Lucian smiled with a touch of embarrassment. He had only made a casual remark to lighten the mood, but it had apparently struck right at the tender, aching place in Natasha's heart. For a moment, he wanted to offer comfort but had no idea what to say — as if every word of consolation would only be pouring salt on the wound.
Seeing Lucian's expression, Natasha pressed her lips together and let out a soft laugh. "Don't worry, I'm perfectly tough. The past, no matter how it went, is an indelible memory. You have to learn to appreciate those memories and draw lessons from them — that's the attitude one should have toward life. Besides, you don't need to worry about saying the wrong thing in front of me. We're good friends, aren't we? And honestly, do I seem like the petty, fragile type?"
"Well, since you put it that way, I'll be honest. The only lesson we ever learn from history and memories is that we can never learn any lesson from history and memories," Lucian said with a perfectly straight face.
Natasha stared for a moment, then burst out laughing when Lucian's "serious" expression finally cracked and he started laughing too. They laughed so hard she forgot all her courtly manners, laughed until her posture bent forward instead of staying ramrod-straight like a knight should, laughed until she looked like a violet in full bloom.
Their cheerful, bittersweet laughter gradually subsided. Natasha spoke with a slightly hoarse voice: "That's probably the real truth of it. Next time I fall in love, I'll probably throw myself into it just as completely, give myself just as wholly to her, and remember none of the lessons at all."
"Then I sincerely hope your Highness the princess meets a truly wonderful girl soon, and that you'll have a truly beautiful relationship," Lucian said from the heart.
Natasha raised one elegant eyebrow: "Soon? You think I'm the kind of person who just casually forgets the past, forgets her feelings, and then haphazardly stumbles into some new relationship? I'm incredibly devoted and loyal!"
Though she looked annoyed, Lucian could sense her true mood — it was the comfortable feeling of finally letting go of some of the deep, unspoken sorrow she'd been hiding inside, released through their playful banter. So he continued with feigned astonishment: "What? Your Highness is devoted? Loyal? Doesn't that mean you have very little romantic experience? And here you keep claiming you'll teach me how to court girls — I'm starting to doubt you have anything to teach me!"
"Hmph, however little experience I have, I've still had one 'complete' relationship. And I'm a lady, you know — I understand how girls think! Not like you, Lucian, who hasn't even properly held a girl's hand! Of course I have plenty to teach you!" Natasha stressed the word "complete" to make clear that despite her devotion, her experience was still considerable.
Lucian put on a look of helplessness: "Don't bring that up every single time…"
"Fine, let's change the subject. Your first kiss is still intact, right, Lucian? A girl's lips are wonderfully sweet and fragrant. How tragic for you never to have experienced it." Natasha's face was alight with a mischievous grin.
"Hey, stop looking like a pervert…" Lucian "angrily" accused her.
The conversation had unconsciously veered into rather "gentlemanly" territory.
Natasha clicked her tongue and laughed: "Lucian, you really are an innocent little boy. You have to admit, when it comes to pursuing girls and finding true love, I really do have a lot to teach you!"
"All right, I admit it." Lucian "smiled bitterly" and spread his hands.
Ha! Natasha laughed triumphantly, radiant and dazzling.
Her triumphant laughter gradually faded. She lifted her gaze, her smile gentle and serene, looking at Lucian with clear, calm eyes: "Thank you, Lucian."
"That's what friends are for." Lucian dropped all his exaggerated expressions — the "helplessness," the "bitter smile," the "anger" — and answered just as warmly.
"After laughing like that, I feel so much more peaceful. Losing love isn't the end of the world. I still have my father, and my elders. I have Aunt Camille, and I have you, my good friend. I'll truly move beyond the shadow." Natasha maintained her faint, tranquil smile of gratitude, then added, unable to help herself, "I will definitely introduce a wonderful girl to you!"
"…For that kind of thing, it's better to make the effort yourself." Lucian shook his head with genuine helplessness.
Natasha stopped teasing Lucian and brought up a topic he had been concerned about: "After John awakened his bloodline, he was formally knighted and granted the title of baronet. He serves the Violet family just like his teacher, Sir Vein, so he has a territory near Altor made up of several estates, and a garden villa in the Nobility District."
"Your Uncle Joel and Aunt Elisa have been learning courtly manners these past few years, looking after John's property and helping him socialize with other nobles. It's been hard work, and at first they were often looked down on by the other aristocrats, but for the sake of their son they've persevered with tremendous dedication. 'The Eight-Fingered Harp Poet' Joel is starting to gain a bit of a reputation in noble circles — though at those social occasions, your Uncle Joel is probably only truly happy from the heart when he's playing music."
"Little Evan has shot up in height — he looks like a proper young man now — and he's been going through rigorous knight training all along. Phyllis just held her very first concert recently; it went rather well, enough to give her a real foothold in the world of musicians. After three years of grueling study and fighting her family's attempts to arrange a marriage for her, Alina recently passed the musician's examination and was hired by a major orchestra. She finally has a career of her own, instead of being just an ordinary lady dependent on a man…"
"After two years of decadence and confusion, Piero overcame himself and began learning the piano fingerwork you established, blending it with his old harpsichord technique to develop a distinctive retro-style performance method of his own. Your student Grace has put enormous effort into the piano, earning praise from quite a few musicians, and the several short piano pieces she's composed aren't bad either. And thanks to Mr. Victor's rising status in the music world, both Lot and Herodotus are now outstanding principal players…"