"He's my younger brother...Lucas Ford."

The blood froze in Rustin's veins

He felt strange from this unusual situation

“Yes, I know...” Alexander rolled his eyes in response to Rustin’s expression. “The girl I love is going to be my sister-in-law. This is definitely a strange situation.” Alexander laughed

"..." How are you still able to laugh?

Rustin didn't know if he should say some things to console Alexander, but he couldn't find any suitable words.

"And then there's Layla..."

"..." There's another one?

Rastin remembered hearing news about the annulment of the engagement between Alexander and Layla

“She was my fiancée, but she broke off the engagement. Do you know why?”

"..." Why do you ask me such questions?

“Because she found another man...” Alexander answered, the smile not leaving his face

“You are talking about the Imperial Princess, right?” Rustin asked cautiously

He did not understand how a princess whose movements were being monitored at all times could commit such an act, because it would constitute a major scandal within society and might affect the reputation of the imperial family.

“He is the heir of the Armayo family...”

A look of realization appeared on Rustin's face and he got an answer to all the questions on his mind

“Do you hate her for doing this?” Rustin didn't know why he asked such a question

"You know something...this world is simpler than one might expect. Strong men get everything..." Alexander returned to his place next to Rustin.

"Are you saying that a strong person does what he wants even if it is wrong?" Rustin felt this was a very twisted logic

"Isn't it?..." Alexander looked into Rustin's eyes. “Strong men love beautiful women, and beautiful women want a strong man who can protect them. This may be unfair in your opinion, but this is how our world works, my friend.”

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Rustin couldn't look away from Alexander's eyes

That smile Alexander was wearing was making him feel very uncomfortable

He wondered the last time he had felt this way, but he could not get an answer because he concluded that this was the first time he had been in this state.

Is this because of the tragic stories that Alexander went through, and his feeling that they are similar in some aspects, or is the reason because of Alexander himself, who was speaking as if all of these stories had happened to someone else?

"But you did not answer my question. Do you hate the princess for leaving you?"

“She left me to be with someone else, someone stronger, more handsome, and more capable than me.”

"You're avoiding answering my question." Rustin was dissatisfied with these vague answers

"Well...it's hard to explain..." Alexander shrugged. "But you can tell I don't care about any of them anymore."

"That simple? Are you going to let it go like this, aren't you angry with any of them? Your father, Seraphina, Princess Layla and even the heir of Armayo..." Rustin's chest tightened for some reason.

"Are you angry because you didn't get the answer you wanted?" Alexander responded with a question

A shiver ran through Rustin's body, this was the question that frightened him more than anything else

Deep down, he was filled with unwillingness, and he didn't want to give up or let things end like this. That's why Alexander's previous words made him feel upset

But the last question that Alexander asked him was the most difficult

It was like digging deep into his soul and bringing out the things he had been trying to bury all this time

"Don't get it wrong, I was angry too." Alexander emphasized his last word to show Rustin that he knew very well what he had in mind

And he continued his words. “It's just that I've gotten over it, and that's why I decided to talk to you. When I first saw you, I felt like you were like me, so I don't want you to stay in this swamp. I wanted to pull you out before he pulled you down.”

Rustin looked away, confused

The conversation he had with Alexander had made him feel a slight closeness between them

This made him think, even if only for a moment, that Alexander was genuinely thinking of helping him

He did not want to remain in this state, which was pathetic in his opinion.

Alexander was able to discover his inner thoughts even though they only talked for an hour, which means that there is a possibility that one day Edward and Margaret would discover his thoughts and then their friendship would end.

He wanted to change like Alexander did

“How could it be...” Rustin did not know how to explain his thoughts to Alexander

Alexander put his hand on Rustin's shoulder. “There is no need to bother searching for words to describe your feelings. I understand what you want.”

Alexander stood up and extended his hand towards Rustin. “Accepting to take such a step requires more courage than you imagine.”

Rustin held Alexander's hand tightly, so Alexander pulled Rustin and helped him get up

"So, what's the plan?" Rustin asked excitedly

He wants to start as quickly as possible

"Okay, I'm hungry, let's go to a restaurant to eat something."

"...." Didn't you eat less than an hour ago?

-------------------------

"Oh I'm so tired." Alexander patted his stomach after eating such a hearty meal

"..." But we did nothing but talk for an hour

Rustin continued eating his meal, which had about half of it left. He had to admit that he was a little impressed with Alexander's ability to eliminate this amount of food in such a short time.

After Rustin finished his meal, the two of them left the restaurant and began walking aimlessly in the streets. Rustin wanted to ask Alexander about his plan but first he wanted to inquire about something. "You said something about the laws of the universe or something."

Alexander nodded. “Yes, there are some constant things that happen in our world. I already told you one of them, and there are many others, including what is related to childhood friends.”

“Can you tell me about the law regarding childhood friends?” Rustin was curious about this because he and Margaret were childhood friends

“It's a bit harsh, but I think you should know this. The law says that childhood friends are the worst.”

“This...is this really a law?”

“Of course...” Alexander frowned when he saw that Rustin was not convinced. “Relationships between childhood friends often end badly, and even the few people who manage to maintain a good relationship with their childhood friends will not be able to develop this relationship, and will always remain in the friendship zone.”

"This is a bit sad." Rustin's shoulders sagged in disappointment

Alexander's words were killing his last hope

He tried to alleviate his sadness by asking Alexander about their next steps, but a woman with purple hair stood in front of them.

"Oh, Alexander, what a surprise." Christina looked at Alexander with surprise that turned to excitement

“ instructor Christina, how are you?” Alexander greeted her, but was confused by her strange enthusiasm

“How about we have a meal together, and your friend can come too.” Christina smiled sweetly and extended her invitation

Rustin felt something was wrong. Even if Alexander was close to this instructor, wouldn't it be a bit exaggerated to invite him so directly?

“I cannot refuse an invitation from you.” Alexander smiled and led the way towards the best restaurant he knew

Rustin stared at Alexander in shock

"..." Where the hell does all that food go?