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chapter 32
The men nearby stole glances at Arista, who was leaning against the wall.
Arista was thinking about the children and Bianca she had seen earlier in the garden.
No matter how she thought about it, it was suspicious. What on earth were they plotting in the garden?
While she was lost in thought about them, a glass of non-alcoholic champagne suddenly appeared in front of her.
“Want a drink?”
“Ah….”
The one who handed it to her was none other than Lucas. The unexpected appearance startled Arista.
Lucas handed her the champagne and leaned casually against the wall beside her.
Arista stole glances at him as he sipped his champagne, but when their eyes met, she quickly turned away.
“Haha, you’re shy. Totally opposite of your brother, huh? He seemed pretty slick with people.”
“Ugh, please don’t compare me to that guy.”
“Did that offend you? Sorry if it did.”
“It’s not so much offense as… we’re basically enemies.”
With a pout, Arista glared at Ares, who was dancing with his partner across the hall.
Some people were whispering that Ares looked incredibly dashing, but to Arista, he was nothing more or less than her older brother, two years her senior.
When their eyes met, Arista shot him a glare full of curses, and Ares returned the same disgusted look.
“Are you getting along well with Lucia?”
“Huh?”
Startled, Arista tore her gaze away from Ares and turned to Lucas. His usual playful face was serious now, and she swallowed nervously.
“Of course! We’re getting along really well!”
“That’s good. Honestly, I’ve always worried about her. Lucia’s never really gotten along with other girls her age.”
“Lucia?”
“Yeah. Maybe because she was always with Herwin since they were little, she never really clicked with others. I worry the same thing’s happening here.”
Arista suddenly remembered the girls who used to whisper about Lucia.
They would badmouth her simply because she was close to Herwin.
“…Please look after her. She’s too kind for her own good. Even if something hurts her, she just smiles and tries to laugh it off. But inside, it’s different.”
His blue eyes—so much like Lucia’s—were filled with worry.
“Yes. I’ll make sure to look after her. She’s my precious friend.”
Lucas was surprised by her unexpectedly sincere answer, then gave a faint smile. It looked more genuine than his usual cheerful grin.
“I don’t usually talk about this, but I guess I said it because you seem dependable. Maybe it’s because you’re Ares’ sister?”
“You flatter me too much.”
Arista’s ears turned red as she waved her hands. Just then, something caught her eye.
‘…Herwin?’
Through a slightly parted curtain, she spotted Herwin entering the garden.
“But that’s… a restricted area.”
“Hm? What did you say?”
“Ah, nothing.”
Arista forced an awkward smile, but her mind was in chaos.
Why was Herwin going into the garden? Someone like him would normally turn away the moment he saw a “No Entry” sign…
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Seeing her face darken, Lucas asked worriedly.
“Well, actually—”
“Ladies and gentlemen! Are you enjoying the party?”
Before Arista could finish, a loud voice boomed through the hall. Turning her head, she saw one of the organizers speaking through a magic loudspeaker.
“We’ve prepared something special for tonight’s party: fireworks!”
Gasps and cheers rose from the hall.
“Our committee is setting up a grand display outside, so please wait just a moment.”
“Ooh, fireworks? That’s pretty big scale.”
“…Right.”
Apparently, the claim wasn’t a lie.
Bzzzt—
A strange crackling sound tickled their ears, and people began to murmur.
[ …I thought it would suit you, so I, I bought it. I haven’t given you a gift yet. ]
After the static came a familiar voice.
“Where’s that coming from?”
Lucas and Arista’s eyes widened.
“This is…!”
“That’s Lucia’s voice, isn’t it?”
The two froze, horrified. They searched for the source, but then—
[ I like you. ]
[ You’re always like this… ]
[ It’s not just an impulse! I may have confessed rashly before, but today, it’s different. ]
“Whose voice is that supposed to be?”
“It sounds familiar, but…”
People gasped at the sudden voice, then grew even noisier as they processed the words.
It was too passionate, too earnest a confession.
“Arista! Do you know where Lucia is?”
Ethan rushed over with Brian and Christine. They too had realized the voice belonged to Lucia.
“No, I don’t.”
“Who would pull such a vile prank…!”
“Forget that, we need to find her first, before this blows up even worse.”
