hapter 32

So I nodded my head.

I see. Now I understand why you're here.

Only then did Lucian's nervous face relax.

Lucian took a step closer to the fence. At that moment, the lights on the fence lit up his face brightly.

'Whoa.'

This was the view of a beautiful man's face buried among roses underneath the night sky.

II looked at his face in a daze and then shook my head.

I still held a grudge against him for what happened today.

I'm not the usual Pernia!

I was a sulking Pernia!

I asked in a sulky voice.

So what brings you here?

There was aggression in my voice.

Lucian looked at me, startled by my tone, lowered his gaze, and said with a bitter look.

You're upset about that, aren't you?

My heart fluttered.

'What the hell is with this guy? He knew how I felt?'

My heart was pounding at the thought of being caught by him, but I heard something unexpected.

I'm sorry I was drunk and did something rude to you.

I wrinkled my eyebrows.

Oh, Lucian wasn't apologizing for what he did today but for what he did on the day of the Crown Prince's birthday banquet.

'That was a long time ago.'

My lips pouted at the fact that he didn't realize the real reason why I was sulky.

I asked with a sullen face.

What are you sorry about?

What I did, what I said, everything.

Do you remember what you said back then?

Of course.

Lucian held the fence with his hands and spoke with a woeful look like he was a sinner.

I told the lady that she was pretty.

My heart pounded. I had no idea that his voice full of guilt would sound this sweet.

I managed to keep a straight face and asked coyly.

And?

And then I

Lucian lowered his gaze and continued.

I said I was jealous of Estelle.

Wow, he remembered everything.

And he remembered it very clearly.

I thought it was just drunkenness.

So I decided to not put too much meaning into it. Because he won't even remember. Even if he remembered it, he couldn't have said it sincerely.

I asked in a trembling voice.

Did you mean what you said back then?

Lucian looked up and answered, making eye contact with me.

Of course.

As soon as he confirmed his sincerity, the corners of my lips lifted unknowingly.

Now it looked like my lips were crooked because I was trying to be sulky.

I said, looking at Lucian with a more relaxed face.

Why would that kind of man ignore me like that?

What do you mean?

At the stadium earlier. You pretended like you didn't see me when you did see me with the Crown Prince. Like someone who doesn't care a bit about me.

That was!

Lucian looked like he was falsely accused. Then he muttered with a slightly flushed face.

I was just embarrassed to see the lady all of a sudden. I wasn't ignoring you.

Really?

Yes.

I could feel his sincerity.

So I plucked up the courage to ask this.

Then, did it bother you that I was with the Crown Prince? Were you a little bit worried?

Lucian didn't answer. I bit my lip, thinking that I shouldn't have brought it up, until he said.

No, it was not just a little bit.

I wasveryworried. Of course I would beyou are my fianc .

At that moment, I felt like I was magically sinking.

I took a step closer to the fence.

Lucian and I have become close enough to touch if not for the fence.

Tapping a finger on his hand that was holding onto the fence, I said.

Okay, I'll forgive you. For what you did today, the other day, everything.

Lucian's face, which had been gloomy, lit up.

That night, we had a long conversation with a fence between us. I had a lot of things to talk about as I hadn't seen him for days.

I went to see the training for the first time today and I was surprised to see so many people watching. Most of them were fans of you, Lucian.

Really?

Yes, Lucian's every move made a lot of women scream. You didn't know?

I can't afford to pay attention to the audience during training.

I giggled.

You managed to find me in that situation.

At that, Lucian looked at me with an odd expression and asked,

By the way, when did you get so close to the Crown Prince?

Oh, don't say something so awful. We just pretended to know each other. As you know, the Crown Prince has no friends. He must have been very bored.

Lucian nodded with a complicated look on his face at my answer.

How long have we been talking like this?

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Lucian got up.

I'll be on my way.

Already?

It would have been wrong to say that because it was very late.

I spoke to Lucian with a smile on my face.

You must be very tired, coming here right after the training. Go ahead.

Okay, but my Lady, there's something I want to get permission from you before I go.

