I’m genuinely happy that Mark has been released.
I could express my gratitude to His Highness the Prince with all my might.
And, I’m also happy that everyone’s abilities are being properly evaluated. Regardless of the actual situation, I think so.
The same can be said for Mark.
However, that’s a different story.
Lucia finds herself in a situation where someone she doesn’t want to see and someone she wants to learn from are in the same mansion.
I’m worried about her.
I wondered why things weren’t going well.
“Well, that’s why. From now on, call me by my real name.”
“Y-Yeah.”
Mark seemed relieved, whether he knew or didn’t know what was going on in my mind.
“Sigh, I can finally tell the truth. It’s unsettling to be called by a fake name all the time.”
“I see.”
“Yeah, at first I wasn’t used to this name either, so I remembered my name over there.”
“I forgot, so there was no such thing for me.”
Mark muttered “I see” and then suddenly smiled.
“Can you tell me Lorraine’s name over there secretly? You remember it, right?”
“I do, but…”
I was on my guard, wondering if he was going to make fun of me or not, and that’s when Paula looked as if she wanted to complain.
The door was modestly knocked.
“Um, I heard Lady Astorga is here…”
My face twisted at the somewhat hesitant voice I heard from outside. Why of all times, I couldn’t help but think.
The owner of the voice was Lucia.
I looked at Paula. She had changed her expression from looking like she wanted to complain to one of concern.
“What should we do?”
“…Even if we keep quiet, she’ll find out eventually.”
Paula decisively spoke in her usual tone and called out to the other side of the door without waiting for my response.
“Come in.”
Then, the door opened gently and Lucia timidly entered the room. At that moment, I glanced at Mark. He looked a bit uncomfortable, but he didn’t seem particularly shaken. Perhaps he had already considered this possibility from the beginning. He was so composed that I couldn’t help but think that was the case.
“Um, I’m sorry. I heard there was a guest here, but I really wanted to talk to you.”
Lucia finally turned her attention to the “guest” and immediately made a face as if she had found something dirty.
I thought I had to say something, but Lucia quickly erased her expression of disgust and showed a graceful smile.
It was such a stunning change that I blinked several times, wondering what had happened.
“Oh, so you were a new servant even though I called you a guest. Have you finished talking?”
“Yes, I’m done.”
Paula finally smiled like a big rose without hiding her true feelings of being able to get rid of the trouble. Lucia, who heard that, also smiled shyly like a blooming rose.
I couldn’t say anything.
Mark didn’t speak either. Or rather, I think it’s impossible in this situation. Even though he seemed to have a heart of steel, it was impossible.
“Well then, go to your workplace right away. You can ask the head maid about the details of your room and such. Since they are all people who know each other, you don’t have to worry about anything.”
“Yes, understood.”
Mark replied with a subdued tone and looked a little disappointed towards me before quietly leaving the room.
As for Lucia, she continued to smile as she looked in that direction when the door closed. Even though she was smiling, I felt like she was glaring.
After a while, I confirmed that the presence had moved away and asked hesitantly.
“Um, Lucia, are you okay?”
“What do you mean by okay?”
“Well, I mean… you probably didn’t want to see him.”
As someone who was in love and betrayed, I couldn’t imagine feeling good. If someone did that to me, I wouldn’t want to see their face again.
But Lucia said with a smile.
“I certainly didn’t want to see his face, but it doesn’t matter anymore.”
I was stunned by her words.
I stared at Lucia’s lovely face intently, trying to detect any lingering feelings. But I couldn’t sense any dark emotions from her at all.
I realized that she really didn’t care.
“Because it was all in my mind. Because I knew.”
“What?”
“What it really means to love someone. I finally understood that. So I know it wasn’t love.”
As Lucia spoke with sparkling eyes, looking into the distance, I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.
Around her, there were flowers shining in the light for some reason, making the scene very picturesque. If I were a painter, I would want to capture it in a painting no matter what.
However, I’m terrible at drawing, and there are no cameras or devices with that function here.
More than anything, the things Lucia has done so far are flashing through my mind at an incredible speed, and I can’t focus on anything else.
Looking back, Lucia followed Mark and unjustly criticized me with full force out of jealousy, but if that wasn’t love, then what is?
In addition, I can easily imagine who the person Lucia really loves is, which only makes me feel more uncomfortable.
“So it doesn’t really matter.”
Unaware of my inner thoughts, Lucia said that with a beautiful smile.
