CH 59

<CHAPTER 59

Lucia nervously followed the waitress to their seat.

She guess she’d really gotten the malaise today. Bern had led them to this restaurant.

This was the same restaurant where she had dined with Herwin before she made her final confession.

Like Lucia, Herwin coughed and squirmed in discomfort.

‘It’s certainly delicious, but……!’

She felt a little resentful of Bern for asking them to come here.

“I’ve always wanted to come here, but it’s always too crowded, so we’re in luck today.”

“Yeah, I know, it’s hard to find without a reservation, so I was skeptical too.”

Arista said, and Bern replied in kind. They were in good spirits, but Herwin and Lucia were not.

The waitress brought them a menu and they perused it. Lucia, on the other hand, was so focused on Herwin across from her that she couldn’t read the words.

Bern had been looking at the menu for a while when he noticed Lucia’s fascination.

“Are you uncomfortable?”

“What? Oh, no.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that, then, so did you pick a menu?”

“I mean…….”

Lucia fumbled through the menu. But there were so many options, she couldn’t figure out what to order.

The last time she’d been here, she’d booked the best of the best, so she didn’t know what else was on the menu besides what she’d had that day.

When Lucia couldn’t decide, Bern leaned over to her.

“If you’re stuck, do you want me to make a recommendation?”

“Oh. Well… please.”

Lucia nodded shyly. Bern recommended some food as if she had been waiting.

“I personally like this one best. The flavor of the truffle goes well with the steak.”

Bern’s top recommendation was a dish with mushrooms, which Lucia couldn’t eat.

Lucia hesitated for a moment before answering. Bern, not seeing her expression, asked.

“If you don’t mind, should I order this?”

“…… Yes, please.”

Lucia nodded, unable to refuse Bern’s favor, and soon the waitress arrived and began taking orders.

Across from them, Arista and Herwin ordered their food first, followed by Bern.

Lucia clenched her fists on her thighs and broke out in a cold sweat.

‘I hope they don’t mind.’

If she can get the mushrooms out without anyone noticing, she won’t get in too much trouble. She’d promised herself she’d just eat them when she’d come with Herwin.

Lucia told herself it would be fine, and looked solemnly at the waitress as she double-checked the order.

“……These are the five things, right?”

“Yes, that’s right…….”

“Wait a minute.”

Herwin interrupted Bern. All eyes turned to him.

Glancing back at the menu, Herwin frowned as he realized what Bern had ordered.

“Doesn’t the Marquis know what his fiancée can’t eat?”

“What?”

“Lucia can’t eat mushrooms; if she does, she’ll be sick for two days.”

Herwin’s point startled Bern, and Lucia’s face paled.

Then, as if on cue, Arista clapped her hands together.

“That’s right, that’s what happened!”

“Lucia, is that true?”

Lucia looked back and forth between Bern and Herwin, then nodded helplessly like a guilty man.

Bern sighed and wiped his forehead.

“You could have gotten in trouble, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I can’t refuse…….”

Lucia said in a crawling voice, and Bern let out a pitiful breath.

A cold hand rested on her small clenched fist. When she lifted her head, Bern gazed at Lucia with tender eyes.

“Next time, be sure to tell me, so I’ll know and be careful.”

“It’s …….”

“I’m not trying to be angry, I’m just very surprised.”

Patting Lucia’s hand, Bern amended the order. The waitress double-checked the changed order and left.

Bern turned to Herwin, relieved.

“Thank you for the heads-up, Phoenaeus.”

Herwin, who was looking coldly at Bern, who kindly held Lucia’s hand, narrowed his eyes and said sharply.

“If you’re her fiancé, shouldn’t you at least have a basic idea of what Lucia can’t eat and what she doesn’t like?”

Anyone could tell that his tone was close to a quarrel. Lucia looked at him with perplexity, and Arista gave him a meaningful glance.

He should have been offended, but Bern stiffened his face without changing his expression.

“Yes, you’re right. It’s my fault.”

It was easy for Bern to admit his fault. It wasn’t the answer he was hoping for, and Herwin wrinkled his nose.

“It’s good to see you recognize your mistake. Be careful next time. Even in an arranged marriage, you should know the basics about each other.”

Herwin brought up Bern’s faults again. It was clear that Lucia and Bern were not in a loving relationship, and he was pointing that out.

As Bern’s face darkened, Lucia frowned and clasped Bern’s hand on her.

“Why do you talk like that? You don’t have to say that.”

Herwin stiffened for a moment, shocked that Lucia had struck him. It was the same for Lucia.

“We’ve only been together for two months, and we haven’t even gotten engaged yet. It’s not like you don’t know.”

“……….”

“I don’t know a lot about Bern, and neither does he with me. We’re just getting to know each other, so we’ll figure it out.”

“Oh, really?”

Herwin’s lips quirked up in a weak smile.

“Be careful next time.”

