Jade’s brow furrowed endlessly.

“Rather…”

Rosana couldn’t bring herself to forget those words. Everyone twisted Rosana with one mind. 

Being swept up in those words wasn’t his fault. It was simply her fate. That’s what Rosana thought.

Rather, she was grateful. No one else had tried to see her. Rosana’s voice only echoed in the air without reaching anyone. But it reached him. Rosana kept her head bowed low, fidgeting with her fingers.

“For calling the merchants to learn the truth… I’m grateful.”

“You won’t even accept an apology easily.”

“What? That’s not…”

“Enough.”

A long silence settled in the room. Jade didn’t know how to continue the conversation, so he crossed his arms and tapped his fingers.

He couldn’t get his bearings on what to say because Rosana’s response—thanking him for apologizing—was also unexpected. 

Moreover, he’d almost never had a comfortable conversation with an ordinary lady. He was more comfortable wielding a sword and causing a ruckus.

“Come to think of it, I’ve never had a leisurely conversation with you. I always came barging in because I had business. Looking back, I was a real bastard.”

Jade, recalling the past like he was blaming himself, shook his head at his own actions. Every time he’d entered Rosana’s room, it had been when he barged in with misunderstandings.

“That’s not true!”

“Then will you enjoy tea time with me? I want to know about you.”

Jade suggested with his eyes gently curved. Rosana found Jade’s friendly approach a bit awkward. Perhaps because of yesterday’s events, it seemed one layer of his wariness had been peeled away. A small smile bloomed on Rosana’s lips.

“Do you dislike it?”

“…No.”

Then, right on cue, a maid knocked on the door. She was holding a tea tray. It was prepared in an instant, seemingly knowing Jade would enjoy tea time.

“First, let’s do an ice compress before that.”

“Ah… I’m fine. There’s no wound.”

“That’s why we’re just doing an ice compress.”

Jade skillfully wrapped and tied a handkerchief with ice around the back of Rosana’s hand. Jade, who smiled slightly at the result, picked up a teacup.

“Drink.”

Rosana took a sip. Her eyes scrunched up. This time too, it was terribly sweet tea. It tasted the same as the tea she’d been drinking for over ten years. 

She should have grown fond of it and it should suit her taste, but she never got used to the sweetness. Unlike her life, she didn’t like the fragrance and taste that was only sweet. It was Jade who stopped Rosana’s wrist as she drank silently.

“Don’t force yourself to drink it.”

“N-no.”

“Do you think you’re convincing when you say that with your face scrunched up? It’s all nonsense.”

It was information from the documents so its reliability was low, but he’d specially prepared this tea because all the maids said Rosana enjoyed drinking sweet tea. He’d tried to get good marks. It all went down the drain.

“What kind of tea do you like?”

“Pardon?”

“Was my question difficult? From what I see, you don’t seem to like sweet things. I asked what kind of tea you like. We’ll have tea time together often, so I should know your preferences.”

Preferences… just…

“Anything but sweet is fine.”

“I see.”

Jade, who learned Rosana’s preference, smiled with satisfaction. He muttered several times. She dislikes sweet things.

Rosana hid her reluctant expression. The sudden visit and tea time. And Jade’s appearance, curious about her preferences and pleased with her answer, was puzzling. Questions that anyone else would never ask, and words they wouldn’t believe. Rosana, who’d had almost no opportunity to have ordinary conversations with people, found his words strange.

“Your Majesty, were you merely curious about my preferences?”

“Merely? It’s a very important matter.”

Rosana’s eyes widened. Her pupils trembled finely at Jade’s gaze staring intently at her. And Jade smiled broadly, showing off. Rosana’s heart sank.

“Unlike what the maids said, you dislike sweet things. Haven’t I learned one more thing about you?”

About me… Rosana kept silent.

“Do you believe it?”

“What reason would I have not to believe it?”

Rosana was speechless at his confident words. He… believes her. Rosana, who put down her teacup, clenched her hands between her knees.

“If you don’t like sweet things, do you also dislike desserts?”

Rosana smacked her lips several times. Jade patiently waited for her words.

“…I don’t like them.”

“I see. I’ll remember that.”

This time too, Jade nodded casually.

“Are there other parts where I’m misunderstanding? Or even things I know incorrectly are fine. Try telling me.”

Jade threw a stone, creating ripples in Rosana’s calm heart.

The moment she heard the word “misunderstanding,” Rosana’s mouth stuck shut and wouldn’t open.

“Won’t you speak? Like last time.”

At Jade’s words, Rosana’s finely trembling pupils stopped. He could see her stiffened appearance, but he didn’t stop talking.

“You said so last time. That speaking wouldn’t get through. I was foolish then. Probably… no, certainly I wouldn’t have believed you even if you’d explained in that situation.”

“…”

“But now is different. I know it’s not true. I’ve already confirmed it with my own eyes and I’m certain. So you can speak. I’m different from who I was then.”

But Rosana’s mouth never opened in the end. A long silence came, but Jade shrugged his shoulders. The nuance was that either way was fine. Jade expected she wouldn’t open up easily.

