065. Dream (3)

“Wh-what…?”

Lucia’s startled reaction to Owen’s question was understandable.

She had always considered love unnecessary and didn’t understand it.

“What do you mean, all of a sudden…?”

So she asked directly, thinking it might be better to speak plainly.

Otherwise, Owen feared that Lucia would never realize her own feelings.

She might continue to confuse them with possessiveness, obsession, and jealousy, and it would end there.

“Because of the way you look at me.”

Her red eyes trembled slightly.

Owen continued, looking directly into her eyes.

“You look at me like you love me.”

“…I…”

Lucia’s lips parted slowly.

She began to say something, but her words trailed off, unfinished.

The confusion in her eyes clearly reflected her inner turmoil.

Usually, she was someone who could easily hide her deeper emotions.

This showed just how startled and caught off guard she was.

“Your maid asked you to think about what you truly wanted, didn’t she?”

“…Yes.”

“And you thought it was my kindness.”

“That’s right.”

Owen nodded as he looked at Lucia and smiled.

His smile was warm and filled with kindness.

“Think about it again.”

“…Again?”

“Yes, again.”

Owen gently stroked Lucia’s hair as he spoke, his touch tender and affectionate.

“Think about why you like my kindness. Why you desire someone like me.”

“That’s…”

“It’s probably not just because of the kindness itself. After all, you wouldn’t appreciate kindness from someone you didn’t care about.”

At those words, Lucia froze.

She had a look of realization on her face, as if someone had struck a chord with her.

“So think about it, Lucia. What is it that you truly want?”

Owen whispered into her ear, his voice soft and coaxing, before planting a light kiss on her forehead and pulling back.

He could now understand the slight tremor that ran through her.

“There’s no rush. We have plenty of time.”

Owen added as he looked into her confused eyes.

There was indeed no need to rush.

Owen loved her, and no matter what, the two of them would end up engaged.

Even if it took her some time to realize her feelings, the situation was already in his favor.

“Take your time and think it over at your leisure. If you want, you can stay at the estate for a few days.”

Owen stepped back from the desk, putting some distance between them.

The sun was now at its peak in the sky, signaling that it was midday.

“I had cleared my schedule because of the royal banquet, so I’m free for the next few days, including today.”

The summer royal banquet lasted for five days, during which Owen and Kyle were expected to attend the entire event.

However, due to the incident, the banquet had ended early, giving Owen some unexpected free time.

“…Can I stay for four days?”

After some deliberation, Lucia asked.

She probably understood why Owen had suggested it.

There was no better way to confirm the rumors of their engagement and impending marriage than by staying at the estate for a few days.

Especially since Owen was known for not allowing guests to stay at his estate.

“If that’s what you want.”

“Alright. Then I’ll do that.”

“I’ll send word to the Edelte Duchy.”

Lucia agreed to Owen’s suggestion.

Owen pulled the bell cord, planning to send a message to inform the Edelte estate that Lucia would be staying for a few days.

“You called for me, Your Grace?”

As soon as Owen pulled the cord, a waiting attendant promptly entered the room.

He briefly hesitated upon seeing Lucia seated on the desk but quickly masked his surprise and maintained a composed demeanor.

“Send a message to the Edelte Duchy. Inform them that Lucia will be staying at the Verdun estate for the next four days.”

“Understood.”

Owen was pleased with how the attendant, despite likely guessing the situation, skillfully pretended not to notice.

Fortunately, most of the staff at the Verdun estate were just as perceptive as this attendant. They knew when to turn a blind eye to certain situations or when to take action discreetly to avoid any awkwardness.

“Is lunch ready?” Owen asked just as the attendant was about to leave.

“Yes, it should be ready shortly. Would you like me to show you to the dining room?”

“Please do.”

Owen nodded once and then approached Lucia again. Just as he had lifted her onto the desk earlier, he gently lifted her down. Although Lucia could have easily gotten down by herself, he felt it was only right since he was the one who had placed her there.

“Shall we go to the dining room?”

“…Yes.”

Ever since Owen had asked if she loved him, Lucia seemed to be deep in thought. She answered slowly, took Owen’s hand, and allowed him to lead her as the attendant guided them to the dining room, but her mind seemed preoccupied. It was clear that she was pondering various thoughts, likely about the questions Owen had posed and whether she truly felt love for him.

“Enjoy your meal.”

When they reached the dining room after walking through the halls and descending the stairs, the attendant bowed and excused himself. Owen gave a slight nod in return before leading Lucia inside.

The Verdun estate was vast, with numerous dining rooms, each suited for different numbers of guests and purposes. In total, there were twelve dining rooms in the estate. The one they had chosen for lunch today was different from the one they had used last time.

Unlike the previous dining room, which had a long dining table and a formal, solemn atmosphere, today’s dining room had a lighter, more intimate feel. Although the chandelier hanging from the ceiling was ornate, the room had a more personal ambiance. The table was round rather than long, making it better suited for the two of them to dine together face-to-face.

