CH 2

Lucia Agnes.

The eldest daughter of one son and one daughter of Countess Agnes of the prestigious Peros Empire, she is a rare and distinguished daughter of the Agnes family, which has only produced one son in a generation.

She was raised by her grandfather, her parents, and her brother, who is two years older than her, with boundless love and affection.

Herwin Phoenaeus

The eldest of two sons of the Northern Dukes, one of the four major ducal families of the Empire.

He came from a great family, was handsome, and had the swordsmanship to be a Sword Master in no time.

He was the kind of man every woman would want in her life.

Lucia was one of the many women who held Herwin in her heart, but there was one thing different about her.

For over thirteen years, she has been in love with Herwin alone.

She and Phoenaeus have been inseparable for a long time, and their relationship is still going strong.

In conclusion, Lucia and Herwin could be defined as childhood friends.

Lucia had a crush on Herwin since she was eight years old, and she was like a sunflower chasing the hot sun.

At first, people didn’t realize that Lucia had a crush on Herwin.

But when an “incident” made it public that she was in love with him, and it turned out that her crush on him was longer than expected, the social circle nicknamed her Herwin’s Sunflower.

It would be great if he liked her as much as she liked him, but unfortunately, he never saw her as anything more than a friend.

Thirteen years passed without any progress in their relationship.

At the age of nineteen, the age of marriage, most nobles would either take a betrothed or married.

But Lucia is now 21 years old. She couldn’t wait forever to support her love.

After a long discussion, John and Julian decided to give Lucia in marriage.

“If it’s good…….”

Lucia finally spoke, trying to calm her quivering lips.

“A good one. I can’t wait for him any longer.”

Lucia lifted her bowed head and looked at John across from her.

She could see the determination in his blue eyes. Realizing that he meant it, Lucia grabbed the hem of her skirt.

“How long have you been thinking about it……?”

“I’ve been thinking about it for years. I was going to wait for you to give up Phoenaeus, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

“……….”

Unable to find the words, Lucia chose silence.

She was well aware of her predicament. Born a noble, she would have to marry into another family to fulfill her family’s obligations.

“I’ve found a few good ones for you.”

John, already prepared, placed four papers on the table.

“They are all excellent in every way. They are indeed a good match for my Agnes.”

It was clear that John had done his homework.

Normally, the family would have insisted that she marry a man at least ten years her senior, but John’s dossier did not list a man more than five years Lucia’s senior.

“I’ll find you a good match with one of these men, and you’ll see.”

“…… You’ve already made up your mind.”

Lucia had no say in this engagement.

She knew it would come to this, but she couldn’t help but feel bittersweet that it had come sooner than she expected.

Even Julian and John, who had been holding her hand, noticed her as her cheerful personality shrank.

They couldn’t help but feel weak for their precious daughter.

“I want you to see it tomorrow when you’ve had a chance to compose yourself.”

“……No, Mother, I’ve had enough of unrequited love.”

Lucia tried to smile, but it seemed so overwhelming that her heart ached.

Julian thought about offering her a comforting word, but the determined look in John’s eyes made her lips curl.

“I understand what you and Mother mean, and I will do my part to fulfill that responsibility now that I am a part of Agnes.”

To their surprise, Lucia accepted the position.

“But give me a little time.”

“How long do you think?”

“Um… I don’t know.”

She meant it.

She asked for time but sounded unsure of herself.

“Only until I confess my feelings to Herwin for the last, last time…….”

The mood quickly turned somber.

Julian patted her daughter on the back, feeling sorry for her, and John let out a tired sigh.

Despite knowing what her parents thought of her, Lucia couldn’t let go of her love for Herwin.

“If Herwin miraculously accepts me, can I be engaged to him?”

“If you’re betrothed to the one you love, then all the better for us, but if he refuses, then you’ll have to see the good in it. Do you understand?”

Unlike the hopeful Lucia, John was brutally realistic.

She should have been hurt that he would refuse, but she nodded meekly.

“Yes, I will.”

John’s heart felt like it was falling out of his chest as his lovely daughter complied without protest.

“I’m sure you’re tired from being out and about. ……Yes, come on in and get some rest.”

“Okay, I’ll be off then, good night everyone.”

Lucia left quietly, giving John and Julian a light kiss on the cheek.

They stared at the doorway for a moment after it closed, then looked at each other.

“Did we speak too abruptly? I’d rather have given her time to figure things out…….”

“You know we’ve been giving her chances, and this is something you agreed to, you can’t come back and bite us now.”

“That’s true, but…….”

“……Julian, come here.”

John held out his hand, and Julian walked toward him, his eyes drooping. John pulled his wife into a tight embrace.

“It’s okay, everything’s going to be okay, we had an arranged marriage too, but here we are.”

“I was very lucky to have met you,” she said, “but to think that the same luck will come to our daughter…….”

