101. No way, are you jealous right now?

“That’s a bit… difficult.”

“Why?”

Although the situation was pressing enough for her to consider it at least once, Roselia had yet to fully establish herself within the Marquess’ household.

Traveling to a foreign country without the protection of the Marquess’ family, amid the dangers and scrutiny of the concubines’ faction, was far too risky.

She was also worried about leaving Johannes behind.

“It’s difficult right now.”

“When you say it’s difficult right now, does that mean it’ll be fine later? When?”

“Well… at the very least, not until after His Highness the Prince’s crown prince enthronement ceremony is over and things have stabilized…”

Before Roselia could even finish speaking, Asif cut her off firmly.

“Alright.”

“…What?”

“I’ll wait. Until Prince Aaron is crowned as the Crown Prince and the time you consider right arrives.”

“No, but I can’t say for sure when that will be—”

“I’ll wait.”

His expression was not just firm—it was resolute. Seeing that, Roselia opened her mouth as if to argue but ended up sighing deeply.

“Well… do as you please.”

It was Asif who had decided to wait, so she had nothing to lose.

If he got tired of waiting, he’d leave on his own anyway…

With that thought, Roselia stood up and continued speaking in a calm tone.

“Then, is our business here finished?”

At her question, Asif hesitated for a moment before cautiously speaking.

“By the way, what’s your relationship with Duke Valtazar?”

“There is no relationship.”

“The Duke seems to be quite a nuisance… If you need, I could help you out.”

At his unexpectedly serious expression, Roselia firmly shook her head.

No matter how much she wanted to sever ties with Klaus, she didn’t want anyone else to get involved in what was between them.

Cutting him off and forgetting him—that was something she had to do on her own.

“I’m fine. Then, please have a safe return.”

With that, Roselia decisively turned and walked away.

Left alone, Asif remained seated on the sofa for a long while, staring at the door she had disappeared through.

* * *

Roselia headed toward the drawing room where Klaus and Claucet were. As she absentmindedly stepped through the open door, she suddenly froze.

Klaus was standing in front of the window, his back turned to her.

The golden hues of the sunset streamed through the glass, casting a warm glow over his hair.

For a moment, she was reminded of the time she had seen him from behind in the Duke’s study.

Back then, he had been seated by the window, gazing at the setting sun. And just like that day, he had pulled her into his arms, burying his face against her neck.

The unbidden memory made her stiffen, and at that moment, Claucet’s puzzled voice broke the silence.

“Antonio?”

At the sound of her voice, Klaus turned his head toward Roselia.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Roselia quickly composed herself, her expression hardening as she stepped fully into the room.

“What business do you have with me?”

Her cold tone made Klaus press his lips together, forcibly erasing the bitter look that had momentarily flickered across his face.

“Prince Asif?”

“He must have left by now.”

A thousand questions burned at the tip of Klaus’s tongue—how she knew him, what their relationship was—but he swallowed them down.

Klaus knew all too well that, right now, he was nothing to Roselia. He also knew that the more he pushed her, the further she would withdraw. That was why he struggled to maintain his composure.

As Roselia watched him in confusion, Klaus, who had been silently staring at the floor with a hardened expression, slowly approached her. Without a word, he reached into the inner pocket of his jacket.

Moments later, he pulled out an invitation bordered in gold and held it out to her.

“…What is this?”

“An invitation to the hotel’s grand opening banquet. The key figures of Raphelios will all be there. It should help you understand the shifting political landscape.”

Roselia hesitated, weighing her options. The information she had gathered from the imperial banquet had been insufficient to fully grasp the power dynamics among the concubine factions.

At the imperial banquet, she had been too occupied analyzing the concubines, princes, and princesses.

Moreover, the noble guests at an imperial event tended to be more guarded in their speech, making it difficult to gather useful information.

But a private banquet at a hotel… That would provide a much looser environment where people might speak more freely.

As she considered this, Klaus spoke again in a neutral tone.

“No matter how much you dislike me, it would be best if you avoided Prince Asif.”

Roselia blinked, momentarily wondering if she had misheard him.

Klaus still wasn’t looking at her, his face turned away as he continued in the same detached voice.

“Prince Asif is notorious for his womanizing ways.”

Watching him speak while deliberately avoiding her gaze, Roselia’s eyes widened slightly.

…Wait.

Was he jealous right now?

“Are you jealous?”

Claucet voiced the exact question Roselia had in mind.

At her words, Klaus flinched, his shoulders tensing. Then, as if struck by some profound realization, he stared intensely at the floor.

“Jealousy…”

His gaze, which had been fixed downward, slowly lifted to meet Roselia’s.

“It seems so. I suppose this feeling is what they call jealousy.”

His deep, unwavering stare made Roselia feel like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web—unable to move, trapped in his gaze.

For a moment, as their eyes locked, time itself seemed to stand still.

But it was Claucet who broke the silence between them.

“If it’s jealousy, then just say it’s jealousy. What’s with that ‘it seems so’ nonsense? Anyway, Antonio, you’re coming to the hotel banquet, right?”

Snapping out of her trance, Roselia quickly broke eye contact with Klaus and answered.

