Episode 40. As Life Goes On (A Soft and Sentimental Break Part 2)
It was not long ago that Martha first witnessed Lucy's face turning red.
It was the day Leon was returning from a visit to the Duke of Valois. Siegfried was following Leon when he ran into Lucy in the hallway. It was a brief greeting. Siegfried nodded, and Lucy bowed. That was all. However, as Lucy turned away, her ears were red. Martha saw it. That was the first time.
The second time was in front of the drawing room. Siegfried was standing there holding documents, and Lucy dropped her notebook as she walked past. Siegfried picked it up for her. The notebook lingered between their hands for a moment. As Lucy took the notebook, their fingertips touched. Lucy clutched the notebook tightly and quickly lowered her gaze. Martha saw that, too.
The third time was in Lucy's journal. Martha happened to see a page in Lucy's notebook, and it read: "Mr. Siegfried's dimples. They only appear when he smiles. I want to press them down with a ballpoint pen, but of course, I shouldn't."Martha closed her notebook after reading it. Then she thought, 'Oh, here he comes, here he comes! The god Cupid of love is descending! I should give him a push.'
The opportunity arrived sooner than expected. Martha overheard Leon speaking to Siegfried on his way back from visiting the Duke of Valois for a meeting.
"You may see me today if you have business."
Siegfried nodded. Listening to this, Martha thought, 'He gives it to me, he gives it to me! The god Cupid of love is giving me a day. Right today.'
Martha practically ran into the room. As soon as she entered, she opened the wardrobe and looked out a dress. She examined it intently, then stepped on the hem with her foot and pulled the top part with both hands, tearing it open. It made a loud noise.
"This should be enough."
Martha called out to Lucy as she came out holding the torn dress.
"Lucy."
Lucy ran over. Martha held out the torn dress.
"I didn't realize it was like this, but it's a dress I need to wear right away. Can you take it to a tailor and pick it up today?"
Lucy took the dress and looked at it. Her eyes widened.
"How did this happen?"
"Just by accident."
Lucy looked at the dress, then at Martha, then back at the dress. The seam was cleanly torn. The texture was different from a tear made by chance.
"...Is this the kind of tear that happens unintentionally?"
Martha said.
"So you're saying I knew and tore it on purpose? Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and go."
Lucy said as she took the dress.
"I think there will be plenty of time between getting it repaired and picking it up."
Martha said.
"Then go rest at a coffee shop or something. You don't really have much to do today."
Lucy looked at Martha. Martha said calmly.
"If you're bored going alone, Mr. Siegfried happened to say he has time today, too."
Lucy froze. As Martha entered the study, she said.
"Hurry up. Before the tailor shop closes."
The study door closed. Lucy stood in the hallway holding the torn dress. Beyond the study door, Martha thought to herself. That's enough. I've given you enough support. Now, Lucy, just follow your instincts.
As Lucy walked toward the entrance holding the dress, Siegfried happened to be by the carriage. Their eyes met. Siegfried looked at Lucy. Lucy looked at Siegfried. Siegfried said.
"Where are you going?"
Lucy said.
"To the tailor shop."
"Alone?"
"Yes"
Siegfried looked at Lucy for a moment and said.
"May I come with you?"
Lucy froze. Siegfried said.
"I happen to have business here, too."
Lucy said, clutching the dress tightly.
"Yes, let's go together."
Siegfried grinned at those words. His dimples deepened. Lucy clutched the dress even tighter. They left the dress at the tailor's shop.
"It will take about two hours to fix."
Siegfried looked at Lucy and said.
"Then shall we go to a coffee shop?"
The two walked to a nearby coffee shop. They sat by the window. The coffee arrived. At first, there was no word. Lucy picked up her coffee cup and put it down again. Siegfried looked out the window. It was different from when they had crossed paths in the drawing room hallway.
Back then, Young Master Leon and the Princess were there, so their attention was drawn to them, but now there were only the two of them. The coffee shop was unusually quiet today.
Unable to bear the silence any longer, Lucy spoke up.
"The weather is nice today, isn't it?"
Siegfried looked at Lucy, then at the window. It was cloudy and gloomy, as if it were about to rain.
"...Yes."
Silence fell again. Lucy took a sip of coffee. Silence again. Lucy looked out the window.
"That gray building up ahead looks very old."
Siegfried looked out the window. A completion ceremony for a new building was in full swing.
"I see."
Silence again. Lucy thought to herself Why is there so little to say? Usually, there is so much to talk about. There was so much to write in her notebook. Lucy looked at the coffee cup, then at the table, then at Siegfried, and then at the window.
Watching her, Siegfried said.
"Are you nervous?"
Lucy froze.
"No."
"I see."
"Not at all."
"Yes."
Lucy drank her coffee. Siegfried drank his coffee. They both put down their cups at the same time. Their eyes met. Lucy quickly looked away. Siegfried let out a snicker. Lucy looked at Siegfried. There was a dimple on one of his cheeks. Lucy gripped her coffee cup tightly. Siegfried said.
"How long have you been working with the Princess?"
Lucy said.
"It's been two years."
"I worked at the Duke of Valois before, but it has only been two years since I became the Princess's dedicated assistant."
"Isn't it hard?"
Lucy said after a moment of thought.
"It is hard, but fun. The Princess does so many strange things. Like trying to stomp on laundry while wearing a dress, or thinking about recipes while eating at a banquet. I was flustered at first, but these days I just write it down in my notebook."
Siegfried said.
"It must be shocking "
Lucy looked at Siegfried.
"You know?"
"We were together behind the tree."
Lucy let out a smirk at those words. Siegfried said.
"Young Master Leon is similar."
Lucy said.
"Young Master Leon?"
"Yes. Once, he covered his ears with his hands."
Lucy stopped.
