Chapter 12
“Uh? A four-leaf clover? Did you find it?”
“No, Herwin gave it to me.”
“Really?”
A short silence passed before Lucas spoke again.
“…But why did you suddenly say you like Herwin? You never said that before.”
Lucas felt uncomfortable at the thought of his younger sister liking someone. Still, since the person in question was someone he knew well, he didn’t feel entirely bad about it.
More than anything, he was curious about his sister’s sudden change of heart.
“…Herwin saved me.”
“You mean, when he saved you from that dog?”
Lucia nodded. Her face had already flushed red. Seeing her look so genuinely smitten with Herwin shocked Lucas deeply.
“Huh… well, this is…”
Lucia didn’t care about her brother’s strange reaction. Instead, she turned her eyes to the music box Henry was playing with.
Every time she looked at the four-leaf clover, the image of Herwin appearing like a hero came vividly to mind.
“Get away from Lucia!”
That strong back protecting her, the tension on his face, and those burning red eyes filled with determination.
Now, even just hearing Herwin’s name made her heart pound, her cheeks heating up.
Lucia twisted her body shyly, then lifted her head. Herwin’s door was still firmly shut.
“I hope he’s not too sick…”
She couldn’t get the image of Herwin’s pale, frightened face out of her mind after hearing her confession yesterday.
At first, she had been devastated, thinking her confession was rejected, but what weighed on her more was that terrified look on his face.
Hoping Herwin wasn’t suffering, Lucia didn’t budge from her spot.
Even after Lucas and Henry wandered off, she remained there, steadfast.
“…So that’s what happened.”
Inside Herwin’s room, entry strictly restricted.
Present were the doctor, the duke and duchess, and Herwin himself.
After long coaxing and persuasion, they finally heard Herwin speak of the trauma he had been carrying.
Even after admitting it aloud, Herwin feared criticism might come his way.
He had kept his suffering secret because those who had bullied him were the children of retainers.
For better or worse, he would have to keep facing them. Someday, he would inherit the dukedom, and those who had tormented him would also follow in their parents’ footsteps as vassals of House Peneus. So he couldn’t afford to recklessly damage relationships.
He knew they no longer acted as they once had, even treating him with caution now.
Still, the memories often resurfaced, tormenting him.
So he had been pretending to be fine all this time.
Though he sometimes snapped at them, that was only a defensive reflex.
As long as he endured, things would stay under control.
Herwin had never thought he could be understood.
If others knew he still suffered from something so “trivial,” they would say—even his parents—that he wasn’t fit to lead House Peneus.
As heir, he could not be weak. Hadn’t Haile and Scarlett always told him that?
Bracing himself for scolding words, Herwin squeezed his eyes shut. His small shoulders trembled.
“You’ve suffered a lot… all by yourself.”
Suddenly warmth enveloped him. When he opened his eyes, strands of black hair swayed right before him.
His usually stoic father, Haile, had pulled him into a hug. Herwin froze in shock—then felt an even warmer embrace.
“I’m sorry your father and I realized so late. It must have been so hard.”
It was Scarlett. Before he knew it, Herwin was sandwiched between his parents.
A strong hand stroked his head, another patted his back tenderly. Even without words, that was enough.
Herwin’s face twisted, tears streaming down.
“Mom… Dad…”
Big, fat tears rolled down his cheeks. Haile and Scarlett’s hearts broke, realizing how much pain their son had endured.
They held him tightly until his sobs finally subsided.
After calming down, Herwin agreed to the doctor’s suggestion.
“It’s a trauma that’s lasted quite a while. It won’t vanish overnight. With regular counseling, we’ll work toward overcoming it.”
“Okay, I understand.”
“How’s your body now? No fast heartbeat, nausea, or dizziness like yesterday?”
“I feel fine now.”
“I see. Then… would you be alright meeting the Agnes children?”
“Uh…”
Herwin hesitated. He pictured Lucas and Lucia.
Lucas didn’t seem like a problem. But thinking of Lucia made his heart pound again.
The sensation wasn’t unpleasant, but it wasn’t exactly comfortable either. He couldn’t describe it.
“I’m not sure…”
“Does it feel uncomfortable, like yesterday?”
Herwin shook his head firmly.
“Then… is it okay if you meet them?”
After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded.
“Good. For today, please rest well. If you suddenly feel anxious, call me.”
“Alright, I will.”
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
The doctor rose. Haile followed him into the hall.
“Is his condition stable?”
“Yes. The young master is strong. With steady sessions, he’ll recover.”
“That’s a relief.”
“But for now, it’s best he doesn’t run into those children who clashed with him before.”
