Rose walked back and forth in the living room, waiting for a call while Arthur sat on the sofa not knowing what happened. She hadn’t told him anything, maybe on purpose, maybe she was just too panicked and forgot to tell him. But anyone who saw her would realize there was a big problem.

“Rose, something I can help with?”

“NO!” Her face froze. She was more shocked by her own answer than Arthur. “No, I-I mean ... uuuu.” She crouched down and hid behind her hands. “I-I don’t mean to shout.”

Arthur stood up and smiled. “I know.” He swept her up in his arms.

“A-Arthur!” Surprised by his sudden attack, she couldn’t help but let a cry out and thrashed around. He threw her on the sofa then sat on the chair next to her. Before she protested, he raised his finger

“Lie down.” She was about to protest, ”That’s an order. ”She followed his instruction. “I know you don’t want to bother me with your problem and I’m sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable with all I’ve done, but you know I won’t back down from helping you either. How about we make a deal?”

“Deal?”

“Yeah. I’ll stay out from this current problem you’re having. I’ll stand back and act as your supervisor, but!” A smile appeared on his face. A triumphant smile saying he had won. “You must tell me everything that’s bothering you, and promise me you will rest tonight, and you’ll let me handle the meeting with the mayor, crime bosses, police, politicians, and all that stuff. I know you’re planning a meeting with them, and my coming here has delayed it which will cause another problem for you.”

“Wait! That’s not ... that’s three for one, that’s ...” Arthur knew her so well. There’s no way she could decline such an offer. “That’s not fair.”

Arthur chuckled. “Well, I’ll give you some time.” He stood up and head to the kitchen before returning with two glasses of iced tea. “Now, first part of the deal. Tell me everything.”

“Everything?”

“Every single one. Don’t pent it up, I’m here for you.”

Rose went silent for a moment, thinking hard. ”I have another condition for you.”

”Oh, fighting back, are we? Let’s hear it.”

”I’ll tell you all my problems, but other than the meeting, please let me handle everything else.” She knew him as well as he knew her.

This time it was Arthur’s turn to go silent and think. “Fine.” He sighed, not completely happy with it. But he had to compromise. ”But promise me to tell me if there’s something you can’t handle on your own.”

Enjoying the tea Arthur made her, she unloaded the burden on her mind. Starting from the minor stuff like exam and to big ones like Rein Constantine, the meeting - which Arthur already knew -, and the serial kidnapping. Naturally, she couldn’t tell every single one of her problems, especially regarding her feeling towards him. What she was afraid of about telling him wasn’t that he would reject her, but he would accept her love even though he didn’t want to. For considering how he is, he would accept her confession regardless of his own feeling.

”So who are they, Iris and Friede?” Arthur asked after listening everything Rose had to say.

”The daughters of Ernst Schmidt.”

”Schmidt, the pharmaceutical titan? What do they have to do with you?”

”Protection contract among other things.”

”Other things? Why haven’t I heard of it?”

”Because it’s a matter of Arcturus company and I have no … obligation, to tell you. I’m sorry.” It was so hard to say it. Arthur had been so involved in everything related to her and her family that she felt he had rights to know everything. At the same time, she didn’t want him to know everything. That would only encourage him to help, which she didn’t want him to.

”No, it’s fine, but tell me now.”

”On the surface, Arcturus company is in contract with Schmidt for general security and safety of their executives. Underneath that there’s a contract for combat-enhancement drugs. And if we don’t talk about the company, then Schmidt the largest producer of magic potions and drugs, legal or otherwise, on this side of earth. By setting their headquarters here and befriending my family, they get access to ingredients ruled illegal by the International Magic Association. And for me, befriending company as big as that is one way to secure my parent’s legacy from the vultures.”

Rose could tell that Arthur was getting excited. The little thing about his behaviors like how he moved his fingers, how he sat, how his gaze moved. Watching him for her whole life allowed her that much insight into him. ”So when does this whole deal started exactly? I mean it’s big, and it’s been going under my nose for how long?”

”Almost eight years.” That was just a year after her parent’s death.

”Wow, Rose, I … am at a lost for word.” He was happy to hear her do things on her own, especially something so big and important. ”If you told me earlier I could’ve-”

”It’s Pris, okay, it’s mostly Pris. The planning, meeting, calculation and consideration, it’s all Pris. All I did was hear her proposal and write my names and signature on some papers.”

”But you agree to it.”

”Well, it’s Pris, so, I just believed her.”

When she was done, it was already late at night. The exhaustion from morning caught up to her. Arthur stayed in her house, to make sure she sleeps tonight and to take any report regarding the serial kidnapping. He promised he would wake her up if anything important happened. After all that reassurance, she had no more excuse or reason to stay up.

She locked her room, took her makeup off, and swapped her clothes for pajamas. Then she threw herself at the soft, wide, and comfortable bed surrounded by pillows. Some might call the number excessive, but surrounded by pillows comforted and helped her sleep.

“Haaah~” She sighed, finally having her much-wanted rest. Having to deal with all those problems when she woke up really killed the sleeping mood for her, but what could she do, she didn’t want Arthur to take her burden again. At least she could rest now ... but she couldn’t sleep. She was too agitated, her body too hot to sleep.

She sighed again and wrestled the nearest pillow. Guess she now had a reason to stay awake, for a little while. “Arthur~”