Later, away from the table, they walked through the property.
Augusto and Henrique went ahead, speaking more privately. From Henrique's behavior so far, he seemed inclined to approve both Luis and the marriage. The only thing still unclear was what he would want in return.
But there was still one approval that truly mattered.
Sofia's.
Luis and Sofia stayed a few steps behind.
For the first time since they had met that morning, they were alone.
The silence between them was no longer as uncomfortable. It seemed that the conversation during lunch had helped them grow closer, even if only slightly. At the very least, they could now hold a conversation.
"I'd like to apologize for my father's behavior. He can be… intense at times," Sofia said.
Luis let out a soft laugh.
"I noticed. And you don't need to worry—your father didn't do anything wrong. All of his questions were valid. To be honest, this meeting was much more relaxed than I expected. Originally, I thought your father wanted to take advantage of my family's current situation to gain something… but so far, that doesn't seem to be the case."
She glanced at him.
"I won't say my father is a good man. No one maintains his position without getting their hands dirty or conspiring against others. But I can say he's better than most of his counterparts. And I can also say he has no interest in conspiring against your family."
Luis replied without hesitation:
"I already assumed that."
He then pointed toward a small lake on the left side of the grounds.
"What do you think about sitting there?"
She nodded lightly.
"Alright."
They walked a few dozen meters and reached the edge of the lake. Sitting down, they continued their conversation more naturally. This time, there was no awkwardness between them.
The distant voices of Augusto and Henrique carried faintly through the air, blending with the gentle wind moving across the fields.
Then Sofia spoke again.
"You don't seem to want this marriage."
This time, she was too direct to ignore.
Luis looked at her without avoiding the question.
"Honestly… you're right. I don't want this marriage—at least not the way it's being proposed."
She absorbed that without reacting immediately. Her expression showed genuine confusion.
"Is there another way?"
Luis stayed silent for a few seconds.
"There is."
She turned fully toward him.
"What is it?"
Luis held her gaze.
"Transparency."
A brief pause.
"I genuinely think you're too good to be deceived."
Sofia frowned slightly.
"Are you saying that—"
Luis took a breath, but didn't back down.
"I'm saying there's already someone else."
The light wind moved the fabric of her dress, strands of her hair swaying as if following a slow melody. The sunlight reflected on the lake contrasted with her brown eyes, now fixed on Luis.
For a brief moment, he was almost distracted by the scene.
But he quickly regained his composure and continued.
"She's important to me," he said. "And I don't intend to give that up."
Sofia didn't react immediately, but she didn't look away either.
"And what do you want?"
Her voice was quieter now.
Luis answered without hesitation:
"I want it to be your decision."
…
"You interest me. Truly. I wouldn't have any problem marrying you."
He tilted his head slightly.
"But you need to understand… I won't give up the person I care about."
The silence that followed was heavier this time.
Sofia watched him closely.
As if trying to see beyond his eyes and fully understand his thoughts.
"Tell me… do you really not care if this engagement fails? From what I know, your family is in a very delicate position."
Luis's expression turned serious.
"It seems you didn't take what I said during lunch seriously. I wasn't joking."
A pause.
"And I should clarify something—the majority of our problems have already been resolved."
"Your family's support would be more of a reinforcement than a necessity. Without it, we would have difficulties—that I don't doubt. But it's far from unsolvable."
Sofia didn't respond immediately, but her expression showed surprise.
He doesn't seem to be lying…
It looks like my father is behind on information.
Slowly, a small smile appeared on her face.
"You're very honest… I actually like that."
She looked away for a moment, organizing her thoughts.
"Since you were honest with me… I'll be honest with you too."
Luis waited.
"I intend to accept the marriage."
He didn't respond immediately, but his expression said everything.
Surprise was clear on his face.
Sofia noticed and laughed softly.
"Don't look at me like that—it's a bit strange."
Luis blinked, then slowly regained his composure, offering a faint smile.
.
"Honestly… I don't have many good options."
Her tone had changed.
"One of the reasons my father is interested in you is because I've already rejected many suitors."
She crossed her arms lightly.
"My father loves me. And he respects my choices… but his patience is running out."
She looked back at Luis.
"If I don't decide soon… he'll decide for me."
Luis understood immediately.
Henrique had given her a choice—but everything had a limit.
And she had reached it.
"So you're choosing the best possible scenario," he said.
Sofia shrugged slightly, with a small smile.
"I'm choosing an… acceptable one."
That made Luis laugh genuinely.
"I'm not sure if I should feel happy or offended."
"Look who's talking—you're the one who said you wouldn't accept a marriage with me. I may be a reasonable person, but I'm also proud. I honestly felt like slapping you when I heard that."
She tried to look annoyed, but to Luis, she only seemed more endearing.
Then she became a bit more serious.
"But that doesn't mean I'll accept just anything."
Luis nodded, equally serious.
"I expected that."
"Good."
She took a breath before continuing.
"I have a few conditions."
Luis didn't interrupt.
"The first… and most important…"
She looked directly at him.
"I want to meet this girl."
The silence that followed was immediate.
Luis didn't answer.
But this time, it wasn't surprise.
He had expected it.
"The rest… we can discuss later," she added.
Luis nodded slowly.
"That's fair. I'll arrange a meeting after I explain the situation to her."
Sofia relaxed slightly, then looked at him again, curiosity in her expression.
"Answer me something… does this girl know about our engagement?"
This time, Luis truly didn't know what to say.
It had been almost a month since they left the estate.
Two days after the second meeting with Deodoro and Álvaro, Miguel, Matheus, and the guards had left Eduardo's property and returned home.
Before they left, Luis had spoken to them. He made it clear he wouldn't give up on Sofia, and asked them to explain the situation to her.
Matheus agreed immediately.
But Miguel… Miguel seemed to understand that Luis was being overly optimistic.
He would have a much more serious conversation with Teresa.
And now—
Luis had no idea how that conversation had unfolded.
As if noticing his internal conflict, Sofia spoke:
"It seems your problems are just beginning."
She said with a light, amused laugh.
.
Then as if she had made a difficult decision—and finally found peace with it—she continued:
"This is going to be complicated."
Her tone was calmer now.
Almost… entertained.
Luis nodded.
"I know."
Sofia laughed softly, naturally.
And for the first time since they met…
the atmosphere between them shifted into something closer to a friendship.