Side Story 8. Day by Day

Lucia remembered it clearly.

Not just the first night they spent together, but even the next time—how Owen would only take the initiative after she actively encouraged him.

He was a man of firm principles, someone who strictly adhered to the customs of nobility.

Was that why?

Lucia naturally assumed that their married life would follow a similar pattern.

At least, she ‘had’ thought so.

“Owen.”

Lucia looked up at Owen, who had effortlessly pinned her down.

“Weren’t you working?”

“…I was,” he admitted without hesitation, never one to lie to her.

Lucia placed her hands on his shoulders, her expression conflicted.

“Shouldn’t you finish your work?”

“Later.”

“But I have work to do too.”

“Hmm…”

The man who postponed his own work without a second thought now sounded genuinely troubled.

While it was fine for him to delay his tasks since he could bear the consequences, Lucia’s responsibilities seemed to weigh differently.

Even that small consideration made her smile in resignation.

“Well, I don’t mind either. It can wait.”

“…Are you sure?”

“Mm. It’s not urgent.”

As the mistress of the Verdun Ducal Household, Lucia had gained a mountain of responsibilities that came with her position.

It had taken her some time to adjust, but by now, she had become accustomed to the workload. Delaying things slightly wasn’t a big deal anymore.

Once her full approval was given, Owen tilted his head down toward her.

His lips parted, stealing Lucia’s breath away.

She responded to the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Though the couch in the office wasn’t exactly comfortable for lying down, she found herself forgetting that detail as she became lost in the kiss.

In the office bathed in the afternoon sunlight, the two shared a lingering moment.

The couch was far too small for them to lie comfortably, but their kiss was anything but brief.

“…You’ve become quite persistent, Owen.”

Lucia caught her breath only after Owen finally pulled away.

The man who used to blush at the slightest kiss or touch was nowhere to be seen. Owen now carried himself with a calm confidence that left her a little wistful.

Her words, spoken like a lighthearted complaint, made Owen press a quick kiss to her forehead before pulling back.

“It’s because I’ve fallen even more in love with you.”

He spoke sweetly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, while his hand settled on her waist.

The intent behind the casual movement was clear.

Lucia let out a soft laugh, her hand sliding down from his neck. Just as Owen had done, she moved her hand to grip his tie.

Loosening the neatly tied knot and undoing the first button, she finally drew a reaction from him.

As a few buttons came undone with a quiet pop, the tips of his ears flushed red.

“You’re the one who pushed me down first.”

Finding his awkward demeanor adorable, Lucia teased him, her tone playful as she pressed a finger against his lips.

When he gently nipped her finger with his lips, she couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“It’s your fault for looking so beautiful today.”

Owen let her finger go, adding his excuse like an afterthought.

It wasn’t entirely untrue.

Lucia was always stunning, but today, she had stood out even more than usual.

She wore a bold red dress, as vibrant as her fiery red hair. Its daring cut made it seem more fitting for a grand party, catching Owen’s attention more than once throughout the day.

“You sure know how to talk.”

Smiling as brightly as her dress, Lucia straightened up and leaned in closer to whisper in his ear.

“Let’s move to the bedroom.”

If they continued in the office, the aftermath would undoubtedly be a headache to deal with.

Owen nodded without protest and effortlessly scooped her into his arms.

As they had done before, the two headed to the bedroom together.

* * *

Time flew by.

With no major events disrupting their days, the peaceful monotony made the days pass even faster.

Unlike the eventful year they had previously endured, the past year had been smooth and tranquil. Before they knew it, another spring had arrived.

On a certain day in April, their first wedding anniversary quietly approached.

The two spent a great deal of time talking and deliberating.

What would be the perfect way to celebrate? Where should they go?

After much deliberation, the two finally arrived at a satisfying conclusion.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been here.”

On the day marking their first wedding anniversary, Owen and Lucia set out on a journey.

Their destination was Oceane, a place with a beautiful ocean they had visited before.

“So it seems,” Owen agreed.

The fresh spring breeze tousled their hair as it passed by, carrying the mingling scents of spring and the salty sea air.

The two strolled along the sandy beach before mounting their horses—Lucia’s white mare, Lina, and Owen’s steed, Bill.

“Lina, I’m counting on you again today,” Lucia murmured to her horse before setting off at a steady pace, her horseback skills now noticeably refined.

Owen followed at a relaxed pace, his gaze trailing after Lucia.

The white mare and black horse galloped along the shoreline with a slight distance between them.

As the sea breeze swept past, Lucia’s red hair danced in the wind. Watching her from behind, Owen felt a renewed sense of peace in his otherwise ordinary life.

Lately, Owen often found himself dreaming.

Perhaps it was the unsettling side effect of prolonged tranquility, a kind of ridiculous anxiety born from the calm.

Dreams where everything seemed so peaceful that it felt unreal, like it could shatter at any moment.

‘Owen’ had long since become synonymous with himself, but the memories of living as ‘Jung Woo-hyun’ remained vivid.

