129. Crumbling for You

It was only an instant, but in that moment, Klaus’s expression looked unbearably sorrowful.

For the great Duke Valtazar to wear such a look—as if his world had collapsed…

Yet there was no time to dwell on that thought. Roselia felt her feet leave the ground and instinctively squeezed her eyes shut.

And then—something warm wrapped around her.

Followed by a massive impact.

Thudthudthudthud—!!

As they tumbled down the long staircase, everything became a blur, but strangely, she didn’t feel much pain.

When the chaos finally subsided into silence, Roselia realized why.

It was because Klaus had wrapped her in his arms as they fell.

“Urgh…!”

“Duke!!”

Roselia scrambled out of Klaus’s embrace, panicked, calling his name.

Blood streamed from his head, and he clutched his shoulder in agony—it seemed dislocated.

“Someone…! Someone help, please!!”

Her scream, half-desperate, finally spurred people into action, and they rushed over.

From atop the stairs came the sound of Claucet wailing in horror.

Asif, quickly regaining his senses, seized Nora by the arm as she tried to flee.

“L-Let me go!”

As Nora thrashed, Asif’s crimson eyes blazed with fury.

The commotion drew people out of the banquet hall, including nobles and royals—Prince Aaron and Johannes among them.

“What in the world…!”

“Roselia!!”

The Empress gasped, covering her mouth, as Johannes dashed madly down the stairs.

Aaron, surveying the scene with steely eyes, spotted Nora struggling in Asif’s grip and shouted commandingly.

“Seize that woman immediately!”

Guards, who had been frozen in confusion, sprang into action and restrained Nora.

“Let me go! I’m to be the Crown Princess! Don’t touch me!”

Despite her screams, Alphonse watched her from a distance, eyes full of disgust.

Even Princess Tania looked down on her like filth, pretending not to know her.

“Prince Alphonse! I did it for you! Can’t you hear me?!”

Nora screamed, but Alphonse didn’t even look her way. With a face like he’d stepped in something vile, he turned back toward the banquet with the nobles.

Staring blankly, Nora’s eyes darted to Tania.

“Your Highness! You urged me to do it…!”

Tania flinched and contorted her face in rage.

“How dare you drag me into this? I took you in, clothed you, and this is how you repay me—with pathetic behavior!”

Abandoned by both, despair washed over Nora’s face.

Then suddenly, her eyes twisted in rage and she began shrieking hysterically.

“Let me go! Let me go!! I did nothing wro—!!!”

Smack—!!!!!

Claucet, her face streaked with tears, stormed up and slapped Nora across the face with all her strength.

Nora’s head snapped to the side, one cheek swelling instantly.

Claucet’s eyes glinted with cold fury as she glared down at her.

“You wretched—I’ll make sure you don’t die a peaceful death.”

Her voice, like ice, sent chills through everyone present.

At that, Nora seemed to finally grasp reality and crumpled, dazed.

“Take her away at once!”

At Aaron’s order, soldiers dragged Nora off.

Claucet, still burning with fury, rushed down the stairs, barely able to see through her tears.

“Klaus!!”

Seeing Klaus laid out on a stretcher, Claucet’s vision blurred, and she nearly stumbled down the steps.

Roselia caught her in a tight embrace.

“My lady!”

“Klaus! Klaus, he—!”

Roselia, her own face drenched in tears, tried to steady her voice.

“Please, calm down. They’ll move him to safety and treat him.”

Not realizing her own tears streamed freely, Roselia held Claucet tightly.

Though she spoke calmly, her heart was pounding wildly.

She couldn’t erase the image of Klaus unconscious in her arms.

Her lemon-yellow dress was stained red with his blood.

Brushing the tears from her cheeks, Roselia gently patted Claucet’s back.

“He’ll be alright. He’ll be alright.”

Those words were a prayer—for Claucet, and for herself.

* * *

Roselia sat quietly beside the sleeping Klaus, gazing at him for a long time.

After hearing from the imperial physician that his life wasn’t in danger, they had moved Klaus to the Valtazar Hotel.

It was decided that resting at the hotel would be better for him than staying within the Imperial Palace.

Thankfully, the bleeding from his head hadn’t resulted in a serious injury.

However, Klaus’s body was battered—his shoulder fractured, and his entire body covered in cuts, scrapes, and bruises.

In contrast, Roselia had only twisted her ankle.

It was proof of just how desperately he had protected her.

Roselia looked down at Klaus with a bitter expression.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

At Roselia’s calm reply, the door opened.