Words are easy. You just ramble on with what comes out of your mouth. She’d been swayed by such words all her life. He’d kicked away opportunities several times.

‘Of course she can’t open up easily.’

Even thinking about it now, it was truly regrettable. He didn’t quite know why he felt regret, but he did.

“Hmm…”

He could see a long line drawn in her eyes telling him not to approach. Was it greed to want to step over that line?

“Let me change the subject. Why don’t you ask?”

“…What do you mean?”

“About my appearance you saw yesterday.”

Seeing Rosana’s surprised appearance, the corners of Jade’s mouth rose slightly. Rosana quietly raised her head to meet his eyes. She saw golden eyes shining quietly but brilliantly. His eyes seemed to be looking forward to what story she’d bring up.

He, who had been asking about misunderstandings, was exposing his own shame. The beast’s appearance…

It was certain that was an appearance others shouldn’t know about. She was surprised and curious. But she’d experienced so many absurd things that it wasn’t much of a blow. It was just that. More than anything, whether human or beast…

“I thought it didn’t particularly matter. Because nothing changes whether Your Majesty is a wolf or not.”

“…Yes, I see. You know what? You’re quite peculiar. I can’t tell where you’ll jump to, so my gaze naturally follows you.”

Jade, who chuckled, continued calmly.

“At first, I thought you were bold because you calmly brushed off my insults and criticism. The dagger incident was the same. But sometimes you’re completely terrified and curled up. And that’s now.”

“…”

Just hearing the rumors about Rosana circulating around, he could roughly guess what her life had been like. The fight she fought alone must have been long. It seemed like seeing his past self.

“Shall we try being honest?”

Jade smiled refreshingly. A refreshing breeze blew away the stuffy air that had been pressing down on Rosana’s shoulders.

“You think I can’t believe your words, right? That can’t be helped. I’ve done what I’ve done. So I’m trying to show you the cards I hold. Originally, when you want to gain someone’s trust, you must first give trust yourself.”

First, you must give trust. While making up for his attitude so far.

‘I see. I want to get close to her.’

He chuckled at his own inner thoughts. Jade grinned, seemingly thinking what he’d said was quite cool. Rosana watched such a Jade.

She’d never thought that way. She’d only lamented that people wouldn’t believe her. Her head naturally bowed. 

Just as she couldn’t control the rushing thoughts, she was startled by the sound of tapping on the table and jerked her head up. Right in front of her, Jade was raising his eyebrows crookedly, seemingly displeased.

“Really, I can’t take my eyes off you for a moment.”

I’m not scolding you. Jade added briefly.

He gathered his thoughts before speaking. The cards he held. He wanted to glimpse Rosana’s pain by revealing his secret and exposing his past. He wanted to give trust. 

‘That I’m different from those people you’re thinking of.’

“Monster blood flows in my body.”

Jade gave a small sneer and raised his hand to rub the area where his heart was. Even now, monster blood flowed through his veins inside his body. 

It was blood that both saved Jade’s life and destroyed him. Rosana didn’t understand the meaning of his words for a moment. Then, as she mulled over his words, her eyes widened.

Monster blood… How can monster blood flow in a human body?

Jade, who smiled faintly seemingly noticing Rosana’s question, continued. He recalled memories with his eyes gently closed.

“As you know, our land is barren. With food already scarce, the appearance of monsters made things even harder. People couldn’t stop the monsters. They lost their homes, lost their food, and gradually fell into the abyss. Furthermore, small countries appeared that targeted the weakened Diovaha. War approached right before our eyes. So my father thought.”

Jade, who met Rosana’s eyes, grinned.

‘What do you think he thought?’

“…He borrowed the monsters’ power.”

Rosana received his words with a devastated heart. She hadn’t known there was such a backstory.

“Borrowed? No, he plundered it. We’re a clan that lives by hunting and plundering, and that was our way of life. I, who would become the next ruler, was just chosen as the subject of that experiment. And hell unfolded.”

Though it was an old matter, he couldn’t hide his bitterness even thinking about it again. An experiment conducted without anyone knowing. With his changed appearance, the rapidly changing circumstances around him.

“Young me was swayed by my father’s words that I could save everyone and accepted the proposal. As a result, the prince who’d been growing up well in the castle suddenly swelled up and transformed into a beast. At that time, I didn’t even know I’d accepted monster blood. So I was dominated even more by the monster blood, easily losing my reason and rampaging. And I was locked in a tower.”

“Why did Your Majesty’s father make such a choice…?”

Jade gave a deflated laugh.

“Because only monsters can deal with monsters. I understood after fighting directly. Monsters increase endlessly, but there aren’t many outstanding knights. Even the knight order and soldiers who achieved excellent victories in wars with other small countries disappeared like a handful of dust before monsters.”

The lives lost to monsters were too many to count. That’s why his steps were heavy whenever monsters appeared. The current imperial knight order had much experience and excellent skills from continuous fights with monsters, but the subjugation process was never smooth.

He was certain that if he hadn’t been injected with monster blood in the past, he couldn’t have risen to this position. Thanks to that, his physical abilities were excellent and he gained special powers. Jade shrugged casually. 

However, Rosana seemed to guess his past.