Chapter 3
After that, I sat down on the stool next to him, staring at him without blinking.
Edward's gaze was piercing, his brows slightly raised, and he met my eyes head-on, not shying away for a second.
He carried an intimidating aura and a commanding presence that was impossible to ignore.
I pretended not to notice and just flashed him another smile.
I teased, "Edward, you're seriously handsome. How about you stick with me?"
Edward couldn't help but smile, and it was like the first rays of spring, so dazzling that everything else seemed to fade away.
Honestly, Edward was drop-dead gorgeous.
But the words he spoke were cold as ice.
"If you're looking to play tricks, perhaps you should find someone else," Edward replied coolly.
"You don't believe me?" I said, unfazed. I didn't bother to explain, just gathered up all the medicine on the table. "I'll come back tomorrow."
*****
Edward was quiet and self-controlled, but he always listened to me.
In the beginning, he was never the one to make a move. He'd just sit there, gazing at me with those almost flawless eyes, calm and steady.
He'd only hold my hand or hug me if I asked him to.
But as we got closer, he didn't need any prompting. The moment he saw me, he'd come over and shower me with kisses.
I don't know where he learned how to please someone, but even without going all the way, he could make me feel pure bliss, like I was floating on air.
Meanwhile, he kept himself in check until his whole body was burning up, lying awake all night, unable to get any rest.
I even offered to pleasure him, but Edward always refused, holding back like it was no big deal.
I used to think he was just shy or self-conscious.
That was until I saw those strange floating comments popping up in front of me.
They said the reason Edward never wanted anything physical with me was that he didn't care about me at all.
Turns out, the one he really had feelings for was Charlotte.
On top of that, he was the future king, biding his time in the Marquess Estate. His status was nothing short of royal.
Charlotte was destined to be his queen.
Me? I was just the blemish in their perfect romance. Edward would do anything to please Charlotte, even if it meant getting rid of me.
The barrage of comments kept flooding the screen, nonstop.
[At least this supporting girl knows when to back off and stops herself in time.]
[Don't be fooled by the male lead's blushing. He's just acting all pure, but deep down, he actually hates her guts.]
[If he wasn't hiding his true identity, he would've killed her already.]
[Nice, nice! The male lead's probably heading back to get busy with the female lead's portrait again.]
[When's he finally gonna get laid? Hope our male lead doesn't get too pent up.]
I pressed my hand to my chest, heart racing so fast I could barely breathe.
*****
After that night, I started avoiding Edward.
Other than paying my respects to the matriarch, I barely left my courtyard.
There was a bunch of tulips lined up on the windowsill.
That was our secret signal.
If Edward wanted to see me at night, he'd leave a tulip by the window. If I took it, it meant he was welcome. If I left it there, it meant stay away.
Some of the tulips had already wilted, while others were still fresh and vibrant.
I did a quick count, and the number matched the days; he'd come by every day.
Strange.
If he really liked Charlotte, now that I was not pressuring him to meet me, he should be happier.
So why did he keep insisting on coming to see me?
I didn't bother overthinking it and just kept pretending I hadn't noticed.
A few days later, Charlotte was going horseback riding by the lake and specifically asked me to come along.
Edward was there too.
We hadn't seen each other for two whole weeks.
He stood quietly off to the side, holding Charlotte's horse, not even sparing me a glance.
The comment section was going wild, like a festival.
[The whole fandom's celebrating. Edward and Charlotte are finally together in one scene!]
[Edward's so careful around Charlotte, treating her like she's made of glass, afraid she'll get even a tiny scratch.]
[Sunshine heroine vs. brooding ghostly hero. This ship is killing me, I can't get enough!]
[But seriously, why is the supporting girl even here? She's totally ruining the vibe.]
Charlotte was wearing a light green dress today, and her smile in the sunlight was absolutely radiant and sunny.
For a moment, I remembered I had a dress in that same shade.
Once, when we were close, Edward's hand slid under my clothes. As he leaned in to kiss me, he whispered, "This color looks good on you."
So all along, he wasn't thinking about me. He was thinking about Charlotte.
That green wasn't for me. It was for Charlotte.