134. A Sinner and a Witness

The man who claimed he would let go—was he really that person? Asif stood his ground, gazing down at Klaus without backing away.

It felt like instinct—like two dominant beasts silently sizing each other up.

Caught between them, Roselia felt nothing but awkwardness, her eyes flicking back and forth between the two.

“Glad to see you’re still in one piece, Duke.”

Asif broke the silence first, and Klaus replied, his expression stiff as stone.

“You make it sound like you wish I weren’t.”

“If that’s how it came across, I’m a little hurt…”

The tension between them was unbearable. Roselia stepped forward, trying to ease the situation.

“When the Duke collapsed, Prince Asif came to visit him, too.”

She meant to clarify in case Klaus had misunderstood, but instead, he furrowed his brow deeper, as though she were taking Asif’s side.

“There’s no need for you to speak on my behalf.”

“…”

Roselia had opened her mouth to respond but gave up, pressing her lips together. Asif, displeased by Klaus’s attitude, crossed his arms and tilted his head.

“You really ought to work on that jealousy, Duke.”

Unlike Klaus, who was tense and cold, Asif remained infuriatingly relaxed, which only made Klaus radiate even more chill.

“See? Right now too—those eyes of yours could kill someone. No wonder Roselia’s scared and running off.”

Only then did Klaus flinch slightly, looking at Roselia with a restrained expression.

But Roselia simply kept her eyes on the ground.

“I’ve had enough night air. Time to enjoy the rest of the banquet.”

Asif turned to leave, but not before leaning close and whispering in Roselia’s ear,

“If the Duke gives you a hard time, come to me anytime.”

Roselia turned to protest, but Asif was already gone, waving a hand as he disappeared through the terrace doors.

Unlike how conflicted he’d seemed earlier, he now looked lighter, as though getting his feelings off his chest had lifted a weight.

Roselia stared blankly at his retreating figure—until she felt an odd prickling on the back of her neck.

She turned her head slightly.

There, still standing exactly where he had been, was Klaus—watching her like a statue.

“Th-that wasn’t what it looked like. Prince Asif and I didn’t really talk about anything,” she stammered.

She bit her lip the moment the words left her mouth.

Why was she explaining herself? She owed Klaus no such thing. Why did she feel guilty?

Klaus remained expressionless as he stared at her.

“It doesn’t matter.”

His flat voice made Roselia glance at him, puzzled.

What didn’t matter?

Was he saying he didn’t care what Asif said to her?

Or that it didn’t matter if he misunderstood?

As Roselia looked at him in confusion, Klaus ran a hand through his hair and continued, trying to stay composed.

“Compare everything. Think it through. Whether I’m a good man for you. Whether I’m someone you can trust.”

Roselia stood speechless, dazed.

Did the mighty Duke of Valtazar just tell her to weigh her options like she was browsing goods in the market?

“Take all the time you need. When you’ve reached your conclusion, then choose me. I’ll wait until then.”

Roselia’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. Klaus gave a soft chuckle.

“You can even check if I have any flaws yourself.”

She couldn’t tell if he was joking or being serious. Flustered, she quickly composed her expression.

“That’s a bit much… I wouldn’t dare test the Duke like that.”

Klaus’s voice dropped low, nearly a whisper.

“You’re the only one who could.”

Her heart gave a sharp jolt.

And Klaus, seeing that flicker in her eyes, added—his gaze piercing, as if he might leap over the terrace railing to reach her.

“So stop running away.”

His stare pinned her in place. She couldn’t move.

There it was again.

That sensation she sometimes felt around him—as if everything else faded into silence, and they were suspended in a vacuum, the world narrowing to just the two of them.

That unnerving, trance-like feeling… Roselia forced herself to break free from it and turned away.

“The Marquess is probably waiting for me, so… I should head inside.”

That was all she could manage before turning toward the terrace doors, retreating quickly.

With the stone balustrade between them, Klaus didn’t follow. He could only watch her with his eyes.

Roselia’s footsteps were hurried as she fled the terrace and walked down the corridor, her heart pounding.

When Asif had confessed, it had felt surreal—like a dream.

But hearing Klaus’s not-quite-confession right after had shaken her deeply.

Her cheeks felt flushed, her breathing uneven.

Eventually, she couldn’t take it anymore and leaned back against a column in the corridor, taking deep breaths.

Get a grip.

She couldn’t let fleeting emotions between a man and a woman drag both of their lives into chaos.

Excitement and longing were fleeting—what followed was a harsh, cold, and painful reality.

That was the thought grounding Roselia as she calmed herself… until she heard voices leaking through a slightly ajar door beside the wall she was leaning against.

“Looks like there’s no way out of it now—Prince Aaron has fully secured his place as heir to the throne, hasn’t he?”
“Damn it, we should’ve backed the right horse.”

The speakers were likely nobles aligned with the concubine faction.

Now that Prince Alphonse’s schemes had crumbled, they were sharing belated regrets with one another.

“What are they going to do with that woman of royal blood? She’s completely useless. Didn’t even get the chance to be of any use—just dead weight.”
“Seems His Highness feels the same. She should’ve stayed quiet and held onto her life. But no—she stirred up trouble herself. I doubt he’ll ever look her way again.”

They didn’t seem to care that their conversation might be overheard. Perhaps they assumed no one was listening, or maybe they didn’t care at this point.

Mocking Nora—now that she couldn’t even hold the position of Alphonse’s concubine, let alone Crown Princess—likely didn’t weigh heavily on their consciences.

