071. Awareness (3)
“Those words… If you say them to anyone else, I won’t forgive you.”
To be honest, it seemed overly dependent.
Relying too much on one person wasn’t ideal.
Yet, she liked it.
Lucia didn’t try to stop him—instead, she issued a warning.
“There’s no way that would happen.”
Owen merely smiled in response to her warning.
His expression was serene and impeccably composed, but the words he spoke were nothing short of submissive.
“You’re the only one I love.”
“For now, sure.”
“I swear it’ll be for a lifetime. If you wish, I can even make a vow.”
Lucia fell silent under the steady gaze directed at her.
His love was so deep, so vast, and so overwhelming that she felt guilty for doubting him even slightly.
“I’ll believe you.”
“Mm. Please, believe me.”
“And you… do you trust me?”
Lucia decided to stop pushing Owen further.
His eyes were filled with nothing but her.
So, instead, she asked him something else.
Owen’s eyes widened momentarily before he folded them into a gentle smile.
“I trust you.”
“You didn’t seem so sure earlier.”
“It just felt… surreal, that’s all.”
When she pointed out his earlier hesitation, he responded with a brief reply.
“I told you, didn’t I? I can see your emotions in your eyes.”
“…You did.”
“You always want to have me, to possess me, and you look at me like you’re burning with desire. How could I ever doubt you when I see that in your eyes?”
“…”
Lucia had no more words to offer.
Everything Owen said was true, leaving her without any room to argue.
Not that she had any reason to argue, anyway.
“…Doesn’t that bother you at all?”
She was simply curious.
She was always so possessive, wanting to own him, disliking when others looked at him.
She wondered if her behavior might be annoying or burdensome.
“Not at all. If anything, it makes me happy.”
Lucia, caught off guard by his unexpected answer, fell silent for a moment before letting out a sigh.
“Your tastes are… a little strange.”
“I hear that sometimes.”
“…You like being the object of obsession? Possessiveness or jealousy?”
Owen remained unperturbed.
It was hard to believe that this was the same person who had been crying just a while ago.
“It’s not that I like obsession itself. The same goes for possessiveness or jealousy.”
“Then why on earth…?”
“It’s because *you’re* the one doing it, Lucia. I like it when *you’re* jealous, when *you’re* possessive, when *you* want to have me. I wouldn’t like it from anyone else. Isn’t that obvious?”
Lucia found herself a little dazed by his explanation.
Truly, Owen loved her beyond anything she could have imagined.
His love was so vast and immense that he even cherished every way she showed her love.
“You look like you don’t quite understand.”
“…A little, yeah. Even I think the way I love is a bit problematic.”
Lucia knew well enough that her way of wanting someone was quite self-centered.
Her style of love wasn’t much different.
It was selfish and self-centered.
It might even scare the other person if taken too far.
“Then, why don’t you think of it the other way around?”
Seeing her struggle to understand, Owen suggested this gently.
“How would you feel if I were the one jealous and possessive of you?”
“Ah…”
She had never seen Owen being jealous or possessive.
He wasn’t the kind of person to love that way.
But…
“…I think I’d like it.”
Why doesn’t that sound bad?
Lucia was surprised by her own preference.
Had she always liked this kind of person?
It didn’t seem like it.
“What if I wanted to have you all to myself?”
“I’d like that too.”
Goodness.
Lucia suddenly found herself understanding Owen perfectly.
The thought of a possessive, jealous, and demanding Owen…
Even imagining it made her feel good.
Though he was always so gentle, the thought of him being less so wasn’t unwelcome.
“See? It’s just because it’s coming from someone you love.”
Seeing the realization on her face, he smiled, bright and pure.
He was always this calm, so gentle and pure.
A person with a disciplined and upright demeanor.
That’s why she was curious about his reactions, curious about how much of her he could accept.
Whether someone so upright could embrace her selfish and twisted love.
“Lucia, I love you. Every part of the way you love me.”
The ocean was deeper and wider than it seemed.
The end of the deep blue sea was distant and dark.
It might be suffocatingly deep, enough to take one’s breath away.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to so easily swallow up her inferno.
“Shall we set a date for the engagement? If you want, I’m fine with even tomorrow.”
“…Maybe not tomorrow, but let’s set it as soon as possible. We can announce it immediately.”
Even though she already had him, she wanted to hold on tighter.
There wouldn’t be anyone else who could accept and understand her like he did.
She was sure she’d never meet another who loved, understood, and wanted her as much as he did.
And likewise…
“Everyone needs to know that you belong to me.”
She, too, was certain that she’d never find another she could love like this.
She didn’t want to let go of this fiery, all-consuming love that could sweep everything away.
* * *
“You look wonderful, my lady.”
That afternoon, Lucia visited the Verdun Ducal Estate from the boutique.
Thanks to Stella Boutique’s willingness to send staff despite their busy schedule, Lucia managed to get all the clothes she wanted tailored to her needs.
“Really?”
“Yes, the color suits you perfectly. Though, to be honest, any color would look good on you.”
“If there were any colors that didn’t suit me, it would be hard to call me ‘The Flower of the Empire.'”
“You’re absolutely right.”
Lucia knew her appearance well enough. She brushed off the staff’s compliment with ease and changed the subject.
“But doesn’t Stella Boutique rarely offer in-home visits?”
