Chapter 3.3

Giving up neatly, Lucas clinked his glass against Wendy’s. The melting ice split and blended into the golden liquid.

“But can you work while drinking?”

“Sometimes it helps with tricky matters.”

“Hmm. Father does that sometimes too. Maybe that’s why I craved a drink earlier?”

“What could you possibly have to worry about?”

“I have worries too.”

Right in front of me. The biggest complication of my life.

But whether Lucas knew or pretended not to know, he just smiled. Somehow irritated, Wendy emptied the remaining drink in one go.

“Ha.”

They say you can’t hide your blood.

The drink was much stronger than wine or champagne, but Wendy handled it surprisingly well, truly Jayden’s sister. Of course, her cheeks were flushed, her speech slightly slurred, and her body began to sway a bit.

“Stop drinking now.”

“I can drink more.”

“Then don’t slur your words.”

“Huh? I’m speaking fine, aren’t I?”

Though Lucas’s voice sounded blurred, she understood perfectly. Her vision wavered slightly, but Lucas’s figure remained clear.

“No, I can’t let you.”

When Lucas tried to take the glass, Wendy raised her arm and dodged backward. To him, she seemed as slow as a sloth, but she thought she had dodged quickly and laughed brightly.

“Wendy. Give it to me.”

Lucas reached out, speaking in a deliberately stern tone.

“No. Why take it when you said we’d drink together?”

Wendy hugged the glass dearly and gleefully challenged him, her face flushed red from the alcohol.

“Try taking it.”

“…”

This little one, really.

Lucas sighed softly and reached for Wendy. She giggled playfully and twisted her body to evade his grasp.

“No, I want to drink more.”

“Don’t be stubborn.”

Whining, Wendy leaned back. Losing her balance, she fell backward, and the crystal glass slipped from her flailing hand into the air.

“Oh, Wendy!”

Seeing the glass leave Wendy’s hand, Lucas lunged and reached out. The glass narrowly missed his grasp, arced through the air, and fell to the floor.

Fortunately, it landed on the carpet and didn’t break, but it left a dark stain.

“Sigh. Wendy, you…”

Lucas clenched his hand in frustration at the empty air. Just as he was about to get up, Wendy’s arm gently wrapped around his neck.

Her mysteriously glowing turquoise eyes met his without hesitation. Her moist red lips moved a few times before finally opening.

“I want to kiss.”

“…”

“You.”

“…”

“Actually, I want to do even more than that.”

“…”

Does she even know what she’s saying?

You’re a kid. You’re a kid… …

Her drowsy turquoise eyes, her flushed cheeks, her soft chest squished against his chest, and the sweet scent made the alcohol hit him hard.

Lucas gripped the sofa tightly, trying to create distance.

“…”

As Lucas remained still, Wendy tightened her arms around him. Her excited breath tickled his lips, making him involuntarily inhale.

A close distance where even breathing properly seemed like their lips might touch.

Embarrassingly, his entire vision was filled with Wendy.

***

The next morning, Wendy woke up in her bedroom.

“Oh, my head.”

So this is what makes the next day hard about drinking.

Now she understood why Jayden looked so miserable the morning after drinking.

“But why am I here?”

She remembered drinking with Lucas…

Yes, we drank…

We drank…

Wendy’s complexion turned pale.

“Oh my gosh, Wendy Rosewood. What did you do? Did you really do it?”

Wendy clutched her head. Her sister’s advice, discarded after her birthday, seemed so far away. 

Why did the courage that never surfaced before come out yesterday?

Was it because of the alcohol?

It was the alcohol.

They really do say alcohol can ruin you. That’s why Jayden insisted she never marry a man who drinks too much.

“What should I do?”

In her pajamas, Wendy clutched her head and paced her bedroom frantically.

“What should I do?”

She decided to run away.

The desire to see more cherry blossoms had vanished from her mind. Wendy, determined to persuade her mother to return to the capital immediately, began getting dressed. Without thinking about coordination, she shoved herself into whatever clothes she could grab.

