101st Confession - Side Story Episode 12 - Girl's First Love (12)

Side Story Episode 12: Girl’s First Love (12)

They’d kissed playfully since they’d started dating, but it had always been Arista’s initiative. 

This was the first time Lucas made the first move.

As Arista stiffened, he pressed his lips to her entire face.

Forehead, temple, eyebrows, eyelids, nose, cheeks, and chin. Along with a tingling sensation, the heart raced like crazy.

“Oh, wait a moment, brother…”

As Arista tried to pull away with her eyes tightly closed, Lucas exerted more strength on the hand that was holding her cheek.

Eventually, Lucas’ soft lips descended onto Arista’s apricot-like lips.

It was a kiss much softer, kinder, and more loving than the wild nights of the past as if she was being cherished to the fullest.

After a while, their lips parted, and Arista gasped for breath. She looked at Lucas with bewildered eyes.

With half-opened eyes, Lucas once again kissed her eyelids.

“Is it because of your threats that we’re dating even like this?”

“……….”

Arista couldn’t offer any response.

“I may not have liked you for as long as you have, but I did have a crush on you too.”

“Lies.”

“It’s true. When I was in trouble after breaking up with my ex, you helped me, remember?”

Arista reflexively thought of Becky’s face.

“It seems like it was around that time. That’s when I started liking you.”

Arista’s lips trembled. She clutched her mouth with both hands, squeezing her eyes shut. The emotions overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t control herself.

“Then… why did you avoid me since that day?”

“I didn’t want things to develop that way between us.”

Her heart sank in an instant.

“I wanted to confess to you and slowly get to know each other’s feelings. But when I woke up, it had already happened. I couldn’t forgive myself for succumbing to momentary desire.”

“Why would you think…”

“I wanted to cherish you that much. I didn’t want to wield you like a weapon because of that incident. So when you asked me to take responsibility first, I was quite surprised. I was prepared to be slapped by you at that moment.”

The image of him offering his cheek crossed her mind. When Arista managed to suppress a laugh, Lucas smiled gently.

Seeing that, Lucas thought.

He wants to be by her side for a lifetime, making her laugh.

Taking off the ring he had been carrying with him, Lucas spoke.

Arista widened her eyes as she looked at the ring that fit on her finger.

“Will you marry me?”

“Oh, brother.”

“To be honest, I wanted to prepare everything and propose in a fancy place… but it feels like I have to do it now for some reason.”

“No, I’m really, really happy.”

Tears had welled up in Arista’s eyes unnoticed. Lucas smiled and wiped away her tears.

“Really… I never even thought about it. When did you prepare this?”

Even though the ring had a simple design, Arista was overjoyed. Lucas felt a bit awkward seeing her so happy.

“Well, this ring has been passed down through generations in our Agnes family.”

“Oh?”

“It’s the ring my great-grandfather used to propose to my great-grandmother. So, my great-grandmother passed it to my grandfather, and my grandfather passed it to my father. It became a tradition for the men of the Agnes family to propose with this ring.”

“Can I really receive something so precious?”

“Of course. Who else would receive it if not you?”

Arista looked at the ring on her finger in amazement. Strangely, the ring fit perfectly, as if it had been made just for her.

It wasn’t a flashy or meticulously crafted ring, but to Arista, it looked far more precious than any other ring. Arista held the hand with the ring close to her chest and looped it around Lucas’ neck.

“Yes! Let’s get married! I want to be with you, brother, for the rest of my life!”

“I’ll give you an even fancier ring at the wedding.”

“No, this is more than enough for me.”

“I feel regretful, that’s all.”

The two looked deeply into each other’s eyes and closed their eyes, kissing each other.

After a long kiss, the now calmer couple leaned on each other’s shoulders and played with the ring on Arista’s hand.

“Let’s go meet the Duke, Arista.”

“……I know he’ll be against it.”

“But we have to meet him someday. I want to be officially recognized by the Duke.”

“……”

“I’ll be right by your side.”

With persuasion, Lucas kissed her on the face. Arista’s stern expression softened a bit. After much contemplation, she nodded.

* * *

“Is it appropriate to come now? What time is it, and she still hasn’t arrived.”

