Chapter 22│Read translated stories and daily updates at: Awebstories.com

Lumina stretched out as she arrived at the duke’s lakeside mansion.

It was surprising to see Lumina arrive so unexpectedly, but the butlers and maids in charge of the house immediately welcomed her and suggested that she take a stroll in the garden until they were ready. Lumina turned down the maids’ offer to go with her, saying that she preferred to be alone.

Lumina’s behavior perplexed the maids, despite the fact that she was in no danger on the ducal estate. They can’t help but comply with the order.

Lumina was considering staying here for a few days before sneaking out and fleeing somewhere undetected, and she felt her heart clear up at the sense of freedom she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Ah! Freedom is wonderful. “

The flowers in the garden soothed Lumina’s soul, and the wind blew away the bad things that had built up in her depressed mind.

Lumina went to the lake at the end of the garden and gazed at the glistening, sunlit water.

She sees fish swimming and squats down to dip her hands into the water and enjoy the cool feeling.

It was at that moment.

A strong wind blows, snatching Lumina’s hat and dropping it into the water.

Lumina looked around, picked up the stick, and bobbed in the water, trying to somehow pull the hat up to her.

——I hadn’t done anything like this since I was a kid.

She says this with a wry smile.

Ah…”

Her body tilted and she fell into the water.

She closed her eyes with that in mind

However, Lumina opened her eyes in surprise that the shock never came, and instead she discovered something warm holding her in place.

“Miss Lumina…”

Lumina’s heart skipped a beat at the familiar low voice.

Lumina looked up and saw Sharon.

Sharon’s body seemed to be sweating and he was breathing heavily.

“Sharon…sama?”

He hugged her tightly, and Lumina was confused.

She did not know why Sharon was here, and the fact that Sharon was hugging her also made Lumina confused.

When she is surrounded by Sharon’s scent, her heart beats even faster.

She could feel herself getting redder and redder.

“Please let me go.”

“…Don’t waste your life! If you’re in so much pain, then come to me! I’ll make you happy!”

Lumina was puzzled, wondering what he was talking about.

“W-What are you talking about?!”

“I love you, Miss Lumina… Even if Miss Lumina thinks she’s fine, let me look after you. I don’t want her to suffer any longer…”

“W-W-What?”

“I’ll talk to the royal family. It’s a little early, but it’s a temporary engagement, and it will end soon enough. His Highness can marry your sister or whoever he wants.”

“W-Wait…”

“I can’t bear the thought of giving you to a man who doesn’t love you… Your happiness may be to be next to His Highness, but… I couldn’t admonish his Highness… I apologize.”

“Sha-Sharon-sama?”

“I’m so glad I got here in time…before something happened to you.”

Lumina looked up into Sharon’s face when she heard a soft sniffle. She was surprised to notice that the normally gentle Sharon’s eyes were slightly moist and staring at her with feverish intensity.

“Are you…worried about me?””…

How could I not?””

Did you… you chased me on horseback?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“For me?”

“What else but for you?”

“Are you… crying for me?”

“I’m not crying(sniff).”

Lumina’s heart flutters at the sight of Sharon sniffling and her eyes turn red. It melts Lumina

‘s frozen heart to know that he hasn’t forgotten the words he said to her when they were ten, that he never betrayed her and looked straight at her.

Sharon will not betray her.

She thinks so.

He has been with her dozens and dozens of times, and he is the only one who has never wavered.

He was fair and always looked at her with kind eyes.

Remembering this, Lumina suddenly realizes.

“My… Destiny … is it you?”

“?”

Her heart beats.

To the point of being loud.

Lumina’s face became even more flushed, her pure heart pounding for the first time in a long time.

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