Chapter 42
“Haa…”
A deep sigh escaped Lucia’s lips, making Sain fidget nervously beside her.
“U-um, my lady… if you’re not feeling well today, should we postpone the meeting?”
“It’s fine. I have to meet him anyway. Better to get it over with quickly.”
“But still…”
Lucia noticed how Sain was watching her anxiously and forced her frown to relax.
“I’m sorry for worrying you. I guess I’ve been under too much stress lately and have gotten a bit sensitive.”
“No, not at all! I’m just worried you might be overexerting yourself…”
“Overdoing it…? Maybe. But I can’t just stop something I started halfway, can I?”
“My lady…”
Lucia smiled faintly to reassure her maid, but it only made Sain’s face darken further.
Clatter—
The carriage came to a halt at a perfect moment. Lucia stepped out, avoiding Sain’s anxious gaze.
“If anything happens, I’ll come right back, so stay nearby.”
“Yes, my lady. I hope everything goes well.”
After seeing off the departing carriage, Lucia let her strained smile fade and entered the meeting venue.
“Goes well,” huh.
That was already the fourth time she’d heard that line. Would it finally turn out well this time?
Lucia entered the café and confirmed that her date had not yet arrived. She chose a quiet corner seat where few people passed by.
Then, sitting still, she began thinking about her previous matchmaking meetings.
They were all candidates Johann had carefully selected for her, yet how could every single one have been so disappointing?
Only one had an actual personality issue. The other two clearly had ulterior motives.
They all looked down on me, didn’t they.
Thinking back, all three of them had treated her lightly, as if she were an easy target.
Why was that?
It wasn’t as if her family was insignificant, nor had she ever met them before. It was rare to be underestimated at a first meeting.
Could it be…
A sudden thought crossed her mind, and Lucia let out a hollow laugh.
Is it because I’ve liked Herwin for so long?
The more she thought about it, the more it made sense.
Lucia’s long-time affection for Herwin was common knowledge in high society.
And after that unintentional public confession at the academy, the rumors had spread even further.
People must have thought she was naïve or simple-minded—bold enough to confess in public, yet foolishly devoted to one man.
Or perhaps, in the marriage market, such a reputation was fatal—making her seem like the inferior party. Just like her second date, Herriot Soled, had done.
She couldn’t know exactly what they were thinking, but either way, it was unpleasant.
She’d never regretted the decade she spent liking Herwin. But she hadn’t expected it to hold her back like this.
Letting out a self-deprecating chuckle, Lucia steadied her mood.
She glanced idly toward the opposite seat. Her fourth suitor still hadn’t arrived.
It felt like she’d been waiting quite a while, so she checked the time.
The appointment was at two o’clock. It was now six minutes past two.
Only six minutes late—but none of her previous suitors had ever been late before.
Lucia decided to wait a bit longer.
But another five minutes passed. Then ten. When the clock hit 2:20, he still hadn’t shown up.
With her arms crossed, Lucia stared at her watch again and again.
“…A rejection, then.”
This wasn’t a casual meeting with a friend—it was a formal blind date. To be this late, he must have some nerve. Or maybe this was his way of refusing to meet her at all.
Tapping her finger on the table, Lucia stopped as the minute hand ticked forward.
“Alright. I’ll wait until 2:30.”
If he didn’t show by then, she’d take it as a sign he wasn’t interested.
She closed her eyes and waited for the time to pass.
The low hum of conversations filled her ears. The café door opened and closed as customers came and went, the bell chiming softly.
Ding—ding—
Lucia opened her eyes. The minute hand was already pointing to six.
She slipped her pocket watch back into her purse and stood up.
“P-please wait a moment!”
Just then, a man appeared before her. Startled, Lucia turned to face him.
A man with deep green hair bowed his head hurriedly.
“Are you Lady Lucia Agnes?”
He lifted his face, panting for breath.
Sweat glistened faintly on his skin. A pair of glasses perched precariously on his nose, and his gentle golden eyes caught her attention.
She recognized him immediately—the fourth suitor whose portrait she’d seen beforehand.
Her irritation at his thirty-minute delay faded a little at the sight of his disheveled, clearly rushed appearance.
“…Yes, I’m Lucia Agnes.”
“I sincerely apologize for being so late to our first meeting, my lady. Please, forgive me.”
Having caught his breath, the man wiped his face with a handkerchief and, looking neat again, gently took her hand and placed a polite kiss upon it.
“My name is Bern Casper. Thank you for waiting despite my tardiness.”
Sensing that there must have been some reason for the delay, Lucia sat back down.
Bern’s face brightened visibly, relieved that she hadn’t left.
“I was just about to go, since you hadn’t arrived for so long.”
