3.1

It had only been a few hours since she wished to disappear, yet the gods had already handed her another trial.  

[Declan’s Young Master on an intimate date with the second daughter of Baron Hariel: ‘A meeting of a handsome man and a beautiful woman.’]  

Her years of unrequited love had not taught her how to suppress her swelling heart when their bodies were close. It was something that always happened. The rumors that followed him.  

But why, of all days, today?  

“…”  

She didn’t know. Iliana crumpled the newspaper and closed her eyes. 

Was it finally time to give up?  

She hoped the suffocating feelings would naturally fade away. Yet, she was saddened by the realization that her own expectations of love made her feel like she was neither here nor there.  

Still, perhaps he had some level of affection for her. After all, he kept spending time drinking with her, and unconsciously, he seemed to think of her.  

Maybe…  

“Surely not.”  

Lucian would undoubtedly forget everything again this time. Iliana, don’t interpret things too positively, or you’ll regret it later.  

Crumpling the tabloid, Iliana resolved to wait for Lucian’s letters as usual. The hole in her heart, torn after swelling with hope, was still outweighed by her desire to keep inflating those feelings.  

***

In the end, Iliana’s expectations were spot on.  

Lucian approached her as if he remembered nothing about that night.  

“Are you alright? Is the sunlight too strong?”  

As he tilted the parasol and looked at her, his gaze was filled with nothing but genuine concern. Perhaps it was because the summer heat had not yet passed, and more workers had been suffering from heatstroke. Seeing the worry on his lips, Iliana waved her hand dismissively.  

“I’m fine. The weather’s warm and pleasant today, so don’t worry about me. Use it yourself. You hate getting tanned.”  

“Hmm… Alright.”  

When she pushed the parasol handle lightly, Lucian awkwardly adjusted the shade. His reluctance was clear, which made Iliana turn her gaze away in frustration.  

Last week—after that night—Lucian had sent Iliana a letter containing nothing but a hollow apology. The sender may have been sincere, but the recipient could only feel indescribable emotions from such an apology.

If only he had confronted her, asking why she had left without saying anything.

Lucian’s face, now cheerfully chatting about the newly planted seedlings, looked unusually bright. The unease she had worked so hard to suppress on the way here began to resurface. Iliana tried her best to respond earnestly, hoping to quiet her noisy heart.  

Had he already decided not to recall anything? 

Lucian’s calm demeanor toward her made her wonder if he was pretending not to remember.  

Of course, it was more plausible that Iliana had cleaned up so thoroughly afterward that he simply hadn’t noticed. After all, Lucian Declan wasn’t someone who could easily hide his emotions.  

This led to a storm of feelings inside her—resentment, joy, disappointment, relief, a bit of satisfaction, and unease. None of the emotions that made up Iliana were particularly pretty.  

“Indeed, there are so many flowers here that there’s hardly any shade.”

Unlike her, Lucian remained utterly tranquil.

“If the sunlight feels too strong, let me know anytime. Even though we’re in the greenhouse and it’s somewhat shaded, you never know.”  

Despite her earlier reassurance, it seemed he was still concerned, as the parasol tilted slightly toward her. The closeness between them narrowed, and Iliana found herself breathing in short intervals.  

‘…This is why I can’t give up.’  

Just when it seemed hopeless, Lucian would notice and take a step closer, making her persistent unrequited love impossible to end.  

Today was no different. Even if it wasn’t Iliana, any ordinary lady—or not even a lady—would have found herself holding expectations on a day like this. After all, today wasn’t about drinks; Lucian had invited her to meet at the “Nublet Garden.”  

Being invited to the Nublet Garden by her one-sided love!

The thought of being in Nublet Garden made her heart flutter again. As she admired the flowers awaiting the start of autumn, she tried to suppress her rising smile. Lucian, noticing, chuckled lightly and said,  

“It’s been a while since I last came here. It feels like it’s been better maintained than before.”  

