033. Oceane (3)

Owen flinched at Lucia’s whisper and turned to face her.

Her red eyes met his, softly smiling.

“I’m not that tired.”

Her enchanting voice accompanied a beautifully crafted eye smile.

“Since it’s a trip with you, Owen, I want to spend more time together.”

The white hand that had held his moved up to his arm.

“Is that okay?”

Even as her hand held his arm, Owen couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Their gazes locked, calm and steady.

At the end of her unwavering, deep, and lingering gaze, Owen’s response was limited to only one.

“…Of course.”

As Owen gave a positive answer, the butler quickly spoke up.

“I will have tea prepared in the drawing room.”

“Yes.”

“And I will show you to your bedroom, Your Grace.”

A short rest followed by tea time was naturally arranged.

The rest period would likely last until the staff finished preparing the tea and refreshments in the drawing room.

The butler led the way to the fourth floor.

Owen, leaving a brief farewell to Lucia, followed the butler.

“This is the place.”

Owen’s assigned bedroom offered a completely different view from Lucia’s.

While Lucia’s room captured the sea through a large window, Owen’s room was stark.

Instead of the sea, ordinary-sized windows showed the buildings of Oceane.

The furniture was excessively neat, devoid of any decorations expected in a noble’s residence.

“The study is right across from here.”

And the study was close by.

It was clear why this room had been prepared for him.

They didn’t believe the workaholic Owen would actually rest even in a villa.

‘Indeed, wherever I went, I took work with me. I never traveled for any reason other than work.’

Owen thought as he looked around the room, then moved towards the window.

Gazing out at the landscape beyond the sunlit window, the realization hit him again.

This beautiful, almost surreal place was the world of a novel.

“You may leave now.”

“Yes, Your Grace. Please call if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

Owen, staring out at the landscape, dismissed the butler.

The butler, having completed his duties, bowed and left the room.

Owen glanced at the silently closing door before returning his gaze outside.

‘I’m in a similar situation, after all.’

‘Owen’ always carried work with him not just because he lived to work but also because there was so much to do.

As the head of the Verdun Duchy and overseeing its businesses, there was little time for rest.

His exceptional intelligence and the talents and luck granted by the privileges of a romance novel protagonist allowed him to handle his tasks quickly.

‘I do need to work.’

Even though he and ‘Owen’ were different people, the responsibilities were the same.

He had time to meet Lucia, but all other time had to be dedicated to work.

It was the only way to manage.

Sometimes, he felt like reducing some of those many businesses.

‘…Wait.’

Owen paused in his thoughts.

‘There’s no reason I can’t.’

Clinging to work was ‘Owen’s’ trait, not his.

Already wealthy enough to be among the richest on the continent, there was no reason to continue handling all this work.

He didn’t lack money, nor did he have a passion for business.

‘Why hadn’t I thought of this before?’

He had maintained and managed the businesses as if it were natural.

Even though he had the option to simplify things, it had never crossed his mind.

‘…Why?’

A headache started to form.

The excitement he felt upon entering the world of <The Flower of the Empire> had vanished without a trace.

The thrill of becoming Owen and meeting Lucia seemed like a distant memory.

Now, all that remained was anxiety and confusion, along with his feelings for Lucia.

There was much to do, and the future he knew had changed.

He learned things he shouldn’t have known, and unfamiliar memories and emotions tormented him.

“…Lucia.”

With a throbbing head, Owen leaned against the window and whispered her name.

The call, scattering into the air, faded away.

“Lucia….”

He recalled her red hair fluttering in the wind and her ruby-like eyes smiling.

Owen calmly closed and opened his eyes.

Memories that were undoubtedly his, moments spent with Lucia, flashed and then vanished.

‘Don’t think about it. There’s no answer to these questions.’

It was worth pondering, but not now.

Clearing his muddled thoughts, all that remained was her.

‘I wanted to give her what she wanted.’

His desire was for Lucia’s happiness.

Unlike the plot of <The Flower of the Empire>, he wanted to give her a happy and peaceful future.

He wanted to give her everything she desired.

Even if it meant being ‘Owen.’

Now, he was Owen.

He could and would do anything for her.

Before coming to this world, Lucia had brought joy to his life, and now she was his life’s purpose.

Yes, that’s right.

Everything else was secondary.

Even if the original story deviated and flowed differently, that wasn’t important at all.

The sudden influx of ‘Owen’s’ memories was startling and troubling, but it was fine.

As long as he could focus solely on Lucia.

As long as that wasn’t a problem, anything would be acceptable.

No matter what unexpected events came their way, it would be alright.

Owen concluded as much.

 

* * *

 

Once the refreshments and tea were prepared, a servant came in to guide Owen to the drawing room.

Originally a space for receiving and entertaining guests, it was perfectly suitable for a tea time today, decorated for a different purpose.

