< — The Capitalโs High Society[1]– > (6)
TN:ย (โงฺกโฆ*) We’re sticking with Katherine~
After their meal, Lucia took a walk with him in the yard. When they were in Roam, he would often take evening walks with her whenever he had time. Her husband was a busy and diligent man.
There wasnโt much of his time that she could have before they retired to bed. So, Lucia was much happier with this leisure time of walking with him than receiving an expensive gift.
โThey were all individually beautiful and lovely. Did you choose everything yourself?โ (Lucia)
โI did.โ (Hugo)
Hugo had just packed them up after one glance but it was correct to say he chose everything himself.
โDid you like it?โ (Hugo)
โYes, thank you.โ
Lucia was more grateful for his heart of giving rather than any jewelry.
โYou seem to know a lot about female jewelry. I guess because youโve gifted a lot.โ
Lucia wanted to take those words back after they left her mouth. She had no intention of criticizing him and thought that her words had crossed the line. She felt he would be displeased and was about to apologize for her slip of tongue but he spoke first.
โVivian.โ
He gave a deep sigh, reached out to hold her wrists and stopped walking.
โCanโt you forget the things that happened before we got married?โ
Lucia thought he might get angry but he looked unexpectedly vulnerable. She gazed at him blankly.
โDo I keep mentioning things from before our marriage? Iโll be careful in the future.โ
โThat is not what I meant. This is from a while ago but, do you remember what you said when you asked to modify our contract?โ
[Please do not go making lovers without my knowledge. If you get tired or disgusted of me, and want to leave me for another woman, please tell me first. I do not wish to hear it from another personโs mouth.] (1)
โYes. I remember.โ
โI wonโt have a lover without your knowledge nor will I leave you because I am tired or disgusted of you so I would like it if you trusted me.โ
Luciaโs heart began to race. She didnโt know the intention behind his words. A huge whirlwind began to sweep through her mind. She was the one that made a mistake. She didnโt have any reason or right to criticize or mention his past actions before their marriage.
It was possible that he had a personality which was bogged down by rules. Therefore, after the legal contract of marriage was established, he kept to it strictly.
However, that didnโt agree with the person that Lucia had been watching all this time. He was a wilful person that had no qualms of changing the existing rules to suit himself.
โ…Why?โ
Lucia couldnโt make heads or tails of what he was thinking and mumbled absentmindedly as she looked at him. She wanted him to say something, anything, so she could draw a conclusion that โah, it was a meaningless remarkโ.
However, his pupils quivered with disappointment. He made a face that said he didnโt know what to say. He repeatedly opened his mouth as if to say something then he closed it.
โWhy…?โ
Lucia felt her fingers going numb so she clenched and unclenched her fists. This man in front of her. He was hurt.
The man whom Sir Krotin was so confident of, that no one under the sky could hurt even his fingers, was now in pain from her short words.
A long time ago, Lucia had once felt like this. When she had sharply told him that she would never fall in love with him, just for a short moment, she peeked at his pain.
At the time, she was not in a situation to think deeply so she had pushed it aside. It was such a long time ago that she had almost forgotten her feeling from back then. But now, she was left with a bitter taste in her mouth.
โCould I have…โ
Her heart felt too full for words and ached like it was guilty. It hurt but it was a pain that she hoped would never end.
โDo I…mean something to you?โ (Lucia)
After carefully choosing his words, Hugo opened his mouth.
โI know you cannot believe me. And I understand why.โ
He had made a lot of mistakes with her. Ever since their encounter with Sofia Lawrence, it was the worst. Before they got married, he brought documents and told her not to interfere in his private life.
He omitted the wedding ceremony because he found it bothersome, on their first wedding night, he only satisfied his greed and didnโt take her into consideration. It was himself that thoroughly sought out her body.
โI will try. So, look kindly on me.โ
โWhy? Why and for what reason are you trying?โ
Lucia looked at him in silence for her question wasnโt answered. As her silence grew longer, Hugo sighed and turned away, sweeping a hand through his hair.
Looking at him fidgeting, Lucia’s eyes gradually began to grow clearer and brighter.
โIs it a whim?โ
She did not know what he did to his other lovers. She didnโt know how he whispered words of love to the person he was once most affectionate with.
