Looking at Teren, even in a supposed safe area, made Catherine's heart pound with anxiety and fear. However, her fear that if she backed down, her friends will be endangered was stronger than the fear of being hurt herself.

Teren took down his phone, waiting for Catherine to answer. Before long, she answered.

"Umm... ahem! I just want to greet you but now that I think about it, I have something to ask."

Although Catherine thought of her friends, she also felt betrayed that they didn't back her up!

'Hmph! You people wait there! If you actually left me because of boredom, you will be giving me a reason to throw a big tantrum!'

With that determination, she sat in front of Teren without waiting for his answer. But it doesn't seem like he was bothered...

"What you want to ask? Though ..." he lowered his eyelids, "if your question is stupid enough to waste my free time, you can leave now."

... he still said cold words.

Teren has changed ever so slightly. Before, interaction with him was always a bother to him that it would make him sigh. Why? Becuase they would figure out his psychopathic side that will ruin his ruin. But now, other people already knew of this, like Catherine so he was a bit comfortable about it.

Catherine gulped but truthfully, what she said wasn't a bluff, she actually want to ask Teren something.

Her friends were started when she sat in front of him as if they're going to talk which they will. They began to question what the situation is but they're too scared to approach them. In the end, the group got tired of just standing still. They sat in front of a neighboring restaurant which, conveniently enough, has a table for five of them and from there, they can see Catherine and Teren's back inside the cafe.

"I want to ask this last time but... I was too in shock after you... do that to me...!"

Just remembering the several merciless stabs on the stomach Teren gave her, Catherine's face became bitter.

Seeing this, Teren called a waiter and ordered something.

Catherine frowned but wasn't surprise how Teren reacted.

'He really doesn't care...'

That's why she just got to the point.

"According to the rules of the contract, my personal rule was that if you harm me, you will lose blood, right?"

Teren nodded.

"Yeah, that's why even though Hanon has yet to sign, I was affected and so I healed you."

"Then... after Sir Hanon signed his, our connected rules will take effect so if you harm me again this time, what do you think your punishment will be?"

"... about... maybe forty percent of my blood will be lost. If I harm you, I have broken your personal rule and then the combined contracts, including yours, which is three."

"That... will kill you, right? Forty percent is actually a lot if I'm correct."

"For ordinary people, yes."

"You mean, it will not kill you?"

Catherine was just starting but she had gone pale already. She had yet to ask her main question but she felt like she was getting the answers for it.

"I don't know... forty percent is forty percent even for me, so depending on the situation, maybe. If I'm in a safe place and in perfect health at first, I can avoid dying, and later on, I will recover."

"..."

Catherine began to perspire as her imagination began to rile up. However, that question was not everything she wants to ask so she continued.

"Then... how does the contract define the harm you've done to me? Are there intervals? For example, if you... s-stab me five times, will you break the rules five times? Or if you stab me how many you want in one minute, you're just breaking the rule one time?"

Even though Catherine bombarded Teren with questions, he was able to keep up since that was once in his mind some time ago.

But before he answers Catherine's question, he asked her-

"Catherine, do you believe in any words I say?"

"... do you have a reason to lie?"

"That's a dumb question. Whether yes or no, I don't think that will prove anything. But I can tell you one thing."

"What?"

"I have a reason to be honest."

Teren pointed, taking Catherine aback. He sounded honest which plagued her mind.

"Then... what's that reason?"

But she still asked.

"Simple, I want to gain your and your friends' trust."

"That can also be a lie, right?"

"Yeah, but if it is, I could've just answered your earlier question."

Catherine wanted to say that maybe Teren was just scheming it but she felt that the conversation will not go anywhere. She had a trust towards Teren that is close to zero if not totally zero. Therefore, whatever Teren answers her, she will just doubt it and continue asking.

Teren understood this and at that moment, the waiter Teren called came to them and placed a sliced chocolate cake and a special kind of coffee on the table.

"Here you go, Sir."

When the waiter left, Catherine raised an eyebrow and just reflexively said=

"You're going to eat again?"

"Hm? No, it's for you. Hm... how should I say this... sorry for what I did to you and to your friends the other night..."

"..."

Catherine froze, unable to process what Teren said which the latter replied with an awkward smile.

"I know, it's far from enough but someday, I will eventually compensate for what I did to you."

"... is this a joke?"

"No, if you don't want it, just say it. But, I mean, it's not like they're going to spill out of your stomach, right?"

Teren chuckled at his own joke but seeing no reaction from Catherine, he stopped.

"I guess that's an insensitive joke..."

"Did you just tell a joke?"

"Yeah, I just told you it's an insensitive joke..." Teren sighed. Of course, it's not going to be easy to remove Catherine's doubts.

'I thought telling a joke would be nice but I could only think of that one. Argh! I'm so awkward!'

"Do you have more questions?"

Teren asked so that Catherine will forget about what he just said. But at the next moment...

'Spill... out of my stomach...?'

"P-pfft-!"

Catherine covered her mouth.