“I’ll think about it.”

“If it’s because of Klaus, then come for me instead. I’m planning to make it absolutely dazzling—to put those Raphelios nobles in their place.”

Her confident words made Roselia let out a small, involuntary chuckle.

“Alright.”

Satisfied with her response, Claucet grinned. But before the conversation could shift, Klaus’s steady voice cut through.

“Even if Antonio attends the banquet, it would be best not to act too familiar.”

“Why?”

Claucet asked, frowning in dissatisfaction.

Klaus fixed his gaze on Roselia and spoke in a low, deliberate tone.

“It would be more convenient for Antonio in many ways.”

He was right. If Roselia wanted to quietly observe the political landscape, it was best to avoid drawing attention.

At a gathering like that, if someone from the Duke’s household—especially the host—openly acknowledged her, she would immediately become a point of interest.

Not to mention, considering she was still in disguise as a man, any unnecessary attention could cause complications.

In a way, Klaus’s words were meant as consideration for her.

Being sharp-witted, Claucet seemed to grasp the situation. Though she looked displeased, she didn’t argue further.

“Ugh… That means the banquet is going to be boring.”

Ignoring Claucet’s grumbling, Klaus turned back to Roselia and spoke calmly.

“Then, I’ll see you at the banquet.”

With those final words, Klaus and Claucet quietly left the Marquess’ estate.

Roselia stood there for a long while, watching their carriage disappear into the distance.

* * *

The banquet at the Valtazar Hotel approached quickly.

Due to a scheduling conflict between the hotel banquet and an audience with the Empress, Johannes had decided to attend the latter, leaving Roselia to go to the banquet alone.

Since it was customary for the Emperor, Empress, and Imperial Consorts to only attend imperial banquets, it would actually be easier for her to observe the noble factions without their presence.

However, despite their absence, the banquet was still attended by high-ranking nobles from Raphelios, as well as princes and princesses. She couldn’t afford to let her guard down.

As Roselia stepped into the grand banquet hall, she scanned the opulent surroundings and carefully observed the attendees.

As expected, in the most prominent section of the hall, Prince Alphonse was surrounded by a group of young noblemen and sons of aristocratic families.

It seemed that Prince Aaron, being too young, was not permitted to attend external banquets yet.

Instead of sitting near the young noblewomen, Roselia deliberately positioned herself close to the group of men surrounding Alphonse.

Dressed in her evening tailcoat, she blended naturally into the sea of nobles.

“Prince Aaron is absent from the banquet, I see.”

“Well, of course. He’s still a child—barely out of a nanny’s arms.”

Sure enough, the aristocrats were already busy whispering behind Aaron’s back.

“To think that such a baby is going to be crowned Crown Prince—I refuse to accept it. Especially when His Highness Prince Alphonse is right here, a grown and capable man.”

“What can that toddler even do for the country? Meanwhile, Prince Alphonse graduated early from the Academy and is already handling various state affairs for the Imperial Family.”

“His Majesty must have made a serious misjudgment.”

As the nobles continued to flatter him, Alphonse quietly raised his champagne glass to his lips, then spoke in a serious tone.

“Count Conrad, mind your words. It is His Majesty’s decision.”

His sharp gaze made the noble who had spoken shrink back, bowing his head hastily.

“M-my apologies, Your Highness.”

It was expected that they would badmouth Prince Aaron, but Alphonse’s reaction was surprising.

Despite having these young noblemen under his influence, he was careful not to reveal his true thoughts so easily.

Roselia narrowed her eyes at the prince.

The more refined the mask, the darker the intentions behind it.

Yet, unaware of her scrutiny, the nobles quickly tried to change the topic, gauging Alphonse’s reaction.

“In any case, the Valtazar Duke truly lives up to his reputation as the wealthiest man on the continent. This banquet could put the imperial gatherings to shame.”

“Does wealth make him above courtesy? Even with His Highness present, he hasn’t come to greet him in person.”

Just as those words were spoken, as if on cue, a man stepped forward toward Alphonse.

“It is an honor to meet Your Highness, Prince Alphonse.”

TL/N: Hello people. I’m so so sorry that I couldn’t update the chapters anymore, and I’m so sorry for making continuous mistakes. Idk I have been feeling weird lately with all the things happening in my life and I couldn’t concentrate. I’m sorry about that lol and you guys have been so supportive thanks a lot for waiting patiently lub you. Also, you guys know what I heard… there is pregnancy news… soon, not now soon. We have to wait cuz there are like 200 + chapters more.
Also, even if you guys find Asif’s behavior sus you are not alone. I’m wondering why do kr authors add muslim names and make them bad guys lol let me tell you yk The name Asif Means Forgiveness, Strong, Powerful, and Fierce, and has an Arabic origin. Many of you guys prolly won’t know cuz it’s Arabic history, Asif was a courtier of the Prophet Solomon who had the power to bring things together with a single command. The name was initially generated from there. I might be wrong lol not 100% correct info, I also read this somewhere. Idk if it was a random name picked by the author. But the names itself in this novel are shitty like how tf are we supposed to pronounce Rugbeljet and Klaus name 😢

 

 

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