“You have every right to be upset. In truth, there was an accident on the way here.”
“An accident?”
“Yes. Two carriages collided, and my horse was injured…”
Lucia’s eyes widened. It sounded like a serious accident.
“Oh no, are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, thankfully no one was injured. But the carriage couldn’t move, which delayed me quite a bit. I truly am sorry.”
When he apologized again, Lucia waved her hand lightly.
“No, it’s alright. If that happened, you could’ve sent someone ahead. We could have rescheduled.”
“Sending someone or coming myself—it wouldn’t have made much difference. Besides, I wasn’t injured.”
He smiled gently, reassuring her. His mild expression radiated sincerity.
No, don’t lower your guard just yet, Lucia warned herself.
Aran Valter had seemed kind at first too. This man might be smiling now, but who knew what he’d be like later?
She steadied her heart and stayed cautious.
After forty minutes in the café, they finally placed their first order and began talking.
As with her previous matches, Lucia kept to polite, standard questions and courteous responses.
But as time went by, her wariness toward Bern gradually faded.
It had been a long time since she’d enjoyed such a comfortable conversation with anyone outside her friends and family.
With the first two men, it had been awkward from the start. The third, Aran, had been easy to talk to—until she saw his true nature. They’d had common ground from their academy days.
But Bern… she’d never met him before, yet somehow, conversation flowed naturally.
“If I were just a year younger, I might have attended the academy with you,” Bern said with a light smile.
Lucia tensed slightly, wondering if he’d mention Herwin or those old rumors.
“Did you know,” he continued instead, “that there’s a secret room hidden in the academy’s second library?”
Lucia blinked in surprise at the unexpected topic.
“No, I didn’t know that. How did you find out?”
“Ah…”
Bern paused briefly, a faintly bitter expression flickering across his face. But he soon composed himself.
“I loved books, so I often visited the library. One day I stumbled upon it by accident. I used it as a private hideout until a professor discovered it.”
“That sounds like a fun memory.”
“Yes, those days are hard to forget.”
He smiled faintly at the memory, then turned back to her, his eyes warm.
“I feel at ease when I’m with you, Lady Agnes.”
It might have been a polite remark, but Lucia didn’t sense any insincerity behind it.
So she responded honestly.
“Yes, it’s been a long time since I’ve had such a pleasant talk too.”
“I’m relieved. I was worried it was only me who felt that way.”
He adjusted his glasses with a small smile before continuing.
“Actually… I was afraid you’d be disappointed in me.”
“Me? Why?”
“Well, it’s our first meeting, and I arrived thirty minutes late. Even as I ran here, I worried you might have left already.”
“And yet you ran anyway, not knowing if I’d still be here?”
“Even if you hadn’t been, I still had to come. If there was a chance you were waiting, I needed to apologize in person. It’s simply what a person ought to do.”
His tone was earnest, his expression sincere. His upright nature was apparent in every word.
Lucia’s remaining suspicion melted away completely.
She smiled softly at him.
“I’m glad I waited. If I’d left just a few minutes earlier, I might’ve missed meeting such a wonderful person.”
“M-wonderful? You flatter me too much, my lady.”
“But it’s true. In times like these, it’s rare to find someone as honest as you, Lord Casper.”
At her calm praise, he blushed slightly, scratching his cheek.
“…Thank you, my lady.”
As they continued talking, time passed quickly.
Lucia glanced at her pocket watch—it was nearly time to leave, as she’d told Sain earlier.
“I should get going now. My carriage should arrive soon.”
“Ah, I see. Then I’ll wait with you until it does.”
They stepped out of the café together to wait.
It was just past four o’clock.
“Um, my lady,” Bern began carefully. Lucia looked at him.
“If it’s alright with you… could we meet again sometime?”
Lucia widened her eyes slightly. The golden eyes looking back at her were sincere. After a brief hesitation, she smiled faintly.
“Yes, I’d like that.”
Bern’s tense face brightened instantly.
“Thank you. I’ll send a letter to your estate.”
“I’m fine with any time. Just make sure you don’t arrive late like today, alright?”
Her teasing made him chuckle. He placed a hand to his chest in mock solemnity, like a knight making a vow.
“I’ll make sure not to be even a minute late.”
“We’ll see about that.”
They both laughed softly.
Just then, the carriage arrived, and Sain was already waiting inside.
Bern gently held Lucia’s hand and escorted her to the carriage door.
As she climbed aboard, a thought occurred to her and she turned back to him.
“Lord Casper, do you have a carriage to return in?”
“The one I came in is being taken back to the estate once the horse recovers. I’ll head to a rental stable for now.”
After a brief pause, Lucia spoke up.
“If you don’t mind… would you like to ride with me?”
