009. A Bit More Often (2)
“So, you remembered what I said last time.”
“Since it’s better when the recipient likes the gift.”
Owen nodded, trying to suppress the swirling emotions.
“…Right.”
As Lucia and Owen exchanged a few words,
an auction house staff member approached with a product in hand.
“This is the item you won.”
With a polite tone, the staff member handed the box containing the product to Lucia.
The box was wrapped in blue velvet, looking luxurious.
Upon receiving the item from the staff member, Lucia immediately opened the box.
Inside the elegantly packaged box lay the cuff button she had seen before.
“Alright, you may leave now.”
After Lucia’s response, the staff member bowed politely and left the room.
As soon as he left, Lucia turned to Owen and said, “Please accept it.”
Externally, her actions seemed confident and straightforward.
However, Lucia’s actual feelings were closer to anxiety.
She had a history of refusing and discarding her gifts countless times before.
So, even though she had asked if she could give him a gift, and he had agreed, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat uneasy.
At that moment, when she was worried whether he would accept or reject the gift this time,
“Wear it now.”
He tersely replied as he accepted the gift box.
Owen took off his jacket, skillfully unbuttoned the cuff button on his sleeve, and replaced it with the new cuff button gifted by Lucia.
“…”
Lucia silently looked at the cuff button attached to Owen’s shirt sleeve.
A rose enclosed in a red ruby.
Whether it was because he accepted the gift for the first time, or because that cuff button resembled her.
Her chest tightened.
“It suits you well.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
In response to Lucia’s slow praise, Owen put his jacket back on and replied.
“I like it too.”
He even flashed a faint smile.
Facing his smile, Lucia momentarily held her breath.
Her racing heart seemed to struggle against the tightening in her chest.
‘How can someone be this perfect.’
It was unfair for someone to be so flawless, even with an expressionless and indifferent face.
As he smiled, a deeper desire surged within her.
‘I want him.’
Whether it was real or just her strong liking.
When someone she already thought beautiful appeared even more so than she had imagined, she wanted him even more.
Was that all?
He was the empire’s top noble, a skilled businessman, and an exceptional knight.
He even said he understood my desire to have beautiful things.
How could I not want someone like him?
A deep greed shone in Lucia’s red eyes.
‘…No.’
But revealing this greedy desire to Owen directly would be dangerous.
He had put in so much effort to show me his vulnerability.
She couldn’t risk losing this chance by acting recklessly.
Lucia made an effort to calm her heart and slowly opened her mouth.
“…Your Highness.”
At her call, Owen’s jet-black eyes were solely focused on Lucia.
Feeling pleased, Lucia tugged at the corners of her mouth and smiled.
The crimson smile that resembled her was incredibly enchanting.
“Could we meet again before the hunting competition?”
Lucia asked, drawing a red smile.
She had to delve deeper when an opportunity presented itself.
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So that she would become a natural presence to him.
Once she became natural, she wouldn’t push him away even if she lingered around.
To achieve that, she needed to meet him frequently.
“Let’s do that.”
Owen readily agreed to Lucia’s suggestion.
He had been someone who found it challenging to even strike up a conversation just a while ago.
Now, he listened to Lucia’s suggestions quite easily.
It was a remarkable change, but a good sign.
Lucia smiled and spoke.
“Then, will you go out with me next week?”
“Next week.”
“…Are you very busy?”
Once again, Lucia observed Owen’s reaction.
Owen raised his head and met Lucia’s gaze directly.
“I’m not.”
He said, looking straight at Lucia.
“I just wish to see you a bit more often.”
“…”
“Are you free tomorrow?”
“…Yes.”
Lucia managed to spit out an answer.
Her heart was pounding loudly, taken aback by words she hadn’t anticipated.
“I asked if we could meet before the hunting competition, I’m sorry.”
“…I just want to see you more often.”
Her head was starting to spin now.
Struggling to think amid the whirlwind in her mind, Lucia carefully chose her words.
“…I’d like that too.”
As she uttered a positive response, Owen’s lips curved slightly.
“Yeah.”
“…”
Lucia was accustomed to flirting with Owen, but she had no immunity when he did the same to her.
It was only natural since Owen had never behaved that way towards her.
So, whenever he did something even remotely flirtatious, she would stiffen up immediately.
Of course, he probably didn’t intend it that way.
But today, perhaps due to the extreme nature of his actions, she couldn’t even think straight.
Her heart was racing madly, and her mind was in turmoil.
Pretending to be unaffected was the best she could do in this situation.
“Shall we get on the carriage now? I’ve reserved a restaurant for dinner.”
Not noticing her state, Owen stood up and offered his hand gracefully.
Lucia absentmindedly shifted her gaze to Owen’s hand and hesitantly raised hers.
As Owen held her hand, Lucia took a deep breath and stood up.
At that moment, her body trembled.
As she struggled to regain her composure, Owen pulled her into his arms.
“Are you okay?”
“…Yes.”
Though she didn’t fall thanks to him, she found herself almost leaning into Owen.
Perhaps that was why her heart, which had been pounding roughly since earlier, was now beating so fast that it felt deafening.
Feeling like even her breathing was becoming unstable, Lucia forced her lips apart and spoke.
“…You can let go now.”
At her words, Owen gently released her from his embrace.
