035. Ocean (5)
Suddenly, Lucia thought that Owen was like the moon.
If the sun seemed to burn and consume everything around, he was like the moon, quietly emitting light.
Even with countless stars around, he was the one who exuded the greatest presence.
Even if the surrounding stars whispered, he remained indifferent.
And he looked at me.
Like the moon shining in the sunlight, he wanted to reach me.
“….”
The sound of my heartbeat began to tickle my ears.
Thump, thump.
Since when was it?
Sometimes, when facing Owen, there were moments when the incessant sound of my heart made me flustered.
It became difficult to maintain composure.
Unexpectedly.
Clearly, Lucia was happy.
She gazed leisurely at the scenery, at Owen.
Until just now, she had even found it amusing.
But….
-Princess, in such situations, we usually use the word ‘happy’ instead of ‘amusing.’
Why did Marie’s voice that had just occurred keep repeating?
As if the emotion I was feeling at this moment was happiness.
As if this moment, walking by the sea together, felt that way.
“I hope you remember today for a long time.”
The night breeze blew.
A chilly wind tinged with the saltiness of the sea brushed past the two.
Lucia felt her hair fluttering in the wind and caught sight of her short black hair swaying gently.
The black eyes that met hers afterwards were so deep that they were hard to fathom.
“…Really?”
“Yes.”
He replied softly in agreement.
Then he added.
“You said it yourself. This place would become precious after this trip.”
“Yes, I did say that.”
“Your words were right. Perhaps this place will become such a place for me.”
He was confessing honestly.
Although there were no words she hoped to hear, Lucia could still understand.
Owen really…
“I hope it becomes such a place for you too.”
That you, like me.
Despite the deep eyes and the concealed expression on his face that revealed nothing, she could tell.
His attitude, his hesitation, his actions all seemed to be pointing towards one thing.
Some might question it, but Lucía could understand.
Whether it was the one or two who sang songs of love enchanted by her beauty.
The attitudes and actions of those who professed love were similar to his.
It wasn’t an exact match, but it felt that way.
“So that it may linger in your memory for a long time.”
Like flowing water, his voice drifted on the breeze.
Lucía couldn’t muster a response, simply staring at Owen intently.
Even in her silent demeanor, Owen made no haste.
He simply smiled.
Cheerful and bright.
Lucía quietly observed his appearance, standing tall and dignified.
As if trying to remember the moment for a long time, just like that.
* * *
Owen never managed to utter the words of affection.
Not that night, nor the next day.
The words of love remained stuck on the tip of his tongue.
He didn’t know why even he hesitated so much to say it, but time kept flowing relentlessly.
And then, the afternoon came again.
Lucía and Owen had come to the beach for their original purpose of horseback riding.
“How beautiful.”
Among the two horses the steward had prepared, Lucía chose the white one.
White horses were typically used in ceremonies, making them as rare as finding a star in the sky, and consequently, they were quite expensive.
Owen admired the steward’s ability to acquire such a beautifully groomed white horse, which must have been difficult to obtain.
“The mane is so soft.”
Carefully mounting the horse, Lucía gently stroked the mane of the white horse as she gently whispered to the horse.
“If you pet him, he’ll like it.”
“Really?”
“The horse seems to like you, so it must be pleasant for him.”
“It feels nice.”
At Owen’s words, Lucía gently caressed the part where the horse’s neck and back connected.
The white fur was well-maintained, soft, and warm.
Seeing Lucía smile contentedly at the touch, Owen mounted his horse with reassurance.
He rode a plain brown horse.
Although well-maintained and of a healthy, sturdy breed, it didn’t possess any special color or appearance.
Having already an understanding of the fact that Owen had his own steed, even if he were to acquire a new horse, it would be intended for general use as a knight or carriage horse.
On the contrary, Lucía, being new to horseback riding, naturally assumed there wouldn’t be anything special about the horse this time.
‘She’s quick-witted, in any case.’
Despite rolling his eyes at the result of the steward’s preparations for the villa, Owen hadn’t anticipated they would go to such lengths as to prepare the horses.
Once again, Owen marveled at the abilities of his people.
From Logan to the servants and maids of the manor, to the steward and household staff of the villa.
Each and every one of them was talented and quick-witted.
Thanks to them, he was greatly assisted and comfortable, but sometimes he was astonished.
Moments of embarrassment arose when they quickly caught on to things I hadn’t mentioned.
“There are quite a few people here today.”
As Owen was lost in his thoughts.
Lucía suddenly spoke up.
Raising his head at her voice, Owen scanned the beach.
Today, just as Lucía had said, the atmosphere at the beach was different from yesterday.
Unlike the calm and quiet atmosphere of yesterday, today voices of people could be heard here and there.
“It seems like it’s because it’s the weekend.”
Though the number of people wasn’t overwhelming, it wasn’t exactly suitable for creating a private feeling.
Moreover, due to the status of the two individuals, all attention seemed to be directed towards them.
If asked if he hadn’t expected this, that would be untrue.
