He whispered sweetly like a tempting devil who was sure she would eventually love him. What was even more shocking was that she couldn’t clearly deny that.

“I’m not changing for you!”

In the end, Rubica couldn’t stand it anymore and pushed him away. However, Edgar wasn’t mad and just laughed. She was refusing him because of him.

Of course, he was jealous of his future self who had Rubica’s heart… but he liked her trying hard to not change despite all the efforts he was making.

He regretted mocking true love in the past as there were indeed people who were not like his father.

“I heard you asked about Arman to Carl?”

“Oh… you didn’t tell me anything for some time, so I asked him.”

Rubica felt a little guilty and made a quick excuse. She had asked him to find Arman without many thoughts but, after his confession of love, she started to think it must have been too harsh for him, and she felt sorry for it.

“I asked the Academy and they said they didn’t have such a man. I think he lied to you, so you don’t have to be faithful to such a liar.”

“He, he must have had a good reason for it.”

“But you don’t even know whether or not you will get to meet him again. Are you going to live alone forever just because of him?”

Rubica looked down at that. What if she really never found Arman?

‘Before, I was sure we would meet…’

She believed they would eventually meet again at Hue’s Abbey after the war broke out. But now, she was trying hard to stop the war and she wanted to at least get Edgar to safety.

However, would she be able to meet Arman after changing fate like that?

Without any war, why would Arman go to Hue’s Abbey? She could wait for him there, but there was no guarantee he would come.

Previously, she didn’t believe she could change the world as she was neither smart nor capable like Arman.

Still, she had succeeded in changing Angela’s life. And most of all… she wanted to save Edgar.

“Rubica, can’t you just live happily with me for now? We can live happily together, and you can meet Arman later!”

Rubica’s jaw dropped. What was this man talking about?

“Are you saying I should be with you for now and be with Arman later?”

“Yes.”

He anxiously agreed.

“A husband recommending his wife to have an affair…”

“I didn’t mean that.”

“No, that’s what you meant. Are you saying I should toy with you? Edgar, have you forgotten what I told you when we first met? You must cherish your heart!”

Rubica didn’t want to meet a man, have some fun, and leave him just for fun, even under an agreement.

Some might get pleasure and joy in such relationships, but she didn’t want it. It was rather unpleasant to her.

“Ha.”

Edgar groaned. He should cherish his own heart? Was this something the woman who was refusing him could say?

However, it didn’t feel that bad. She tried to live up to her code and he loved her for that. He had been saved thanks to that. Plus, she was saying that because she cared about him, after all.

‘This kind of quarrel is useless.’

It seemed like Rubica’s faith for Arman wasn’t a thing that could be destroyed by a few words.

‘Oh, I must have been really good to her.’

Although he complained, he knew his future self must have done anything for her, just like he was doing right now. Fighting against oneself was always the hardest fight of all.

“Rubica, I have something for you.”

He decided to stick to his original plan. At first, he planned to give her the gift while she was fascinated by the roses and melt her heart.

But then, she uselessly prepared roses for him. She was so charming that he couldn’t help hugging her hard. So, what happened was all her fault.

“But I don’t want more gifts… Edgar, you’ve given me so much that I no longer feel glad. I have more than fifty pairs of shoes and I haven’t had the time to try them on when they are all piled up on my shoe cabinet.”

“But you will be happy to see this.”

He handed her a jewelry box with a smile. He looked so relaxed that it was hard to believe he had just been desperately pleading to her.

‘And it’s even more confusing when he keeps changing his attitude like this.’

Rubica still couldn’t believe that he liked her, so she opened the box without any expectations. She thought it must be a necklace or a ring that had a really huge gem.

“Oh!”

However, her eyes widened at seeing what was inside and soon her eyes became teary. The gems inside were smaller than any gems she had seen at Claymore and its color was a bit dark. However, they were more precious than any other jewel to her. They were the ruby accessories her mother had left her.

“How…”

“I had someone get it from the Academy.”

Edgar came to her and put a hand on her waist, but she didn’t push him away. He had rushed a little earlier.

“I know it’s too late, but I’m sorry about what I said back then. I, I didn’t know.”

Rubica smiled.

“I know. That’s why I didn’t keep it in mind.”

“But do not do that from now on.”

Their eyes met, and his blue eyes made a thrill go past through her body. He was an extremely dangerous man. Rubica felt sensations she had never felt before whenever he was with her.

“Don’t hold it to yourself when you are mad about something. If you are sad, if you want to say something, just tell me. I will listen to all of it.”

He whispered so sweetly while Rubica looked at his red lips. She was tempted to kiss those lips and had to look away not to.

‘No. I… I cannot surrender to this impulse and toy with him.’

She carefully touched the accessories. They must have been cleaned by a jeweler as they were cleaner than she remembered. But then, she suddenly got suspicious.

“How did you know these used to belong to my mother?”

Edgar looked surprised by the question.

“I asked your cousin if she needed anything, and she told me.”

There was no way Angela had told him. She was a proud girl and wasn’t the type of person who would give Edgar the answer he wanted. She would rather screw him over.

“But Angela’s letter arrived only a few days ago.”

Her auburn eyes turned deeper.

Shit.

He wanted to please her so eagerly that he ended up making a mistake which he otherwise would have never made.

“Your uncle and aunt told me.”

“But they don’t know these used to belong to my mother.”

Mr. and Mrs. Berner didn’t even pay that much attention to her. If they had known those accessories belonged to Rubica’s mother, they would have immediately sold them. They had a strange sense of inferiority to her as she had been a real noble lady.

“How did you find out? Tell me the truth.”

Edgar went silent while Rubica patiently waited for his answer. And, Edgar’s mind spun fast in the meantime. How much was he supposed to reveal? Maybe he could say one of Rubica’s maids had told him, but then she would ask if he had opened her drawer.

He could get out of this by lying, but it was going to be a problem later when he told her he was actually Arman.

“Can you promise to not despise me?”

“I promise.”

She promised right away with her auburn eyes piercingly staring at him.

“I read your cousin’s letter in secret…”

“What?”

As he had expected, she was mad. However, it seemed like it was better than letting her find out that he convinced a maid to tell him about her privacy.

“You read my letter in secret? How could you do such a thing?”

“But you promised to not despise me.”

“I’m not despising you, I’m mad at you!”

Edgar could say nothing now. He had control when they first met, and Rubica would shut her mouth at his logical and cold words.

However, she had been the winner of their quarrels lately, and Edgar just couldn’t speak harshly to her anymore.

“I’m sorry.”

“You could have just asked me to see it, and I…”

Rubica didn’t finish the sentence, but Edgar didn’t let it go.

“You wouldn’t have shown it to me, right?”

“Yes…”

The letter had her family’s humiliating matter. Therefore, she really didn’t want to show it to anyone, and most definitely not to Edgar.

“Rubica.”

Edgar grabbed her hands tightly. He had so many things he wanted to say. However, right now he didn’t deserve to say anything. He was so weak in front of Rubica’s matters. He just did things without giving many thoughts to them, like a mouse being drawn to the smell of cheese.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“…”

“I’m sorry that I read your letter without your permission. But… if I hadn’t read it, I would have forever been remembered by you as a bastard who humiliated your late mother.”

Was it because of the despair his voice had? He was the one in the wrong but, strangely, Rubica felt sorry for him.