A huge square that seems to leave empty space even if all the houses in Brom are moved. A wide road where even ten wagons can easily pass. Street buildings bigger and more colorful than Baron Connor's mansion.
And people walking by wearing all kinds of fancy clothes.
Lucy's eyes, with her head sticking out of the carriage, moved nonstop at the sight she had never seen before.
The wagon loaded two surprised children and a lady who was looking at him happily, and ran lightly towards the mansion.
Mrs. Triana's mansion, where Lucy and Colin stayed during their tour of the capital, was twice the size of Baron Connor's mansion.
The wife treated Lucy and Colin as regular guests, giving each one a luxurious guest room.
Surprised by the size of a room the size of her hometown, she stood stunned for a moment, and then Lucy was excited and climbed up onto the luxurious, high bed.
As I was admiring the cozy and fluffy feeling, someone knocked on the door.
"Lady, the bath water is ready, would you like to wash it now?"
Oh, lady?
Lucy rolled her eyes at the name she had never heard of before. When there was no answer, the maid asked again from outside the door.
"miss? Are you inside?"
"Ah, I… … ."
Lucy immediately got out of bed and ran to the door. to the . She opened the door and peered outside.
The maid, who had been standing with a puzzled look on her face, looked down at Lucy curiously and immediately sent a friendly smile.
"Would you like to wash now? Or I will prepare bath water again after dinner."
Oh my gosh! Would you be willing to go through the trouble of reheating the bath water twice just for yourself?
Lucy waved her hand in surprise.
"Gee, I'll do it now!"
Lucy quickly left the room and followed the maid who was guiding her.
Surprisingly, where the maid followed, a large bathtub filled with perfume was waiting for her, and more surprisingly, the maid who guided her took care of the bath herself.
For a moment, she was tired of traveling in the warm water, and her eyes slowly closed for a moment as she felt awkward at the stranger's hand washing her by someone other than her mother and grandmother.
A soft candle hung on the wall made her comfortable.
first trip. first time experience.
Lucy was excited. Imperial Palace, Market, Museum, Temple. My heart raced at the thought of visiting all of them.
It felt as if something extraordinary was waiting for him, something he had never even imagined before.
* * *
And Lucy's premonition was not wrong.
During a trip to the capital, the 'thing' that remains as a strong memory for Lucy happened in an unexpected place.
It was not an imperial palace that I had always wanted to visit, a huge market selling all kinds of strange items, a museum, or a temple.
It was in the mansion of a nobleman he had never heard of, called the Marquis of Everen.
One month after the visit to the capital, Mrs. Triana suggested that Lucy go with her to a meeting hosted by the Marquis of Everen.
He said the meeting was for women of all ages to socialize.
Although he was sorry to have to leave Colin alone, Lucy gladly followed his wife.
It was the first time I had been invited to a social gathering. I was excited and also trembling.
Arriving at the Marquis of Everen and getting off the carriage, Lucy's eyes widened at the majestic mansion. Compared to Mrs. Triana's luxurious and splendid mansion, it felt a little more calm, but the intimidation given by its huge scale did not dare compare.
A luncheon for social gatherings was set up in the garden. The ladies who arrived first around the table decorated with fragrant roses stood elegantly and asked each other their regards.
At some tables, not only the ladies but also girls the age of Lucy were gathered. As soon as the children saw Lucy, they stopped their conversation and stared intently at her.
Lucy stood next to Mrs. Triana, a little frightened.
I actually followed it, but it was very awkward.
After hiding behind his wife and watching the young girls of the noble family gather and chatter, Lucy turned her gaze back to the mansion.
Wow, are all the mansions in the capital so stunning?
The white brick mansion was the most beautiful house I had ever seen.
Lucy, who was looking up at the mansion with ecstatic eyes, stopped at one place.
It was a terrace facing the garden.
There stood a woman in a snow-white dress standing there.
Uh, ghost?
Lucy's eyes widened.
The woman's black hair, loosely loose, fluttered to and fro in the bleak autumn wind.
Contrasting with the dark night sky hair color, her skin looked even paler.
