Even if I’m busy, I’ll make time to have lunch with you.
Magnus’s response made my heart race inexplicably. I couldn’t help but press a hand to my chest.
What’s wrong with me? Why am I having such a strong reaction? Could it be that I really have feelings for Magnus?
It’s true-Magnus fits the image of my ideal partner better.
Kael, on the other hand, was nothing more than an accident. If it hadn’t been for that day-Lucian’s betrayal and my impulsive desire for revenge-I wouldn’t have ended up with Kael.
Even now, it all feels like a dream.
But Magnus…
I thought about his confession the other day. I was moved, yes, but I wasn’t sure if Magnus and I could truly make it to the end.
What if we can’t even remain friends afterward?
What would I do then?
It wasn’t something I could decide on my own.
We had agreed to meet for lunch. Evelyn, in a bad mood, had gone to Judy for comfort.
I understood Evelyn’s feelings. If I were in her shoes, I’d probably feel even worse.
Sometimes, even when you’re doing something for everyone’s good, it still invites ridicule from others.
Anyone would be heartbroken in that situation.
Magnus and I planned to meet at the cafeteria.
On my way there, I suddenly thought about the gifts Magnus had given me before.
I’d stopped using the scented oils he’d given me because they always seemed to trigger strange dreams-dreams where I turned into a werewolf.
Though I wasn’t scared anymore, it still felt odd.
A voice in the back of my mind kept warning me not to use them.
So I put them away and tried to forget about them.
Maybe my body instinctively rejected those things.
The last gift Magnus gave me was a book. To be honest, it was a great book; it helped me understand a lot of things.
Because of that, when I passed by a store, I couldn’t help but go inside to pick out a gift for him.
I wanted to give Magnus something in return, hoping he’d like it.
But finding the right gift for a man wasn’t easy.
What would someone like Magnus, with his unique personality, appreciate?
After looking around for a while, I decided on an expensive fountain pen.
Given his profession, Magnus often needed to write and take notes, so he probably used pens a lot.
I picked out a pen and paid extra for a beautifully designed gift box to put it in.
When I arrived at the cafeteria, Magnus was already waiting at the entrance.
He was wearing a white shirt and dark blue jeans.
Already gentle by nature, he looked even softer and kinder in that moment.
When I saw him, there were two girls standing beside him, talking. One of them held her phone out to him, but Magnus smiled and shook his head.
As I approached, I heard him say, “I’m sorry.”
“Why does it matter? We just want your contact info. Don’t be so stingy,” one of the girls said.
“I have a girlfriend,” Magnus replied with a smile.
He was always so polite, even when rejecting someone.
I froze for a moment. Magnus had a girlfriend? Why didn’t I know about this?
Before I could process my thoughts, Magnus suddenly grabbed me and pulled me into his arms.
The faint scent of cedarwood on him filled the air, along with the warmth of his body.
I felt my ears grow hot, burning like fire.
“This is my girlfriend,” Magnus said with a smile. “Do you still want my contact info?”
My head was pressed against his chest, and I could feel the vibrations of his voice as he spoke.
I stood there stiffly, trapped in his embrace, forced to endure the angry stares of the girls.
In the end, they left in frustration.
Magnus let me go, and I looked up at him. His blue eyes held a hint of embarrassment.
In that moment, he looked even more handsome.
“Sorry, Seraphina,” he said. “They wouldn’t leave me alone, so I had no choice but to pretend you were my girlfriend.”
“It’s okay,” I replied.
“But if you’re willing to be my girlfriend for real, I wouldn’t mind.” His gaze was filled with something deeper, something tender.
I felt like my heart was going to leap out of my chest.
“So, Seraphina, have you thought about it?”
“I…” I stammered, unable to give him an answer right away.
Instead, I handed him the fountain pen I had bought. “Thank you for the gifts you’ve given me. I didn’t know how to repay you, so I got you this pen.”
“Seraphina, you don’t have to be so formal with me. But thank you-I really like it,” Magnus said as he took the gift.
We got our meals and sat down to eat.
“So, Seraphina, what did you want to talk to me about?” he asked.
“I saw a werewolf,” I said cautiously, lowering my voice.
I thought of how Evelyn had been ridiculed before. I didn’t want anyone to overhear and mock me.
“You saw a werewolf? When?” Magnus looked surprised.
“Last night, on the street.”
“There really are werewolves…” Magnus murmured, a hint of excitement in his tone. “Isn’t that cool?”
His reaction stunned me. Was he really so fascinated by werewolves that his first response wasn’t fear but excitement?
“He was hurting people,” I said, gripping my fork tightly as the image of the werewolf from last night flashed in my mind. It made my stomach churn.
In front of a werewolf, humans were like ants-small and powerless. The werewolf could kill someone effortlessly.
But Magnus’s expression remained curious. “Where did you see it? Honestly, I’d like to see one too.”
“You’re not afraid? He was hurting people,” I said, my voice trembling.
“Afraid?” Magnus paused, then seemed to catch himself. “Oh, right. I guess it’s a little scary.”
I stared at him, shocked by his reaction.
At first, he’d seemed excited.
A person’s first reaction often reveals their true feelings.
For some reason, I felt a chill run through me.
Magnus wasn’t as gentle and kind as he appeared.
If he were, he wouldn’t have been so calm-or even happy-when hearing about a werewolf hurting people.
He seemed more interested in the werewolf itself than concerned about the human victims.
“What’s wrong, Seraphina? Why are you looking at me like that?” Magnus’s blue eyes gazed into mine, his face still wearing that warm smile.
But at that moment, I no longer found him as gentle as before.