Chapter 86
While Lucia was staring at the cloth in dismay, Herwin quickly bent down and picked it up.
“Sorry. I used a ribbon since there was nothing else to tie it with.”
Apparently, the ribbon he had just used to subdue the thief was the same one used to tie this box.
“Fortunately, it didn’t get too dirty.”
He shook off the dust on the cloth and folded it neatly. Then, Herwin felt a sudden sense of déjà vu.
“This… is the kind of cloth used for handkerchiefs, isn’t it?”
One of them was a color he hadn’t seen before, but the other was extremely familiar. Indeed, he even had a handkerchief made from this very cloth in his pocket right now.
“Are you planning to make a handkerchief?”
Herwin couldn’t help but feel a surge of anticipation. He had only ever seen her give handkerchiefs to him or her family.
Lucia hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
“Who are you giving it to?”
“…Bern.”
Herwin’s excitement deflated in an instant. For a moment, he couldn’t hide his expression, and the corners of his mouth turned down.
“It’s almost the summer festival. I’ll give it during the hunting festival.”
“…You mean to the marquis, right?”
Anyone could tell from Herwin’s tone how sharp it was. Lucia, like someone caught sneaking, couldn’t meet his eyes and looked down.
A heavy sigh fell over her head as she fidgeted.
“Then make one for me too.”
Her words came out a little stubbornly. Surprised, Lucia looked up.
Herwin pouted with a sulky expression.
“You too?”
“Yeah, make one for me too.”
“…Why me?”
Herwin’s eyebrows twitched. Lucia had no obligation to make him a handkerchief, yet she wanted one anyway.
“I helped you catch the thief. Consider it compensation—make me one too.”
“That’s absurd. And do you even know what it means for a woman to give a handkerchief at the hunting festival?”
Giving a handkerchief to a man going hunting carries a meaning of wishing him well, but it’s usually only given to a lover or family member.
Even if it’s not a lover, giving it to a stranger only happens if the woman has interest in the man.
But a woman with a fiancé giving a handkerchief to another man? That’s clearly inappropriate.
Herwin surely knew that.
“I know. That’s why I want you to make one for me too.”
“Herwin—”
“I’m expecting you to make it for me.”
“W-Wait a minute.”
Without waiting for Lucia’s reply, Herwin turned and began gathering her things.
No matter how much Lucia shouted behind him that she wouldn’t do it, Herwin didn’t even acknowledge her.
The scuffle continued until she got into the carriage.
“Herwin! I clearly said I won’t make it!”
“Yeah, I’ll make it pretty. Got it.”
“Really! Are you seriously going to do that?!”
Lucia finally snapped in frustration at the endless back-and-forth. Herwin’s face hardened. Halfway up the carriage steps, he leaned close to her.
“I will never let you give a handkerchief to another man instead of me.”
Feeling the pressure so close to her face, Lucia swallowed hard. After glaring at her for a while, Herwin’s expression softened, and he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek.
Lucia clasped her cheek, letting out a silent scream.
“Take care. See you later.”
Only after Herwin closed the door did the carriage start moving. When Lucia hurriedly looked back, Herwin grinned cheekily and waved.
Once the carriage was fully gone, Herwin’s face turned cold and serious.
“Summer festival, huh…”
It hadn’t occurred to him, but summer was approaching. He usually didn’t attend such events, but this time, he was determined to go.
“He didn’t seem like the type to use his strength.”
Thinking of Bern, Herwin laughed as if amused. He planned to make a show during the hunting festival by presenting his hunting trophies to Lucia, putting Bern in his place.
In high spirits from the thought of overshadowing Bern, Herwin hummed happily.
“Really! Sein, do you think this makes sense? What on earth is Herwin thinking?”
“Yes, it’s ridiculous.”
“Hmph, I’ll tell you. Sein, don’t ever make Herwin a handkerchief either.”
As soon as she returned to the mansion, Lucia stomped over to Sein and vented about what had happened today.
Sein, thinking it best to let her rant while tidying the things she had bought, casually went along with her story.
He didn’t notice how upset Lucia was acting.
“Are you going to start embroidering right away?”
“No matter how I think about it, Herwin is weird. What’s his intention in going to such lengths to get my handkerchief?”
Still lost in her own world, Lucia muttered to herself. Sein naturally arranged the space so she could embroider comfortably.
Lucia muttered as she drew patterns on the cloth with chalk, following Sein’s guidance.
“You’re still using the one I gave you last time, so why do you need another?”
“Perhaps the lady’s love is hungry,” Sein replied with a hint of amusement at her continued complaints.
Lucia froze, her face turning as red as a tomato.
“Isn’t that the answer you wanted?”
“T-That’s not it!”
“Really? To me, it sounded like you wanted to tell me that Lord Feneus likes you.”
“Sein, are you joking?”
“If it sounds like a joke, think of it that way.”
Lucia puffed her cheeks in frustration, feeling misunderstood, though Sein could clearly see her ears turning red.
