Chapter 92
Startled, Herwin was at a loss for words, so Arista poked him in the side. Only then did Herwin come back to his senses.
“…Ah, no. The one who should really be apologizing is me.”
The awkward atmosphere lingered, but it was much more relaxed than the stiff tension from a moment ago. Lucas smiled awkwardly, but then quickly cleared his expression with a cough.
“Uh… well! This might not be the right place to say it, but I suppose what you said before was sincere?”
Lucas found it hard to fully believe Herwin’s claim that he liked Lucia. He knew it wasn’t a lie, but he wasn’t entirely certain.
Herwin understood Lucas’s words and set his face seriously.
“I wouldn’t lie about something like that.”
“…I see. That’s true, then.”
Lucas closed his eyes briefly, reassured by Herwin’s sincerity.
“I don’t know what’ll happen from now on… but stay strong.”
“…Brother.”
Though awkwardly expressed, Lucas had acknowledged Herwin. Herwin, who hadn’t expected Lucas to give him recognition, felt his emotions swell.
When Herwin’s eyes shone and he stared at Lucas, Lucas quickly changed the subject.
“Ahem! Everyone else went out to dance—are you two just going to stay here? I think there’d be a line of people wanting to dance with you.”
“Brother, there’s only one person I want. You know that.”
So typically Herwin, Lucas naturally turned his gaze to Arista beside him.
“Arista, how about you? Are you… waiting for the person you like?”
Lucas’s voice lowered slightly.
But Arista didn’t notice. Her crush, Lucas, was talking about his own crush, and it made her chest ache.
She exhaled nervously and forced a casual smile.
“It’s nothing like that. I don’t really like dancing, you know that.”
“…Is that so?”
Becky, sensing the subtle tension between Lucas and Arista, stiffened her expression and tightly gripped Lucas’s arm.
Even though she was his fiancée, she didn’t like him looking at another woman.
Ever since the day Lucas suggested getting engaged, he had avoided conversations about the engagement whenever it came up. At first, she thought it was because he hadn’t accepted it yet, but she couldn’t let him avoid the topic again in front of Arista.
“Lucas, let’s go dance. And we should probably start announcing our engagement to everyone.”
“…Engagement? Brother, you’re engaged?”
Herwin’s eyes went wide at the word, and Arista clutched her skirt tightly. Lucas, unusually flustered, nodded.
“Yes, that’s how it is.”
“Congratulations, brother. Have you set a date for the engagement ceremony?”
“No, not yet. We only recently promised to get engaged, so nothing’s set.”
“But the fact that you’re engaged won’t change, so the details will be decided soon, right? Lucas?”
Becky made sure there was no room for Lucas to speak otherwise. He just smiled mechanically and nodded.
“We’ll go dance now. See you later.”
“Yeah.”
After Becky and Lucas left, a brief silence fell before Herwin suddenly turned his head toward Arista.
“Lucas is engaged? Did you know? Or… what do you mean you have someone you like?”
Earlier, with Lucas and Becky present, he hadn’t dared to ask, but Herwin couldn’t easily understand the sudden flood of new information and pressed Arista.
Still, Arista stared at Lucas dancing with Becky, lost in thought.
Seeing her deep purple eyes, Herwin tilted his head.
It was a strange feeling—almost within reach, yet unattainable. Following Arista’s gaze, he scratched his head while looking at Lucas.
At that moment, Lucia, who had been dancing with Bern, stepped out of the ballroom.
Herwin immediately lost interest in Arista and Lucas and moved toward Lucia. In the distance, he noticed a woman approaching the two.
“What’s that?”
A familiar-looking woman was speaking to them.
Bern looked troubled, while Lucia remained silent for a moment with a meaningful expression, then released her arm from Bern and smiled.
After ending the conversation, Lucia left on her own. Bern hurried to stop her, but a woman standing in front of him held him back.
‘Reddish hair, freckles…’
A vague memory suddenly surfaced.
‘She’s the woman I saw at Christine’s party.’
She had been the woman who collided with her just before witnessing Lucia and Bern’s kiss.
At that time, she had walked away from the ballroom, crying as if heartbroken.
They didn’t know what the three had talked about, but the situation felt unsettling.
“Oh? You’re still here? Not going to dance…?”
Lucia left the ballroom and approached Arista and Herwin. She paused when she saw Arista’s mood dampened and Herwin staring at her intently.
Thinking something might be wrong, she tried to leave, but Herwin caught her.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Nothing… just…”
“Where’s your fiancé? Why are you alone?”
“Ah… Bern went to dance with another woman.”
“Another woman?”
Turning her head, she saw Bern dancing with the woman. Normally cheerful, he now had a serious expression.