The ghostly woman didn't even pay a single glance, as if she wasn't interested in the lively luncheon for a long time. I just stood on the terrace and stared blankly somewhere over the garden.
"Madam, look over there."
Lucy said, pulling Mrs. Triana's hem slightly. As the wife turned her head, Lucy pointed her finger at the terrace.
"There is a ghost over there."
Not only Mrs. Triana, but also the ladies who were sitting around looked up at the terrace at the word ghost.
"Shh!"
One of them quickly put her finger to her mouth.
"Everyone, don't look at that!"
she paid attention
"You are the daughter of the Marquis Everen. The Duchess of Berg!"
At her words, the wives hurriedly looked down. Another woman standing nearby said softly.
"I heard that he had an argument with the duke and ran away from home, didn't he?"
"Shh!"
The lady cautioned once more.
"Everyone pretends they didn't see it! It was offensive to the Marquis of Everen, and there was nothing good about it."
She said as she looked into the eyes of the Marquis, who was sitting in the far-off seat. At those words, the ladies covered their faces with the fans they were holding and coughed heavily.
Oh, it wasn't a ghost.
While everyone looked away from the pale woman, Lucyman muttered, still staring at her.
The woman on the terrace stood silently for a while, not knowing that the ladies gathered at the luncheon were glancing at her.
Shaking in the autumn wind, she finally shrugged her shoulders, put her shawl on, and entered the room.
Why don't you hang out with people?
Even after the woman disappeared, Lucy looked at the terrace with a curious face. However, the ladies who secretly talked about her turned the topic elsewhere, as soon as they lost interest.
Conversations on topics that were difficult for Lucy to understand and of which she was not interested moved around the table. Because the noble girls of her age were only gathering among themselves, Lucy quickly became bored.
Everyone was participating in this luncheon in a very natural way. Only Lucy was sitting in a chair inconsistent with the purpose of a 'social gathering'.
It was like falling alone in a country where the language was not spoken. I never had the courage to talk to the other girls.
"Mrs. Triana."
Lucy cautiously called his wife.
"Can I take a look around the garden?"
The wife, who had been immersed in the conversation with the other ladies, smiled kindly and looked down at Lucy.
"Yes, Lucy. Let's hear, you're also interested in flowers, right? That's why I wanted to bring you here. The gardens of Everen Street have a reputation for being beautiful even in the Empire."
Mrs. Triana said with a look as if she was proud of her garden.
"The garden is always open to invited guests. So, feel free to go in and have a look."
At that, Lucy smiled brightly and got up from her seat.
Baron Connor's mansion also had a garden. It was a garden full of modest flowers and modestly shaped plants according to Baroness Connor's simple taste.
However, the garden of Everen Street looked different from the size of the garden. Across the fence in full bloom of autumn roses, a flower bed of mysterious colors spread wide.
With the permission of Mrs. Triana, Lucy ran straight to the garden.
As we moved away from the lively atmosphere of the luncheon, the tranquility and peace of the garden came.
The only sounds he could hear were the clear cries of birds and the sound of a fountain spouting cool water from somewhere.
Lucy felt as if she had entered a huge flower basket.
There were flowers she was familiar with in the garden, but there were also flowers she had never seen before. They were boasting an unfamiliar and exotic appearance as if they had been brought from a region other than the Beros Empire.
Lucy's eyes were dizzy at the beautiful appearance and bright colors of the flowers.
I was so focused on flowers that I walked for a long time.
A fence appeared blocking the front, and the garden was finished. A thick oak forest stretched out beyond the fence.
And hidden in the forest was a landscape that caught Lucy's eyes above all else.
It was a big lake.
Fallen leaves from the trees filled the edge of the lake. Every time the wind blew, the waves of fallen leaves swayed slowly.
"Wow, pretty!"
Lucy was amazed. In fact, the flowers in the garden were also wonderful, but to Lucy, this natural beauty touched her heart more.
Lucy, who was approaching the lake over the fence with a smile, stopped her steps. There was already someone on the shore of the lake.
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EPISODE 36
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What kind of child...
The boy was sitting under an oak tree, hugging his knees, and buried his head. Her golden hair that covered her face shone brightly in the sunlight.
