Extra - 8
Zachary and Bianca left like a storm, leaving Lucy and the young noble alone in the hallway.
Lucy sighed heavily.
She wasn't interested in being by an aristocratic man. That's because she was going through a lot of difficulties.
It hadn't been long since Lucy became a member of Arno Castle, but she knew for certain that the serious Zachary was more impetuous and fiery than anyone when it came to Bianca. Lucy bluntly said, rolling her eyes towards Joseph.
"You were lucky it ended like this."
"T-That person just now... Is he really the D-Duke of Arno?"
Joseph stammered with a pale face. Judging by the shiny silver hair, robust physique, completely black attire, and the content of the conversation about greeting His Majesty, the identity of the man who had just appeared was so clear that even a passing child could notice it. On top of that, the title of "Duke" that Gaspard had hinted at equated to a certainty.
Lucy casually nodded her head as if she finally understood. Joseph's face turned blue. He was like a drowned body.
"Then, the lady from before... she..."
"Yes. Our lady is the Saint. Just now, His Majesty requested a meeting, so she was on her way back."
Lucy responded with an air of pride.
Handmaidens received more favorable treatment the higher the honor of their mistress, and indeed, in high-ranking families, handmaidens were noble. So, even nobles couldn't treat them carelessly.
Originally, it was an exceptional case for both Lucy and Yvonne to become maidservants. In particular, Lucy, who was fortunate enough to become a lady-in-waiting to a noble thanks to her sister Yvonne, still felt uncomfortable about it.
Still, it wasn't a bad feeling. Lucy straightened her neck and lifted her chin.
Joseph shook his head several times like a madman.
He was a faithful follower of Zachary to the extent that he had read Zachary's biography several times. While he felt excited about having the honor of meeting Zachary in person, the fact that he flirted with Bianca in front of Zachary frustrated him. Knowing how much Zachary cared about Bianca, he regretted what he had done.
"I've done something absolutely ridiculous..."
"Now that you know, be careful next time. Why obsess over courtly romance at this time of day?"
Faced with Lucy's firm reprimand, Joseph's eyebrows and shoulders sank like a puppy in the rain.
It was clear that the young aristocrat in front of her hadn't approached Bianca with ill intentions. That's why Bianca covered the situation with moderation. Lucy shrugged her shoulders and added a compliment about his troublesome relationship.
"Soon, you'll find another good match."
"......"
Joseph's kind round eyes looked at Lucy. Lucy averted her gaze.
Although she said she could do anything, Lucy's life was far from a good courtship, and even her marriage was a mess.
A sudden sense of shame washed over her. Lucy quickly left to hide her flushed face.
"I won't really be lost, so I won't accompany you. Then sir, goodbye."
Her voice was cold, probably because she had no space in her heart. Lucy's steps were hurried as she walked away.
"Just a moment!"
Then, Joseph called out to Lucy from behind.
No matter how much the nobles ignored the handmaidens, the handmaidens couldn't ignore the nobles. Lucy, unable to pretend she didn't hear him calling, looked back irritably.
He already explained, but hasn't he given up his persistent affection? If so, how to persuade him, the headache started even before she opened her mouth.
Meanwhile, the distance was quite long. Joseph ran closer to Lucy. Suddenly, the distance became closer. His round eyes trembled greatly.
Soon, his teeth were clenched.
Lucy also tensed up at the determination in his eyes and swallowed her saliva. Joseph asked with determination.
"I... What is the lady's name?"
".... What?"
"What is her name?"
Lucy blinked at the completely unexpected question. Bianca and Yvonne mentioned her name so many times, so of course she knows hers, why does he keep asking?
She understood Joseph's question a little late.
The basics of courtly romance were to start by pretending not to know, even if you knew the other person's name.
Her ears were red with tension, and his cold and sweaty face caught Lucy's attention with a delay. She realized that what she had been looking at all this time was Lucy and her reaction.
What seriously worried him vanished like a lie.
Soon, Lucy burst into laughter.
So, this young aristocrat is playing a prank on her now! As much as she never thought this kind of offer would come to her, she couldn't bear this situation because it was funny.
Joseph, unaware of why Lucy was laughing, looked at Lucy fearfully. Lucy told Joseph with a laughing voice.
"Though I'm a handmaiden, I'm a commoner and a married woman. I'm not a suitable match for you."
-----------------------
The devastated expression on Joseph's face at that moment! Lucy sometimes remembered that moment and laughed to herself.
But she couldn't continue laughing. It was because Joseph was more tenacious and persistent than she thought.
After parting from Lucy, Joseph, who didn't give up and asked for information, finally found the residence of the Duke Arno. He circled around the Duke of Arno's residence for a long time, hoping to see Lucy.
