Episode 80. As Life Goes By (A Soft and Heartwarming Break Part 4)
It was morning. Serena called Lucy while looking at documents in the study. Lucy entered holding a notebook. Serena held out an envelope and said.
"Lucy, could you deliver this to Prince Leon today?"
Taking the envelope, Lucy asked.
"Aren't you going yourself?"
"I have some things to do today. Please go in my place."
Lucy nodded and left. Watching Lucy's retreating figure, Serena thought to herself, "Have a safe trip, Lucy. Have a good time."
Then, with a smirk, she opened the documents. In fact, the previous evening, Serena had sent a letter to Leon. She had asked if Siegfried could clear his schedule for Lucy to deliver documents tomorrow. She knew exactly what Leon had replied without having to write it down. The answer lay in Serena's smile.
Lucy arrived in front of the Ashford ducal estate. Standing at the door was Siegfried, who had received the message that Lucy was coming. As soon as Lucy saw Siegfried, she froze. Siegfried smiled brightly and greeted her on their behalf.
"The Young Master is away for a moment today. I will receive this for you."
Lucy said as she handed over the envelope.
"Oh, really? Then I just need to deliver this."
"It looks like it will take the Young Master a while to return. If there are any documents to verify, I think you should receive them in person. Could you wait a moment?"
Lucy thought for a moment. Something seemed off. Did the Princess really say to deliver the documents in person? Couldn't Siegfried just deliver them for her? Yet, it wasn't exactly a strange situation.
Lucy nodded. Siegfried said.
"There is a place nearby where you can have tea. Would you like to have a cup while we wait there?"
It was a teahouse. It was a small, quiet teahouse. It wasn't fancy. However, it was a clean place with delicious tea. As Siegfried entered, he greeted the owner with the familiar tone of someone well-acquainted. It seemed like a place he frequented. The two sat facing each other at a table with a large window that offered a good view of the outside. Perhaps because it had been a long time, it felt awkward at first. Lucy took out her notebook but put it back in. She thought to herself that she had come on an errand for the Princess, not to write in a notebook.
As Siegfried ordered tea, he asked Lucy.
"What would you like?"
"Just the same."
The tea arrived. Silence fell. Yet, strangely, it was not an uncomfortable silence. Just as the silence hadn't been uncomfortable when they stood side by side in the hallway in the past. Siegfried spoke first.
"How is the Princess doing these days? I heard she was ill recently. From the Young Master."
"She has recovered a lot. Actually, she wasn't very sick, but it seems she is having a hard time because of the Empress."
Siegfried nodded.
"How are you doing these days, Mr. Siegfried? Is there anything difficult for you? I imagine you must have a lot of work since the Young Master became the Special Inspector."
"It is difficult, but it is better than him struggling. He tends to push himself too hard these days. I don't think he realizes it himself."
"The Princess is similar. She pretends everything is fine, but sometimes I see she looks very tired."
The two looked at each other. Their eyes conveyed the shared sentiment that they were people who worried about the people they each served. Lucy said.
"I hope things work out well for the two of you."
Siegfried looked at Lucy.
"The Princess and the Young Master. It seems like they have feelings for each other, but it's frustratingly difficult to resolve ."
"I know. It's because the Young Master isn't very good at expressing his feelings."
"You too, Princess. It seems like you don't even know what you're feeling."
Both let out a smirk at the same time. Their eyes met. They both looked away simultaneously. The conversation continued while they took sips of tea.
"Mr. Siegfried, how long have you been serving the Young Master?"
Siegfried asked.
"Eleven years."
Lucy said, her eyes wide.
"Eleven years?"
"Yes. Since he was twelve."
Lucy did the math in her head. Starting at twelve and going for eleven years. The Young Master is twenty-three now.
"How old was Mr. Siegfried back then?"
Lucy asked.
"So, did you first serve the Young Master when you were fifteen?"
"Yes. I got scolded a lot by the Head Butler at first."
Lucy did the math again. Fifteen to eleven years, twenty-six. Lucy said while drinking her tea.
"I came in at eighteen, so it has been four years since I started serving the Princess."
Siegfried said.
"It is amazing that you are so meticulous and diligent in just four years."
Lucy said.
"Because the Princess does so many strange things."
Siegfried let out a soft chuckle. A dimple appeared in his smile. Lucy saw it. Why did she feel such an urge to poke it with her finger whenever she saw a dimple... Afraid her face would turn red again, and her feelings would be revealed, Lucy quickly drank her tea.
She left the teahouse. It was an alley where the afternoon sunlight was setting. It was an alley where people were passing by. The two walked side by side. However, there was a part of the alley that narrowed because of the crowds. Lucy tried to step aside but tripped over a stone. It happened again. Lucy was prone to making mistakes whenever she stood in front of Siegfried. The moment she stumbled, Siegfried grabbed her arm. Lucy regained her balance. However, this time, Siegfried didn't let go of her hand immediately. Since it was a crowded alley, he naturally held onto her arm as they passed through the narrow section. Lucy froze. Siegfried wore an expression as if nothing had happened.
After they had passed the narrow part, Siegfried let go of her hand. Lucy looked at her arm. And for some reason, his mouth opened without him realizing it.
"I like three children!"
The alley fell silent. Siegfried stopped. Lucy stopped, too. It was the moment Lucy realized what she had just said. "I like three children." Crazy.
Why did that come out? What have you done? Lucy, snap out of it.