“I’ll pour the water first.”

As they entered the room, the waiting attendants and maids approached them. Two of them pulled out chairs for Lucia and Owen, while the others poured water and brought out the beverages.

“What would you like to drink? We have wine, champagne, herbal tea, leaf tea, fruit ade, and juice prepared.”

“I’ll have the fruit ade, please.”

Lucia chose the fruit-flavored option from the list of beverages. Owen silently commended himself for having instructed the staff to prepare it in advance. Today’s fruit ade was grapefruit, and the juice was orange.

“And what kind of leaf tea do you have?”

“We have green tea, Your Grace.”

“Then I’ll have that.”

The fruit ade and juice prepared for Lucia were sweetened with sugar to add a touch of sweetness and tartness. It wasn’t a flavor Owen particularly enjoyed. He generally didn’t prefer sweet things, partly because his senses were overly sensitive, even to taste. His taste buds were so acute that overly sweet flavors could feel overwhelming, almost numbing.

In Korea, he used to drink Americano or espresso, but unfortunately, there was no coffee in *The Flower of the Empire*. As a result, Owen typically drank strong leaf teas with high caffeine content, such as green tea or black tea.

“Owen, you seem to prefer leaf teas.”

Lucia observed as the attendants poured the beverages.

“Is green tea your favorite?”

“It is.”

Owen nodded, and Lucia’s eyes lit up.

It seemed she was already thinking of getting him a gift.

‘…Now that I think about it, she’s always been quite transparent.’

Seeing her now, Owen realized how often she had shown her feelings. She always paid close attention to everything he said and lit up whenever he mentioned something he liked. And then, she would inevitably find a way to gift him something he enjoyed.

‘I can’t believe I didn’t notice. I really was quite oblivious.’

He clicked his tongue inwardly, but there was no use regretting it now.

If he wanted to, he could come up with a justification. How could someone who was slow to recognize his own feelings quickly notice that someone else liked him? Especially when it was someone he had admired from a distance for so long.

“We’ll bring out the appetizer now.”

Once the drinks were served, the attendants left, and the appetizers were brought to the table.

“We have fruit salad, bread, and vegetable soup.”

Because Lucia loved fruit, the table was laden with it. It wasn’t just in the drinks and appetizers; fruit would also be featured in the main dish and dessert.

“We’ll bring out the main dish once you’ve finished the appetizer.”

Owen gave a brief nod in response to the attendant’s words. The attendant then bowed and withdrew, leaving only Owen and Lucia in the dining room.

“Let’s begin.”

“Yes.”

With those brief words exchanged, they picked up their utensils. The fork and spoon were made of silver, yet there wasn’t a single clattering sound. Both of them had been trained in strict etiquette from a young age, so this was natural.

Owen and Lucia gracefully lifted their spoons to sip the soup and used their forks to pick up the salad. Even the way they tore the bread was neat and elegant, following the noble customs they had been taught.

Just as they were about to finish the appetizer and Owen was reaching for the bell cord to summon the main dish, a flash of light appeared outside the window, followed by a loud rumble.

“It’s a thunderstorm. It looks like a downpour is coming.”

In an ordinary medieval setting, they might have worried about buildings catching fire, but this world had magic instead of advanced science. They had magical items that served as lightning rods, so there was no need to worry about that.

However…

-Mother?

That was the real issue.

Whenever the weather turned foul, terrible memories followed.

-Father…

It had been a summer of heavy rains.

The monsoon season had brought relief from the oppressive heat, but it also made the roads slick, leading to frequent carriage accidents. It was an accident that could have happened.

Rare and tragic, but entirely possible.

As usual, the Duke and Duchess of Verdun had left Owen behind and were returning from a retreat when they were caught in an accident and died.

Owen had been only seventeen when he lost his parents.

Despite the abuse and gaslighting he had endured, their loss was a significant shock.

In fact, it may have hit him harder because of it.

To the young boy, his parents must have seemed like towering, unshakeable mountains.

The fact that they had returned as cold, lifeless bodies shattered him with a sense of futility and loss.

-It was an accident. But… it seems there’s more to the story.

Losing his parents overnight was hard enough.

But that wasn’t the end.

There was a reason Owen didn’t believe in love.

-They both had secret lovers. The staff at the villa said they discovered each other’s affairs during the retreat.

On their final trip, Owen’s parents had apparently had a huge fight.

Then the accident occurred.

From what the staff said, they had even been arguing in the carriage, so their end was far from peaceful.

“Owen?”

His breathing became labored.

It felt like something was constricting his chest.

Owen clutched at his chest, struggling to catch his breath.

-If you were going to leave me, you should have at least loved each other.

This was strange.

These were just memories, nothing more.

But it felt as though he was reliving the trauma, with his emotions and body reacting involuntarily.

-If even you didn’t love each other, were we really a family?