Despite the short preparation time, the table was set with decent refreshments.

Several types of pre-baked cookies and seasonal fruits were neatly arranged on plates.

“You can see the sea right from here, too.”

Lucia, seated opposite Owen, remarked as she gazed out the window.

Just as she said, the drawing room also had a window facing the sea.

Thanks to this, the view of the white sandy beach stretched out directly in front of them.

Behind it, the dazzlingly blue sea extended to the horizon.

“Do you like it?”

Owen asked, observing Lucia as she stared intently at the sea.

Since arriving at the villa in Oceane, she had continuously admired the ocean view, indicating that she truly liked it.

“Yes, I like it very much.”

Lucia answered honestly.

In fact, from the moment the carriage entered Oceane, she had a gut feeling.

This place was so beautiful that she would want to possess it.

The houses with blue roofs and white bricks, and the seaside city’s scenery were all indications.

And her intuition was spot on.

The beach in Oceane and the Verdun Duchy’s villa were extraordinarily beautiful.

So much so that she wanted to own it.

“I never imagined the sea could be this beautiful.”

It was almost regretful.

Living her whole life without knowing such a view existed.

If she had known, she would have bought a house by the sea much earlier.

“Neither the newspapers nor magazines ever mentioned this.”

At her mumbled words, Owen chuckled and asked.

“Do you want it that much?”

Wanting to own something was the highest compliment Lucia could give.

It meant it was beautiful enough to desire.

“Yes, it’s that beautiful.”

“That’s fortunate.”

Lucia turned her head from the window to Owen at his words.

Her red eyes reflected curiosity, wondering what he meant by fortunate.

“If you want to own it, it means you truly like it.”

“…”

“Isn’t that right?”

“…Yes.”

Lucia suppressed her surprise and responded slowly.

As she answered, Owen continued speaking.

“That’s why it’s fortunate. I wanted you to like it very much.”

Lucia found herself speechless at his added words.

It was surprising how well he knew her.

And he considered it fortunate that she liked it.

It was almost hard to believe this was the Owen she knew.

“When the sun starts to set, we’ll go to the beach. Although it’s right in front of us, it’s much more beautiful to see it up close than through the window.”

Even though Lucia remained silent in her surprise, Owen continued speaking calmly.

Handling the teacup while describing the sea, his attitude was clear.

‘…Oh.’

He was intentionally showing her things that he thought she would like.

Carefully and thoughtfully chosen.

‘So, even the gifts I’ve received until now…’

Realizing this, Lucia felt a wave of emotions.

The gifts he had given her, all those carefully selected items, were meant to please her.

Owen wasn’t just someone fulfilling his duties; he was someone who genuinely cared about her preferences and happiness.

For the first time, she saw him not just as the duke but as someone who wanted to make her happy, someone who truly understood her.

“Thank you, Owen. For everything.”

She whispered, her voice filled with sincerity.

Owen smiled, feeling a warmth spread through him at her words.

It didn’t matter if the original story veered off course.

As long as Lucia was happy, he could handle anything.

“You’re welcome, Lucia. Always.”

It was a late realization.

There had been numerous opportunities to recognize his feelings, but she had been too absorbed in the actions and mindset of the former Owen to notice.

‘He had carefully chosen things that would appeal to me. Even my room was decorated exactly to my taste.’

In that moment, certainty crystallized.

The feeling he had mentioned during the hunting competition, the one he said he couldn’t quite understand.

Regardless of what his true feelings were, he wanted her to believe it was love.

That he wanted her because he loved her.

But if…

‘If he already likes me.’

Giving assurance to someone who already held affection for her was easy.

Lucia had a talent for such things.

But what if he already liked her?

What if he just hadn’t realized it himself?

‘He probably doesn’t know because he’s never liked anyone before.’

Of course, it wouldn’t be an entirely simple task.

Teaching someone who didn’t understand the feelings of love or affection, someone like her, required starting from the basics and giving them assurance.

She needed to make him understand love.

And it was bound to be a challenging endeavor.

Owen likely didn’t believe in love.

“Lucia?”

At the sound of his voice calling her, Lucia finally looked back at him.

He tilted his head slightly, looking as beautiful as ever.

His glossy black hair sparkled in the sunlight streaming through the window, and his deep, clear black eyes were more desirable than any precious gem.

His straight, high nose, and his perfectly shaped, almost unrealistically colored lips.

His well-defined jawline and his large, elegant hands holding the teacup.

He was flawless, down to the smallest detail.

The beauty of the sea she had witnessed today was enchanting, but it couldn’t compare to the man before her.

“Yes, Owen.”

Lucia replied with a bright smile.

If someone like him, perfect in every way, liked her.

Then making him recognize his feelings would be worth any effort.