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Chapter 33
“You said we’d go to your house—why the palace?”
Edwin gave a gentle smile.
“Everything will go well, Senpai.”
He spoke softly, narrowing his eyes in a subtle expression.
A short while later, the two of them arrived at the restaurant.
From the moment they entered the entrance until they sat down, Edwin escorted Dana with practiced ease.
As if he had been trained that way since childhood.
Now that Dana thought about it, he always carried a noble demeanor in his posture.
Whether eating, drinking tea, or even walking, there was never a hint of carelessness.
“What kind of environment did Edwin grow up in?”
Even Jamie, supported by his parents in every way, didn’t have that kind of presence.
When Dana cautiously looked at Edwin, he smiled.
“Do you have something to say?”
“Well… I mean, shouldn’t we greet your parents?”
Dana worried that bringing up family might make him uncomfortable.
Edwin’s usually relaxed lips tightened slightly.
Introducing his family was essentially revealing his status.
Once again, a sense of unease washed over Dana.
He quickly masked his expression.
“…Alright, we’ll meet them during the Founding Festival.”
As Edwin cut Dana’s meat, he continued speaking.
“There will probably be many visitors, so we should ask them to spare a little time.”
“Visitors? You mean a lot of people will come?”
“Something like that.”
Was he running a restaurant?
It was getting harder and harder to understand.
At that moment, Edwin spoke to Dana softly.
There was something unusually serious about his tone.
“…Senpai.”
“Yes?”
“You only need to remember one thing.”
“What is it?”
“No matter my position… my feelings toward you are genuine.”
There was weight in his voice, and his gaze was unflinchingly serious.
A shadow of worry crossed Dana’s face.
“Is his situation worse than I thought…?”
Perhaps it was a complicated matter.
Dana asked him directly.
“So, you can’t say anything about it right now?”
“No…”
Edwin always observed Dana carefully.
If she was curious about something, he would usually take the initiative to tell her.
But it was obvious—even to Dana—that he avoided speaking about his family.
His noble manners and tone, and a family that didn’t particularly welcome him…
Dana came to one conclusion.
“Could he be an illegitimate child of a noble…?”
Then everything made sense.
Perhaps he had lived a life even darker than hers.
“Now it’s my turn to comfort Edwin.”
Dana wanted to return the comfort she had received.
She put on a bright expression.
“Edwin, look at me.”
In a firm voice, she called his name.
When Edwin looked up, his blue eyes met hers squarely.
“It’s alright. No matter the situation, you’re my husband, Edwin.”
“….”
“Don’t be afraid. Say whatever’s on your mind. We’re married now.”
Dana’s voice rang clearly.
“We share everything with each other. A bond that will never be broken.”
Understand? Dana smiled warmly.
A bond that will never be broken…
Edwin quietly repeated those words.
“Thank you.”
He smiled.
In his red eyes, there was only Dana.
Late at night, Edwin escorted Dana to her mansion as he always did.
Before letting her go, he hesitated slightly.
Leaning forward, he met her gaze.
In a voice full of concern, he said:
“…Are you really okay?”
“Yes, I’ll go to your house tomorrow.”
“Not tomorrow… I’m worried about tonight itself.”
Before leaving her house, Dana had said she would take the illegal loan documents and IDs her family had handled.
That meant she would be tampering with her brother’s safe.
There was no one on Dana’s side in this mansion.
If she were caught, a threatening situation would surely arise.
“Don’t worry.”
Dana showed him the strong wine bottle she had brought.
It was the liquor they had ordered at the restaurant they dined in together.
“If it’s expensive alcohol, they’ll all jump at it.”
“….”
“Go on inside. You have work tomorrow.”
She patted Edwin’s back, reassuring him with a smile.
“…Alright. Take care.”
Edwin reluctantly replied.
And until Dana went inside, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.
“I just want to burn it all down…”
A chilling thought ran through his mind.
At that moment, Dana waved brightly as if to reassure him.
Edwin quickly shook off his dark thoughts.
This was a problem Dana had to handle herself.
Unless she wanted him to intervene, stepping in would be ignoring her autonomy.
He forced a smile and waved back.
Dana received his gesture and turned away.
She crossed the garden after passing through the main gate.
Though acting casual, she was equally tense.
Her body was hyper-aware, and the sound of her footsteps on the grass felt unusually loud.
When she opened the door to the mansion… she unconsciously swallowed.
Her heart began pounding from the tremor.
From the dining room came a loud noise.
“Wahaha!”
“Jamie has a witty way of speaking, huh.”
As always, it was the laughter of her family.
Late-night returning Dana wasn’t even on their minds.
Dana entered the dining room.
“What? If you’re done, go quietly inside.”
Jamie scowled at her.
Since childhood, he had always been particularly hostile toward Dana.
It was like seeing an intruder who shouldn’t have been there.
Ignoring Jamie’s reaction as usual, Dana pulled out the wine bottle.
“I bought this for you two. Drink it.”
The eyes of the viscount widened as he checked the label.
“Isn’t this expensive liquor?”
Once he mentioned it, everyone rushed to the new bottle.
The strong alcohol gradually dulled their minds.
Dana couldn’t sleep until dawn.
Not until the laughter of her family ceased.
Not until they staggered into their bedrooms.
She kept her ears toward the lower floor.
“Ugh…”
Finally, she heard Jamie climbing the stairs.
The sound of his bedroom door opening, the thud as he collapsed onto the bed…
His thoughtless movements made it easy to anticipate his path.
Dana held her breath continuously.
In the dark night, relying on a small lamp, she focused entirely on Jamie.
After a while, only the faint sound of snoring could be heard. Dana cautiously stepped into the hallway.
He hadn’t even closed the bedroom door, still drunk.
She approached Jamie’s bedroom.
Except for Dana’s shabby room tucked in the far corner of the second floor, the rest belonged to Jamie.
He had three rooms: the bedroom, study, and dressing room.
The study was different from other nobles’ usage.
Instead of books, the shelves were filled with luxury items.
Dana didn’t know exactly what was displayed.
Jamie even avoided family entering it.
He always carried the study key at his waist.
“The contract must be there too.”
There was no doubt.
No matter what, she had to get the illegal loan contract today.
Proof of her family’s dealings and their identities.
Dana’s shoulders stiffened.
She slowly approached him.
Jamie, lying on the bed, was fast asleep, snoring even.
Still in his outdoor clothes, he hadn’t even washed.
The key at his waist was visible.
Dana carefully reached for it.
In the dark room, the only support was the gentle moonlight.
“Ugh…”
Jamie mumbled in his sleep, shifting his position.
The key immediately moved in the opposite direction.
At a greater distance, Dana rested her hand on his bed.
She couldn’t put full weight, afraid he might feel her presence.
Holding her breath, fearing any contact or sound, she approached cautiously.
Finally, her fingers touched the golden key.
Dana, tense to the last moment, unlocked the keyring at his waist.
“Tied very carefully.”
Just as she was about to take the key…
“…What are you doing?”
Her eyes met Jamie’s.
