101CF 65

Chapter 65

“Hahaha! See, I told you!”

“Oh my, Youngsik, you’re quite mischievous, aren’t you?”

Brian, who was looking for friends who would have attended the party, suddenly found himself very close to a beautiful woman he had just met.

Seeing her laugh every time he spoke, Brian smiled deeply.

“Um, if you don’t already have someone you’re with… would you like to go with me…?”

It was obvious what the shy, blushing woman would say. Brian, who had been waiting to ask her out, soon noticed her complexion gradually turning pale.

“L-Let’s go together some other time… then, I’ll be going now…!”

“Ah! Wait a moment!”

Did she see a ghost? The atmosphere had seemed fine.

Watching the woman flee in a hurry, Brian tilted his head in confusion.

“Is something behind me?”

Turning around, Brian came face-to-face with Herwin, who was standing there without a sound.

“Ah! You startled me! Hey, when did you get here?”

“…Just now.”

Brian, still holding his pounding heart, glared at Herwin. He looked weary, with a gloomy expression.

At first, Brian thought he might be angry, but after years of knowing him, Brian realized that Herwin was depressed.

‘He was like this last time too.’

Even when Brian went to hand him Christine’s invitation, Herwin hadn’t looked much different.

‘Did something happen to you?’

‘No…’

‘Then why the long face? Did someone reject you?’

Brian’s attempt to lighten the mood only made Herwin frown further and clench his mouth shut.

Something had clearly happened to Herwin, but Brian had no way of knowing what, which frustrated him.

He had come hoping to talk to Herwin even a little, but it was clear he wasn’t in the mood. In the end, Brian simply handed him Christine’s invitation after finishing his business.

‘Christine’s throwing a party this time. Lucia and the others are all going, so you’ll come too, right?’

‘…Lucia’s going?’

For the first time, Herwin responded to something Brian said. The lifeless red in his eyes seemed to gain some sparkle, leaving Brian puzzled.

‘Yes. She’s attending with Marquis Casper.’

Mentioning Marquis Casper, Herwin frowned slightly.

‘…Then I’ll go too.’

Although his hands accepted the invitation calmly, his eyes burned with intensity.

Brian watched Herwin glance around, noting:

‘His face looks a bit livelier than before.’

He had been so weak before, but now seemed somewhat rejuvenated. The dark look remained, however.

“Oh! Herwin, Brian! So you’re here?”

“Ethan! And Arista too?”

Hearing Ethan’s voice, they turned to see him approaching with Arista.

“We met at the entrance by chance. Seeing this many people, it seems Christine put a lot of effort into it.”

“This is Christine’s first venture, after all. She must have prepared extensively. Looks like people are really interested in her business too.”

It was natural, considering it was the first business project by the only daughter of the Diores family, who led the recipients’ group.

“Everyone! Thank you for coming!”

Christine approached with a lively voice, beautifully dressed as the party host.

Her glassy, orb-like eyes, usually hidden under her eyelids, were visible now, and she held a lush bouquet of flowers, making her look almost fairy-like.

“Wow, Christine! You look stunning!”

“Wow, I hardly recognize you! So beautiful, the men must be going crazy, huh?”

“Oh, not that much.”

Blushing at the compliments from Arista and Ethan, Christine looked shy but pleased.

At that moment, her gaze fell on Brian. She expected him to say something embarrassing first, but he said nothing. Instead, his golden eyes pierced her gaze, and she scratched her cheek nervously.

“Is something wrong…?”

“Huh? Ah, no, it’s not that…”

Brian, usually composed, fumbled awkwardly.

“C-cough. Y-You look… beautiful…”

Ethan and Arista laughed at Brian’s unfamiliar, almost childlike reaction to a woman.

“Hahaha! What kind of reaction is that?”

“Christine, you really must be pretty. Even Brian, the fearless, is shy! We have to preserve this moment forever.”

“Shut up! Who said I’m shy!”

Even Brian’s quiet warning couldn’t stop their laughter.

Christine looked at Brian blankly. His earlobes were slightly red. Seeing this new reaction from someone who always teased her, she hummed quietly to herself.

