030. Reason for Change (4)
To put it simply, it meant that Lucia, who had never appeared in social circles before, was a designer.
Lucia, who was quite satisfied, smiled as she lifted the shoes carefully placed in the box.
“I should go for a stroll by the lake.”
While Lucia was smiling happily, Mari opened the last box.
This time, it was a set of small earrings and a necklace made of blue sapphires in the shape of shells.
“Or maybe a trip to the seaside.”
The design seemed to be inspired by the sea and the beach, making one think of the designer being captivated by the sea.
Although there was a certain mood for each season, this was at the level of pleading, “Please wear it by the sea.”
“Since summer is approaching, it wouldn’t be bad.”
In April when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, Lucia had her first private conversation with Owen.
The day of the garden party was still vivid.
The words they shared on the lake too.
A month had passed since that day.
After the hunting competition and two weeks later, the season was heading towards the beginning of summer.
The end of June was a firm declaration of the end of spring.
“Shall we go to the seaside?”
After the hunting competition, Lucia met Owen two more times.
One was his dinner invitation, and the other was my invitation to him.
Drinking tea with him in the rose garden in full bloom in June was three days ago.
“There was no talk of horseback riding.”
Come to think of it, there was a promise made at the hunting competition, but Owen had not mentioned it since then.
He had contacted me and we had met, but he seemed very busy recently.
He seemed preoccupied, as if something was bothering him.
“…Is it because of the saint?”
Lucia, reaching that thought, lightly furrowed her brow.
If there was something bothering Owen now, it would probably be the sudden appearance of the saint.
Due to the saint awakening in the forest, he had responsibilities to handle.
As she was a saint born miraculously after a long absence, all eyes were on her, so it wasn’t strange for Owen to be concerned about her.
Unlike the temple and the royal family, he was not a Duke of Verdun.
Moreover, as the temple sided with the royal family to control the Duke of Verdun, there were things to prepare for or consider.
“But I still don’t like it.”
I understood the reason, but I still didn’t like it.
The moment I saw the saint at the hunting competition, I realized.
“Those eyes were definitely longing, unbearable eyes.”
Lucia, who was fiddling with the jewel of the necklace in her hand, put it back in the velvet box and let out a short breath.
“I can’t not know.”
It was impossible not to know.
How could I not notice?
The emotions reflected in the silver eyes of the saint were the same as mine.
“Owen seemed unaware, but….”
Unfortunately, I seemed to be the only one who noticed that fact.
Lucia tapped the table quietly, pondering.
“I thought there wouldn’t be such a thing since three years ago.”
Three years ago, after facing Owen, Lucia used her power to drive away those around him.
Those who remembered that incident dared not approach Owen.
Occasionally, there were young nobles who climbed up using their status as nobles, trying to approach Owen by avoiding her gaze, but….
They were the same as they were three years ago.
“Being too popular is a problem after all.”
Lucia instructed Mari to tidy up the wrapping paper and ribbon and quietly examined the gifts on the table.
“Well, there’s nothing to be done with such looks.”
But what could be done.
It was because Owen was excessively beautiful.
Fragrant flowers are bound to attract insects.
Next to him were businessmen and nobles who approached him based on his abilities and status, young nobles and a few young ladies who were attracted by his looks.
The latter had significantly decreased since three years ago, but that was probably only on the surface.
It wouldn’t be easy to give up on him even in her heart.
“Should I stir up more rumors of love?”
Lucia got up from her seat with a sly smile.
It seemed like she would have to write a letter after all.
If Owen doesn’t speak first, there’s no other way.
I have to take the lead.
* * *
“Your Highness, a letter has arrived from Lady Edelt.”
When Owen was struggling with paperwork in his study,
his steward, Logan, knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
With a brief permission, the study door opened quietly.
Logan silently approached the desk and delicately placed the letter on it.
As Owen glanced at the red envelope with the eagle-shaped seal representing Edelt, even the sealing wax caught his eye.
He took out a paper knife from the drawer.
