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chapter 36
“Ow!”
Lucia let out a small cry as she pricked her finger on a needle. She quickly brought her bleeding finger to her lips.
It tasted metallic.
“Miss, are you okay? Should I call a doctor?”
“This is fine. More importantly, I need to finish this quickly…”
Lucia smiled awkwardly as she looked down at what she was holding. What she was making was a handkerchief for Herwin.
Since this was her final confession, she wanted to give something meaningful.
A week was a tight deadline, and she had already given him almost everything else she could think of. After much deliberation, she had settled on a handkerchief.
A handkerchief didn’t take up much space, and it could be practical even on the battlefield.
Though usually a gift for a lover or fiancé, sometimes close friends received them too, so it wouldn’t feel too heavy for him.
“Herwin probably wouldn’t even notice if I embroidered my initials here.”
Herwin was meticulous but somewhat oblivious. He would probably glance at the initials on the handkerchief and think nothing of it.
After finishing Herwin’s initials, Lucia stared at the handkerchief for a moment before sighing and lowering her hands.
“…It’s useless if Herwin doesn’t accept it.”
Even if she embroidered her initials, it wouldn’t mean anything if he didn’t reciprocate her feelings.
“Pardon? What did you just say?”
Sein, who had been working on something else, lifted his head. Lucia shook her head.
Seeing her quietly troubled, Sein wore a concerned expression.
“Miss, you have a date with Prince Feneus tomorrow, right?”
Lucia’s hands trembled slightly. Even though Sein noticed, he pretended not to.
“To think our cute Miss is personally embroidering a handkerchief… I wonder when Prince Feneus will realize your feelings?”
“…I wonder. When will he notice?”
Lucia let out a small laugh at Sein’s attempt to cheer her up.
“Even if Prince Feneus doesn’t accept your feelings, don’t worry too much. You are more lovely than anyone else.”
“Haha, are you trying to comfort me? I haven’t even been rejected yet.”
“I apologize if I overstepped. It’s just that you’ve seemed a little down lately…”
Lucia lightly tapped Sein’s shoulder.
“Sorry for worrying you. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, I suppose.”
Even as Lucia smiled brightly, Sein’s worried expression didn’t fade. In fact, the furrow in her brow deepened.
“Miss, if you try to carry everything alone, you’ll eventually become exhausted.”
Sein gently held Lucia’s hand.
“Sometimes sharing your burdens with others gives you strength. I’m always on your side. If anything becomes too much, you can always share it with me.”
Lucia kept smiling. Though Sein wished she would open up more, he sensed this wasn’t the right moment.
He patted her delicate hand lightly.
“It was just a word of advice. You can ignore it.”
“Yeah, but you said it for me, right? Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. Have you finished the embroidery? If you’re stuck, I can help.”
“No, it’s fine. Almost done. Look, isn’t it nice?”
Lucia showed the nearly completed handkerchief. She wasn’t clumsy with her hands, so the embroidery looked quite lovely.
“Prince Feneus better like it.”
“Herwin will like it too, I’m sure.”
Lucia carefully stroked Herwin’s initials.
After three days of work, the handkerchief was complete. Tomorrow was the big day.
Lucia finished the last stitch, silently wishing:
“Please, let my feelings reach him.”
Lucia paced anxiously in the same spot.
“Sein, I don’t look strange anywhere, do I?”
“Of course not. You look beautiful.”
“If I’d known, I would’ve bought more dresses… Is this dress really okay?”
“Yes, absolutely. It suits our lovely Miss perfectly.”
Sein tried to calm her worries, but Lucia remained tense.
‘Why am I so nervous?’
She was always cute and beautiful, but today she looked especially radiant.
She had risen early and mobilized all the maids. Her yellow dress suited her delicate figure, her brown hair was braided elegantly with little accents, and pearls gave her a graceful look. She had even done makeup, which was unusual for her.
‘Prince Feneus is going to fall for Miss today.’
If he didn’t notice, then the problem must be with Herwin, thought Sein.
“Miss, Prince Feneus has arrived.”
News of Herwin’s arrival came just then. Lucia stiffened, and Sein quickly grabbed her.
“Miss, you’ve forgotten the most important thing.”
Sein handed her a small gift box. Only then did Lucia snap out of her daze.
“Oh my, I can’t believe I almost forgot. Thank you, Sein.”
“No need to thank me. Miss, don’t be nervous. Everything will go well!”
Sein held her trembling hand firmly, calming her slightly. Lucia looked determined.
