For Your Failed Unrequited Love

“Lucy, did you prepare lunch for your groom?”

Lucy was horrified at the words her Aunt Lisa, the maid, threw as she came out carrying a laundry basket.

“Don’t say that! Colin is the lord’s son, and I’m the daughter of a doctor! The lord might not like it if he hears it!”

“You’re worried about everything!” Lisa said, and much like Tom, she laughed heartily. “Who in this town doesn’t know that the lord has chosen you as his daughter-in-law?”

Ha!

Lucy ran away from the scene, her face red.

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Everyone is out of their minds! How can they think I’m going to marry Colin?

“No way,” Lucy muttered and hurried along.

But recently, when she remembered Baron Connor smiling at her with a particularly gentle smile, Lucy was afraid that he had indeed viewed her as Colin’s bride.

I don’t want to marry Colin!

Lucy shook her head. Colin was the same age as her, but he was one hand shorter. They grew up together since they were young, so he was like a younger brother to her and nothing else. 

A scene unfolded in her mind as she frowned.

In the distant future, Lucy was now an adult. She was cooking for her husband in the kitchen of a small and cute newlywed home. Then someone sneaked up behind her and hugged her…

Is it Colin? Ugh!

She shivered. Goosebumps were rising all over her body. It felt as strange as watching the roasted chicken suddenly rising up and dancing around on the floor.

Colin, no way!

She was very determined. 

Well, I’d rather have Hans, the blacksmith. He’s a lot more mature than Colin, and he sometimes fixes our fences and greets me.

Lucy remembered Hans, the eldest son of the village blacksmith. Now 14 years old, he was taller than his peers and more mature.

Anyway, I’ll have to tell my mom soon. If the Baron wants to take me, I’ll refuse!

With that thought in her head, she heard Colin’s voice just in time.

“Lucy!” Colin, who found her entering the mansion, ran toward her.

Before Colin could say anything, Lucy held out her bowl and said, “Now, my grandmother told me to give this to you. Bring it to the kitchen. I’ll be on my way.”

Lucy didn’t want to be seen with Colin, so she quickly handed him the dish and tried to leave. However, Colin somehow grabbed Lucy’s arm with a look that said he didn’t care about the roasted chicken.

“What’s wrong with you?”

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“That’s not the problem now!” Colin’s fussy pull nearly made her drop the bowl. “Do you know who’s here now?” he asked excitedly. Then, without giving her time to answer, he shouted, “Aunt Triana! She said she’d show me around Bethel!”

“What?” Lucy opened her eyes wide when she heard Bethel.

“The capital, it’s the capital! Where His Majesty lives!” Colin was so excited that he jumped in place, holding Lucy. As a result, the roasted chicken popped up from the bowl.

Lucy barely noticed the roasted chicken on the bowl as her mouth hung open.

Bethel, the capital of the Belos Empire.

For Lucy, who had never left her hometown in her life, it felt as distant as the world of the fairies. She only heard about it a few times from her father. It was a far-off place that could only be reached after riding a horse-drawn carriage for ten days.

A place where magnificent buildings are lined up and people roam around even at night.

“When we go to Bethel, we will start with the Imperial Palace! Visit Bethel Square! And visit the market too! There must be so many amazing things that can’t be compared to the market here!”

“Wow!” Lucy opened her mouth wide and admired Colin’s words. Her eyes, which had previously been stand-offish, were now filled with envy.

“I envy you. I wish I could go there too!” she murmured sullenly.

“What are you talking about? Of course, you should go with me!” Colin shouted, his eyes wide open.

“Really?” Lucy’s eyes were bigger than Colin’s. “Can I come with you?”

“Of course! My father even asked my aunt to take you with us!”

Lucy paused at his words, and her eyes narrowed when the lord was mentioned. His intentions were highly questionable.

You won’t really ask me to marry Colin, will you?

Lucy looked quite grave and troubled, but Bethel’s brilliant and beautiful splendor was forming in her mind. Besides, if it was not for this opportunity, she never knew when she would be able to visit the capital.