“…That’s true, for the most part.”
“So why the exception today? Because of the rain? Even so, I’m sure you had reservations lined up.”
The staff hesitated briefly before replying, as if contemplating how much to share.
“May I speak frankly?”
“Go ahead.”
Lucia nodded, indicating she wanted the truth, and the staff carefully chose their words.
“When you requested a visit, it meant you needed new clothing… The baron of Stella mentioned that there wouldn’t be a sudden need for clothing for His Grace, the Duke of Verdun.”
The “Baron of Stella” referred to the owner of the boutique, who Lucia met quite often, given her VIP status there.
‘She’s always been a perceptive person, and so are her staff,’ Lucia thought.
“That’s why she immediately deduced that you, Lady Edelte, would be present. Besides, when the maid mentioned a need for women’s clothing, it was an easy guess.”
“So… that’s why you came here?”
“Well, it’s the Duke of Verdun and the House of Edelte, after all. The baroness thought it would be an honor if the boutique could be associated with the union of your two houses.”
It seemed the Baron of Stella had already figured everything out—that Owen and Lucia were spending time together at the estate, with the boutique catering to them.
The gossip about the two would likely spread far and wide among the nobility, and it appeared the baroness hoped her boutique’s name would be part of that buzz.
“She’s quick to think. I like that.”
“I’m sure the baroness would be honored to hear that.”
“And you too, I presume.”
“Oh my, is that so?”
When the staff pretended to be surprised and blinked innocently, Lucia let out a small laugh.
“You must have had appointments lined up, yet you made the effort to come here. It seems you were keen to make a good impression on me, weren’t you?”
“You’ve caught me… How embarrassing.”
The staff placed a hand on their cheek, feigning embarrassment. Lucia appreciated such bold and calculating individuals.
She liked those who knew how to seize opportunities and were adept at taking what they could; such people could prove useful in many ways.
“From now on, you’ll be in charge of my orders. Inform the baron of that.”
“It would be an honor, my lady.”
Boutique staff earned incentives based on a percentage of the items sold to each client. As a VIP, Lucia was naturally a sought-after customer among them.
“I’ll take everything you brought. Please put it on my account.”
“Ah, about that…”
Just as she was about to sign for the payment, the staff hesitated.
“His Grace, Duke Verdun, has already signed for the purchase. He instructed that anything you wished to buy should be charged to his account.”
“He’s quick, isn’t he?”
Lucia clicked her tongue lightly and surveyed the hall again.
Owen had opened up the banquet hall to display dresses, gowns, shoes, and accessories for her selection.
As she glanced over the garments filling the room, Lucia asked the staff, “Besides these, did you bring any men’s attire?”
“There aren’t any suits or formal wear, but we did bring tie pins and cufflinks. Would you like to see them?”
As expected, the staff of Stella Boutique were quick to understand their clients.
When Lucia nodded, a box set aside was opened.
“They’re black engraved designs with rubies. We thought they might suit your taste, so we set them aside for you.”
“I like them. I’ll take these. And the tie pin?”
“This one is made with a sleek, silver design.”
“I’ll take that too.”
Stella Boutique had an uncanny knack for understanding Lucia’s preferences.
She decided to purchase all the cufflinks and tie pins brought by the staff and finalized the payment.
“Put these two on my account.”
“Of course, my lady. Would you like them gift-wrapped?”
“That would be nice.”
The staff directed others to wrap the items as gifts.
They then handed over the purchased garments to the attendants, who promptly carried them away—likely to place them in the dressing room of the guest chamber assigned to Lucia.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you for all your hard work today.”
“Oh, it was nothing.”
After the boutique staff offered their farewells and left, Lucia took the two neatly wrapped boxes and exited the hall.
Owen had stepped out to give her privacy while she tried on the clothes, so he was probably in his study.
“The rain hasn’t stopped yet.”
The rain that had begun in the morning was still pouring down heavily.
Lucia was a bit concerned about Owen, but he had assured her he’d be fine with company.
He had mentioned that yesterday’s incident and the morning’s were due to the sudden downpour.
Since he was with the butler, she assumed everything would be alright.
With that thought, she made her way up the stairs.
“Ah, are those gifts for His Grace?”
When she reached the fifth floor, a knight in the hallway asked with wide eyes.
Lucia took a moment to observe the knight’s appearance.
“It seems you’re the captain of the knights, correct?”
It seemed she had seen him before during a hunting competition.
“Yes, that’s correct. I am Jade, my lady.”
“Sir Jade. Are you here to make a report?”
“Yes, my lady. The butler appears to be in conversation, so I’m waiting for a moment.”
“I see…”
She couldn’t hear anything, but knights had exceptional senses, after all.
Lucia nodded once and continued speaking.
“Why did you seem so surprised, though?”
“Ah, well… It’s just that His Grace treasures anything you send, my lady.”
“That’s why?”
The reason seemed trivial to her.
It was something she thought Owen would naturally do.
He was a very considerate person, and he cherished those close to him just as much.
“Well… I’m not sure how to put this, but there’s a room. A room with a display case.”
Lucia found herself rethinking her assumptions at the knight’s next words.
“In that room, His Grace keeps everything you’ve given or sent him. He cherishes them so much that everyone was quite astonished.”
