54. Trapped Underneath

The man dashed into an alley filled with debris, making it difficult for anyone to follow.

Roselia gritted her teeth as she watched him nimbly dodge the clutter and garbage, running at full speed.

“Hey, stop!” she called out, but the man didn’t even glance back. With a determined expression, Roselia started running after him with all her might.

Having worked as a servant, she had developed considerable stamina.

Not to mention, she had always been naturally quick, and the distance between them began to close.

The man, who had seemed scrawny and weak, cursed under his breath as Roselia relentlessly kept pace. Then, suddenly, he bent down to the ground.

Roselia, confused, watched as the man picked up a wooden stick that was lying on the ground and threw it toward her.

She had to slow down and instinctively raise her arm to block the stick.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

The stick struck her hand, bouncing off. Wincing in pain, Roselia looked ahead, only to see that the man had already disappeared into another alley.

Grasping her aching hand, she muttered curses under her breath.

It seemed too dangerous to continue the chase.

There could be others lying in wait, and with her hand injured, it would be hard to keep running.

The best option was to report this directly to the Duke.

Roselia shot a last frustrated look toward the alley where the man had vanished, then turned and began making her way back.

* * *

Standing outside Klaus’s office, Roselia took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

Knock knock

“Your Grace, it’s Antonio.”

There was a brief silence before Klaus’s curt voice came from within.

“Come in.”

Taking another deep breath, Roselia opened the door and stepped inside.

Klaus, as usual, was seated at his desk, surrounded by piles of documents. He was reviewing paperwork when Roselia approached the desk, and he set the papers down to look at her curiously.

“What is it?”

It was rare for Roselia to visit his office without being summoned, so Klaus set aside his documents and waited for her to speak.

Roselia hesitated under his gaze.

How should I say this? That there are illegal herbs hidden at the school site?

The only reason she knew about this was from the original story.

Ordinarily, there would be no way for anyone to know about what’s hidden there.

Even if she told him, what if he asked how she knew?

“Antonio?”

Klaus’s voice interrupted her thoughts. He was clearly puzzled by her silence.

Steeling herself, Roselia met Klaus’s eyes and spoke with determination.

“It’s about the school construction site in Algricia.”

She paused, watching his expression carefully, then swallowed and continued.

“I think it might be a good idea to conduct a thorough investigation.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Klaus furrowed his brow, his tone curious yet suspicious. Roselia took a deep breath before cautiously replying.

“Well… there are some bad rumors going around. Rumors that something illegal might be hidden at the school site.”

At her words, Klaus stood up and approached her, crossing his arms as he leaned against the desk.

“Who’s spreading such rumors?”

“No one in particular. It’s just something I’ve overheard…”

Klaus scoffed, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he folded his arms tighter.

“Antonio, don’t tell me you think the Duke’s estate is unaware of such rumors. As far as I know, there haven’t been any whispers of that nature concerning the school site.”

His sharp words left Roselia momentarily speechless.

But she wasn’t about to give up.

This wasn’t just about Klaus—it could be a matter of life and death for her as well.

If the imperial family discovered the illegal herbs hidden at the school site, Klaus’s downfall would be inevitable, and his path toward rebellion would be set.

After a moment of hesitation, Roselia looked him square in the eye, her resolve firm.

“Please, just this once, trust me and investigate the school site thoroughly.”

Klaus let out a cold, exasperated sigh and responded with a voice dripping with skepticism.

The man deliberately sprinted down a narrow alley, making it difficult for anyone to follow.

Roselia gritted her teeth as she dodged the scattered debris and garbage, watching the man flee at full speed.

“Hey!” she shouted, but the man didn’t look back. Frustrated, Roselia pushed herself to run even faster.

Her time as a servant had built up her stamina.

On top of that, she had always been agile, and the distance between them started to shrink.

The man, who seemed frail at first, cursed as Roselia kept closing in on him. Suddenly, he bent down.

Before she could understand what he was doing, he picked up a wooden stick from the ground and hurled it in her direction.

Roselia, running at full speed, had to slow down, instinctively raising her arm to shield herself from the stick.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

The stick struck her hand, then bounced off. Wincing in pain, Roselia looked up to see the man disappearing into another alley.

Clutching her aching hand, she cursed under her breath.

Chasing him further would be too dangerous.

He might have accomplices lying in wait, and with her injured hand, it would be hard to continue.

The best course of action was to report the incident to Klaus.

After glaring at the alley the man had escaped into, Roselia turned around with a frustrated expression and headed back.

* * *

Arriving outside Klaus’s office, Roselia took a moment to compose herself before knocking.

Knock knock

“Your Grace, it’s Antonio.”

There was a brief pause before Klaus’s indifferent voice called from inside.

“Come in.”

Taking a deep breath, Roselia opened the door and stepped inside.

As usual, Klaus was seated at his desk, reviewing documents. When Roselia approached, he set the papers down and looked at her curiously.

“What brings you here?”

It was rare for Roselia to come to his office unannounced, so Klaus waited patiently, setting aside his documents.

Roselia hesitated for a moment under his gaze.

