Lucius’s First Love (Part 4)

The fact that the Imperial Family was backing the Berman Barony was quite surprising to him.  

When the Crown Prince first approached him after he came of age and revealed this, Lucius felt nothing but bitterness and anger.  

No wonder the Imperial Family had shown up at the funeral.  

Although there was no reason to refuse ties with the Imperial Family, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.  

They should have come sooner.  

Even if they were just observing to see if he was a useful pawn, they should have considered the bond with the previous Baron and his wife and checked on their children at least once.  

“Baron Lucius, I like you.”  

The Crown Prince crossed his legs lazily and continued in an arrogant tone.  

“Especially that face of yours. You use it well to gain advantages.”  

“You flatter me.”  

Though his words were polite, his attitude was not.  

The Crown Prince, perceptive as he was, would not have missed the discomfort in Lucius’s furrowed brow and stiff bow.  

“The new head of the family seems to have many grievances.”  

The Crown Prince leaned back in his chair, still smiling.  

“Rest assured, I’ll compensate you properly. After all, it seems I need to win over you, Baron.”  

He would have to.  

The pawns the Crown Prince wanted were all in Lucius’s hands.  

Knowing exactly what the Crown Prince desired, Lucius had no fear.  

As he pondered how to extract greater benefits, the Crown Prince spoke again.  

“Clara Belle, the Earl’s daughter—you’re close with her, aren’t you?”  

At the mention of her name, Lucius silently stared at the Crown Prince.  

“Among the young ladies without fiancés, the Earl’s daughter doesn’t seem like a bad choice.”  

“Not a bad choice as what, your fiancée, Your Highness?”  

As he uttered the word “fiancée,” Lucius ground his teeth.  

She was an utterly innocent child.  

A child who still sang about marrying him and preferred playing with Liz.  

“Yes. I saw her name listed for the upcoming Imperial debutante.”  

What does that have to do with you?  

Lucius nearly blurted it out but suppressed his rising anger and continued.  

“You’ve never even met her.”  

“I have. Her Majesty the Empress invited her to a tea party. Her pure eyes left quite an impression. What do you think?”  

“She’s too innocent and naive to be tied to the Imperial Family.”  

“That’s exactly what we want. A pure Crown Princess would be perfect for rooting out insurgents who try to sway her.”  

The Crown Prince’s words, treating Clara as nothing more than a tool, made Lucius bite his tongue.  

He couldn’t openly curse the man he served.  

“If that’s the case, there are other ladies to consider.”  

“Hmm, but I like Lady Clara.”  

‘Ah, should I just break that finger?’

The Crown Prince’s hand, lazily stroking his chin, irritated Lucius immensely.  

“But if you object, Baron, there must be a reason.”  

Fortunately, the Crown Prince abandoned the idea of making Clara the Crown Princess before acting on it.  

Still, his murmurs of regret left Lucius’s mind in turmoil.  

“Is Clara popular?”

Lucius summoned Liz as soon as he returned to the mansion. He thought that if the Crown Prince had mentioned her, more male nobles would probably be interested in Clara.

As expected, Liz was excited by the question.

“Of course! She’s cute and lovely.”

“Oh, really?”

He answered calmly, but his heart was pounding. The kid he thought was just a kid was actually incredibly popular.

“Why? Does it bother you?”

“It bothers me.”

Liz was even more embarrassed by his honest answer. 

It bothers him? Did that mean he was acknowledging Clara’s feelings?

“She’s still young. She hasn’t even come of age yet; marriage is too early.”  

“…Brother, at that age, it’s normal to have at least one fiancé.”  

“You don’t have one.”  

“That’s because I’m not interested in men! That’s why! If I wanted to, I could easily find one, you know?”  

“Oh, really?”  

Lucius’s calm reaction, despite her provocation, made Liz tremble with frustration.  

“Ha! Better to be pure like me than a womanizer with too many women.”  

“You’re better, indeed.”  

Lucius nodded in agreement as if he truly believed it. His straightforward acknowledgment left Liz speechless.  

‘What’s with him? Why is he agreeing so easily?’  

“When you debut, let me know if there’s a decent man. I’ll arrange an engagement for you.”  

“You should get engaged first. You’re in more of a hurry than me.”  

“I’m fine living alone.”  

Liz’s mouth fell open at his words. 

Live alone? What about Clara, then? She was always singing about marrying her him.

But telling Lucius he should take responsibility for Clara would only backfire. He would refuse to acknowledge his feelings even more.  

“Clara will marry before me, with how popular she is.”  

“Belle is off-limits. She’s still young.”  

It seemed Lucius’s thought process froze whenever Clara was mentioned. His repeated, resolute words about her made Liz shake her head. 

