CH 49

Starting with the empress and Ares, people began to dance in pairs one by one.

As Lucia watched the dancers, Bern stooped down next to her and asked her to dance.

“Lady, would you like to dance with me?”

Lucia burst into laughter when she found the sly way of speaking and the crescent eyes behind his glasses.

“I would be delighted.”

Lucia grabbed Bern’s hand and gently entered the center of the hall. Bern reached for her right hand and waist, and she matched it, breathing with him.

As they danced to the music, they spotted Herwin in the crowd.

He wasn’t watching the dancers like everyone else, but he was staring at Lucia.

Lucia’s nervousness and anxiety rose as she realized that Herwin was watching her.

Lucia’s breathing started to become unsteady, and Bern gently pulled her around the waist.

“Lucia, look at me.”

He locked eyes with her in the same way he’d helped her in her panic. As if to tell her to think of nothing but herself. Lucia followed him obediently as if mesmerized.

Her steps suddenly felt lighter, as if they were weighed down by a thousand pendulums, and she no longer cared about the stares that had been weighing her down.

“Are you all right now?”

“Yes. Thanks to you, Bern, you’re so quick, helping me first without me saying anything.”

“Lucia’s face shows her emotions if you look closely, but she doesn’t say what she’s really thinking, so I have to act as if I know.”

“Am I that easy to read?”

“Haha, I told you, you have to look closely. Well, what can I say, I see subtle emotions that are hard to explain.”

Bern swayed to the music, picking Lucia up lightly and twirling her around.

“And then, when I first met your friends.”

The corners of Lucia’s mouth twitched. Bern caught it, wiped the smile off his face, and looked at her.

“You seemed a little uncomfortable, am I right?”

“That…….”

She shouldn’t have panicked, but she was dragged into it stupidly. No, she was too conscious of Herwin at that moment, and it must have been obvious to anyone that she was uncomfortable.

Even knowing that she couldn’t say anything back to Bern.

Who could say she was acting awkwardly around a man she’d had a crush on for over a decade?

Lucia pursed her lips in embarrassment, and Bern let out a small breath.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, I just wanted to let you know that if you ever need my help, you can always ask.”

Lucia’s body shook within the walls. Bern gave a small nod of understanding.

“……why.”

A small sigh escaped Lucia’s lips.

He must have known about the rumors circulating about her, and he probably had a hunch about what was going on when she and Herwin met, so why didn’t he ask anything?

At first, she thought it was only his consideration, but now she has doubts. 

“Why did you choose me?”

The words came out lightly, but they were pure sincerity.

Bern must have sensed it because he stiffened. He opened his mouth, lost in thought.

“Because you resemble me a lot… that’s why I chose you.”

She couldn’t understand his words; she could only stare into his golden eyes and see herself in him.

They stared at each other wordlessly, and when the music ended, they stopped.

“Would this have been the answer?”

Bern asked with his usual affectionate smile as they returned to the edge of the room to the sound of applause.

“Well, …… half of it, and I’m curious about the other half, but I’m not going to ask, so if you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to.”

“……Thank you.”

Bern smiled bitterly. It was only now that she seemed to know why he hadn’t asked this or that question.

He didn’t want to push the other man when he knew that man was going to get in trouble. Unless that person committed some great sin, it won’t matter in the future with him.

“Lucia.”

Lucia stiffened when she heard the low, bass voice calling her. It was Herwin who had called her.

Beside her, Bern’s eyes flashed silently.

“Dance with me next.”

As if nothing had happened, Herwin asked Lucia to dance. It wasn’t unusual, as she’d danced with him at least once at every party she attended. However, she’d rather avoid him tonight….…

As Lucia hesitated at the sight of Herwin’s hand in front of her, Bern stepped forward.

“Bern?”

“Excuse me, but Lucia doesn’t seem to be feeling very well right now, why don’t you wait for another time?”

Herwin’s eyebrows knitted together. He glared at Bern with a fierce gaze, then turned his attention to Lucia. Suddenly, his eyes softened.

“Really, you’re not feeling well?”

“It’s…….”

Lucia looked back and forth between Herwin and Bern.

Herwin waited for her to answer, and Bern pouted, offering to help at any moment.

Lucia hesitated, then decided.

“I’m sorry, Herwin. I must have twisted my foot when we were dancing earlier.”

Her choice was Bern. Someday she would have to have a proper talk with Herwin, but not today, at least.

Herwin’s stony face darkened further.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but when he couldn’t come up with anything, he tapped Lucia on the shoulder.

“Yes, then I can’t help it. Did you get hurt badly? Then I’ll…….”

“I’ll take care of her.”

Bern smiled and firmly closed the distance between Lucia and Herwin.