“Dear, there are still 10 minutes until the appointment time.”

“Hmph.”

“Well, since it’s okay to come slowly, why be in such a hurry…”

Ares clicked his tongue and scolded Eugene for his inability to calm down.

Duchess Lydia was currently waiting for Arista at the most famous restaurant on the island.

Earlier in the day, he’d gotten word through Lucas that Arista wanted to talk. Eugene, who had been lingering around Ares’ office trying to get any information about Arista for a while, agreed without looking back.

Ares clicked his tongue at his father’s behavior.

“Father, thank Lucas. If I were Lucas, I wouldn’t even want to see your face after all the opposition you put up.”

Eugene still hadn’t apologized for his opposition to Lucas. While he was sorry, perhaps due to pride, he only asked about Arista, avoiding any direct apology. Of course, he expressed concern for Arista about 80%, with the remaining 20% being his own form of regret.

But Ares thought his father should sincerely apologize to Lucas. Eugene, caught by his son’s sharp gaze, coughed awkwardly and avoided eye contact for no apparent reason. Viola sighed and raised her head.

“Oh, we’re sorry for being late.”

The door opened, and Lucas entered. Behind him were John, Julian, and Arista, all with serious expressions.

At that sight, Eugene’s eyes reddened momentarily. He desperately held back his tears. But in Arista’s eyes, it seemed like he was disapproving of Lucas.

“Lady, thank you for taking care of Arista. I hope our daughter hasn’t caused any trouble?”

“Of course not. Having Arista was such a joy. Thanks to her, it was enjoyable and peaceful.”

Viola and Julian greeted them with gentle smiles. The atmosphere between the two ladies was pleasant, but the same couldn’t be said for the husbands.

“Humph, I trust the Count handled it well.”

“Don’t worry. We did our best to take care of Arista. Please don’t be too concerned.”

“Well, I believe the Count did well.”

After the formal greetings among the adults, they each took their seats. However, something was a bit off; Arista sat next to Lucas rather than with the Lydia family. Even with Eugene’s puzzled eyes, she paid him no mind.

“Haha… Arista seems comfortable next to Lucas.”

When John laughed lightly and said they looked good together, Julian elbowed him. Viola, with a chuckle, agreed that it looked nice.

The only uncomfortable person here was Eugene. As small talk continued while waiting for the food, everyone knew that all attention was focused solely on Lucas and Arista. 

After the atmosphere eased, Arista sympathetically joined the conversation with John and Julian. Then, Eugene, glancing at Arista, spoke up.

“Yes.”

“How have you been?”

“Did you have any discomfort?”

“Was it more comfortable than at the Count’s estate?”

“Still, did you miss home?”

“I don’t have a home. I have nowhere to go back to.”

When Arista blatantly turned her head away, Lucas gently patted her arm, signaling her not to say such things. In response, Arista, with an uncomfortable expression, looked at Eugene.

Eugene found it intriguing how his daughter, who never listened to his words of support, seemed to heed Lucas’ words well. 

Honestly, Lucas wasn’t a bad prospect. He had good looks, and a pleasant personality, and excelled academically, consistently ranking at the top. Most importantly, he was the heir apparent who secured the Count title without any succession disputes, making him an attractive suitor for anyone.

However, Duke Eugene found Lucas’ rank somewhat lacking. It was only natural for a duke to want to marry his well-raised daughter into a family similar to or even better than his own. Eugene slammed his cup onto the table, making a loud noise that attracted everyone’s attention.

“What do you think of our Arista, Lucas?”

Realizing he was being tested, Lucas straightened up.

“I deeply love her. Arista is the only person I want to share my future with.”

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t you have fallen for Arista sooner? Almost five years have passed since you two got to know each other.”

“That’s true. Why didn’t I realize it sooner? I regret not recognizing my feelings a little earlier. If I had, I could have seen various sides of Arista. It’s a bit regrettable for me as well.”

Lucas stood confidently, with a soft smile and a gaze filled with love. 

Blushing and shy, Arista looked like a perfectly matched painting. 

Eugene’s mouth twitched involuntarily, feeling both discomfort and something else.