50. I Can’t Take It Anymore

“W-What…?”

Roselia felt a chill run down her spine. Claucet, too, seemed tense, frozen in place in front of the easel, nervously swallowing.

In the awkward silence, Count Bernas stared intently at Roselia, then suddenly turned his head and spoke curtly.

“I said I’m hungry.”

His expression was calm, as if he had no memory of what he had just said.

“No, just a moment ago… didn’t you say something else?”

“Did I? What did I say?”

Count Bernas frowned, genuinely puzzled, while Roselia and Claucet exchanged silent glances.

* * *

After spending the morning at the Count’s estate, Roselia sent Claucet back to the Duke’s mansion and headed to Nadia’s house.

It seemed Claucet had asked Roselia to come to the mansion in her usual appearance, which likely meant she had another tray of dresses prepared for her.

Just the thought of spending the entire afternoon buried in dresses made Roselia sigh.

Soon enough, she arrived at Nadia’s house.

As the door opened, and Nadia saw Roselia, her face lit up with a welcoming smile.

“You’re not in your brother’s guise today, I see?”

Roselia, taken aback by Nadia’s teasing smile and tone, asked, bewildered.

“Excuse me?”

“I thought you looked pretty good that way too.”

“W-What are you talking about…?”

Feeling caught off guard, Roselia awkwardly tried to change the subject, but Nadia responded with a knowing smile.

“I’ve been dealing with men for over a decade. Did you really think I wouldn’t recognize a woman in disguise?”

Nadia looked Roselia up and down, continuing with a smirk.

“When I first met you at the tavern, I wasn’t sure, but after seeing you as a woman and then as Antonio again, I figured it out right away.”

Considering her profession and experience, it wasn’t surprising that Nadia had quickly noticed.

Roselia spoke with a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

“Nadia, I’d appreciate it if you could keep this a secret for the time being…”

At Roselia’s stiff voice, Nadia let out a small laugh.

“What good would it do me to spread this around? Besides, I find it rather amusing. You should visit me more often in disguise. It’s refreshing and fun… ahem, cough, cough.”

Nadia’s sudden, harsh coughing fit left Roselia wide-eyed with concern.

“Nadia, you’re taking your medicine on time, right?”

“Of course. I’ve been going to the hospital regularly too.”

Despite Nadia’s assurances, her complexion didn’t look good. Roselia suddenly remembered that in the original story, Nadia had less than a month to live.

But Nadia had been taking her medicine and receiving treatment…

“Are you sure your condition hasn’t worsened?”

Roselia asked anxiously, her voice filled with worry. Nadia smiled reassuringly, despite looking a little pale.

“No, it’s nothing like that. I’ve been feeling much better since I started treatment. It’s just that I’m a bit off today.”

Trying to shake off her uneasy thoughts, Roselia nodded, deciding that she was perhaps worrying too much because of the original story.

She smiled, reassuring herself, and returned Nadia’s smile.

* * *

After delivering some support funds to Nadia, Roselia stepped out onto the street to hail a carriage to take her back to the mansion.

Just then, a well-maintained carriage came to a stop in front of her with a loud clatter.

Judging by the elaborate decorations, it was clearly not a cheap hired carriage.

As Roselia looked at it in confusion, the carriage door suddenly swung open.

“Roselia.”

“Marquis Euciliod?”

Roselia looked at Johannes, who was smiling broadly at her, with wide eyes.

“Come aboard. I’ll give you a ride to your destination.”

“Oh… no, that’s okay.”

“I’d be disappointed if you refused such a small favor…”

Seeing Johannes speak with a pout, looking like a sad puppy caught in the rain, Roselia couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

“Well, I do have some business at the Duke’s mansion, so you can drop me off near there.”

As she sat opposite Johannes, Roselia tried to ignore his gaze, which felt almost too focused on her, and looked out the window instead.

Why is he staring at me with that smile?

While Roselia struggled internally, Johannes suddenly seemed to remember something, and his expression grew serious.

“Are you on your way to meet Duke Valtazar?”

His sudden change in demeanor caught Roselia off guard, and she stammered, flustered.

“W-What? Oh, no… I’m also going to meet Antonio and see Lady Claucet.”

To an outsider, it might seem odd that a fallen noble like her had such close ties with Claucet, so Roselia quickly mentioned Antonio as an excuse.

Hearing her explanation, Johannes murmured thoughtfully.

“You must be close with your brother.”

“Yes, well… sort of.”

Since Antonio was just another guise of hers, it wasn’t a lie.

While Roselia answered without much thought, Johannes was deep in contemplation.

