Sign of the Zodiac: Cancer
Luceila Brutus

The next trip became safer after Kutzo joined the group. The young Giyatsa rode alone with his grey horse. The rest of the group managed to reach Baron Brutus safely. The small village was very different from the capital. The house of the inhabitants is so simple with many people dressed as makeshift.

Instead of a grand mansion, the Baron's residence is only a two-story building with a small garden without a fountain. Even so, the Baron and his wife and two children welcomed Damian's arrival in a friendly manner. Baron Brutus had two children, Luceila the eldest daughter and his younger brother Lucius the teenager. The number of servants in the house was not up to a quarter of the servants of the Damian residence. Certainly a great pride of the daughter of a simple noble family can be engaged to Damian who is the son of a Duke ruler of Ponza.

“Welcome to our humble abode, Lord Damian. Your journey must have been exhausting and dangerous. Thank goodness you got there safely. The Duke's guardian knights were indeed very strong, according to his reputation,” greeted the Baron as soon as Damian got off the horse carriage.

Damian only smiled faintly at the noble house that was like an ordinary resident house in the capital. “Thank you for the welcome, Baron Brutus. This is my first time traveling far. But the journey is not that exhausting,” continued the young man mince words.

“You are really humble. Forgive us for not being able to give a fancy welcome. But I hope you can be here. My wife has prepared a banquet, but you better rest first. Luceila, take Lord Damian to the room provided,” Baron Brutus told his daughter.

Luceila was apparently a simple noble girl with long wavy brown hair and brilliant emerald green eyes. Her white dress looked outdated, but Damian tried not to comment.

The girl came forward shyly. His face bowed and red blushed. Overall, Luceila's appearance was actually not very compatible with Damian's type. Even so, political marriage is only a tool to unite two families. A symbol that all nobles must live. Damian does not need to love his wife as long as he can have an official partner and erase his bad reputation regarding women.

“Please, Lord,” said Luceila.

Damian could barely hear the girl's voice. But he forced himself to smile. Luckily Damian's social skills aren't too bad. He can pretend to be friendly to people he doesn't even like.

Before entering the residence, Kutzo who had descended from the horse suddenly approached Damian.“Well then, just get here I'm escorting you. Take good care of yourself, Duke's son,” said the silver-haired young man Giyatsa.

Damian looked at Luceila who was staring in awe at Kutzo. The striking-looking man was indeed very prominent when compared to the people of Ponza who only had dark hair. Seeing that, Damian somehow felt annoyed. It should have been the gaze full of admiration directed at him, not at that long-haired man like that woman.

“Just stay here for a few days. At least until the dance. I can't just let you come back after you saved me like that. I will feel indebted if I don't repay him well,” Damian said withholding Kutzo's departure.

“No need to feel like that. Exterminating chogoru has indeed become my duty,” said Kutzo cold.

“Do not refuse. It's just a little hospitality from a grateful noble,” urged Damian.

“Be, right, Sir. You can stay here for a while. We have prepared a welcoming party for Duke's entourage, and you include our special guest.” Luceila suddenly spoke. Damian glanced back at the girl with a feeling that was hard to describe. Luceila seems to want Kutzo to stay there, for whatever reason. Even so, Damian must not show his dislike. Especially just because of the attitude of a girl he just met.

“Luceila correct. They have prepared many things to welcome us,” Damian added later.

“Since the beginning I am not your entourage,” reject Kutzo stubbornly.

Finally, at the urging of many and the hopeful gaze of the entire Baron Brutus family, Kutzo relented. The young Giyatsa finally nodded in agreement and brought his horse to be moored in the small stables belonging to the Baron family.

Damian and Luceila walked down the humble Baron's residence to a restroom reserved for him. Somehow the young man felt that the room was probably the most spacious among the other rooms in the house. Although the size may not be half of Damian's room in the Duke's residence, Damian remained grateful. Just to make small talk, of course.

“Thank you for welcoming me and bringing me to my room. You must be tired of preparing your own Debutant party and still have to serve the arrival of our entourage,” Damian said after the two arrived in front of the room.

Luceila blushed in embarrassment, not daring to look at Damian in the face. “A, you must be more tired after traveling far, Lord. It should be me who is grateful that you are willing to come here to celebrate my Debutante party,” said the girl slowly.

Damian smiled kindly. “Call my name comfortably. We have been engaged for quite a long time, although so far only able to send letters.”

Luceila's face turned red. “Ma, where dare I do it, Lord,” he said shyly, Damian rarely encountered attitude from women in the capital.

Damian snorted amusedly at Luceila who was curled up like a little chick. “Quick or slow we have to do it. I also want to call your name familiarly, Lady Luceila. Can't it?” godanya.

The young man seemed to be enjoying Luceila's reaction whose face was already as red as a boiled crab. He didn't mean to finish the conversation there. At least until he can hear Luceila mention his name without frills ‘Lord’.

“Ten, of course you can call me comfortably .. Lord,” great-grandson of the girl.

“Alright, Luceila, I'll call you that. Isn't it in our letters that you can easily write my name. Now I want to hear you call me comfortably,” Damian said as he brought his face closer to Luceila's face that was a little shorter than his body.

Luceila was embarrassed. His body was trembling and it seemed like Damian could hear the sound of the girl's heartbeat beating fast.

“Da .. Dami ... Damian .. ,” said the girl with a vibrating voice.

Damian smiled with satisfaction. It felt like he rubbed the little girl's head, just to praise her. But Damian was worried that the small action could make Luceila pass out instantly. It's not good to make his future wife faint on the first day they meet. Therefore Damian ended up just saying thank you sincerely.

“I'm glad to hear it, Luceila. Thank you,” Damian said later.

“Ka, then happy resting, Lor .. I mean Da ... Damian,” Luceila said then turned away in a hurry.

Damian was quite amused at the girl's behavior. He smiled happily and momentarily forgot the fact about how simple a place he had to stay for some time.