38. Dangerous Invitation

“Antonio, this is actually for Roselia’s sake,” Klaus said.

“For Roselia’s sake? How can you say that?”

“Bad rumors only last for a short time. Those who love to slander and gossip will quickly find new prey.”

Klaus replied, glaring at the paper.

“But no one will dare to mistreat Roselia after reading this article. According to the article, attacking Roselia means going against both the Duke of Valtazar and the Crown Prince.”

Roselia, momentarily stunned, shook her head vehemently.

She wasn’t about to be swayed by Klaus’s smooth words.

“Have you considered Roselia’s feelings? Even if the rumors die down, the stigma will follow her for the rest of her life.”

Klaus’s gaze shifted to Roselia, his expression hardening.

“And whoever wrote the article knew that the woman the Crown Prince danced with at the masquerade ball was the same woman the Duke danced with at the recent banquet. They likely know Roselia’s face.”

Roselia’s voice was firm as she continued, “This article might just be the beginning.”

Klaus listened in silence, then rubbed his temples and spoke heavily.

“Antonio, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

Klaus looked at her with a cold expression.

“We don’t need to be swayed by a third-rate tabloid. If we react, we only give them more to feed on.”

“So we’re supposed to do nothing?”

“If we stay quiet, it will blow over.”

Roselia’s clenched fists trembled with frustration.

She hadn’t expected Klaus to be so petty.

This man, usually so confident and arrogant, was being so passive.

And wasn’t he supposed to be interested in her? They had even shared a kiss.

Yet here he was, showing such indifference.

Her disappointment turned into anger.

Unable to contain her rage, Roselia turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.

Klaus’s gaze followed her as she left, then turned to the paper she had thrown onto his desk.

“Have you found Roselia?”

He asked into the air, his voice low and purposeful.

From a small door connected to the study, Alejandro emerged and bowed.

“We’ve been monitoring the back alley house as instructed, but we haven’t seen Miss Roselia. It’s as if she’s vanished into thin air… no matter how thoroughly we search, we can’t find her.”

Klaus’s brow furrowed deeply at Alejandro’s report.

Upon seeing the article in the weekly paper, Klaus’s first action had been to locate Roselia.

It might have been a mere prank by an old gossip-loving lady, but if someone were meticulously targeting Roselia, simply suppressing the tabloid wouldn’t suffice.

They needed to find the mastermind behind the attack.

Allowing the enemy to roam freely was infuriating, but ensuring Roselia’s safety was paramount.

However, despite his best efforts, Roselia remained elusive, even with the Valtazar family’s extensive information network.

Telling Antonio about the situation wasn’t an option; Klaus didn’t want to involve him in something potentially dangerous.

His feelings were complex and contradictory.

“Should we follow Antonio?”

Alejandro asked cautiously.

Klaus hesitated, then sighed deeply.

“No. First, find out who this Lugvela or whoever wrote the article is.”

“Understood.”

Sensing Klaus’s foul mood, Alejandro quietly bowed and left the study.

Even after Alejandro had gone, Klaus continued to stare at the weekly paper with Roselia’s article.

* * *

Roselia stomped out of the estate, her mind racing with anger.

‘So, this doesn’t concern him? He doesn’t care about the troubles of a woman he kissed?’

She fumed internally, the venomous thoughts somewhat calming her down. The evening sky, painted with the colors of the setting sun, caught her attention.

She recalled the words at the end of the weekly paper: ‘From Lugvela under the Quiet Sunset…’

It seemed metaphorical, but something felt off. Was there a hidden message?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind: ‘Quiet Sunset… Silent Sunset…?’

She remembered the name of a tavern she had seen while frequenting the back alleys for Nadia’s sake. The Silent Sunset was deeper in the alley from the tavern where Nadia worked.

Putting the pieces together, what she thought was a metaphorical ending now looked like an invitation. Was Lugvela hinting that they would be waiting at the Silent Sunset?

Deciding to investigate, Roselia headed out immediately. She had no intention of going as herself; safety in such places meant appearing as a man.

As Antonio, she planned to stake out near the Silent Sunset to see if anyone suspicious appeared. Knowing it might be a trap, she hid in the alley, watching the tavern.

Lugvela was after Roselia, not Antonio. That made it easier to scout the area as Antonio.

The clue in the weekly paper suggested Lugvela wanted to meet Roselia. So, it was likely Lugvela would appear here.

Her nerves were on edge as she surveyed the surroundings. Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine. Before she could react, someone covered her mouth from behind.

“Mmmpf!”

Damn, she had been too focused on the tavern and not her surroundings. Was this Lugvela’s trap?

A man in a dark robe held her tight, making it hard for her to move. Then he slowly pulled back his hood, revealing a familiar face. Roselia froze in shock.

It was the Duke of Valtazar, Klaus. His expression was one of irritation as he carefully uncovered her mouth.

“How did you know about this place?” he asked.

“Wh-what?” Roselia stammered.

“You came here thinking there was something important, didn’t you?”

“Oh, that… I deduced it from the closing line of Lugvela’s article.”

Klaus’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. He had also figured it out after sending Alejandro, but that she had deduced it earlier was impressive.

Her keen observation skills were startling. Yet, knowing she wouldn’t let this go peacefully, he sighed.

“Lugvela deliberately provoked Roselia to come here,” Klaus said.

“Which means Lugvela is likely waiting for Roselia here,” she replied.

Klaus frowned. “Can’t you just stay quietly at the estate?”

Roselia frowned back. “Would you stand by idly if Lady Claucet was in danger?”

“…You won’t back down, will you?”

Klaus sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know why Lugvela wants to meet Roselia, but it’s certainly not for good reasons. Whether it’s to blackmail me or the Crown Prince, it means she’s in danger.”

Klaus stepped closer, his gaze piercing. “Where is Roselia?”

Feeling cornered, Roselia swallowed and took a step back. “She’s not here.”

“I know she’s not here. I asked where she is.”

Her back against the wall, Roselia remained calm. “Given how dangerous this situation is, it’s better for fewer people to know her whereabouts.”

Klaus’s expression twisted with frustration. “I’m fine, just tell me.”

Roselia’s expression turned cold. “Why should I trust you? Earlier, you acted as if dealing with Roselia was a burden.”

“That’s because…!”

At that moment, several men emerged from the tavern and approached the alley.

Roselia tensed, and Klaus swiftly pulled her into his large frame, hiding her within his cloak. She could hardly breathe as she froze in his embrace.

Klaus held her firmly and quickly covered them both with his cloak. From a distance, it would look like a single large man standing there.

The men walked past without noticing Klaus.

“So much for the woman looking for Lugvela showing up,” one grumbled.

“Well, we get paid just for waiting,” another replied.

“Was her name Roselia?”

“Yeah, whoever’s looking for Lugvela needs to be captured. So, we wait.”

As the men moved away, Klaus finally released Roselia, who was still rigid with tension.

“At least Roselia isn’t here,” Klaus muttered.

In fact, Roselia was here, disguised as Antonio. Feeling embarrassed, she cleared her throat, drawing Klaus’s dark blue gaze down to her.

“Roselia, why are you really here?” Klaus asked, his voice low and intense.

Roselia felt the weight of his gaze but stood firm. “I came because it’s better if fewer people know her exact whereabouts. But I won’t stay hidden when there’s danger.”