“I’ll see to that myself.”
“There’s one more concern.”
“What is it?”
“As expected, what triggered his collapse was Lady Agnes’s confession.”
At the mention of Lucia, Haile’s brow twitched.
“It’s fortunate the young master doesn’t resent her much, but to avoid another incident, caution is needed.”
“…I see.”
“Why is that?”
A small, youthful voice chimed in.
Looking down, they found Lucia, wide-eyed.
“Is Herwin very sick?”
“When did you get here?”
Startled, the doctor fell back, but Haile quickly regained composure and asked.
“Just now. I came back from the bathroom.”
Lucia innocently pointed behind her.
“Is Herwin really sick? Is that why he can’t see me?”
She clutched the music box tightly. Her big blue eyes brimmed with worry far beyond her age.
Haile studied her quietly, then knelt to meet her gaze.
“Are you worried about Herwin?”
“Yes. His face looked bad yesterday. Is it… because of me?”
Her eyes drooped, as if she already sensed the truth.
“That’s not it. Don’t worry. He’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
“Really? What a relief…”
Her face brightened instantly. Haile found her innocence endearing and stroked her head.
“Lucia, could you promise me something?”
“A promise?”
“Yes. Yesterday, you confessed to Herwin in front of everyone, right?”
“Yes.”
“From now on, please don’t do that again.”
“Why? Does Herwin hate me?”
Lucia’s face twisted, tears threatening to spill. Flustered, Haile quickly added,
“No, no, that’s not it… How do I explain…”
“The young master doesn’t like being the center of attention,” the doctor stepped in.
“Yesterday, many people saw your confession. But the young master dislikes having all eyes on him. So even if you like him, please don’t express it openly.”
“So… Herwin doesn’t hate me?”
“Of course not. Why would he? You’re a precious friend.”
“Hmm… Then, it’s okay if I confess when no one’s around?”
“…What?”
“Alright, next time I’ll do it in secret. Promise.”
Before Haile could react, Lucia hooked her pinky around his, sealing the promise.
“Then I’ll come back tomorrow. Please tell Herwin I said hello.”
With a polite bow, she skipped away.
“…That wasn’t what I meant.”
Haile muttered, exasperated. But the one who needed to hear it was already gone.
“Brother! I missed you!”
The children, playing in the nursery, rushed to greet Herwin when he finally appeared.
Henry, especially, jumped into his arms first. Herwin, startled at first, easily picked him up.
“Did you have fun without me yesterday?”
“No! It was so boring without you!”
“What do you mean? You had fun doing puzzles with me yesterday.”
Lucas teased, making Henry glare at him.
“How’s your body? Feeling better?”
“Yeah, I’m fine now.”
Herwin acted as usual—until he saw Lucia behind Lucas. He froze noticeably.
Even Henry could sense it.
Lucia, too, hesitated at his reaction, then stepped closer.
“Are you okay? Nothing hurts anymore?”
“Uh? Oh, yeah… I-I’m fine…”
He awkwardly avoided her gaze.
While Lucas and Henry exchanged puzzled looks, Lucia suddenly grabbed Herwin’s hand.
“Come on! Let’s play something fun!”
“W-wait…!”
She dragged him off. Lucas and Henry were left blinking after them.
“What’s up with those two?”
“Brother’s acting weird today.”
In the distance, they saw Lucia handing her toys to Herwin.
Sharing a look, Lucas and Henry shrugged, then went to join them.
Different in subtle ways, yet life returned to its usual rhythm.
“So this one is…”
Lucia chatted happily at Herwin’s side.
Herwin, listening quietly, found himself gazing at her profile.
Every time he looked at her, he recalled the day he collapsed. He still felt confused, nervous she might confess again.
But strangely, she hadn’t brought it up at all, acting like nothing had ever happened.
Still… something felt different.
“And if you do it like this…”
She suddenly fell silent.
Turning, he saw someone passing by.
Only after that person walked away did she continue her story.
That was the most noticeable change—whenever others were nearby, Lucia would clam up or put distance between them.
At first, Herwin worried others might see them together. But since she seemed even more intent on hiding, his own unease faded.
Five days had passed since then. Herwin had regained stability.
“…Herwin, are you listening?”
“Hm?”
“You weren’t listening, were you?”
Lucia puffed her cheeks, lips pouting.
“…Why are you staring like that?”
When he only looked at her without answering, she turned her head away shyly.
“It feels like you don’t like me anymore.”
Herwin chuckled softly in relief.
“Good. So that means what you said back then was just a lie…”
He couldn’t finish. Lucia’s face had flushed scarlet.
