After all, she always has a lovely smile on her face that feels so calming to be looked at every time he is with her. Her comfortable aura with her composure demeanor makes Edward could easily say the reason why people then surround her. She attracts them with her personality who always listens to other people first, with his caring attitude toward anyone without any judgment. Make people easily find the comfort within her.

It was also the first reason why Edward falls for her at the beginning. Followed by how then she brings herself into the society that fills with a thick conservative mindset. It was never anyone's help that brings her to the point where people see her as she is. It was always her who stubbornly and brazenly stands in this thick patriarchal and hierarchal society to then be recognized by everyone.

It was her and her bravery only.

' ...and you are an amazing woman that I've ever seen.'

and he really does think so because, in the end, he is also the one who got inspired by her. How he sees the world right now feels so much different after he met her and it indeed feels so strange as to how Irisha's life could impact another one life- like his, just simply because of her personality. Never in his life, such a thing that could be manipulative easily could be someone's strong point. As humans are always weak with such wicked things and he has seen many of them in his entire life, but she could easily break that kind of stereotype that stuck in his mind easily.

and it hurts his heart to see such a person to be in this kind of state.

The smile that always is on her face is gone. The brave and confident her is nowhere to be found. Even on that day when she, for the first time, held his hand and run- she was trembling as if the world was no longer something she could face.

He frowned painfully while looking at the woman who is now sitting on the sofa while looking into nothing. ' Even though you are here beside me, yet you feel so far away.' even though, she is now in his mansion- Edward could not feel her existence beside him.

Yet, he smiles. Try to smile despite the pain inside his heart.

' Why, am I feeling so much pain whenever I see you like this?' and it will become worse, as he knows, she will never ask him to help her.

" ... You have to drink your medicine," he said after the woman looked at him. She was paled before, but now it seems much worse. " ... I already prepare some food for you, eat it, okay?" and try to give a gentle smile that he could ever give to someone.

and she smiles, weakly. [ I am not that hungry.] she said. [ Please don't worry about me.]

then, the word feels hurt every time she said that.

' Even after all of this, how can I am not worry about you?' and the fact that she is the one who asked him... shattered his heart eventually.

"... Arisha will be sad if you are like this," he said. " At least, you have to eat a little before she comes back from school."

and only by Arisha's name, the smile on her face will be triggered. She shows a little bit of her emotion that she always tries to hide to everyone, and Edward always uses her little sister as an excuse to make Irisha somehow rely on him more.

[... okay.]

and he smiles, as he then brings the food that is already prepared by the maids to her room. She then eats the food even though a little bit. At least he tries to make her eat something before the episode of her comes in a random moment. It is somehow becoming an ordinary of his life to preparing for her episode. When she will lose a way to breathe and breathe like she is suffering. There is nothing people could do about that instead let her drink a strong sedative pill so then she will calm down and sleep eventually. Yet, someone like him who just does something in his life for profit- found himself does not mind anything he does to her even know he knows he will get nothing in the end.

'... or sometimes maybe, you will then see me?'

[ ... I am sorry for troubling you.] she said while smiling faintly. [ if Rosan already came back from her business, we will go eventually.]

and he just tries to ignore the fact that her words bother him so much. " ... We already talked about this," he said. " ... You and Arisha, both can stay here as long as you want."

[... but he comes to you, is not it?]

and he takes a while to speak, as the term she talks about right now annoys him so much. "... You don't have to worry."

' As you should just forget about him,' because she is suffering every time she is with him. Just like at that time when she painfully looked at the wicked crown prince of this empire- because he was someone that hurt her so much, and Edward just wants to feel and believe it that way despite the fact that Edward also realizes how she could only show the emotion within her to no one but that prince.

'... but, you will open yourself to me too.'

because every time the episode comes, he will be there for her. He will be the one who holds her tight and tells her that everything will be alright, just like the previous episode he has approached with Irisha. Then gradually, she will look at him.

" Mr.Edward, may I come in?" and his butler knocked on the door to the room, as he then stands up to see him. An old man with his butler suit waits for him in front of the door, ".. There is some urgent report that I have to tell you."

then he looks at him without his smile on it. " Is it him?"

" Yes. It comes from Imperial Palace that asks for a meeting with you. Yet, I don't know who is the sender."

"... You know, I don't want it," he said, after taking a glance to Irisha who again looked at nothing. "... He will never be able to do something as long as Irisha here."

and the butler seemed troubled, " But..."

" I don't want to hear anything anymore," he said. " Just keep eyes on Arisha, bring her back after she is done with her school, and don't say anything about it to Irisha," he said. Where the butler then nodded in surrender.

.

and he sighed, ' Just go away, you fucker!' he wishes it, really. ' She does not want to meet you, so let her be, will you?' just go away and let them be.

It has been more than a week since Irisha came to his mansion and it was all because of the urgency to run away from that prince. Yet, on that very day also, the crown prince visited. The death stare was really terrifying, he felt the pain in his lung and even all of his servants collapsed eventually.

" I want to meet Irisha." and he tried to brag in, forced himself inside.

Yet, he stood in front of him. " You know that she will not like it, is not it? Your Grace?"

