<Episode 13>
Herwin's lips slowly turned downwards.
"...You, do you like me?"
Lucia couldn't meet Herwin's eyes, fidgeted, moved her lips, and then nodded.
Thump!
Herwin's heart sank. He thought she didn't like him anymore because she seemed no different than before.
But if that wasn't the case… a sense of unease crept up, wondering if what happened in the hall six days ago would happen again.
Lucia, who had tightly closed her eyes because of her pounding heart, felt the surroundings were quiet and cautiously opened her eyes.
Herwin's face was deathly pale.
Lucia suddenly remembered what Hyle had said and hurriedly opened her mouth.
"Don't worry. I won't confess in front of other people."
"...Huh?"
"I said I won't confess in front of other people."
Herwin, who had been momentarily consumed by fear, couldn't understand her words.
"You said you like me?"
"Yes, I like you! Actually, I like you more than Mom and Dad! But you don't."
"........"
"Mom said never to make things difficult for someone you like. Herwin doesn't like me saying I like you in front of people, right?"
Herwin nodded blankly.
"So, I won't confess where there are people."
Lucia puffed out her cheeks, as if to prove her firm resolve.
"But… is it okay to say I like you when it's just the two of us like this?"
She leaned her head on her knees and smiled brightly at Herwin.
Her rosy cheeks and softly curved eye smile made Lucia's cuteness even more prominent.
Even though it was a smile he had seen before, it felt completely different this time.
The blue eyes visible between her curved eyes fully captured Herwin along with overwhelming emotions.
It was burdensome and heavy, yet a corner of his heart tingled slightly.
However, the sensation of anxiety pounding in his chest was greater, so Herwin didn't even notice the flutter.
Herwin fully understood what Lucia was trying to say. And the sincerity contained in those words…
So, he answered seriously.
"...I won't fall in love with you."
"Then I'll confess again!"
"What?"
It was a word he had uttered, prepared for her to be hurt, but Lucia took it so refreshingly.
"Didn't you hear me? I said I'm not going to date you?"
"Yes, I know. But I still like you?"
In this absurd situation, Herwin refused diligently, but each time, like a broken record, Lucia replied that she liked Herwin.
"Seriously! You're persistent…!"
As the situation continued to repeat, Herwin finally got annoyed first.
"No matter how many times I say it, I'm not going to date you!"
Herwin, who stood up huffing, felt his heart weaken for no reason when he saw the clear sky-blue eyes staring up at him.
"Do you really hate me?"
"Of course! It's not that I hate… but……."
He wished he could say he hated her, but Herwin couldn't bring himself to say those words because he didn't really hate her.
Lucia's lips turned upwards.
"Then do you like me?"
"Why is the conversation going that way?"
"Well, you said you don't hate me. I like Herwin."
"Stop! I told you I won't accept you even if you say that?"
"No, not like that. I like you as a friend."
Caught off guard, Herwin's expression turned blank.
"I like Herwin as a friend, and I like you enough to want to date you. What about you? Do you like me as a friend?"
"...Yeah."
Herwin pouted his lower lip and nodded. Even though the answer was a little late, it wasn't a reluctant answer.
"Then that's enough!"
Lucia, as if satisfied with just that, smiled brightly and stood up.
"Let's be friends! But I like you, so I'll keep confessing."
"What is that……."
It was a mess. He couldn't understand what she meant by saying she liked him and then wanting to be friends.
"Haha, it's strange."
But he wasn't anxious anymore.
When Herwin burst into laughter at the absurdity, Lucia smiled along with him.
Herwin laughed for a long time and then took the hand extended to him.
"Okay, let's get along well as friends in the future."
All the awkwardness that had remained between the two children disappeared. He felt even closer than when they were in the Kingdom.
"Herwin, I like you!"
"It's only been five minutes since we said we'd be friends, you know?"
Herwin was no longer afraid of Lucia's confession. Rather, he became relaxed enough to throw light jokes.
8 years old, midsummer. Days when they spent cool and pleasant time despite the hot sun blazing.
The connection between the two, which had been temporarily severed, was reconnected in the north.
* * *
"Now that I think about it, Herwin must have been flustered."
On a sleepless night, Lucia finally asked the maid for wine.
She sat on the terrace, sipping wine with the dark scenery as her snack.
It had been a whopping 13 years since she first fell for Herwin.
To be honest, she only remembered the reason she fell for Herwin and the scene where she confessed to him, but she didn't properly remember what happened.
She couldn't even remember what she did a year ago in detail, let alone 13 years ago.
"Really, I'm persistent too. It would be nice if I could easily give up my feelings like others say, but it doesn't work as easily as I think, so I feel like a fool."
"Is the next one the 99th confession?"
Just one last chance left.
"It would have been nice to fill it up to 100 times if possible, but it's a shame."
A monologue flowed out that was hard to tell if it was a joke or serious.
