041. What I Truly Want (5)

While Bella was misunderstanding the relationship between Kyle and Owen, Lucia arrived at the park where the picnic was being held.

The park, with its well-maintained fountain and garden, was a popular outing spot for the nobility.

“Lady Edelte, it’s been a long time.”

“Lady Edelte! We met at the hunting competition, do you remember?”

“I believe we had a conversation last time, do you recall?”

Noble ladies and gentlemen naturally gathered around her. Lucia greeted them with a familiar smile.

“It’s been a while, everyone. Of course, I remember both of you. We enjoyed a tea party together, didn’t we?”

Leading social gatherings was a familiar task for her. Lucia smoothly engaged with them in conversation.

“I heard you traveled with Duke Verdun.”

“You two are dating, right?”

“I’m envious. A villa in Oceane, it must have been beautiful.”

The conversation naturally drifted to the trip Lucia and Owen had taken.

“Yes, we went to Oceane. As the lady said, it was a truly beautiful place. The sea was incredibly stunning.”

“The sea is truly beautiful. Oceane is an especially lovely resort.”

The rumors seemed to have spread more effectively than anticipated. The atmosphere was filled with certainty about their relationship and expressions of envy, confirming the success of her plan.

Lucia spent a pleasant time, enjoying the conversations while sitting on a picnic blanket spread out on the park lawn.

“But when are you getting engaged?”

The question came up amid the laughter and chatter.

“Ah. Or are you going straight to marriage? The engagement process can be cumbersome…”

“Oh my. Is that the case?”

“Well, love marriages are rare, after all.”

Other noble ladies and gentlemen also chimed in, curious about this point. Lucia found it difficult to give a definitive answer, as nothing had been decided yet.

Quickly organizing her thoughts, she replied to steer the conversation in a different direction.

“We plan to take things slowly. Starting with dating, then engagement, and eventually marriage. That’s the usual order.”

Lucia smiled as she spoke, and the people around her mostly nodded in agreement. Nobles tended to value tradition and procedure highly.

Hence, it was common for noble marriages to follow an engagement.

Of course, Lucia and Owen’s case was far from ordinary.

“Oh, really?”

As the conversation flowed smoothly, a surprised voice interrupted.

It was the young lady who had first asked the question earlier.

“Lady Edelte, and Duke Verdun as well, I thought you both would marry soon since you’re of the right age. I guess not?”

This young lady seemed quite tactless.

Despite the icy stares and silent reproaches from those around her, she remained unfazed.

“I thought you wouldn’t need to worry about procedures if it were a love marriage.”

Lucia smiled warmly at the young lady.

“We can’t ignore the procedures completely.”

Her response prompted the others to chime in, eager not to displease Lucia.

Thanks to their support, Lucia managed to handle the tactless young lady without much trouble.

The conversation returned to a more relaxed tone.

The young ladies and gentlemen began discussing various light-hearted topics.

They talked about the park where the picnic was being held, and the food they had brought.

Someone boasted about the cookies and pastries from a certain bakery, while another praised their chef’s culinary skills.

Others talked about the drinks they had brought, mentioning expensive wines and rare vodkas.

Lucia watched curiously as some boldly brought alcohol to the picnic.

She knew her turn would come without having to push her way into the conversation.

“Oh my, Lady Edelte, you brought fruit tarts.”

“Strawberry tarts! Strawberries are rare this season…”

“Did you import them from abroad?”

“They look delicious.”

As expected, Lucia’s turn came last.

As Marie, who had accompanied her, opened the picnic basket, the young ladies and gentlemen around them exclaimed in admiration.

Strawberries were indeed not easy to find in the summer, so their surprise was understandable.

Only those with considerable resources could obtain them.

Lucia enjoyed their admiration and added a brief explanation.

“I love strawberries. I heard they are in season in the western countries.”

“The west… You mean the Kingdom of Yuria?”

“Strawberries from Yuria. They must be precious.”

More exclamations of admiration followed.

Lucia watched them with pleasure as she shared the tarts she had brought.

In turn, the other young ladies and gentlemen began to share some of their picnic foods.

“Please have some of the wine I brought, Lady Edelte.”

“And this is vodka from my collection.”

The only problem was that some of the items were alcoholic beverages.

Lucia accepted the wine glasses and vodka shots with a smile, though she felt a bit uneasy.

‘…It’s just a little, so it should be fine.’

Lucia considered herself a nearly perfect person.

She excelled at most things and rarely failed.

There were only two exceptions: sports and alcohol.

Just as she had poor athletic abilities, Lucia couldn’t handle alcohol well.

A small amount was fine, but a few drinks would get her drunk.

Strong liquor could make her tipsy even with just a little.

‘It’s just a little.’