Meanwhile, Herwin’s mind was elsewhere, regardless of the noise around him. Christine noticed and asked:

“Are you looking for someone?”

“I was wondering if Lucia has arrived.”

“She has.”

Herwin paused and looked at Christine.

“They were just greeting each other, Lucia and Marquis Casper.”

“They were together?”

“Yes. They were there… oh, she’s gone?”

Christine pointed to where she had met Lucia, but the young woman had disappeared in minutes.

“She must have gone elsewhere. Looks like she was greeting people with Marquis Casper.”

“I see. Thanks. I’ll go find her.”

After a brief thank-you, Herwin hurried toward the place where Lucia had been.

Watching his back, Christine tilted her head and touched her face.

“How strange.”

“What is?”

“Herwin… doesn’t he seem… urgent? Did something happen with Lucia?”

“Ah…”

Arista, knowing the situation between Lucia and Herwin, let out a small sigh. They had even given them space before. Could it still be unresolved?

“No, it’s probably nothing.”

Brian then said:

“Huh?”

“A man in love sees nothing else.”

He looked at Christine meaningfully, though she didn’t understand what he meant. Brian then smirked at Herwin.

Herwin arrived at the spot Christine had indicated. Using his height to look around, he couldn’t find Lucia anywhere.

“…Where on earth did she go?”

He didn’t fully understand why he was searching for her—he just felt he needed to talk to her.

It wasn’t until Henry asked if he would just let Lucia’s engagement slide that Herwin admitted his inner turmoil.

‘I… like Lucia…’

He realized he didn’t just see her as a friend.

Yet, even acknowledging that, he couldn’t understand the full extent of his feelings.

If he loved her, what about his previous feelings for Arista? Did he love her like Lucia did, giving everything?

Questions with no answers remained. Still, his body and mind were already drawn to Lucia.

When meeting Arista, his gaze never lingered on her—he searched desperately only for Lucia.

Feeling the balance of his heart tipping, Herwin moved around, searching for her.

‘I want to see her.’

He needed to talk to her, to untangle the complex emotions entwined inside him.

Having looked through the hall without finding her, Herwin turned his eyes outside.

“Did she go to the garden?”

She wouldn’t have gone home yet; the only remaining place was outdoors. He hurried to the garden.

The garden was relatively empty since the party had just begun. Walking quickly, Herwin soon headed toward the fountain.

Suddenly—thud!

A woman coming from the opposite direction bumped shoulders with him.

“Ah, s-sorry…”

She had freckles around her nose and an impressionable face, but her expression was filled with despair, tears streaming down.

For a moment, Herwin was flustered, then the woman hurried past him.

Turning back, he finally saw Lucia.

“Lucia…”

His moment of joy froze when he saw the scene before him.

Sitting on the fountain’s edge, Lucia received a kiss from Bern, who bowed toward her. She embraced his neck, accepting him silently.

Her chest sank, her vision blurred.

‘Why… am I feeling this way?’

They were about to be engaged; a kiss like that was expected. Later, they would even have children. But why…

‘It feels like there’s a hole in my chest.’

He wanted to run away immediately, to separate Bern from Lucia. Not Bern—he should be the one with her…

Gasping, Herwin recalled what he had imagined earlier.

‘Do I… like Lucia…?’

He felt intensely that he should be the one kissing her, not Bern.

Even when he thought he liked Arista, he hadn’t considered physical closeness.

His stomach churned. Clenching his face, he stepped closer to the kissing pair.

Finally, their kiss ended. They looked at each other, and Lucia began to cry. Bern carefully embraced her.

“It’s okay, Lucia… it’s okay.”

Seeing her comforted by someone else, Herwin froze.

He was furious that he wasn’t the one she leaned on, but even if he were there, he couldn’t be sure she would rely on him.

‘Since when has it been like this?’

At some point, Lucia had stopped confiding in him or depending on him. She never wanted to show her tears in front of him.

‘Please, don’t make me miserable anymore…’

The last time she cried, she had confessed to him one final time.

He couldn’t comfort her; she had rejected him. Could he even deserve to stand beside her now, when he couldn’t be her support?

There was no place for him between them.

The light in his red eyes gradually dimmed.

Soon, only the marks in the grass remained where he had stood.