Does First Love Really Never Come True?

Chapter 1.9

[See you later.]

Wendy suddenly recalled the sentence on the card stuck in the flower and fruit basket Lucas sent.

It wasn’t meant for the promised day. It was just a common greeting anyone would say in passing.

Perhaps she had hoped too much for Lucas to accept her invitation, and Wendy ended up interpreting it as she wished.

“He said he was busy. I decided not to be disappointed.”

How fortunate she was to have prepared an excuse in advance.

Wendy laughed as if she were about to cry.

He was probably too busy to even read the letter, and the fruit basket he sent in his busy schedule was likely the best expression of sincerity he could show.

“How foolish.”

Even as she forced herself to repeat that it wasn’t his fault, trying to justify the situation and comfort herself made Wendy feel sorrowful, so she covered her eyes with both hands.

From his gloves came the scent of Lucas that Wendy loved.

The refreshing and cool scent one feels when walking through a snowy winter forest. But today, it was more piercing than pleasant, bringing tears to her eyes.

Pitter-patter.

At that moment, raindrops began to fall one by one from the sky.

“Rain?”

As soon as she uttered the word while looking up at the sky, the rain suddenly poured down. Wendy stood blankly, unable to think of running, until she was pushed by people starting to run.

Having no choice, Wendy began to walk slowly toward the carriage. The autumn rain soaking her clothes was so chilling that she shivered even as she hugged herself tightly.

***

“Welcome.”

On the day of the Christmas banquet at the Devon Ducal Household, Lucas greeted the Earl Rosewood’s Household, who had arrived earlier than other guests.

“Oh, Lucas. You must have had a hard time preparing.”

“Not at all. You both helped a lot.”

After becoming the Duke of Devon, Lucas, busy with business and military service and using the excuse of not having a hostess, rarely hosted gatherings except for a few obligatory ones.

Thus, compared to the late Duke’s time, the number of banquets had significantly decreased, and the Dowager Duchess, feeling it couldn’t continue, had half-forced today’s banquet.

Nevertheless, since the Dowager Duchess didn’t get involved at all, Lucas hastily sought Melinda’s help.

But Melinda seemed more accustomed to the duties of a retainer than the role of a hostess, so Lucas had no choice but to seek the advice of the Countess of Rosewood.

“Don’t forget my help. I worked overtime as if it were a meal during the holiday season, which should have been leisurely, taking on your work as well.”

The Countess handed her coat to the butler, glancing at Jayden, who was unnecessarily boasting.

“You came early.”

“I thought there might be something to help finish. Where is the Dowager Duchess? I should greet her first.”

“I’ll escort you.”

After instructing the butler to guide the Earl Rosewood and Countess to the Dowager Duchess, Lucas glanced behind Jayden. Wendy, whom he expected to enter energetically first, was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Wendy?”

“She’s sick.”

“Sick? Why?”

“A cold. She always catches one around this time, and she even got caught in the rain while wandering around. Foolishly.”

“Did she get sick after visiting the Christmas market?”

Rain. The day she stood outside for a long time.

Lucas asked, thinking it was the day they met at the Christmas market.

“How did you know?”

“I met her at the market entrance. She said she came with a friend.”

Wendy didn’t look well then.

Did she have a fight with her friend? Is that why she wandered around in the rain instead of going straight home?

He should have taken her to the carriage. He should have made sure she went home.

“Is she okay now?”

“The fever has subsided, but she’s coughing a lot. She won’t be able to go out for a while.”

Perhaps because it was tough on her, Wendy was more severely ill than usual. Though her fever had gone down, she was still coughing heavily and had no energy, making it difficult for her to go out.

Since it was at the Devon Ducal Household, he thought she would insist on going, but surprisingly, Wendy obediently lay in bed as the Countess instructed.

“She’s quite a formidable person.”

“Still, it’s fortunate she’s healthy.”

“That’s true.”

At that moment, the voices of the Earl Rosewood and Countess returning from meeting the Dowager Duchess were heard.

Lucas, along with Jayden, approached them.

“It will be a while before the other guests arrive. Shall I offer you a light drink?”

“That sounds good.”

As soon as the Earl of Rosewood readily agreed, the Countess glanced sideways at her husband. Lately, he had been saying his body wasn’t what it used to be and that he was struggling, yet he didn’t refuse alcohol.