It was Asif who stepped inside.

“Roselia…”

He stared at her face, noticeably more gaunt than before, and finally managed to speak.

“How’s the Duke?”

“He hasn’t woken up yet. The doctor said the medicine is quite strong, so he’ll likely be asleep for the rest of the day.”

Her voice was calm, yet it seemed sunken with weariness.

Asif, watching her with concern, hesitantly asked,

“Are you alright…?”

Roselia turned to him, wide-eyed, then gave a faint, exhausted smile.

“As you can see, I’m fine.”

Despite her words, Asif’s gaze lingered on the bandages wrapped around her ankle, his brows furrowing.

“You should get some rest too…”

At his gentle concern, Roselia shook her head.

“I’m okay. The young lady was here with me until just a little while ago.”

He finally remembered how Claucet had nearly fainted with grief, sobbing endlessly.

“And Claucet…?”

“She stayed by the Duke’s side until she fell asleep. We moved her to her room.”

“I see…”

Leaning back against the wall, Asif sighed and looked at Klaus.

At the moment Nora had shoved Roselia, he hadn’t been able to do anything.

No—he could have, but didn’t. That was the truth.

In that brief moment, the thought of what might happen if he’d fallen with her—and the memory of his younger brother waiting back in Benuve—held him back.

But Klaus had been different.

It was as if his body had moved before his mind could think. No hesitation, no doubt—he had simply acted.

That image of the Duke throwing himself forward still numbed Asif’s thoughts.

Perhaps… the way he felt about Roselia didn’t even come close to the depth of the Duke’s feelings for her.

As Asif stood lost in thought, another knock sounded at the door.

Both he and Roselia looked toward it in surprise as the door opened slightly and Marquis Bellog peeked in.

“Prince Asif, you’re here as well. I… I brought some medicine, something that’s good for wounds…”

At Bellog’s cautious words, Roselia greeted him with a gentle smile.

“Please, come in.”

* * *

Even as night fell, Klaus remained unconscious.

Exhausted, Roselia had eventually fallen asleep curled up at his bedside.

As she breathed softly in slumber, a shadow fell over her.

Klaus had stirred and now sat up, watching her.

Leaning his bandaged upper body against the wall, he gazed at her for a long while before gently brushing the hair from her face.

Roselia stirred, her brows twitching slightly, and slowly opened her eyes.

Groggy, she lifted her head, blinking at the man watching her intently.

“…Your Grace…?”

Her voice was hoarse from sleep, and Klaus gave her a faint, bittersweet smile.

“Why are you sleeping so pitifully like that?”

Jolted awake, Roselia straightened up, immediately examining him.

“Are you alright? Are you in any pain?”

“Thanks to someone staying by my side, I can’t really feel it.”

His easy reply made Roselia frown.

“What does that even mean? Pain is pain—how can you not know if it hurts?”

At her annoyed tone, Klaus reached out and pulled her wrist.

Caught off guard, Roselia fell against him, freezing in place for fear of worsening his injuries.

Klaus lowered his lips to the top of her head and murmured quietly.

“More than pain… the first thing I felt was relief when I saw you there, safe.”

Something anxious echoed in his voice, and as Roselia tried to rise, she hesitated and stayed still in his arms.

“Why did you do it…”

Her voice trembled as she asked, and Klaus looked down at her.

He couldn’t see her expression from this angle, but he could easily picture it.

That familiar mix of worry and confusion…

With a faint, self-deprecating smile, Klaus held her even tighter.

“I don’t know… my body just moved before I could think.”

As he spoke, his arm around her shoulders tightened.

“Maybe… I thought it would be better for me to die than for you to get hurt.”

His extreme words made Roselia’s head snap up.

Klaus met her gaze with a bittersweet look.

As she stared into his deep navy eyes, filled only with her, a wave of emotion surged within her.

The carefully maintained calm she’d held while watching over him shattered the moment she looked into his eyes.

Tears fell freely down her cheeks.

Klaus’s eyes widened, startled by her sudden tears.

“Roselia…”

Burying her face into his chest, she fought the sob rising in her throat.

“Are you crying because of me?”

His voice, caught between hope and anxiety, made Roselia jerk her head up.

“Yes! Because of you! It’s always you—you’re the one who keeps making me cry!”

Her words cut off abruptly.

The normally guarded Roselia, who always hid her emotions behind a cold shell, had finally spoken from her heart.

Klaus could no longer hold himself back.

He pulled her small frame close, capturing her lips in a desperate kiss.