The only thing she had seen was the scene of him heartlessly rejecting his lover. And that scene was deeply rooted in her heart as a fundamental fear. She thought that someday, she may be in Sofia Lawrenceโs position.
โ…I do not care about what happened before our marriage.” (Lucia)
โReally?โ (Hugo)
โI do not have the right to.โ
โ…โ
Iโm going crazy. Hugo mumbled under his breath. Could any wall be stronger than this? She didnโt, even for an instant, step away from the line that she drew around herself.
โI believe in you.โ (Lucia)
โ…You do…?โ
โI believe that if you get a lover, you will tell me and not meet in secret. You keep your promises.โ
Sure enough, she was a witch. In a short moment, she shoved him down a cliff then she pulled him up again. Hugo felt bleak. He didnโt know where to start from to unravel the twisted strings. His previous solutions of cutting the twisted strings instead of unraveling them, was of no help in this situation.
โWhy do you want me to trust you?โ (Lucia)
Hugo was at loss for words. He hadnโt thought about the reason. He barely managed to make up an excuse.
โ…You cannot live in the same house with someone you cannot trust.โ
When she began to watch him in silence again, Hugo grew nervous wondering if he made a mistake.
โI have no idea.โ (Lucia)
She knew but she didnโt. It seemed like she was getting close to the answer but it also seemed like she was back to the beginning.
โDoes he…?โ
It was a very slight suspicion but Lucia didnโt think it was possible.
Lucia held expectations that she would someday receive his love. It was a vague and huge desire that she didnโt know when it would be accomplished. It could not be that simple. So, she excluded that option while looking for the reason why he was being this way.
โHe does quite like me.โ
His actions were not just him being dutiful as a husband. Of course she knew that he saw her favorably and treated her well.
โIs it that he needs trust because he is fond of me?โ
He was a knight, the lord of a family and the lord of a large territory. He was in a position where he couldnโt place someone that he didnโt trust beside him. Trust is completed when it is shared with the other. When she thought of it like that, she could somewhat understand it, although not entirely.
โWhat youโre saying is…what you mean is, you will be faithful as a husband, so I should trust you, right?โ
When she put it like that, it seemed right but also didnโt. Hugo couldnโt exactly put his finger on it so he just nodded.
โOkay, I will.โ (Lucia)
Her answer was concise, contradicting the suspense he had been in so far. Hugo looked at her doubtfully. He was afraid she would say something and stab him in the back.(3)
โDepending on how you do.โ (Lucia)
Nevertheless, she didnโt betray his uneasy expectations.
โ…If itโs a joke, itโs not amusing.โ
โIโm not joking.โ
Actually, she had said it as a joke but when he took it so seriously, she got embarrassed. She threw out those words prudishly, turned and began to walk ahead.
He looked at her absentmindedly then he took a step forward. He didnโt know what to do to get her to trust him. With the way things were going, he wondered if she would hear some absurd rumor and change her mind.
โI have to call Fabian.โ
Fabian was pronounced to be working overtime today again.
Translatorโs Corner:
1. Chapter 29.2
2. The raw says โDoes he me?โ. I am assuming the full question would be โDoes he love me?โ
3. Not literal, of course. It means he was afraid she would say something hurtful.
*,*,*
- Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 69 – 71 - February 1, 2026
- Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 66 – 68 - January 31, 2026
- Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 63 – 65 - January 18, 2026
Hoho.. Even if it’s hurtful to Hugh..
I’m happy with their progress in relationships…
Thanks for the chapter
This is bad for my heart… in a good way
Lol.. I would say it’d be as simple as Hugo saying ‘I love you’ to her, but then again, with how she see’s him as such a Casanova, she probably won’t believe him XD
Many thanks
Her first encounter with him ruthlessly trampling on the baroness heart will always be the wall between them.
Yer, she’s gonna need a little more than that. More like: “I know that we started as a contractual relationship, but I’ve fallen deeply in love with you. I don’t want the contract anymore. I love you and I want you to be the only one by my side and in my bed for the rest of my life”. Then she’s gonna have a brain freeze, meltdown and she’s gonna need at least a month to process what he said, at which point he will have repeat the same message with different words, just so that she understands that, yes, she really did hear what she thought she heard. Followed by as many affirmations as needed until the message has any semblance of sinking into her psyche.
