Lucas ruffled his hair in frustration, leaving it messier than before. Across from him, Erick sat calmly, pouring himself a cup of tea with practiced grace. He sipped it like a man born in the lap of elegance.
Lucas pouted. "Erick, don't you have anything better to do?"
Erick didn't bother answering, only lifted his cup for another quiet sip.
Lucas groaned and leaned back in his chair. "Do you know what kind of gift a writer would like? A pen, maybe? But isn't that too plain?"
Still, Erick said nothing.
Lucas slumped forward, burying his face in his arms. "Maybe a letter would be better? Ugh, I don't know…"
Erick placed his teacup down gently, the porcelain clinking softly against the saucer. "Why not give her a notebook and a pen, both engraved with her pseudonym?" he said.
Lucas slowly looked up. "…That's actually not bad."
Erick stood up reaching for the doorknob. "Of course it isn't."
Lucas tilted his head. "Are you leaving already?"
Erick paused, turning back with a small. "I have a date."
With that, he stepped out, closing the door gently behind him.
Lucas sat there, frozen. "A date? Him?"
His expression twisted into pure disbelief. "A workaholic like him is dating?"
Slumping into his chair, he let out a dramatic sigh, staring at the ceiling in defeat. "Even Erick's dating… What am I doing with my life?"
Serena wiped her hands and glanced toward the window. "I wonder how Lucas is doing. I heard he's been quite busy lately."
Dyanne took the towel from her. "Yes, he is. Why don't you check on the Duke? The young lady isn't at the estate, and you've been away from the main house. He must be feeling a little lonely."
Serena closed her eyes briefly. "He'll manage. It's not like I'm his biological mother, or someone who can truly share his burdens. Maybe I should just tell him to get married already."
Dyanne paused, then cautiously added, "I've heard that many noble ladies are interested in Duke Lucas… but he's rejected all of them. I wonder if perhaps… he's not interested in women?"
Serena coughed, nearly choking. "He's not interested in women? Do you mean…?"
Dyanne immediately covered her mouth. "Forget I said anything, Your Grace! I—I'm leaving now!"
With that, she hurriedly scurried out of the room, flustered.
Serena was frozen, eyes wide in shock, utterly bewildered. "…What in the world did I just hear?"
Not long after, a strange rumor began circulating throughout the manor—the Duke isn't interested in women. It spread like wildfire, whispered among maids and butlers, until it finally reached Lucas's ears.
He slammed his hands on the desk, eyes blazing. "Absurd! Who in their right mind is spreading such nonsense?!"
Erick, calmly inspecting a stack of documents, didn't even flinch. "Obviously the servants. And frankly… they're not entirely wrong either."
Lucas turned toward him, incredulous. "Excuse me?!"
Erick looked at Lucas. "Think about it. You're at the prime age to marry, yet you haven't brought anyone. The head butler and head maid are getting older—you'll need someone to manage the household eventually."
Lucas dropped onto the sofa, a far-off look in his eyes. "Marriage, huh…"
Erick sighed, placing the papers down with a thud. "Spacing out won't change anything. At this rate, they'll start another strange rumor."
Lucas groaned, covering his face with his hand. "This is ridiculous…"
Serena paced back and forth in her room, deep in thought. Dyanne and Rika followed her with their eyes, their heads moving side to side.
"My head's starting to hurt from watching you, Your Grace," Dyanne muttered, placing a hand on her temple.
Rika nodded in agreement. "Mine too."
Serena finally collapsed into a chair with a long sigh. "Do you think I should talk to him directly? But what if he thinks I'm prying too much? Ugh…"
"You won't know unless you try," Rika said softly.
Serena suddenly stood up, eyes clear with determination. "You're right. We've come a long way in improving our relationship. I should at least speak to him—as the Dowager Duchess, if nothing else."
Lucas tilted his head slightly as he saw Serena enter. "What are you doing here, Mother?"
Serena stumbled over her words. "I... I came to check on you."
Lucas narrowed his eyes, a hint of suspicion in his tone. "Suddenly?"
Serena sat down on the sofa, wiping her palms on her dress. "Well, a strange rumor has been going around. Not that I believe it or anything..."
Lucas let out a quiet sigh. "You came to ask me about it, didn't you?"
Serena hesitated, wiping her cheek nervously. "No, that's not it…"
Lucas stood from behind his desk and walked over, sitting across from her. His gaze softened. "I'm not what people, Mom. I'm normal. You don't have to worry."
Serena looked away, flustered. "I'm not thinking anything bad about you, you know."
Lucas chuckled gently. "You're a terrible liar. But it's fine. The truth is... I'm scared to get married."
Serena looked at him in surprise.
"What if she doesn't like me? Or doesn't love me back? What if she leaves me like my mother did?" His voice was calm, but the sadness lingered just beneath. "I'll marry someone one day.... just not now. You don't have to worry too much about it."
Serena nodded slowly but her mind began to stir with long-buried, unspoken thoughts.
What if I had married someone who truly loved me? What if I had refused the late Duke's proposal? Would my life have been different—happier, perhaps?
The idea, once forbidden and dismissed, now felt almost cruelly tempting.
The joy of being loved—not out of duty or name, but for who she was—had always lingered like a distant dream. And now, hearing Lucas's quiet vulnerability, it unearthed a yearning she had kept hidden for far too long.
Without a word, Serena rose quietly and left the room.
Lucas watched her go. Her expression, so blank, so far away unnerved him. In that moment, she no longer looked like the woman he knew. It felt as though someone else had taken her place—a stranger wrapped in the face of her.
He didn't call out to stop her. He only watched her back as she walked out, the heavy door closing with a sharp thud behind her.
He exhaled slowly, like something heavy had lifted from his chest but left a hollow space behind.