A two-story jade-colored building with sophisticated architecture stood at the heart of the bustling city—LeBron Jewelry Store.
The building featured large transparent windows and an arched entrance adorned with flowers. Inside, the light green walls and pristine white marble corners were elegantly decorated with golden rope details, adding to the grandeur. Cream-colored sofas were placed in each corner, creating a warm atmosphere.
Most importantly, the LeBron accessories were displayed on mannequins in the showcase and arranged on the display stands.
I looked around the store. Between the professional staff sweeping the floor with brooms, disguised imperial palace knights were stationed. Outside, knights of the Mipedian Ducal family were hidden in the surrounding buildings.
This was the result of our thorough preparation to capture Devon after that day.
According to Baron Lofrato’s testimony, Devon planned to use Verita to lure me out and kill me.
‘That won’t happen.’
With a confident smile, I swiftly scanned the list in my hand. Since he was on the run, he wouldn’t be able to reveal his face. He was either hiding nearby or disguised as a customer. To counter this, we had announced a major pre-sale event before the store opening. The response was overwhelming, and today’s visitors were all pre-registered customers.
This measure eliminated any chance of Devon escaping amidst the chaos of an open-day crowd.
Catching Devon today was important, but so was the success of the LeBron business.
I had to produce results to repay the efforts of Baron Totair, the cooperation of the Mipedian knights, and the trust of the management team.
I also needed to raise funds for the nonprofit organization and reduce the criticism surrounding the Buell territory.
The pressure of not failing made the soles of my feet tingle.
Just as I let out a deep breath to steady myself, I heard the sound of a carriage outside. A smile automatically spread across my lips. There was only one possible visitor before the official opening.
I quickly entrusted the store’s final preparations to the staff and stepped outside.
‘Just as I expected.’
From the carriage parked nearby, Edmund and Lilien stepped out one after the other. Lilien, who had just descended while holding Edmund’s hand, brightened at the sight of me and rushed forward.
“Etricia!”
“Thank you for coming, Lilien.”
“Of course, I had to come.”
Lilien grabbed both of my hands and looked around the building in admiration.
“The building is beautiful!”
“Is it?”
I gave a vague smile. If she knew about the knights hiding on the rooftop and around the premises, she would be shocked.
At that moment, my eyes met Edmund’s in midair. His usually stone-cold gaze held a trace of warmth. We exchanged smiles for a few seconds before I gently pulled Lilien’s hand.
“Lilien, come inside.”
However, she firmly planted her feet and shook her head with a pout.
“What’s wrong?”
“I wanted to look around, but they told me I could only see your face today.”
“Who said that?”
Lilien narrowed her eyes and glared up at Edmund. He stood with his hands behind his back, casting a firm gaze that pressured her to return to the carriage immediately.
“See? He told me not to leave the mansion today. I had to promise that I would just say hello to you before I could even step out. Isn’t he being too much, Etricia?”
Caught between them, I could only manage an awkward smile. I understood Lilien’s desire to celebrate with me, but I also saw Edmund’s concern.
Normally, I would have sided with her, but my silence made Lilien murmur gloomily.
“I already feel sad that your bedroom has moved farther away…”
One notable change in the past week, aside from the business, was that I had relocated to a larger bedroom. It was in the annex, connected to the second floor by an L-shaped corridor. Leaving the room filled with Lilien’s childhood memories was bittersweet, but my previous space had become too cramped with documents and product samples cluttering every corner.
I cupped Lilien’s cheek with one hand, rubbing her soft skin gently.
“Just bear with it until the business settles.”
Lilien sighed, then let out a resigned chuckle.
“If you say so, I understand.”
“And today, I think it’s best if you listen to Edmund, Lilien.”
Edmund, who had been staring straight ahead, nodded in agreement.
“Listen to Etricia, sister.”
Caught between us, Lilien let out a deep sigh, shoulders slumping.
“I was going to anyway—”
She was mid-sentence, raising a finger when she suddenly froze. Her eyes darted between me and Edmund before she blinked in shock.
“W-wait, when did you two start calling each other by name?”
Her eyes sparkled mischievously in an instant. She pointed back and forth between us.
“D-don’t tell me you two are already…?”
I blinked in surprise, my eyelids trembling.
Unlike me, Edmund remained composed. Without a hint of fluster, he casually placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Time to go.”
“W-wait! Edmund, you’re avoiding the question…!”
