Chapter 13: 13

The corners of Herwin’s mouth slowly turned down.

“……You don’t like me?”

Lucia couldn’t even make eye contact with Herwin, and she nodded hesitantly.

Thump!

Herwin’s heart sank, thinking that she didn’t like him anymore because she didn’t look any different than before.

But if it wasn’t that… a nagging feeling of anxiety coursed through him, wondering if what had happened in the hall six days ago was happening again.

Closing her eyes tightly against the pounding of her heart, Lucia felt the silence around her and opened them slowly.

Herwin’s face was ashen white.

Lucia rushed to speak, remembering Hail’s words.

“Don’t worry. I won’t confess in front of anyone.”

“……?”

“I don’t confess in front of other people.”

For a moment, fear overcame him, and he couldn’t make sense of her words.

“You said you don’t like me?”

“Yes, I like you, better than mom and dad, in fact, but not you.”

“……….”

“Mommy told me never to embarrass you if you have a crush on someone, and you don’t like me saying I like you in front of people, do you?”

Herwin nodded nervously.

“That’s why I won’t confess in public.”

As if to prove her resolve, Lucia snorted harshly.

“But… can I say I like you when we’re together like this?”

She leaned her head in her lap and flashed a bashful smile at Herwin.

The flush of her pink cheeks and the soft curve of her eyes enhanced Lucia’s cuteness.

It was a smile he’d seen before, but this time it felt different.

The blue walls of her eyes filled Herwin with overwhelming emotion.

It was overwhelming and heavy, with a slight tickle in the center of his chest.

But he didn’t recognize the excitement, as it was drowned out by the pounding of anxiety.

He fully understood what Lucia was trying to say, and the sincerity in her words….…

So he answered her sincerely.

“……I’m not going to fall in love with you.”

“Then I’ll confess again!”

“What?”

The words were meant to hurt, but Lucia took them so refreshingly.

“Didn’t you hear me, I’m not going fall in love with you?”

“Yeah, I know, but I like you.”

The situation was ridiculous, and even though Herwin tried hard to say no, Lucia, like a dodo, insisted that she liked him.

“Really, persistent……!”

This went on and on until finally Herwin got annoyed.

“No matter how many times you say it, I’m not going out with you!”

Gritting his teeth, Herwin stood up and looked into the piercing blue eyes staring back at him, feeling unnecessarily vulnerable.

“Do you hate me?”

“Of course I do! No… I don’t hate…but…….”

Herwin wished he could just say that he hated her, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it, because he didn’t hate her.

Lucia’s smile widened.

“Then you like me?”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because you said you don’t hate me. I like you, Herwin.”

“Stop! You can’t say that and won’t you accept it?”

“No, not like that. I like you as a friend.”

Herwin’s face flinched as he was caught off guard.

“I like you as a friend, and I like you enough to want to date you. Do you like me as a friend?”

“……Yes.”

Herwin stuck out his lower lip and nodded. If he was a little late in answering, it wasn’t reluctantly.

“All right then!”

As if that were enough, Lucia smiled broadly and stood up.

“Let’s be friends! I still like you, so I’m going to keep telling you.”

“What’s that…….”

It was a mess. He couldn’t figure out what she was talking about when she said she liked him.

“Haha, that’s weird.”

But he wasn’t nervous anymore.

Herwin burst out laughing, and Lucia joined in.

Herwin laughed for a while, then took her outstretched hand.

“Okay, let’s stay friends.”

All the awkwardness between the two children disappeared. They felt even closer than they had on the island.

“Herwin, I like you!”

“But it’s only been five minutes since you asked us to be friends?”

Herwin was no longer afraid of Lucia’s confession. He felt relaxed enough to crack a lighthearted joke.

Eight years old, midsummer. A time when the sun was scorching, but the days were cool and pleasant.

Their friendship was rekindled in the north.

* * *

“Now that I think about it, Herwin has every reason to be embarrassed.”

On a sleepless night, Lucia finally asked the maid for wine.

She sat on the terrace and sipped it, taking in the dark landscape.

It had been thirteen years ago when she first fell in love with Herwin.

To be honest, she couldn’t remember what had happened, except that she remembered how she had fallen for him and how she had confessed to him.

She can’t even remember the details of what she did a year ago, much less 13 years ago.

“I feel like a jerk, too. I can’t believe I’ve been dumped for so long and still can’t let it go.”

She wishes she could let go of her feelings as easily as everyone else, but it’s not as easy as she thought, and she feels like an idiot.

“What’s next, the 99th confession?”

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One last chance, one last chance.

“Too bad, I could have filled it up 100 times.”

She said to herself, not sure if she was joking or serious.

Giggling, Lucia flipped through her diary.