Ever since he became certain that Roselia was his sister, he had considered taking her back to their homeland.

But… he realized it might be too abrupt and unfair to force Roselia, who had built a life and connections here, to leave everything behind.

Moreover, there was the unresolved concern that the kidnappers who took his mother and Cecilia might have been acting under orders from someone within the Empire, rather than just being random bandits.

Until he was certain about the surrounding circumstances, it might be safer for Roselia to stay here.

While Johannes wrestled with these thoughts, the carriage came to a stop in front of the Duke’s mansion.

“We’ve arrived already…”

“Thank you, Marquis.”

While Johannes seemed reluctant to see her go, Roselia cheerfully bid him farewell and stepped out of the carriage.

As soon as she got out, Johannes followed her, much to her surprise.

“Oh? You didn’t have to get out too…”

“I just want to make sure you get inside safely. It puts my mind at ease,” Johannes said.

“You really don’t need to do that…” Roselia replied, puzzled by Johannes’s somewhat overprotective behavior.

But before she could protest further, Johannes gave her a gentle smile that she couldn’t refuse.

“Roselia, if you ever need help… don’t hesitate to tell me.”

“Me? Ask for help from you, Marquis?”

Johannes smiled warmly at Roselia’s confused expression.

“You remind me of my little sister. So don’t feel burdened, and please come to me if you ever need anything.”

Could it be… Is he interested in me?

As Roselia mulled over this possibility, a familiar voice cut through the air between them.

“Are you here to meet Antonio?”

Startled by the sharp tone, Roselia quickly turned toward the source of the voice.

Klaus couldn’t take it any longer. Seeing Roselia standing so closely with Johannes, smiling and chatting, drove him to the brink. Even though he understood their relationship logically, seeing them together like this was too much for him to bear.

He didn’t fully understand why he felt this way, but he knew one thing: he had to separate them immediately.

“Duke?”

“Antonio stepped out for a bit. You can wait inside,” Klaus said, his voice tense as he grabbed Roselia’s wrist, pulling her away from Johannes.

“Ow, Duke, that hurts.”

Roselia winced, not understanding why Klaus was gripping her so tightly.

Seeing her discomfort, Johannes, unable to hold back any longer, stepped between them.

“You’re making Roselia uncomfortable.”

“This is not something for you to interfere with, Marquis,” Klaus responded coldly.

But Johannes delivered a decisive blow.

“How can you say that? I’m Roselia’s lover.”

Roselia’s eyes widened in shock.

How does the Marquis know about that lie I told to avoid Klaus?

“I think that gives me more than enough reason to be involved. I won’t tolerate you treating Roselia rudely.”

Johannes’s words were direct and confrontational, causing Klaus’s brow to furrow deeply.

“Hah…”

Klaus let out a heavy sigh, his eyelids slowly closing and opening again, unable to contain the inexplicable anger boiling within him.

“Even if you’re her lover, provoking me in my own home isn’t wise.”

Klaus’s eyes flashed with a dangerous intensity, leaving Roselia feeling uneasy.

The Duke was one thing, but why was the Marquis, who usually remained calm, now matching Klaus’s intensity with equal fervor?

Caught between them, Roselia could only look around nervously.

Undeterred by Klaus’s menacing glare, Johannes continued.

“And is it acceptable for you to act so recklessly without considering Roselia’s feelings?”

Johannes’s words made Klaus’s expression darken even more.

Why is this usually composed man acting just like the Duke?

Unable to take any more, Roselia stepped between them.

“Please stop. Marquis Euciliod, thank you for everything today. I think it’s best if you leave now.”

Roselia spoke firmly, deciding that it would be better to send Johannes away before the situation escalated any further, especially since they were at the Duke’s residence.

While Klaus seemed satisfied with this outcome, Johannes’s face fell, looking like a puppy who had just been scolded.

Despite his reluctance, Johannes nodded, casting one last look at Roselia before quietly saying, “Please, don’t forget what I said…”

He was referring to his earlier offer of help. After giving Klaus one final intense stare, Johannes turned and walked away, leaving Klaus with a twitching brow.

“What did he say to you?” Klaus asked, clearly curious about the Marquis’s parting words.

Roselia responded curtly, “I don’t think there’s any reason for me to share personal conversations with you, Duke.”

Her tone was colder now, contrasting sharply with how she had spoken to Johannes, causing Klaus to stiffen.

Johannes’s words about not mistreating Roselia echoed in Klaus’s mind.

“Did I hurt your wrist earlier when I grabbed you?”

“…?”

Roselia gave Klaus a puzzled look, wondering why he was suddenly so concerned about her feelings.