LUCIA

Chapter 68 The Capital's High Society

David came into the Royal Palace to meet his sister but heard that she was away for a while, attending to a guest. It was boring to sit down and wait so he went looking for his sister. When he heard that she was at the Rose Palace, he slowly made his way there.

Although David was offended by his sister's rebuke some time ago, he did not want to be estranged with her. Even if she kept saying annoying things when they met, Beth was one of the few people that David was limited against. If his relationship was bad with his sister who was the Queen and mother of the future King, he was the only one that would suffer.

'My sister still sees me as a child but it's a matter of time. Someday, she'll see me differently.'

In order for the King to carry out his important goals, there had to be someone that he could trust at his side and he(David) was the best of that kind. After the coronation, the King would start to do many things in earnest.

David was positively confident that he would be placed in charge of an important task. And in preparation for that time, David was diligently gathering young talents. He firmly believed that his efforts would come to light one day.

As he drew closer to the Rose Palace, he was swarmed with a strong fragrance. The Rose Palace was to be given to the most favored woman of the king and was empty throughout the lifetime of the late king.

'When the coronation is over, the Rose Palace should become my sister's.'

David heard that a princess had briefly stayed in the Rose Palace.

'And that princess married the Duke of Taran.'

How great the influence of the Taran Duke. It was obvious that the princess had begged to stay in the Rose Palace.

'Princess, my ass. Because one is royal family, one is called a princess. If they were nobility, they would just be an illegitimate child.'

David wanted to belittle everything related to the Duke of Taran. Because he was distracted for a moment, he went on the wrong path and entered the garden instead of the entrance. David grumbled at the annoyance of retracing his steps.

Suddenly, the blowing of the wind intensified. The summer breeze was strong so the petals piled on the floor became a whirlpool and flew towards David. To protect himself from the wind, he covered his face with his hand and narrowed his eye.

When David was finally able to see properly, he discovered a hat that was blown to his feet. The hat was richly decorated with lace and was most certainly a noble lady's. David picked up the hat and stood up, lifting his head.

And he froze.

The woman who was flustered because of her flying hat, turned towards David. The woman's dress glistened like the surface of a lake bathed in sunlight. The sunlight seemed to pass through her white skin that was clear like it would soon disappear. Her exceptionally red lips stood out among the red rose petals in full bloom.

The atmosphere made by the fantastical view of the rose garden, the sweet scent of flowers, the sunlight and the soft wind, unbelievably suited the woman and for David, it was indeed love at first sight.

David held the hat and approached the woman. His heart raced like a teenage boy experiencing his first love. The face of his fiancée from long time marriage talks already flew from his mind. There was a maidservant next to the woman but the maid was completely disregarded.

David stopped a step away from the woman and courteously held out the hat.

"A hat with the heart of a beautiful noble flew to my feet so I shall return it. May I please be allowed to hold onto that heart?"