“Edgar.”

Soon Rubica gave up on trying to make him let her go. She just gently swept on his cheek with a hand. That soft and kind gesture made the anxiety that was stuck on his back disappear.

“Are you worried?”

The brown eyes looked so mysterious as they looked up at him, saying she understood it all. He normally would have said no because of his mighty pride, but he nodded as if he had been enchanted by those eyes. He became strangely honest when he was with her as he felt she would listen and understand everything he said.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be by your side forever.”

It made him hug her even harder.

“Do you really mean it?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know what that means?”

The chillingly low voice reached her ears. His blue eyes were shining like the morning star and his chin and lips looked as firm as usual.

However, the hands that held her were shaking a little, and it couldn’t have been her imagination. Rubica wondered how she was supposed to let him know her heart. The layers of emotions that had been piled up in time were too complicated and difficult to define.

“Yes.”

Instead of giving him a complicated explanation, which could potentially distort what she was trying to say, she answered in one short word. Soon, his face came close and their lips touched.

They had shared so many kisses that now she couldn’t even remember each of them, but every time their lips touched, her heart beat fast and heat engulfed her entire body.

“Rubica.”

After the kiss ended, his forehead came down to meet hers. It still looked white, but it was burning as if he had a fever. So were his hands on her cheeks. He had always been cold, so when did he change like this? Rubica closed her eyes and enjoyed his warm hands.

“Will you really stay with me forever?”

She already said she would, but he kept asking.

“Yes, I will stay with you.”

“Even if you meet Arman again? Will you stay with me instead of leaving with him?”

“Yes.”

That answer came without any hesitation. Edgar couldn’t control himself and hugged her as hard as he could. He couldn’t believe he didn’t have to worry about the warmth in his arms and the sound of the heart beating at him anymore.

“I can’t breathe!”

She weakly beat on his chest and he quickly let her go. Edgar was smiling like crazy. Rubica glared at him but, in the end, she burst into laughter as well. She was sure she was the plainest and most ordinary girl in the world, so why was he so happy to be with her? She wondered that sometimes.

What kind of power brought them together? Asking that question made tears swell in her eyes. She quickly turned to hide her heart that was as fickle as the rain of a summer’s day.

“Look. Aren’t these hydrangeas pretty?”

“But you are prettier.”

Of course, that answer made her jaw drop.

“How can I think about some flowers when you are in front of me?”

He didn’t care about the look she gave him and protested as if that was only the natural truth. Her complaints were funny, but what was even funnier were her cheeks turning red.

“You are the only person who says I’m even prettier than flowers.”

“Of course I should be.”

Rubica said that to shake away the embarrassment, but Edgar agreed with her.

“If anyone else says such a thing to you, I will not let them get away with it.”

His eyes glistened dangerously. Judging from his serious gaze and compressed lips, he really meant it.

He was even taking a step further and worrying if anyone else wanted her. Was she really the most beautiful woman in the world in his eyes?

“As the others don’t need the help of an optician, I’m sure they won’t say what you are saying.”

“An optician?”

“We really should have your eyes checked this week.”

“But my eyes are fine… of course, I’ll do it if you want.”

He couldn’t even understand the joke, and Rubica had no energy to be mad at him. On the other hand, he was feeling really good. He even hummed as he walked.

He then took the extremely light mana stone lamp Rubica was carrying, saying it was too heavy for her, and held it himself.

“Having a walk at night isn’t bad.”

Rubica’s skin glowed white under the soft moonlight. Her hair fluttered in the wind, her dress made sounds when she walked on the grass, and the faint smile she made each time she saw a pretty flower. They were walking in the garden, holding hands, and it felt like a wonderful dream.

“A man from Jackal Bank has come today, right?”

Rubica was wondering when she should talk about Minos, but then he asked about it first. As a man had come from the bank that now managed their wealth, of course, he was supposed to be worried if there was anything wrong.

“Yes.”

“I heard you were alone with him at the reception room for quite a long time…”

However, what he was worried about wasn’t the management of his wealth. So, Rubica couldn’t help but stare at him in shock.

“What, is there something wrong about that?”

“Not exactly, but…”

He looked away. He didn’t want to rule over her at all, but he did care a lot about what Rubica had talked about with the banker.

Thinking the banker had heard of her worries he didn’t know about made him a little sad and angry.

“And you even gave him coffee and refreshments. Weren’t you being a bit too kind to the banker?”

He didn’t want to appear narrow-minded, so he couldn’t tell what he was really thinking and made a problem out of something else. Of course, he didn’t know that it made him look even more foolish.

“He was a guest.”

“But still… you are just too kind.”

He angrily stroked his chin. For a moment, Rubica didn’t know what to think of it, but his pouted lower lip made her realize he was jealous.

‘Maybe it’s good.’

It was better than to hesitate and delay telling him about Minos.

“The banker has asked me to let him meet you.”

“Meet me? Did he ask for an audience with you just for that? That’s absurd!”

Before he could say he should cancel the deal with Jackal Bank immediately, Rubica held his hand tightly.

“He said he knew a way to find Arman.”

“What?”

Edgar’s eyes burned dangerously. His knuckles that clutched the lamp turned white. Rubica cowered at his angry voice, but she wasn’t afraid. She was sure he would listen to her.

“He said he would tell me how to find Arman, but I should let him meet you in return.”

Edgar’s eyebrows went up high. He wasn’t mad at Rubica, but he was mad at the banker who he didn’t even know.

‘It must be a fraud who wants to fool this innocent lady.’

As Edgar knew Arman was himself, the offer of the banker was quite suspicious to him. He was a mere banker, but he knew Rubica was looking for Arman, and Edgar didn’t like it. If he was just trying to use what she said coincidentally and gain something from that, Edgar was going to make him never see the light of the day ever again.

“I will have Carl make time tomorrow.”

“No, you don’t have to do that. Just… meet him when you get time.”

Edgar had been pushing everything aside to do what Rubica asked, and it had been bothering her. She had come up with the idea to delay the development of Stella, but as he had so many important businesses on his hands, it strangely made her feel guilty.

He was saying he was willing to postpone other important things and make time to help her find the man she liked, and she felt so sorry for that.

She couldn’t say sorry, but she touched his finger instead. She was clearly hesitating, and it almost made him smile, but he stopped himself and tried hard to look disappointed.

“Why? Don’t you want to find Arman quickly?”

“Yes, but…”

Her eyes were wet. She didn’t know what Arman was thinking, and she now wanted to cry. How could he be so nice to her? Didn’t he care about his own feelings? She had never been loved like this before. She had always been the helper, not the cared one.