Lucy hesitated for a moment.
can i come closer,
After a while, she quietly walked towards the boy. Perhaps the child had not heard Lucy's presence, and there was no movement.
Wow, beautiful... … .
Lucy, who stopped at a distant place, opened her mouth as she looked at her well-groomed, shiny blonde hair.
Of course, there were people with blonde hair in Brom too. Or Roa, the daughter of the orchard, or Anna, the older sister of the flower shop.
They were proud of their beautiful blonde hair and took great care of it. Lucy also sometimes touched their gold-threaded hair with envy.
However, this child's blonde hair was so shiny and beautiful that it was hard to say that the blondes Lucy had ever seen were not golden. It was like spinning the sun on a spinning wheel and squeezing it out of thread.
can i talk?
Lucy hesitated, then finally opened her mouth.
"there… … ."
Hearing her voice, the child slowly raised his head. He was a handsome boy.
Wow… … .
Lucy admired it again.
Blue eyes that seemed to have copied the color of the lake right next to it were twinkling on the child's face.
The boy looked up at Lucy with a grim expression and then buried his head again.
are you crying, are you mad? What are you doing here alone?
Lucy watched the boy silently. The fact that she was obsessed with blonde hair and discovered later was that the clothes he was wearing also looked expensive and luxurious.
Was it one of the children who came with the ladies? But they said this was a gathering that only women could come.
With that thought in mind, Lucy sat down a little further away from the boy.
A crowing was heard from afar. Combined with the sound of the lake roaming, the forest felt even more secluded.
It's like a completely different world here.
Lucy took a deep breath of fresh air and thought.
Then suddenly there was a rustling sound. Turning her head, he saw the boy scratching his arm.
Lucy was surprised.
It was because there were scars all over the arm where the sleeves were rolled up. He continued to scratch his arm indifferently, and then the wound began to bleed.
Lucy jumped up from her seat. She rushed to the boy and said hurriedly.
"You must not scratch! You are bleeding!"
"… … ."
The boy did not answer. He scratched and scratched his arm that was still bleeding. Soon he started scratching the nape of his neck. The back of his neck was also full of wounds. Lucy cried out in shock.
"Even if youre itchy! don't scratch it!"
"go away."
A hoarse voice came from under the blonde hair.
"The more you scratch, the more it itch."
Lucy said without giving up. The boy raised his head.
"It itch even if you stand still."
Lucy saw the reddish marks on his face.
"This… … ."
She had seen several patients with the same symptoms who had come to see her father. They had red marks all over their bodies, just like those of a boy.
"Maybe Maram allergy?"
Lucy looked around and said. In all directions, there were maram vines growing around the trunk of an oak tree.
"Why are you sitting here when you have allergies?"
To Lucy's question, the boy licked his lips and answered.
"It's my heart. It feels good to be here."
You feel more comfortable here, that you'd rather choose to bleeds from scratching you're allergies?
Lucy looked down at the boy with a puzzled face.
Meanwhile, the boy was now trying to find a new area to scratch. He rolled up his pants and this time started scratching his ankles.
"Wait a minute!"
Lucy hurriedly stopped him.
She looked around. After finding the mogana grass, she put it on a rock and pulverized it. And she tried to put it on the boy's ankle.
"what! Why?"
"Stay still!"
The boy who was about to push Lucy down suddenly stopped moving at the coolness he felt at his ankles.
"how is it? Isn't it cool?"
At her question, the boy looked at her with a curious expression. It was awkward, but at the same time, it was a really cool face.
Soon he nodded reluctantly.
"Yes."
"This is the grass called Mogana. If you crush it with a stone and put it on your body, it feels cool."
"Put it here too."
He suddenly stretched out his wounded arm.
"Not there. You're already bleeding. Disinfect first and apply wound ointment."
Lucy took out a small ointment box from the small bag she always carried. She handed it to the boy.
But the boy turned his head and looked away.
"done. Do not use drugs that you do not know what it is."
"This is what my grandmother made! My grandmother is the most famous drugstore owner in Brom!"
"… … ."
"Ugh."
It's tricky.
