"Miss Ram, Miss Rem, please pick out some gifts too! I bought a little of everything because I didn't know your preferences," Lucien said warmly.
"And Mr. Natsuki Subaru, you have one as well. Even though you're my love rival, we are competing fairly," he added, patting his chest with a sincere smile.
"Hmph, I don't want your things," Natsuki Subaru replied with a sour expression.
Lucien paid him no mind, turning his attention to Emilia and Puck, who were happily examining the presents. "What about Little Miss Betty and Mr. Roswaal? I brought gifts for them too."
"Roswaal went to the capital this morning. Betty should be in the Forbidden Library," Emilia replied, holding a beautiful hair clip.
"I'll go up and call her," Puck offered, poking his head out from the pile of gifts.
Lucien moved toward the stairs, but Emilia cautioned, "Lucien, the Forbidden Library's doors are unpredictable. Unless Betty wants to be found, we must check each door. Natsuki Subaru always seems to find the library accurately."
Subaru remained silent, snorting coldly. Emilia suggested, "Natsuki Subaru, why don't you take Lucien to call Betty?"
Reluctantly, Subaru escorted Lucien upstairs to the second floor, a long corridor lined with a dozen rooms.
"Don't think gifts alone can win over Emilia and the others," Subaru sneered once they were alone.
Lucien didn't respond immediately, lips curling slightly, eyes glinting with amusement and contempt.
Passing each door, Lucien suddenly caused Subaru's face to drain of color, eyes wide with uncontainable fear.
"Twenty-six times," Subaru whispered under his breath, realization dawning.
Ignoring Subaru's shock, Lucien found the fourth door, sensing a special energy behind it. He turned the knob and stepped inside.
Betty sat in a chair, book in hand, staring at him.
"Yo! Little Miss Betty, good evening," Lucien greeted cheerfully.
"It was a fluke, wasn't it?!" Betty pouted, clearly annoyed. How could he have found her?
"I brought back…"
Before Lucien could finish, Betty pushed him with surprising force, sending him flying across the room. The noise made Subaru flinch, his heart pounding as he watched Lucien regain his footing, eyes a mixture of anger, fear, and despair.
Lucien was undeterred. He moved to the next room, repeating the process, meeting Betty's astonished gaze each time.
"Impossible," Betty whispered, utterly defeated after ten rounds of hide-and-seek, finally slumping in resignation as Lucien leaned against a door, panting slightly.
"How did you find the door so accurately?" she asked, standing over him with a mixture of curiosity and exasperation.
"A feeling," Lucien replied simply.
"Don't worry about that now. Since I didn't know your preferences, I bought a lot. You should go pick some too!" he added, waving his hand.
"Gifts?" Betty blinked, surprised by his intention.
"Yes, everyone has one. Liya, Miss Ram, Miss Rem, and Puck are already selecting theirs."
"I don't like gifts at all," Betty said haughtily, lifting her chin.
Two minutes later, Betty and Puck were absorbed in choosing their presents, laughter filling the hall. That night, everyone except Natsuki Subaru was content, each holding multiple gifts that, though simple, carried deep significance.
Lucien watched Emilia, his eyes fixed on her happiness, a gentle smile on his lips. Observers would notice the affection in his gaze, a subtle display of how much she mattered to him.
The night passed uneventfully, and Subaru, having failed to capture Emilia's attention, showed no desire to fawn over her.
---
Before dawn the next day, Lucien rose, left the mansion, and entered the forest to cut several trees. Today, it was his turn to pursue Emilia.
"Lady Emilia, good morning!"
Inside the mansion, Rem greeted Emilia, who had descended the stairs in pajamas, yawning.
"Rem, good morning!" Emilia replied.
"Lady Emilia, here is a cup of clear tea to refresh yourself," Rem said, offering her the tea.
"What's going on in the courtyard? I hear chopping sounds," Emilia noted, half-awake.
Lucien, dressed in work clothes and sweating from labor, was constructing something meticulously, timber neatly arranged around him.
"Uranus, what are you doing?" Emilia asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
"Liya, good morning. You look exceptionally beautiful today!" Lucien said tenderly, wiping sweat with a towel around his neck.
"Uranus, can you stop saying such things all the time?" Emilia's face flushed as her fingers twirled nervously.
"But it's true! You're the most beautiful in the world!" Lucien replied innocently.
Emilia lowered her head, kicking at the grass with a shy smile, unable to respond verbally.
"Liya, could you hand me those nails over there?" Lucien asked, pointing.
"Oh," Emilia ran over, picked them up, and handed them to him, eyes blinking with curiosity.
"Uranus, what are you making? A wooden house?" she asked.
"No, this is a gift I'm making for you. It should be finished by the afternoon," he said, busy and focused.
Emilia shook her head gently. "There were already so many gifts last night."
"Those can be bought, but this gift is handmade. The meaning is different," Lucien said, smiling through his effort.
"I heard Miss Ram say that you study every day. Even though I am pursuing you today, I won't take up your study time. You should continue—I'll finish soon," he added.
Emilia watched him, her heart warmed by his sincerity.
"Okay, I'm looking forward to it," she said cheerfully before leaving.
Lucien snorted lightly, inwardly pleased.
Lucien's Strategy Rule: Handmade gifts that reveal effort and sincerity create lasting impressions. Showing the work behind a gift makes the recipient cherish it subconsciously, forming memories that are difficult to forget.