“That wench crossed the House of Euciliod and the House of Valtazar… She’s looking at a hefty punishment.”
“Heard it could even be a death sentence.”
“Death? Seriously?”
“Just rumors I heard through the grapevine. The trial hasn’t started yet, so keep your mouth shut for now.”

Roselia, who had been unintentionally eavesdropping, stiffened as she stepped back.

Death sentence…

It wasn’t as though she felt deep sympathy for Nora. They weren’t close. In fact, it was because of Nora that she and Klaus had nearly been gravely harmed.

Still, Roselia couldn’t help but feel pity.

Nora had struggled so desperately to gain entry into the imperial palace—only for it all to crumble in such futility.

Then, a thought flickered through Roselia’s mind.

Nora was a woman with a fierce will to live. Her obsession with becoming part of the imperial family was proof enough of that.

If she could be used… If Roselia offered her a chance to survive, perhaps she could get Nora to testify against Grand Duke Rubelio in court.

In exchange, Nora would be spared from execution—even if it meant a miserable life in exile or imprisonment.

Just as that plan began to form in her mind, Roselia quickened her pace—only to halt as a figure emerged from the shadows of a pillar across the corridor.

Long, black hair, dark eyes gleaming like polished obsidian—it was Hyun.

A slender cigarette rested between his lips. It seemed he had stepped out onto a nearby terrace to smoke.

“Loose tongues, no matter the place,” Hyun muttered, as if he too had overheard the conversation.

Roselia blinked in surprise.

Even if those men were foolish enough to talk freely, there’s no way he could have heard them unless he’d been pressed right up to the door.

Hyun looked down at her coolly, exhaled a stream of smoke out toward the terrace, and spoke in passing.

“You should know by now—meddling can bring disaster. Though… I suppose you’ve learned that lesson a few times already.”

With that, Hyun flicked the ashes from his cigarette and tucked it away inside his coat.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked off into the corridor.

Roselia stood there, dazed, watching him disappear.

Meddling, he’d said… Did he somehow guess that she intended to make an offer to Nora?

But the truth was, if things continued as they were, Nora would die.

And that wasn’t the tragedy—what mattered was that their only witness to Rubelio’s schemes would vanish with her.

Neither Roselia nor Nora had any other choices.

With a deep breath, Roselia turned and began walking slowly, heading back toward the banquet hall.

* * *

Roselia looked down at Nora, who was noticeably thinner behind the prison bars, her expression tinged with bitterness.

Nora still had her back turned, clearly unwelcoming of Roselia’s visit.

Eva, displeased by her defiance, glared sharply with a deadly look in her eyes.

“Nora. I’ll keep this short. Your trial is tomorrow.”

Though Nora remained facing away, Roselia could feel her listening.

No matter how much Nora hated her, she couldn’t ignore the mention of her own trial.

That much was enough. Roselia continued.

“Because of your actions, the daughter of the House of Euciliod—pillar of Raphelios—and Duke Valtazar, a man of great continental influence, were both hurt. In other words, you’re facing attempted murder.”

Only then did Nora flinch, her shoulders stiffening before she whipped her head around sharply.

“Is that a threat?”

Her cracked voice came out even more venomous, and Roselia sighed.

“No, it’s the reality of the weight of your crimes. As you know, the maximum sentence is death.”

Nora’s body tensed, finally understanding what was at stake.

Then, as if refusing to believe it, she slowly turned and walked toward the bars.

“That can’t be… Prince Alphonse wouldn’t just abandon me. I—I’m a woman of royal blood!”

To seal the point, Roselia added coldly,

“Prince Alphonse gave up on you long ago.”

“You’re lying… We even talked about marriage…”

“Has the prince visited you once while you’ve been wasting away in here?”

Nora fell silent.

“Has he even sent someone to check on you?”

“…”

“Listen carefully. If you want to reduce your sentence even slightly, you’ll have to testify in court. Say who manipulated you. Who pushed you to act.”

“Who… manipulated me?”

“The one who brought you to Prince Alphonse. The one who made you obsessed with the Imperial Family… who turned you against me.”

Finally, the wheels in Nora’s head began to turn. She bit her worn-down fingernails, eyes deep in thought.

“Then… I can live?”

“Yes. At the very least, the House of Euciliod and I will speak in your favor.”

With the victim herself advocating for Nora, the punishment would undoubtedly be lighter.

Nora, now visibly anxious, returned to her place and sat down heavily.

Still biting her fingers, she looked overwhelmed, lost in a storm of confusion.

But even a fool like Nora would understand that, to survive, she had no choice but to take Roselia’s hand.

Roselia, having said all she needed, turned without hesitation.

“If you want to live, remember what I said.”

With that, she left the cell with Eva in tow.

The rest would depend on how fiercely and relentlessly Nora would bite down on Grand Duke Rubelio.

* * *

As Roselia was being helped into her clothes by her maids in preparation for Nora’s trial, the door burst open—and Eva rushed in, breathless.

Roselia looked at her in confusion.

“Miss!”

Eva’s face was pale, her chest rising and falling with hurried breaths—an ominous feeling surged within Roselia.

And, just as she feared, Eva held out a sealed letter, still panting as she explained.

“A message from the Imperial Palace… It came in the middle of the night. The prisoner… she committed suicide…”

Eva’s voice trailed off as she delivered the devastating news.

Roselia stared at her in disbelief.

“The prisoner… you mean—”

“Nora.”