Eventually, Lucy put the pill box back into the bag. The boy wanted to stare at him, then buried his head between his knees again.
It seemed to mean that he didn't want to talk anymore. Lucy didn't want to meddle anymore. This boy was so arrogant and arrogant.
Lucy got up from her seat.
I should look around the garden or more.
I thought it would be better to spend more time looking at flowers than spending time with a boy I didn't know.
But her feet didn't want to move at all. His eyes kept crouching and he turned to the wounded back of the boy.
From the old days, Lucy's heart weakened just by looking at the wounds.
Reluctantly, she took the ointment out of her bag again. And he dropped it at the boy's feet.
"Come on, I'll leave it here. Change it or throw it away, it's up to you."
At Lucy's words, the boy slowly raised his head and looked down at the ointment. I didn't pick it up and bring it, but I didn't say I didn't need it either.
Ouch, squirrel.
Just as Lucy was muttering to herself, the boy spoke in a mumbled voice.
"thanks."
Lucy's eyes twitched as she saw the child greeting her with a broken spirit.
I don't think he's a very crooked kid though.
She smiled and sat back a little further away from him.
I heard a rustling sound as I picked up the ointment from the side and put it in my pocket. My feelings of resentment over this guy until recently have gradually subsided.
Lucy hugged her knees like a boy with a more relaxed face. And without a word, he looked at the surface of the lake, which gently swayed.
Gorgeous flowers, a topiary manicured by the gardener, and a beautiful fountain… … .
Those things are good, but Lucy was happier when she sat still in nature, untouched by humans.
What's more, it's the first time I've seen a lake with such a beautiful and mysterious color.
Lucy lifted her face as she suddenly felt a warm breath on the back of her neck. Turning her head to the side, she screamed in surprise.
"Mom!"
She fell and hit her buttocks behind her.
The boy, who had his head buried in my lap, came closer and twitched his nose as if sniffing it.
"what?"
At Lucy's absurd question, the boy straightened his upper body again and said:
"You smell like grass. and… … ."
He paused for a moment. Lucy swallowed while waiting for her next words. The boy wrinkled his nose again and continued.
"Smells like horse dung."
Don't you smell horse dung?
"Do you work in the stable?"
At his question, Lucy frowned as if embarrassed.
"I don't work!"
Lucy, who had fallen backwards and stared blankly at the boy's mouth, screamed.
"I'm still ten years old! And today as a guest!"
"What do you know?"
What do you know? You asked first!
Lucy almost screamed out loud.
The thought that I had just thought that I might have been very crooked was cancelled. He was a very mean-spirited guy.
Are all the capital boys like this?
Lucy pouted her mouth and took off the hat she was wearing and hid it behind her back.
The smell the boy smelled is probably from this hat.
The hat was bought by my father a year ago when he returned from a trip to another city. It was a pretty cute hat, decorated with a white lace ribbon in pale pink.
Lucy always wore the hat to the baron's birthday party, to a picnic in the village forest, or to the market next door with her mother.
It was the most precious hat Lucy had, and it was also her favorite hat.
So, before coming to this social gathering, he had changed into a dress that the housemaids had chosen, but he did not change his hat.
Lucy was suddenly angry.
"It's not the smell of horse manure, it's just the smell of dirt."
Lucy corrected the boy's words with a blunt face.
"The smell of dirt, grass, trees and farms."
Of course, you can't tell the difference between the smell of the stable and the smell of dirt, so no matter how much you explain, you won't understand.
Lucy grunted inwardly.
The boy didn't seem interested in Lucy's explanation. He shrugged his shoulders once with a grim expression and then rested his chin on his arm again.
Lucy also brushed off the fallen leaves on her dress with a fat face. And when he fell, he wiped away the dirt on his palms as he touched the ground.
I was about to get up from my seat, but I felt another gaze from my side. The boy was staring intently at his side profile.
"Why again?"
Lucy asked in a cold tone.
Does it smell like dog poop this time?
I held back what I wanted to shoot like that.
"Your eyes."
The boy accidentally caught Lucy's eyes and fell. As Lucy opened her eyes to say something else, the boy said something unexpected.
"It's like an emerald."