Episode 2

Lucia Agnes.

The eldest daughter of Count Agnes, a reasonably prestigious family in the Peros Kingdom, with one son and one daughter. She was the precious only daughter of the Agnes family, where only sons had been born for generations.

Having grown up receiving innocent love and affection from her grandparents, parents, and an older brother two years her senior, she was a truly lovely woman.

Herwin Peneus.

The eldest son of the two sons of the Northern Duke Family, located at the forefront of the Kingdom's The Four Duke Families.

He possessed not only an excellent lineage and handsome appearance but also outstanding swordsmanship skills, soon to reach the realm of Sword Master.

Herwin was the kind of man that any woman would have held in her heart at least once.

Lucia was one of the many women who harbored feelings for Herwin, but she had one unique characteristic.

That was that she had been single-mindedly in love with only Herwin for over 13 years.

Since ancient times, Peneus and Agnes had maintained a relationship, actively engaging in exchanges to this day.

In conclusion, Lucia and Herwin could be defined as childhood friends.

And Lucia had fallen for Herwin at the age of eight, looking only at him like a sunflower chasing the hot sun.

At first, people did not know that Lucia liked Herwin.

However, due to a certain 'incident,' the fact that she liked Herwin became publicly known, and when it was revealed that the period of her unrequited love was longer than expected, Lucia was nicknamed Herwin's sunflower in social circles.

It would have been wonderful if Herwin liked Lucia as much as she liked him, but unfortunately, Herwin did not see Lucia as anything more than a friend.

Thus, their relationship remained stagnant for 13 years without any progress.

From the marriageable age of 19, most nobles would find a fiancé or get married.

But Lucia was currently 21 years old. They couldn't wait forever, cheering for her love.

Johann and Julian, after a long discussion, decided to betroth Lucia.

"An arranged meeting..."

Lucia opened her mouth with difficulty, calming her trembling lips.

"An arranged meeting, I mean. We can't wait for you any longer."

Lucia raised her head, which had been lowered, and looked at Johann, who was sitting across from her.

His blue eyes showed determination. Lucia, realizing that Johann's words were sincere, gripped her skirt.

"...Since when have you been thinking about this?"

"I've been thinking about it for years. I was going to wait for you to give up on Duke Peneus, but it doesn't seem like that's going to happen."

"........"

Lucia chose silence, unable to find anything to say.

She was well aware of her situation. Born as a noble, she had to marry into another family to fulfill her family's obligations.

"I've picked out some eligible young men from good families for you."

Johann, who had already completed all the preparations, placed four documents on the table.

"All of them are excellent in every way. They are families that are truly well-suited to our Agnes."

It was evident that Johann had prepared everything with sincerity.

Usually, it was common to be forced to marry a man more than 10 years older for the sake of the family, but there was no man in the documents prepared by Johann who was more than 5 years older than Lucia.

"I'll arrange good meetings with these men, so be aware."

"...You've already decided."

Lucia's opinion was not included in this engagement.

She had expected this would happen someday, but she couldn't help but feel bitter as it came sooner than she had thought.

Julian and Johann, who were holding her hand from the side as they saw their bright daughter drooping, even looked at her with concern.

They couldn't help but feel weak-hearted because she was their precious daughter.

"It's not like you have to go to an arranged meeting tomorrow. You can go after you've had time to pull yourself together."

"...No, Mother. It's about time I stopped my unrequited love."

Lucia tried to smile, but it looked so difficult that her heart ached.

Julian wondered if she should offer her daughter a word of comfort, but she only moved her lips at Johann's firm gaze.

"I know what Father and Mother want. I will now fulfill my responsibilities as a member of Agnes."

Unexpectedly, Lucia readily accepted the arranged meeting.

"But, please give me a little time."

"How much time do you need?"

"Um... I don't know."

It was a meaningful statement.

She asked for time, but her tone seemed to indicate that she didn't know either.

"Just until I confess my feelings to Herwin one last time, really, really..."

The atmosphere instantly became solemn.

Julian stroked her daughter's back, feeling sorry for her, and Johann let out a sigh mixed with fatigue.

Even though she knew what her parents thought of her, Lucia couldn't let go of her lingering feelings for Herwin.

"If Herwin miraculously accepts me, would it be okay to get engaged to him?"

"If you get engaged to someone you love, we couldn't be happier. But, if Duke Peneus refuses, you will go to the arranged meeting without complaint. Understood?"

Unlike Lucia, who was filled with hope, Johann was terribly realistic.

Lucia should have been hurt by the words that he would obviously refuse, but she nodded calmly.

"Yes, I will."

Johann felt as if a piece of his heart was falling away as his beloved daughter, who he wouldn't trade for the world, followed his instructions without resisting.

"...Okay, you must be tired from going out, so go in and rest."

"Yes, then I'll be on my way. Good night, everyone."

Lucia left quietly, leaving light kisses on Johann and Julian's cheeks.

Even after the door closed, the two of them stared at the door for a long time before looking at each other.

"Did we say it too abruptly? Maybe we should have given her time gradually..."

"You know we've been giving her chances all along. And this is something you agreed to as well. We can't back out now."

"That's true, but..."

"...Julian, come here."