Then, she hurried to the Countess’s bedroom, only to find it already empty. Even the luggage was packed. Looking at the clock, she realized, to her dismay, that the hands were nearing ten o’clock.

“She might be having tea.”

Wendy rushed downstairs.

At the end of the stairs, she practically jumped to the floor, making an embarrassingly loud thud. At times like these, the Countess would appear like the wind and remind her to act like a lady. But today, there was only silence.

“…”

She flung open the door to the drawing room and froze.

Beyond the wide-open folding doors, Lucas stood under the cherry trees. As the wind blew, the numerous cherry blossom trees planted in the garden swayed in unison. The white cherry blossoms, in full bloom, fluttered down like snowflakes.

Just like on the day she first met him.

Dreamily, Wendy’s gaze followed the cherry petals from the sky to the ground.

The man standing beneath that beautiful scene captured her attention, as he always had. With a gentle smile, he reached out to enjoy the falling cherry blossoms.

It was a picture-perfect scene.

Spring, swirling petals, and a handsome man.

Her first love.

“Oh.”

Coincidentally, he turned his head. Their eyes met, and the smile he wore while looking at the cherry blossoms vanished from Lucas’s face.

“I knew it.”

He neither felt anything for her nor was moved by her presence.

The world, once beautiful and pink like cherry blossoms, instantly faded to gray. Like paper burning to ash, disappearing, leaving only the reality Wendy had come to understand.

Wendy turned and fled the scene in haste.

***

“Wendy?”

He naturally thought she would come running to the garden.

But Wendy fled the scene. Considering what she did to Lucas yesterday, it was understandable.

She must be embarrassed. Which means she remembers.

The smile that had appeared on Lucas’s lips quickly faded as he recalled yesterday’s events.

“…”

Honestly, he was surprised. He never imagined Wendy would do something so bold and daring. She couldn’t hide her emotions, but she wasn’t the type to throw herself at someone so assertively.

“That was dangerous.”

Lucas, who had been confident that nothing Wendy did would faze him, was quite shaken.

Even though she drank, why did she smell like roses instead of alcohol?

Why did her turquoise eyes sparkle even as they were dazed?

Why were her lips so red that day, even without makeup?

From a distance close enough for their lips to touch, even her breath felt sweet.

For a brief moment, he imagined kissing Wendy, pulling off her clothes, and pushing himself between her legs. Doing something more than just kissing, as Wendy desired—something impossible.

“Lucas.”

Then Jayden’s voice pulled Lucas away from the regrettable thoughts of last night.

“Going for a walk?”

“No. I came to see Mother and Wendy off.”

“Already?”

“Yes. They left in a hurry.”

“Is something wrong?”

“I don’t think so. Anyway, they said thanks and to visit the Earl’s residence when you’re back in the capital. They want to repay you.”

Jayden yawned and stretched.

Lucas, thinking Wendy might be awake, considered calling the butler to prepare a light snack, but he hesitated.

“Wait. Wendy left too?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“No idea. She suddenly changed her mind. Said she missed Father or something.”

“…”

She ran away.

He expected Wendy might act awkward if they met in the morning, but he didn’t think she’d leave like this. He was more than willing to pretend nothing had happened.

“But Lucas.”

“What?”

“Do you really want to stay at this villa with just the two of us now that Wendy’s gone?”

Jayden asked nonchalantly, hands clasped behind his head.

Even if the Countess left first, Lucas planned to stay at the villa for Wendy’s sake. But with Wendy gone, no matter how close they were as friends, two men enjoying cherry blossoms together was unthinkable.

If it were about drinking with the flowers as a backdrop, that might be considered, but there’s no reason to use flowers as a backdrop for that.

After standing idly for a moment, Jayden and Lucas began moving simultaneously without a word. They both had the same thought in their heads.

‘Let’s pack our things.’