“Someone planned this. Just the way the voice is playing—”
[ Since I was eight years old, not once have my feelings been false. I like you, Herwin. ]
The hall fell into stunned silence.
[ Please, go out with me. ]
“No way… Was that a confession to Lord Peneus?”
“Wait, who would… confess to him like that?”
At the mention of Herwin’s name, the hall exploded in murmurs again.
“Did she just say Herwin?”
“Lucia…!”
The students who overheard their friend’s confession were visibly shaken.
“Wait, we can’t just—”
Swish!
Before Arista could finish, the curtains beside her suddenly flew open—followed by others across the hall.
Her heart dropped.
Through the opened windows, everyone could see the gazebo clearly—where Lucia and Herwin stood side by side.
“No way…”
They, too, looked shocked, staring back at the hall with wide eyes.
Now that it was clear the voice belonged to Lucia, a wave of commotion swept the hall.
At first, there was surprise—then laughter. People mocked her confession openly.
Not many shouted, but the smirks and chuckles spread.
The louder the whispers grew, the darker Lucia and Herwin’s faces became.
Lucia in particular trembled, shoulders shaking. She staggered back a step, then saw something that made her eyes go hollow.
Arista noticed and followed her gaze.
She immediately understood who Lucia was looking at.
‘Bianca!’
Among the crowd, Bianca stood with her hands over her mouth, feigning shock—yet through the gap, a crooked smile curled at her lips.
The moment Arista saw that smile, her blood ran cold. Everything clicked.
Bianca had suggested renting the mansion for the party. The organizers had been scheming with her in the garden. And Herwin being lured outside.
All the suspicious pieces locked together like gears.
“Lucia!”
Lucas called urgently, but when Arista turned, she saw Lucia already fleeing the hall.
On the floor where she had stood was a crumpled gift box.
**
“What, she’s running away now?”
“Well, wouldn’t you? Embarrassing enough to confess in front of everyone like that.”
“Poor Lord Peneus. What a disaster to have this happen on his birthday.”
“She pretended to just be a friend all this time, but secretly had those creepy feelings? Gross.”
“Exactly. Always bragging under the pretense of being childhood friends. Guess that’s over now.”
“They say quiet cats climb the stove first—fits her perfectly.”
Everyone in the hall was gossiping about Lucia.
The ridicule and mockery alone made it hard to breathe.
But no one stopped. They were enjoying the cruelty.
“Herwin, are you okay?”
“Getting confessed to in front of everyone… it’s gonna be rough for a while.”
Some classmates approached, trying to comfort him as he stared at the discarded gift.
“Did you know Lady Agnes liked you all this time?”
“Hey, seriously? Is that what you’re asking now?”
Someone chuckled and asked the question others had been avoiding.
“Oh, come on. Aren’t you curious? Childhood friend in love since she was eight—it’s like a story out of a novel.”
“Well…”
“And it’s not like Lucia Agnes is bad-looking. She’s sweet too. If it were me, I’d be happy.”
His words sounded more mocking than genuine.
Herwin bent down silently and picked up the crushed gift box.
“…! It was you…!”
“What’s happening?”
“Who’s fighting?”
“Lady Lydia… and Lady Lawrence?”
“Yikes, the atmosphere’s tense.”
“Herwin, aren’t those two your friends?”
Only then did Herwin turn.
In the distance, Arista and Bianca were shouting at each other.
He stared at them for a moment, then looked away.
“Yes. They were.”
His gaze shifted to the bushes near the gazebo—where something metallic glinted between the leaves.
**
“Are you kidding me? You did this!”
“Kyaa! L-Lady Lydia…!”
“What are you doing? Let go of her, right now!”
Girls around them screamed and tried to pull Arista back.
At the moment, Arista had Bianca by the collar.
No one but Herwin could match her strength—she was the top of the swordsmanship department.
No matter how Bianca struggled, she couldn’t break free. She bit her lip hard and glared back fiercely.
Then she smirked crookedly.
“You really think you should be doing this in front of everyone, Lady Lydia?”
Bianca’s mocking smile swept across the stares of the crowd.
Most people would’ve recoiled under the weight of those eyes, but Arista only tightened her grip on Bianca’s collar even harder.
