Chapter 8
Benedict didn’t know how he ended up under the cornelian cherry tree.
From the moment he truly realized he was a useless person, he wanted to find someone to guide him. When he came to his senses, he was already here.
He stared blankly up at the cloudy sky visible between the thin branches and still-red berries.
Then suddenly, one small fruit fell from the shaking branch and tapped his forehead.
It didn’t hurt, but it startled him a little. He let out an “Ah” and rubbed his forehead with his hand, turning his head to the side.
At that moment, a white breath gently brushed his cheek. Startled, he locked eyes with the white-haired girl standing just beyond the mist and quickly asked,
“Why are you crying?!”
There were smudges around her eyes, as if she had rubbed them hard, so Benedict immediately worried about Lucien.
He forgot about his own hopeless situation from just moments ago.
“Uh, huh? No… I’m not.”
Lucien had suddenly changed her tone of voice, which made Benedict feel worse. It felt like some distance had grown between them.
“…Don’t talk like that.”
“But I really wasn’t crying.”
“No, that’s not it.”
Benedict couldn’t hide his disappointed expression.
“I thought we were friends… but I guess you didn’t think so.”
“Well… you said you were a servant back then…”
Lucien’s timid response left Benedict at a loss for words. It was true that he had lied.
But he quickly brushed it off.
“See? As soon as you found out I’m a noble, you’re acting distant. So because I’m a noble, I have to live alone forever without a single friend?”
“That’s… not what I meant!”
Lucien’s tone suddenly returned to normal. Perhaps realizing her slip, she quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
“Ugh… I keep talking comfortably without meaning to.”
“Then just talk comfortably when it’s just us.”
“But what if I slip up later?”
“You’re going to mess up? Like, call me ‘Benedict’ in front of everyone?”
“Never!”
“Great, then.”
“But no one else does that…”
Lucien remembered just how high Benedict’s status was at the funeral. Even the most dignified elders bowed their heads and spoke in formal tones to him.
“But who cares about them? This is between you and me. Do you really want to speak awkwardly with me for the rest of your life?”
“Well… no.”
“Great, then.”
Benedict nodded on his own and made the decision.
“So, why were you crying?”
“…I said I wasn’t.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I mean it. Look.”
Lucien leaned her head forward, close enough that he could see each eyelash clearly.
“See? No tears, right?”
But the truth was, Benedict had been too distracted thinking how pretty and long Lucien’s white eyelashes were to actually check for tear streaks.
Not wanting to be found out, he blurted out,
“If you cry on the inside, you can’t see it on your face.”
It was partly out of stubbornness, but somehow it hit the mark, and Lucien’s eyes widened.
“…That’s amazing. How did you… know?”
Benedict puffed up a little with pride.
“I can tell just by looking. What happened?”
“Um…”
Lucien rolled her eyes around as if thinking it over.
“I’m not really sure… what I’m good at.”
“Huh?”
“Why are you so surprised?”
Because it was the exact thing that had been bothering Benedict all this time.
“Oh, it’s nothing. But why are you trying to work in the first place?”
Benedict asked, genuinely curious.
He was supposed to formally inherit the position of duke, so it was natural for him to worry about responsibilities. He had to step into the adult world.
But unlike Benedict, Lucien was just a child, not a noble, with no title to inherit.
Yet what she said next shattered all his assumptions.
“Well, I’ve been earning my keep since I was eight.”
“What? I thought you were in an orphanage?”
“Yeah, I was. I took care of the younger kids there and did cleaning and laundry. It felt wrong to eat without helping.”
Benedict was so shocked his mind went blank.
When he first heard she had lived in an orphanage, he had never imagined such a life.
“After joining the traveling troupe, I’d carry a basket during performances to collect coins, feed the animals afterward, and if someone was sick, I’d nurse them… Oh!”
Lucien trailed off, as if she had said something she shouldn’t have.
“Most of the time it was stuff… unrelated to any contagious illness…”
She murmured with her head down, but Benedict wasn’t even listening. He had grabbed her hands tightly.
“You’re incredible!”
“Eh?!”
Benedict was now looking at her with sparkling eyes.
“Oh my gosh, I feel ashamed.”
Lucien suddenly looked dependable and amazing in his eyes.
He was twelve, yet had despaired just because he had no adult to guide him. But Lucien had been forging her own path since she was eight.
He was deeply moved—and ashamed of himself for believing, as adults said, that kids couldn’t do anything.
“To think I just stood around confused, not knowing what to do with the documents the retainers kept shoving at me.”
He realized he needed to be more proactive—go through the documents himself and, if there was something he didn’t understand, look it up in books, newspapers, anything, and try to learn.
“You already have work to do, Benedict?”
“Yeah. Some retainers came saying it was something Father had approved before, and asked me to stamp it.”
“Really?”
Lucien looked out at the frozen stream for a moment, lost in thought.
“I’m exhausted—I stayed up late getting several weeks of work done in advance.”
That’s what the Duke had said when they left the mansion together.
Would he really have left without handling something he had already approved? Lucien couldn’t be sure.
“Hey, Benedict.”
Lucien called him gently. She wasn’t sure it would help much, but she felt she should say it.
* * *
In the afternoon, the retainers came to Benedict’s room again. This time, they even brought a letter of urgency.
“You see the word ‘Urgent’ written here? It means the matter needs your prompt attention, Your Grace.”
They didn’t even show him the full contents—just the last page that required his seal.
Benedict checked the date written on that page. It had been drafted two months ago—his father had more than enough time to review it.
Benedict decided not to be swayed by their pushy attitude.
Thanks to Lucien’s words.
“You said my father promised to approve this with his seal?”
He asked, and they quickly nodded.
“Yes, yes! If only he hadn’t left so suddenly, everything would’ve been processed normally by now…”
“But that’s strange.”
Benedict leaned back in his chair with arms crossed and looked at them squarely.
“My father handled at least three weeks’ worth of affairs before he left.”
“Ah, well…”
One of the retainers rolled his eyes nervously before replying,
“I suppose… he must have forgotten about our case. You know how people are…”
“Yeah, anyone can make mistakes.”
“Exactly. Not that we’re implying the late duke was lacking in any way, of course…”
“That’s why he had an excellent butler named ‘Bell’ who made sure everything was perfect. That goes without saying.”
As he spoke, Benedict pulled a bundle of papers from his drawer.
“Turns out Bell kept a record of all pending matters.”
The retainers jumped in alarm and quickly snatched back the document they had brought.
“W-We didn’t know that existed. There must have been some… misunderstanding.”
“Why? Didn’t you say my father had already approved it?”
At Benedict’s sharp remark, the retainers shut their mouths.
He didn’t need to hear it from them—he already knew.
It had all been a lie.
