Chapter 51

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 51

Chapter Title: Just Friends

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“What?”

Before Herwin could even fully process her words, Lucia continued.

“What’s so curious about it? Whether I go on an arranged meeting or get a fiancé, it’s got nothing to do with you.”

Herwin bristled at Lucia’s cold tone.

“Nothing to do with me? How can you say that! You’re my…!”

“Your what? We’re just friends. Even if we’re close, I don’t think that gives you the right to meddle in my personal life.”

“That’s true, but… at least you could’ve told me.”

Herwin let out his frustration. But in Lucia’s eyes, it wasn’t just disappointment on his face—there were other emotions mixed in as well.

Jealousy, plain and simple. And a tangle of feelings stemming from it, all jumbled across his features.

That made it even harder for her to understand him. On what grounds did he have the right? Or why was he reacting like this now, of all times…?

‘It’s because Herwin likes you.’

Suddenly, Bianca’s words popped into her mind. She’d dismissed them as a bad joke at the time, but now… maybe they weren’t.

“Sorry if I caught you off guard. But Herwin, even if you’d known, I still would’ve gone through with the arranged meeting.”

Herwin just opened and closed his mouth, unable to muster a rebuttal. Lucia was right on every count.

What could he do about knowing first? She’d go on the meeting anyway and find a fiancé. That was the reality.

And yet, something lodged in his throat like a blockage, leaving him unbearably frustrated.

“Then why tell me…?”

Mumbling without thinking, Herwin clapped a hand over his mouth.

‘Why did you confess?’

His gut screamed that asking that would mean he’d never face her again.

Herwin wrinkled his nose. He was the one who’d rejected her confession, so questioning her arranged meeting now felt incredibly selfish, even to him.

In the end, when Herwin said nothing, Lucia let out a faint sigh.

“It was my parents’ wish. I’m of marriageable age anyway, and sooner or later, I’ll have to fulfill my family duties and marry someone.”

Lifting her lowered head, Lucia flashed her usual smile.

“We’ve both reached the point where we have to face reality, right? I’m just staring it down a little sooner than the others.”

It was the familiar smile he always saw, but today it tasted especially bitter. Herwin ran a hand over his dry face.

“Still… this is too soon.”

Herwin’s expression twisted as if he might burst into tears at any moment, mirroring his heartache perfectly.

Lucia looked at him with a completely serious face, devoid of any playfulness.

“If you really hate the idea of me getting engaged, why don’t you become my fiancé?”

Herwin’s red eyes shook aimlessly. He seemed utterly flustered, stammering without a word as he shifted awkwardly.

It was the reaction she’d expected, so it didn’t surprise her much.

“See? You don’t want that either.”

“Lucia.”

“Why don’t you formally propose marriage to the Lydia family? Who knows? It might just work out.”

Lucia’s heart no longer raced wildly. With each word she spoke, any lingering attachment to Herwin seemed to sort itself out.

That let her speak more calmly than she’d anticipated.

“You’re the guy I liked for thirteen years. That means you’re plenty attractive. I’m sure it’ll work on Arista too, so go for it. Don’t miss your chance, or some other guy might snatch her up.”

She tossed out the joke to lighten the mood, but Herwin didn’t laugh. His face only grew stiffer.

The awkwardness was so palpable that Lucia forced an even brighter smile.

“Let’s just be real close friends from now on. Sorry for putting you in awkward spots all this time.”

“You mean…”

“Lucia! Sorry I’m late. I got a bit lost on the way…”

As Herwin started to speak, Bern appeared—he’d gone to fetch drinks. Apologizing for the delay, he froze upon spotting Herwin.

“Young Lord Peneus? You two were together. Was I interrupting?”

“We’re basically done.”

Unlike Herwin, who looked visibly irritated, Lucia shook her head and stepped toward Bern.

A few sweat-dampened strands of hair clung to his forehead—clearly, his excuse about getting lost wasn’t entirely false.

Sweat beaded on his face, so Lucia pulled out her handkerchief.

“Looks like you ran here. You could’ve taken your time.”

“I couldn’t dawdle—I’d been away from the table too long.”

Bern held two wine glasses in his hands, so Lucia gently wiped his sweat for him.

Flustered at first, Bern soon bowed slightly to make it easier for her.

“Thank you, Lucia.”

“No big deal. Is this one for me?”

Lucia took one of the glasses from Bern. The aroma was pleasant enough.

“I didn’t know the young lord was here, so I only grabbed two. Would you like this one?”

“…No, I’m good.”

Herwin declined the wine Bern offered. Bern glanced at the rejected glass for a moment before nonchalantly taking a sip.

“Lucia, is your ankle feeling better now? If it still hurts, should we head home?”

“My ankle? Oh…”

Caught off guard by the sudden mention, Lucia followed Bern’s glance toward Herwin and let out a sigh.

She’d used the excuse of a sprained ankle to dodge Herwin before coming here.

She’d completely forgotten about it. Had Herwin figured out it was a lie?

