Episode 112

When Rose spotted Jasper, her eyes naturally sparkled with life. 

Even from a distance, they recognized each other immediately, and their gazes met.

Jasper, now close enough to reach them, set down a newspaper-like bundle of printed materials.

“Not too late, am I?”

Rose knew well that Jasper wasn’t particularly fond of such events. However, he had put in effort for the sake of those around him. He used to loathe any involvement with others, but he had changed for the people around him.

Looking up at Jasper with a smiling face, Rose spoke.

“Thank you, Jasper.”

“Well, it was different. Felt like I was a newspaper delivery boy.”

Just then, Briley, who had spotted Jasper from afar, rushed over, exclaiming loudly. At the same time, the sound of a string instrument being tuned resonated through the air. 

Under the clear sky, the festival was about to begin.

* * *

While the entire capital was buzzing with excitement due to the academy festival, Duke Conway’s townhouse was shrouded in a quiet and somber atmosphere. 

Ethan, impeccably dressed in his suit, was preparing to leave the house when his wife, Charlotte, descended the grand staircase and called out to him.

“Where are you going?”

Ethan had already picked up his hat but paused, turning to look at Charlotte.

“I have a business.”

“Again today?”

Charlotte, who was typically quite stern, seemed even more prickly today. Ethan furrowed one eyebrow.

“Why? Do you have something to say? I’m busy.”

Ethan was indeed swamped with work. His mind felt like it was on the brink of bursting. 

The discussion on the Nobility Law Amendment had officially started, and by the end of this year, the Upper House had to complete the vote on the amendment. The rumors were already circulating that if Ethan won the Upper House’s power struggle this year, he would become the representative of the Upper House next year.

Apart from that, Ethan had plenty of other concerns. One of his biggest headaches was his younger brother, Jasper Conway.

Jasper had initially said he would spend the summer vacation alone in the Republic, which Ethan had welcomed. It would be a good opportunity for Jasper to distance himself from that common girl.

Yes, it had become apparent that Jasper had grown tired of her. When Ethan had come to terms with it, word had reached him. 

Just thinking about it now made Ethan’s face contort involuntarily.

‘What on earth did he do to get shot?’

Ethan questioned internally, referring to the gunshot wound Jasper had sustained near a suspicious alleyway. 

Jasper had fought with some unknown troublemakers near a tavern, and as usual, he wouldn’t give a straight answer about the incident.

Naturally, Ethan didn’t believe the public explanation for the incident. However, Jasper, as always, danced around the facts and avoided giving a clear account. The event had occurred overseas, and there were limits to how thoroughly they could investigate.

Instead, Ethan decided to look into another aspect of the situation. He had obtained information that Rose Bell, when Jasper had been injured, had hastily boarded a ship heading to the coastal city of Valloch.

‘They claimed nothing was going on between them.’

Ethan muttered to himself, thinking about the unexpected turn of events. He had initially assumed that his younger brother’s affection for Rose was nothing more than an absurd, foolish crush. Had their relationship progressed? 

Ethan knew that if he called Rose back as he had before, Jasper would likely go to great lengths to follow her. That wouldn’t lead to a proper resolution of the underlying issue. Therefore, he had begun thorough research into Rose Bell herself, after stumbling upon intriguing information. 

He was on his way out to confirm the veracity of this information when Charlotte, his wife, stood on the middle landing, watching him with a sense of unease.

“Charlotte, if you have something to say, say it. I have to go.” 

Ethan insisted, noticing that Charlotte’s gaze seemed even emptier than usual. Her eyes often made his heart race and left him breathless.

To Ethan, Charlotte Atwood Conway was always a challenging presence.

Charlotte lowered her head and looked away from Ethan, her expression empty. 

“No, it’s fine. Go ahead. Can we have dinner together tonight?”

Ethan hesitated. 

“Well, it might be a bit late.”

“Okay.” 

Charlotte replied with a nod before going back upstairs, without saying another word.

Ethan tried to suppress his uneasiness and put on his hat before leaving the house.

It wasn’t until much later that Ethan realized that today was their wedding anniversary.

* * *

Briley was excited, her cheeks flushed as she mumbled.

“Guys, can you believe this…!” 

She couldn’t help but burst into laughter. 

In reality, the amount they made from selling the pamphlet was more like a distribution for half the price of a newspaper, and it might be less than the daily allowance of most noble youths.

Nonetheless, Briley was filled with a sense of accomplishment as the coins jingled in her pocket.

