Chapter 31
“How did you get all the way here? I thought we had placed ‘No Entry’ signs along the way.”
Now that she looked closer, Arista noticed a pink flower pinned to the woman’s chest, similar to Bianca’s. She must be one of the party organizers.
Arista couldn’t exactly say, ‘I followed you and Bianca,’ so she fumbled for an excuse.
“I got lost on the way to the bathroom. I’m surprisingly terrible with directions.”
“Hmph… Even if you’re bad with directions, to get all the way here looking for the bathroom…”
Arista swallowed hard under the suspicious gaze.
“You must be really hopeless with directions, huh.”
Phew—
Relieved to have avoided further suspicion, Arista exhaled silently.
“In any case, you shouldn’t be here. Be careful next time.”
“Yeah, I’ll be careful.”
Arista obediently followed her as the woman offered to guide her to the bathroom. She glanced back as she walked.
The shadows of the few people she had seen earlier in the dark bushes had disappeared.
It looked as if they had fled to avoid being discovered. Arista narrowed her eyes.
“What were your friends doing over there, anyway?”
The woman walking ahead paused.
“We’re planning to light fireworks shortly to celebrate the birthday. They’re probably preparing for that.”
“Ah…”
“Curiosity satisfied?”
Arista couldn’t respond, so the woman continued walking.
Maybe I overthought it, Arista thought, though an uneasy feeling still tickled the back of her neck. She had no choice but to follow.
After dancing the first, dreamlike dance with Herwin, Lucia danced once more with Lucas and Ethan, and once with Brian.
After four dances, she began to feel slightly exhausted.
Politely declining further invitations to dance, she moved toward the corner of the party.
Her friends were either dancing with new partners or chatting happily with others.
Herwin, meanwhile, was dancing with Christine in the distance.
Lucia remembered his promise not to dance more than three times and chuckled softly to herself.
“Lucia…”
She heard her name called with a small clicking of the tongue.
“Lucia, over here, over here.”
Bianca was waving at her from the hall entrance. Lucia hurried to her side.
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Are you going to confess today?”
The question came so abruptly that Lucia could barely open her mouth.
“Hurry and tell me. Then I’ll decide what to do.”
Bianca anxiously tapped her foot, checking her watch. Lucia hadn’t given Bianca a definite answer since the brief house visit a week ago.
In truth, she hadn’t intended to confess until now. She had promised herself she wouldn’t…
But somehow, today feels right.
She had been Herwin’s first dance partner, received compliments on her appearance, and even saw his gentle smile.
Everything today seemed aligned just for her. Would Herwin accept her confession?
“Lucia, are you going to do it or not? Decide quickly.”
Prompted again, Lucia finally spoke.
“I will. I’m confessing.”
Bianca’s face lit up. She stomped her feet in excitement, then looked around to see if anyone else could hear.
“Good choice. I knew it—I prepared the perfect spot.”
Following Bianca’s lead, Lucia arrived at the garden they had seen before.
“Here we are. How do you like it?”
A white gazebo stood decorated with flowers and lights. It looked much more beautiful than before.
“…It’s so pretty.”
“Right? I worked hard on this, so it has to be a success, okay?”
“Why are you going to all this trouble…?”
Bianca hesitated at the question, glancing back to see Lucia’s nose red from emotion.
“I haven’t done much for you… This feels too much.”
Bianca smiled softly after a moment’s pause.
“No special reason. I just hope things go well between you and Herwin.”
“Bianca…”
Bianca hugged Lucia tightly, patting her back gently.
“I sincerely wish this will be the best day ever.”
A bright smile spread across Bianca’s face.
“Haah…”
Herwin let out a deep sigh. He had resolved not to dance anymore after Christine, but no one would leave him alone.
So he ran away. Yet the lingering scents of perfume and cosmetics remained mixed in the air.
As his head began to throb, he frowned and retreated to a more secluded spot.
“When will this ever end?”
Bianca had said it would take at least three hours… Checking the time, it was 9 PM. An hour still remained, and Herwin groaned.
“…Maybe I should just run away?”
The rest of the event seemed capable of continuing without him. Did he really need to stay?
As he seriously considered escaping, the dark surroundings suddenly lit up brightly.
Thinking he had been discovered, Herwin turned his head and saw a familiar face.
“What… It’s you?”
“Where did you go? I found you here.”
It was Bianca. Relieved, Herwin scanned the area.
