For Your Failed Unrequited Love

“Twenty-eight… Twenty-… Twenty-nine… Thirty!”

Lucy opened her eyes and looked up after counting. Under the warm spring sun, a tidy garden came into view.

She heard a rustling sound somewhere, but it quickly faded.

“So, where do I begin?”

She was muttering loudly while looking around, as if she wanted someone to overhear her. A giggling laugh that sounded like it was being carried by the spring wind could be heard somewhere. Lucy quietly moved her feet to locate the source of the noise.

After some time, she came across two tiny, wiggly feet among the garden trees.

It was however too early to catch him. She walked around the garden pretending she had trouble finding them so the child could enjoy the tension.

Lucy spoke loudly, pretending to be tired, checking behind the tree and beyond the flower bed, both of which had obviously nothing.

“Where is he hiding? It’s not here either!”

After acting in her own way, Lucy approached the garden tree where she found feet earlier and cleared the leaves on both sides.

Blonde hair and lake-blue eyes appeared under the spring sun. Soon, the pair of eyes bent like a half-moon with a playful smile.

“Found you!”

The child emerged from between the trees in response to Lucy’s cry. Lucy gave the child a bear hug and gently stroked the back of his head.

However, this was not the end.

“So, where is Knox?”

The first child was a little more challenging. Knox, who frequently astounds his parents with extraordinary behavior, did not even consider hiding behind the bench or in the trees like Eston, the second child.

Lucy indeed discovered his tiny feet squirming beneath the bushes. She pondered how he had squeezed himself inside.

Forgetting that she was playing with the kids, Lucy touched her forehead. It’s unlikely that the child who crawled down there was in good shape. She is certain that his face, clothes, and hair would have been a complete mess.

Lucy dashed to the bushes without even thinking about acting for the child.

“Found you, Knox!”

In an instant, Lucy reached out and yanked the kid from the underbrush. The child’s entire body quickly became completely covered in dirt, as was to be expected.

The child’s clothes were covered in grass and dust, which Lucy shook off before sighing through her teeth.

“You’re the taggers now that I’ve found you,” 

“No, it’s not.”

Knox immediately refuted it.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m not Knox.”

The child lied with a brazen face.

“I’m Eston, Mom.”

“What? I discovered Eston earlier, hidden between the trees.”

Lucy pointed to the trees in the garden where the second child was discovered earlier. Eston, who had been standing there a short time before, was no longer visible.

“That’s not Eston. It was me.”

The two tenacious children appeared to be teasing their mother once more.

“You couldn’t find Knox, so mom is the tagger again.”

Knox then sprinted off to another spot.

Before she knew it, two young children looking very much alike were laughing at their mother.

“Mom, hurry!”

The twins urged.

I had no choice but to.

For this never-ending game of hide and seek, Lucy sighed and once more covered her face. She began counting again.

“One… Two… Four… Three……”

***

The twins would always sit next to each other on the bench to wait for Lucy after playing in the garden. Lucy would then sit them on her lap one by one, removing the grass stuck between their hair.

The children dozing off, leaving their heads in their mother’s touch. Lucy felt at ease. It was one of the few occasions when the two kids were silent.

“Knox, do you want me to cut your hair?”

The words caused the child, who was dozing off, to open his eyes widely.

“My hair?”

“Yes, let’s shorten it by this amount.”

“No!”

The child spoke with a firm face.

At the sound, Eston, who was dozing next to him, also stood up.

“I don’t like it either!”

Lucy only sighed.

She couldn’t tell the twins apart because they were identical and were difficult to distinguish. She didn’t think so, but as they grew older, they started to look more and more alike.

Of course, you can tell the difference if you look closely. However, it was difficult to distinguish them even if they were just a few feet apart.

If the hairstyle was different, it would be easier to tell.

But the twins insisted on growing their hair out.

“Knox, you’ll look very handsome if you cut your hair, so you..”

“No!”

Knox screamed loudly and firmly once more.

