Chapter 3

I, Lucia, was born as the daughter of the Viscount Laguren.

My family now consists only of my brother, Albes.

My father, who was the Viscount Laguren, passed away five years ago. My mother died when I was very young, and I hardly have any memories of her.

The Laguren family's estate is quite close to the capital, and it’s possible to make a day trip even in a leisurely carriage ride.

In the past, nobles from the capital used to come and visit. There was a large mansion near a beautiful forest, and it was customary to entertain the nobles there. I’ve heard that the king himself was once a guest.

However, even back then, the extravagant and luxurious lifestyle was unsustainable.

By my grandfather’s time, the financial situation had significantly deteriorated. Despite this, my grandfather didn’t want to sever ties with the nobles in the capital and continued to push himself to maintain the lavish lifestyle.

Then, one stormy day, the grand mansion burned down.

It had just been renovated to be even more luxurious, and the fire destroyed all the opulent items. What remained were only mountains of ashes and rubble, and a massive debt. My grandfather fell ill from the stress and passed away shortly after.

The decline of the Laguren family accelerated from that point.

My father, who became the new viscount, stopped the lavish entertainments and retreated to the estate. He worked on the fields that had been damaged by reckless development, selecting and cultivating crops. At the same time, he sold various items to pay off the debts.

By the time I was old enough to understand, our daily life had already moved to a smaller, former winter residence, which, though small, was still a viscount’s residence. It had a reception room for guests and a few guest rooms. The few servants kept the place clean, and I was content with it.

When my brother Albes joined the kingdom’s army and began to excel as a knight, guests from the capital started to visit occasionally.

The only luxury item we had was a portrait of the king, which my brother received as a knight. Despite this, we lived a relatively comfortable life within our means. It was around this time that I became engaged.

But that peaceful life came to an abrupt end when I was thirteen.

When I go to the fields, I make it a daily routine to check the irrigation ditches.

Five years ago, when my father passed away, this area experienced unprecedented heavy rain, and the fields were submerged for a long time. Even after the water receded, many of the irrigation ditches were damaged.

For a bountiful harvest, it’s crucial to have irrigation ditches that can supply water to the fields. We have been working to repair them, but we haven’t fully restored them yet.

If we’re not careful, animals can easily damage them.

This is the season when turnips are growing well, so I need to check the fields thoroughly.

I cut overgrown grass with a sickle and remove fallen leaves from the irrigation ditches.

While doing this, I noticed a horse near a tree by the fields.

It was large, with a shiny coat, and its mane was neatly trimmed. It had a fine saddle on its back. It didn’t seem particularly frightened by me and was leisurely grazing.

I stopped and looked around.

Near the fields, there was a small open area where we temporarily stored harvested vegetables, washed off the dirt in the irrigation ditches, and packed items for the market in wooden boxes.

In that open grassy area, a person was lying on their back.

They looked as if they had collapsed there. Or, it seemed like a statue from a temple had been abandoned. The person had such a handsome face, and their long hair, spread out on the grass, looked like cold silver threads.

But I wasn’t alarmed.

I was used to seeing people in such a state.

"What are you doing here? You might get stepped on."

I approached and called out to the person, who then opened their eyes.

Deep blue eyes looked up from under silver lashes. They must have sensed my presence and voice, as they didn’t seem surprised to see me. Finally, they sat up.

"Killing time."

"Here?"

"I was waiting for your guests to leave. I saw fresh carriage tracks when I came here. The only people who visit you by carriage are your fiancé and his associates, right? So, I decided to wait here."

He said this while still on his hands and finally looked around, frowning.

Is it that unusual for no one to be around?

"Have the guests already left?"

"Yes. That’s why I’m dressed like this."

I lifted my basket to show him.

I had already changed out of the dress I wore to receive Lord Gorman, which was just decent enough for a viscount’s daughter. Now, I was wearing a dress with a long skirt that I didn’t mind getting dirty, as it could be washed multiple times, allowing me to work in the fields without worry.

In other words, I wasn’t dressed to receive guests.

But for this person, who looked like a vagrant, this was enough.