123. Why is it that we must not be involved with each other?

At Klaus’s sudden appearance, Nora, who had been glaring fiercely just moments ago, flinched and hesitated in fear.

Klaus, as if brushing off something filthy, shook off her arm and stepped in front of Roselia, issuing a cold warning.

“You seem to be under the illusion that you’re something important, but even among those of the same bloodline, there is a hierarchy.”

Nora’s eyes widened, as if wounded by his words.

But Klaus remained indifferent to her reaction, his voice chilling as he continued.

“You are nothing more than a tavern girl who used to crawl through back alleys.”

At his emotionless, icy words, Nora’s eyes filled with tears before she abruptly turned and fled.

As Roselia instinctively moved to go after her, Klaus seized her wrist, stopping her in place.

“And what do you plan to do if you catch up? Do you need to get slapped across the face before you come to your senses?”

“You know what Prince Alphonse and the concubine faction nobles will do to her!” Roselia protested.

Klaus furrowed his brows sharply and pulled her wrist even closer, bringing his face mere inches from hers.

“Are you planning to take responsibility for that woman’s life? She made her own choices. She must bear the consequences.”

“……”

“Such a noble sense of compassion,” Klaus sneered.

“Why don’t you spare even half of that concern for me?”

Something about the way he said it—his expression, his tone—felt strangely lonely.

Roselia’s expression stiffened.

Klaus gave her a bitter smile, tilting his lips wryly.

“Because every word, every action of yours shakes me.”

Roselia’s eyes wavered for a brief moment.

But only for an instant.

She quickly pulled her wrist free from his grasp and turned away resolutely.

“Don’t say things like that to me anymore. I am now the daughter of the House of Euciliod, a citizen of the Raphelios Empire. It would be troublesome for me to be entangled with a noble of Rugbeljet.”

At her cold response, Klaus’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“What…?”

Just then—

A familiar voice interrupted.

“Viscount!”

It was Bellog and Asif.

Roselia, now standing at a noticeable distance from Klaus, turned to them with an awkward expression.

“You should have at least given me a hint,” Bellog said in an amused tone. “I always suspected that my dear Viscount had an unusual network, but to think you were actually from the House of Euciliod.”

Roselia looked apologetic.

“I’m sorry for deceiving you, Marquis. And you as well, Prince Asif.”

“There’s no need to apologize. Rather, knowing you’re from the House of Euciliod makes you even more trustworthy,” Bellog replied with his usual lightheartedness.

Next to him, Asif crossed his arms and regarded Roselia with suspicion.

“So the ‘Antonio’s little sister’ I heard about was actually Antonio?”

At his skeptical expression, Roselia gave him an awkward smile and nodded.

“I apologize, Your Highness. The situation was complicated…”

“You’re not trying to tell me that Antonio’s ‘little sister’ is actually still pretending to be Antonio, are you?”

Asif looked utterly confused, as though struggling to make sense of the situation.

At his expression, Roselia couldn’t help but chuckle.

“This part isn’t a lie.”

“Wow… unbelievable. I knew Antonio was of the Raphelios bloodline, but to think he—no, you—were the Marquess of Euciliod’s younger sister… I feel like I’ve been completely blindsided.”

Asif rubbed his neck, still looking dumbfounded.

Roselia, feeling generous, decided to clarify further.

“For reference, only those of the opposite sex can detect the scent of a true bloodline.”

At her words, Asif tilted his head in confusion before realization dawned on him.

His face went blank.

“So basically… I was just an idiot.”

At Asif’s deflated voice, Bellog burst into laughter.

“More importantly, what should we call you from now on? Antonio? Roselia?”

“Call me Roselia.”

Just then, Johannes, having finally escaped from the crowd of nobles, approached them.

“Roselia.”

At his arrival, Asif and Bellog instinctively took a step back.

Johannes acknowledged their retreat with a grateful nod before gently placing a hand on Roselia’s shoulder, his expression filled with concern.

“You ran out so suddenly—it startled me. Did something happen?”

Roselia considered telling him about Nora but decided against it, given the setting. Instead, she shook her head.

“It’s nothing. More importantly, what about the other nobles…?”

“The Emperor left, and the assembly naturally dispersed. You must be exhausted—let’s head back as well.”

With that, Johannes turned to Bellog and Asif, bowing his head slightly.

“Thank you for your help today. I won’t forget it.”

He didn’t forget to acknowledge Klaus either, who had been standing silently in the background.

“Thank you as well, Duke.”

Klaus responded with only a brief nod.

After glancing at Klaus one last time, Roselia turned and followed Johannes, stepping away without looking back.

* * *

Leaning casually against a distant pillar, Grand Duke Rubelio took a slow drag from his cigar, his gaze fixed on Roselia’s retreating figure.

Just then, a long shadow stretched beside him as someone approached.

“You seem to have a habit of eavesdropping on others’ conversations,” a calm voice remarked.

Startled, Rubelio turned his head and found himself looking at the long-haired man who had introduced himself as the envoy from Zelos.

“The so-called envoy from Zelos…”

“Call me Hyun.”

“Unusual name.”