Pretending it hurt, Lucia awkwardly bent down to rub her right ankle. Both men rushed over at once.

“You okay?”

“Are you alright?”

Herwin and Bern spoke in unison, exchanged looks, then turned back to Lucia.

“Let me see. If it’s twisted, you need treatment right away. Otherwise, you’ll suffer later.”

“It’s not that bad. Just a little stiff.”

Avoiding Herwin’s gaze, Lucia grabbed Bern’s arm. He played along, supporting her.

“Then the party’s out of the question. I’ll take you home. Come with me.”

“Yeah, please do.”

Before Herwin could interject, Lucia leaned into Bern. Herwin’s hand, outstretched to help, hung awkwardly in the air.

Saying nothing, Herwin clenched his fist and watched them.

“I’m heading out. See you later, Herwin.”

“…Yeah.”

Bern gave a brief farewell and helped Lucia away. The two chatted amiably as they grew distant from Herwin.

It was a sight that felt awkward now, but one he’d have to get used to.

Herwin stared at Lucia’s retreating back, then looked down at his own hand. He could no longer reach for her.

Her words about being real close friends echoed in his mind, along with the question he hadn’t finished asking after Bern arrived.

‘…You don’t like me anymore, do you?’

Herwin raised his bowed head.

“Lucia.”

She was long gone. No one was left to answer him.

“So, Lucia’s really getting engaged, huh?”

“You saw it too. They danced together and even went outside.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen her turn down Herwin.”

While Lucia and Herwin were away, their friends kept gossiping about her.

No matter how they thought about it, the situation—her bringing a fiancé candidate—didn’t make sense.

Last time they’d all met, things hadn’t seemed off between them. What on earth had happened in the past month?

“Ah, whatever. It’s their business—they’ll figure it out.”

Ethan ruffled his hair in exasperation and threw up his hands.

“I was totally sure they were dating. Up until she introduced the Marquis Casper as her fiancé candidate, I thought they were just acting or something.”

Christine grumbled about still feeling tricked.

Her misunderstanding wasn’t all that strange.

Considering their usual behavior, it’d be weirder if they weren’t dating.

They always brushed it off as childhood friends, but there’d been an undeniable vibe beyond mere friendship.

Whenever they both vanished at the same time, she’d assumed they were sneaking off for some romantic tryst.

That’s why she’d joked that they should just come clean about their secret relationship or make it official…

“Never imagined it’d turn out like this.”

The friends nodded in agreement at Arista’s murmur.

Arista, who’d been rubbing her arm, suddenly looked up. Spotting someone, her body jolted.

“Guys, do any of you know anything about Lucia?”

Lucas barged in without a greeting, straight to the point. His blue eyes shook like an earthquake—he was clearly as confused about Lucia’s situation as they were.

His friends knew well how much he doted on his sister these past few years, so they exchanged glances.

“You mean Marquis Casper?”

“Yeah, that shameless… er, I mean her fiancé candidate. You’re her best friends, so I figured you might know something.”

“We don’t know either. We just found out today.”

“Right? We were shocked when she called him her fiancé candidate.”

Brian’s words drew agreement from Christine. Lucas’s eyes narrowed sharply.

“Fiancé? Who said fiancé? They’re not engaged yet!”

“…Oh?”

His unexpected fury made everyone step back.

“Shouldn’t you know better than us, big bro? You’re family.”

Lucas sighed deeply at Ethan’s question.

“That’s exactly my point. Why didn’t she tell me something this important? I just found out today too! She’s still too young for marriage—what’s the rush for our parents…?”

Visibly displeased, Lucas clicked his tongue repeatedly, venting his complaints.

“Maybe it’s because you haven’t gotten engaged yet, so they’re pushing Lucia first?”

“What?”

Christine nodded behind him, deeming Brian’s suggestion plausible.

“That does make sense. She’s only two years younger than you, so getting at least one married off would ease their minds. Arista, didn’t you say you escaped marriage nagging now that your brother’s engaged?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m hoping for at least a year of peace.”

Arista answered a beat late.

“Ugh… Is that really it?”

Seeing the possibility, Lucas crossed his arms and pondered seriously. Arista, stealing glances at him, spoke up.

“I saw you came with a lady today… Nothing going on there?”

“You mean Becky? She’s my girlfriend.”

“Ooh, you’ve got a girlfriend.”

“She’s quite the beauty. Nice catch.”

“Haha, she is pretty, isn’t she?”

Lucas burst into laughter, his mood lifting instantly. Christine jumped in next.

“Any plans to get engaged with your girlfriend?”

“Hmm… We haven’t known each other long, so engagement feels premature. It’s a big reality check, so I need to be careful. But if Lucia’s being forced into an unwanted engagement because of me, then I’ll have to think seriously about marriage too.”

Thinking he’d caused trouble for Lucia, Lucas wiped the smile from his face.

Seeing his resolute blue eyes, Arista clenched her fist where no one could see.