101st Confession

BANG-!

The sudden sound startled Lucia and she opened her eyes. She rubbed her hands over her blurry vision and began to see clearly.

“This is…….”

The room was unfamiliar but somehow familiar. The layout of the furniture, the shapes….…

“Ah.”

It wasn’t until Lucia woke up that she realized that this was Herwin’s room in Phoenaeus. They’d gotten married yesterday and had come there to celebrate with their friends.

“And then Herwin brought me here…….”

She vaguely remembered walking into the room and seeing Herwin undressing her, followed by him looking at her with lust in his eyes, as if he was going to eat her up….…

Slowly recalling the events of yesterday, Lucia blushed and rolled over onto her back, then let out a muffled scream and kicked at the covers.

‘It’s crazy! It’s crazy.’

Herwin must have finally done it. Lucia bit her lower lip as she gripped the blanket tighter.

“What a waste……!”

She wished she could remember everything she’d done since then, what she’d done with Herwin, how she’d spent the night, at least the first night.

But she can’t remember anything-!

She felt like she had wasted her precious first night with Herwin by drinking.

Lucia sulked and pushed herself up again, then suddenly realized something.

“……It doesn’t hurt?”

Surely her friends, the maids, and others had told her that a woman’s first night was supposed to be painful.

But aside from a throbbing headache and a bit of stomach rumbling, she didn’t feel a thing.

Just to be sure, she lifted the covers and saw the same inner dress she wore yesterday.

“What the hell happened?”

She asked in confusion. Surely she had just kissed Herwin passionately before she passed out.

“Lucia…….”

A muffled voice came from beside her. Lucia shivered and slowly turned her head to the side.

There was Herwin, half-buried in his pillow, with only one eye peeking out. When she saw his face, she rolled her eyes and looked down.

The muscles of his angry back were barely visible under the disheveled blanket she was pulling.

Lucia couldn’t take her eyes off Herwin’s back. Herwin’s eyes followed Lucia’s sleepy gaze, and he smirked.

Then he grabbed Lucia and pulled her into his arms.

“That’s silly.”

“Who, who is being mean!”

“Who’s naughty is my naughty new bride.”

He teased. Lucia pouted, and Herwin stepped forward and lightly nipped her lips.

Lucia shuddered but then relaxed into his embrace. Before she knew it, he was on top of her.

Trapped in his arms, Lucia barely opened her eyes when the kiss ended, her heart racing.

Before her were red eyes, more beautiful than any jewel. The sharp bridge of his nose tickled her cheek.

Herwin chuckled lowly and lifted his upper body, revealing his magnificent body.

“How are you feeling?”

“……I’m fine.”

“You drank a lot last night, don’t you feel a little stiff?”

“Uh… a little?”

“I’ll have to get Jerome to make you something good for a hangover.”

Herwin stood up and tapped Lucia lightly on the nose. Stripped down to his upper body, Herwin grabbed a robe from the wall.

As Lucia watched, she swallowed hard and asked.

“Heh, Herwin!”

“Huh?”

“Did we… have a good time yesterday?”

Herwin stopped pouring water. He looked up with a smile on his face, but for a moment Lucia thought he was angry.

“What do you remember?”

“The… the time we came into our room. After you kissed me… I don’t remember…….”

As the voice crept in, a sobbing nasal sound came out of Herwin’s nose.

“If there was anything that happened yesterday-“

“If there was……?”

Stepping in front of Lucia, Herwin grinned.

“You fell asleep.”

“……?”

A shaky question came out of Lucia’s mouth. Before she could comprehend his words, Herwin smoothed down Lucia’s casually disheveled hair.

“You fell asleep just like that yesterday, so nothing happened.”

“……really?”

“Yes, Lucia.”

Herwin smiled as he ran his eyes down her neck.

“No sleeping tonight, okay?”

Lucia stared blankly, then paled. She could almost see the devil behind the smiling Herwin.

Lucia broke out in a cold sweat as she realized that Herwin was clenching his teeth tightly.

“Uh, I mean… Herwin. I’m sorry…….”

“Huh? No, no, we’ll make up for it today. Come on, get up, wash your face, and let’s go eat. You’d better fill up for the night.”

Lucia got goosebumps when his shady eyes scanned her body.

“Come to think of it, I thought I heard a thump outside.”

Lucia shifted uneasily on her toes, but Herwin’s words drew her closer to him. Herwin was standing in the doorway, scanning the hallway.

“Why? Is someone there?”

“No, I just thought I heard something fall, a door open, something loud.”

“Oh, come to think of it.”

There was indeed a loud bang. But when she followed Herwin outside, there was nothing.

“Well, it’s probably nothing. Let me freshen up first.”

Herwin, having gotten her attention, kissed Lucia briefly on the forehead and went into the bathroom first. Feeling chilly, Lucia wrapped her shawl around her and stepped out into the hallway.

It’s 9 a.m. and the hallway is quiet, as they stayed up late last night. She’s sure he put their friends in rooms nearby.

As she scanned the rooms she assumed her friends were in, Lucia spotted an open door.

Before she could poke around, the door burst open, revealing a pair of violet eyes.

“Oh my!”

“……Lucia!”

It was Arista. Arista was just as surprised as Lucia and patted her chest.

“You slept here last night. Did you sleep well?”

“Uh? Uh…….”

Arista answered, but her mind was elsewhere. Lucia tilted her head as she watched Arista scan the hallway.

“Are you looking for something?”

“……Yes.”

Arista didn’t seem to be in a good mood as she answered. Wondering what was going on, she turned to Lucia and asked.

“Lucia, can you grant me a wish?”

