# 8
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“Let's stay together tonight.”
What does he mean...?
Dana's confused eyes darted to the tip of Edwin's elegant lips.
His red lips looked particularly attractive that day.
Could it be... seduction?
Although she had never experienced love, Dana knew enough.
Her thoughts began to spin far-fetched scenarios.
“Eh, Edwin! I...”
“We spend time together chatting, eating delicious food, and having a little fun.”
"Yes…."
What was I thinking!
Dana blushed.
As if one touch could leave a pink spot on her skin.
'Is it possible that he revealed my thoughts...?'
I looked at Edwin warily, he was still maintaining his usual calm.
Dana deliberately tried to speak in a confident voice.
"H, okay! Let's spend the night together."
She agreed without thinking, out of sheer confusion.
Without realizing that it might have been a romantic date on his part.
Meanwhile, they arrived at the Department of Magical Potions.
The person in charge of the arrangement room opened the door and said.
“No matter how much I think about it, the amount of orders seems very large... Can you two finish the arrangement?”
“Of course, it's okay.”
Dana smiled a smile polished by her social experience.
The official left, still looking worried.
“Edwin, give me the documents, please.”
Edwin carefully opened the documents and handed them to her.
Dana looked at the amount in amazement.
'It's really suspicious. Nothing unusual happened, yet the amount of orders increased…'
It seemed that her feeling of suspicion was no different from Edwin's.
Edwin asked a question in a calm tone:
“Is the department head, Lighten, the one who determines the required quantity alone?”
“Yes, mostly. He reports to upper management once a month.”
“Who submits the report?”
“We are the ones who write it, and Layton is the one who uploads it.”
So, it can be easily manipulated.
Edwin quickly completed his analysis of the situation.
At that moment, Dana's tone began to change to serious.
“Indeed, something is suspicious. The potions are being consumed abnormally quickly from the storehouse.”
“Do you doubt him?”
“It may not be Layton specifically, but...”
In other words, he is highly suspicious.
The administration of potions was the exclusive purview of the Imperial Palace.
Smuggling or ling it abroad is a major crime.
“It seems necessary to investigate the matter.”
“It's no use.”
Dana sighed deeply.
“My direct boss, Tony, will always side with Lighten. If you want to report to the top, it has to go through Lighten himf.”
“Then let's keep an eye on him.”
"monitoring…?"
“I have a friend in the Magic Tools Department. He can lend us a magic recording device.”
"wow."
How bold is this newcomer!
Applying for a magical tool like this usually requires royal permission, or waiting at least three months.
And he will immediately borrow it from his friend?!
'Oh, the power of relationships!'
At that moment, Dana's eyes shone with a special sparkle.
“Wait, magic tool you said?...”
A slanted smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
Then she said to Edwin.
“Can I borrow one too?”
"naturally."
“Thank you, I would like to give my brother a nice gift.”
There was a strange tone of enthusiasm in her voice.
***
Meanwhile, inside Viscount Humbern's club…
“Since things have come to this, please trust my sister and invest just a little more.”
Jimmy, Dana's brother, was humiliatingly pleading with the Viscount.
Hamburn narrowed his eyes.
“Wasn't that the case last time, and the one before that? And I haven't gotten anything back yet.”
“But this time the investment is guaranteed with a reliable trading company!”
Hmm. The Viscount licked his lips with his full tongue.
This club was founded by the Viscount himf.
Although it was built to foster relations between male nobles, it was in fact nothing more than a gambling house in disguise.
His relationship with Jimmy began from here.
“I heard your sister is beautiful, right?”
Upon hearing that, Jimmy nodded quickly.
“Yes, it may be a bit fossilized, but it looks okay.”
“She certainly did not experience love because she was so busy.”
“Exactly, exactly!”
“Yes, women should be modest by nature.”
It seemed that Jimmy's answer pleased the Viscount, so he ordered one of them.
Checks and documents were quickly placed on the table in front of him.
“Just sign here, and you'll get the money.”
"Thank you very much!"
Jimmy signed without even reading the content.
The Viscount laughed sarcastically and asked him.
“Did you read the contents of the document? The money is not your sister’s, it is yours.”
"What do you mean?"
“You are responsible for bringing her to the wedding, otherwise it will be you, Jamie Hartwin.”
“Oh, don’t worry! That girl blindly obeys her family.”
Jimmy smiled greedily.