As Johann reached out his hand, Julian approached him with drooping eyes. Johann held his wife, who was not feeling well, tightly in his arms.

"It's okay, everything will be alright. We also had a political marriage, but we're doing so well."

"I was really lucky to meet you. But, I don't think this kind of luck will come to our daughter..."

Marriage in noble society.

Especially political marriages, which are formed solely by the union of families, excluding the opinions of those getting married, often have poor outcomes.

A man who is called a gentleman outside turns out to be a domestic abuser who makes a habit of swearing and hitting, or a wife who is known for her good housekeeping secretly embezzles the family's wealth.

In addition to these, it was common for people to fall in love with someone else and commit adultery.

Even if the above examples are too extreme, there were many cases where people fought because their personalities didn't match.

In that sense, Johann and Julian, who met through a political marriage, were so well-matched that they could be called soulmates.

It may not have been a love at first sight that burned fiercely, but over time, their love for each other gradually sprouted, and now they couldn't imagine a world without each other.

Julian knew the harsh reality well, even though she had grasped a slim chance of less than 1%, so she was worried about her daughter.

Even though it was a marriage that she would have to do someday, she hoped that she would meet a good match.

"Are you sure everything will be alright? Lucia takes after you and has an accurate eye for people. She may seem fragile, but she's a very strong child inside."

"Of course, I know. But I can't help but worry."

While comforting Julian, Johann was also not feeling well, no less than her.

Still, he stayed by Julian's side, stroking her delicate shoulders until his wife calmed down.

The night was terribly long for the parents who were worried about their daughter.

* * *

In the dark night, Lucia, lying in bed like the others who had gone to dreamland, couldn't fall asleep easily.

She blankly stared at the silk canopy before covering her eyes with both arms.

"Haa... Engagement."

She was surprised by the word engagement, but she wasn't taken aback because she had thought this would happen someday.

Even when her father said those words, she just thought, 'The time has finally come.'

Lucia slowly lowered her arms that were covering her face and jumped out of bed, approaching the desk.

When she lit the lamp on the desk, the orange light illuminated the desk brightly along with the crackling sound.

On the desk were her frequently used quill and ink, letters exchanged with friends, and cute pressed flowers that she had collected to decorate her diary.

Among the many items, she reached for the Music Box. Even though 15 years had passed since it was made, the Music Box still played a clear sound.

Inside the Music Box were colorful stones, pressed four-leaf clovers, and handkerchiefs.

This was Lucia's most cherished treasure, even though it had no consistency.

"Herwin..."

Lucia tightly hugged the box, pressing her moist eyes shut.

She sat in the chair and rested her face on the desk for a long time. Her dark brown hair fell onto the desk, becoming disheveled.

Following the disheveled hair, a frame came into view.

In that frame was a picture of Herwin's childhood.

* * *

[Imperial Calendar 723, December 28th]

The New Year's Party, a grand annual event of the Kingdom held to send off the eventful year and safely welcome the new year.

The Peneus Duke Family, who rarely appeared in social circles, came down to the Kingdom after a long time to attend this New Year's Party.

They decided to stay at the Agnes County during this New Year's Party.

It was the result of reflecting the opinions of Julian and Scarlet, the Duchess of Peneus, who had been close friends since their academy days, as they were families who had maintained a friendship for a long time.

Thus, a few days before the start of the new year, on December 28th, the Peneus Duke Family arrived in the Kingdom.

"Welcome to the Agnes County."

Following Johann, who was giving the greeting, Julian lifted her skirt, and next to them, their children awkwardly greeted, following their parents.

Hyle, the Duke of Peneus, gave a gentle smile at the sincere welcome.

"We are the ones who are grateful for the invitation."

"Julian! It's been a while!"

Scarlet, the Duchess, approached Hyle, who was shaking hands with Johann. Unable to contain her excitement, she hugged Julian tightly.

Julian was initially flustered but soon smiled and hugged her friend, whom she hadn't seen in several years.

"I know, it's been so long. How have you been?"

"Of course, I've been doing well. My goodness, your complexion has gotten even better since I last saw you. The Count must be treating you well?"

"Oh my, you. You always have something to say."

As Julian blushed and lightly hit Scarlet's arm, Scarlet laughed heartily.

"Hahaha. Oh, are these your children?"

Scarlet belatedly discovered the two siblings standing next to Julian.

"Yes, that's right. This is Lucas, who will be 7 days from now, and Lucia, who will be 5. Children, say hello. This is my friend."

"Nice to meet you, I am Lucas Agnes."

"L-Lucia Agnes..."

Unlike the confident Lucas, Lucia carefully lifted her skirt in a hesitant and shy manner.

"So you're Lucas and Lucia. I've heard a lot about you from your mother. Lucia is turning 5 this time, right?"

"Yes..."

"I also have two sons, one of whom is the same age as you. Herwin, would you come here?"

Scarlet called her son, who was behind her.

Lucia, who was curious at the mention of someone being the same age, peeked her head out.

A boy appeared from behind Scarlet. At the same time, Lucia's eyes gradually widened.

A child with black hair and ruby-like sparkling red eyes.

If she hadn't been told he was a boy, he had such remarkable beauty that she would have mistaken him for a girl.