Jade couldn’t grasp everything from Rosana’s fragmentary story.

However,

“…That must have been difficult.”

“…”

Rosana didn’t deny it, only showing a bitter smile.

“No one said so, but… Yes. I think it was a bit difficult for me.”

Rosana closed her eyes tightly. Even when she wore a blank expression, people mistook it for having bad intentions. She looked up at him anew.

It’s really strange… All the way here, she’d worried about what to do if she couldn’t open her mouth in front of him out of old habit, but her mouth chattered away just fine, making those worries pointless.

Was it because she saw his warmly shining eyes? 

Seeing him, she felt the knots she’d been agonizing over melt away smoothly. He saw through Rosana’s true feelings that no one knew, turned her inside out, and demanded she speak the truth. Would it be laughable if even that coercion felt gentle…

“It seems there were no proper humans besides me.”

Rosana burst into laughter. Jade stared intently at Rosana’s face. It was a markedly different expression. 

The smile lingering on her lips was natural, and her eyes that had been drooping somewhere now looked straight ahead. Rosana continued while gazing at the calm surface of her teacup.

“What happened with Mari cursing at me and leaving might have been natural. Of course. Because I brought it on myself. And I became sick of everything. I let go. I didn’t want to be called ‘Rosana,’ but I thought of myself as ‘Rosana.’ I realized I was applying other people’s one-sided standards to myself. Really… I was a foolish, hopeless woman.”

“But in the end, you’re the one who realized it.”

Rosana’s soft laugh filled the air.

“No. It’s thanks to Your Majesty. Everything… everything…”

There’s someone who sees me. There’s someone who waits. There’s someone who gives courage.

It’s all thanks to you. That’s why I could have courage. Could realize it. Rosana curled her fingertips.

“Don’t belittle yourself too much. Even if I gave you the opportunity, you’re the one who accomplished it. If you were hopeless, you wouldn’t have come. Have confidence. Don’t underestimate your achievement. You’re a remarkable woman who captured my attention.”

Jade resolutely encouraged her. He recalled Emma’s behavior and clicked his tongue inwardly. 

To think only such people were around her. He’d never liked the Astrot Empire originally, but this was the first time rage surged up like this.

Warm warmth flowed into Rosana’s chest. She bit her lips. Somehow her vision spun. Through her blurred vision, his figure appeared hazy.

Rosana thought he was overestimating her. In the end, the fact that she avoided things didn’t change. Rosana shook her head with a tearful voice.

“But I kept looking away. I made excuses, pretended it wasn’t so, turned my eyes away pretending not to see. How can I say such a person is remarkable?”

“Looking away…”

Jade muttered quietly.

“But you’re right before my eyes.”

“…”

At his words, Rosana slowly raised her head. Jade stood up, pressing on the table. Then he leaned toward Rosana. 

He reached out toward Rosana, who looked ready to shed tears at any moment. His thick thumb gently swept down Rosana’s cheek. Then he applied force to his fingertips to lift her face.

“It’s a matter of how far you allow the word ‘avoidance.’ There are times when you want to close your eyes and turn your head. Everyone does. But didn’t you go round and round, then open your eyes again and face the problem head-on?”

Rosana stared blankly up at Jade. Whenever she fell into the swamp of self-loathing, it was always Jade who pulled her out. His eyes drew beautiful curves.

‘You can think of it that way too…’

He really looks at problems from perspectives I never considered. Unable to ignore her aching chest, tears fell drop by drop.

“Can I… who took over 10 years to face the problem squarely… become confident?”

Tears flowing down Rosana’s cheeks ran along Jade’s hand. Jade’s gentle voice sounded like a small song in Rosana’s ears.

“Isn’t it rather proof of those long years?”

“…”

“Some might scold you for being slow like a turtle. They might find your words absurd, saying you only now realized when you were the one who looked away. But you eventually realized it. You’ve already grasped the important fact in your hands. Or will you march in place again?”

“…No.”

Rosana blinked. The teardrop hanging on the corner of her eye fell. Jade, hearing the answer he wanted, raised the corners of his mouth refreshingly.

“I think you’re remarkable for shattering in one stroke the thoughts and notions that oppressed you for 10 long years. Even if the process is long, even if it’s arduous, what matters is that you ultimately achieved it.”

Jade withdrew the hand that had been wiping her tears and extended his hand before Rosana’s eyes. Rosana didn’t know the intention behind the action. But she soon realized. It meant to grasp it herself. Rosana placed her trembling hand on top of his.

Jade immediately grasped Rosana’s hand, and his thick fingers smoothly slipped between Rosana’s fingers. Thick fingers intertwined between each finger.

“Even if you’re slow, I’ll wait for you. So stop crying and smile.”

Rosana couldn’t ignore her pounding heartbeat. Rosana’s eyes curved sadly, but what formed on her lips was a smile. She smiled as brightly as possible, just like he said.

Seeing Rosana’s smile, Jade was satisfied. Yes, he’d wanted to see that smile. From now on, continuously. The satisfaction boiling up from deep in his chest felt strange yet pleasant.