"What?"
"Inside the carriage. Only I saw it."
Lucy's eyes widened.
"When?"
"Why?"
Siegfried asked.
"It's the day the Princess made that remark about arthritis."
Lucy covered her mouth as she retraced her memory. The wall-slamming incident. The day Prince Leon attempted to slam the Princess against the wall, only to be counterattacked with arthritis. She meant that on that day in the carriage, the Prince had covered his ears with his hands. Lucy tried to hold back her laughter, but it burst out.
"The Prince? Did you see it yourself?"
"Yes."
"You've been keeping that to yourself all this time?"
"I never had a chance to tell you."
Lucy said, trying to calm her laughter.
"I saw something similar, too. You know that day when the Princess spilled tea on the Prince's thigh."
"I think the Young Master must have covered his ears with his hands again in the carriage."
Siegfried said.
"That day, before getting into the carriage, he stood there for quite a while with his hands leaning against the wall."
Lucy burst out laughing again. Siegfried grinned, his dimples showing. Lucy sipped her coffee while trying to suppress her laughter. Her face turned red.
As the conversation continued, the awkwardness gradually dissipated. Stories of the Princess. Stories of the Young Master. Events that took place at the Duchess of Valois. Events at the Imperial party. Siegfried said.
"The day the Princess made the Crown Prince's feet get stepped on three times."
Lucy said.
"Young Master was trembling with anger from a distance that day."
Siegfried said.
"Yes."
"He kept clenching and unclenching his hand."
Lucy said.
"And the Princess ate the tart without knowing anything."
Siegfried said.
"I think that made the Young Master tremble even more."
Lucy said with a smile.
"Did you write it down in your notebook?"
"Yes."
"Me too."
They both laughed. The coffee shop was warm. People passed by outside the window. The clouds had cleared somewhat, and the July sunlight settled on the table.
Lucy looked at the sunlight and thought. It seemed completely different from when she first entered the coffee shop. It used to be awkward and quiet, but now it wasn't like that. Siegfried stood up from his seat and said.
"May I step out for a moment?"
"Yes, go ahead."
Siegfried left. Lucy remained alone and drank her coffee. She looked out the window. Then she stopped before taking out her notebook. I won't write anything today; I can remember without recording.
She put the notebook back in. It was about ten minutes later when Siegfried returned. At his seat... As he sat down, he held out a small paper envelope to Lucy. Lucy instinctively reached out to take the envelope and looked inside.
"What is this?"
"Open it."
Lucy opened the envelope. It was a notebook. A small notebook with a sturdy leather cover. A small pattern was embossed on the cover. Lucy looked at Siegfried.
"Are you giving this to me?"
Siegfried said.
"It looked like you didn't have much left in the notebook you're currently using."
Lucy froze.
"When did you see it?"
"You tried to take it out earlier but put it back in."
Lucy looked at the notebook. Then she looked at Siegfried.
"... Thank you."
Siegfried nodded in greeting. Then he drank his coffee. Lucy held the notebook in her hand. The leather cover was warm. Her face turned red again. Siegfried pretended to look out the window. After a moment, Siegfried spoke.
"Do you remember when you first saw me?"
Lucy looked at Siegfried.
"Behind a tree."
Siegfried nodded. She nodded.
"The Princess and the Young Master were talking in the garden that day."
"We were both taking notes in our notebooks, weren't we?"
"Yes."
Lucy thought of that day. The day their eyes met while they were each taking notes behind the garden tree, with the same tree between them. It was the first time. Lucy asked.
"Were you flustered when our eyes met?"
Siegfried thought for a moment and said,
"Yes."
Lucy said.
"Me too."
Siegfried looked at Lucy. Lucy said, fiddling with her coffee cup.
"What did you write in your notebook that day?"
Siegfried looked at her briefly and said,
"That there was someone behind the same tree."
Lucy let out a small chuckle.
"And me."
"What did you write?"
Lucy said, taking a sip of coffee.
"That this person was writing in his notebook, too."
Siegfried grinned at those words. His dimples deepened. Lucy gripped her coffee cup tightly. She wanted to press down hard on it with a ballpoint pen. She shook her head as she thought about it.
They were on their way back after retrieving the dress. The sun was setting slightly. The two walked side by side to the carriage. Siegfried hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Lucy and said.
"I hope we have more moments like this in the future."
Lucy thought for a moment and replied.
"As life goes by."
Siegfried grinned. At that moment, a dimple appeared. Lucy saw it. She saw the dimple. It was only for a brief moment. And without realizing it, her hand went up. Toward Siegfried's dimple. She pressed lightly with her fingertips. Instantly.
Oh no. Lucy froze. Siegfried froze. They both froze at the same time. Lucy pulled her hand away and said.
"Ah, um, well, I'm sorry, I did it without thinking."
Her face turned bright red. Siegfried's face turned red, too. Lucy clutched the dress tightly and looked straight ahead. She thought to herself.
"I finally pressed it. But why did I press it? Ah. Why did I press it?"
Siegfried cleared his throat awkwardly. Then, he dropped something from his bosom. It was a small notebook. Lucy saw it. She picked it up. A small pattern was engraved on the cover. Lucy looked at the pattern. Then she looked at the notebook she had just received from Siegfried. It was the same pattern. Lucy looked at Siegfried.
"It's the same pattern as the one you gave me earlier."
Siegfried said as he took the notebook.
"This is mine."
Then, with a flushed face, he walked quickly, looking straight ahead. Lucy froze beside him. The same notebook. To carry the same notebook around. That's why he bought it.
Lucy's face turned even redder. They walked side by side, both looking only straight ahead. There was no talk. Yet, the corners of both their mouths were slightly upturned.
Life is, I suppose, things like this happen. Was this also part of Miss Serena's master plan?
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