Even though it was so early in the morning, Rubica’s maids came soon. She then washed her face, got changed, and went to Edgar’s office.

She doubted Carl would come out, but he did, although he looked very tired. He was addicted to his work, even more than Edgar.

“He has just fallen asleep.”

“Carl, you should go and sleep too.”

“But…”

“I’ll stay with him.”

Carl thought about it for a moment, but then he gave her the key. He explained how the lock was opened from the outside. Next, Rubica went to the bed where Edgar was sleeping.

He was sleeping soundly and didn’t even budge at the sound of the opening door.

“He will be delighted to see you when he wakes up.”

Carl knew it was Edgar’s wish, so he was quite glad that Rubica had come. He brought a chair for her next to the bed and brought warm bread and water too.

She had been hungry, so she took the bread as soon as she sat down. It was fresh and smelled excellent.

“Your Grace, as you must know, many curses in old fairy tales are broken by a kiss from their true love.”

Rubica realized what the butler was hoping for.

“Oh, but…”

She didn’t want to take his hope away, but she had to be honest.

“We’ve kissed more than once, and we’ve confessed our love to each other.”

“I know, but yesterday was your first time.”

The butler smiled so brightly as he said that, and Rubica immediately realized what that ‘first time’ was.

Butlers knew everything about their master’s private life, and Carl was closer to Edgar much more than usual.

“Carl, get out.”

But still, that was a line he shouldn’t have crossed. Rubica ordered him coldly which made Carl realize his mistake.

“Please forgive me.”

“It’s fine. I’ve gotten used to it, at least to some extent.”

People who had the name Claymore, including Edgar, tended to be absorbed in their thoughts and think about only that. Moreover, their maids and butler were no different, probably because of working right next to such people for so many years.

Rubica told herself it was nothing to be embarrassed about as she and Edgar were married.

“Oh, he looks like an angel when he sleeps.”

She calmed down her burning cheeks and looked at her husband. He was so handsome.

“No, he looks like an angel even when he’s not sleeping. Although he is a nymph, to be exact.”

When they first met, she had thought, ‘is that being really a human?’ And, it turned out he really wasn’t a human.

Was she supposed to thank the gods? She looked at him as she tore another piece of bread. His smooth skin, his dark eyebrows. They seemed so new even though she saw them every day.

“Can that be right?”

She thought of what Carl had just said. Was the curse really going to be broken through the first intercourse with their true love?

Maybe, they wrote it as the first kiss since they couldn’t write it down for what it really was in stories for children.

She knew there couldn’t be a curse that would be broken so easily, but she couldn’t help getting excited.

“Umm…”

She lost track of time, watching the handsome face. He eventually started to frown by noon. He was about to wake up.

“Edgar, are you awake?”

She couldn’t resist the urge and whispered to his ear. He smiled. What was making him so happy? She wanted to smile along with him.

“Edgar.”

She called him once again while having mischievous thoughts if he still didn’t open his eyes. She could put away his duvet or tickle him hard.

She thought of many ways and how he would react to each of them, but then he abruptly put his hand behind her neck. He pulled her in and kissed her.

He slowly opened his eyes as they shared a passionate kiss. Then, he was shocked to see her in his arms. He looked at her with surprise, something that rarely happened, which surprised her in return.

“I thought I was dreaming, but…”

Soon he smiled as brightly as spring. His blue eyes, which usually looked like the sea, were now green under the sunlight. His eyes changing colors dazed her for a moment, but then she snapped out of it.

“Edgar, your legs… you still cannot move them?”

He was confused to hear the question, but he nodded. Of course, it wasn’t that easy. One kiss could fix every problem only in fairy tales. She tried to not look disappointed and said, “I’ll bring your meal.”

She got up to leave, but he grabbed her hand.

“Can’t you stay a little longer?”

“I’ll just go to talk to a maid and come back.”

Still, he didn’t want her to leave and shook his head in protest. Rubica was quite surprised to see him insist like a little boy. In the end, she had to give him a hug to leave the room for a few minutes.

He embraced her tightly and rubbed his cheek on her hair.

‘Has he always been like this?’

His love for her grew by every day, and he only let go of her when she pleaded for it with burning cheeks.

He looked like he would do everything so coldly and rationally, even when it came to love, but he had a hot flame hidden inside, and it wasn’t easy for her to get used to it.

“But you must come quickly.”

He whispered sweetly and she didn’t hesitate to nod.

They said beauty was one kind of power, and they were right, as she just couldn’t say no to him. She walked out fast and asked a maid who was waiting to bring a meal.

She came back with a three-layered tray with warm dishes in less than ten minutes.

However, that short time had been too long for Edgar. He even said he wanted to replace the chef, but Rubica couldn’t tolerate that and took away his fork.

“I like Steven’s cooking.”

In the end, he surrendered and started to eat like a good boy. She grumbled about what tricky boy he was, but she just couldn’t stay mad at him for long. He looked so handsome as he ate in his white shirt.

“And what have you decided to do about Ios?”

She asked when he was done eating, and he frowned as if he didn’t even want to think about the matter. He had been asked so many questions, like why the dragon had shown up and what had happened.

That much was fine, but Rubica’s abduction became the second matter next to the dragon, and he didn’t like it very much. He almost yelled his wife was much more important than that stupid dragon.

“I’ve… decided to meet the king and talk to him about it first.”

As it was about a dragon, he couldn’t decide on his own. Plus, many had witnessed him shedding gold, so there was no hiding it.

Edgar didn’t want to hate Ios as he helped him save Rubica, but he still thought there hadn’t been any need for him to make such a dramatic entrance.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry? It’s my fault, I should have been more careful about Stephen.”

“But…”

Was it because Ios had decided to become her cousin? She really felt like her little cousin had messed up. Anyway, it had been her who brought the dragon into this. Explaining this was the least she should do.

“I will explain it to the king.”

His hand, which was going for a napkin, stopped in the air.

“Why?”

“I’m the one who dragged Ios into this. I think I should go and explain.”

Edgar could see why she was saying that. She was kind-hearted, which was good, but the problem was that the king was a sly old fox.

Edgar could almost hear the old man’s sly laughter, which gave him a headache.

“That isn’t necessary.”

He sounded cold, clearly showing the matter wasn’t open to discussion. Rubica would have been hurt by it before, but now she knew him better.

He had always solved problems alone, and he wasn’t used to getting help.

He found sharing the burden with her too much and worried he might not be doing his role as her husband well.

“Actually, I’ve always wanted to go to the capital.”

Pressing him more would only make his burden heavier, so she knew it was time to play the fool.

“I want to see the palace and meet the queen. Oh, and I once heard there’s this great theater…”

His eyes, that had been so determined only a second ago, started to shake. To finish it, she lightly grabbed his arm and smiled shyly.

“And I don’t want to be apart from you.”

In the end, he lost to her and gave his permission.

“But only sightseeing. If the king wants to meet you, say you are busy.”

However, he knew she couldn’t do that if the king decided to meet Rubica. Moreover, she would never avoid the meeting if the king said it was about him.