“I’ll be back.”
“Enjoy your time.”
With Sein’s encouragement, Lucia stepped forward. A carriage bearing the Feneus family crest waited in front of the Agnes estate.
As she approached, the door opened, and Herwin appeared.
“Good morning, Lucia.”
Lucia was momentarily flustered. He wasn’t in his usual uniform, but a neat suit.
He was usually inseparable from his sword, yet today he looked different, making her feel strangely excited.
“Why aren’t you in your uniform?”
Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked. Herwin scratched his head awkwardly.
“I was going to wear it, but…”
He stopped mid-sentence. Curious, Lucia prompted him.
“But?”
“Well… I suddenly wanted to wear something different today.”
“Is that so? How interesting.”
As expected, he hadn’t thought much. Still, she was happy that today might finally feel like a proper date.
Sitting across from her, Herwin secretly sighed.
“Young master! Don’t say anything unnecessary to Lady Agnes! And don’t tell her I suggested this outfit!”
Just before leaving, his servant Jerome had warned him. This suit was forced on him to prevent him from wearing his uniform.
Herwin glanced at Lucia. She seemed to be enjoying the scenery outside more than before.
‘As long as she’s happy, it doesn’t matter.’
“Do you want to do anything special today?”
“And you don’t mind being bossed around all day by me?”
Herwin teasingly asked, and Lucia playfully responded.
“Planning some grand mischief? I should be a little nervous, then.”
“Haha, if someone overheard, they’d think I’m tormenting you. I just want to enjoy some time together before you go back north and we won’t see each other for a while.”
“It’s been a long time just the two of us. We’ve always been with the others.”
Since attending the academy, they rarely had time alone. When they did, it was only brief chats, usually with at least three people around.
Today felt like returning to a time before the academy, which was nostalgic.
“Sir, we’re arriving at the main district. Where shall I take you?”
The coachman asked through the window. Herwin looked at Lucia, and she replied quickly.
“To the ‘Alaine’ restaurant, please.”
“Understood.”
The coach turned toward the restaurant.
“Starting with lunch?”
“It’s lunchtime. We need to eat before moving on. I already made a reservation.”
On the way, they chatted endlessly. Despite Lucia’s feelings for Herwin, their years together had left no awkwardness between them.
Finally, they arrived at the restaurant and were seated by the staff. Lucia had asked the maid familiar with the city to book a nice place, and it was perfect.
The restaurant seemed popular with couples, as most surrounding tables were occupied by pairs.
“The atmosphere is nice, and the food smells amazing. We should come again,” Herwin remarked.
Lucia wanted to ask if he would come with someone else later but held back.
“I’m glad you like it. It’s my first time too. I heard it’s become so popular that reservations may be hard later.”
“Really? Then I’m even more excited for the main course. What did you order?”
“The most popular dish. Most people order it, so it should be good.”
Soon the main dishes arrived. Upon seeing hers, Lucia froze for a moment.
The server explained the dishes, but she barely heard it.
“If you need anything, please call.”
The server left, and Herwin picked up his fork and knife. Just as he was about to cut into his steak, he noticed Lucia hadn’t moved.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Looks delicious, right?”
Lucia hurriedly started cutting, and Herwin watched her suspiciously.
Then he noticed something and grabbed her hand.
“Why?”
“Why? You can’t eat mushrooms.”
Herwin frowned. Each had a different dish: his steak had a wine reduction sauce, hers had a mushroom-flavored sauce.
The only difference was the sauce, but Lucia couldn’t eat mushrooms.
“Give it here. Let’s swap.”
“No, it’s fine. That would be rude…”
“Enough, quickly.”
Herwin’s firm tone left her no choice. They swapped plates. Herwin’s frown relaxed.
“…It’s not an allergy, you could eat it anyway.”
“It’s not just picky eating. Remember? Mushrooms make you nauseous. You suffered all day once you accidentally ate them.”
Indeed, after a bad experience in her childhood, even a small amount of mushrooms would upset her stomach all day.
Yet she didn’t expect him to swap plates. It was technically improper etiquette.
Herwin, however, seemed unbothered and started enjoying the food.
“What are you waiting for? Eat.”
“…Yes.”
Lucia blushed. A small gesture, yet his consideration reignited the tension she had tried to suppress.
Until dessert, she couldn’t meet his eyes properly, while Herwin chatted on unaware of her change.
Lucia felt grateful for his obliviousness.
