081. Affection (4)
The sensation of her hand on his skin was ticklish yet pleasant.
So, as he quietly gazed down, Owen gently removed his hand and took a seat opposite her.
Soon after, there was a knock on the door, and the maids and servants entered.
It seemed as though Owen had sensed their arrival before they entered.
“We will serve the drinks.”
The maids and servants skillfully laid out appetizers on the table, pouring drinks and water.
‘Come to think of it…’
What was intriguing was that none of the servants mentioned the large dagger attached to Owen’s belt.
The dagger, about the size of Lucia’s palm, was strikingly conspicuous.
‘They must be pretending not to know.’
Perhaps this indicated that the servants were maintaining silence.
The Duke of Verdun’s servants were carefully selected through various screenings and tests, known for their loyalty and quick wit.
In other words, it meant that there was not a single fool among them who would carry the estate’s internal affairs outside.
“Enjoy your meal.”
After laying out all the appetizers, the servants greeted and withdrew.
Today’s menu consisted of stew, bread before the meal, and fruit yogurt.
Lucia subtly smiled as she looked at the fruit placed on the table.
She had never once been served her favorite food in Edelte, but here, dishes tailored to her taste were presented daily.
It was quite delightful and exhilarating.
The fact that everyone, including Owen, cared for her was comforting.
“Lucia.”
While enjoying the appetizers with a pleasant mood, Owen suddenly called her.
As she turned her gaze towards him, he continued.
“You must have heard the news, but it seems I will be heading north soon.”
“…I heard. You mentioned going to the ‘Forest of Mist’ next week, right?”
“Correct.”
Bella’s requested schedule was fast approaching next week.
As he brought up the topic first, Lucia let out a soft sigh.
“Honestly, I wish you didn’t have to go… But it seems inevitable because of the Imperial decree.”
It wasn’t something Lucia was particularly fond of.
She was aware of Bella’s obsession and possessiveness, so it was strange to feel at ease after sending Owen away.
However, she knew well that there was nothing she could do since the Imperial decree was absolute.
Despite the strained relationship between the Imperial family and the Duke of Verdun, as well as Martop, they generally complied to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Moreover, refusing this task, which aimed to help resolve the issue of demons in the north, was also difficult.
It wasn’t just a matter concerning the Imperial family; it could also affect the sentiments of the Empire’s citizens.
“I will try to return as soon as possible.”
Given the circumstances, Owen’s options were limited regarding this task.
Lucia was well aware of this, so all she could do was nod her head in understanding.
“Yes.”
* * *
That night, Owen and Lucia fell asleep in the same bedroom.
In principle, they should have used separate rooms on different floors. However, having already used one room, when Lucia questioned whether there was a valid reason to sleep separately, Owen agreed.
Since Lucia was not feeling well due to yesterday’s exhaustion, they simply bathed and lay down together to rest.
Lucia, whose body was tired, fell asleep first.
Owen, lying next to her, watched Lucia sleep for a while before eventually drifting off to sleep himself.
And so, Owen fell into a familiar situation in his dreams.
“If you have something you desire, speak up.”
It was a dream.
However, it was also Owen’s memory at the same time.
-Your parents demanded a clear rest during the business season and vacation.
-…The former is sufficient.
Memories from the summer of eighteen continued.
The boy who lost his parents became the head of the house, already in perfect condition through harsh education.
The boy inherited Berdine flawlessly, faced the emperor, and demanded, “I hope you won’t impose any restrictions in the business aspect.”
-If that’s what you desire, so be it.
-Also, I will not participate in any social events except for the summer imperial banquet. If you assist in that regard, I would be grateful.
Ignoring an invitation from the Duke of Berdine would have been impolite, to say the least.
Perhaps that was the reason.
The boy seemed intent on preventing the emperor from extending an invitation in advance by borrowing the emperor’s hand.
-That’s quite unexpected.
-I hope it won’t be troublesome or noisy.
The boy detested anything noisy.
The emperor acknowledged understanding, and so the boy concluded the deal.
After that, the boy’s life became monotonous.
He managed the businesses passed down through generations at Berdine, handled the estate’s affairs with the elders, and took care of various matters regarding the territory.
He periodically visited the estate to assess the situation, visited business partners, researched and investigated new business ideas.
And he never skipped his daily training.
He participated in the hunting competition twice a year, attended the summer banquet as per the emperor’s arrangement, pouring out his energy for days on end, then sleeping deeply for about a week.
In other words, except for that week, the boy hardly slept properly.
Undoubtedly, the burden of heavy work played a part, but the fear of having nightmares seemed to be the main reason.