“You didn’t visit often? It’s not even that far from the estate.”  

“You know how it is. Even members of the Earl’s household have to go through a lot to enter the garden.”  

Ah. A small exclamation slipped from her lips. Walking side by side with Lucian, who smiled with his eyes, made her feel even more aware that this was Nublet Garden.  

While Shuplen Territory might have been famous for its wine, the Declan family was most renowned for its gardens. Owning no less than five gardens, all known for their beauty, the fame was well-deserved.

Among those five, the most beautiful was Nublet Garden.  

It had been a gift from a previous Earl of Shuplen, who had accumulated wealth through wine, as part of his marriage proposal to his partner. Even back then, the garden had been famous for its beauty. Now, managed by the Countess of Declan, it had become half a tourist attraction.  

It was also a must-visit greenhouse garden for foreign delegations passing through the Kingdom to visit Shuplen’s territory.  

“…It must have taken a long time to arrange a visit.”  

“To be precise, I had to pull a lot of strings to request it from my mother. It made me realize once again that she’s not someone who can be easily swayed, no matter how much you try.”  

Of course, I didn’t back down either.  

The sharp mole under his cool eyes stood out as Iliana pursed her lips subtly. Yes, this was the moment that made Iliana’s complicated emotions lean toward hope.  

Because it meant he had reserved this rare garden, known for being hard to access even with an early reservation, solely for her.  

Moreover, this garden was famous as a “proposal spot.” It was a separate estate garden that wasn’t usually opened unless for a lover!  

Even though it was technically open to the public, Nublet Garden was a renowned proposal destination within the Kingdom.  

Among all the other gardens, he had specifically pulled strings with the Countess to secure this one, which sometimes took over a year to book.  

How could she not have expectations?!  

Suppressing the urge to brag to her younger sister, who was likely studying to become the heir at home, Iliana blinked as Lucian stopped in front of her and handed her the parasol.  

“Lana. Take this and step carefully.”  

“I told you I’m fine with the parasol.”  

“I know. It’s just that I’m worried. Oh, and even though the water is shallow, if you step wrong, your clothes might get wet, so be careful.”  

Taking the parasol handle, Iliana slowly stepped onto the stepping stones. The artificial stream, with its gently flowing water, was so beautiful it brought a smile to her face.  

“I remember getting scolded for stepping wrong when I was a kid.”  

“You mean when you were eleven? You said water was getting into your shoes, so you tried to avoid stepping on the stones and ended up falling in instead. The Viscountess scolded you a lot for that.”  

“…You remember that?”  

“Of course. The shock was so great back then that Mother immediately ordered the stones to be replaced. Thanks to that, I had fewer incidents of wet shoes as well.”  

Lucian’s bright smile carried a sense of camaraderie. Iliana avoided her pounding heart and thought of the scenery Lucian must have been recalling.  

In truth, Nublet Garden was the place where the Countess often invited Iliana and the Viscountess for tea during the winter.  

It was also the one gathering Iliana didn’t dislike. Using the excuse that she enjoyed the tea the frail Countess favored, Iliana could monopolize Lucian’s attention in the garden.  

“Back then… I could wander around without a care.”  

The only time she could approach him freely, without realizing her feelings for him.  

When had I started seeing Lucian as a man?  

Iliana mumbled softly, her gaze following his black hair as it led her toward the pergola. The obsidian-like shine of it tickled her heart for no reason. Noticing how the parasol he carried tilted slightly, she became even more aware.  

Don’t expect anything. Don’t expect anything, Iliana Raylin.  

Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, she saw Lucian move closer and smile at her.  

“It was a long walk, wasn’t it?”

“Not really.”  

“Even if you’re just being polite, it’s nice to hear. Still, compared to when we were kids, we arrived much faster, so it’s not entirely a lie, is it?”

…It was his way of saying he wanted to walk a little longer together.  

Internally rebuffing the thought, Iliana followed Lucian’s lead into the pergola.