Chapter 136: Tea Time Gossip and Nostalgia

In response to seeing the ladies' confused faces Jennette tilted her head.

"Hm, was there a rumor like that?"

"You also didn't know about it, Miss Margarita?"

"Yes... No matter how close we are, I can't possibly know everything there is to know about him."

I glanced at Jennette as she placed her teacup down on the table. The young ladies soon changed the subject.

Jennette sat with her back to the bright flowers and quietly listened to their conversation for a moment before slowly rising from her seat.

"Please excuse me."

When a lady excused herself it was usually to go to the restroom so no one paid any mind to her departure.

"Now that Miss Margarita has left, I can speak more comfortably."

Once Jennette had completely disappeared from the garden, the young girl carefully asked me.

"Princess, don't you think that Lord Ijekiel has an interest in you?"

"Oh, what are you talking about...?"

I tilted my head at the question with a smile on my face and inquired back. Then for some reason the young ladies began to speak up one by one.

"Actually I wondered the same thing. Miss Bavid and I shared the same thoughts."

"Yes. I felt the same way, but it was difficult to discuss with Miss Margarita present."

"I agree. Maybe it's because of how close Miss Margarita is with Lord Ijekiel?"

"But you think Lord Ijekiel has feelings for the Princess? Please tell me more."

"There's not a lot for me to say... It just feels that way sometimes when I see them at a banquet or at a ball. I got the same feeling at the last tea party too."

"Oh, I was unable to attend the tea party for some reasons, but I heard that Lord Ijekiel had made an appearance that day."

As I listened to what the young ladies had to say, it felt like I had a thorn in my throat.

"From my point of view, Lord Ijekiel looks at the Princess differently than he does other people."

The girls looked at me with considerable curiosity. Even though there was nothing special between Ijekiel and myself, it was amazing to listen to these young nobles discuss this. Although my answer had already been

decided.

"Unfortunately there is nothing special between Lord Ijekiel and myself for you to be curious about."

From the moment Miss Bavid spoke I kept my cool and continued to speak with a smile on my face.

"As I'm sure you are all aware he is a very kind person and his actions are driven out of respect towards myself."

I briefly recalled the passionate gaze that came into my view for just a moment two years ago while standing amongst the scattered white flowers.

"Lord Ijekiel would be quite embarrassed if he knew about this misunderstanding."

I closed my eyes and erased the passing memory that came to my mind. As I continued to hold my unwavering smile, the young ladies seemed slightly disappointed.

Even if it was true that there were no emotional interactions between Ijekiel and myself, the conversation would have been more entertaining for the girls had I blushed shyly or even seemed a little embarrassed.

"But the dress that Miss Margarita wore today was really pretty, next time I should also visit Madam Thioren's shop and..."

Yet again the topic of conversation was shifted to something else. This time I also chimed in to the young ladies' conversation. Flowers in full bloom all around them. A clear voice whispering in my ear. The sweet scent of the tea lingering on the tip of the nose. In the midst of it all, the ripples that stirred my heart quietly subsided.

Then at some point I shifted my eyes toward the entrance of the flower garden. Jennette is later than expected...?

୨・┈・・┈・୨✿୧・┈・・┈・୧

"Wasn't it the girl sitting to your right?"

"What?"

"Talking about a black wolf or something, the human talked to you like a beggar."

TL/c: Oh no, he heard LOL

"PFFT!"

At Lucas' sudden comment I spat out the vegetable juice I was drinking. Oh no, this is a special healthy juice that Lilian made for me! I groaned as I used my magic to clean the spilled juice off the floor.

"Ugh, what are you talking about all of a sudden?"

"She's suspicious."

This guy, he's so quick-witted! When you left as quickly as you entered how did you have the time to notice such a suspicious thing?

Hm, did you hear the lily girl mumble about the black wolf stuff after you left? No.... if you had heard it you wouldn't be talking about it like this right now.

"What was suspicious?"

"She seemed the most interested in me amongst your friends."

Ha, the lily girl couldn't hide it! Well it has been three years since the lily girl's pure love began to blossom. Even at this recent tea party lily girl's eyes immediately turned into hearts as soon as Lucas had arrived so it might be an impossible task to hide it in the first place. Still I had to do what I could to protect the lily girl.

"What do you mean interested!"

"With that certain look."

"What certain look!"

"The look with the sparkling eyes."

"What sparkling eyes!"

Of course, it didn't work on Lucas at all. He chuckled at me.

"Helena... Helena is just interested in magic, not you!"

"Oh, magic?"

"That's right! She's not interested in you! Now you understand, you prince complex!"

