Chapter 67
“At first, I even thought about abandoning everything and running away with Celine. But… Celine didn’t agree.”
‘Bern. This is as far as we go.’
‘No, Celine! We can just leave together! Then no one will ever get in our way again.’
Bern clung desperately to Celine, but she shook off his hands with a cold expression.
‘You want me to give up everything and follow you? Be serious.’
‘Celine…?’
‘He may be old, but Viscount Remario is rich. I’ll live comfortably without lacking anything. And I’ll finally be free from my father’s constant nagging about money. But if I run away with you… what do I get out of it?’
Her merciless attitude made Bern speechless.
‘…Don’t tell me, you approached me all this time because of my wealth and background?’
‘…Yes! That’s right! I approached you because of your status! You only realize it now? You’re unbelievably naive.’
The words were so shocking he even doubted whether she had ever genuinely cared for him when they first met without knowing each other’s identities.
Celine’s words shattered him, and he could no longer hold on to her.
And so, Celine married Viscount Remario.
“I heard she got married not long after we broke up. I couldn’t function. She… she was the one I loved enough to give up everything.”
Listening to him reminded Lucia of herself—of how she loved Herwin so blindly.
She felt sympathy for Bern.
“For a year, I lived like a dead man. I didn’t step outside the mansion, and I refused to meet any of the friends who came looking for me.”
“But now…”
Now, he walked around with a normal face, smiling brightly… and was even engaged—to her.
Bern caught the meaning in Lucia’s unfinished sentence and gave a bitter smile.
“I guess time heals a little. And then my father passed away so suddenly.”
“…Ah.”
“He was the one who opposed Celine most fiercely. I resented him for dying so suddenly, but… he was still my father. I couldn’t hate him entirely. At first, I thought of bringing Celine back after his death. But while I was suffering from heartbreak, she was already happily married to another man. That was when our connection truly ended.”
“But… you still love her, don’t you?”
“What? Ah—no. I shouldn’t…”
He flinched like he’d been caught, attempted to shake his head, but eventually pressed his lips together.
A warm sensation settled on his hand. Seeing her small hand over his made Bern lower his head.
“…Yes. You’re right.”
“Is that why you said I reminded you of her?”
“……….”
“Because both you and I love someone we cannot be with.”
“I’m truly sorry if that offended you. I chose you partly to… ease my own mind.”
Her guess was correct. He was projecting his own heartbreak onto her.
“But! That’s not the only reason I chose you! Lucia, you’re too good for me—kind and wonderful. That’s why… I thought you would make a good partner for my future.”
Bern stood abruptly, anxious, and faced her. Lucia gave him a faint smile.
“You don’t need to apologize. Maybe I’m the same as you.”
Only now did she understand why being with Bern felt comfortable—why she sensed a strange familiarity.
He was like a reflection of herself.
They carried the same pain.
Loved with the same intensity.
And stood in the same place—unable to be with the one they loved.
“Since you had the courage to tell me, I should tell you my story too.”
“You don’t need to. You don’t have to say—”
“No. I want to. I’d prefer you hear it from me.”
Bern, who had tried to refuse out of politeness, felt her sincerity and nodded.
“As you guessed, I’ve loved Herwin for a very long time. Unlike you, we never confirmed each other’s feelings, but I loved him so much I poured my whole heart into it.”
“……….”
“We grew up together, so I kept thinking… ‘If I wait a little longer, someday he’ll feel the same way. Someday he’ll notice my heart.’ But it was all just my wishful thinking. That day never came.”
“…I see.”
“The reason I agreed to meet you was because I confessed to Herwin one last time and… he didn’t return my feelings. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to love someone as intensely as I loved him. So I chose you as someone I could live with, even without love.”
Hearing that she felt the same, Bern gently took her hand. She felt the sincerity through his grip.
“I’m no different from you, Bern. Don’t feel pressured. In fact… knowing you feel that way actually eases my heart.”
She felt freed from the burden of love. Since both of them had someone else in their hearts, neither needed to demand love from the other.
Who knew what the future held, but for now, she could breathe.
“If you had wanted my love, I would have felt burdened. You feel the same, right?”
Bern nodded slowly.
“…Then maybe we should check something.”
“Check… something?”
“Yes.”
Lucia studied Bern’s neat, handsome face.