Fortunately, there wasn’t much alcohol.

The wine didn’t seem too strong.

The only issue was the vodka, but it was a small amount, so she decided it would be fine.

Rejecting the offered alcohol would be impolite.

“…It’s delicious.”

Lucia lifted her wine glass and took a sip.

The sweet grape aroma and the warm wine scent filled her senses.

The sweet taste lingered in her mouth, confirming that it wasn’t very strong.

“That’s a relief.”

They continued to eat and chat.

Lucia finished her glass of sweet wine and picked up the vodka shot.

The vodka, served over ice, had a sharp scent.

The strong alcohol smell made her head feel a bit dizzy.

‘…This will definitely get me drunk.’

With such a strong scent, it was undoubtedly potent.

Lucia discreetly put down the vodka shot, glancing around.

She couldn’t risk participating in the social gathering while intoxicated.

“Oh, I had a great time today.”

“I hope we can picnic together again.”

“There will surely be another opportunity.”

Thankfully, the picnic ended without any issues.

As the event wound down, Lucia stood up, adding a few parting words to the conversation.

“Lady.”

On her way back to the carriage after the farewells, Marie, who had been following behind, spoke up.

“What is it?”

“Aren’t you feeling dizzy?”

“Yes. I’m fi—oh.”

Just as she was about to say she was fine, her body wobbled.

“The wine you drank earlier, you downed it all at once because it was sweet….”

“I did because it didn’t seem very strong.”

“That wine is very strong despite its sweet taste.”

Marie shared the story she had heard from the butler and the head maid.

It was a strong and sweet wine popular among nobles.

“I didn’t know.”

“Let me help you.”

Not being familiar with wines, Lucia couldn’t recognize the labels or tell which wines were strong or sweet.

She only drank lightly to keep up appearances at social events.

In the end, Lucia, with Marie’s support, climbed into the carriage, feeling completely dizzy from the alcohol.

“By the way, Lady.”

Marie, who had helped her into the carriage, suddenly asked.

When Lucia gave her a look of permission, Marie continued.

“What do you think of Duke Verdun?”

It was a straightforward and honest question.

Maybe it was because of the alcohol, but Lucia’s mind felt fuzzy.

“Owen?”

“Yes. The Duke likes you, doesn’t he?”

“Hm….”

Owen hadn’t said anything outright, so Lucia remained silent.

‘Has it been that obvious?’

But inwardly, she thought, Owen’s actions must have been quite apparent.

After all, someone who had shown no interest in anyone had suddenly changed.

It must have seemed strange to anyone.

“It seems that way.”

Most nobles thought so, and Lucia had come to that conclusion too.

Owen hadn’t outright denied it when asked.

So it was probably true.

“So, Lady, the Duke likes you, but how do you feel about him?”

“I….”

Lucia started to reply reflexively but found herself at a loss for words.

She hadn’t approached Owen out of romantic interest.

“I just wanted to have Owen.”

“Is that really what you think?”

Having concluded this for herself, Lucia responded firmly.

But Marie’s counterquestion caught her off guard.

She looked at Marie with a steady gaze, unsure of her intentions.

Marie responded,

“Then wouldn’t it be easier to get engaged or married? If you really just see the Duke that way.”

“…”

That was true.

If she wanted him, she could have him in any way.

Come to think of it, wasn’t it ridiculous to wait for Owen’s answer?

If she was certain he liked her, she could simply get engaged.

Engage and then marry him.

That would make Owen entirely hers.

There was no more complete possession than being legally married and becoming family.

“Lady.”

Marie called Lucia again, her tone calm.

She spoke to Lucia with a very serious look in her eyes.

“What do you really want Duke Verdun to be?”

What did she want Owen to be?

Lucia frowned at the question.

She had never thought about it deeply.

From the moment she first met Owen, she had only thought of having him.

She liked his appearance, his perfection.

“Remember how the Duke worried at the hunting competition?”

When Lucia frowned, Marie continued.

“Think about that time. Or rather, think about how Duke Verdun treats you.”

Owen was kind to Lucia.

He maintained his manners but was incredibly gentle.

His excessive kindness and gentleness sometimes made her feel like she was someone very special and precious.

Of course, Lucia always thought of herself as special and quite outstanding.

But the warmth Owen gave her felt different.

It was as if he acknowledged even the not-so-pretty parts of her.

Yes.

Lucia finally admitted it.

She didn’t just like his appearance or his external qualities.

It wasn’t just his abilities, status, or wealth that made him perfect.

Lucia liked his kindness and gentleness.

She was happy that he treated her preciously and enjoyed the moments when she was the focus of his attention.

“Think seriously about what you truly want, Lady. Do you really just want to have him?”

Lucia was left to ponder Marie’s words.