“A wish?”

The choice of words was a little odd.

“You said before that I could tell you anything, so I’m asking if you could grant me a wish.”

“I… did I?”

When she searched her memory and couldn’t think of anything, Arista spoke up.

“When I saved Herwin from the ogre. Don’t you remember?”

Lucia searched her memory, and it came flooding back.

“Oh, right!”

She had promised to do anything to thank her for carrying the injured Herwin down the mountain after defeating the ogre.

“My God, Arista. You have such a good memory. How many years ago was that?”

Arista smiled wryly as Lucia flagged.

“Anyway, can I make a wish here and now?”

“Uh, sure. Just say the word. What do you want?”

Lucia said readily. Arista pursed her lips for a moment, then spoke with a serious look in her eyes.

“I’m guessing that your brother, Lucas, is trying to run away right now.”

“Huh?”

Lucia was taken aback by the sudden mention of her brother’s name, but Arista didn’t seem to mind.

“Don’t let Brother Lucas run away. Just keep him tied up here until this morning.”

“Uh… so you don’t want me to let my brother go anywhere else?”

“Yes.”

She wanted to ask her why on earth she was asking for this, but she wasn’t in the mood. Lucia nodded in understanding.

Arista thanked her and walked into the room. Lucia’s eyes immediately fell on the unusually disheveled bed.

The sheets were disheveled for someone who slept alone. She tried to remember if Arista had been a light sleeper, but nothing came to mind. Lucia shrugged her shoulders, not caring.

For now, she had to grant Arista’s wish.

Reminding herself that Lucas was trying to escape, she made her way down to the first floor.

There was a bustle of activity, including servants. Lucia felt a little embarrassed as they greeted her, calling her little madam.

Then she spotted Jerome.

“Jerome.”

“Aaah! Little madam, are you awake?”

“Good morning, Jerome. Have you seen my brother over here?”

“Your brother, you mean… Master Lucas?”

Jerome touched his lips and glanced around.

“If it’s Master Lucas, he found the carriage just a few minutes ago.”

“A carriage?”

“Yep. I thought he was in a bit of a hurry.”

“Oh, no… He’s not already gone, is he?”

“Not really, would you like me to take you to where Master Lucas is?”

“Yes, please.”

Jerome led the way to a small room nearby. Lucia could see Lucas there, his legs shaking and looking uneasy.

Something seemed off about his condition.

“Brother, what are you doing here?”

“……Lucia!”

Lucas jumped to his feet when he saw her.

“Jerome told me you called for a carriage?”

“Huh? Uh… I had a bit of an emergency…….”

“Something very urgent?”

“That’s…….”

Lucas stuttered and didn’t quite get the words out. If it was urgent, he would have answered calmly.

‘Did something happen with Arista?’

It was frustrating not to know the full story, but the priority was to fulfill Arista’s wish.

Lucia had a hunch that Lucas was going to run away, so she decided to hold his feet.

“Unless it’s urgent, let’s eat.”

“Oh, no. I have something urgent…….”

“But, brother. I won’t be able to come back to the capital after my honeymoon, will I?”

Lucas stirred as Lucia shrugged her shoulders in a sullen voice.

“Herwin has decided to inherit the dukedom, so he’ll probably go straight up north without stopping in the capital, and once he’s up north, I don’t know when he’ll come down to the capital.”

“……Really, you don’t even have time to stop by the capital?”

Lucia blurted out, though she had planned to stay there for a very short time after their honeymoon.

“Yeah, maybe?”

There was no way she was going to miss out on one last meal with her brother, Lucas, once she was gone.

Looking into Lucia’s clear eyes, Lucas finally raised the white flag.

“……Yes, if it’s the last time, we should at least have a meal together.”

“Well thought out!”

Lucia smiled with satisfaction. This should be enough to tie him up until the time Arista said.

Lucas, who was smiling helplessly at his overjoyed sister, paused when he noticed the disheveled shawl on Lucia’s shoulders.

He frowned and stalked over to her.

“What’s that around your neck?”

“Huh? What?”

“It looks like something red…….”

Lucas, who had stepped closer to Lucia and pulled her shawl down, blushed sharply and suddenly jerked his head around.

“Khhhh! Hmph! Lucia, I think you should go back to your room.”

“Why. What’s on my neck?”

Lucia, who couldn’t see her neck no matter how low she bent her head, rubbed her hand over the spot Lucas was looking at.

She rubbed her hands together, but nothing came off. Lucas couldn’t bring himself to tell her what was on her neck, so he just pulled the shawl tighter around her neck.

“Brother, this is frustrating.”

“Suck it up, and don’t ask me why I didn’t tell you later.”

“What the…….”

“Come on, get inside, we’re not going home, we’re staying here.”

Lucas hurriedly pushed Lucia’s back. Lucia shuffled along, eventually making her way to her room.

Closing the door behind her, she approached the full-length mirror in the center of the room.

“What the hell is that…….”

Grunting as she untied her shawl, Lucia stiffened, just as Lucas had done.

Lucia’s walls trembled uncontrollably. And she couldn’t take her eyes off my\her neck in the mirror.

“This, this…….”

The skin on her neck was reddened with gnaw marks like something had bitten her. It was an unfamiliar type of wound, but she knew enough to recognize what it was.

Lucia’s shoulders were shaking and she couldn’t speak, just as Herwin came out of the bathroom, ruffling his hair.

“Lucia, aren’t you going to wash up?”

Lucia screamed at the sight of her husband’s nonchalant demeanor.

“Herwin!”

At first, he didn’t understand her, but then he realized why she was upset and burst out laughing.