28. The Tension Between Two Men

“You don’t need to push someone who almost drowned that hard.”

Roselia’s wet hair and shirt, her cheeks flushed red from holding back her tears, and her wet green eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

The familiar scent, mixed with her wet body, assaulted Klaus, just as it always did.

It was as if time had stopped. Klaus was frozen, unable to move, his gaze fixed on the bandages visible through Roselia’s wet shirt.

“Are you still… not feeling better?”

At Klaus’s softened voice, Roselia looked up in confusion, just as a familiar voice called out.

“Antonio!!!”

Claucet, having docked the boat and jumped off, was running towards them at full speed.

Finally coming to his senses, Klaus released Roselia’s shoulders and stood up.

Claucet, now close enough to see them, looked like she was about to cry. Her voice was already trembling as she fussed over Roselia.

“Antonio, are you okay? Can you breathe properly? Can you see me? Can you move? No, don’t move! I’ll call a doctor!”

Claucet’s frantic worry made Roselia stop crying and smile awkwardly.

If she continued crying, Claucet would surely get even more scared and start bawling, so her tears stopped.

“I’m fine, Lady Claucet.”

“Fine? Do you know how scared I was? I’d rather throw away ten or a hundred hats! Don’t ever do that again!”

Seeing Claucet on the verge of tears brought Roselia back to reality.

Maybe she felt a bit relieved having someone else cry on her behalf.

With that thought, Roselia remembered Klaus.

He had looked at her with such a strange expression…

As if he were seeing something or someone for the first time…

As she turned to look at Klaus, she saw he had already turned his back on them.

Suddenly, she felt embarrassed and ashamed to have cried like a child in front of her rescuer.

Nevertheless, he was her savior, so Roselia swallowed her pride and expressed her gratitude.

“Thank you for saving me, Your Grace…”

“…”

Why isn’t he responding?

Klaus was standing there, silent. He seemed to be deep in thought, his back still turned to her.

Just as Roselia was about to speak again, Klaus finally turned around, his expression unreadable.

“There’s no need to thank me. Just… be more careful next time.”

He said curtly.

With that, Klaus walked away, leaving Roselia feeling even more confused.

Claucet, seeing the interaction, wrapped her arms around Roselia protectively, glaring at Klaus’s retreating figure.

“Come on, Antonio. Let’s get you dried off and warmed up. You’ve been through enough today.”

As Claucet led Roselia away, Roselia couldn’t help but steal one last glance at Klaus, who was already disappearing into the distance.

Did he get sick of seeing me cry?

As Roselia worried about this, Klaus turned his back and left her with a final word.

“Be more careful next time….”

Roselia could only stare blankly at his retreating figure for a while.

Meanwhile, beside her, Claucet was muttering angrily, saying things like.

“How can he be so cold to someone who almost died? He’s definitely a heartless person.”

Comments that seemed unfit for her brother.

* * *

Invited to a dinner by the Crown Princess, Claucet and Roselia sat at an exceptionally wide and long table, chatting as they waited for the food.

“So you can’t imagine how terrifying it was! Who jumps into a lake to retrieve a hat? Oh! Of course, I’m talking about Antonio.”

“Lady Claucet, I didn’t jump in; I fell. At least that’s what my brother says.”

Roselia quietly corrected her, but Claucet just shrugged.

The Crown Princess, watching Claucet’s incessant chatter with an amused expression, turned to Roselia with a kind smile.

“Antonio must have had a hard time. How is your brother doing now?”

Caught in an awkward situation, Roselia gave Claucet a sidelong glance before answering.

“He’s perfectly fine, no significant injuries or issues.”

“That’s a relief. Your brother is so delicate, responsible, and courageous.”

The Crown Princess’s praise for Antonio left Claucet and Roselia momentarily speechless.

Noticing their reactions, the Crown Princess chuckled and changed the subject.

“It’s a good thing the Duke of Valtazar happened to be nearby.”

At the mention of Klaus, Claucet snorted in disagreement.

“Hmph! That man just fished Antonio out of the water like a rabbit and left without a word.”

The Crown Princess smiled at Claucet’s reaction and continued.

“Speaking of rabbits, do you remember when the Duke brought a mountain rabbit for you when you were little?”

“Of course! He brought it by its ears, dangling it in front of me! He said he’d make a muff out of its fur, and I was so shocked!”

The fact that Klaus had done something for Claucet was surprising and intriguing to Roselia, who found herself engrossed in their conversation.

“I remember you crying your eyes out that day. That was eight years ago.”

Roselia, listening with interest, carefully added a comment.