The three commanders of the Arno family became very sensitive to the approach of a stranger. Still, Gaspard remembered Joseph's face.
Maybe he's still pursuing Bianca?
Then he couldn't leave him alone.
When Zachary gets into trouble with Bianca, all his annoyance and anger is directed towards them.
That was an absolute no-no, and soon they surrounded Joseph with their horribly distorted faces and inflated pectoral muscles.
However, they soon discovered that it was Lucy, not Bianca, whom Joseph was pursuing. The three commanders of Zachary sighed in relief and laughed at the same time.
The story of Joseph soon reached Bianca's ears. Lucy, who seemed bothered by his affair, bowed her head in embarrassment.
Bianca slowly said with a smile on her face.
"He's not a bad opponent. Young, aristocratic..."
"But, Madam, I'm a married woman."
Embarrassed, Lucy hastily added. But Bianca looked at Lucy as if she was curious.
"You're not divorcing for no particular reason. If your husband appreciated you even a little, I wouldn't make this suggestion either. Married couples should maintain their trust. But he's a man who wouldn't hesitate to raise his hand against you, and there's no reason to give up your happiness to obey a man like that."
"......"
"Above all, don't you like him? I'm not asking you to marry him. He also said it doesn't matter if you're a married woman, so it's okay for you to casually get to know each other. Of course, if you don't like him, I wouldn't suggest that..."
"....I don't hate him, but..."
"That's it."
Bianca waved her hand. It was amusing to give this kind of advice as someone who had experienced the bitter taste of infidelity in the past.
But unlike Bianca's past, which was due to Bianca's own flaws and selfishness, Lucy's broken marriage was entirely her husband's fault, so this case was different.
Lucy seemed worried because her relationship with her husband hadn't been properly resolved yet. However, in Bianca's opinion, it was just that they weren't divorced, their relationship was completely broken.
Lucy's marriage continues not only because Lucy is undecided, but also because her husband desperately refuses to divorce her.
The reason was simple. It was because if they divorced, he couldn't receive the money that the duchy had provided to keep his mouth shut. It wouldn't matter if he divorced Lucy or not as long as he could keep receiving money. He actually said something like that.
After reflecting for a moment, Lucy silently opened her mouth.
"...After all, it can't continue like this, right?"
"That's right."
"......"
Faced with Bianca's firm response, Lucy let out a deep sigh. Her face was a mix of abandonment, desolation, and a certain unknown freedom.
Lucy made eye contact with Bianca and said clearly.
"Please prepare the divorce process when I return to the mansion, Madam."
"That's fine. But if you believe in that young man..."
Bianca added heavily. At the moment, they are blindly following a piece of meat, but how long will that last? She tried to find out about Joseph, but she couldn't help but worry since it was actually the first time she experienced something like this.
Lucy laughed bitterly. Even if Bianca was mature, she was still not even twenty years old. It was embarrassing to be able to rely on her, someone younger than Lucy, and make her worry about such trivial matters.
"I don't believe it either. I don't expect anything to happen just because I get divorced. I don't even have that kind of relationship yet... But in the future, my husband will only get in the way. As Madam said, it's better to make sure we are officially separated."
Lucy's softly spoken words didn't waver as they looked at a point without trembling. Bianca and Yvonne exchanged glances. How much they had hoped for this determination from Lucy!
Bianca felt relieved that a big thorn had been removed from her heart. All of this was thanks to coming to the capital. Only Lucy's resolution made it worth coming to the capital.
Looking at Yvonne's flushed face of joy, Bianca smiled softly. Perhaps Bianca's face wasn't any different.
-----------------------
The day of the ball arrived. Since it was a feast to celebrate Bianca's visit to the capital, the focus would be on her, so there were more things to worry about than usual.
She put on a new dress and chose jewelry that matched the dress.
Yvonne and Lucy were also busy checking and arranging Bianca's attire. For the bustling occasion, Bianca also prepared tailored outfits for them.
This wasn't the first time Yvonne received a grand gift from Bianca, and she accepted it gratefully.
But Lucy's eyes trembled as if she didn't know if she deserved to receive something so precious.
She looked at Yvonne and asked what to do in a moment like this, but Yvonne only looked at the fabric of Lucy's dress and said she would also buy navy blue fabric.
"It would be nice if both of you could attend this ball together in matching dresses..."
"That's right. But someone has to take care of the young lady.
Still, there's no law that says you can only wear a dress for a banquet. A new dress is like a dream."
Yvonne said jubilantly. Lucy couldn't hide her flushed face either as it was the first time she received a dress specially designed for her. Lucy quietly toyed with the end of the fabric.
On the day before the ball, Joseph visited Lucy. It was to propose attending the banquet together.
Tags:
TWB (Novel)