Aaron slowly turned his head to look at Eileen.

“Did you and Eden lie to me?”

Though the sunlight was certainly shining warmly, it felt so cold.

“You will return with me right now.”

D*mn you, Jackson!

Eileen had no choice but to follow Aaron.

Her legs felt unusually heavy today.

* * *

“Hah.”

Aaron exhaled a deep sigh.

Eileen and Eden, knowing they had done wrong, couldn’t even meet his eyes.

“Not an informant but a guild master. And of the Phantom Guild, no less.”

“……It wasn’t that we were deliberately trying to deceive you.”

“You can speak later, Eden.”

Since the reason for the deception was none other than Aaron himself, Eden felt somewhat indignant.

But Aaron was the type who would get angry at him if he complained about feeling wronged.

Eden had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.

“I’m sure Lady Eileen knows how dangerous that guild is.”

“……!”

Eileen’s body trembled at Aaron’s gentle yet razor-sharp voice.

“Fine, I’ll accept that you had no choice that day because you were trying to save me.”

Aaron, who had been quietly looking at Eileen, brushed his hair up.

He could understand that much.

But what he couldn’t understand was today.

He took a deep breath and slowly began to speak.

“But why were you with that person at that place today?”

“Well……”

She couldn’t easily open her mouth.

She couldn’t tell another implausible lie or make excuses like before. Eileen just kept biting her lip.

Tick tock.

The loud ticking of the clock seemed to urge her to answer.

“……”

Eileen closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.

Then she slowly inhaled again.

Somehow, her mind felt clearer.

Slowly opening her eyes, Eileen now raised her head to meet Aaron’s gaze.

The purple eyes stung a little, but the tenderness hidden behind them remained.

Despite being thoroughly angry with her, his unchanging demeanor made Eileen laugh emptily.

‘Right, I decided not to hurt him anymore.’

Having organized her thoughts, Eileen broke the silence herself.

“I went there to find clues about the culprit who caused the carriage accident.”

“……What?”

Aaron’s eyes trembled slightly as he asked again.

He must be surprised.

Eileen continued without minding.

“It kept bothering me, so I asked Bella to find the culprit. My suspicions were right, and I even met the servant who betrayed us……”

From beginning to end.

After confessing everything she had experienced, her face somehow looked refreshed.

“Hah……”

Unlike her, the longer Eileen’s story went on, the deeper the worry on Aaron’s face grew.

Aaron kept sighing and rubbing his face.

“I kept it secret from you because I didn’t want to see you worry.”

“……”

“And I knew that if you found out there was a culprit, you would surely overwork yourself.”

Eileen reached out and carefully cupped Aaron’s cheek.

His pale face was cold as ice.

“See, even now you’re reacting this way just from hearing about it. How could I have told you?”

Eileen giggled playfully.

But Aaron still looked serious, far from smiling.

“Aaron, are you very angry?”

“……”

“But you know my personality is like this.”

There was still no answer to Eileen’s words.

Just as her brow was about to furrow, Aaron painfully opened his mouth.

“Eileen, I also have something to tell you.”

Like Eileen, Aaron slowly poured out everything that had happened until now. Eileen, who was confused at first, sighed as soon as his long story ended.

“I also didn’t want you to worry. I was planning to tell you after everything was over.”

Even he seemed flustered while telling this incredible story.

“……”

The two couldn’t say anything and just stared blankly at each other.

“……Well.”

Eileen repeatedly clutched and released the hem of her dress.

Sorry? Or thank you? No matter how much she thought about it, she didn’t know what to say first.

In the reception room filled only with the sound of rolling eyeballs, suddenly a voice of astonishment burst out.

“W-wait a minute!”

The owner of the voice was Eden. He first reached out and picked up a teacup.

His throat was too parched to bear.

The tea had gone cold, but he didn’t mind since what he needed now was cold water.

“So what you two are saying is……”

In fact, Eden couldn’t believe Eileen’s story from the moment she started.

His already complicated thoughts became even more tangled after hearing Aaron’s story.

“That the accident of the Duke and Duchess of Ceres wasn’t a simple accident……”

“Attempted murder.”

Aaron, who had been listening beside him, summarized it in just one word.

Then Eden’s voice, mixed with curses, settled low in the reception room.

It was a bit harsh coming from Eden, whose words were usually warm and playful.

If it had been Aaron, it would have been understandable.

“……!”

Eileen looked at Eden with round eyes. It was a look of disbelief.