Traveling was a rare opportunity for a country girl. So, when the opportunity came, she had to hold on to it.

“Come on, hurry up! Let’s go and say hello to my aunt!” Colin pulled Lucy’s hand, and she followed after him, pretending to be dragged unwillingly.

Her heart pounded wildly with surprise and excitement at the sudden offer of a trip to the capital. Her grandmother’s roasted chicken had already been pushed out of her mind.

* * *

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Lady Triana, Colin’s great-aunt, was an incredible and generous person. Sitting on the sofa in a relaxed manner, she smiled and shook hands with Lucy, who followed Colin into the parlor.

“Oh, you’re the doctor’s daughter! I had an upset stomach on my visit ten years ago, and he healed me in no time!”

She pulled Lucy into the seat next to her. Stifled by the lady’s extravagant energy, Lucy shrugged her shoulders and looked forward nervously.

“Have you ever been to the capital?”

Lucy shook her head quietly at the lady’s question.

“Colin and Lucy have never left Brom yet, Auntie,” said Baroness Connor, who was sitting across from Lady Triana.

“Not even once? Oh no!” Lady Triana clicked her tongue with a sad look. “Of course, Brom is a good place. The air is clear, and the people are generous. Who would think this was the place where the war broke out?”

Brom was one of the territorial disputes with the neighboring kingdom of Lausanne until the former emperor Milios reorganized the eastern border more than 50 years ago. However, the traces of war were now only distant memories of the past.

Lady Triana continued, looking out the window at the peaceful and calm landscape, “It’s a great blessing to be born and raised in such a town. But at least once, you have to go out into a bigger world and experience life. Country girls are no exception.”

She turned to Lucy. Despite her strong impression, her tender eyes gazed at Lucy. “Traveling is very important in life! Sometimes it completely changes a person’s life.”

A bigger world… Travel…

Lucy repeated Lady Triana’s words with a twinkle in her eyes. Just dreaming of the trip made her heart full.

Lady Triana was quick and straightforward. Having ended her trip to the East by visiting Brom, she said she would take Colin and Lucy with her when she returned to the capital.

Upon hearing the wonderful news, Lucy managed to calm herself down, greeted her politely, and left the parlor. Then, as soon as the door closed, she rushed home.

“Grandmother! Mom! Dad!” Lucy jerked open the door and looked for her family. She had to tell everyone the great news.

Upon hearing that Lady Triana had agreed to take Lucy to the capital, her grandmother and father celebrated together with joy.

“That’s great! I’ve never been to the capital,” her dad said, looking as excited as Lucy. 

But, her mother soon became worried. “Well, Lucy is only ten years old. It’s kind of hard to send her…”

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She was reluctant to give her consent but soon changed her mind as soon as she saw Lady Triana’s carriage.

The four-wheeled carriage, pulled by four horses, was of the finest quality that could not be seen in their area and was quite spacious inside. In addition, Lucy’s mother allowed her to travel with a more relieved expression after seeing the knights guarding the carriage.

A few days later, Lucy got into the huge carriage with a small suitcase. Colin was next to her. Her grandmother, mother, father, and Baroness Connor stood near the window, waving their hands toward the carriage.

Unlike Colin, who waved his hands wildly with an excited face, Lucy sat stiffly with an awkward expression and raised her hand.

She was very nervous and excited about her first trip.

* * *

Lady Triana’s carriage was huge, and the chair was soft. However, she couldn’t help feeling tired after a long trip.

Nevertheless, Lucy was still excited and happy. Although her body was tired, she was unable to take her eyes off the window as breathtaking landscapes constantly unfolded before her.

What if I see such beautiful sights so much that I won’t feel anything when I get to the capital?

She was so worried, but it was a pointless concern.

It had been ten days since she left Brom, and at last, Lucy arrived at Bethel. She could not keep her mouth shut at the magnificent and brilliant sight. The view was so amazing that even Colin kept his mouth shut. Looking at him, his mouth also hung open, and he couldn’t utter a single word.