Normally, Lucia would have been disturbed by Herwin’s anger, but right now she was just as angry as he was, and she gave him the cold shoulder.

Bern and Arista glanced at each other as the atmosphere reached a fever pitch.

Bern spoke softly to Lucia.

“I’m fine, it’s not like Phoenaeus was wrong.”

Lucia still had a sulky look on her face.

“So get over it. Okay?”

Only after hearing Bern’s pleading words did Lucia pout a little.

Then, in a small voice, she apologized to Bern. Of course, Bern stopped her from apologizing.

To break the ice, Arista and Bern took the lead in the conversation.

Lucia, now somewhat calmed down, naturally joined in the conversation, but Herwin Mann still stared at Lucia with disapproving eyes.

Soon, the food arrived and they began to eat in silence.

Lucia’s eyes widened as she took a bite of Bern’s switched order.

“This is really good.”

“Yeah, I’m glad you like it, I’ll have to remember this one.”

Sensing that Bern was paying attention to what she was saying, no matter how much she said it was fine, opened her mouth as she gnawed at her fork.

“Actually, when I was a kid, I ate some mushrooms and got really sick, and ever since then, I get sick if I eat even a little bit of them. I’m not even allergic to them, but I’m just a little embarrassed that I can’t eat them for that reason alone, so I didn’t tell you.”

There are some things that she couldn’t say because she was swept away by the atmosphere, but this reason also played a part.

Being a picky eater at this age is not something to be proud of.

Seeing Lucia blush and expose her vulnerability, Bern was surprised for a moment, then smiled gently.

“I see, I know what you mean.”

Bern looked at her plate and stabbed his fork at the carrot decorating the corner.

He took a big bite of it and frowned.

Lucia’s eyes narrowed as she saw Bern’s ruined face for the first time.

Bern chewed on the carrot for a long time, as if he’d just eaten something inedible, and only after he swallowed did his scowl lift.

“Whoa, this is hard.”

“What the…….”

“I can’t eat carrots.”

He said, turning a little pale.

“It’s not like I had a breakout or anything when I was a kid like Lucia, but no matter how old I get, I just can’t eat these.”

Watering his mouth with water, Bern smirked, looking much better.

“I guess we’re not all that different from each other since we all have things we can’t eat like this, right?”

Lucia smiled and nodded, realizing that Bern was doing this on purpose to ease her burden.

Herwin stared at the two of them as they talked in whispers like they were sharing a secret.

He had never had a stomach bug in his life, and now his stomach was so bloated that food was hard to pass.

He gulped down water and eventually put down his fork and knife.

Arista, noticing his change, nudged him.

“Aren’t you eating anymore?”

“I don’t …… have much of an appetite.”

“Really?”

Arista, who had never seen Herwin leave food behind, was about to say something to him when she realized that his entire attention was on Lucia.

The situation felt unfamiliar to Arista.

‘It looks like it’s changed.’

Usually, Lucia would stare at Herwin like a baby bird chasing its mother, but now it was the other way around.

Without realizing it, Herwin was hoping Lucia would notice the change in him sooner rather than later.

She always seemed to notice the slightest changes before anyone else.

But as the hours passed, and she finished her conversation with Bern and spoke with Arista, she never once addressed him or questioned his lack of eating.

“Oh, Phoenaeus. What’s the matter, you don’t look like you’ve eaten half your meal.”

On the contrary, Bern noticed Herwin’s behavior before Lucia did.

Lucia’s gaze shifted to Herwin.

Waiting for the words to come out of Lucia’s mouth, Herwin saw that her little mouth didn’t open until the end and said bitterly.

“I ……don’t have an appetite, never mind me.”

“Well, if you are, please tell me if you are sick. I’ll call a doctor or something.”

“That’s right, Herwin. Why don’t we go to the doctor?”

Arista agreed with Bern, but Herwin shook his head.

“It’s not that bad.”

Herwin lifted his lowered gaze to look at Lucia, but she didn’t say a word to him.

It was the first time he’d been this awkward with her since they’d fought at the Academy.

Herwin was uneasy that Lucia was genuinely angry with him. But he tried not to let it show.

When the meal was over, dessert was finally served.

Lucia, who had been responding to Arista’s words as she ate her slice of cake, glanced sideways.

Herwin hadn’t touched his cake.

‘He’s not eating.’

In fact, even before Bern had spoken to him, she had noticed that he hadn’t touched his meal.

However, he kept being rude to Bern, so she couldn’t speak to him now that Bern was next to her.

Besides, she’d had a big argument with him just a few minutes ago, so it was impossible to be casual.

‘I wonder if he’s sick, or if he’s just having a bad day.’

Nevertheless, Lucia’s mind was filled with worries about Herwin.

She tried to think of a way to say something to him that would be natural and not awkward, but in the end, she was unable to say a word to him.

Lost in her thoughts, the full moon gradually filled the night sky.