Permission?

I tilted my head and looked at Lucian.

What did he need my permission for?

After a while, Lucian said cautiously.

Can I call you by your nickname? Just once?

He would occasionally spring into my unguarded heart like this.

Calling me by my nickname. Why would he want that?

I looked at him with a puzzled look and nodded.

Lucian had a happy expression, like a child who received the world's largest teddy bear as a gift.

He reached out his hand. Unconsciously, I put my hand on his.

Lucian grabbed my hand and dragged it toward him.

Soon, I heard the sound of a small kiss.

He kissed the back of my hand!

He laughed at me, who had frozen up with eyes widen from surprise.

With his silver hair twinkling under the moonlight, he whispered,

Sweet dreams, Nia.

His voice seemed to have penetrated into my heart, instead of my ear.

When I came to my senses, he had already disappeared.

I sat on the floor looking at his empty spot with a dreamy face.

That man, he's too dangerous.

In the end, I couldn't fall asleep that night. As expected, being with that man was bad for my health.

The next day, I visited the Flower Grass House for the first time in a long time to calm myself down.(Note: For those who don't remember, Flower Grass House is where Estelle does her charity work.)

Estelle, wearing a white apron, greeted me with a bright face.

Miss Nia!

Estelle!

We jumped with our hands together as if we hadn't seen each other in a hundred years. But when I saw Estelle's face, I wrinkled my eyebrows.

You have baggy eyes. Did you stay up all night reading a book yesterday?

Yes.

In fact, seeing Estelle's face like this was no surprise these days. Because she was more passionate about medical studies than ever before.

Estelle wanted to treat people with her own strength, not just with the power of a Saint which can only be used a limited number of times, and also for a limited number of people.

To do so, Estelle tried to sharpen and polish her medical knowledge.

'How lovely and mature you are.'

I thought, clicking my tongue and tidying up her tangled hair.

I'm here today, so you can take it easy. Don't overdo it.

Estelle smiled innocently.

I will.

..I was not exaggerating when I said that.

Unlike me, who had poor physical strength as a noble lady, Estelle took care of the patients without a break.

With a smile on her face at all times.

There was no sign of tiredness or exhaustion on her.

I mumbled, leaning on a chair with a limp body.

You're so small and delicate, where the hell is your stamina coming from?

I'd like to ask that too. Is that the power of being a commoner?

Huh?

As I turned my head and looked at the owner of the voice, I opened my mouth wide.

There stood a man who did not match with the image of the Flower Grass House.

It was Carlix.

I asked without hiding my flustered face.

Why are you here, Your Highness?

I came by to do something.

What business could the Crown Prince possibly have to do here?

He continued and I squinted at him, not believing what he said.

I arrived a long time ago. You and the Saintess were the only ones who didn't know I was here. I'm not sure if you weren't aware because you were focused on your work or you were pretending not to notice.

Come to think of it, the atmosphere of the medical center did seem to become awkward at some point.

Like everyone tensed up.

But I didn't have time to pay attention to anyone else at that moment. I was busy taking care of patients who would rather live on than die.

'Anyway, what is the Crown Prince doing here?'

Carlix's gaze was directed at Estelle.

Estelle was still smiling, holding the old woman's sickly hand, unaware of Carlix's arrival.

The way Carlix looked at that sight was very frightening.

That was Carlix, a man who would even be jealous of an ant if it caught Estelle's attention.

'No matter how jealous you are, you're not going to jump at a fragile grandma, are you?'

He was looking at her with a nervous face, but he murmured.

I see that's how she looks at her patients.

The emotion in his voice was not anger or irritation.

It was envy.

The Crown Prince who had everything in the world envies a sick old woman who had nothing.

No one would believe that.

But the emotions in his black eyes were as desperate as a little puppy.

After a while, Estelle, who had finished consoling a patient, turned her head this way. Estelle's eyes then widened as if she had finally noticed his presence.

At that moment, I saw it clearlythe slight flinch of Carlix's shoulders which had been standing tall and haughty.