughing friends.

It was such a perfect harmony that no one could tell she was lost in thought.

* * *

“Haa… that was fun today.”

Because the gathering ended late, Lucia was only able to return home in the dark of night.

Even though she had a good time, she couldn’t help but feel tired. Lucia rubbed her stiff shoulders and handed her coat to the maids.

“Young Lady, you’re back?”

Just then, a white-haired old gentleman, neatly combed back, approached her. It was Aaron, the head butler. Lucia smiled brightly.

“Yes, am I late?”

“Not at all, you were simply spending time with your dear friends after a long while.”

“Hehe, thank you for understanding.”

“The Count is looking for you, Young Lady.”

Aaron got straight to the point. Lucia, who was about to head to her room, turned around in surprise.

“At this hour?”

She wondered if she was going to be scolded for coming home late.

“Shall I escort you to the Count’s location immediately?”

Lucia nodded, appreciating Aaron’s consideration.

“Yes, please do.”

The place Aaron led her to was the tea room, where the Count and Countess often enjoyed tea.

Lucia, who had expected it to be his study, tilted her head but stepped inside the door that Aaron opened for her.

“…Mother is here too?”

In the tea room were Lucia’s father, Johann, and her mother, Julian.

The two greeted Lucia, who entered hesitantly.

“You’re finally here. Did you have a good time with your friends?”

“Yes… well, yes. But what are you two doing here so late? Were you waiting for me all this time?”

Lucia took Julian’s hand and sat beside her, while Johann, who had been drinking tea, quietly set down his teacup.

Seeing his deep blue eyes, which usually held a gentle gaze, now wearing the stern look of the head of the family, Lucia unconsciously straightened her back.

“We have something to tell you, so we were waiting for you to come.”

“…What is it that you want to tell me?”

Lucia, unsure of what they wanted to say with such gravity, nervously swallowed.

“You’re 21 years old now, aren’t you? You’ve been of marriageable age for a long time.”

Lucia’s body stiffened as soon as she heard the word ‘marriage.’

“We know that you like Duke Peneus, so we’ve been waiting until now, but it can’t go on any longer.”

“Don’t tell me…”

“Go on a blind date, Lucia.”

Her eyes, which were the same blue as Johann’s, widened slowly.