Chapter 19: This Man is Mine

Edmund looked at Aria who had entered without permission.

Though she was happy to see Edmund after a long time, Edmund inwardly clicked his tongue as he faced her.

‘I guess she hasn’t thought about why it’s been so long.’

There’s usually a reason when something hasn’t happened for a long time.

Edmund wasn’t unaware of the rumors that had followed him since the acade due to Aria being around him.

The speculation was that Edmund and Aria would marry right after graduating from the acade.

Perhaps because the acade was too small, unlike with Clea, he had been bothered by the rumors reaching his ears.

It was awkward for Edmund since others were spreading such talk when he himself hadn’t given it any thought.

If he were to publicly deny it, it would affect their relations with the Hersher family.

Yet if he stayed silent, it might be taken as fact.

For someone like him where even small actions carried political meaning, he wished Aria would refrain from unnecessarily approaching, but she paid no attention to his circumstances.

Rather, when Edmund tried to create distance, she would try to get even closer to him.

So Edmund made a decision.

That after graduating from the academy, he would not meet her in private.

And as planned, Edmund was able to avoid Aria.

If she didn’t cross lines like she was doing now, Edmund could hide safely in his sanctuary.

“Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“That’s not it.”

“Really? That’s a relief. I thought you might be uncomfortable with me visiting like this.”

Aria asked Edmund while her sparkling, lime-colored eyes.

Edmund felt his resolve weakening when he saw those eyes.

He thought about averting his gaze for a moment but.

‘I should send her away quickly. To avoid any misunderstandings.’

He was worried about Clea.

What would she think if she saw this scene?

Though there were less now, someone who was once talked about for marriage had come to see him.

Not wanting to cause unnecessary misunderstandings, Edmund wanted to send her away quickly before Clea noticed.

“So why did you come here?”

Having no intention of making small talk, he tried to get to the point while looking through documents.

Though Aria felt slightly hurt by Edmund’s attitude, she soon smiled and said in a bright voice,

“Well, I heard some strange rumors.”

Edmund frowned at the word ‘rumors.’

Like with Lloyd, and during dinner with Odin, he wondered what exactly these rumors were about.

Thinking it must be related to him, he asked,

“What rumors?”

Despite Edmund’s harsh tone, she paid it no mind.

Rather, seeing Edmund’s attitude, she muttered that it couldn’t be true. With an even brighter expression, she answered his question,

“I heard rumors that you and the young lady from the Odoi ducal family were having secret meetings.”

Hearing this, Edmund lifted his gaze from the documents.

His expression turned to bewilderment.

But before seeing Edmund’s expression, Aria added,

“Isn’t it such a ridiculous rumor? When Lloyd came and told me, I thought I should ask you directly, but I guess Lloyd must have seen wrong.”

Hearing Lloyd’s name mentioned, Edmund sighed in exasperation.

‘After losing his fiancée, I thought he’d try to find a way to get her back, but to go to Aria…’

His evaluation of Lloyd plummeted to the point where he felt ashamed to have called him a friend. His expression twisted.

In fact, more than their past friendship, something else bothered him more.

‘It’s even more laughable that Clea almost married someone like him.’

Since they had been engaged, he might have even ended up being the best man at their wedding.

Edmund imagined himself in that situation.

He would probably have had minor worries like why the bride wasn’t smiling at all at what should be a blessed wedding.

‘Even after marriage, that fool probably wouldn’t realize he was a married man and would still go meeting Aria.’

Edmund’s mood soured as he imagined Lloyd and Clea’s wedding.

The thought of her becoming another man’s woman in a white dress was extremely unpleasant.

Meanwhile, Aria failed to read the atmosphere.

Perhaps it was because she had grown up in an environment where everyone only paid attention to her.

Was that why?

She blurted out words she shouldn’t have in front of Edmund, who was already in a bad mood.

“Edmund, when will we get married?”

“What are you saying… Clea?”

Edmund was about to demand what she meant by talking about marriage.

But unfortunately, he couldn’t finish his words.

“Clea, this is a misunderstanding.”

“Why is Clea here?”

Edmund was taken aback as he met eyes with Clea who had suddenly appeared.

Why was she here?

More importantly, how much had she heard?

Various thoughts crossed his mind as he stood up to approach her.

He was afraid she might run away in disgust after hearing this conversation.

What worried him most was that her opinion of him might become similar to her opinion of Lloyd.

Rising from his seat, Edmund quickly approached, worried Clea might leave.

“Clea?”

However, the opposite of what he feared happened.

Clea, standing in the doorway, didn’t run away upon seeing Edmund and Aria together.

She glanced at where Aria was, then turned her gaze to Edmund.

Edmund, usually cold as ice, stood there looking very flustered.

‘This is interesting.’

It was rare to see him flustered like this. Yet she had already seen that expression several times.

Remembering his confessions as they left the garden, Clea smiled.

Even without hearing those words, she wouldn’t have run away.

But having heard the confession, there was even less reason to run.

Aria’s expression was gripped by some kind of anxiety.

Recalling her memories, Clea realized it was the first time she’d seen Aria make such an expression. Clea turned her gaze back to Edmund.

When their eyes met, she grabbed Edmund’s collar.

“What are you doing!”

When Clea grabbed Edmund’s collar, Aria screamed.

But Clea paid no attention.

Edmund closed his eyes and remained still despite having his collar grabbed.

He would gladly take even a slap if it would help her calm down a little.

But a situation occurred that surprised everyone except Clea.

“Since we went to the same academy, I’ll speak informally, is that okay?”

Though it had been years since they graduated from the academy, Clea had no intention of being formal regardless of what Aria might say.

“I never liked you. You know that?”

“W-what?”

“Why do you keep trying to stick your spoon where it doesn’t belong?”

“What do you mean someone else’s! What are you! And what spoon?”

Expecting Aria to scream again enough to hurt her ears, Clea immediately put her next thought into action.

She didn’t know what Edmund would think.

Surely, she thought that if he wanted, she would voluntarily leave someday.

That moment would be when her death was completely imminent and she might burden those around her, or when someone else appeared by his side.

However, thinking that moment wasn’t now, Clea quietly took action.

‘I’ll show you. Why I said this man is mine.’

Still smiling, she pulled Edmund’s collar toward her.

Edmund was pulled along helplessly, offering no resistance.

Soon, the two kissed in front of others.

Aria stood frozen, bewildered by what she was seeing.

Despite witnessing this reaction, Clea still did not break the kiss.

While maintaining eye contact with Aria to provoke her further, she thought,

‘Even if she’s the female lead, I don’t want to let her take this man so easily.’

Knowing how the ending would play out, Clea decided to act like a villainess for the first time.

Though Edmund might voluntarily go to Aria someday, until then, she wanted to show who this man belonged to.

Clea broke the kiss and looked at Edmund.

She found it cute how he stared at her in a daze, unable to look away. Suppressing a laugh, Clea asked him:

“Do you still think I’m misunderstanding, Edmund?”

“…No.”

Leaving Edmund behind, who seemed not quite back to his senses, Clea approached Aria.

Though Aria backed away as Clea approached, she soon hit the wall. She froze in place.

Clea reached out to grab her soft pink hair and whispered,

“Unfortunately, this man is mine, Aria.”

“B-but you have your fiancé Lloyd Persi!”

Feeling like she might be overwhelmed by Clea’s pace, Aria raised her voice.

The more she raised her voice, the more her anxiety showed on her face.

“Oh my, haven’t you heard?”

But as they say ‘there’s always someone who can fly above those who jump,’ Clea spoke calmly, completely unstirred,

“I broke off the engagement with that man. So if you want him, go ahead and take him.”