Chapter 18
‘If it’s Bianca, it should be fine…’
She had only known Bianca for barely a month, but the girl she’d come to know wasn’t the type to spread someone else’s secret.
In the end, Lucia decided to trust Bianca and finally opened her mouth.
“…Sorry for keeping it from you. The truth is, I like Herwin.”
Gasp—
A sharp intake of breath followed.
Well, of course. Bianca must have thought they were just childhood friends, and now she’d learned that one side had been secretly in love with the other.
“Surprised?”
“Huh? Uh… yeah. Honestly, I’m really surprised. You never showed even a hint of that.”
“I tried hard not to get caught.”
Bianca fell silent for a moment. She seemed to have plenty to say, but clearly didn’t know how to start.
Watching her lips move as if to speak, Lucia let out a small, helpless laugh.
“You must have a lot of questions. Ask anything you’re curious about.”
“Really? What if it’s something you’re uncomfortable with…”
“It’s fine if it’s you. And now that you’ve found out, I can’t exactly hide it. You’re not going to tell anyone else, right?”
“Ugh, why would I tell anyone!”
Bianca waved her hands frantically and even vowed she’d never breathe a word.
When Lucia gestured for her to go ahead and ask, Bianca finally spoke.
“Why did you keep it a secret all this time? Even today, so many girls were asking you to introduce them to Herwin. If they knew you liked him, they wouldn’t have asked.”
“Well… there’s no benefit to anyone else knowing. You know how people gossip about me and Herwin. They already talk too much as it is—imagine what they’d say if they knew I was in love with him.”
“Ah… true.”
“I just like Herwin. But I hate when people judge or belittle me for that reason alone. That’s part of why I kept it quiet. And… because of a promise I made with Herwin.”
“A promise?”
Lucia hesitated, unsure how much to reveal.
“Bianca, can you make me a promise first?”
“Yeah, what is it?”
“Promise that you’ll never repeat what I’m about to say to anyone.”
“I already said I wouldn’t…”
Bianca began lightly, but stopped when she saw Lucia’s serious expression.
“…Okay. I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”
Her green eyes carried a weight of sincerity, and Lucia finally felt at ease.
Then she told her story.
That she had loved Herwin since she was eight and was now sixteen.
That she had confessed nearly sixty times and been turned down every time.
That, separate from her one-sided love, they’d promised to stay close friends.
She left out private details like Herwin’s personal traumas.
After listening for almost an hour, Bianca nodded with a serious look.
“So that’s how it is. Haha… weird, right?”
“Yeah. Very weird,” Bianca said matter-of-factly.
“How can you do that? You’ve liked him for eight years, yet you hide it and stay friends. It’s amazing.”
“Is it? I’ve been doing it so long that acting normal as a friend versus confessing just feels… different.”
“Still, if one person is secretly in love, the friendship usually gets awkward. But you’ve stayed close all this time?”
“That’s thanks to Herwin. No matter how much I want to stay friends, it would fall apart if he pulled away. I’m grateful he treats me the same even after I confess.”
“…But doesn’t it hurt? Being rejected sixty times? I’d be annoyed—oh, sorry. But seriously, never once saying yes must sting.”
“I’d be lying if I said it never hurts, but it’s okay. Better than him forcing himself.”
“Huh? Even if he doesn’t like you right away, wouldn’t it be better if he at least tried dating you? He might grow to like you.”
“…But that also means he might never love me at all. If he doesn’t feel the same, it’s no good. And it’s not like he takes my confessions lightly—he always answers sincerely.”
“How can you be sure he’s sincere?”
“It’s just… a feeling. Sure, he sometimes gets annoyed since I confess so often, but he never disrespects me.”
“You two must really trust each other,” Bianca said in awe.
Lucia, lost in thought, suddenly snapped back.
“Was that too heavy? Sorry. It’s my first time telling anyone this.”
“It’s fine. Refreshing, actually. You seem like someone with no secrets, but I always sensed you were hiding something.”
“Was I…?”
“Yeah. That’s why people approach you but never treat you carelessly. You have this… untouchable aura.”
“Come on. Don’t exaggerate.”
“No, really. That’s what drew me to you, you know?”
“…Really?”
Lucia felt awkward. Aura? She had no idea what Bianca meant.
“But what if Herwin falls for someone else someday?”
“…Hmm, I don’t know. He’s never dated anyone or shown interest in anyone.”
“Still, the day will come.”
Though they laughed it off, Bianca’s serious tone lingered.
‘When that happens, what will I do?’
Lucia truly didn’t know. She’d never faced it. If he liked someone else…
“I’d probably just stay quiet.”
“What? You should totally interfere!”
Lucia shook her head.
“No. He’d hate that. I’d just stay by his side like always and keep confessing.”
