61. Damn, even eating looks beautiful.

 

Roselia flinched in surprise, prompting Klaus to narrow his eyes suspiciously.

“Is it really that shocking to invite you for a meal?”

Roselia found herself at a loss for words in response to Klaus’s question.

No, it’s just… he’s never done anything like this before!

Caught off guard, she fumbled and awkwardly replied.

“Uh… well… Roselia doesn’t have much free time.”

“And why is that?”

Thinking quickly, Roselia decided to use the Marquess of Euciliod as her excuse.

“Well… I’ve been spending time with the Marquess of Euciliod!”

Klaus’s expression hardened.

However, he soon resumed his composed demeanor and spoke with indifference.

“Is the Marquess of Raphelios so possessive that he can’t stand his companion sharing a single meal with someone else?”

“No, it’s not exactly that….”

“If he’s truly that worried, I could just send him a letter to put him at ease.”

“No!”

“…?”

Desperate to keep her cover, Roselia blurted out another excuse.

“Actually, Roselia is traveling right now! It’s unfortunate, but perhaps we can have that meal another time….”

Seeing Roselia’s awkward smile, Klaus drove in a final nail, speaking casually.

“Then I’ll arrange a carriage and attendants to fetch you from where you are.”

“What??”

“Where are you? I’ll send a carriage drawn by the swiftest horses so you can come as quickly as possible.”

Does he really have to go this far just for a meal…?

“Well….”

Eventually, Roselia, feeling as if she had no choice, surrendered.

“I’ll talk to Roselia about it.”

Klaus, studying her defeated expression with curiosity, nodded calmly.

“That sounds best. Just let me know if you need the carriage.”

“…Alright.”

* * *

What do I do! I can’t split myself in two!

Maybe I should have just insisted I couldn’t come? But if I had, he looked ready to come drag me back himself…

Frustrated, Roselia tugged at her hair, internally crying out.

“My lady, at this rate, you’ll go bald! And you already cut your hair so short,” Nadia’s relaxed voice floated over, making Roselia quickly let go of her hair in embarrassment.

She’d come to Nadia’s house to deliver some funding.

Seeing Roselia again as “Antonio” seemed to no longer surprise Nadia, who was watching her with a calm gaze, resting her chin in her hand.

In that moment, Roselia’s eyes fell on Nadia’s slender arm.

Suddenly struck by an idea, Roselia looked at Nadia with an intense expression.

Nadia’s frame was just as slender as Roselia’s, and even had a modest volume similar to Roselia’s figure when she dressed as a woman.

Come to think of it, they were around the same height.

Nadia, puzzled by the scrutiny, raised her eyebrows as if to ask what was up, prompting Roselia to finally voice her hesitancy.

“Nadia… would you mind helping me with something?”

Unlike Roselia’s serious tone, Nadia laughed and replied easily.

“Pay me a day’s wage, and I’ll think about it.”

Roselia was speechless, observing Nadia’s practicality. Despite her lack of interest in selling her paintings, Nadia seemed to make monetary considerations her top priority for almost everything else.

After a moment, Roselia, now resolute, nodded firmly.

“Alright. I’ll pay you a fair wage.”

Hearing this, Nadia curled her lips in a charming smile.

“What do you need me to do?”

Roselia hesitated before answering, her words slow and measured.

“Well… could you pretend to be my sister?”

“You mean, pretend to be ‘you’?” Nadia, fully aware that Roselia was Antonio, smiled knowingly.

“Uh… yes. Just, you know, act as Roselia from a distance.”

Embarrassed, Roselia cleared her throat, and Nadia gave her an amused smile.

“Hmm… fine. Whether I’m caught or not, though, is on you.”

“That’s fine. All you’ll have to do is show your back from a distance.”

After all, even Klaus wouldn’t fail to notice a disguise if Nadia got too close; Roselia intended to keep her far enough to avoid that.

Well… I’ll think of some way to keep him watching…

After making her cryptic pact with Nadia, Roselia left for the city with a conflicted heart, looking to catch a carriage back to the mansion.

As she made her way through the streets, she spotted a familiar figure by a flower shop, admiring the blooms.

It was the Marquess of Euciliod.

Roselia halted in surprise, her eyes widening as she stared at him, drawing Johannes’s gaze in her direction. Noticing her, he greeted her with a feigned look of surprise.

