Chapter: 10
The next day, Edwin headed to work as usual—
with a picnic basket in hand.
Inside it was a lunchbox enchanted with a heat-preservation spell.
Before leaving his room, he stood in front of a large mirror and carefully fixed his hair.
The attendants exchanged glances, surprised to see him paying so much attention to his appearance—something unlike him.
At that moment, Edwin’s two older brothers barged into his room.
They were the First Prince Johannes and the Second Prince Harry.
“Edwin, I heard you’ve been going to the Ministry of Magic lately?”
“What’s gotten into our youngest?”
Edwin turned to look at them with a serious expression.
“W-What? Why are you looking at us like that?”
Since their youngest brother always smiled even when angry, the two instinctively swallowed hard.
Edwin, the youngest, naturally exuded an intimidating aura.
Because of that, even though they were older, neither of them had ever dared to raise their voice at him.
Johannes and Harry glanced at each other and whispered:
“Did we… come at the wrong time?”
“I don’t know. I’m scared.”
Breaking their tension, Edwin suddenly spoke.
“How do I look? Am I pretty?”
“……”
“……”
What did he just say?
The two brothers stared blankly as Edwin pointed to his face.
“I’m asking if I’m good-looking. Enough to make any woman fall for me.”
Is he seriously asking us to evaluate his face?
Johannes nodded first.
“Of course you are. You’ve always had the best face.”
“Yeah, you’re a weirdo, but out of the three of us, you’re definitely the prettiest.”
Both the First and Second Princes were strikingly handsome themselves.
But Edwin’s dazzling beauty clearly stood above the rest.
At their answer, Edwin let out a sigh.
“Obviously.”
“……”
“……”
“As if that needed saying.”
He spoke as if frustrated.
“I’m asking if I look better than usual.”
The two brothers quickly nodded.
“Then that’s enough. Move.”
Edwin pushed between them and walked out.
Watching him leave, Harry frowned.
“Brother Johannes… does Edwin smell like flowers right now…?”
“I think so…?”
A crazy guy and flowers…
That was a dangerous combination.
* * *
At the Ministry of Magic, after arriving from the Imperial Palace, Edwin heard a familiar voice.
Dana was standing in front of the Potion Management Department.
She was speaking to Kira with an apologetic expression.
“Sorry, Kira. You even looked into it for me…”
“It’s fine. It’s just a blind date—I can always find another.”
“Thanks for understanding.”
Hearing that she turned down the blind date, Edwin’s face relaxed.
“By the way, are you really okay? You’re not planning to go back to your family, right?”
“No. I just have something to think about.”
As she said that, Dana’s face turned slightly red.
Seeing that, Edwin’s heart started pounding.
He was overjoyed that she seemed to be prioritizing him.
Just as he was about to savor that pleasant excitement—
“What are you standing there staring at?”
Someone poked him in the back.
It was Layton.
He was poking Edwin with a rolled-up bundle of documents.
“Good morning,” Edwin greeted calmly.
But Layton, already in a bad mood from coming to work, wasn’t having it.
“What’s so good about it?”
Edwin tilted his head.
Is that a question?
Though annoyed, he decided to answer sincerely as a newcomer.
“Well, the weather is nice. Also—”
“Who asked for that?”
Layton snapped and stormed into the office.
Tony immediately stood up and poured him tea, trying hard to calm his superior.
Meanwhile, Edwin ignored all that and sat next to Dana.
“Good morning, sunbae.”
He smiled gently.
“Good morning.”
A pleasant scent came from her.
It smelled like warm sunlight mixed with wildflowers.
Even though it was the same perfume, hers was strangely addictive.
As Edwin basked in her presence, Layton sighed loudly from afar.
Looking exhausted, he addressed everyone:
“You all know that the Potion Management Department goes on field trips with the Imperial Physicians every three months, right?”
Everyone avoided eye contact.
Departments responsible for treatment had to regularly visit regional knight orders.
But from the staff’s perspective, it was exhausting and brought no real benefit.