I’m genuinely happy that Mark has been released.
I could express my gratitude to His Highness the Prince with all my might.
And, I’m also happy that everyone’s abilities are being properly evaluated. Regardless of the actual situation, I think so.
The same can be said for Mark.
However, that’s a different story.
Lucia finds herself in a situation where someone she doesn’t want to see and someone she wants to learn from are in the same mansion.
I’m worried about her.
I wondered why things weren’t going well.
“Well, that’s why. From now on, call me by my real name.”
“Y-Yeah.”
Mark seemed relieved, whether he knew or didn’t know what was going on in my mind.
“Sigh, I can finally tell the truth. It’s unsettling to be called by a fake name all the time.”
“I see.”
“Yeah, at first I wasn’t used to this name either, so I remembered my name over there.”
“I forgot, so there was no such thing for me.”
Mark muttered “I see” and then suddenly smiled.
“Can you tell me Lorraine’s name over there secretly? You remember it, right?”
“I do, but…”
I was on my guard, wondering if he was going to make fun of me or not, and that’s when Paula looked as if she wanted to complain.
The door was modestly knocked.
“Um, I heard Lady Astorga is here…”
My face twisted at the somewhat hesitant voice I heard from outside. Why of all times, I couldn’t help but think.
The owner of the voice was Lucia.
I looked at Paula. She had changed her expression from looking like she wanted to complain to one of concern.
“What should we do?”
“…Even if we keep quiet, she’ll find out eventually.”
Paula decisively spoke in her usual tone and called out to the other side of the door without waiting for my response.
“Come in.”
Then, the door opened gently and Lucia timidly entered the room. At that moment, I glanced at Mark. He looked a bit uncomfortable, but he didn’t seem particularly shaken. Perhaps he had already considered this possibility from the beginning. He was so composed that I couldn’t help but think that was the case.
“Um, I’m sorry. I heard there was a guest here, but I really wanted to talk to you.”
Lucia finally turned her attention to the “guest” and immediately made a face as if she had found something dirty.
I thought I had to say something, but Lucia quickly erased her expression of disgust and showed a graceful smile.
It was such a stunning change that I blinked several times, wondering what had happened.
“Oh, so you were a new servant even though I called you a guest. Have you finished talking?”
“Yes, I’m done.”
Paula finally smiled like a big rose without hiding her true feelings of being able to get rid of the trouble. Lucia, who heard that, also smiled shyly like a blooming rose.
I couldn’t say anything.
Mark didn’t speak either. Or rather, I think it’s impossible in this situation. Even though he seemed to have a heart of steel, it was impossible.
“Well then, go to your workplace right away. You can ask the head maid about the details of your room and such. Since they are all people who know each other, you don’t have to worry about anything.”
“Yes, understood.”
Mark replied with a subdued tone and looked a little disappointed towards me before quietly leaving the room.
As for Lucia, she continued to smile as she looked in that direction when the door closed. Even though she was smiling, I felt like she was glaring.
After a while, I confirmed that the presence had moved away and asked hesitantly.
“Um, Lucia, are you okay?”
“What do you mean by okay?”
“Well, I mean… you probably didn’t want to see him.”
As someone who was in love and betrayed, I couldn’t imagine feeling good. If someone did that to me, I wouldn’t want to see their face again.
But Lucia said with a smile.
“I certainly didn’t want to see his face, but it doesn’t matter anymore.”
I was stunned by her words.
I stared at Lucia’s lovely face intently, trying to detect any lingering feelings. But I couldn’t sense any dark emotions from her at all.
I realized that she really didn’t care.
“Because it was all in my mind. Because I knew.”
“What?”
“What it really means to love someone. I finally understood that. So I know it wasn’t love.”
As Lucia spoke with sparkling eyes, looking into the distance, I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.
Around her, there were flowers shining in the light for some reason, making the scene very picturesque. If I were a painter, I would want to capture it in a painting no matter what.
However, I’m terrible at drawing, and there are no cameras or devices with that function here.
More than anything, the things Lucia has done so far are flashing through my mind at an incredible speed, and I can’t focus on anything else.
Looking back, Lucia followed Mark and unjustly criticized me with full force out of jealousy, but if that wasn’t love, then what is?
In addition, I can easily imagine who the person Lucia really loves is, which only makes me feel more uncomfortable.
“So it doesn’t really matter.”
Unaware of my inner thoughts, Lucia said that with a beautiful smile.