How do I explain this? That there’s illegal medical herbs hidden at the school site?

The story didn’t give specifics about the exact location where the herbs were hidden.

Unless I catch that man, we’ll have to dig up the entire site.

Frustrated by her own thoughts, Roselia frowned.

“I don’t know the exact location…”

Seeing her lower her head, Klaus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.

“Antonio, the construction has been going on for quite some time. Do you expect me to dig up the entire site?”

“But… I’m sure there’s something there. Please, just trust me this once…”

Roselia pleaded desperately, waving her hands in frustration. Suddenly, Klaus grabbed her wrist, startling her.

His eyes were fixed on her hand, which was red and swollen.

“What happened to your hand?”

It was where the stick had hit her earlier when chasing the man.

Roselia knew that if she told Klaus about chasing the man from the construction site, he’d be furious. So, she avoided his gaze and answered casually.

“I just bumped it, that’s all.”

“Does this look like just a bump? Don’t tell me… you went to the construction site?”

“…”

Her silence was all the confirmation Klaus needed. He released her wrist and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“Antonio… please, stop doing reckless things.”

“It’s not reckless, I—”

Klaus cut her off with a cold, warning glare.

“I don’t want to hear any more about the construction site. I’ll instruct the butler to have your hand treated properly.”

Roselia clenched her fists in frustration, glaring back at Klaus.

She wasn’t doing this for herself, but for him. Yet he couldn’t seem to understand.

If things continued this way, Klaus would end up being framed for smuggling, just like in the original story.

After glaring at him for a while longer, Roselia turned and left the office without another word.

Klaus, who had returned to his documents, looked up as Antonio left the room.

Seeing the injury on Antonio’s hand had inexplicably filled him with anger.

Even if Antonio’s suspicions were true, he didn’t want him involved.

The sight of that injury only made his resolve clearer.

I warned him not to get involved for his own sake… but seeing him walk out like that, sulking, only makes me more frustrated.

Unable to focus on the documents in front of him, Klaus stood up and walked toward the window.

Running a hand through his hair in frustration, he let out a deep sigh.

* * *

As the sun began to set, Roselia hid among the construction materials at the school site, her eyes sharp and alert.

Frustrated by the lack of support, she had decided to investigate the site on her own.

If Klaus wouldn’t believe her, she’d find undeniable evidence and show it to him.

With that thought, Roselia scanned the surroundings, holding her breath.

The man will come back.

Criminals always return to the scene of the crime.

Besides, after what happened yesterday, he’ll want to make sure the goods he hid are still safe.

After what felt like an eternity, Roselia finally heard movement.

A shadowy figure cautiously entered the construction site, looking around warily.

Roselia silently followed him, careful not to make a sound.

Luckily, the man didn’t seem to notice her in the dim light.

He headed to a specific spot and began digging.

There were so many dug-up areas on the construction site that no one would notice this spot unless they were paying close attention.

Once he confirmed the hidden items were safe, the man filled the sack with additional goods he had brought and reburied everything.

Roselia watched silently as the man stood up and left the construction site.

Once she was sure he was gone, she carefully approached the spot he had dug up.

Grabbing a shovel, she quickly unearthed several sacks buried in the ground. When she opened one of them, her heart sank.

Medicinal herb… it’s really medicinal herb.

As she inspected the herbs, her eyes were drawn to a wooden pillar directly in front of the buried spot. There was a small marking carved into it, almost like a symbol indicating the location.

Just as she was examining the mark, a loud noise suddenly rang out above her.

Crack—! Creak, creak!

Startled, Roselia looked up and froze.

The large beams forming the framework of the building were collapsing.

Panicked, she glanced toward the exit and saw the man who had disappeared earlier, watching her.

Damn it, he’s trying to cover his tracks after realizing I discovered the herbs.

Before she could process the situation, the beams above her began to fall.

Roselia closed her eyes and braced herself, covering her head.

At that moment, something solid wrapped around her, shielding her from the impact.

*Crash!*

The sound of the collapse was deafening, and Roselia felt the weight of the debris pressing down.

When the noise finally subsided, she opened her eyes, surprised that she didn’t feel any pain.

She realized she was being held in someone’s arms.

Dazed, she turned her head and saw Klaus, breathing heavily as he covered her protectively.

“Your Grace…?”

Klaus, his brow furrowed in pain, held her tightly and spoke in a stern voice.

“Don’t move, Antonio.”

The collapsing beams had locked together, creating just enough space for the two of them to lie beneath. If they moved too much, the beams could collapse further, putting them both in danger.

Roselia understood the situation, but her mind couldn’t stop racing. Being so physically close to Klaus made it impossible to think clearly.

Their legs were tangled, their chests pressed together, and she was sure her heartbeat was loud enough for him to hear.

On top of that, Klaus’s heavy breath was falling directly on her forehead.

Trying to hide her blushing face, Roselia turned her head.

That’s when she noticed something damp on her hand, which had been resting on Klaus’s back.

With only the faint light filtering through the beams, it was hard to tell what the liquid was, but the metallic smell gave it away immediately.

“Blood…?”