Marriage in aristocratic society.

Even so, arranged marriages usually did not turn out well because they were arranged solely based on family ties, with no input from the people being married.

A man called a gentleman in public was a domestic abuser who routinely cursed and beat his wife or a wife who was said to be a good housekeeper embezzled the family’s property behind their back.

In addition to that, it was not uncommon to see someone else and have an affair.

While these examples are extreme, there were also many cases of people fighting because their personalities didn’t match.

In that sense, John and Julian, who met in an arranged marriage, were a match made in heaven.

It wasn’t love at first sight, but over time, their love for each other slowly grew, and now they can’t imagine a world without each other.

Julian is worried about her daughter, knowing the harsh realities of the less-than-one-percent fortune she had won.

She hoped she would find a good match, even if it meant marriage someday.

“Do you think it will work out? Lucia looks just like you, and she’s so accurate in her judgment of people, and she’s so delicate on the inside, even though she looks like she’s so strong.”

“Of course, I know, but I can’t help but worry.”

Despite his reassurances to Julian, John felt as bad as she did.

Still, he stood by her side, rubbing her shoulders until she calmed down.

It had been a long night for the worried parents of their daughter.

* * *

In the darkness of the night, Lucia lay in bed unlike everyone else in dreamland, unable to sleep.

She stared blankly at the silk canopy and shaded her eyes with her arms.

“Hah… engagement.”

The word “engagement” surprised her, but it wasn’t sudden, as she had expected this to happen for some time.

Even when she’d said it to her father, she’d thought, “The time has finally come.”

Lucia slid her arms across her face and scrambled out of bed, walking over to her desk.

She lit the lantern on the desk, and it crackled and crackled, illuminating the desk with an orange glow.

On the desk, she could see her favorite quill and ink, letters to and from friends, and the pretty pressed flowers she had collected to decorate her diary.

Among other things, she reached for the music box. Fifteen years old, the music box still made a beautiful sound.

Inside were colored stones, pressed four-leaf clovers, and handkerchiefs.

This was Lucia’s most prized possession, treasure number one.

“Herwin…….”

Lucia squeezed her damp eyes shut and hugged it tightly, treasuring its contents.

She sat back in her chair and pressed her face against the desk for a long moment. Her auburn hair was disheveled as it fell onto the desk.

As she followed the disheveled strands, she saw a picture frame.

It held a picture of Herwin as a child.

* * *

[December 28, 723 Imperial].

It’s New Year’s Eve, the Empire’s great annual celebration of the end of an eventful year and the beginning of a new one.

The rarely seen Dukes of Phoenaeus have descended upon the Isles for the first time in a long time to attend the New Year’s Ball.

They have chosen to stay with Countess Agnes for the duration of this New Year’s Eve.

It was a decision that Julian and Scarlett, the Duchess of Phoenaeus, had been close friends during their time at the Academy.

So on December 28, just days before the new year began, the Duke and Duchess of Phoenaeus arrived in the Islands.

“Welcome to Countess Agnes.”

Julian lifted the hem of her skirt in greeting, flanked by their children, who clumsily bowed after their parents.

Hail, the Duke of Phoenaeus, smiled softly at the overwhelming hospitality.

“We thank you for inviting us here.”

“Julian, it’s been a long time!”

Duchess Scarlett came to stand beside Hail as he shook hands with John. Unable to contain her excitement, she threw her arms around Julian.

Julian was flustered at first, then grinned and hugged her friend, whom she hadn’t seen in years.

“So, how many years has it been? How have you been?”

“Yeah, we’ve been fine. My God, your blood color has improved since I last saw you. I guess the Count is doing a good job with you?”

“Oh, you, too. There’s nothing you can’t say.”

Julian blushed and slapped Scarlett’s arm lightly, causing her to laugh heartily.

“Hahaha. Oh, by any chance, are these your kids?”

Scarlett asked, catching sight of the two kids standing next to Julian.

“Yes, they are. Lucas, who’ll be seven in a couple of days, and Lucia, who’ll be five. Say hello, kids. They’re my friends.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Lucas Agnes.”

“Lou, this is Lucia Agnes…….”

Unlike the confident Lucas, Lucia was shy and cautious, carefully lifting the hem of her skirt.

“You must be Lucas and Lucia, I’ve heard so much about you from your mother. Lucia is turning five this month, isn’t she?”

“Yes…….”

“I have two sons, too, one of whom is your age. Herwin, why don’t you come over here?”

Scarlett called her son from behind.

Lucia’s curiosity was piqued at the mention of his age, and she stuck her head out.

A boy emerged from behind Scarlett, and Lucia’s eyes widened.

A boy with black hair and red eyes that sparkled like rubies.

If she hadn’t been told he was a boy, she would have mistaken him for a girl.