They had purposely come to a resort where people were present.
It was a location chosen to accommodate Lucía’s intentions.
It must have been mentioned in the original work, fitting her desires.
He thought there was no better place.
“Seems like it.”
“How about the horse? Isn’t it uncomfortable?”
The constant gaze of the people around was annoying, but Owen turned his head to look at Lucia.
Riding on a white horse, she looked as beautiful moving forward as she did yesterday.
Her outfit today was different from yesterday.
She had to wear riding clothes because of the horseback riding.
The riding pants and top she had on were suitable for movement.
Even in that neat attire, she was sufficiently beautiful.
Her long red hair was also tied up today.
“Not at all. The kid is kind.”
“Lucky.”
“What’s this kid’s name?”
At Lucia’s question, Owen briefly recalled from memory.
“Lina. That’s what the stable boy said.”
The white mare was a female.
The white mare had a name that complemented her beautiful appearance.
“Lina… It’s a pretty name.”
As Lucia stroked the horse’s back and murmured, the horse made a soft sound as if in a good mood.
“You seem to like her.”
“I just met her today.”
“Maybe animals sense when they have a good owner.”
At Owen’s subtly suggested words, Lucia’s cheeks blushed faintly.
A hint of excitement flashed in her eyes.
Due to her inability to be honest about joyful emotions, she didn’t smile brightly, but you could tell from the emotions in her eyes alone that she was happy.
“If only I could be honest about these things.”
Slowly riding alongside Lucia, Owen got lost in such musings.
“It’s probably also due to childhood influences.”
Lucia was honest.
About what she wanted and desired.
It was not only her innate character but also a product of her upbringing that made her speak honestly about what she wanted.
There were many things she couldn’t have if she didn’t ask for them.
Lucia grew up in a family where she had to speak up about what she wanted in order for others to hear her voice.
Growing up in that environment, she became someone who spoke honestly about her desires and wishes.
But at the same time, she learned to hide her emotions.
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She couldn’t just get angry when she was upset, couldn’t scream.
It wasn’t an environment where she could cry when sad and distressed.
She naturally learned to suppress and swallow her anger, sadness, difficulty, and pain.
More accurately, she learned to hide it with a smile before even realizing it.
She also learned that in her world, there were only people who would ruin her joy and happiness.
She grew up not knowing happiness and not knowing how to express emotions.
So Lucia was honest, yet not completely honest.
“Lucia.”
Owen called Lucia, who was lost in her thoughts.
Her gaze, which was directed towards the horse, turned to the side.
“Lina was brought for horseback riding. So, if you want, you can take her.”
“…Is it a gift?”
“Rather than a gift, since Lina seems to like you. If you want, you can be a good friend to Lina.”
At the mention of a friend, Lucia tilted her head.
Using the term “owner” for a horse was probably what puzzled her from her perspective.
“Horses are like companions. They communicate with their owners and spend time together.”
Animals that spend a long time with their owners were like friends.
At least, Owen thought so.
“Ah…”
“Since Lina likes you, and you care for her, too.”
And perhaps that would be a strange story for Lucia.
There was no concept of caring and liking each other in her world.
Knowing each other, being close, and calling each other “friends” was a relationship that could drift apart at any moment with the slightest incident or cause.
That was her human relationships, experienced harshly in the social circles.
In the aristocratic world where yesterday’s friends could become enemies today, relationships that could be openly cherished were rare.
“Anyway, I already have a horse. If you could take good care of her. Is that okay?”
“…Yes, okay.”
When Owen used a tone of request, Lucia nodded her head.
The lightly blushing cheeks remained tinted pink.
Owen looked at her and a faint smile appeared on his face.
Although he couldn’t say it outright, the rare glimpses of that in her expression were cute.
“Right? Duke Verdine and Lady Edelte.”
“It seems so.”
“Oh, my, it seems the two of you have met.”
“What’s this rumor about something going on between the saint and the lady at the hunting competition?”
“Isn’t that just a baseless rumor?”
That’s when it happened.
Voices of people from one side of the beach could be heard.
Just as Owen was about to turn his head.
“Owen.”
Lucia grabbed his wrist.
At her gesture, his gaze returned to its place.
However, the emotions reflected in the red eyes he met again were different from before.
The eyes that were once filled with excitement and anticipation had now lost that color.
In those ruby-colored eyes, there was only something burning.
Possessiveness, obsession, and…
‘Those eyes I saw last time.’
Owen remembered the incident in the carriage.
It was an emotion he couldn’t figure out despite thinking hard.
‘…Back then, and now. It seems like I reacted to stories related to Bella both times.’
The only common point between the carriage incident and now was that stories about Bella were brought up.
The difference was that back then, he brought up the story himself, and now, others brought it up.
“Shall we head back now?”
Just as Owen was getting lost in his thoughts again.
Lucia brought up the question.
Although he felt somewhat puzzled by her question, he didn’t show it.
They had come out to ride, and although he hadn’t been riding for long…
“Sure.”
He thought there must be a good reason for her to act this way.