Lol I shouldnt be amused by Hugh’s pain/regret of his casual indulgance of their marriage and Lucia’s growing suspicion of his feelings. Author needs Hugh to say Lucia’s royal name more often. I keep forgetting who is Vivian.
Hahahhaahhahaha the almighty Black Lion of Roam was reduced to a husband who wants to obtain his wife’s heart, but he unknowingly already has it….. Pooor Hugo
I love this chapter so much!!! I like the stifling feeling while reading throughout this chapter~~ I’m a maso and sadist, alright xD
This whole chapter sums up into: “Hugo didnโt know what to do to get Lucia to trust him.”
Hugo’s emotions in this chapter reminds me of a yo-yo… poor guy
Poor hugh, both are them are confuse and Lucia more so. Hugh needs to be more direct ๐๐
Thank you for your hars work๐
So right you are, confused and afraid. But, they are getting closer to the real truth.
Thank you for this anxiety I have over what may happen for our loving couple.
Thank you for the chapter. Too much sugar for today
๐๐๐๐๐๐
There is worse family drama to have lol.
Hello everyone!
Thank you Miss Ruby, for this chapter.
๐
Just caught up! Thanks a lot Ruby for bringing us this novel!!
What a sweet chapter. Thank you for your hard work, as always.
Ahhh this is so cute itโs bad for my heart ๐ญ But I want more of it.
Lol this rollercoaster of a conversation for Hugo xD
Oh my! When Hugo acts like that, like a lost puppy… Ah~! I wanna hold him so tight (แแฃแ)ี
I couldnt wait for his confession omg
Poor Hugh. Heโs struggle to find the words and just doesnโt know how to express himself.
Hi miss ruby why does the previous chapter (62 part 2) couldn’t be opened? It says it is not exist… Thank you for the translation ๐
I’ve fixed it but having a few issues. Trying a second time with this
Oooh! When I read Roy saying that there was no one who could ever hurt his master, I thought of Lucia, who could hurt him severely without even lifting a finger.
Kinda statisfy seeing Hugh get frustrated because of woman
Thinking about every sharp word he give to Sofia i must say he is indeed a bastard and he deserve it
Lucia girll, torment him mentally first, before giving your heart
I always love the love story which can make your heart wrenching, feel like it teared apart, provide you a tragedy, endless cry.. am I weird? I am just totally in love with this series.
More than anything, my favourite still Fabian. Why thereโs noone mentioned him? I always forget to stop to laugh each time his efforts regardless the happiness between this couple.
I wonder how long his live will be while fulfilling his master obsession day by day๐
“Depending on how you do it.” (Lucia)
While Hugh takes a step forward, Lucia takes another step back. That’s not Lucia!
I know Hugh needs to say that he loves Lucia, but even if he did say so right now it was quite possible she wouldn’t believe him. In other words, the main point for this relationship to evolve is Lucia trusting the Duke, and the Duke declaring himself after.
Thanks for the chapter!๐
This is so funny to me because… she already trusts him in her own way. The problem is two of her beliefs about him (that he keeps his promises and lies poorly) are wildly untrue. Because he breaks his promises to her and is then great at covering them up with lies. ๐
Most recent example: when he broke his promise not to interfere with party break response.
I really love this novel and i can’t thank you enough for doing a great job translating and editing everything and putting it out here for free!
BTW I think you forgot to write the word “know” in the sentence “He didnโt where to start from to unravel the twisted strings” The sentence is somewhere in the middle of the chapter.
All these years and nobody caught this ๐ฑ. Thank you!
And thank you for seeing my comment ๐ It has been bothering me everytime i re-read this (wich is often thanks to your wonderful translation and the great story!)
Lucia is unbelievably annoying. Poor Hugh. He has actually not done, behaved or said anything to her ever to make her treat him like that and twist everything he says. She said earlier that she wasn’t going to believe rumors based on how she saw that they were mainly rubbish but she is now treating him like this and not trusting him completely based on rumors she heard in her previous life vision and now knows that most of it are lies. She was the one that said no love and was also the one that said separate private lives but why is it being made out now like it was him?? So frustrating! I need them to sort this bs out ASAP or I’m throwing Lucia in the bin and taking Hugh for myself lol ๐