Chapter 41

As soon as Lucien returned to her room, Juliet immediately asked about what had happened.

“It was a mess.”

Lucien explained how much they had bickered. Talking about it made her feel upset—as if the two of them, once the closest people in the world, had somehow grown apart.

After hearing everything, Juliet nodded seriously and said,

“As expected.”

What do you mean?

Lucien blinked her big eyes in confusion, and Juliet clasped her hands over her heart, speaking with a hint of emotion.

“Getting worked up over the word ‘friend’ is a good sign. It reaffirms how perfect my life plan is.”

“I’m sorry, but the Duke didn’t get worked up about the word ‘friend.’”

“Then was it because you said you were in love with someone else? That’s also a good sign.”

“It wasn’t that either. I think Benedict just… doesn’t think those kinds of feelings suit me.”

The way he sarcastically talked down about the person Lucien had fallen for made that clear.

“I mean, I’m definitely slower to mature compared to Benedict.”

“No, it’s just that the Duke is exceptionally above average.”

“Still, reacting like that to something so sincere was too much. I…”

Lucien bit her lip for a moment.

“I thought he’d be happy to hear it.”

After all, the person Lucien had fallen for was essentially someone Benedict had introduced her to.

Meanwhile, Benedict returned to his room and slumped over his desk. He had no motivation to work.

If only his grandmother were around, he could’ve distracted himself by chatting with her. But she was currently in the capital, standing in for Benedict. He’d recently been sick again with a high fever.

‘While I was bedridden, where on earth did Lucien meet someone?’

Could it be Jun?

Benedict thought of the most threatening rival but shook his head.

Lucien had always shown Benedict the letters she received from Jun. If she had feelings for him, she wouldn’t have done that.

If not Jun, then…

Just then, the door to his office opened.

“A letter arrived for you, sir. From the Grand Madam.”

The visitor was Alfie.

“From my grandmother?”

“Yes, she was worried about whether your fever had subsided and asked if you might be able to come to the capital.”

Benedict understood why she had sent the letter—his birthday was coming up.

When he received the family’s ring last year, the royal family had promised to host a birthday banquet for him this year.

A party hosted by the royals would definitely be uncomfortable, but Benedict thought it wasn’t so bad. He would finally get to meet Algernon.

“Tell her I’ll come. No, I’ll write back myself. That’ll ease her mind… By the way, what’s that on your head?”

On top of Alfie’s head was a small pouch.

As if waiting for the question, Alfie beamed and adjusted his glasses proudly.

“Pretending not to know, are you? I’m sure you do.”

Know what?

Benedict gave him a puzzled look. Alfie clutched the pouch carefully.

“Lucien gave it to me.”

“……!”

Benedict sprang to his feet and stared at the pouch in Alfie’s hands, eyes trembling.

A cute heart was embroidered in red thread. A heart? Love?

‘Don’t tell me… the person Lucien was talking about is my brother?’

Alfie was now cradling the pouch in both hands, twirling around as if dancing—which honestly looked ridiculous.

‘Does Lucien actually think that weird dance is attractive?’

She clearly has terrible taste in men.

Benedict thought firmly, though he couldn’t help but pay close attention to Alfie’s strangely flexible movements.

“You’re so lucky, sir.”

“About what?”

Benedict slumped back in his chair and rested his chin in one hand.

Through the window, he could see the spot where they’d just had tea, now being cleared by the maids—including the cookies he hadn’t eaten.

“You see, Lucien said she wanted to surprise you by making those cookies herself.”

Huh?

Benedict snapped his head up and stared blankly at Alfie.

He was munching on a cookie that looked exactly like the one Benedict had spat out earlier.

To be precise, the one he couldn’t eat because he choked on it.

“Lucien made those?”

“Yes, because you said you wanted cookies that taste like toothpaste, right?”

“They don’t taste like toothpaste!”

They have a delicious minty flavor—like toothpaste!

Benedict thought now wasn’t the time to argue that point.

“Wait a minute, Alfie!”

He jumped up and dashed out of the office.

He couldn’t let the cookies Lucien made for him get thrown away!

A little later, Benedict returned, panting, holding all the cookies in his hands.

‘Lucien made these for me. Cookies!’

He had actually requested cookies with lots of mint before.

Although his idea of “lots” and the pâtissier’s version differed, so he hadn’t been fully satisfied.

“Hmmm. I can’t tell if I’m brushing my teeth or eating a cookie.”

“If you don’t like it, give it back. You just don’t get fine flavors.”

To criticize something Lucien made so earnestly—he didn’t even know how lucky he was.

‘Ah.’

At that moment, Benedict had a sudden realization.

‘No way… the person she fell in love with was me?’

Wow, that’s ridiculous.

He had imagined Jun, Alfie, or even a complete stranger—but never himself.

He stared blankly for a moment, then shrugged.

‘Well, why not?’

There could’ve easily been moments when Lucien felt drawn to him.

They had known each other for a long time, and right now, the closest man to her was Benedict.

‘How can this happen between friends?’

Though he found it troubling, he couldn’t stop the smile creeping across his face.

“Hey, Alfie.”

Benedict grinned and looked at him again.

“Have you noticed anything strange about Lucien lately? Like, in class?”

Something like her paying particular attention to Benedict, for example.

“Well, she’s been unable to concentrate recently. Said she’s not been sleeping well.”

She likes me that much?!

He was surprised at how serious it seemed.

“Did she say why she couldn’t sleep?”

Probably not?

Lucien was a bit shy—she couldn’t even say that she made the cookies herself.

‘She’s just so adorably shy, what do I do with her?’

Benedict felt like he might die from worrying about his dear friend.

“Oh, actually, yes. She did tell me.”

But Alfie’s reply was unexpected.

“She said she’s in love.”

“……!”

My god, how could she say that to you first…?

“She said she’s fallen hard for the male lead of the novel she’s reading. So hard that she’s losing sleep staying up reading it.”

…What?

Benedict stood frozen with his mouth wide open.

That night.

Lucien promised herself she would go to bed early—this time for sure.

She had fought off sleep all day from exhaustion, so she expected to fall asleep quickly.

“…”

But that hope was soon crushed.

The moment she lay down, her mind grew clearer and she could only think of the person she had fallen in love with.

“He was so cool… Ugh, seriously!”

Rolling side to side in frustration, Lucien eventually couldn’t stand it anymore and jumped out of bed.

She needed to see him right now. No way she was falling asleep like this.

Wearing only her fluttery white nightgown and no shawl in her urgency, Lucien peeked cautiously into the hallway.

She could hear footsteps downstairs, but no one was nearby.

Quietly, she slipped into the corridor.

At first, she walked calmly, but her pace quickened until she was nearly running. She stopped in front of a room on the second floor.

No one was using this room currently, but Benedict had once told her she could go in anytime she liked.

Thanks to that permission, Lucien had discovered her precious first love.

Lucien thought about the person waiting for her inside. Her heart pounded in anticipation.

Creak.

As she gently pushed the door open, Lucien flinched in surprise.

A faint light was glowing inside the room.

Following the light to her toes, she slowly looked up—and saw someone standing in front of the bookshelf that covered one wall.

Face to face with someone who looked as if they’d been waiting for her, Lucien froze on the spot like a child caught doing something naughty.