It was obvious to anyone that he liked her—why was he the only one who didn’t realize it?  

He shuddered at the mere thought of Clara being involved with another man.  

‘Sigh, at this rate, I’m not sure if they’ll even marry when they’re adults.’  

Would I have to force the two of them into a room together to break down that stubborn wall?  

As Liz pondered, Lucius, who had been focused on his documents, suddenly looked up sharply.  

“So, who’s the man approaching her?”  

* * *  

Lucius had no idea Clara was so popular.  

Hearing it from Liz was one thing, but seeing the invitations Clara received himself was another.  

Out of curiosity, he had asked her to bring all the invitations she’d received. Clara, her face full of excitement, brought a pile of them.  

‘Lucius, you’re jealous! I’m so happy!’  

‘What nonsense are you saying, kid? Of course, I’m just managing as someone like an older brother.’ 

Liz, listening nearby, grumbled that he should manage her just as much, but Lucius didn’t even hear her.  

He meticulously checked each invitation before unceremoniously tossing them into the blazing fireplace one by one.  

“She hasn’t even had her coming-of-age ceremony yet. Unbelievable.”  

From boys younger than Clara to noblemen more than ten years her senior, a wide variety of suitors had sent her letters of courtship.  

“They’re shameless. How dare they.”  

Muttering to himself, Lucius burned the remaining letters.  

She was still a young lady. That’s why he was overprotective. Once she became an adult, he wouldn’t act like this anymore.  

Yes. Once she gained weight on her slender frame and grew taller, I would let her go then.  

Lucius resolved himself, though uncertain of what the future might bring.  

* * *  

He dreamed of a time long ago, back when he was a young man twenty years earlier, watching over Clara.  

Lucius woke up at dawn, tossing and turning in bed.  

It had been a long time since he had woken up at this hour.  

Ever since he started sleeping beside Clara, he hadn’t had nightmares. He always slept soundly.  

“Why did I dream of that time?”  

It was a dream of the time when he mistakenly thought of Clara as just a younger sister.  

Lucius chuckled to himself and carefully got out of bed.  

“Mmm…” 

Clara stirred, shifting her body. Her bare chest peeked out from under the blanket as she moved.  

Lucius quickly pulled the blanket up to her neck.  

Even though he knew he should control himself, he couldn’t stop his body from reacting whenever he saw Clara’s n*ked form.  

“Even after sleeping together so many times, this still isn’t enough.”  

Sighing deeply, Lucius looked down at his aroused body.  

No wonder Clara was startled whenever she saw him.  

He slapped his hand against his stubborn arousal and began putting on his robe.  

Since he was awake, he thought he might as well review some documents.  

Although he had successfully proposed to Clara, their marriage had made little progress.  

The Crown Prince, upon hearing about Lucius’s intended bride, had furiously interfered.  

‘You said she wasn’t suitable as a Crown Princess, but she’s apparently perfect as the lady of the Barony.’  

Lucius had no retort to the biting sarcasm.  

Given the Crown Prince’s temper, it was a relief he hadn’t been thrown in prison for disrespect.  

“Still, this is too much. Such obstruction is unreasonable.”  

The marriage registration required the Emperor’s signature to be officially recognized, but the Crown Prince kept delaying it.  

Despite all the information Lucius had provided him, the Crown Prince continued to stall.  

Today, Lucius decided he would send another letter demanding to know when the marriage would be approved.  

He couldn’t leave Clara as merely his fiancée forever.  

Lost in thought, Lucius signed his documents.  

Much time had passed.

Hearing a rustling sound from the bed, he turned sharply.  

Sure enough, Clara was awake, looking at him with a drowsy expression.  

“Shouldn’t you sleep more? Did I wake you?”  

“Mmm, yes, it’s because of you, Lucius.”  

Clara patted the empty spot beside her, her eyes half-closed.  

Her gesture made Lucius unconsciously swallow hard.  

“I get cold easily. How could you leave me alone?”  

“Sigh…”  

What a sly young lady.  

Even after all the times she had suffered, she still boldly tempted him.  

Lucius stood up abruptly and walked to the bed.  

He gently stroked Clara’s hair.  

“I love you, Clara.”  

At his words, Clara’s eyes widened before narrowing again.  

She playfully kicked her legs on the bed before burying her face in the pillow, sneaking glances at him.  

“I never get tired of hearing that. Love, coming from your lips.”  

Her laughter filled the room, and Lucius couldn’t hold back any longer.  

He showered kisses on her neck, their laughter echoing throughout the room.  

In that moment, Lucius realized that the happiness he had longed for was right here.  

Yes, this was perfect happiness.