EWOWMAIBTYPF Chapter 214

Chapter 214

 

“Your shoelace is untied.”

At that moment, Lucio handed the parasol back to Serphin and bent down.

Just as he said, the shoelace tied around Serphin’s ankle fluttered in the wind.

With his long, pale fingers, Lucio took the lace and tied a neat ribbon around her ankle, the soft rustle of the fabric accompanying his movements, then straightened up again.

Serphin’s cheeks were more flushed than before.

It was understandable.

The warm autumn sunlight, the gentle breeze, and Lucio kneeling amid the trees and wildflowers tying her shoelace—it all looked like something out of a fairy tale.

Just when I thought the crisis had passed, my lips began to dry up again.

Serphin looked at Lucio with dewy eyes as he took the parasol back from her, and I already knew from experience where this strange atmosphere was heading.

And d***n it, my intuition was right.

Serphin tilted her chin slightly and slowly closed her eyes.

Lucio, as if reading her intention, began to lower his head—ever so slowly.

I watched, not even blinking, as their faces grew closer.

Was I trying to see how far they’d go? Or was I hoping that, even under the spell, Lucio would push Serphin away?

I didn’t even know what I wanted anymore.

My heart pounded wildly.

And finally…

“…!”

Just as their lips were about to touch, Lucio suddenly tilted the parasol.

The moment their figures were hidden by it, I snapped out of my daze.

Desperately, I waved my hand.

Swoosh—!

A sudden gust of wind roared through the garden, flipping the parasol with a loud crack.

I quickly looked at the two beneath the now-ruined parasol.

Their faces weren’t as close as I feared.

Maybe their lips had touched and pulled away already—there was no way to know—but strangely, Lucio was covering his mouth with his free hand.

His face had turned pale.

Then Lucio abruptly turned his head.

He was sensitive, so I thought he might notice my presence even with my aura suppressed… but I hadn’t expected him to look straight at me like that.

Lucio glared at me with a twisted expression, as if furious for interrupting an intimate moment.

Seeing that, a rush of sadness, frustration, and betrayal surged all at once.

I stared back at him, then turned and began to run.

And with that, tears I had been holding back poured out uncontrollably.

That morning, I had come to the duke’s estate because I had something to say to Lucio.

He wasn’t someone who easily showed weakness, even to family, so I had wanted to comfort him and offer him peace of mind.

And…

Though I hadn’t been able to say anything yesterday out of shock, I had wanted to tell him that it was okay if he didn’t remember me.

Because I remembered everything, from beginning to end, without missing a single thing.

Even if he never remembered me again—we would still always be together, so he didn’t have to worry.

‘I never imagined I’d witness something like this instead…’

If I returned to the marquis’ estate like this, my family would surely notice I’d been crying, so I made my way to Diana’s room.

I thought maybe venting to her and cursing Lucio together might help soothe my pain.

‘She’s still young, so I probably shouldn’t mention they were about to kiss.’

If she heard that, Diana might refuse to call Lucio her brother, or even brother-in-law, from now on.

The thought was so ridiculous it made me laugh through the sadness.

But when there was no response no matter how much I knocked on Diana’s door, the sorrow surged again.

Luckily, I hadn’t run into any servants on the way here from the garden, but if I lingered in the hallway like this, someone might catch me crying.

Eventually, I remembered the duchess had told me she left my childhood room untouched.

I opened the door next to Diana’s room.

Without even taking in the neatly maintained space, I collapsed to the floor and began to sob out loud.

At that moment, I felt as though I’d returned to the version of myself from before I ever met my parents, the girl who thought she was worthless.

 

***

 

“Young Duke?”

Lucio clenched his teeth to stop himself from screaming the moment Serphin touched his arm and called out to him.

Even now, the nausea from a few moments ago, when he was about to kiss Serphin, hadn’t subsided.

Afraid he would vomit and blow his cover, Lucio threw the broken parasol to the ground and said,

“It must’ve been the Grand Princess. So she’s a mage after all—I didn’t expect her to secretly follow us.”

Fortunately, the unpleasantness and disgust Lucio had felt while with the princess melded together and flowed out naturally in a voice full of anger.

At that, Serphin slightly curled the corners of her lips.

“She tried to stop us from entering the maze garden earlier too. I suppose she is jealous that I’m with the Young Duke. She is still young, so I’ll overlook it.”