Siegfried looked at Lucy. It was a face he had never seen before. It had been a face hardened by serving Leon for over ten years, but now it was broken. It was a blank look. The face of someone who had heard something completely unexpected Siegfried spoke.
"What?"
And he took a step backward. One step, two steps. His feet caught on a stone. The moment Siegfried fell backward, he grabbed Lucy's wrist. Reflexively. And holding Lucy tightly, he fell backward.
Thump.
He landed on the alley floor. Siegfried landed on his back first. Lucy was perched on top of Siegfried. She was in Siegfried's arms. Lucy froze. Siegfried froze, too. People passing through the alley looked at the two of them.
"Those are the good old days~ So young, so young."
The passersby's jokes could be heard. Lucy lay on the ground, still held in Siegfried's arms. She felt her face turning red. Siegfried spoke without loosening his grip on her.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes. How about you, Mr. Siegfried?"
"Me neither."
The two froze in that position for a moment. Then, as if regaining his senses, Siegfried helped Lucy stand up. As she stood up, Lucy straightened her clothes. Then, noticing dirt on Siegfried's bottom as he brushed off dust in front of her, she unconsciously patted it against his backside. When Siegfried, his face bright red, stared blankly at Lucy, she was startled by his gaze and pulled her hand away.
"Sand on your bottom..."
The two looked at each other. Lucy thought of various things to say to explain herself. She felt like she needed to explain something. The story of the three children. The fact that she had brushed his bottom.
'They're going to think I'm a really strange woman.'
But Siegfried spoke first.
"I..." Lucy looked at Siegfried.
"If you like it, Lucy, then everything is fine."
Those words lingered in Lucy's ears. Lucy looked at Siegfried. Siegfried continued walking, looking straight ahead. His face was completely expressionless. It was a natural look, as if he had just commented on the weather today.
Lucy watched his retreating figure for a moment before starting to walk after him, feeling her heart race strangely. They left the alley and reached a main road. As they walked, Lucy said.
"You know what?"
Siegfried looked at her.
"We'll have a house someday, right? Then I'm going to plant lavender in the flowerbed just like the Princess."
Siegfried was silent for a moment, then smiled and replied.
"I'd like that too."
Lucy looked at Siegfried. Siegfried continued walking, looking straight ahead.
"And I want to raise a cat. An orange one."
Siegfried said.
"I'd like that too."
"And a small vegetable garden by the window, too."
"I'm fine with that, too."
"Having dinner and tea together in the evening."
"I'm fine with that, too."
Lucy looked at Siegfried. He was the kind of person who said "I'm fine with that, too," no matter what was said. The three children, the lavender, the cat, the vegetable garden, dinner, he was the kind of person who said everything was fine.
"Mr. Siegfried. You shouldn't say everything is fine."
"Why?"
"You wouldn't know if I mean it."
Siegfried met Lucy's eyes for a moment.
"I mean it."
Lucy looked at Siegfried. Siegfried looked straight ahead and said.
"I mean it if you like it, Miss Lucy."
Lucy understood and accepted those words. A person who said that what I like is fine. The first time she heard it was on the ground in an alley. The second time was while walking on the main road. Both times, it seemed like sincere words.
Lucy averted her gaze and walked forward, feeling her cheeks flush. They were in front of the Duke of Valois estate. Siegfried walked Lucy to the estate. Lucy spoke.
"So, in the end, there was no need to wait for Prince Leon for the documents."
"Actually, the Princess asked for some time."
"I thought so. Her gaze wasn't ordinary since this morning."
Lucy nodded and turned around.
"Miss Lucy."
Lucy turned back.
"You said you hoped things would work out well for the two of you."
"I think so too. For the two of you."
And she added.
"And for us, too."
Lucy nodded as she spoke.
"Yes. Goodbye, Siegfried."
Siegfried stared intently at Lucy. It was the first time the word 'Siegfried' had come out of Lucy's mouth, who usually used honorifics like 'Mr.' or 'Lord'.
At those words, a smile flickered in Siegfried's eyes. A dimple appeared. Lucy watched this for a moment, then quickly turned around and started walking. As she walked, she thought to herself. I want to press down hard with a ballpoint pen. She quickly erased that thought.
It was the study of the Valois ducal estate. Serena was looking at documents. Lucy entered. Serena spoke with an indifferent expression.
"Did you deliver it properly?"
Lucy said, looking at the envelope.
"The Young Master was away, so I entrusted it to Mr. Siegfried."
Serena nodded. Lucy looked at Serena.
"My Lady. I heard Siegfried had some free time today?"
Serena looked at Lucy for a moment, then lowered her gaze to the documents and said.
"I didn't know anything about that."
Lucy looked at her profile. It was Serena, her lips curving upward.
"My Princess, please go in person next time."
Serena said, looking at Lucy.
"Why?"
Lucy asked.
"Just because."
And she left the study. Watching her retreating figure, Serena thought. Looks like she had a good time. Then that's all that matters. She chuckled softly as she looked at the documents.
It was the bedchamber. Lucy lay on the bed and opened her notebook. She paused briefly while organizing the events of the day. She wrote in small letters in a corner of the notebook.
"I fell on the floor today. In Siegfried's arms."
And below that, she added even smaller.
"If you like it, Lucy, everything is fine."
She read it twice. And then below that.
Dimples.
She looked at them again. The urge to press them down with a ballpoint pen crossed her mind again. She could never tell the Princess this.
Lucy closed the notebook and pulled the blanket over herself. Closing her eyes tightly, she thought: "As life goes on, the days I've dreamed of will come, won't they?"
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