His features were strong, but his eyes were gentle. He looked intelligent—a handsome man in every sense.
If she hadn’t loved Herwin, she might have fallen for Bern.
But the very fact that she had to think about it meant she did not love him.
“Kiss me.”
Bern’s golden eyes behind his glasses trembled. He parted his lips in shock.
“…Did you say… kiss you?”
“Yes. If I feel even a little something toward you… I might eventually come to love you. And… won’t we have to grow closer someday anyway?”
“That’s true, but… is this your first kiss?”
“Yes.”
She had never dated anyone. This would be her first kiss.
She had dreamed of sharing it with the one she truly loved—but that was no longer possible.
“Are you sure you’re okay with me being your first?”
Bern was being considerate because he knew whom she loved. He wasn’t sure he deserved her first.
But Lucia had already made up her mind.
“Yes. If it’s not you, I don’t want it.”
Bern hesitated, then nodded.
“Then… excuse me.”
His large, cool hand cupped her left cheek. Bern leaned in slowly—carefully enough that she could push him away at any moment.
Lucia closed her eyes as he approached.
A soft warmth touched her lips. The unfamiliar sensation made her flinch slightly.
Neither noticed that someone else was watching them.
Feeling her tremble, Bern immediately pulled back.
“Are you alright?”
Lucia’s pale blue eyes turned to him. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck—
—and kissed him first.
Surprised, Bern soon followed her lead, moving gently so she wouldn’t be startled.
Their lips parted slightly, tongues brushing awkwardly. The foreign sensation was strange, almost forbidden—pleasant and yet unsettling.
And with her eyes closed, focusing only on the kiss…
…Herwin appeared in her mind.
Not Bern.
It felt as though she were kissing Herwin.
Their short but deep kiss ended, and they slowly pulled apart.
Lucia, flushed without realizing, exhaled shakily.
“…Lucia.”
But the voice she heard in her mind wasn’t the voice she heard when she opened her eyes.
It wasn’t Herwin standing before her.
It was Bern.
Though it had felt like she kissed Herwin, reality was cruelly different.
Lucia burst into tears.
“Hic….”
She wiped her tears helplessly, sobbing.
“I–I’m sorry… I’m so sor—”
“You don’t have to say anything.”
Bern had felt her emotions clearly through the kiss. He carefully embraced her.
“It’s okay, Lucia… it’s alright.”
“Uu… huu….”
His gentle patting broke whatever resistance she had left. Lucia wept in his arms, releasing everything she had held inside.
And in that moment, she realized with certainty—
She would never be able to forget Herwin.
The fact that she could not be with the man she loved felt unbearably pitiful.
“Lucia. I promise you—I will never be someone who makes you cry.”
The same was true for Bern. He too had thought of Celine while kissing Lucia.
He made a firm vow.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever grow to love you. But I will do everything I can to ensure your happiness.”
“I… I feel the same. Even if I can’t love you, I’ll do my best.”
For the first time, their hearts connected.
Both thought the same thing:
If they were to marry someday and continue their family line, they hoped their partner would be someone who understood them—someone like each other.
Even if it was a loveless marriage, they would still move toward happiness.
That was their shared resolve.
It was the moment two wounded people became each other’s comfort.
Lucia hugged Bern tightly as tears fell.
Lost in her emotions, Lucia never imagined that Herwin had seen everything.
Meanwhile…
Arista was searching for Herwin with her friends.
“Where in the world did he go?”
He’d been acting strange earlier—restless, only looking for Lucia. It was unfamiliar… and worrying. Maybe he had finally realized his own feelings too late.
“He should’ve treated her better while he had the chance.”
Arista clicked her tongue and scanned the area.
“He’s not here either…”
No matter how she searched, she couldn’t find a tall man with black hair.
“Maybe I should check over there.”
She remembered a space behind one of the pillars and approached.
She rounded the pillar without thinking, only to witness an indecent scene.
“S–Sorry…!”
A man and woman were entwined, sharing a heated kiss.
Blushing furiously, she tried to turn away—but froze when she recognized the man’s face.
“You’re….”
“…What?”
The man, irritated at being interrupted, turned his head and then stiffened when he saw Arista.
He immediately recognized her as Lady Lydia.
He panicked—because recently, Lady Lydia—
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