Repeatedly dreaming of the day his parents returned as cold corpses made the boy reluctant to fall into a deep slumber.
To forget, he immersed himself in work, stayed awake for long hours, and thus, he grew numb to sadness and emotions.
The boy who spent such times soon became an adult with deficiencies.
Even after reaching adulthood, his life remained the same.
Monotonous, boring, and filled with repetitive days.
Owen Berdine’s reason for living was solely duty.
The duty to be a perfect head, a knight, a noble.
If someone had emerged who could replace him in his position as head, Owen might have cast off the shackles long ago.
As a knight, as a noble, ending life was only necessary if it did not tarnish honor.
To be the perfect head, Owen continued his lackluster life.
And then, the year he turned twenty-one.
A twist finally came to his unbearably dull life.
-Oh, I’m sorry.
Lucia Edelt.
The young woman Owen Berdine first encountered at twenty-one had been pursuing him relentlessly ever since.
-No need to apologize. Seems like it was a mistake.
-Will you dance with me?
-…
-It may sound like an apology, but I did step on your foot.
-You’re right.
-…Yes?
-To suggest dancing as an apology seems rather odd.
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Their first meeting was very cold.
Just as it was during the imperial banquet.
-Hello. I see you’re here.
Their second meeting was also at the imperial banquet.
Considering it lasted for days, meeting the next day wasn’t out of the ordinary.
-It seems I didn’t see you around. You’ve been on the terrace all this time.
-…
Owen looked at Lucia with an annoyed expression.
Due to her words, Owen often found himself stuck on the terrace, avoiding people’s gazes and voices.
Exerting energy for days during the event and having to dodge people’s attention alone was tiring, but facing people on top of that seemed unbearable.
So, despite attending the imperial banquet for years, he had stayed on the terrace until now, and the sight of the young lady had ruined that.
-Ordinary people usually come in when invited.
Muttering in annoyance, Lucia, with a face untouched by any hurt, simply smiled brightly.
-The curtains weren’t drawn, so I thought it was okay to come in.
-…….
Remaining silent was the real issue.
Owen turned his head sharply, swallowing a sigh inwardly.
It was a sign of disregard.
However, Lucia persisted in engaging him on the terrace until the end of the reception.
Although Owen did not offer a single word in response, he didn’t seem to be overly concerned.
Thanks to that, Owen had to stay on the terrace with Lucia, who murmured incessantly, until the end of the reception.
Owen, burdened with fatigue twice as heavy as the previous year, managed to maintain a decent amount of sleep for two weeks.
-To His Grace, Viscount Verdin.
He thought the tiresome task had come to an end, but the redhead was more persistent than he had anticipated.
She had gone as far as commissioning the Information Guild to find out Owen’s usual schedule and then pursued him.
Whenever he went to a restaurant or café for a business meeting, she would show up there, and when he inspected businesses, she would also be there.
If she had directly disrupted his work, he might have stated the reason and chased her away, but Lucia, annoyingly, just observed the situation.
And after everything was over, she would quietly approach him and strike up a conversation.
It was truly astounding and bewildering.
-Stop following me.
Growing tired of hearing that, Lucia replied cheerfully.
-If Your Grace shows an interest in me, I will continue to do so.
-…If there had been such a thing, it would have happened long ago. Wouldn’t you know by now if you’ve been following me this long?
-But, Your Grace, I can’t help it. I am someone who must achieve what I have set out to do.
-We can’t communicate.
There were times when he gave up trying to make her understand due to the lack of dialogue.
After that, whether she followed him or not, he ignored her and lived without caring.
However, Lucia had been pursuing him for nearly three years.
Unable to comprehend, Owen finally asked Lucia.
-I don’t understand why the lady is following me. Why on earth are you following me?
He was genuinely curious.
Why with such a radiant face and exceptional intelligence, was she only following him?
He was even more puzzled by whether this was worth his time, as he had no idea.
-Because Your Grace is handsome.
-….
-And kind. Even with me following you like this, you’ve never said a harsh word.
-Lady. In society, that is called basic courtesy. Not kindness.
The reason seemed absurd.
Owen never asked Lucia for an explanation again.
And…
[You have entered this body.]
A familiar voice resonated.
The scenes that floated alongside disappeared, and the figure of ‘Owen’ appeared.
[I haven’t had a proper conversation with Lucia since last year. And even that was such a conversation.]
It seemed he had found Lucia quite bothersome.
Bothersome, tiring, and troublesome.
-Now, all that remains are a few months of memories. Once all those memories and experiences are fully conveyed, we won’t meet again.
Lost in thought, he brought up those words.
Owen, taken aback, looked up, and he smiled.
[It means you will become Owen Verdin completely.]