His gentle words seeped into my heart like paint slowly dissolving in water.  

Thump.  

‘Huh? What was that?’  

Startled by the sudden thump of my heart, I touched my chest. It felt like the same pulsing sensation I had experienced with the jewels, so I glanced at the jewellery box on the table.  

“What’s wrong? Does your chest hurt again?”  

Edwin’s face grew serious, and I quickly shook my head to reassure him.  

If it wasn’t the jewels, could Edwin be wrong? I studied his expression, but he didn’t seem unwell.  

“Has the opal been holding up lately?”  

I had meant to ask since I noticed Edwin’s energy had become slightly unstable over the past few days.  

“Well...”  

For once, Edwin hesitated, avoiding my gaze.  

“Tell me the truth. We said we’re in this together.”  

“You’re right. We’re one.”  

Edwin grinned at me again, this time meeting my eyes.  

“It’s nothing serious. It’s just that the opal’s control seems to be weakening over time.”  

I had known that the opal I had activated wouldn’t last forever, but I hadn’t expected it to lose its power so quickly. The realisation left me feeling uneasy.  

‘Is this happening because I was the one who activated it?’  

It was something I had been worrying about, and now the weight of the situation pressed down on me. But I couldn’t sit idly by. Edwin’s well-being was directly tied to my survival, so I had to find a solution.  

‘First, I need to do what I can right now.’  

“I told you to let me know immediately if something like this happened.”  

“It’s not dangerous, and I can still bear it for now.”  

“Don’t bear it. You don’t have to when I’m here, okay?”  

Thinking about how much pain Edwin had probably endured all this time made me angry.  

“My bride is fragile. If you overexert yourself, you’ll collapse again. I hate that feeling.”  

His words sounded like a cat pretending to care for a mouse, and though it was ridiculous, my nose stung with unexpected emotion.  

“Suppressing it until you lose control is harder on me.”  

“I love it when you worry about me, Lina. It’s thrilling.”  

As Edwin hugged me tightly, rubbing his face against mine, I instinctively inhaled deeply.  

‘I get chills every time you act like this.’  

I stared blankly at the canopy, counting the flowers carved into it, waiting for Edwin to calm down.  

“This opal isn’t big enough to control the madness anymore. How big was the original one?”  

“About this big.”  

Edwin lifted the opal hanging around his neck and gestured with his fingers, indicating that the original was about three times the size of the current one.  

“Do you think we can find one that large?”  

“There should be one in the treasury.”  

“Pick one that suits you, and I’ll activate it immediately.”  

Edwin nodded in agreement.  

“This is just first aid.”  

Holding a small opal from the jewellery box on the table, I grabbed Edwin’s hand. He had said that the effect was different when I infused power into the opal.  

I wasn’t sure why, but the opal’s strength seemed amplified when it passed through me. And when I channelled its power, my hand would glow the same colour as the gem.  

“Ahh, that feels good.”  

Edwin sighed contentedly, resting his head on my shoulder. I spent the next few minutes staring at the canopy again, waiting for him to finish.  

“If you don’t want to be late for your lesson, you should get ready...” I said cautiously.  

Edwin, still holding me, stood up from the bed.  

“Alright, let’s eat first.”  

Soon, the table was filled with food, and we ate heartily. After washing up and dressing, I waved cheerfully at Edwin.  

“I’ll see you after my etiquette lesson.”  

I hated studying, but there was one good thing about taking these lessons: I would get some time away from Edwin.  

But instead of leaving, Edwin just stood there, looking puzzled.  

An uneasy feeling crept up my spine.  

No way...  

“Where would I go? I need to stay and protect my Lina.”  

“I don’t think there’s any danger in an etiquette lesson...”  

“But a stranger will be coming.”  

“I’m sure their background was thoroughly checked.”  

Every official and servant in the household went through a strict vetting process before entering the Duke’s residence. Most of them had served the Crawford family for generations.  

Considering how meticulously external visitors were controlled, it was unlikely that anyone untrustworthy would be hired to teach me.  

“Of course. I chose the person to teach my precious bride myself.”  

“Then there’s no need to worry, right? Since Edwin personally selected them.”  

Please, just go.  

I smiled brightly, hiding my true feelings. I wanted to reassure him that everything would be fine.  

“I still don’t feel comfortable. My bride is so delicate and easily frightened, after all.”  

Though his tone was gentle, there was an odd firmness to it.