“Is it okay for your fiancé to dance with someone else?”
“…Even when engaged, it’s common to dance with others.”
Lucia thought for a moment, then replied slightly late.
She recalled Celine approaching her earlier.
‘The Marquis Casper requests a dance.’
‘…Lady Jenson.’
Bern, who usually called her Celine, suddenly lowered his voice and addressed her formally by surname.
Lucia could feel just how flustered Bern was. Of course, if Herwin had approached as boldly as Celine, she would have been equally flustered.
‘Lucia, you don’t have to. I’m sorry for dragging you into something unnecessary.’
When Lucia didn’t respond, Bern, thinking she was upset, hurriedly explained.
As Bern tried to take Lucia away, despair spread across Celine’s face. Seeing her on the verge of tears, Lucia spoke.
‘No, it’s fine. There’s no rule that only engaged couples can dance.’
‘Lucia?’
Bern, unable to imagine Lucia allowing it, was greatly surprised. Celine’s eyes widened with relief.
‘I’ll take a short break.’
Lucia stepped away from Bern, and Celine whispered softly.
‘…Thank you so much, Lady.’
Her voice was thick with gratitude and emotion.
Was it pity? Lucia couldn’t know why Bern had yielded to Celine. She just felt that, in that moment, it was the right thing to do.
“…Then it’s okay if you dance with me.”
“Huh?”
Lucia, still thinking of Celine and Bern, looked up at the sudden words.
Herwin was looking at her seriously. He bent slightly and extended his hand politely.
“Would you do me the honor of dancing, Lady?”
Herwin, the most noticeable person anywhere, offering a dance to Lucia caused a stir. Arista, distracted by Lucas, turned her head.
It was not just that he invited the soon-to-be-fiancée Lucia to dance, but also that Herwin, currently the most popular person here, had done so politely.
Usually, Herwin only danced with girls like Lucia or Arista, so this was unusual. But formally inviting a dance in such a manner was a first.
Feeling the attention, Lucia blushed.
“W-What are you doing?”
“I’m inviting you to dance. Is that displeasing?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“Lucia, as you said, you don’t have to be engaged to dance together.”
When Lucia hesitated, Arista nudged Herwin. She winked and gestured toward the dance floor.
“Don’t worry about what others think. If you refuse, everyone will notice even more.”
Lucia, still confused, looked at Herwin. He remained bent, eyes only on her.
His gaze was so intense that Lucia swallowed nervously.
“…Alright.”
As her small hand landed in his, Herwin’s face lit up instantly. Those around them, including Lucia and Arista, were momentarily stunned.
“Shall we?”
Lucia naturally allowed Herwin to lead her to the dance floor. Bern and Celine were far away, but all Lucia could see was Herwin.
‘This…’
It felt like the first time she danced at Herwin’s birthday party at age sixteen.
Back then, even knowing she was Arista’s substitute, she was delighted that Herwin smiled at her and chose her as his first dance partner.
The same overwhelming emotions, like waves she couldn’t control, surged again.
She felt on the verge of drowning in them. Her mind went blank, unable to think.
Meanwhile, Herwin, unsure what Lucia was thinking, couldn’t help but smile as she gazed solely at him, like a fledgling bird following its mother.
The clear, unwavering eyes focused only on him were both thrilling and heart-fluttering.
Her small hand in his, her slender waist, her tiny frame—everything was adorable. Though she usually hated dancing, with her, he could dance all day.
It felt as if only the two of them existed in the world.
As the band played, Herwin lifted Lucia effortlessly. The movement was so light that it drew attention.
Lucia, shocked, came back to her senses.
“W-What are you doing!”
“Haha, why? Embarrassed?”
“Well… of course! This isn’t the right part to lift someone, and suddenly—”
Her voice lowered as she spoke, whispering as if to a songbird.
“…Are you listening to me?”
“Yes.”
Looking into his gently curved eyes, Lucia shut her mouth tight. His loving crimson gaze was overwhelming, almost shameful.
“Ah, I’m so happy…”
“What?”
While spinning, Herwin whispered to her alone.
Hearing his teasing words, Lucia looked up. Herwin smiled like the happiest person alive.
‘…Me too.’
She couldn’t bring herself to say it aloud. She nearly melted into him.
Lucia bowed her head, eyes on his chest.
Then she noticed something in Herwin’s jacket pocket—it was the handkerchief she had given him.
The fabric, color, and even the embroidery—all had passed through her hands.
Seeing the handkerchief made Lucia waver.
‘Is this really okay?’
For Bern and herself, she thought she should continue the engagement, but she wondered if her stubbornness was blinding her to what truly mattered.