“Sein, you’ve been so cold to me lately. You used to listen to me…”
“That only happened once or twice. And now, you’re throwing a tantrum.”
“When did I?”
“Now.”
“…Fine. I’m not talking to you.”
Realizing she couldn’t win against Sein, Lucia sulked, picking up a needle with her pouty lips. As she was about to embroider, Sein’s hand appeared unexpectedly.
“What? Got something to say to me?”
Lucia grumbled, but Sein’s expression was unusual—somewhere between disbelief and mischief.
“I think you should fix this before sewing.”
“Huh? What?”
Following Sein’s gesture, Lucia looked at the chalked cloth. She realized what she had done.
“T-This is…!”
“It’s funny how you said you wouldn’t make Lord Feneus a handkerchief, yet…”
The design on the cloth was the Feneus family crest, with Herwin’s initials at the edge.
Her hands had moved instinctively. As she hurried to explain, she met Sein’s unamused gaze.
“You really are something, my lady.”
Embarrassed, Lucia focused on erasing the chalk marks rather than speaking.
“Just go ahead and make Lord Feneus’s handkerchief too.”
“Sein!”
“From what I can tell, you haven’t completely forgotten about Lord Feneus.”
“B-But I’m already engaged! I can’t do that.”
“But didn’t you say he confessed last time? And something happened with him today, too, didn’t it?”
“Well…”
Lucia hesitated, unable to finish her thought. She usually didn’t share her personal affairs, but Sein knew from the servants’ gossip that Herwin had already confessed to her.
Sein could see that she still had lingering feelings for Herwin. She had been trying to sort her emotions, but Herwin’s confession had shaken her.
“You’re only engaged. You haven’t married yet. There’s still room to break off an engagement.”
“….”
“If you continue your engagement while still wavering for Lord Feneus, it might be better for both you and the Marquis of Casper to break it off.”
“But I was the one who proposed the engagement…”
“Forcing an engagement out of guilt while your heart belongs to someone else may hurt the other person more.”
Lucia fell silent, realizing what he meant. But, as she knew, things weren’t that simple. Multiple interests were involved, so breaking the engagement wasn’t easy.
“I’ll handle it. Give me the chalk.”
Lucia took the chalk from Sein and looked at the cloth. The green fabric was dulled and crumpled by her rubbing, mirroring the turmoil in her heart.
In Ares’s office.
While Arista was helping Ares with his busy work, a shadow fell across her.
“Arista.”
“Huh? Brother, what is it?”
The one approaching was Lucas, smiling cheerfully as he handed her something.
It was a cake from the most famous bakery in the capital. Arista accepted it with a puzzled expression.
“You got this for me?”
“Yeah, you listened to my story before. This is a thank-you. You like cheesecake, right?”
“I do, but…”
Although pleased, Arista smiled awkwardly. Lucas had been giving her gifts constantly since she helped him with his concerns a week ago.
“What about the cookies you gave me yesterday? I haven’t even finished them…”
Though initially happy to receive them, the continual small gifts were becoming a burden.
“Oh, really? Well, you should eat it. Or, since it’s break time, should we have it with tea?”
Checking the time, it was perfect for tea. As Arista got up, Lucas followed closely.
Someone had been observing their strange interactions—Ares.
“Lucas, did you do something wrong to her?”
Ares frowned as if witnessing something bizarre.
Lucas stiffened, glaring at Ares.
“What did I do?”
“You’ve been circling Arista like a dog starved for attention for days. Did something happen behind my back?”
“Well… the last time she listened to me, that’s it. Right?”
Arista, flustered, stammered. Lucas, facing Ares, suddenly smiled warmly at her.
“Yeah, Arista really helped me last time. Thanks to her, I reconciled with my parents and Lucia.”
Though meant as a simple thank-you, Arista felt special. She quickly unwrapped the cake to hide her blush.
“Wow, this looks delicious. Let’s eat.”
“Wait, I’ll bring the tea.”
Watching Arista redirect the conversation and Lucas go cheerfully for tea, Ares tilted his head.
“This is strange…”
“What’s strange? Come on. Otherwise, Lucas and I will eat it all.”
Ares pouted.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Lucas calls you ‘brother,’ but I’m just ‘you.’”
Blinking, Arista looked at Ares. He was cross because their forms of address were different. She laughed at his fussiness.
“You want me to call you brother?”
“Not really, but the difference with Lucas is too much!”
“It’s because I’m different from him.”
“Different? I’m definitely better than that guy living in the flowerbeds.”
Ares sat next to Arista, grumbling. Turning his head, he ate cheesecake sulkily, and Arista shook her head.
“If you want to be called brother, fine. O-ppa!”
“Enough! It’s not like I’m bowing to you.”
As Ares and Arista bickered, the office door opened. Arista turned, expecting Lucas.
“Here? And the tea…”
She didn’t finish her sentence.
“Oh my, the princess is here too.”
Next to Lucas was his lover, Becky.
Unlock soon!~