Chapter 114: Cross Paths
Chapter 114: Cross Paths
—CELIA—
I adjusted the basket resting against my hip before weaving through another crowd of shoppers.
The boutique district wasn’t far from here, and I’d heard there was a small storefront available for lease. It probably wasn’t anything extravagant, but that was exactly what I wanted. A modest place in a good location was better than an elegant shop that would swallow my savings whole.
Besides, if I planned everything carefully, I could slowly expand once the business became stable. One step at a time. That had always been my approach, both in my old life and this one.
Lost in calculations of rent, renovations, and inventory, I rounded a corner without paying much attention to where I was going.
Thud.
"Oh!"
The basket nearly slipped from my hands as I stumbled into someone solid. Before I could fall, a steady hand caught my arm while another instinctively reached for the basket before it could spill its contents onto the street.
"My apologies," a warm voice said almost immediately. "I wasn’t watching where I was headed."
I looked up, ready to apologize as well, only to freeze for half a heartbeat.
The man before me had chestnut-brown hair that caught the afternoon sunlight, soft hazel eyes, and an easy smile that somehow managed to look sincere instead of practiced.
He wasn’t dressed like a noble, but neither did he resemble an ordinary merchant. His clothes were simple yet well-tailored, with rolled sleeves and faint ink stains near one cuff, as though he spent as much time writing as he did working.
He blinked, then laughed quietly.
"I believe we’re both at fault."
The corner of my mouth lifted before I could stop it. "That sounds fair."
He carefully handed the basket back to me, taking an extra moment to make sure everything inside had survived our rather dramatic collision.
"Fortunately," he said with visible relief, "nothing seems to have broken."
I immediately peeked inside.
The herbs were still bundled together. The ribbons hadn’t been crushed. Even the folded fabric samples were perfectly intact.
I let out the biggest sigh of relief.
"Oh, thank goodness."
His eyes flickered toward the basket.
"I take it those were important?"
"Very." I hugged it protectively against my chest. "I was already preparing a heartfelt apology to the poor fabric for failing to protect it."
One of his brows lifted.
"...You apologize to fabric?"
"I apologize to everything."
"...Everything?"
I nodded seriously.
"I once apologized after walking into a tree."
He blinked. "...The tree?"
"It looked like it had been standing there all day. The least I could do was acknowledge that I was the one who crashed into it."
For a moment...
He simply stared at me.
Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.
Not one of those polite little chuckles people forced out during awkward conversations.
A real laugh.
"I’ve met many unusual people," he admitted after composing himself, "but I believe you’re the first to apologize to plant life."
"Oh?" I tilted my head. "Surely you’ve heard stranger stories."
He actually thought about it.
"...There was once a gentleman who attempted to file an official complaint against a duck."
I frowned.
"...A duck?"
"He insisted the creature had insulted him."
"...How exactly does a duck insult someone?"
Lucien remained perfectly serious.
"It stole his lunch..."
He paused just long enough to build suspense.
"...looked directly into his eyes..."
Another pause.
"...and quacked."
I stared at him.
"..."
"..."
"...I think I’m on the duck’s side."
His lips twitched.
"I beg your pardon?"
"If someone steals your lunch, they’ve already won. The quack was just emotional damage."
For the second time, he laughed.
"I’ll remember never to argue with you over waterfowl."
"A wise decision."
I nodded solemnly.
"I fully support confident birds."
He shook his head, still smiling.
"I can see that."
Before I realized it, I was smiling too.
It felt... easy.
Oddly easy.
There wasn’t any awkwardness between us. No invisible pressure to choose the right words or behave a certain way. He wasn’t trying to impress me, and I wasn’t trying to maintain some noble image that didn’t belong to me in the first place.
We had literally met because he crashed into me.
And somehow...
We were discussing the legal rights of ducks.
Honestly...
This might’ve been the most normal conversation I’d had in weeks.
He finally straightened before offering me a polite bow.
"I don’t believe we’ve properly introduced ourselves."
He looked up with the same gentle smile.
"My name is Lucien."
No family name.
Interesting.
Either he preferred not to mention it, or he wasn’t noble at all.
"Celia," I replied after the briefest hesitation, using the name that still felt more like mine than Lady Aria ever would.
"It’s a pleasure, Celia."
"You too."
For a brief moment, neither of us spoke.
Instead of becoming awkward, the silence settled comfortably between us as people flowed around us like water around stones.
Lucien glanced at the basket. "Planning something?"
"I’m looking at a storefront nearby."
His brows rose with genuine curiosity. "Starting a business?"
"If everything goes well."
"What kind?"
"A clothing boutique."
His eyes lit up. "Designing your own pieces?"
"...Hopefully."
"You say that like you’re uncertain."
"I have confidence in the designs." I smiled sheepishly. "Less confidence in convincing people to buy them."
"I think confidence grows after the first customer."
"And if there isn’t a first customer?"
"Then I’ll become one."
I blinked.
"You don’t even know what I’ll be selling."
"I know enough to support someone who’s brave enough to build something from nothing."
The words weren’t flirtatious. They weren’t exaggerated either. He simply stated them as though they were the most natural thing in the world.
For reasons I couldn’t explain, they lingered.
"You’re surprisingly optimistic."
"I’ve been told it’s a flaw."
"I’d call it refreshing."
He smiled again, smaller this time.
"And if you don’t mind unsolicited advice," he continued, "choose a location with good foot traffic rather than the prettiest storefront. Beautiful buildings attract attention, but convenient ones keep customers returning."
I tilted my head.
"That... actually makes sense."
"My family has been involved in trade for years." He rubbed the back of his neck almost sheepishly. "I’ve picked up a few things."
So not a noble.
Or at least, not one who wanted to advertise it.
"I’ll keep that in mind."
"I hope you do."
A nearby church bell rang through the district, reminding us both that time had continued moving while we’d been talking.
Lucien glanced toward the sound before letting out a small sigh.
"I should be going."
"I should too."
Neither of us moved immediately.
Then we laughed at the exact same time.
"You first," we both said together.
"...Now that’s embarrassing," I muttered.
"It would be more embarrassing if we said it a third time."
I couldn’t help smiling.
He stepped aside with an exaggerated gesture. "Please."
I dipped into a playful curtsy. "Why, thank you."
As I walked away, I found myself glancing back once.
To my surprise, Lucien had done the exact same thing.
Our eyes met across the crowd.
Instead of looking away in embarrassment, he simply lifted a hand in farewell with that same easy smile.
I returned the gesture before continuing toward the boutique district, though I caught myself smiling long after he had disappeared into the sea of people.
Strange.
I hadn’t learned his surname, his occupation, or even why he happened to be in the market today.
Yet somehow, it didn’t feel like I’d just met a complete stranger.
If anything...
It felt strangely comfortable.
Like talking to someone I could simply... be myself around.
There was no need to overthink every sentence or weigh every expression. We had bumped into each other by pure accident, exchanged ridiculous stories about apologizing to trees and defending ducks, and somehow ended up laughing like we’d known each other for much longer than five minutes.
Funny.
I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed conversations that were simply... easy.
Still, I quickly shook the thought away.
"Don’t get ahead of yourself, Celia," I silently scolded myself.
It was just an ordinary encounter between two strangers who happened to cross paths on a busy street.
Life was full of little moments like these, wasn’t it?
Most people smiled, exchanged a few pleasant words, then continued walking in opposite directions, never seeing each other again.
That was probably how this would end too.
And honestly...
There was nothing wrong with that.
I smiled to myself before looking back at him.
If fate happens to let our paths cross again...
...I hope we become good friends.j