“It means ‘black blade’ (玄),” Hyun replied simply.

Rubelio took another drag from his cigar, indifferent to the explanation.

“Don’t misunderstand. They just happened to gather where I was resting.”

Hyun merely shrugged, showing no particular reaction.

Without hesitation, he stepped forward and pulled out a cigarette from his coat.

Unlike the thick Rugbeljet-style cigars, Hyun’s cigarette was notably thin.

Noticing Rubelio’s curious gaze, Hyun smirked.

“May I borrow a light?”

His nonchalant tone made Rubelio pause momentarily before finally reaching into his coat for a magically refined lighter.

As Rubelio flicked it open, Hyun leaned in to light his cigarette.

In the process, his fingers briefly brushed against Rubelio’s.

For an instant, Hyun’s expression stiffened, but with his head bowed, Rubelio failed to notice.

“I’ve heard that Zelosian culture is quite different, but seeing it firsthand is fascinating,” Rubelio mused.

By the time Hyun lifted his head, his face had returned to its usual unreadable expression.

“I’ll be staying in Raphelios for a while. You’ll likely see me again.”

“Oh… now that’s something to look forward to.”

As Rubelio smiled, entirely unsuspecting, Hyun silently studied him before taking a slow drag from his cigarette.

Then, in a neutral tone, he added, “I’ll see you again soon.”

Rubelio took it as nothing more than a casual farewell and nodded absentmindedly.

But as Hyun turned away, his face was even more rigid than before.

* * *

After finishing dinner with Johannes, Roselia returned to her room.

Since the evening had grown chilly, Eva had just brought in a warm pot of tea and some refreshments.

“Oh, my! You have no idea how shocked I was when you suddenly dressed as a woman—ah, no, that doesn’t sound right, since you are a woman,” Eva said, flustered, correcting herself mid-sentence.

Roselia chuckled at her confusion, letting out a small, amused sigh.

“From now on, just call me ‘my lady.’”

“Really? You’re not going to be ‘young master’ anymore?”

“That’s right.”

At Roselia’s confirmation, Eva’s face lit up with excitement.

“Oh my goodness! I’m so happy! I need to buy a whole collection of dresses and accessories for you! Honestly, if it weren’t for Lady Claucet today, we wouldn’t have even found a dress for you in time! But how did she happen to have one that suited you so perfectly?”

Roselia could easily guess the reason. Claucet had always stocked an entire wardrobe of dresses for her even during her time at the Valtazar estate.

While Roselia smiled awkwardly, Eva’s curiosity turned in another direction.

“I heard the delegation from Zelos was at the meeting today. Did they really look that different from us?”

At Eva’s question, Roselia suddenly remembered the Zelosian man who had spoken in her defense.

“Hmm… I didn’t really notice much of a difference.”

“But I heard Zelosians only have black or white hair! Isn’t that fascinating?”

“Well… I suppose that kind of thing could happen in some countries.”

Roselia sipped her tea, recalling the man with long black hair and an impassive expression.

She had mistaken him for a wandering fugitive, yet he had turned out to be a legitimate envoy.

The memory of how she had practically handed him charity without knowing the truth made her face grow warm with embarrassment.

I should apologize properly when I see him again… she thought.

Just then, a breeze blew in from the terrace window.

It must have been left open from earlier when the room was aired out.

“Ugh, it’s chilly. Stay here, my lady. I’ll go close it,” Eva said.

But Roselia set her teacup down and stood up.

“It’s fine. I’ll close it after getting some fresh air.”

Wanting to cool her flushed face, she stepped out onto the terrace.

“Don’t stay out too long, or you’ll catch a cold! I’ll be in the kitchen for a moment,” Eva called before leaving the room.

Leaning against the terrace railing, Roselia took in the view.

Beyond the moonlit garden, she could see the now-quiet cityscape.

And then, she noticed something strange.

A familiar carriage was parked near the outer edge of the estate.

It was a Valtazar carriage.

Not stationed at the entrance, but hidden in the shadows, as if deliberately avoiding attention.

Roselia’s brows knitted together.

Passing by? No… it’s been there for too long.

Could something have happened?

Maybe Claucet or Klaus sent news…?

But if that were the case, the carriage should have entered through the main gate.

Feeling uneasy, she quickly grabbed a coat and stepped out of the estate.

Despite her initial urgency, the sight that greeted her made her hesitate.

Klaus was there.

He leaned casually against the carriage, arms crossed, as if lost in thought.

His expression shifted to mild surprise when he saw her approaching. He hadn’t expected to run into her.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

Roselia frowned, throwing his question right back at him.

“That’s what I want to ask. What are you doing here?”

Klaus blinked as if only now realizing how long he had been standing there.

His lips curved slightly in a self-deprecating smirk before he locked eyes with her.

“Why did you say that it would be a problem if we continued to be involved?”

Roselia’s eyes widened at his unexpected question.

But Klaus wasn’t looking away.

He was waiting.

“Why must we not be entangled with each other?”

TL/N: The only person avoiding communication here is Roselia not Klaus. Poor Klaus. Just communicate fr whyyy are you dragging it to past 200 chapters. Both are stupid