“I have the same hair as my father!”

The twins insisted on having long hair because of their father. The twins may not let either of them cut their hair unless Felix does so first.

“I’m not going to cut my hair!”

“I’m not going to cut it, either!”

“You cut it!”

“No, you cut it!”

The twins started to push and fight with one another.

“Stop! Stop!”

The twins were eventually stopped by Lucy. The children were quiet again, but she couldn’t bring up any more talks about their hair.

***

The nanny arrived and took the twins to the bathroom to wash their muddy bodies.

Only after checking her reflection in the window did Lucy realize that it wasn’t just the kids who were dirty.

Lucy trudged up to the floor after removing the leaves from the top of her head. Playing with energetic children made her entire body seem to hurt.

“It’s spring now.”

While patting his shoulder as she moved down the hallway, Lucy suddenly stopped and turned to face the window.

Gladiolus blossomed in vibrant colors under the clear sky in each flower bed that the servants in the duchy had meticulously maintained. Even the tall iron fence visible in the distance was covered in a dense layer of red roses.

Small, plump birds flew up from the branches, causing minor disturbances here and there.

With her arms resting on the window sill, Lucy took a moment to observe the serene and picturesque surroundings. Heated by the spring sun, the mansion gave an impression of infinite warmth and coziness.

The anxiety and fear she experienced when first meeting the Duke nine years ago in the fall now only existed as a distant memory.

This was now her residence, where she will remain until she passes away.

From the window sill, Lucy stood up and turned to face the hallway’s other end. The office where the Dukes of Berg had worked for generations was located there.

Felix, who walked in there first thing in the morning, didn’t appear to leave until after half a day.

Because of the mountain of work, he probably doesn’t realize how much time has passed.

Lucy considered opening the door slightly and peering inside, but she decided not to bother him for no reason and quickly turned around.

After playing with the twins, she started to get hungry. Her stomach has been grumbling loudly for some time.

Lucy moved in the direction of the kitchen with the intention of merely sating her hunger.

The basic kitchen on this floor was never noisy, in contrast to the main kitchen, which is active with servants preparing meals all day. She opened the cabinet and took the dishes and ingredients out.

A warm hand gently touched the back of her neck as she was spreading jam on the bread.

A familiar temperature and touch

Soon, the hand that had been massaging Lucy’s tense shoulders started gently brushing her tangled hair.

“Did you fight anyone in the stable, and why is there a straw in your hair?”

Lucy turned around, her arms folded and her eyes wide open at the question. His beautiful blond hair and loving blue eyes were in front of her.

His face, however, now has a slightly cheeky expression.

“Thank you to your sons who look exactly like you.”

“Did the kids cause trouble again? I should scold them.” Felix said, stroking Lucy’s cheek.

“I’m almost done with my work for the day, so I’ll go check on the kids while you rest.”

When Lucy didn’t release her grip on his arms in response to the words, Felix pressed his pouty face against Lucy’s shoulder.

His touch tickled Lucy’s face and made her heart melt. She quickly lifted her hand and brushed his hair away. Felix raised his head.

Soon his lips overlapped Lucy’s. Lucy responded by wrapping her arms around Felix’s neck.

Lucy had no choice but to tiptoe to the fullest because of his tall stature. So as not to lose her balance, Lucy clung tightly to Felix’s neck.

Felix was surprised, and his breathing got even rougher. He began to smack his lips more violently.

As a result of Felix’s strength, Lucy’s upper body slowly leaned back. The bread filled with jam behind her back was about to be crushed.

She quickly reached out and grabbed Felix’s arm as she remembered a hilarious incident involving their fall into the pond.

……and then again!

But Felix moved first, before she could warn.

The bread was gently pushed aside by his hand. After that, he raised Lucy and placed her on the counter.

There was no awkward situation in which the bread was crushed. Instead, the skillful tongue only invaded and returned.

The kiss continued unabated, and the sweet scent of the opened jar of jam filled the kitchen.