***
After they pasted the labels on the doses packed in the boxes and checked the quantity and arranged them, it was already time to leave.
“Senpai, shall we leave now?”
"Yes."
As soon as they were outside, Dana's gaze rose to the sky.
It was early evening, and the blue light still lingered on the horizon.
The crowd around her was made up of employees who had finished their work and left.
'What a view... I haven't seen it in a long time.'
Dana's sky has always been in only two states.
The morning sky while rushing to work, and the dark night sky after working overtime.
As Dana was deep in thought, she suddenly heard Edwin's voice.
“Senpai, do you want to do something today?”
"I don't know."
She left work early, but she doesn't know how to have fun or what to do.
Edwin smiled softly, as if to reassure her.
“So, how about we start with dinner?”
But the place he led her to was not the house, but the square.
Children laughing happily, delicious smells rising from vendors’ carts, and musical performances in the street…
Dana was immersed in the vibrant scene with all her senses.
At that moment, Edwin called out to her.
“Today, I will leave everything in your hands, Senpai.”
"What do you mean?"
“I mean, do whatever you want today. Without worrying about anything, without calculations or hesitation.”
This was the first time he had been given freedom of choice in a long time.
Dana's life has been upside down for years.
As she hesitated for a moment, she heard Edwin's tender voice whispering.
"You don't have to worry. Just follow your heart. And let your feet lead you."
"…Good."
Strangely, his words touched her heart gently.
A refreshing feeling of longing came over her.
Dana walked in the square without any worry or worry.
I saw the flowers in the stalls, and enjoyed the band playing in the street.
As for Edwin, he walked silently, matching her steps.
Eventually, they arrived at a small restaurant.
It looked like a small house converted into a restaurant, and was filled with flowers, perhaps from the owner's taste.
Flowers fill the garden, cover window ledges, and even roof ledges.
As Dana looked at the garden with a bright face, Edwin asked her.
“You seem to like flowers.”
“Yes, I feel stronger when I am surrounded by plants.”
Dana smiled sweetly.
“It may seem strange, but I feel in harmony with plants.”
"truly?"
“The strange thing is that flowers that wilt come back to life when I touch them. That’s why I’m the one who takes care of the plants in the office.”
At that moment, a spring breeze blew.
Flower petals fell under a pink tree.
The two inhaled the fresh scent of spring and entered the restaurant.
The place was quiet, and the only customers were Dana and Edwin.
When the restaurant owner received them, he offered them aromatic flower tea.
Dana looked at the flowers in the middle of the table and smiled.
"It's been a hard day, hasn't it? Arranging the potions may seem simple, but it's not."
As Dana looked around the restaurant, Edwin only looked at her.
Then he said:
“So do you.”
“Huh?”
“You held up great today too. Sincerely, calmly.”
This was the first time someone had taken a positive note of her day.
Whether it was her bosses or her family, they only saw the need to do more.
Perhaps for this reason, Dana felt something heavy in her chest following his words.
She said with a fake smile.
“Thank you, very kind words, Edwin.”
“But it's real.”
He tilted his head slightly as he said it.
His red eyes were shining towards Dana.
“It may sound arrogant, but...”
He said with a serious face.
“You made a significant effort today. No one can deny that.”
“So, from now on, you should just give yourf some time.”
Then he smiled again with a slight joke.
They were just words from someone who had only known her for a few days, but they resonated deeply in her heart.
'He seems like a warm person.'
A warm and affectionate person... I wish I could marry someone like that...
While Dana was thinking about this, she suddenly gasped in surprise.
'What is this thinking? With a new employee?'
She blinked quickly, dismissing her thoughts.
Then, Edwin approached her.
As he sat across from her, he bent down and extended his hand towards her.
As soon as his hand touched her ear, her body shook slightly and she convulsed.
The scent of fragrant tea was numbing her, and Edwin's touch was about to touch her cheek...
She felt her head spinning, even though she didn't drink anything.
She stiffened without breathing.
“Edwin, wait…”
“I caught her.”
Edwin moved away from her slightly.
Between his fingers, a pink flower petal appeared.
“It was stuck in your hair.”
"Yes…."
It must have fallen on her from that pink tree in the park.
Embarrassed, Dana quickly sipped the water.
Then, Edwin asked her:
“Senpai, would you like to go out on a date with me tomorrow too?”
Pffff! Dana spat the water out of her mouth.