“What is it?”

Rubica asked when seeing him lost on thoughts. She then thought for a moment and raised a pot of water boiled with cinnamon, ginger, and honey instead of coffee and poured it out for him.

“I don’t have that strange drink you like here, so this should do.”

“Tea isn’t strange. It’s much better for your health than this.”

“It’s just dried leaves added to water. Edgar, nothing’s better than this at preventing a cold.”

Edgar pouted. He always tried not to, but he always quarreled with Rubica when they talked. However, he didn’t hate her scolding him like that. She was giving him a drink good for his health, so she was caring about him at least a little. He liked it. Although he hated cinnamon, he emptied the cup Rubica handed him.

“You don’t like cinnamon?”

He frowned a little after finishing the drink, so Rubica couldn’t help but ask.

“Yes.”

Rubica made a complicated expression at hearing that. Edgar put his chin out a little and nodded as if asking what it was about. Then, she shook her head as if dismissing an idea.

“It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing.”

“It’s just, you seem to have similar tastes to someone I know.”

She smiled bitterly while longing gathered on her eyes. Edgar’s heart ached when she smiled like that. It made him feel the high and thick wall between them. She smiled like a noblewoman and behaved like a girl according to circumstances, but sometimes she made an expression that only those who had lived a long life could make. Edgar didn’t know what to do.

“There are many who hate cinnamon.”

He was trying to comfort her, but all he could say was that useless comment. He knew it must have sounded as if he was scoffing at her. Rubica didn’t know what was going on in his mind and smiled bitterly.

“Yes, there are many who like strawberries and hate cinnamon in this world.”

“… how did you know I like strawberries?”

“You ate only strawberries from the cakes Steven brought and didn’t touch the other parts, you picky-eater duke.”

“Hup.”

The last part was what Edgar’s late grandmother often said. She called him the duke since the moment he was born. Everyone said it was going to spoil the child, but she didn’t care. Edgar hadn’t heard that for a long time and couldn’t help laughing out loud. His agitation melted right away.

“You sometimes sound like an old lady.”

Most women would have gotten mad at that point, but Rubica wasn’t mad. She rather looked surprised as if Edgar had just discovered an important secret. Edgar was embarrassed when Rubica didn’t joke back and cleared his throat. Really, she was so unpredictable.

“Rubica, I heard that you have decided not to get mana quartz this year.”

Her face immediately darkened when hearing that. She realized that what she had talked with Ann about the budget this afternoon had been delivered to Edgar. It was the second time, and now she felt an uncontrollable anger.

“This mansion looks clean, but I guess many mice are living here.”

“Mice?”

Edgar was surprised to hear that, and it made her even angrier. He wasn’t even seeing what he had done wrong. She put down her anger and continued to speak with a smile.

“There are many mice hearing and spreading words here, so I think it would be better to clean the house. But I must get your permission first, right?”

Alarms rang in Edgar’s head. She was clearly mad, and she was smiling. That meant she was really, really mad.

“I’m sorry.”

“You have no reason to apologize. It’s my fault, I should have kept this house clean.”

“I am really sorry.”

Edgar turned pale and repeatedly apologized, and Rubica’s anger shrank a little at seeing that he was genuinely sorry. Edgar had been a little honest these days. Plus, this matter was something big. She had meant to talk to him about it before announcing her decision. He was certainly smarter than she was. She felt like he would see why she had made such a decision and find a good way to convince everyone.

“The decision I made… well, it was enough to worry them and make them tell you.”

Edgar was relieved to hear that. She was calming down a little. Now, he didn’t just get goosebumps when Rubica was mad, he feared her anger.

“But I wasn’t planning to do what I wanted without discussing it with you. And… you are much smarter than me.”

Rubica hesitated before adding the final part. It was strange, she couldn’t bring herself to say she wanted his help.

However, Edgar didn’t know she was seeking his advice on how not to get mana quartz. He just thought she was worried about the budget. Looking back on it, it was careless of him.

Why would he think so foolishly? He was smart, so he should have been able to notice what she wanted… but the reason was simple. At first, Edgar was tense but then he was relieved as he received a compliment from Rubica. This made him proud and, unfortunately, proud people tend to make the wrong decisions. He then smiled and pretended to be generous.

“This year is the first year of your stay in this mansion, so there must be many things to take care of and many things to spend money on. I should have thought of it sooner.”

Then, he waited for her to tell him about her worries and rely on him. She was going to say she was worried people might criticize her if she bought more dresses and that she might be extravagant, and he was going to encourage her to do everything she wanted.

However, she didn’t. She didn’t pay much attention to what Edgar just said and continued to drink her hot drink.

“It’s okay. That problem will be solved if we don’t get mana quartz. So, Edgar, is there any way to convince the people?”

“What?”

Edgar frowned hard as he couldn’t believe what he just heard. She never did as he expected, but this was too much. It was more than just breaking his small bit of hope. It was more like throwing a bomb on his head.

“Rubica, what are you talking about?”

Rubica bit her tongue. Till now, although Edgar had tried to make deals about hugs and kisses on the forehead, he had always done as she wanted. He had always done what was good for her. So, she just thought he would also agree with her on this one. Getting mana quartz was an old tradition that had to do with the Claymore’s honor. Moreover, although Edgar did as he pleased, he also valued traditions.

‘The bedroom is enough to show that… he can sleep well if he orders to bring a bed to the duke’s chamber, but he tiringly stays in my room till one in the morning just because it’s a tradition.’

And she had expected that man to easily agree to break the family’s tradition without any explanation… actually, apart from the tradition, it was arrogant to expect him to agree about such an important matter.

Rubica had to admit she had been arrogant, but why had she thought so? Why did she think he would follow her will without any questions about such an important matter…

Rubica was now afraid. Had she been relying on his kindness too much without noticing it? She thought she was now being a little selfish.

“Edgar, I don’t want to get mana quartz.”

Edgar sighed and sat down on the sofa. When they talked, the conversation was always… snapped at some point. He wanted to be her hero, supporting her and making her worries go away whenever she would say, “I need money, what should I do?”

Actually, any woman with just a bit of sense would have noticed all that with what he said earlier.

He did his best to show it, but Rubica would always ignore him at the important moments.

“Don’t worry.”

She got excited when hearing that. Maybe he had a great idea, so she expectantly looked at him while he crossed his legs.

It was the time to show her the coolness of a capable man. Many women had fallen for him when he did that, although that was not what he had wanted, but not Rubica.

Still, he couldn’t give up. He spoke leisurely and elegantly.

“I’ve ordered Carl to withdraw thirty thousand Gold from my private account and put it into yours. Dresses, jewels, gifts, buy as much as you want and don’t care about mana quartz.”

Edgar was silently hoping she would smile brightly at hearing that. No one would be offended when given permission to buy as much as one wanted.

From a kid in front of a candy shop to an old man over 70, everyone smiled widely when hearing that.

Edgar was planning to embrace her when she smiled like that, and he wanted to use the chance to make up to what he had done till now. He wanted to say he had never looked down on her and wanted to respect her and be happy together.

However, Rubica didn’t smile.

She looked even sadder. What was wrong this time? He couldn’t find any faults in what he had just said.

So, he was confused. Rubica was like a difficult math problem impossible to solve.