“Eight years ago… So, the Crown Princess was about Lady Claucet’s age then?”

“Yes. Back then, Lady Claucet was so small and cute, like a doll. Klaus was so careful with her, afraid she might break.”

Claucet snorted in disbelief at the Crown Princess’s words.

“That man couldn’t have done that. Now that I think about it, wasn’t the Crown Prince often with you back then? I still remember the two of you playing piano and violin duets together.”

Unlike Claucet, who was lost in dreamy recollection, the Crown Princess’s expression subtly hardened.

Roselia quickly noticed the change and tilted her head in curiosity.

In the original story, it was mentioned that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had known each other since childhood, but it never depicted them being this close.

At that moment, the dining room door suddenly opened, and the Crown Prince entered.

“Well, well, did I interrupt a pleasant time?”

As the saying goes, speak of the devil and he shall appear. The sudden appearance of the Crown Prince noticeably stiffened the Crown Princess’s expression.

“Today, I thought I’d join the Crown Princess for dinner…”

It seemed unusual for them to dine together, as the Crown Princess’s face was filled with tension.

The Crown Prince’s abrupt declaration made not only the Crown Princess but also the others feel uneasy.

“Um… the Duke of Valtazar is waiting to discuss the school construction approval…”

The aide, who had followed the Crown Prince, stammered with a troubled expression.

Ignoring the aide, the Crown Prince casually sat down opposite the Crown Princess and placed his arms leisurely on the table.

“Have him come here. I’ll approve it right here.”

With the Crown Prince’s command, the aide closed his eyes tightly in resignation, bowed, and left the dining room.

Soon enough, Klaus entered the room, holding the documents.

Judging by his stiff expression, he had already been briefed by the aide.

The Crown Prince took the documents from Klaus and began signing them on the dining table.

“It’s surprising that you managed to get the approval from the noble council. Those slippery nobles actually approved it, huh.”

“…”

Klaus’s face hardened with a sense of humiliation as he received important documents in the dining room.

Anyone eating in the same room might have lost their appetite, unable to focus on their meal due to the tension.

Why are these men doing this at the dinner table?

As Roselia anxiously watched the uncomfortable scene, the Crown Prince finished signing the documents and handed them back to Klaus.

Klaus maintained his composure and bowed courteously to the Crown Prince before turning to leave the dining room.

That is, until the Crown Princess called out to him.

“Since you’re here, why don’t you join us for dinner, Duke of Valtazar?”

Everyone’s eyes widened at the Crown Princess’s sudden suggestion, and Roselia inwardly shouted.

‘No! No!’

The Crown Prince, his face twisted with displeasure, muttered sarcastically.

“What kind of combination is this?”

Finding herself at the wide dining table with the Crown Prince, Crown Princess, Klaus, and Claucet, Roselia sighed deeply.

How did it come to this…?

Moreover, Klaus, who had only come to get the documents approved, now found himself unexpectedly seated for dinner. His expression was as stiff as ever.

In the awkward silence, the clinking of utensils was the only sound until the Crown Princess, the one who had caused the situation, broke the silence.

“Duke, I heard you’re pushing for the construction of a school in Algrishia village.”

At the Crown Princess’s question, Klaus looked at her quietly and nodded.

“It’s nothing significant enough for the Crown Princess to worry about.”

“Nonsense. With the capital academy already overcrowded, an academy for the middle and lower classes is a great idea.”

As the Crown Princess praised the idea, the Crown Prince couldn’t help but interject.

“Valtazar wouldn’t undertake a project just for the benefit of others. What do you gain from building the school?”

At the Crown Prince’s blunt words, the expressions of both the Crown Princess and Klaus hardened.

The Crown Princess was about to say something when Klaus, maintaining his courtesy, spoke first.

“You’re perceptive. I don’t usually engage in activities that don’t benefit me.”

The Crown Prince raised an eyebrow, his attempt to provoke Klaus seemingly backfiring.

“I hear you bribed the opposing nobles to get the council’s approval. Is the expense worth it?”

Despite the Crown Prince’s provocative question, Klaus remained composed.

Only Roselia and Claucet, watching from the sidelines, felt increasingly uncomfortable.

“It’s difficult to swallow the food,” thought Roselia.

“In the Raphelios Empire, there are schools not only in the capital but also in the north, south, west, east, and even in fairly large territories,” Klaus suddenly began discussing another country’s education system, causing the Crown Prince to frown and motion for him to continue.

“In Raphelios, education is the foundation for nobles, merchants, and commoners alike, unlike in Rugbeljet, where it seems to be a privilege of the nobility.”

“Are you saying the education system in Rugbeljet is flawed?”