LUCIA

Chapter 21 The Ducal Couple

Hugo felt as if an ice cold water had been poured on his head. No, it was a much clammier feeling, as though his body had been bound and the inside and outside of his body was filled with rancid filth.

'I feel dirty.'

Apart from those words, there were no other words to describe it. It was not just simple annoyance but the really annoying discomfort you feel when you pull your feet out after stepping in mud and there is mud all the way up to your ankle.

No, it was a bit different from that. It was akin to thinking he had caught the enemy off-guard but ended up meeting them as they already knew beforehand and were waiting for him.

No, not like that either. He earnestly and anxiously tried to capture the exactly the feeling he was going through was but he couldn't deduce an answer.

Her clear eyes were starting to look at him with a little suspicion. Hugo needed some more time to think.

"Are flowers that good?" (Hugo)

"Rather than being happy about the flowers, I'm happier that you sent me a gift."

Her expression was bright and purely full of joy. It seemed as though she had accepted the present as simply a present but he didn't dare to openly ask.

Then she would know that the present was not something he had sent and since she simply thought of it as a present, she would be disappointed.

"I'm glad you liked it."

Hugo hid his restless mind and responded very calmly but inwardly he harbored a minor grudge against Jerome. Out of all possible presents, why did it have to be roses?

Although they were many other kind of flowers present, all that Hugo could see were the roses. Hugo lowered his body and easily took her up in his arms. Lucia let out a scream due to his sudden actions.

He sat on the table, placed her on his lap, wrapped his two arms around her firmly and propped his chin on her shoulder.

"Your Grace...?" (Lucia)

"Just wait a moment." (Hugo)

After she'd struggled a little and then gave up, Hugo started to think. Feeling the temperature of the small body in his arms gradually getting warmer, he calmly explored his memory.

'Yellow. Right. It was a yellow rose.'

At first, just by seeing the red flowers, he was flustered and surprised but after the moment of surprise passed, he began to think rationally. No matter where he looked, there was no sight of anything yellow.

There was no sight of the yellow roses that he used to send to women to signify their parting. He instantly felt relieved.

Initially, he had no idea that those women would be receiving yellow roses. He had simply ordered Jerome to handle the matter adequately by himself but he never inquired about how it was handled.

But then, one day, a woman who had received a yellow rose came to find him and threw a bunch of yellow roses at him. Even though they had only met up a few times, she was a woman he had thought to have quite the personality.

After that incident, Hugo got to know that there was a flower known as the yellow rose. To him, as long as it was colorful, flowers were all the same, but the yellow rose was one flower he was aware of.

He never asked Jerome why amongst all flowers he sent yellow roses, but it seemed meaningful so he asked Jerome to keep doing what he was doing.

'Does she know it is supposed to be a yellow rose?'