Ignoring her protests, he lifted her into the carriage and shut the door. But Lilien didn’t give up. She poked her head out of the window, flashing a mischievous grin like her dream had just come true.
Edmund promptly pushed her head back inside and signaled to the coachman.
“Go.”
The startled coachman hurried into his seat, and the carriage took off. Lilien, however, managed to peek her head out again, grinning and waving.
I waved back awkwardly, matching her enthusiasm.
“Sigh.”
Edmund let out a deep sigh and rubbed his face. I could hear him muttering under his breath about how she was no help at all.
Hearing that, I felt my face heat up. I rubbed my cheek with the back of my hand.
Ever since my failed confession, our relationship had been ambiguous. We often missed breakfast together, meeting only by chance in the mansion. While work kept us busy, I also didn’t want personal emotions clouding my judgment before this critical moment.
But even with physical distance, we were emotionally closer than ever. We didn’t need words—just a glance was enough to know we felt the same.
I discreetly slipped my hand into my dress pocket. My fingers brushed against a small ring case. It was the LeBron ring, specially crafted ahead of schedule under my direct orders.
I traced its surface with my fingers, a soft smile forming.
‘Once this is over, I’ll give it to him.’
It felt like just yesterday when I hesitated to accept a gift because it symbolized romantic feelings. When did these emotions grow so big, like an inflated balloon?
I let out a self-mocking laugh—only to turn around and run right into Edmund.
The thought that he caught me smiling to myself made me instantly straighten my face.
With a slightly puzzled look, one of his eyebrows twitched. He walked toward me with his hands behind his back, then slowly leaned in and tilted his head to the side.
Suddenly, I remembered the knights hidden nearby in all directions. I hurriedly pushed his shoulders, but his body was like a rock and didn’t budge.
“What are you doing?”
Edmund’s eyes widened slightly. My reflexive reaction, spurred by surprise, probably made it seem like I was being coy—telling him not to behave like this with so many people watching.
He let out a small scoff, as if he couldn’t believe me. Looking down at me with lowered eyes, he placed something in my hand. It was a hairpin adorned with a single shining pearl.
“You came to give me this?”
“It’s a communication device I had made for emergencies. If anything happens, rub the hairpin. I’ll be hiding nearby.”
“Oh…”
I let out a sigh without realizing it, disappointed for some reason.
‘Well, of course Edmund wouldn’t kiss me in a situation like this without separating business and personal feelings.’
Sensing something strange, he furrowed his brow and smiled faintly.
“Were you expecting something else?”
I smiled casually, pretending I wasn’t disappointed.
“Why would I expect anything? I should wear it now, right?”
Trying to hide my embarrassment, I quickly held the hairpin up to my hair.
Edmund naturally took it from my hands and fixed it into my hair himself. It reminded me of the time in the fitting room when we argued while he helped me with a brooch. His hands were still a bit clumsy, but they had become much more gentle, delicate, and warm than before.
I smoothed down the hairpin, trying to control the expression on my face that was melting like ice cream.
“Thank you. I’ll use it well.”
“If anything happens to you, I won’t be able to forgive myself. So please, use it the moment you sense even the slightest danger.”
“I will.”
Edmund gave a firm nod. Just then, one of the knights entered and whispered something in his ear. He gave me a small nod and started walking toward the entrance with the knight.
No—he tried to leave. He suddenly stopped near the door, as if remembering something. Then he rushed back to me and grabbed my wrist. As I was quickly pulled toward him, he leaned in and whispered,
“And… use it if you miss me too.”
With that one sentence, he met my eyes briefly before leaving.
I stood there in a daze, covering my ear. The ear he had whispered into still tingled from his breath. It was even warm.
‘What is he trying to do, making my heart race like this…’
I stared at the door with a helplessly fond look until a staff member called me. One hand, still in my pocket, was unconsciously playing with the ring case.
“Thank you for visiting.”
I stood at the center of the hall, greeting the guests. While waiting guests were seated, I kept them entertained by sharing historical background stories about Lebron. I left the rest of the guests mostly to the staff, helping out only when needed.
Finally, the last guest had just arrived.
Outside the building, crowds had gathered upon hearing about the opening. As some tried to force their way in, the guards stepped in to block them with outstretched arms. One undercover knight gave me a serious look through the transparent glass. When I gave a subtle nod, the knight pulled someone forward from the crowd.
When the person finally stepped into view, I bit my lip.
“U-Unnie…”
It was Verita.
