Lucia

(4)

TN: This chapter has brackets. The next chapter will not. Some people don’t really get what I mean so here is an example: “Who are you?” (Lucia). Instead of putting (Lucia), I will just keep it as “Who are you?”.

David came into the Royal Palace to meet his sister but heard that she was away for a while, attending to a guest. It was boring to sit down and wait so he went looking for his sister. When he heard that she was at the Rose Palace, he slowly made his way there.

Although David was offended by his sister’s rebuke some time ago, he did not want to be estranged with her. Even if she kept saying annoying things when they met, Beth was one of the few people that David was limited against. If his relationship was bad with his sister who was the Queen and mother of the future King, he was the only one that would suffer.

‘My sister still sees me as a child but it’s a matter of time. Someday, she’ll see me differently.’

In order for the King to carry out his important goals, there had to be someone that he could trust at his side and he(David) was the best of that kind. After the coronation, the King would start to do many things in earnest.

David was positively confident that he would be placed in charge of an important task. And in preparation for that time, David was diligently gathering young talents. He firmly believed that his efforts would come to light one day.

As he drew closer to the Rose Palace, he was swarmed with a strong fragrance. The Rose Palace was to be given to the most favored woman of the king and was empty throughout the lifetime of the late king.

‘When the coronation is over, the Rose Palace ought to become my sister’s.’

David had heard that a princess had briefly stayed in Rose Palace.

‘And that princess married the Duke of Taran.’

How great the influence of the Taran Duke. It was obvious the princess had begged to stay in the Rose Palace.

‘Princess my ass. Because one is royal family, one is called a princess. If one were nobility, one is just an illegitimate child.’

David wanted to belittle everything related to the Duke of Taran. Because he was distracted for a moment, he went on the wrong path and entered the garden instead of the entrance. David grumbled at the annoyance of retracing his steps.

Suddenly, the blowing of the wind intensified. The summer breeze was strong so the petals piled on the floor became a whirlpool and flew towards David. To protect himself from the wind, he covered his face with his hand and narrowed his eye.

When David was finally able to see properly, he discovered a hat that was blown to his feet. The hat was richly decorated with lace and was most certainly a noble lady’s. David picked up the hat and stood up, lifting his head.

And he froze.

The woman who was flustered because of her flying hat, turned towards David. The dress of the woman glistened like the surface of a lake bathed with sunlight. The sunlight seemed to pass through her white skin which was clear like it would soon disappear. Her exceptionally red lips stood out among the red rose petals in full bloom.

The atmosphere made by the fantastical view of the rose garden, the sweet scent of flowers, the sunlight and the soft wind, unbelievably suited the woman and for David, it was indeed love at first sight.

David held the hat and approached the woman. His heart raced like a teenage boy experiencing his first love. The face of his fiancée from long time marriage talks already flew from his mind. There was a maidservant next to the woman but the maid was completely disregarded.

David stopped a step away from the woman and courteously held out the hat.

“A hat with the heart of a beautiful noble flew to my feet so I shall return it. May I please be allowed to hold onto that heart?”

Lucia received the hat and turned her head sideways as a small laugh escaped from her mouth. How could one say such things without reddening in the slightest? Lucia was just laughing because it was her first time being hit by such a blatant man.

Lucia wanted to take a look around the spacious rose garden so she had obtained consent from the Queen and was taking a walk. A sudden gust of wind blew her hat away, surprising her, and when an unfamiliar man picked it up and approached her, she was even more surprised.

Lucia felt reassured since she was together with her maid and the handmaid placed by the Queen. She remember Jerome’s advice that she should never be alone outside the mansion.

‘So this kind of unexpected situation can happen,’ Lucia thought to herself.

“Thank you for returning the hat.”

Although Lucia laughed because the situation itself was strange, in David’s eyes, it looked like she was giving him a smile.

“Even your voice is beautiful. I am Count David Ramis of the Duke of Ramis.”

When David introduced himself, Lucia was able to recall memories from her dream.

The eldest son of the Duke of Ramis. Lucia had seen him several times at parties. He was not inferior to the Duke of Taran and went around with followers. There weren’t many occasions were the two men were at a party on the same day and at the same time but, on such a day, the crowd was divided into two.

Lucia did not see David in a very good light. He acted like a good person but he was arrogant. If the Duke of Taran’s arrogance was confidence without a care for others, David’s arrogance was to trample others beneath his feet.

It was purely Lucia’s subjective gaze. In the dream, Lucia liked and admired the Duke of Taran. In any case, Lucia always felt a sense of discomfort when she saw David’s smiling face. He seemed to be wearing a thin mask on his face.

Lucia had merely just felt that he was a bad person but then she happened to come across a scene of David’s. She had attended a very large ball and had secluded herself at a corner in order to rest and avoid the bustle of people for a while.

[What? Is that true?]

She heard a loud voice and when she looked, it was David together with some man.

[Did father really?]

[Yes. I’m afraid one’s intention…]

The distant sound of grinding teeth could be heard. And when Lucia saw David’s terribly distorted face, she was shocked and hid herself again. His murderous expression was completely different from his usual smiling expression. But the fact that there was no awkwardness was appalling.

After the men left, Lucia remained hidden for a while then she carefully went out to the hall. Her disturbed beating heart did not settle down for a long while. This happened some time before her marriage to Count Matin was over.

And after a considerable period of time, Lucia was again privy to news of the high society as a maid and heard that the Duke of Ramis passed away of old age and David took up his mantle. When she heard that it had been some time since the second son of the late Duke of Ramis died in an accident, she somehow felt strange.

Time passed since she quit her job as a maid and the last she heard of the Ducal Household of Ramis was by chance. She heard that the (new)Duke of Ramis attempted a rebellion and their family was wiped out. She didn’t hear what subsequently happened to the Queen who was from the Ducal Household of Ramis or the Crown Prince whom the Duke of Ramis had tried to establish as King.

“The moment I saw you, I thought the roses had turned into a person.” (David)

Lucia who was reminiscing about what might happen in the distant future was brought back to reality. Her memories from the dream overlapped and her impression of the man in front of her changed.

‘Maybe he’s acting this way because he knows who I am.’

She had doubts about his intention for approaching her.

“You overpraise.” (Lucia)

“It is not an exaggeration. I have never seen such a beauty. Will you please give me the honor of hearing your noble name?” (David)

It didn’t seem like he approached her purposefully since he was asking for her name. Lucia’s silence made David’s heart grow more impatient.

“I will not go somewhere and say something rash. I am blinded by your noble beauty. Would you like to take a walk with me for a moment? I am earnestly looking forward to having you open up a little bit as we take in the abundant scent of roses.”

David was an aggressive young man. He had no hesitation about boldly confessing his love to a woman that caught his fancy. In return, his passion cooled off just as fast as it ignited.

David was full of confidence as he had never been rejected by any woman. By nature, he liked things that stood out and he preferred the pure and elegant type of beauty rather than a beauty that was so gorgeous it suppressed him. The woman in the garden perfectly matched his tastes.

David was so absorbed in his feelings that he did not notice that there were eyes watching them. They were from the side that was close to the rear of the direction where Lucia stood.

Lucia could not see them but if David moved his gaze a little, he would be able to.

Translator’s Corner:

….HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

*I tried reading MTL yesterday. I certainly lost a few brain cells. How do ppl do it?? QAQ