Rosana’s eyes were red and bloodshot from crying, and tears continued to flow down her cheeks drop by drop, but the light of her smile didn’t fade. Rosana slowly bowed her head.

“Your Majesty. Meeting you was truly…”

A long silence followed after those words.

Jade tried to pull his hand away, but Rosana grasped his hand more firmly, telling him not to go. 

Rosana closed both eyes and felt the warmth while firmly holding his hand with her other hand too. It was an action born from wanting to take his warmth.

At her action of not letting go, Jade left one hand to Rosana and propped his chin with the other. The teardrops falling on the table decreased one by one. Though silence hung in the air, it wasn’t awkward. Rather, a gentle breeze enveloped them. Jade stared intently at Rosana with a soft gaze.

How much time had passed? Rosana raised her head. Not a gently smiling smile, but a spirited one.

‘Remarkable.’

That was Jade’s honest impression. He hadn’t expected Rosana to come this quickly. No matter how much you repeat that you’ll change, people don’t change. But Rosana had realized. She was different from that time when she couldn’t say anything and was left behind.

“The answer to my question? I waited because you said you’d give me the answer I’ve been waiting for. What is your wish?”

Jade made a mischievous expression. He looked forward to what answer the current Rosana would give. Rosana quietly withdrew her hand. Jade thought the departing warmth was somewhat regrettable.

“Please expel Emma.”

“That’s not difficult. But your wish can be something else. I’ll do the maid matter as a bonus.”

It was a reward for her efforts. But Rosana shook her head, saying she didn’t desire anything more. Jade had already fulfilled many things for Rosana. He’d discovered her, seen through her, and encouraged her.

Now, what she wanted to achieve grandly enough to call a wish was the invisible emotion called happiness. And perhaps that…

“It’s fine. I’ve received much from Your Majesty. And… my wish will probably be fulfilled naturally if I stay here. Thank you so much.”

Rosana burst into pleasant laughter. Jade, whose soul had naturally escaped at her smile, came to his senses with a start. He glanced at Rosana while slightly covering his mouth with his palm. Jade felt embarrassed by Rosana’s praising tone and awkwardly touched the back of his neck.

Ahem, he cleared his throat and gestured to call Malek, who was standing far away. He told him to go immediately and expel Emma. To ignore any resistance and drag her out. The embarrassed expression disappeared in the blink of an eye, replaced by a cold face.

Rosana, watching Jade, quietly picked up her teacup and took a sip. Then she ran her finger over the surface of the teacup. Rosana carefully chose her words.

She wanted to express to him the emotion she’d felt all this time, but couldn’t think of appropriate words. She’d said thank you too many times. It was too clichéd. She hadn’t known she’d regret not having a way with words. After a long while, Rosana opened her mouth.

“I’m glad I’m marrying Your Majesty.”

Rosana smiled more brightly than the sun floating in the sky. Jade blinked slowly. The sun could be seen by looking up at the sky, but he had the idle thought that the smile before his eyes was the sun itself.

Though it was a brief answer, he couldn’t hide the corners of his mouth rising crookedly. He’d been the one who thought he wanted to draw out emotion from her expressionless face, but rather she was drawing out unusual emotions from him.

‘Well, not bad.’

Rosana, who’d been pondering what other words there might be, saw Jade’s shining eyes and unknowingly blurted out words. Her words caused even more ripples in Jade’s stirring heart.

“Your Majesty’s eyes are just like a night with a cluster of stars.”

“Huh?”

Rosana, who’d gained the courage to stand up from those eyes, uttered maximum praise. Jade laughed hollowly, saying it was absurd.

Jade wanted to say that was her hair. Rosana’s hair, beautifully scattered like golden silk, was very beautiful. More than his eyes.

To begin with, Jade’s eyes were rumored to be frightening, never having been called beautiful. And stars. They didn’t suit such a romantic designation. But Rosana was sincere.

She had memories of endlessly gazing out the window at night as a child, believing the saying that wishes made when shooting stars fell would come true. 

She’d seen a shooting star then. Jade, who fulfilled Rosana’s wish, was shining with the same golden light as that shooting star.

“You’re saying embarrassing things.”

“Because I decided to be honest.”

“…Right, that’s fine. From now on, let’s have many conversations and get to know each other.”

Rosana responded with a smile. Then she stood up with a refreshed expression. Jade grabbed her wrist.

“Wait a moment. Malek.”

“Yes, here.”

A bouquet so large it was amazing where he’d pulled it from suddenly popped out from Malek’s hands. Jade received it and handed it to Rosana.

“I’m sorry.”

“Pardon?”

Rosana looked bewildered at Jade apologizing out of the blue. Jade awkwardly scratched his cheek. He looked embarrassed to say something.

He continued slowly.

“Thinking about it, didn’t I only apologize with words last time? It’s been bothering me that I passed over it too briefly compared to what I’d done.”

He made an awkward expression and kept rubbing the back of his neck. It was his first time doing something embarrassing like giving a bouquet to a woman. Rosana’s eyes widened at the sight of him watching for a reaction like a child who’d done wrong.