Lucia, who was giggling, scanned her diary.
It was a confession diary that she had been writing steadily since she was 8 years old when she started liking Herwin.
There were days when she was happy thinking that Herwin might accept her confession, and there were days when she was distressed after failing to confess.
All kinds of joys and sorrows were melted into this diary.
Lucia, who was reading her raw emotions, suddenly stopped at the point where the confession exceeded 60 times.
"Was this when I started attending the academy?"
16 years old, the time when she entered the academy. The days she spent living with Herwin for 3 years.
"...A lot happened during this time too."
She was happy to be with Herwin, but there were also times when she was struggling due to all kinds of jealousy and envy.
Lucia suddenly recalled when she first entered the academy.
* * *
The academy was bustling with returning students and new students who had entered this year for the new semester.
Among the many carriages, the door of the carriage with the Agnes family crest opened, and a man appeared.
Several female students around him blushed and began to whisper when they saw him.
The person who made the female students flutter was Lucas, who turned 18 this year.
A tall height of nearly 180, a firm body without any excess fat, dark chocolate-like brown hair, and blue eyes clearer than the sky.
He was a handsome man enough to receive the attention of female students.
"Lucia, be careful."
At that time, Lucas reached out to the carriage and escorted Lucia.
"Wow, it's really the academy."
"Congratulations on entering the academy, little sister."
Lucas smiled brightly and sincerely congratulated Lucia on her entrance.
Like all other freshmen, she couldn't hide her excitement about entering the academy and looked around. Lucas smiled because he thought his younger sister was cute.
"I told you before, but the uniform suits you well."
"Really? Doesn't it look weird?"
"What's weird about it? I'm worried that pest-like guys will flock to you."
"Really. You always say that. You're good at everything, but you're too overprotective."
Lucia slapped Lucas's arm when he said something embarrassing without a second thought.
"Lucia! Overprotective! Look at yourself!"
Lucia inadvertently looked at herself.
"What am I……?"
"You're so cute and lovely, how could any guy not fall for you!"
Lucia shook her head, thinking that her brother's boasting had started again.
However, Lucas's concerns were perfectly normal.
Wavy, soft, brown hair, fair face, delicate features, and blue eyes in gentle eyes.
She looked just like Lucas, but her cuter appearance and height of only a little over 150 stimulated her protective instincts.
She claims that she can grow taller in the future, but she probably won't be able to reach 160 even if she grows up.
The attention of those around her was focused on Lucas, who was listing Lucia's strengths in a loud voice. Lucia blushed and moved away from him.
"I'm going alone."
"Wait! Lucia!"
Lucas hurriedly chased after Lucia, who was running away from him.
It took quite a long time to appease his sulky younger sister.
* * *
The Agnes siblings left their luggage at the luggage storage and began to look around the academy in earnest.
Lucas, who knew the academy inside and out, walked side by side with Lucia, explaining the locations of the most important buildings and the academy rules.
There were already many people walking around the school. People who knew Lucas began to talk to him one by one.
"Lucas, did you have a good vacation?"
"Oh, Ares. Long time no see. You've been doing well too, right?"
"Of course, naturally."
Lucia took a step back and watched them blankly every time Lucas's friends came.
Unlike other people who just greeted him in passing, he talked to this friend for quite a long time.
A handsome man with light blonde hair and purple eyes.
He had a delicate appearance, but the aura emanating from him was quite strong and created an atmosphere that no one could easily approach.
'Purple eyes…….'
"Ah, is she your sister by any chance?"
"That's right. Lucia, this is my best friend, Ares Lydia."
Ah, I see. I thought he had purple eyes, which are a characteristic of the Lydia ducal family.
Lucia was secretly surprised that Lucas had a friendship with such an important person and lifted her skirt.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Lucia Agnes."
"You don't have to be so formal."
Ares waved his hand with an awkward smile.
"Come to think of it, you said you have a younger sister too, right? I think you said she's the same age as Lucia."
"Ah. You mean Arista?"
"Yeah, that's right. Where is your sister now?"
"I don't know, she'll be fine somewhere on her own."
"What? Is that what an older brother should say?"
"You're the weird one? I'm more surprised that you care about your sister in the first place… Ah, sorry sister. I didn't mean for you to hear that."
Ares, who was saying that he couldn't understand Lucas, who cherished his younger sister so much, hurriedly changed his words when he saw Lucia's wide eyes.
"It's okay, my brother is a bit eccentric."
Ares paused for a moment at Lucia's smile, which resembled Lucas but was somehow different.
"...I see why you're so protective of your younger sister."
"Hey, don't look at her with such disrespectful eyes! Get out of here!"
"Brother! To Duke Lydia……!"
"Hahaha, it's okay, it's okay. It's my fault."
Ares took a step back as Lucas growled, protecting Lucia.
