Chapter 43
Even after that, Logan continued to visit the annex to help Lucy with her riding practice.
The annex became wrapped in a strange liveliness.
That was because guests were frequently visiting the place where Lucy had always lived alone.
Starting with Bartholomew, then Patrick, and now Logan.
With young masters from some of the most prestigious families in the Empire coming by, the servants of the annex couldn’t help but feel expectant.
Lucy would soon be of marriageable age next year.
The young masters visiting the annex now felt almost like a procession of suitors.
They seemed to seek Lucy out even more often than Princess Elisha.
The servants of the annex believed that Lucy was winning over the hearts of these young men with her ever-growing charm.
At first, it spread as a joke among the annex servants, but as it reached the servants in the main palace, the joke gradually turned into something people took seriously.
Lucy never dreamed that these rumors would eventually reach Elisha’s ears.
Lucy herself was simply absorbed in the joy of riding.
For now, she was only circling around the annex grounds for practice, but she wanted to gallop freely across wide open fields.
She had impulsively asked Logan to teach her horseback riding.
It had been an excuse to keep meeting him, but unexpectedly, it helped greatly in building her stamina.
Not only had her stats stabilized, they were now steadily increasing, and Lucy gained confidence as a result.
She never imagined a day would come when the stats that had once been filled with nothing but negatives would feel like a distant dream.
She had also grown fairly close to Logan.
At least, that was Lucy’s personal impression.
In the past, he hadn’t been able to carry on a conversation at all.
Now, they could exchange words and hold a conversation to some extent.
Logan had a blunt personality, but after Lucy saved Rena, his wariness noticeably softened.
She had thought he was taciturn and boring, but when she spoke to him about topics he was interested in, the conversation flowed smoothly.
“Have you ever shot a bow while riding a horse?”
“Of course.”
Lucy smiled.
“Right. That was a silly question. Then I suppose it’ll be fun to watch your skills at the upcoming hunting competition.”
“I wouldn’t say my hunting skills are impressive enough to be watched.”
Logan replied in a more stiff tone than usual.
But Lucy wasn’t intimidated.
She had realized that when he tried to hide his embarrassment, his attitude became even more rigid.
He’s surprisingly shy.
When Lucy first rode with Logan, she had been very conscious of him, but now her demeanor had become much more natural.
Logan, on the other hand, was not the same.
From the first day until now, he had been constantly aware of Lucy.
Whenever their bodies brushed, he would visibly startle and stiffen, and when their hands touched, his fingers would twitch.
It seemed he had very little experience being around women.
Considering that he led the knight order, it made sense.
He seemed like someone who focused solely on martial training and wasn’t the type to be distracted by side paths.
The Logan who had once felt difficult to approach now felt much more comfortable to Lucy.
Lucy had also figured out how to further ease his guard.
“How is Rena doing?”
Whenever his younger sister was mentioned, Logan’s voice and attitude softened noticeably.
“She’s doing well.”
After hesitating briefly, he added,
“She said that if I can’t make Your Highness’s riding skills outstanding, I should resign as captain of the knight order.”
Lucy laughed.
She knew Logan was joking.
Logan wasn’t a boring person.
He just seemed stiff because of his strong principles and convictions, but the more one talked with him, the more charming he became.
“I think today’s riding practice should be enough.”
At Lucy’s suggestion, Logan agreed.
With Logan escorting her, Lucy dismounted.
In truth, she no longer needed his help, but he seemed uneasy deep down.
Lucy decided to accommodate him.
“Do you have any other plans this afternoon?”
“Nothing in particular.”
“That’s perfect. I’d like to treat you to a meal to thank you for teaching me all this time. What do you think?”
Logan hesitated for a moment.
“If it’s alright, you can invite Rena as well. I’d like to see for myself how she’s been doing.”
At the mention of Rena, Logan stopped thinking further.
Rena had been wondering when she would be able to see Lucy again.
Since that incident, Rena not only felt indebted to Lucy for saving her life, but also seemed taken with Lucy’s resolute demeanor.
More than anything, she found Lucy interesting because Lucy often said the same things Logan always did.
She had even told Logan that someone who thought exactly like her brother might be his destined match.
Of course, the phrase about only having eyes for the sword was a commonly used expression.
Lucy, having played the game before, also knew that it was one of Logan’s habitual sayings.
Logan realized that Rena wanted to connect him with Lucy.
Even while hearing Rena’s blatantly obvious remarks, Logan pretended not to notice.
He had never even considered the possibility that he could fall in love with someone.
Logan had always found women difficult to deal with.
Especially when noble traits were added, he couldn’t help but think of the prejudice that their outward appearances differed from their true selves.
Naturally, he became guarded, and the proud noble ladies felt displeased by Logan’s blunt attitude and distanced themselves from him.
But Lucy was different.
She was honest and straightforward.
Of course, that straightforwardness had caused discomfort at their first meeting, but not anymore.
She spoke only of what was necessary and made clear proposals.
When Logan felt uncomfortable, she didn’t push him.
This invitation to dine together was the same.
She must have suggested inviting Rena because she thought he might feel uneasy eating alone with her.
Logan nodded.
“I’ll have someone summon Rena.”
“Alright.”
The two passed by the stables and headed toward the annex.
As they walked, exchanging light conversation, the topic naturally shifted to riding practice.
When Lucy said she wanted to try riding alone next time, Logan hesitated briefly, then nodded.
That afternoon, Bartholomew came to visit Lucy.
He had intended to come earlier, but his visit to the market district delayed him longer than expected.
The annex servant who greeted him looked surprised.
“Have you come to see Princess Lucy?”
At the obvious question, Bartholomew nodded, puzzled.
The servant then wore an awkward expression.
“Her Highness is currently dining with a guest.”
“Who is the guest?”
Bartholomew asked with genuine curiosity.
The servant hesitated before answering.
They believed Bartholomew had an interest in Lucy.
If he learned that Lucy was spending time with another young master, wouldn’t he feel displeased?
“It is Logan Wolffield.”
Bartholomew’s eyebrows shot up.
Logan.
He found it strange that Logan was dining with Lucy.
Soon, however, he was able to guess the reason without much difficulty.
Hadn’t Lucy saved Logan’s younger sister?
Logan must have come to express his gratitude, and Lucy must have treated him to a meal.
It was nothing significant, yet Bartholomew felt uncomfortable.
He himself had only shared a proper meal with Lucy once.
Lucy was the first person with whom he had ever dined after being invited by someone else.
What were firsts to him were nothing particularly special to Lucy.
Every time he realized this difference, he felt strangely unsettled.
It felt as if one side of his chest was tightly knotted.
She said she wanted to become close with Logan. I suppose this worked out well.
Lucy had obtained what she wanted, so as her friend, he should congratulate her.
Yet his mind and heart reacted in opposite ways.
Seeing Bartholomew’s stiffened expression, the servant asked cautiously,
“Shall I inform Her Highness that Young Master Bartholomew has arrived?”
“There’s no need.”
Shaking his head, Bartholomew handed what he was holding to the servant.
“It’s a gift for Princess Lucy. Please give it to her after she finishes her meal.”
What Bartholomew handed over were desserts from the café he had visited with Lucy before.
He had impulsively bought them, thinking he wanted to share them with Lucy again.
When he had purchased the desserts, he had been in a good mood.
Now, everything felt ruined.
“Yes. I will deliver them properly.”
Bartholomew nodded.
He turned back the way he had come.
The road that hadn’t felt far on the way there now felt unusually long.
