“I should be the one insisting on it.”

Rubica looked at him with tearful eyes. Graceful, polite, but reserved posture. Hair that was so dark and sexy. The delicate line of his chin, and the lips as red as those of a woman’s, and cold blue eyes that made her cold right to the bones.

Edgar was Edgar. He had always been the same. The flawless beautiful man who never changed. However, he looked kind. Before, she had seen a cold man made of ice, but now his blue eyes didn’t seem cold. Was it him who had changed? Or was it her?

‘Oh.’

Her heart started to beat, slowly but surely. Moreover, that heartbeat was clearly different from what she felt when she was impressed by his beauty. She was surprised, but she couldn’t take her eyes off him as if she had been possessed by something.

“So, rest for today, and if anyone asks why you are crying, say it’s because of me.”

The last part came out with laughter. Edgar looked quite pleased that she was crying because of him. He added a goodnight, but he didn’t leave after that. Instead, he came to her. Then, he gently grabbed her cheek and made her look at him.

Her deep and dark auburn eyes met the blue eyes as clear as the blue sky. His breath fell on her cheeks and eyes. As usual, his fresh but manly scent shrouded her. Unexplainable but hot and strong feelings engulfed them both.

He always kissed her forehead every night before leaving. It was like a ritual. But, was it because he hadn’t done it yesterday? Today there was tension that hadn’t been there yesterday.

‘… I must look down.’

When she looked away, he was going to kiss her forehead after a light sigh. That was how it always happened. But now, strangely, she couldn’t look down. His blue eyes were just too beautiful to avoid.

His eyes were like a mysterious ocean that had everything in the world in it. They were like the universe. Those beautiful eyes were looking down at her. Then, he carefully touched her cheek.

She didn’t hate it at all. Before, it felt awkward and strange, but not at all now. It felt warm and hot at the same time. The cheek his fingers were on felt like it was on fire, and she could also feel the strength of his arm around her very well.

It felt like it was the world and nothing else existed. Moreover, she couldn’t feel where she was and what she was doing at all.

The auburn eyes and blue eyes started to intertwine. As they intertwined, she could feel herself being intertwined to him and disappearing.

‘Bum, bum, bum.’

Her heart started to beat differently. It was different from when it beat fast at seeing beauty. However, it was also different from when she saw Arman. She couldn’t define what that feeling was, what that sensation was.

Time passed slowly. Edgar’s blue eyes started to come closer as if ready to engulf her. But then, it stopped right in front of her. Unlike the earlier warm mood, a tense passion overflowed between them.

If she took a step back, he would take back his hand stroking her chin and stop looking at her like that without hesitation.

Rubica thought that was what she had to do. She had to back off. She had to say stop, but her body refused to do that. She couldn’t move from his gaze and breath just like a captured fish.

“Rubica.”

She heard a low but kind voice, and her head felt dizzy as if she had a cold. Why was she doing this? Why on earth was she doing this? She felt so dizzy. No matter how hard she tried to think, her brain couldn’t find the answer.

The hollowness in her heart was filled by him.

She slowly closed her eyes as if it was only right, as if she was only doing what she had to do. Was it desire or fate? She didn’t know why she was doing it.

However, Edgar knew what he was supposed to do. He knew what kind of signal she was sending him.

His lips met hers as if it were only right. It was different from the first sudden kiss they had shared. His lips softly caressed hers first as if telling her not to be afraid. He held her tightly as if saying he would protect everything that was her.

He couldn’t believe she was letting him do that, but he decided not to rush like an idiot. He wanted to be careful with her and not break the precious moment.

Their heartbeats slowly mixed and something soft came in between her lips. Although his hands were always cold, his tongue was hot. It started to madly explore her.

‘Hup.’

His two hands hugged her waist tightly. She was on her tiptoes and was bent backward. Soon, however, the passionate kiss was started.

‘Shit.’

Edgar barely managed not to say that out loud. He did not mean to act like a fool. Rubica was just opening up to him, so he had planned to soothe her lest she runs away.

However, when she reacted even slightly to his desperate knocking, he lost his reason. Beyond her lips was way too sweet. His body wholly surrendered to her temptation. She had done nothing. She had just closed her eyes like she usually would when she lay still on the bed and had reacted just a little to him, but he felt a maddening sensation.

Her sweet and hot lips. He felt the desire to enjoy their insides forever. He wanted to reach the end of it only if he could.

If he could only have her, then he would be ready to throw Claymore to the dogs.

He never thought of abandoning his duties before. But when it came to her, his strong will became weaker than paper.

Tradition? Whatever. Attack me if you want.

He could do anything if only her kiss was given to him. He should have done this long ago. He should have listened to her sooner.

He had been an idiot to leave her crying. He felt like he had wings on his back and was flying to heaven.

Then, she pushed him away, and it dropped him from heaven to hell in an instant.

“Rubica.”

He couldn’t understand why she was doing this so suddenly, but she didn’t even look at him. She fell down on the nearest chair and buried her face in it.

“Just go.”

Edgar was confused. He thought she was finally opening up to him, so what was this clear refusal? He didn’t know why.

“But why?”

“Just go, please.”

She waved her left arm at him without looking up as if she didn’t want to talk any more. He wanted to beg her to show him her face.

She had opened her heart to him, so he didn’t want to miss the opportunity. However, judging from her cringing shoulders, it looked like it would only backfire. She had added ‘please’. She didn’t do that normally, so it was a sign. It was the kind of habit of hers that came out only when she couldn’t afford to keep manners.

“Okay. I will go now.”

Although Edgar said that, he couldn’t move for a long time. Her shoulders, however, were weakly trembling.

If only he could, he wanted to stretch out his hand and pat her. However, he took back his hand.

‘It’s the gesture I despise the most.’

People who came thinking they knew everything about him and touched him saying they could mend his wounds. Edgar despised them.

Every time it happened, they made excuses, saying they had done it as friends or admirers out of friendship and love. Therefore, he looked back at them coldly.

‘… now I know how they felt at least a little.’

He had thought they were lying. He had thought they were trying to find his weak spot and control him and Claymore. But now, he thought at least a little of it could have been genuine.

But unlike them, Edgar didn’t want to ignore Rubica’s feeling and force her to share her pain with him. He knew what it felt like, and it was the most uncomfortable thing.

“… Rubica, just don’t be alone tonight. At least call someone who can comfort you.”

However, he just couldn’t leave her crying, so he gave her a stupid solution before leaving.

Soon he put on the coldest and angriest expression he could make and left through the door.

Ann and Carl were still waiting there with the other servants even if it was late at night.

Edgar pointed at the bedroom’s door with his chin for Ann and left for his office with Carl.

“Madam!”

As soon as Edgar left, Ann opened the door and ran in. The servants could only glance inside before the door closed. All they could see was a handkerchief damp with tears on the table.

Rubica, who had her face buried in a chair, looked up when Ann called her. Her eyes were wet and red with tears. It looked like the two had a great fight.