047. Summer Lake (1)

“How on earth did I do that…”

The next day, Lucia was horrified as soon as she woke up.

Everything from the previous day came vividly to mind.

“Did I really make such a mistake?”

Even though she was drunk, this was too much.

She had never made such a blunder before.

In fact, she had never drunk that much in public in the first place.

Yet, yesterday, she kept drinking wine even though she knew she had surpassed her limit.

Owen’s love was that surprising and difficult.

“But still…”

Lucia sighed deeply.

Drinking was one thing, but she couldn’t understand how she had suddenly started speaking informally to Owen.

And she had said things to him that she didn’t need to.

“To make matters worse, I even remembered things I had forgotten.”

Amid all this, memories from the previous picnic resurfaced, giving her a headache.

“To think that’s what Marie was talking about.”

Marie’s words hadn’t been particularly important.

But still…

“Why did I tell Owen about it…”

There seemed to be a good reason why people said alcohol wasn’t good for mental health.

Lucia sighed again and tried to shake off the thoughts.

It was no use regretting it now.

“Your Grace.”

Just as Lucia was about to get up and call a maid to wash up, Marie entered her bedroom.

“The Duke of Verdun has sent a letter.”

“…Really?”

Lucia flinched, still thinking about her embarrassing moments.

But she quickly composed herself and accepted the letter.

She broke the sealing wax with a paper knife and opened the envelope to find a neatly written letter in Owen’s elegant handwriting.

[Lucia,

I hope it’s not too presumptuous of me to write to you so early in the morning, but I was worried about you getting home safely yesterday.

With the knights and maids with you, there shouldn’t have been any problems, but just in case.

*The Witch’s Man* was impressive.

I can see why you liked it.

I enjoyed it as well.

The female protagonist, the male protagonist, their relationship, and the story were all remarkable.

There are still a few weeks left until the banquet.

I think we can meet a couple of times before then. I wanted to ask if you are available.

Owen Verdun

P.S. You spoke informally to me. I don’t know if you remember, but I liked it better that way.]
“…”

Lucia remained silent for a moment after reading the letter.

As expected, Owen remembered all her drunken ramblings.

He pointed out the part she wished he had forgotten.

He didn’t seem to be the type to tease, so he must have genuinely liked it.

“…It’s impolite behavior, though.”

Honestly, she didn’t quite understand.

After all, she was just a noble’s daughter, and he was the head of a ducal house.

The only people who could speak informally to him were members of the imperial family.

That might change if the Duchess of Verdun appeared.

Lucia tried to put herself in Owen’s position.

But no matter how much she thought about it, the only conclusion she came to was that she would have felt quite unpleasant in such a situation.

She might even have punished or demanded compensation.

But Owen said he liked her speaking informally.

“Because it would be seen as a sign of intimacy, it’s good for me.”

There was nothing bad about it from her perspective.

If people at the imperial banquet saw her speaking comfortably with Owen, they would all think the same thing.

That the two would end up married.

– I want you to be happy. That’s all I wish for. That’s my desire and my greed, Lucia.

Owen’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

It was what he had said at the restaurant yesterday.

– My feelings are my responsibility. You have nothing to feel sorry for. These are my feelings.

His words, altruistic to the point of feeling selfish, were almost harsh.

He made her feel sorry for using him carelessly.

Lucia slowly closed her eyes and exhaled.

After he said that, she found it hard to bring up her own desires.

She felt sorry for him.

She was afraid she would hurt him by using his feelings.

That was not like her, which made it difficult.

“…He said he liked it.”

After thinking for a while, Lucia came to a conclusion.

Owen had been the one to bring it up in his letter.

So, it should be fine.

Thinking that way, Lucia went to her desk to write a reply.

She took out a piece of paper and wrote that she could meet a couple of times and suggested a place for their next meeting.

She also mentioned that since he liked it, she would speak informally to him when they met next.

* * *

“Owen.”

The two met again a week later.

This time, they decided to meet at the lake on the Edelte duchy grounds.

They had visited this lakeside once before during a garden party in spring.

The lake, now fully in summer, looked different from spring.

The cherry trees that had been in full bloom were now lush with green leaves.

Instead, the willows planted next to the cherry trees had their branches and leaves hanging down, creating a canopy of shade.

