With a bewildered expression, Edward turned his head toward Emma, who quietly gestured for him to be quiet.

“To think that we’re participating in this, it’s thrilling.”

“Exactly, like, are we running away in the name of love?”

“Kyaak! It’s so romantic~! If you see it in person, you won’t be able to sleep from the excitement.”

“······Emma. Your friends are really strange.”

Unknowingly taking a step back, Edward looked embarrassed.

Emma was also a bit surprised, but she responded casually to Edward.

“You won’t understand this emotional moment even if you die, oppa.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t try to understand. You won’t be able to, anyway.”
“Hey, what do you see me as?”

“When you grow up, oppa, no, it seems like you won’t even know when you become an adult.”

“What?”

Ignoring the indignant Edward, Emma approached the greenhouse, humming, and closed the door with a snicker.

Then, she turned around, grinned at Edward and his friends, put her hand on her waist, and confidently shouted.

“From now on, this place is strictly off-limits.”

⭐⭐⭐

“Did you meet Father?”

“No, not yet. Why?”

“The engagement contract was caught.”

“Ah.”

Holding the already teary Alicia, Eric carefully brushed her back to console her.

The delicate body that came in for a gentle embrace still fluttered with excitement.

Eventually, as tears fell, he hugged her more tightly.

“I ruined everything.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Father might scold me severely.”

“You can’t help it. You did something to deserve it.”

“You might get hurt.”

“There’s nothing we can do. I caused it.”

Eric, seeing the teardrops forming in Alicia’s eyes, used his lips to stop them.

“Uh.”

Surprised by the unexpected action, Alicia’s face quickly turned red.

“Oh, this way, you won’t cry.”

Slightly teasing, Eric kissed the other eye of Alicia, whose face was turned to him.

Feeling satisfied with the fullness in her eyes, which remained fixed on him with a somewhat puzzled expression, he continued his kiss on Alicia’s other eye.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

With his hands from Eric’s chest to his neck, Alicia wiped her tears away and said, “I’m fine. Even if I keep getting hurt, I’m strong.”

“Don’t think about getting hurt. I said that before.”

Eric’s lips descended a bit lower, touching Alicia’s cheek.

“Did that include this kind of injury?”

“I don’t want you to be in pain, no matter what it is.”

Trying to kiss the other cheek of Alicia, their noses brushed past each other.

“If it’s something you have to go through, there’s nothing we can do. I’ll take care of it.”

“How?”

Eric’s lips touched the other cheek.

Trying to kiss Alicia’s other cheek, their noses touched.

“If you can’t, then?”

A painful question, unfitting for the pretty red lips, was finally touched by Eric.

⭐⭐⭐

“What are you doing here?”

The greenhouse manager approached with a puzzled expression.

“Us? Just thinking of looking around the greenhouse.”

“Hasn’t it already passed the school hours? Your parents might be worried.”

“Oh, right. We were just about to go.”

“Okay. Go back before it gets dark.”

The manager kindly advised and then started looking for something, scanning the surroundings.

“Where did I put the water hose?”

“Sir, what are you doing now?”

“Huh? I need to water before leaving work.”

The kids exchanged anxious glances.

Someone shouldn’t enter the greenhouse right now.

But the gardener, heartlessly, stepped toward the greenhouse.

“Did I leave it inside?”

At that moment, one of Emma’s friends suddenly screamed, clutching her stomach and crouching down.

“Oh, my stomach!! My stomach hurts!!”

“Are you okay? Does it hurt a lot?”

“My stomach hurts. Maybe something I ate earlier went wrong. Hooeeng.”

Suddenly crying and sitting down, the manager hurriedly ran over.

“What’s wrong? Where does it hurt?”

“My stomach hurts so much, sir.”

“Sir, please take me to the infirmary.”

“Sure, got it. Do you want him to carry you?”

“Yes.”

Crying, Emma’s friend was lifted onto the manager’s back.

“I’ll go with you. I need to bring the bag too.”

Another friend carried the bag of the lifted friend and quickly followed the manager.

“Ugh. It hurts too much.”

“Hold on a little. We’ll go straight to the infirmary.”

“Thank you. Sir.”

Whining and whimpering, Emma’s friend discreetly turned around and raised her thumb.

Emma also raised her thumb, sending off her friends.
As the three people disappeared from their sight, Edward and Emma sighed in relief.

“Surprise. I thought we were caught.”

“Things must be going well, right?”

Edward and Emma looked anxiously at the entrance of the greenhouse.

⭐⭐⭐

It had been just a week since they parted ways.

Nevertheless, perhaps because the situation was not favorable, the lingering affection and regrets seemed even more poignant, making them feel disappointed whenever it momentarily drifted away.

The sound of the two coming together echoed incessantly in the quiet greenhouse.

As the sound intensified, the breathing became faster.

Nevertheless, as their breaths continued to intertwine in the midst of their exchanges, it became thick and dense.

Unlike before, Alicia leaned more on Eric.

Even if her father said something harsh or did something severe, she needed the reassurance that this man would not leave her.

It would be better if it were certainty, but she couldn’t hope for that.

However, she could be certain about one thing.

The emotions she felt for this man, the crumbling of everything in the face of the sensations he provided—there was no way all of this was just a misconception clinging to the role of an engaged woman.

On the contrary, these intensifying emotions were undoubtedly love.

Finally, Eric detached his lips and whispered the answer to Alicia’s last question in her ear.