043. The Witch’s Man (1)

 

– Here are opera tickets. Don’t just go to the boutique and come back; watch the opera and have dinner as well.

On the way to Edelte Mansion in the carriage.

Owen quietly looked down at the opera tickets he received from his butler, Logan.

The tickets for *The Witch’s Man* had the word ‘VIP’ printed on them.

It must have been difficult to obtain, yet Logan managed to get them.

Owen admired Logan’s capabilities once again and slipped the tickets into his inner pocket.

‘An opera viewing, huh.’

It was a date course he had never considered before.

‘Is it similar to watching a movie?’

In Korea, watching a movie and having a meal together was a typical date.

Perhaps such a thing existed here too.

For wealthy nobles, even if opera tickets were expensive, they would spend on them easily, making it plausible.

‘…Logan must have thought it was lacking.’

Realizing this, Owen felt a bit embarrassed.

Logan must have been quite frustrated seeing the relationship between Lucia and Owen.

‘I guess others would think it’s progressing slowly.’

For other nobles, they would have already proceeded with the engagement and set a wedding date by now.

However, the relationship between Lucia and Owen had only turned into rumors of them meeting, without any formal documentation.

In reality, Owen had been busy dealing with his conflicting feelings and immersing himself in work lately, which must have seemed frustrating to an outsider.

Upon arriving, he busied himself with organizing the business, drafting documents, and finding someone to take over, making him genuinely occupied.

– Did something happen in Oceane?

Initially, Logan had asked this question.

However, upon hearing Owen’s denial and the story of asking Kyle to create a recording stone, Logan was bewildered.

He couldn’t understand why someone who had no issues and even wanted to keep records would act that way.

– …I’ve served you for a long time, but sometimes I really don’t understand you.

Sighing deeply, Logan shook his head and then procured the tickets.

– It’s a popular opera, especially among young ladies.

He added that he didn’t understand why Owen hadn’t gone out as often lately, given his previous frequent outings.

Then, he made an overly formal bow.

– Have a good time.

Though it was embarrassing, Owen decided to make good use of his subordinate’s loyalty.

There was no need to reject a gift pushed into his hands.

“Lucia.”

He called out her name softly, thinking about how to present the tickets to her.

The carriage soon arrived in front of Edelte Mansion.

As usual, Lucia was already outside, waiting.

“Owen, it’s been a while.”

Today, Lucia was dressed in black.

Considering she usually wore bright and glamorous dresses, today’s outfit was quite unexpected.

However, Owen wasn’t surprised, as he had received her letter in advance.

The letter mentioned that she wanted the dress code to be black for the day.

Even though the dress was black, it was a mermaid style that clung to her body, giving it anything but a plain look.

The sleeves were made of sheer fabric, and tiny sparkling gemstone dust was scattered across the lower part of the dress, leaving no room for boredom.

“It’s the first time since Oceane. How have you been?”

“I’ve been well, as usual.”

Lucia smiled and answered Owen’s question, extending her hand.

Owen took her hand familiarly and led her to the carriage.

Like Lucia, Owen’s outfit today was also based on the color black.

Black was the symbolic color of the Verdun family.

Upon reading the letter, Owen understood what Lucia wanted.

She aimed to solidify the rumor that they were a couple and to show that they were soon to be engaged.

In essence, that they would eventually become part of the same family.

“I’m glad to hear that. It’s my first time seeing you in a black dress, and it suits you well.”

The words Owen knew Lucia wanted to hear were already set.

He easily chose his words and delivered them.

It wasn’t difficult since they were filled with genuine sentiment.

“Really?”

Lucia’s smile deepened, as if she had heard exactly what she wanted.

The blooming red smile contrasted against the black dress, making her look even more dazzling than usual.

“Yes.”

Owen reaffirmed and followed Lucia into the carriage.

As usual, they sat facing each other in their seats.

Once they were both in, the carriage slowly started to move.

“I’ve made a reservation at Stella Boutique.”

Owen broke the silence once the carriage began to move.

“That’s my favorite boutique.”

“So I’ve heard.”

Lucia added, and Owen smiled.

“How did you know?”

“I looked into it a bit within the social circles.”

“You had someone investigate.”

“Hmm, you could say that.”

Lucia’s eyes widened slightly at the idea of Owen doing background research on her.

They say love changes people, and this seemed to be one of those cases.

“And this.”

As Lucia marveled at his actions, Owen pulled out the tickets from his inner pocket.

“These are opera tickets.”

Lucia took the tickets he handed her.

Reading the title *The Witch’s Man*, she quickly recalled the opera’s content.

It was the opera she had seen a few months ago.

She remembered it being quite impressive.

She still remembered the song the male protagonist sang in the opera.

“After visiting the boutique, we should have time to go. If you’re free, would you like to go?”

“Sure.”

Lucia agreed to Owen’s suggestion without hesitation.

Even though she knew the plot and the ending, it didn’t matter.

It was an opera she had enjoyed, so watching it again wouldn’t be a waste of time.

Moreover, attending with Owen made it even better.

“We have arrived.”

In the short conversation, the carriage had reached the boutique street.

The carriage stopped, and the coachman opened the door.

Owen got out first and took Lucia’s hand to help her down.

The warmth of their interlocked hands felt natural now.

As Lucia stepped out of the carriage, Owen held her hand and led her to the boutique.

She smiled as she followed him, enjoying the guiding touch.

“Welcome. Duke Verdun, Lady Edelte, we’ve been expecting you.”

Stella Boutique had been reserved for two hours in advance.

As a result, there were no other customers inside, only staff.

“We’re here to order outfits for the imperial banquet.”

“Oh my, it’s an honor to create summer banquet outfits for both of you.”

The staff exclaimed at Owen’s words.