" Who are you to meddle in?"

and he gasped with a sudden pressure in his lung, while somehow grinned. " Then tell me who you are to Ms. Irisha?" who then made him twitch while strengthening his pheromone. "... yo-u, you could do it ... yet, it might just ... made Ms.Irisha despises you even m-more, Yo-your Grace..."

and the man somehow soften, to the point that it annoyed Edward so much. Yes, it was lit the fury inside him in an abnormal way.

' Are not you the wicked crown prince in this empire?' he is. As this fucking dragon's pheromone hurt Edward's lung so bad. Yet, the most painful one was the fact that he saw, a mad man that people were terrified of, hold himself for a mere commoner.

' Who is Ms.Irisha for you? and who are you for her?'

and it is really painful to think about it as Edward feels that he already found the answer. Yet, he just ignored it while pretending he knows nothing. He keeps Irisha inside his mansion without letting her know about how imperial knights somehow surround his mansion now.

"... fucking prince."

and it is now feeling like a cold war between him and the wicked prince and it is all for this woman with her brunette hair. " Are you done?" asked him, who is now standing beside her while trying to fix her falling hair.

[ I am done.] she said, who will just brush his hand smoothly as nothing is happening.

and Edward will hold his feeling while looking away at the food that's barely been touched.

[ You talked quite a while, is there something wrong?] and how she will then ask him about something to him. The concern in her expression is showing off if it is regarding this matter.

then he shakes his head. " It is nothing. I just asked the butler to prepare Arisha's desserts, because she will be back from school soon."

then she giggles, faintly. [ You are really a good guy, are not you?]

" I am," he said while smiling. Which again, ignoring the fact that the guilt, crawling inside him as if it is choking him.

***

.

.

"... It-t is really not the best time is not it?!" said Ray in disbelief while looking at his subordinate who look at him in panic.

" But, the general really need him to be present! The Jahar's troop is passing the border and they need his order!"

and Ray holds his head that feels so hurt, " How am I suppose to tell him with this strong pheromone of him?!" because even they are now far from the room where the crown prince is, the pheromone of him is strong enough for them to feel. " I might die if I come to him now!" and his mind was already full enough to prepare for the worst thing that was about to happen in this situation. " How about the emperor or the empress?" he looks at him expectantly as it is their only hope but-

"... Father already leads the troop to Jahar." the first princess then shows up suddenly, " Mother... also come with him."

and they both look at her who recently soften her aggressive demeanor with a light and bright expression, " T-then, what is your order, Your Grace?"

and she smiles vainly, " What do you mean? You already know how much he fell for Sister Irisha, is not it?" as she grits her teeth to this fucked up situation, " Ash has already gone too, he might be able to help... I also ordered the knight to guard him, just make sure you look- Go." she said after she turns away from them to the empty hallway that leads to the wicked prince room only. Then, Ray and his subordinate understand her meaning in a second and run away.

Not a long time after that, Ivy gasped as the pheromone that she feels now is pretty strong enough for her to feel threatened. Then she tries to smile after she looks at a man with the same golden color as her, with the same platinum hair as her. The replica of her appearance from someone that she calls a brother, " You look like a mess brother." and he really is as he looks like he has no sleep for entire days, and the death glare of him is so dreadful. " You can not go anywhere," she said while spreading out her hands in front of him.

Yet, his glowing eyes look at him with a deathful gaze.

she gulped, "... Y-you have to stay here."

and he smirks. " I am not ... in such mood to talk, ... right?" he said, and Ivy simply understand that it is a threat for her to not bother him.

" ... Y-you still can- UGH!" Yet, a strong pheromone attacks her lung as if it squeezes her so badly. " b-brothe-" and she holds her chest tight to help the agonizing pain to go away. " ... Bro-ther!" and she looks at his eyes miserably in the hope he wakes up.

Brak!

and she collapsed, as soon as the pain goes away. Her knees are losing her strength as well as her mind, yet- she tries to stand up- " D-don't go!" she begged. Yet, he is not turning away. " Sister Irisha will not like yo-"

" SHE IS THE ONE-" and the fact that he screams, painfully, while somehow the voice feels trembling stopped Ivy. She looks into his hand who holding his own hands tightly to the point it leaking blood. "... she is the one who despises me is not it?" and walks away with the painful feeling that even Ivy could understand.

.. . because the dragon loves his treasure entirely.

It is to the point that a dragon will then choose to take the pain instead, to make his treasure happy. Then for an unknown reason, Irisha chooses to go away from him, leaving his proud brother in his miserable state. Irisha keeps him out, which makes him could not do anything. other than being drown in his pain.

. "... but, you can not brother," Ivy said, while somehow trying to stand and run to the nearest balcony. " AHAVA COME!" and calls the dear one of her. " Bring me to Sister Irisha!" as the first princess then jumps into her saddle smoothly. She then flies fast as if times are her enemy.

' I believe in you.' She was once not, but now she is.

She now believes in the woman who once embrace the mad princess tightly and cried for her.

' I believe in you...'

and she really does,

' So please, help my brother.'

***