“Ah, as expected, making money is the best.”

It was a phrase that sounded like something the daughter of Lawrence, who manipulated the financial sector of the Lepti Empire, would say. 

Jasper, who was half-dozing in the chair next to her, suddenly raised his head.

“You should consider going into business.”

Briley playfully bantered.

“As if I didn’t already have that in mind, dear. Thanks to you, Jasper, our sales have skyrocketed. You need to put a handsome guy up front to attract people!”

Jasper grimaced and muttered.

“You’re taking advantage of me.”

Briley, pretending not to hear Jasper’s words, clapped her hands together.

“Alright, folks, now that we’ve sold out, let’s all go enjoy the festival together!”

Jasper stood up from his seat and announced.

“Ah, I’ll pass.”

“What?”

“I’m going to take a break. I’ve been running around since dawn, and I’m exhausted.”

“You’re no fun…”

Jasper made an irritated face and seemed to step back. But before he left, he quickly nudged Rose’s back when no one was looking. Rose jumped in surprise, and Jasper shot her a glance.

Jasper slipped a small note into Rose’s hand before leaving without a trace of regret.

Rose, pretending to tidy up for no apparent reason, sat down and checked the note Jasper had given her.

[When the sun sets, to the annex laboratory corridor.]

The handwriting on the note had improved compared to the previous ones, but it was still far from perfect. Rose suppressed a giggle and hastily stashed the note in her jacket pocket.

‘Really going to watch the fireworks together.’

In a few hours, their secret date would begin, and Rose could already feel her heart racing.

After pressing her flushed cheek with the back of her hand to calm down, Rose stood up again. Briley had already meticulously planned out which part of the festival they would explore first. She was explaining it enthusiastically to Rebecca and Adela, almost like a tour guide.

Adela, who had been quietly listening, hesitantly asked.

“But… can I come along too?”

Briley and Rebecca looked surprised at the question, wondering why Adela was asking it.

“Of course. You’re a member of our club, aren’t you?”

Rebecca, still surprised, spoke.

“Do you have other plans? Well, if you don’t want to hang out with us, there’s nothing we can do…”

“No, it’s not that. I just thought it might be uncomfortable for you, considering that I’m a newcomer. But if it’s not a problem, I’d like to join you.”

This was Adela’s first festival as a freshman, and her face now showed a hint of excitement that was more appropriate for her age. Rose could sense that she wanted to have fun with her senior classmates.

Briley enthusiastically placed her arm around Adela’s shoulder, surprising her. Adela’s eyes widened in response. Rebecca chuckled.

“Great! We’re watching the fireworks together, okay?”

Briley paused for a moment, then said in a meaningful voice.

 “Well… maybe. How about we secretly slip away during the fireworks if any of you find a decent guy while we’re wandering around? The first kiss should happen on a night like this, don’t you think?”

Adela was taken aback by the mention of a kiss, covering her mouth in surprise. Rose, equally surprised by the unexpected word, asked.

“A kiss?”

Briley looked at Rose with a surprised expression as if to say why she didn’t know.

“Oh? There’s some kind of superstition in Berkley. If you watch fireworks with the person you like, your first kiss together means you’ll be together forever… Wasn’t it?” 

Rose was confused as what she knew was different from what was being said. 

“I thought we just had to watch the fireworks together. Wasn’t it?”

Rebecca chimed in to mediate the confusion between Rose and Briley. 

“There are various versions of superstitions, kids. Opinions vary, but nowadays the mainstream belief is that the superstition is only complete if you go as far as a kiss. Everyone’s crazy about free love.”

Rose barely managed to suppress a giggle that was about to burst out. The idea that a kiss was required was the first time she had heard it. 

‘No, what if… What would Jasper think? If Jasper is someone who believes in a new version of the superstition, there’s a tiny chance… A tiny chance that we might have to kiss today.’ 

Rose couldn’t even perfectly utter the word ‘kiss’ in her mind. 

Suddenly, she felt a fever coming on and her vision blurred. She unconsciously gripped both her cheeks tightly with her hands and exhaled heavily. The word ‘kiss,’ which she had received without any mental preparation, completely knocked the wind out of her. 

‘I have no idea how to do a kiss. No, Jasper might not even think about it. Yes, I don’t need to rush…’ 

She tried hard to calm her mind, but why did she keep thinking of the scene where Jasper buried his lips on the back of her hand?