Lucia, now separated from him, tried to steady her breathing as she moved away.
Even as she walked, her heart continued to race unsteadily.
* * *
After finishing dinner at the restaurant and returning to the mansion, Lucia changed into her indoor clothes and collapsed onto the bed as if she had no strength left.
Struggling to show no signs of agitation, she had no capacity to focus on anything other than eating.
Adhering strictly to etiquette, the best she could do was to dine gracefully.
She had no room to observe how Owen looked at her, what menu he chose and ordered, or how he dined.
There was no time to observe such details.
“It was our first meal together.”
She should have captured how Owen ate with her own eyes.
But she was too distracted to do so.
Lucia let out a regretful sigh and buried her face in the pillow.
As she retraced the events of the day with her face in the pillow, her ears turned slightly red.
“I accepted my gift.”
Although she had sent gifts and letters repeatedly, the responses always indicated he had discarded them.
Therefore, she never really had high hopes.
Hopes that he would graciously accept my gifts.
But today.
He did not discard it.
Instead, he used the gift right in front of her.
Her momentarily calmed heart rate began to quicken again.
“Would you accept another gift if I gave one?”
Was it because of what happened today?
A small hope blossomed in her heart.
Since he accepted today, maybe he would accept a gift sent to the mansion this time, she thought.
“…When did I start worrying about these things.”
Lucia, who had been pondering for a moment, furrowed her brows slightly and rose from her seat.
Whether Owen accepted her gifts or not, she had persistently continued her gift offensive without giving up.
Yet here she was, pondering over such matters now.
If she had wanted to ponder, she should have done so earlier.
She was never one to consider the other person’s feelings, but now she was thinking so foolishly.
Thinking that pondering was truly a useless thing, Lucia immediately pulled the bell cord and called for the maid.
“Fetch, please, Marie.”
Before long, her personal maid, Marie, entered the bedroom.
Marie entered with a respectful attitude and politely addressed Lucia.
Upon this, Lucia nodded and spoke.
“Yes. I have that tie I bought last time.”
“If it was something bought last time… What are you referring to?”
The tie.
Marie seemed puzzled at the mention of it.
Since the items Lucia had bought and collected to match Owen were not just one, they were piled up in a dedicated storage room.
She had gathered the items she wanted to gift, storing them separately to give them individually at the right time.
So, the tie was no different.
The ties Lucia had bought and collected filled one wardrobe tightly.
Among them, it was somewhat challenging to point out a tie with the word ‘last time.’
“The most recent one. The wine-colored tie.”
“Ah, the limited edition….”
After Lucia added an explanation, Marie nodded in recognition.
If it was the most recent wine-colored tie she bought, she remembered.
It was a tie that had been released as a limited edition in the best clothing store in the Empire, boasting a staggering price.
Although it couldn’t cover the cost of a whole house, it could probably cover half the price of a commoner’s house.
“Yes, that one. Pack that tie nicely and send it as a gift to Viscount Verdin.”
Upon Marie’s response, Lucia nodded slightly and then gave her instructions.
Marie, as usual, posed the usual question.
“Shall I send flowers along as usual?”
Instead of nodding in response to Marie’s question, Lucia fell silent.
Flowers.
It was a habit of Lucia to include flowers when sending gifts.
That’s why there was nothing strange about Marie asking this question.
Although she always sent flowers along with gifts, the choice of flowers was always left to the gardener.
It was inevitable.
No matter how much investigation she tried to conduct, she couldn’t figure out Owen’s taste.
He left no trace of himself, as if he had no interest in anything.
Therefore, she couldn’t know.
What his favorite color was, what scent he liked, and what flowers he preferred.
In the end, Lucia’s choice was to instruct the gardener to select the most suitable flower.
Though it was regrettable that she had to send flowers, thinking they were beautiful, she had no choice.
“Please use roses.”
However, the situation was different now.
Because now she knew what flowers he liked.
She no longer needed to ask others to choose flowers.
“Roses, right?”
Facing Lucia’s inscrutable mind, Mari could only respond with confusion.
It was understandable.
Owen was not someone who revealed his preferences.
Honestly, many doubted if he even had preferences.
Seeing Mari’s puzzled expression, Lucia briefly added an explanation.
“Red roses. His Excellency mentioned that he likes them.”
It was a story she heard when she visited the Duke of Verdin’s mansion a while ago.
-He likes roses.
-Red ones attract attention the most. They’re pretty, aren’t they?
Words spoken with dark, straight black eyes.
The words spoken while meeting her gaze directly were unforgettable.
“Yes, I understand.”
As Lucia reminisced on that memory, Mari bowed her head and replied.
Initially puzzled by the new information, Mari decided to speak since her mistress said so.
Suppressing her curiosity, Mari headed to Lucia’s bedroom to follow her orders.
As Mari left, Lucia lay back on the bed.
“Should I wear the tie I gave him tomorrow?”
As she tentatively raised her hopes, she soon shook her head.
It didn’t matter if he refused.
Even if he behaved that way, Lucia had no intention of giving up on Owen.
Moreover, didn’t he indirectly suggest meeting tomorrow?
Even if the tie she gifted was rejected, it was a significant achievement.
“…I miss him.”
Thinking of Owen a few hours after parting, Lucia closed her eyes tightly, trying to sleep.