“That won’t do. It’s bad enough she disrupted the time I was spending with your Highness, but she even damaged your belongings. I must demand an apology for this rudeness.”

“An apology?”

“Yes. My apologies, Your Highness, but would you return to the palace for now?”

“What? But we were supposed to have dinner at Oblie Restaurant tonight…”

“I’ll make a new reservation. But right now, I’m in no condition to enjoy a pleasant meal. Please understand that I only want to show you my best self.”

Lucio spoke in a polite tone and met Serphin’s eyes with a regretful expression.

Blushing, she nodded her head almost involuntarily.

With that, Lucio turned away without a trace of hesitation

 

***

 

“Bert, keep an eye on the princess. Report back without missing a single word about who she meets, what she says.”

The moment he left the garden, Lucio spoke into the air.

Though Bert did not reveal himself, Lucio could sense his presence fading quickly into the distance.

Now alone, Lucio finally loosened his cravat and let out a deep breath.

Just being away from the princess made it easier to breathe.

That morning, as soon as he had opened his eyes and begun preparing for work, Lucio had ordered Bert to monitor both his behavior and Serphin’s, as well as her surroundings.

It was a precaution—he had suspected that something might go wrong while he was with the princess.

And just as he feared, the moment he faced Serphin, he lost all sense of reason.

Each time they were briefly apart, Bert reported back to him, leaving Lucio speechless with disbelief.

Still, he couldn’t reduce his time with Serphin.

He hoped that, as she gradually let down her guard, she might reveal something about her contract with the demon.

So, half willingly and half out of necessity, Lucio played along with her whims and entered the Duke’s estate.

Then, seeing Diana and Lia emerge at the front entrance, his mind suddenly cleared and his reason returned.

Whether it was due to his younger sister’s divine power, or… because of the Grand Princess, who had turned pale upon seeing him arrive with Serphin—he couldn’t be sure.

But in this state of clarity, he had a high chance of hearing the full truth or finding a clue to resolving the incident from Serphin.

Lucio quickly understood the first thing he needed to do.

He had to ignore Lia.

Serphin, having even made a deal with a demon to have him, would obviously harbor hatred toward the Grand Princess, his lover.

If she ever suspected he cared about Lia, she wouldn’t let it slide.

So Lucio deliberately shot her a cold look and treated her with a sharp attitude.

It was difficult to tear his eyes away from her conflicted expression and the way her clasped hands had turned white, but he forced himself to look away. Only once he was far from her did he feel some relief.

But it was short-lived. Not long after, Lucio sensed a presence from the garden—and instinctively knew that Lia had snuck in.

From that moment, his attention was fixated on her, and he couldn’t concentrate on the princess anymore.

He had heard that the Grand Princess was an exceptional mage, but he was astonished. What kind of life had she lived to conceal her presence so perfectly? Was such a feat even possible with magic?

Thankfully, Serphin—who had supposedly sold even her soul to a demon to have Lucio—hadn’t noticed a thing about his condition.

She was fooled by a few sweet-sounding words and forced smiles.

What Lucio hadn’t expected, however, was that Serphin wanted more than just kind words and gestures.

He had thought he’d narrowly avoided disaster by dodging a romantic moment, but when she persistently closed her eyes, a sinking feeling came over him.

Even aside from the growing repulsion he felt toward the princess, the fact that the Grand Princess was watching made the situation far more serious.

He might not have fully accepted Lia as his lover yet, but even so, he couldn’t let her see him kiss another woman.

Maybe Allen’s repeated words the night before, ‘Don’t do anything you’ll regret’, had stuck with him more than he realized.

In the end, the best option he could manage was to use the parasol to block Lia’s view.

But…

Lucio realized that whether Lia was watching or not, he could never bring himself to kiss Serphin.

He had tried to steel himself and just get it over with, but his body had reacted so violently that nausea surged up, and he instinctively covered his mouth with his hand.

Thank the heavens, the gust of wind Lia conjured had hidden his reaction before Serphin could open her eyes.

Even so, his condition hadn’t improved. Honestly, he didn’t want to be around Serphin for a moment longer.

That’s why he’d made up the absurd excuse about demanding an apology from Lia, just to leave.

As he was heading back to his room, Lucio suddenly stopped in his tracks.

A faint sound of sobbing echoed from somewhere.

And just like that, his heart sank.

 

 

Oh, Lucio, you are in a big trouble….

The next update will be on Thursday.