That duality occasionally brought dreams—memories of his time on Earth or nightmarish visions of everything crumbling into nothingness.

Sometimes, he dreamt that all of this was merely a figment of his imagination—a cruel nightmare in its own way.

Despite knowing it wasn’t real, the unsettling clarity of those dreams lingered with him.

In those moments of anxiety, Owen instinctively sought Lucia, holding her close and reaffirming the reality of their shared warmth.

Whenever he woke, he would embrace her and remind himself that this life was real, that she was real.

And with that, the unease would melt away.

His waking hours were peaceful.

Every morning, he woke to see Lucia, to touch her, and to share his days with her.

Their time together left little room for other thoughts, grounding him firmly in this world.

Even when they were with others, the moments they shared rooted him in reality.

“…Owen?”

Lucia’s voice pulled him from his reverie. She had stopped ahead, turning her horse around to face him.

Pulling Lina to a halt, she tilted her head, studying him. Owen snapped back to the present.

“Ah… I was lost in thought for a moment.”

“What were you thinking about?”

“Nothing in particular.”

“That’s hard to believe, considering how often you’ve been zoning out lately.”

With a short sigh, Lucia maneuvered Lina closer to Owen.

Handling her horse with ease, she reached his side and asked gently, “Is something worrying you?”

Owen hesitated.

The truth was something he couldn’t fully share.

To explain his worries would require him to disclose everything—how he was someone from another world, how he had come to inhabit this body. The unnecessary complexity of it all made him choose his words carefully.

“Lately, I’ve been having nightmares.”

“Nightmares? What kind?”

“Dreams where everything falls apart… where reality unravels.”

Lucia blinked, processing his words.

A reality that unraveled—it meant losing something precious, something that defined his peace.

“I lose it. The peace I thought I’d gained.”

Owen’s voice carried a mix of emptiness and vulnerability.

Lucia observed him for a moment before dismounting and walking to his side. Reaching out her hand, she helped him down from his horse.

“What does peace mean to you?” she asked softly.

“A life with you,” Owen replied, his honesty unguarded.

“To be able to stay by your side.”

He described his dreams—of losing the life they had built, of the cruel idea that it could all be taken from him like a fleeting illusion.

“That’s what peace is to me,” he concluded.

For Owen, staying in a world where Lucia existed and living beside her was his wish, his miracle.

The thought of losing that miraculous reality terrified him more than anything.

Recently, his nightmares had tormented him with such cruel possibilities.

“Were you afraid of losing me?” Lucia asked, her tone light yet laced with affection.

Hearing her response, Owen met her eyes, startled. She smiled, her gaze tender.

Her beloved husband, so dear and precious, carried a fear that made him even more endearing.

At times, she felt as though his every emotion revolved around her. His love, his fears—all centered on the possibility of losing her.

“You know that would never happen,” Lucia whispered, cupping his face in her hands.

Her emerald eyes met his deep, dark gaze, unwavering.

“I won’t let go of you. No matter where you try to run.”

“As if I’d ever run from you,” Owen replied, his voice steady.

“Then there’s no chance we’ll part. Even if you come to hate me, I’m too selfish to let you go,” she said, her tone playful but her words possessive.

Her words carried a thorny sense of obsession, one Owen couldn’t help but find alluring.

Lucia still loved beautiful things—breathtaking scenery, exquisite flowers, stunning paintings, dazzling jewels, and elegant clothes.

But she no longer sought to collect them obsessively.

After all, she already had someone more beautiful than anything else in the world.

A man who was gentle, kind, and completely hers.

She would never let him go.

Owen Verdun belonged to her and her alone. No one—not even a god—could take him away from her. And if they dared, she would retrieve him, no matter the cost.

“So don’t worry, Owen. It’s just a dream. I’ll never let you slip away.”

Hearing her resolute voice, Owen closed his eyes slowly.

The setting sun cast a brilliant crimson glow, painting the sky and sea with its vibrant hue.

The horizon blazed red, as if the entire world belonged to the sun.

“Don’t ever let me go. That way, I’ll feel at ease,” Owen murmured, resting his head on her shoulder.

He felt like the sky and sea at that moment, consumed by the vivid light of the setting sun.

Even if he were entirely engulfed by Lucia, he thought, it wouldn’t be so bad.

“I love you, Lucia,” he whispered.

Bathed in the same red light, Owen repeated his daily vow of love.

“I love you, always.”

Lucia, gazing at him illuminated by the sunlight, gave the same answer she always did.

The two instinctively knew this would be their truth forever.

They would continue to speak of their love and hear it in return, sharing a life that felt too short to hold all their affection.

Even when days of doubt came, they would whisper love to each other, soothing away the fears.

And one day, they would realize a simple truth.

There was never much to fear.

Even the ending—an “ordinary, simple happily ever after”—was someone’s reality.

***

<The Side Story of I Became the Male Lead of a Romance Novel: Complete.>

 

 

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