Layton continued:
“This time, it’s the Rune Knights…”
At the word “Rune,” Tony’s eyes widened.
The empire’s most infamous, crazy knight order—led by the Third Prince!
Pretending to be busy, he scribbled meaningless doodles with his pen.
Kira ducked under her desk, pretending to pick something up—and didn’t come back out.
Layton smirked at their reactions.
Then his gaze landed on Edwin.
“Hey, rookie!”
“Yes.”
“You’re going. With your supervisor.”
He snickered.
“Understood.”
Edwin replied—
‘He’s better than I thought.’
—and developed a favorable impression of Layton.
After all, he was giving him more chances to be alone with Dana.
Seeing Edwin oddly cheerful, Layton grew irritated again.
‘Why is he smiling now?’
No matter what, he didn’t like that rookie.
What was there to be happy about, going all the way to the north to suffer?
Layton barked:
“Don’t go off-route! Stay within budget!”
“Understood. Should we leave tomorrow?” Dana asked.
Layton nodded.
With the assignment decided, everyone quietly returned to work.
The office filled with nothing but the scratching sound of pens.
Meanwhile—
There was someone whose gaze irritated Edwin.
‘Should I just gouge his eyes out?’
It was Tony, sitting across from Dana.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her, looking like he had something to say.
That overly emotional gaze annoyed Edwin.
At lunchtime—
Edwin picked up his lunch basket and was about to call Dana.
“Dana, can we talk?”
Of course, it was Tony.
“What is it?”
“Just give me a moment.”
Dana gestured to Edwin to wait.
All the employees left for lunch, leaving Edwin alone.
‘This feels awful.’
The thought of someone taking Dana away annoyed him deeply.
Then Dana’s voice came from beyond the wall.
“Let’s talk here.”
Fortunately, they hadn’t gone far.
They were speaking in the hallway.
For Edwin, hearing through walls was effortless.
Tony spoke dramatically:
“Dana, do you know how harsh this trip will be? The north probably hasn’t even thawed yet!”
“That’s true.”
“And it’s the Rune Knights! A bunch of lunatics!”
“They’re still people. They protect us from monsters.”
“I’m worried about you…”
Oh really?
Edwin smirked.
He avoided eye contact when the trip was assigned, and now he’s pretending to care?
Tony continued:
“There are other people who could go instead of you.”
“Are you offering to go in my place?”
“No… someone like Kira…”
“Aren’t you worried about Kira?”
At Dana’s cold voice, Tony sighed.
“To be honest… you probably felt it too. This isn’t just concern.”
“Then what is it?”
Tony cleared his throat.
“I know I might be a burden to you. Maybe I’m too much.”
“……”
“But I like you. You’re pretty and diligent.”
Is this… a confession?
Dana’s face instantly stiffened.
Clueless, Tony kept going:
“We should have the wedding this month, and maybe five kids—”
He’s already planned that far?!
Dana looked utterly fed up.
“I refuse.”
“I’ll bring my mother—wait, what?”
No matter how desperate she might be, Tony was absolutely not an option.
He spent all his time flattering Layton or judging women’s appearances.
Just being around him was unbearable.
Tony scoffed.
“Are you just embarrassed?”
“No. You’re not my type.”
“Then what is your type?!”
Caught off guard, Dana hesitated.
Then Edwin came to mind.
Always kind, always listening to her…
“A younger blond man.”
“…What?”
Tony, a red-haired older man, asked again:
“Are you joking?”
“I’m not.”
Dana answered firmly.
At that moment—
Edwin stepped out of the office, smiling brightly.
“Sunbae, it’s time for lunch.”
Ignoring Tony completely, he took Dana’s hand and walked away.
“Huh? O-Okay…”
She was pulled along, flustered.
Just as Tony was about to shout—
Edwin turned back.
“……”
His red eyes gleamed sharply—like lightning striking.
It was a chilling, murderous gaze.
For the first time in his life, Tony felt true killing intent—
and couldn’t say a word.