Of course she knew his personality well, but even more so because Eden’s cursing had never been depicted in the novel.

“We’re continuously finding clues, so we’ll catch them soon.”

But Aaron acted as if it was no big deal. It seemed like this wasn’t the first or second time he had heard such language.

So perhaps he had learned it from Aaron.

“Lady Eileen.”

“Y-yes?!”

Lost in these thoughts, Eileen was startled by the sudden call and answered. As a result, her tone was hilariously unsteady.

“Ahem, w-what is it?”

Eileen cleared her throat and tried to act calm.

Her face was already bright red, but Eden pretended not to notice.

Instead, he gave her a serious look and said,

“I want to help catch the culprit.”

“Ah……”

“Just like Aaron, you’re also my precious friend.”

Precious friend.

It was a short phrase, but it was full of Eden’s sincerity.

Perhaps that’s why Eileen felt like she might cry.

“So don’t struggle alone.”

After finishing his last words, Eden smiled with curved eyes.

“Thank you, Eden.”

Eileen also followed him with a bright smile.

Somehow, the pressure she had felt with each step toward the culprit seemed to lighten a bit.

“Now, next.”

Eden added a beat and turned his gaze toward Aaron.

Another precious person and a friend he always worried about.

Eden placed his hands on his waist and spoke with force,

“Aaron, the same goes for you.”

“Why me.”

Aaron acted sulky, as if he didn’t like it.

Oh well.

Eden sighed softly.

But there was nothing he could do about it.

His friend Aaron de Monston was just that kind of person.

“Don’t forget that I’m always by your side too.”

Eden raised his index finger and poked Aaron’s side hard.

With all the indignation and various emotions he had felt earlier.

“Ugh….. Eden!”

Aaron frowned deeply and shouted.

“What, haven’t you been exercising lately? It wouldn’t hurt if you had muscles.”

Despite his anger, Eden just shrugged his shoulders.

He didn’t forget to add a slightly sarcastic, playful remark.

“Eden de Berg, you…!”

Aaron, who was about to give Eden a piece of his mind while fuming, suddenly held his breath.

Because in his casually turned gaze, he saw Eileen smiling happily with tears welling up in her eyes.

Seeing that sight, he forgot how to breathe.

“Aaron?”

When Aaron, who had been irritated, became quiet, Eden asked in a worried voice.

But that didn’t last long.

‘He loves Eileen more than I thought.’

When he realized that Eileen was at the end of Aaron’s gaze, Eden smiled slightly.

“Anyway, both of you, stop trying to solve things alone. Understood?”

This must be what he could do right now for these lovely lovers.

Eden rang the bell on the table.

Shortly after, the head butler Liam entered with a knock.

“What can I do for you?”

“Liam, I’m sorry, but could you prepare my coat and carriage?”

At Eden’s answer, Eileen looked at him with round eyes.

Eden responded smoothly to her gaze,

“I just remembered an urgent matter.”

Of course, there wasn’t really any urgent business.

He just wanted the two to have time alone.

Meanwhile, Liam returned with a coat and gloves.

Eden quickly put on the gloves and roughly threw on the coat.

“Eileen and Aaron. Sorry, but I’ll be going first.”

Before Eileen could stop him, Eden waved his hand and went outside.

Thinking that when he got home, he would shower his siblings with lots of love.

“……”

After Eden left, an awkward atmosphere briefly lingered in the reception room.

But it didn’t last long before it dissipated.

When their eyes met, the two burst into clear laughter without prompt.

“Eileen.”

Aaron, having contained his laughter, called her in a gentle voice.

“Yes?”

Eileen slowly raised her head and met his gaze.

In the purple eyes that met hers, only tenderness remained now.

“I’m truly sorry for keeping it secret from you.”

“No, I’m the one who should be sorry.”

Eileen gently shook her head.

Then Aaron reached out and carefully enveloped her hand.

“Eileen, there’s something I want to ask of you.”

His words asking for permission were as warm as the afternoon sunlight pouring down on her head.

“I’d like there to be no more secrets between us.”

“……”

“We’re lovers who love each other, after all.”

His request was even warmer than that.

It was so warm that the emotions she had been barely holding back seemed about to overflow.

“……I won’t hide anything, no matter what happens.”

Eileen clenched her fist and spoke with difficulty.

Because if she overflowed here, she felt she would cry too terribly.

“Thank you, Eileen. I’ll keep my promise too.”

But from her blurred vision and the touch caressing her eyes, Eileen could tell that she had failed.