“Come this way.”

When Lucia gently pulled Owen’s arm and spoke, the servants around them looked surprised.

Apparently, they hadn’t seen Lucia the night she got heavily drunk after hearing Owen’s confession.

“I’ve prepared a rowboat. Do you like it?”

“Yes.”

Owen followed her hand and headed towards the rowboat.

The two of them got on the boat together.

As before, they sat facing each other with the boatman in between.

Once they were seated, Lucia asked with a smile.

“Do you like me speaking informally, too?”

“I do.”

“You have a peculiar taste, as I mentioned before.”

Until recently, Lucia had considered the memories of her drunken day as embarrassing. However, she quickly moved past that.

She usually viewed the past in that way.

As merely things that had happened.

So, Lucia was not one to dwell on past events.

Moreover, Owen said he liked her informal speech, so there was nothing to worry about.

“What part?”

“Just, all of it?”

Liking informal speech was strange, but when she thought about it, Owen’s unique preferences didn’t stop there.

“You said you wanted to give me everything I wanted? To let me have what I wanted. Most would call that wasteful.”

Lucia knew that even those who liked her didn’t like her spending habits.

Without exception, except for the man in front of her.

“I just like honesty.”

“Most people would say to hide some of your desires.”

“Am I not like most people?”

“Not quite.”

“Then ignoring those ‘most people’ should be fine.”

The conclusion seemed odd.

When Lucia furrowed her brows slightly, Owen smiled gently.

The boatman rowed, and soon they were in the middle of the lake.

His smile against the backdrop of the lush lake was serene.

“You are just a special person. If the people who criticize you for not understanding you are ‘most people,’ then you don’t need to bother with them. It’s only tiring.”

“…I can’t figure you out.”

“I’ve been hearing that a lot lately.”

“Did someone else say that too?”

“My butler.”

At Owen’s response, Lucia nodded as if she understood.

“I guess if you talk every day, one might think that.”

“In what way?”

“In your contradictions. You seem considerate and kind, but sometimes you appear harsh and calculating. Like now.”

“That’s because…”

Owen trailed off at Lucia’s observation.

Then he slowly continued.

“There’s no need for me to be kind to people who dislike you.”

Swoosh.

The wind blew.

The branches of the willows swayed gently in the breeze.

The green leaves trembled in the wind.

Ripples appeared on the surface of the blue lake.

“I only treat my people well. I generally try to be amicable, but there’s no reason to be nice to those who make my people suffer.”

Owen had never considered himself a good person.

He saw himself as rather bad and selfish.

Altruism?

That was just a facade.

As Lucia said, he was a contradictory person.

He generally treated everyone well, but the moment they showed their claws, he cut off his kindness.

He would be polite even to a beast with black hair, but if it revealed its true nature, he would ruthlessly strike it down.

“That’s what makes you kind.”

Lucia said as she looked at Owen.

She seemed to have a different perspective, speaking in a gentle voice as if to enlighten him rather than contradict him.

“You would do anything to protect your people. Your love is that way too. It’s a type I’ve never seen before.”

Lucia brought up the topic from that day.

Owen blushed, remembering his confession.

The sense of embarrassment surged.

He felt his heart flutter, but he suppressed his emotions to remain calm.

“I just think it’s natural because they’re my people.”

“Most people prioritize their own lives and benefits.”

“I also value my life and benefits. It’s just that my people are more important.”

“That’s the part I found curious.”

Lucia pinpointed the fact.

Owen, finding it possible, agreed.

“People have different aspects. But more importantly.”

The rowboat was nearing the shore where the willows were planted.

It was the opposite shore from where they had boarded.

Owen added as he looked at the approaching land.

“What are you planning to do now?”

Lucia wanted to have Owen completely, and Owen had confessed as she desired.

Now, the only thing left for Lucia to do to ‘completely’ have him was to formalize their relationship.

Engagement and then marriage.

That was the most complete way to possess someone, especially someone of equal status.

There was no more thorough form of binding than a legally recognized family relationship.

Lucia knew this even better than Owen.

“Well.”

Surely, she knew, but for some reason, Lucia didn’t give a clear answer.

She just mumbled, lost in thought.

“What should I do?”