After the dance, the man kissed the back of Rose's palm and said, "Thank you for accompanying me to dance today."
"Eh?? Y-Yes... I'm grateful too." Rose said awkwardly with a blush on her face.
"Alright, everyone. Enjoy your events. I will take my partner with me." said this man.
"Eh???" Rose was confused too but she just followed him.
Then this man led Rose down the stage and walked out of the hall. Everyone present was transfixed and watched the two of them leave the hall.
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This man as well as Rose headed to the rooftop.
"Aldric… Is that you?" Rose asked him who was holding her hand.
"Yes..." Aldric replied as he opened his blindfold.
"Why are you here?"
"Uhm… I've told you before, I wanted to see you."
"No… I mean how did you know I was here?"
"Oh. It's not a hard thing for me. Because your scent is really alluring."
"Are you teasing me again?"
"He-he-he… Yes exactly, my sense of smell is sharp, and I can easily find you because I already recognize your scent. Besides that, I can also move quickly, and you said you lived in Paris before, right?"
"Y-Yes..."
"Okay. Then, are you ready?" asked Aldric.
"Uhm… Where do you want to go? And why are we up here?"
"We will jump over the buildings…"
"What???"
"Haven't we jumped between cliffs and treetops before?"
"B-But..."
"Hold on tight!" Aldric said as he carried Rose in his arms.
"W-wait… Kyaaaa!!!"
Then from the rooftop, with the push on his feet, he jumped from one building to another. Rose was scared so she hugged Aldric on reflex and closed her eyes.
"Yuhuuu!! Ha-ha-ha..." shouted Aldric who laughed out loud.
From the rooftop, Evander looked at his master with a smile, "Finally, Master can laugh out loud like that."
"Rose… Open your eyes. You missed the beauty of the night in the city." said Aldric.
Rose slowly opened her eyes and saw the night view with twinkling lights and the splendor of Paris with the Eiffel tower icon.
"Wow. Amazing."
"Let's enjoy the night together."
"Yeah..." Rose answered while nodding her head.
"In the mountains, we see the galaxy, while in the city we can see the twinkling lights from up here," said Aldric.
Rose still couldn't believe what had happened to her. So far, she is just a worker with ordinary life in general. In addition, she was ignored by co-workers. But after she met Aldric, she felt her life was colorful as the beautiful scenery tonight. They then stopped on top of a hill. Aldric put her down. Rose who was still hugging Aldric then awkwardly let go of her embrace.
They both called each other's names at the same time.
"Your turn first..." said Aldric.
"Uhm… Thank you, Aldric. This is the most beautiful Valentine's moment I've ever had in my life." said Rose softly.
"Then it's the same with me." He answered.
"A handsome man as he didn't have a romantic and memorable experience? Hard to believe."
Meanwhile, in Aldric's mind, "A beautiful lady as she is still alone?"
"Rose, today you look gorgeous… Uhm… Sorry… Previously you were beautiful too… It's just that today you look even more special for me."
"Ha-ha…" Rose chuckled and replied," You too…"
"Rose… I…" said Aldric who started to approach Rose's face while gently touching her cheek.
Deg… deg… deg… Rose's heartbeat was beating fast and in Rose's mind, "W-what should I do? Should I just accept the kiss?"
Rose closed her eyes...
He was a little surprised by Rose's reaction. Aldric was getting closer. When he wanted to kiss Rose's lips, he hesitated while thinking, "Am I deserve to approach her? I can't deceive her. I'm just a monster."
Aldric stopped and touched Rose's cheeks as he said, "Happy Valentine's Day."
"Eh????" Then, Rose opened her eyes and replied, "Happy Valentine's Day."
"Looks like it's late at night..." Before Aldric finished his sentence, Rose said, "The view over the hill is beautiful."
"Ah… Yes…"
"I want to be here longer…"
"Okay... I'll accompany you before taking you home," Aldric answered.
"Hi-hi-hi... Thank you." Said Rose with a friendly smile.
The gibbous moon adorned the sky on Valentine's night. They both talk to each other and share stories.
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16 February 2022
"Hah… It's been a month since that incident, and I was ostracized by other coworkers. However, on the plus side, I met Aldric. And we celebrate Valentine's Day together. I haven't felt this happy in a long time. It's better if I remember the good memories." Said Rose who comforted herself when she was inside the house before she went to sleep.
"Hmmm… What is he doing right now?" Thought Rose.
"Wait…Why does his image keep in my mind? Maybe, I've fallen in love with him." Her face blushed when she thought about Aldric.
On the other hand, Aldric on a full moon night turned back into a wolf form.
"This full moon reminds me of Rose... I miss her. I want to see her again, even though I just met her 2 days ago. What kind of feeling is this? Am I falling in love with her? However, with my condition like this, how can I let Rose stay here in my castle? If I let her, not only she will see my transformation, but it's also possible that in the future she will meet a vampire. I don't want that creature to meet Rose."