“…You really are something.”
Lucia gave a sheepish smile as Bianca let out an ambiguous sigh.
“Well, it’s your life. Who am I to tell you what to do?”
Bianca got up from where she’d been perched on the windowsill.
“If you ever want to talk about Herwin, just say so. You’ll need someone to share it with sometimes.”
“Ah…”
“And don’t worry—I’ll never tell a soul.”
Bianca’s warm consideration brought a natural smile to Lucia’s face.
“Thanks. I will.”
“Come on, let’s head back. Lights out soon.”
After parting with Bianca, Lucia lay on her bed.
She felt strangely lighter.
Who knew simply sharing her feelings with someone could feel so comforting?
She was glad it had been Bianca who found out, and drifted off to sleep.
From that day on, having confided in Bianca, Lucia grew closer to her.
They shared more, and Bianca actively supported Lucia’s love, even occasionally fending off girls who tried to approach Herwin.
Sometimes Bianca’s protectiveness felt a bit much, but aside from that, she was a precious friend who knew her secret.
“These days Lady Lydia seems suspicious.”
“Huh? How?”
While Christine had stepped out, Bianca, now alone with Lucia, scowled at Arista in the distance.
Lucia blinked at the sudden comment.
“What do you mean?”
Bianca tapped her chest in frustration and pointed. Nearby, Arista was chatting with Herwin, Ethan, Brian, and a few other boys.
A typical sight during swordsmanship class.
“They’re just talking.”
“Not just talking—look closely, she keeps touching Herwin.”
Sure enough, Arista laughed loudly, giving playful taps to Herwin and the others.
“I’ve noticed before—Lady Lydia definitely likes Herwin.”
“Oh, come on.”
“Seriously? You like him and you don’t see that? She’s obviously interested—that’s why she’s so touchy!”
Bianca lowered her voice but spoke with conviction, making Lucia waver a little.
She watched more carefully but still couldn’t see what Bianca meant.
If someone liked Herwin, she would know.
The intentions of girls who secretly admired him were always obvious to her.
Arista seemed to be joking around equally with all the boys, not just Herwin.
“No, she’s just being friendly. Look—she’s teasing Ethan and Brian too.”
“Ugh, you’re hopeless. Fine, think what you want. But aren’t you even a little worried? Lady Lydia is popular with everyone! What if Herwin likes her?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure.”
Lucia’s lukewarm reply made Bianca gape.
“Not sure? That’s your answer?”
“It’s not worth getting upset over. I just can’t picture Herwin liking anyone.”
“…You do like him, right?”
“Of course. But Herwin’s not the type to suddenly fall for someone. I just can’t imagine it.”
Bianca was momentarily speechless, unsure whether Lucia was being calm or naive.
“Ugh, forget it.”
“…Are you mad?”
“I’m not mad! Why would I be?”
“You sound mad.”
When Lucia teasingly grabbed Bianca’s arm and acted cute, Bianca pouted.
She glared briefly before pinching Lucia’s slender shoulder.
“You think a little cuteness will get you off the hook?”
“Ow! That hurts!”
Despite the complaint, Lucia’s face was bright.
While they played around, Christine returned and swordsmanship class ended.
“Wow, a practical exam next week already.”
“They said we’ll change locations. Where will it be?”
“Upperclassmen say it’ll be in the hills. The mission’s to reach a target point and come back.”
Herwin’s group joined them, discussing the sudden assessment.
“A practical exam? What’s going on?”
“Yeah, they suddenly scheduled an emergency test for next week.”
“Probably to set midterm rankings. It’s already May—time for a checkpoint.”
Brian and Ethan explained kindly.
Swordsmanship relied heavily on practice, so sometimes they spent half or even a full day training elsewhere.
This seemed to be another of those occasions.
“Think the rankings will change?”
At Ethan’s question, Herwin replied,
“Jeremy’s improved a lot lately. I bet his scores will rise.”
“Hm, I’m fine with staying middle of the pack,” Brian said, clearly uninterested.
“You don’t even like swords. Why are you taking this class?”
“I didn’t want to. But what can I do? My father insisted.”
Leaving the sighing Brian behind, Herwin approached.
“Lucia, where’s my jacket?”
“Oh, I borrowed it for a bit because it was chilly. Here.”
Before class, Herwin had asked Lucia to hold his blazer.
Even though it was early May, the weather was still brisk, and Lucia had draped it over her shoulders.
As she hurried to return it, Herwin waved her off.
“Keep it on. Can I have some water?”
“Sure, I filled a bottle earlier.”
Taking the bottle from Lucia, Herwin drank deeply.
The scene of the two of them together looked almost like a married couple of ten years, and their friends couldn’t help but stare.