However, the Earl mouthed ‘lightly, lightly’ as an excuse and quickly headed to the sitting room with Lucas.

***

“…….”

The next day, Wendy gazed blankly at the flower basket mixed with lilies sent by Lucas. It was certainly a great effort to find lilies, which were out of season, but she couldn’t be entirely happy.

“I guess that won’t work, right?”

The maid asked Wendy cautiously. No matter how much Lucas sent them, they couldn’t keep flowers close to Wendy, who was sick and allergic to lilies.

“Yes, please take it away.”

Surprisingly, Wendy spoke calmly and lay back in bed.

The maid was somewhat surprised by Wendy’s indifferent reaction, as she usually liked anything sent by Lucas. Hadn’t she insisted on keeping the lily bouquet she received from him long ago in her bedroom, even while suffering from sneezing?

“Yes, I’ll take it away and bring you some lemon tea.”

“Thank you.”

It was when the maid, carrying the flower basket, stepped out of the bedroom and into the hallway.

The butler was bringing Lucas up to the second floor. The maid quickly bowed and greeted him.

“Hello, Your Grace.”

“How is Wendy?”

“She’s up.”

Lucas’s gaze turned to the flower basket the maid was holding. It was the gift he had sent, filled with lilies grown in the Ducal greenhouse.

“Oh, I’m going to put them in a vase.”

Unable to say she had been ordered to remove the basket in front of the person who sent it, the maid mumbled. Lucas simply nodded indifferently and followed the butler into Wendy’s bedroom.

“Hello, Wendy. How are you feeling?”

As Lucas entered the bedroom, Wendy, who had been lying down, seemed startled and tried to sit up. However, perhaps due to the lilies having been in the bedroom for a while, as soon as she opened her mouth, a fit of coughing and sneezing erupted.

Thinking it was due to the cold, Lucas gestured for Wendy to stay lying down, looking concerned.

“It’s okay, Wendy. Just lie down.”

“I’m sorry. Then I’ll excuse myself.”

“Have you been very sick?”

“Yes.”

Wendy’s smiling face seemed somehow weak. Her complexion wasn’t good, and she looked pale and thin.

“You must be busy, what brings you here?”

“I finished work earlier than expected, so I stopped by on the way.”

“The flower basket was more than enough. Oh, thank you. It was so pretty.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Thinking lemon or quince tea might be better for her cold, Lucas decided against it after learning Jayden had already swept through the tea shop out of concern for Wendy, who wasn’t getting better.

He then recalled the thick letter Wendy had sent when he previously gave her lilies. He hadn’t read it, but its thickness made him think she liked it.

“Um, Lucas.”

“Yes?”

“The lilies…”

Her pale lips moved as if to say something.

‘Actually, I’m allergic to lilies. Didn’t you read it in the letter I sent before?’

She wanted to voice the words that had risen to the tip of her chin, but she couldn’t bring herself to say them. She assumed he hadn’t read it, but she didn’t want confirmation.

Wondering how she’d become such a coward, Wendy smiled faintly.

“Thank you for your concern.”

“Don’t mention it.”

To Lucas, Wendy’s gratitude seemed awkward. Normally, she would beam with joy no matter what he gave her, but today her reaction was different.

It must be because she’s sick.

Thinking nothing of it, Lucas asked,

“Wendy, have you been sick since the Christmas market?”

“…….”

Though she didn’t answer, Lucas easily figured it out.

“So that’s it. I was worried because you didn’t look well then. Did you have a fight with a friend?”

“…….”

He doesn’t know why I was there, does he?

As expected, Lucas hadn’t read the letter. Not the old one, nor the recent one. She didn’t want to know, but she ended up confirming it without asking directly.

Feeling empty, Wendy just smiled.

“Don’t worry, we made up.”

“Really? That’s good.”

Cough. Wendy’s cough erupted again, followed by wheezing breaths as if it was difficult.

“Um, I think it would be best if you left now. You don’t want to catch my cold.”

“Oh, right. I’ll go then. Rest well.”

“Yes.”

“Get better soon, Wendy. See you later.”

“…….”

‘See you later.’ Those words pierced her heart. She knew they were just polite words, but his kind tone still made tears well up.

“Yes.”

She was glad to be sick. Even if her eyes turned red, or her voice came out tearful and wet, she had a good excuse.