Carefully removing the sealing wax with the paper knife, he revealed the letter written in Lucia’s elegant handwriting.
[Owen,
Do you remember the promise we made at the hunting competition?
We were supposed to go horseback riding together, remember?
You mentioned a place you wanted to go together.
I wonder where that place is.
It’s almost summer vacation, and I hope we can visit before it’s too late.
Many people will head to the beach for the summer.
Lucia Edelt.]
“…Ah.”
After reading Lucia’s letter completely, Owen recalled the promise he made at the hunting competition.
“How could I forget about this?”
There was a place he wanted to go horseback riding with Lucia.
A place with impressive scenery described in “Empire’s Flower.”
The coastal city in the west, “Ocean.”
He wanted to visit the seaside resort where Owen and Bella had gone for vacation together in the original side story.
“I got distracted by the fact that the original story deviated…”
Owen sighed deeply and ruffled his hair.
Logan found his behavior peculiar, but that wasn’t important right now.
“The deviation in the original story and Lucia are separate.”
The deviation in the original story?
Bella behaving differently from the original?
Of course, it was important.
It was necessary to predict what might happen in the future because of it.
However, no matter how important those things were, they were not more important than Lucia.
“Think about priorities.”
Owen repeated to himself inwardly.
Lucia was his priority.
That fact wouldn’t change no matter what he put beside it.
“Logan.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Prepare the guesthouse in Ocean. I plan to visit soon.”
“Yes, understood.”
While it was a definite fact that he would go to Ocean, it was necessary to prepare the place to stay in advance.
Fortunately, there was no need to find separate accommodation.
Owen had a villa in his name.
This fact was also included in the reason why he and Bella visited Ocean in the original.
With a villa and Ocean being a resort city, it was suitable for enjoying the seaside and spending time together.
Although it felt a bit awkward to visit a place the two of them had been to, it was ultimately something that didn’t exist in this world.
Although this place was the setting of “Empire’s Flower,” it was no longer a novel called “Empire’s Flower.”
It was another world and the reality he was currently living in.
“Tell them to prepare two horses as well.”
“Yes.”
After conveying the message to prepare the horses to Logan, Owen immediately wrote a reply to Lucia’s letter.
Gracefully writing on the paper, Owen sealed it with sealing wax in a black envelope.
He then handed it to Logan.
Due to the considerable back and forth of letters between the two, Logan accepted the letter without any further questions, bowing slightly.
It had become a familiar routine by now.
“I’ll take my leave.”
Logan left the office after a brief farewell.
On his way to deliver a letter to Sijong, Logan suddenly remembered his friends’ stories.
As he worked as a butler, there were many people around him who also worked as butlers.
– Ugh… Our Viscount keeps crossing paths with me, falling in love. What should I do about this?
It seemed like many friends were complaining about the pain of their superiors falling in love.
However, Logan’s perspective was different from theirs.
‘Finally meeting someone.’
Owen had an incredible record of never having been in a relationship.
Was it just that?
He had never even liked someone before, let alone had friends.
‘Ah. I heard that he got a bit closer to Topju during the hunting competition.’
Logan recalled the recent rumors circulating about Owen.
There were three main rumors about Owen lately.
One was about Owen dating Lucia, the other was about his swordsmanship skills, and the last one was about him seeming close to Matopju.
‘Fortunately, very fortunate.’
Humans are social animals.
Even if not many, it was necessary to have one or two friends unknowingly.
‘And it seems like the relationship is progressing smoothly.’
Moreover, there seemed to be no major issues on the relationship front.
He was surprised when Owen received a gift and just wanted to keep it, but since then, everything seemed to be going smoothly.
‘By the way… If this continues, will the two of them get engaged and married?’
Rumors were spreading that the two were dating, and incidents between them during the hunting competition were also circulating.
Considering their status and family influence being so similar, it seemed likely that they would get engaged and married.
‘So, is he going to be the future lord.’
Thinking ahead of the parties involved, Logan stroked his chin thoughtfully before coming to a conclusion.
‘I guess I should look good.’