Episode 27

Rose looked at Jasper with a puzzled expression, unable to understand why he was getting so irritated.

Jasper’s face was flushed, a stark contrast to his usual cool and indifferent demeanor. The façade of his indifference had crumbled under his excitement.

“It’s not because I’m interested in Caleb like that.”

“Then what is it?”

“That’s… “

Rose paused with her lips halfway through forming words. She couldn’t reveal that it was Rebecca Sherman’s request.

Jasper interpreted Rose’s hesitation as a form of affirmation.

“So, you are interested.”

“No, really, I’m not.”

“Prove it.”

“How?”

“I don’t know, in some way.”

Jasper’s tone grew sharper at the end. Rose struggled to find a response and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“I swear on magic engineering.”

“Is that true?”

The word “magic engineering” seemed to have a slight calming effect on Jasper. The atmosphere became somewhat subdued, which confused Rose.

‘How do they all know how obsessed I am with magic engineering…?’

Both Rebecca and now Jasper, believing in such an oath, surprised her.

“But why did I have to explain myself to you like this…?”

As Rose mumbled in a bewildered tone, Jasper raised an eyebrow.

“…What? Are you not happy with this?”

“No, it’s just that it’s surprising for you to get this upset.”

“Why wouldn’t I be upset? You said earlier that you were worried because we’re friends. Can’t I be worried too? Any girl getting involved with Caleb is bound to get hurt.”

Jasper brazenly confronted her.

Rose pursed her lips and pondered for a moment. Jasper’s reasons seemed quite logical, and she was beginning to understand them.

Jasper’s words weren’t entirely baseless. Wasn’t she worried about Rebecca Sherman getting hurt similarly? It seemed to be a similar context.

“Even though you said that, you don’t have to explain yourself to me like this…”

“Well, do you have any complaints?”

“No, it’s just that you went to such lengths… It’s unusual.”

“You said I was worried because we’re friends. If you were someone I disliked, I wouldn’t have bothered.”

Jasper’s tone was still gruff, but the annoyance that had previously filled his face was gradually subsiding. There was still a hint of doubt in his eyes, but it was fading.

Rose began to think that Jasper was more caring than he appeared. His cold exterior and somewhat gruff demeanor were likely a facade hiding his true feelings.

‘He really did worry about me.’

Rose found herself both flustered and amazed at the situation. She had become someone associated with Jasper Conway as a friend, a scenario she couldn’t have imagined just a few months ago.

Jasper let out a long sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

“If you’re not interested, why did you ask? Did someone ask you to find out? Is it Briley Lawrence who’s after Caleb?”

“It’s somewhat… similar, but not Briley.”

“What… Have you started a dating advice center for Berkley?”

Rose awkwardly cleared her throat.

‘Yeah, well… It’s quite unexpected.’

But, she promised to help Rebecca, so she wants to keep that promise.

“Just find out if Caleb has a girlfriend or not… Can you do that?”

“I don’t know.”

Jasper’s firm response made Rose pout.

“But I can try. I can even find out who the other person is.”

“Really? Can you do that?”

“Without anything in return?”

Rose blinked rapidly for a moment, her eyes wide.

“What… What do you want me to do?”

Jasper’s request was entirely unexpected. He had previously demanded magic engineering tutoring as payment for his help with the tuition fees.

But what came out of Jasper’s mouth next was equally surprising.

“Cancel our tutoring session this Friday instead.”

“That’s… Jasper…”

She wanted to say that he needed to study. He still couldn’t complete his assignments on his own, and the thought of taking a break at a time like this bothered her.

“Instead, go somewhere with me that evening.”

“Where?”

“The Weir Company Expo.”

Rose looked at Jasper with a bewildered expression.

“The expo?”

She had heard about the upcoming corporate expo hosted by The Weir Company. They were known for their remarkable achievements in the field of magic engineering. The company was also famous for selecting employees regardless of nationality or class, which meant that people from the Republic and even the East were part of their workforce.

The company, which was a blend of various cultures, had a strong focus on progressive and innovative technological capabilities. This was the first time an expo was being held solely for The Weir Company. It was a chance to see many of Weir Company’s inventions firsthand.

Rose had a vacant expression as Jasper slightly furrowed his brow.

“Why? Don’t you like it? I heard the tickets were hard to come by.”

“Oh, no…!”

Rose quickly shook her head, and her red hair swayed.