TL/n: Ok so here she calls him a 왕자병 which is korean slang for, well, a prince complex. Which usually means they are proud, arrogant and snobbish as they think of themselves as being special.

I pointed at Lucas and shouted. Lucas sat on the armrest of the sofa and looked down on me as if he were a dragon.

"Why are you so scared?"

"Scared, what, when!"

"You're so scared your eyes keep darting back and forth."

"When did I do that!"

I desperately denied it.

"Oh, but come to think of it, how strange."

Lucas ceased his interrogation and started questioning me with genuine curiosity.

"I don't remember but have I ever killed someone in front of you?"

Uh, Kill someone. How can you say something like that so casually?

"Or have I ever beat someone up in front of you?"

Um, no. I don't think that's ever happened.

"Then why are you scared?"

Oh, that's true...

After listening to Lucas I wondered why I had been so intimidated in front of him so unnecessarily.

"Huh, now that I'm thinking about it you're chastising an innocent person. I didn't do anything but I've been treated like a criminal."

"Ah, no..."

"Where else could you find a wizard as harmless and good as me? I'm hurt. How will you take responsibility?"

Well, this was going all wrong. My goal was to protect the lily girl from Lucas' accusations but why am I the one being questioned instead?

I abruptly took a deep breath. No, I can't fall for this now! A harmless and good wizard? Who's going to buy that! Come to think of it, he said this nonsense when I first met him in the Ruby Palace. Back then he blackmailed me with Raven, and then threatened to eat Raven, or make it disappear, and kept talking about it!

Oh, then I suddenly remembered our merciless first encounter.

"Right, the strange bubbles when we first met!"

"Bubbles?"

"Yeah! You know the bubbles you blew at me when you came to steal Raven! Weren't you trying to do something weird to me?"

"Oh, right."

Lucas who had been tilting his head with a frown at my words responded casually as if he had finally remembered.

I flinched at his words. Wait... Oh right? Oh, right?! Did you say 'Oh, right' just now?

"At first I thought it was just my imagination but the more I thought about it the stranger it became! I was definitely losing my breath as your bubbles popped around me!"

"What are you talking about, they were just normal bubbles."

Lucas froze for a moment but soon spoke as if he were comforting me.

"I showed you because you were acting so amazed about seeing magic for the first time, like some country bumpkin."

Oh, so you showed me a bubble magic show for free?

"Don't be ridiculous. As long as I've known you, you're not the kind of person who would show off magic to a seven year old kid out of goodwill, are you?"

"..."

But there was a short silence after my rebuttal. Lucas seemed speechless and I started to feel a little nervous.

Um, Lucas...? Hello? Why aren't you saying anything? Why is your expression so suspicious right now? I hope that expression isn't saying 'Oh, I got caught' or 'I'm in trouble' is it?

As I looked at him with trembling eyes Lucas who had been silently staring at me suddenly changed the atmosphere with a wide smile.

"It's not a lie. They were really just normal bubbles."

TL/c: It is just me, or is it kind of cute that he's feeling bad?

"Really? Really really?"

"Yeah really. Were you deceived for your entire life?"

It's not like that but you were really suspicious!

"If they weren't normal bubbles then what did you think they were? Are you saying I tried to kill you with bubbles? Are you really saying such harsh words to me? Wow, that hurts."

But when I saw this guy pretending to be pitiful it actually became harder to keep accusing him.

I'm weak against beauty, and Lucas was amazingly beautiful on the outside no matter what the inside was like. It was obvious those expressions on his face were fake too.

Oh, this guy is using his beauty on me right now!

"And maybe you aren't remembering correctly in the first place. That was a few years ago. Maybe you thought you were losing your breath because you were jumping with excitement trying to catch those bubbles."

"I don't think so..."

I thought he could be right but I couldn't let go of my doubts. Then Lucas spoke as if the situation couldn't be helped.

"Then you can check it again now."

As he waved his hand in the air round bubbles appeared in front of him. Oh, it's been a while! I felt a little happy to see the bubbles I hadn't seen in ten years.

"Wait a minute. Don't send them directly towards my face!"

"Weren't you going to check them out?"

Lucas snorted as he said so but I was certain he was doing this to annoy me. The bubbles kept flying at my face and bursting!

"Look, it's okay right? Right?"

Fine, I'll believe you because you said so. What could I do even if I didn't believe you anyway.

I couldn't ask you to prove what happened ten years ago now. Besides, it would be better for my mental health to believe that they were just regular bubbles.

"This reminds me of the past."

I quickly found myself having fun popping the bubbles floating around the room.

"You were so cute back then."

"I'm still cute."

"Wow."