“If you don’t have anything to do, can you leave? I might get caught by someone else.”
“You were hiding to avoid people?”
Herwin nodded slightly, and Bianca laughed softly.
“Haha, sorry, sorry. It’s just so different from your usual image.”
Wiping tears from her eyes for a moment, Bianca smiled again.
“If you really want to avoid everyone, I can take you somewhere else.”
“…Somewhere else?”
“Yes. I’ll take you somewhere no one can come. There’s only one place that blocks all entrance.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Herwin nodded as the footsteps of approaching people grew closer.
“Where is it?”
Lucia couldn’t calm herself.
With every passing second, her heart raced and tension steadily grew.
Her lips trembled, and her hands were damp. Why was she so nervous, even though this wasn’t her first confession?
“…It’s okay. It’ll be fine.”
Rustle—
Hearing a sound behind her, Lucia opened her eyes wide.
Turning quickly, she saw the person she had been waiting for.
“Oh? Lucia.”
“Herwin…”
“Wait, did you come here to avoid people too?”
Scanning the surroundings, Herwin approached her directly.
Lucia hesitated at the sight of his tired face but refused to waste such a perfect day.
As Herwin loosened the buttons of his neatly buttoned shirt and ruffled his hair, Lucia carefully stepped forward.
“Herwin.”
“Hm?”
With his hair slightly disheveled, a small gift box appeared before him.
Herwin paused, surprised, then looked at Lucia holding the gift out.
Lucia’s beautifully decorated face had turned bright red.
“This is…”
“I saw it on the street the other day and thought it would suit you, so I bought it. I haven’t given it to you yet.”
Lucia lifted her head from a bow and spoke.
“I like you.”
Startled, Herwin stiffened his face.
“You… even now…”
“This isn’t a spur-of-the-moment thing!”
Seeing him try to brush it off, Lucia hurriedly added:
“I’ve confessed before because I couldn’t control my feelings, but not today.”
Despite trembling, her expression was determined and serious.
“From when I was eight until now, I’ve never once been anything but sincere with you. I like you, Herwin.”
She lowered her head again and extended the gift.
“Please be with me.”
Herwin froze, captivated.
His childhood friend had confessed again today—but this time it was different. It wasn’t a joke or a careless outburst.
It was a serious confession, the first of its kind.
His heart thudded.
Though the night sky was dark, the scattered lights revealed Lucia’s face.
Her tightly closed eyelashes trembled, lips pressed together, and her hands holding out the gift shook.
Herwin carefully reached out to take the gift.
“I…”
Just as he began to speak, a sudden bright light poured over them.
Herwin instinctively squinted; so did Lucia.
Turning toward the light, Herwin’s heart sank.
“Ha… what? You two were already like that?”
“Good heavens, pretending otherwise, but doing this behind our backs?”
“And it’s not just once, apparently. She’s liked you since age eight.”
The light came from the hall filled with people.
The hall connected to the garden through a large glass door. All the windows had curtains before, blocking the view.
But now, as if by some plan, all curtains were drawn back, revealing the garden clearly, and the gazebo where Herwin and Lucia stood.
Everyone in the hall was looking at the garden.
“Pfft, hahaha! Even if you’re childhood friends, you should know your limits. Confessing to Prince Feneus? How inappropriate!”
One person’s laughter spread, and soon everyone mocked Lucia’s confession as if watching a comedy.
Herwin immediately sensed that this situation had been orchestrated.
“W-What is this…?”
Lucia looked in horror at the people in the hall.
“I knew it the moment you didn’t introduce me to Prince Feneus!”
“You seemed so innocent and pure, but you’re sly after all.”
“I feel sorry for Prince Feneus. Being childhood friends, he probably couldn’t reject you easily, no matter how much he disliked it.”
“Who knows? Maybe she’s confessed all along just to target the Feneus family…”
Even from a distance, their cruel, mocking speculation and sneers were painfully clear.
“I-I…”
Lucia trembled, stepping backward. Her blue eyes dimmed, sinking into despair.
Herwin instinctively reached for her.
“Lucia, you…”
Hearing Herwin’s voice echo, she turned sharply.
Meeting his eyes, she twisted her face in anguish. Then, barely audible over the laughter and mockery, she whispered:
I’m sorry…
Tears fell from her blue eyes, and the gift in her hand slipped to the ground.
“Lucia!”
Someone shouted her name with all their strength, but she had already fled.