“I was rather surprised because I liked it so much. You shouldn’t do me a favor, but you’re actually doing me a favor.”

In an instant, excitement flushed Rose’s cheeks.

The Weir Company expo. Naturally, she wanted to go, but she had never had the courage.

Expos sponsored by companies had expensive admission fees. Sometimes, you had to wait in line early in the morning just to get regular tickets. Rose didn’t have the time or the financial means for that.

Rose’s pupils sparkled with anticipation. Jasper eased the tension in his furrowed brow.

“I knew you’d like it.”

“Yeah… really, I am… But why are you going with me?”

Rose muttered with a bewildered expression.

“I can go with you? Really?”

“It’s for our magic engineering project. We were told to attend a relevant expo and write a report during the semester. But I need to know what to write, right? You can help explain things while we’re there.”

“That’s not a problem. I’ll explain everything enthusiastically!”

Rose said with an excited voice.

“I’m so excited… already! What should I do? I’m getting nervous.”

Rose wrapped her flushed cheeks with both hands. She wanted to calm down, but her heart continued to race at the unexpected stroke of luck.

Jasper said in a businesslike tone,

“It’s not just for fun, you know? You’ll have to look at the draft of the report too.”

Rose nodded quickly.

“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll make a report that’s worthy of a perfect score.”

“…It’s ridiculous. Your demeanor and your eyes changed completely from when you were talking about Caleb.”

Jasper chuckled. As soon as the expo was mentioned, Rose’s expression visibly changed. Just a moment ago, her face was frozen in surprise, but now it was filled with excitement.

“It seems like you definitely don’t like Caleb.”

“Not at all.”

“You should date Magic Engineering then.”

Jasper nodded, and Rose, who had become somewhat nervous, stroked her throat.

“I was just so excited…”

“Then we’ll see each other on Friday.”

“Yeah! Should I just go straight to the expo hall?”

“I’ll send a carriage to the main gate at the scheduled time, so you can just take that.”

“But going through all this trouble makes me feel guilty…”

“Do you know where the expo hall is? It’s quite a walk from here. You might get lost for nothing if you wander around.”

Rose pursed her lips for a moment. She seemed grateful but also felt like she was receiving too much. Jasper checked his watch and motioned to Rose.

“Let’s go inside now. We might get caught by curfew.”

“Oh, yeah. Time has passed quickly.”

Jasper turned swiftly. Rose quickly followed him and whispered in a small voice.

“Thank you for taking me to the expo.”

“Well, I’m going because I need to.”

“Still… I was really curious about that expo. Thanks to you, I get to go.”

“It’s nothing.”

Jasper cut off the conversation bluntly. As the two of them walked along the path for a while, only the sound of their footsteps echoed.

As they neared the end of the path, the streetlights on the main street began to faintly illuminate their way. As the darkness receded somewhat, Jasper’s back became clearer.

For some reason, the tips of Jasper’s ears were tinged with red.

‘Huh?’

As soon as she saw that, Rose felt her heart flutter strangely. She involuntarily tightened her shawl and took a deep breath.

‘Why am I feeling like this?’

It was a strange sensation she had never experienced before.

* * *

Jasper barely made it back to the dormitory in time for curfew. Caleb, who was lounging on the sofa, raised his head slightly.

“You’re late.”

Jasper just nodded and took off his jacket.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“It’s warm.”

“It was pretty chilly today.”

Jasper was indeed warm. He had to cool down by himself after sending Rose off to avoid getting entangled in any unnecessary rumors.

Jasper let out a sigh as he collapsed onto a stool next to the sofa. Something was off. Ever since the last time he was with Rose Bell, he felt tense all over. It was only after Rose was out of sight that he could breathe comfortably.

Jasper ran his hand roughly across his face, and the cracked corner of his mouth stung slightly. The instigator of this injury, Ethan Conway, instantly came to mind.

‘You dare to defy Marquis Bluewood? Please, grow up, Jasper!’

Last Saturday afternoon, they had to attend a family dinner at the ancestral home. It was a celebration of the return of Conway’s wife, who had fled to their country estate. Of course, the dinner atmosphere was tense. Ethan was on edge due to his wife’s return.

After dinner, Ethan called Jasper aside to discuss Adela Bluewood. Normally, Jasper couldn’t stand the subject of arranged marriages, but that day, he was unusually sharp in his responses. His mind was clouded with various thoughts, mainly about Rose Bell.