She’d been writing about her crush since she was eight years old.

There were days when she was happy to think that Herwin might accept her confession, and there were days when she was tormented by her failure.

All the highs and lows are in this diary.

As Lucia reads her raw emotions, she stops at the 60th confession.

“Did I attend the Academy from this time on?”

Sixteen years old, when she entered the Academy. Three years of living with Herwin.

“…… a lot was going on even then.”

It was good to be with Herwin, but there were times when it was hard because of all the ups and downs and jealousy.

Lucia suddenly remembered when she first entered the academy.

* * *

The Academy was bustling with the returning students for the new semester and the new students who had arrived this year.

Among the many carriages, the door of a carriage bearing the sigil of House Agnes opened, and a man stepped out.

Some of the girls around him blushed and began to gossip.

It was Lucas, who had turned 18 this year.

He was a tall, almost 180-pound man with a lean, toned body, dark chocolate brown hair, and eyes that were clearer than the sky.

He was handsome enough to attract the attention of his female classmates.

“Lucia, be careful.”

Just then, Lucas reached for the carriage and escorted her out.

“Wow, a real academy.”

“Congratulations on your admission to the Academy, little sister.”

Lucas smiled and congratulated Lucia heartily on her admission.

Like all new students, she looked around the academy with excitement. Lucas smiled at how cute she was.

“I told you the other day, you look great in your uniform.”

“Really? Don’t you think it’s weird?”

“No, it’s not weird, I’m just worried that some vermin will get a kick out of it.”

“Really. You always say that. I like you, but you’re too overprotective.”

Lucia slapped Lucas on the arm for making such an embarrassing comment.

“Lucia! Overprotective! Look at you!”

Lucia hesitantly looked at herself.

“What did I……?”

“You’re so cute and adorable, how could any guy not fall for you!”

Lucia shook her head, thinking her brother’s arm flailing had begun again.

But Lucas’ concern was completely normal.

She had the same softly wavy jeans, the same brown hair, the same flawless face, the same fine features, the same gentle eyes, and the same blue walls.

He looked just like Lucas, but she was even cuter, and her height, only in the early 150s, made her feel protective.

She claims to have the potential to grow taller, but probably won’t reach 160 when she’s all grown up.

Lucas’ loud recitation of Lucia’s virtues drew a few stares. Lucia blushed and pulled away from him.

“I’m going by myself.”

“Wait! Lucia!”

Lucas hurried after her as she ran away from him.

It took him quite a bit longer than he thought to untangle her pouty little sister.

* * *

After dropping off their belongings in the luggage room, the Agnes siblings began their tour of the Academy.

Lucas, who knew the Academy inside and out, walked side by side with Lucia, explaining the locations of the most important buildings and the rules of the Academy.

There were already a lot of people on campus. People who knew Lucas started talking to him one by one.

“Lucas, how was your vacation?”

“Oh, Ares. It’s been a while. You’ve been well, too, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Lucia took a step back and watched Lucas’ friends as they came by.

Unlike the others, who just said hello in passing, this one he talked to for quite a while.

A handsome man with pale blonde hair and violet eyes.

Although he had a dainty appearance, the aura emanating from him was quite powerful, making him unapproachable.

‘Behind those violet eyes…….’

“Ah, is this your sister?”

“Yes. Lucia, this is my best friend, Ares Lydia.”

Oh, as expected. It is said that the Duke of Lydia has purple eyes, which are characteristic of the family.

Lucia lifted the hem of her skirt, inwardly surprised that Lucas was acquainted with someone so powerful.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lucia Agnes.”

“You don’t have to be so formal.”

Ares smiled modestly and held out his hand.

“Come to think of it, didn’t you say you had a sister, too? I thought you said she was Lucia’s age.”

“Oh. You mean Arista?”

“Yeah, that’s right. Where is your sister now?”

“I don’t know, I’m sure she’s out there somewhere.”

“What? Is that what you do now that you’re a big brother?”

“Because you’re weird that you care about your sister in the first place… Oh, I’m sorry, sister. I didn’t mean for you to hear that.”

Ares, who was speaking as if he couldn’t understand Lucas caring so much about his sister, saw Lucia’s narrowed eyes and hurriedly changed his tune.

“It’s okay, my brother is a bit of an oddball.”

The smile on Lucia’s face, so similar to Lucas’ and yet so different, gave Ares pause.

“I can see why you care so much about your sister.”

“Uh-huh, don’t be disrespectful, will you go away!”

“Big brother! You’re talking to the prince of Lydia……!”

“Hahaha, it’s okay, it’s okay, it was my fault.”

Lucas growled as he wrapped his arms around Lucia, and Ares took a step back.

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