Needless to say, Herwin’s smile narrowed even further.

“Now, do you mind if we leave?”

Bern continued to stand between them, protecting Lucia. Lucia was visibly grateful to him for helping her.

Herwin didn’t say anything, just glanced at Lucia as she stood behind Bern, and finally stepped back.

“Alright, Lucia, we’ll talk later.”

“Yeah, okay, thanks for understanding.”

Lucia leaned into Bern’s arm around her shoulders and faked a limp.

She started to turn around, wondering if she’d gotten away from Herwin, but Bern whispered quickly.

“He’s still watching, let’s go out into the garden.”

Lucia nodded. Then she followed Bern’s lead.

Meanwhile, alone, Herwin stared helplessly at Lucia as she walked away.

It was not a pleasant feeling to see her disappear out of his reach.

“Marquis Bern Casper…….”

Did she say she met him on a blind date? He doesn’t know much about Bern, but he heard he’s a pretty good guy.

‘Then why is he so annoying?’

Was it because he was in his way?

He just wanted to ask her what the hell happened during the month he was in the north, and he just stood in his way like a bad guy approaching….…

‘So that’s why you felt bad.’

Now he understood why he didn’t like Bern so much.

Bern was like that, but he didn’t know why Lucia was avoiding him.

‘With a blatant lie.’

He knows she wasn’t hurt.

It’s just that she’s holding Bern’s hand and pretending not to notice.

The thought of Lucia leaning against Bern made him feel very uncomfortable. Something inexplicable bubbled up inside him.

He had never felt like this before, and he couldn’t define what he was feeling.

He wondered if it was because his friend, who thought he knew everything and was on his side, was holding someone else’s hand.

Herwin frowned as the more he thought about it, the deeper into the maze he went. Finally, he lifted his head and looked in the direction Lucia and Bern had gone.

Perhaps he should have a word with Lucia, if only briefly.

* * *

It wasn’t until they were deep in the garden, off the beaten path, that Bern stopped.

“This will do.”

He glanced back, checking to see if Herwin was there, then headed for the nearby fountain.

“You didn’t hurt your ankle, did you?”

Sitting Lucia down at the fountain, Bern carefully pointed to her limp right foot.

Lucia shook her head in disbelief.

“No, it doesn’t hurt at all, I was just saying what I wanted to say.”

“Really? I thought you were really injured because you kept limping your foot…….”

“Well, I figured if I’m going to fool Herwin, I might as well act it out.”

Lucia scratched her cheek absentmindedly, and Bern chuckled. He laughed for a moment, then remembered Herwin, who was glaring at him like a nemesis.

“I’m afraid I’ve gone out of my way. I did it on purpose because you seem to want to avoid Phoenaeus for some reason, am I right?”

Lucia nodded obediently.

Fortunately, Bern didn’t ask anything more.

“Well, since we’re out here, let’s stay out here for a while longer. Are you thirsty by any chance?”

“A little… Oh, you don’t have to, unless you’re going on purpose because of me.”

“No, I’ll get you something to drink, you can stay here for a while.”

Even though Lucia said it was okay, Bern went back to the party.

Lucia watched Bern walk away for a while, and when he was gone, she sighed, unwinding the smile she’d been wearing.

Lucia kicked off her shoes and rubbed her throbbing feet. Her heels and toes were red from the new shoes.

Like her feet, which had been mangled to get used to the new shoes, she felt tattered inside and out, like she was wearing clothes that didn’t fit.

No matter how determined she was, acting like nothing happened in front of people was harder than she thought.

It’s not that she doesn’t want to be Bern’s fiancée.

It’s just that she wonders if this is where her true happiness lies. She just wonders if it’s what makes her happy.

‘Herwin was weird today, too.’

She can’t say she didn’t play a part in the shake-up.

It’s natural to be surprised when a friend suddenly brings home a fiancé without saying anything, but Herwin was the only one who reacted differently.

‘As if he felt betrayed…….’

Lucia looked down at her feet and let out a weak laugh.

She still hadn’t made up her mind. She wondered if Herwin was reacting that way because he had feelings for her. She thought to herself.

It was probably time to stop, but the fantasies she’d had so many times over the past thirteen years were uncontrollable.

Lucia turned her head and looked down at the fountain, which was gurgling with cool water.

Water droplets splashed and rippled across the surface. Her face in the fountain’s reflection was distorted like a confused mind.

A rustle.

That’s when she felt a shuffle behind her. She thought it was Bern, but it was too soon for him to return.

“Who-“

Lucia froze as she turned around, wary of who it was. And so did the other.

Lucia’s eyes slowly widened at the sight of the person emerging from the bushes.

“……Bianca?”