“Well, what a coincidence. I was just passing by and stopped to admire these flowers.”

Is it really just coincidence that a marquess, a royal guest, came all the way to town to look at flowers…?

Isn’t the imperial garden already overflowing with them…?

While Roselia was pondering this, Johannes purchased a bouquet and extended it to her.

Still in her “Antonio” disguise, Roselia couldn’t hide her surprise.

“This… why are you giving this to me?”

If she’d been Roselia, it would have made sense, but she was currently Antonio.

As if reading her mind, Johannes flashed his trademark gentle smile.

“Please deliver it to Lady Roselia. It seems I may have difficulty seeing her myself.”

“Oh… yes, thank you. I’ll make sure she gets it.”

At her stammered response, Johannes smiled again, the kind of smile that could make any woman melt. Roselia, staring at his smile in a daze, suddenly snapped to attention as an idea struck her.

“Marquess, perhaps…?”

“Hmm?”

After a brief hesitation, Roselia blurted out, surrendering to the impulse.

“Since you’ve already pretended to be Roselia’s lover… could you help me with something?”

Johannes’s curious expression softened into a kindly smile at her desperate tone.

“What is it? I’d be happy to help if I can.”

Relief washed over Roselia’s face like sunlight breaking through clouds.

Looking at Johannes’s warm smile, she felt a slight pang of guilt, but since this whole lover ruse was his doing in the first place, why not use it properly?

Having rationalized her plan, Roselia gazed at Johannes with a meaningful look.

Seeing her expression, Johannes, knowing that Antonio was Roselia, chuckled as if he found her charming.

* * *

In the bustling commercial district, the duke’s carriage halted by the side of the road.

The door opened, and out stepped Roselia, dressed as a servant, followed by the Duke of Valtazar himself.

Klaus glanced around at the lively marketplace, his expression crinkling in distaste.

“There’s a first-class chef at the mansion. Why go out to eat?”

Roselia gave him a bright smile, countering his displeasure.

“It’s nice to go out and enjoy the atmosphere once in a while!”

Klaus, seeing her cheerful expression, seemed to abandon his complaints and looked around.

“Where is Roselia?”

“She said she’d wait around here…”

Feigning a casual scan of the area, Roselia watched Klaus’s face closely.

It seemed he had no suspicions yet.

Now, as long as Nadia and Johannes played their roles well…

As planned, Roselia spotted Nadia and Johannes across the street, blending into the crowd.

Nadia, donning a blonde wig and a wide-brimmed hat that concealed her face, was turned away from them.

Roselia raised her voice deliberately.

“Oh! There she is.”

At her words, Klaus turned to look in the direction she pointed.

From behind, the figure of Nadia, disguised as Roselia, appeared to be in conversation with Johannes.

Johannes tenderly brushed a hand against her cheek.

Klaus went stiff at the sight.

Something felt… off.

There was no racing heartbeat or rush of jealousy.

Before, even the sight of the marquess near Roselia had made his blood boil. But now…

Caught off guard by his own reaction, Klaus’s expression hardened.

While he was deep in thought, Nadia, acting as Roselia, hesitated before climbing into the carriage that Johannes had opened.

Watching as her decoy left, Roselia announced exaggeratedly.

“Oh dear… it seems something urgent came up with the marquess. What a shame… I’m truly sorry, Your Grace. I’ll arrange another time!”

“…”

Despite Roselia’s best efforts at acting, Klaus seemed deeply preoccupied.

Seeing his expression, she hesitantly tried to gauge his mood.

“Are… are you upset?”

Thinking he was angry at “Roselia” for going with Johannes, she fidgeted nervously, prompting Klaus to stiffly reply.

“Let’s return to the mansion.”

Seeing the unusually grave look on his face, Roselia could only nod in silence.

Back at the mansion, they somehow ended up having dinner alone.

Usually, Roselia would’ve declined, but seeing his serious expression—and feeling famished after all the running around to set up this ridiculous play—she accepted.

The chef, who had apparently been informed of a special guest, began to bring out luxurious dishes that lined the table.

Yet, despite the spread, Klaus’s expression remained tense.

“Go ahead.”

Lost in his thoughts, Klaus picked up his knife without even glancing at “Antonio.”

Gripping his fork and knife, Klaus’s mind drifted.

I was sure I was interested in Roselia… so why isn’t my heart racing?

Before, even the sight of the marquess near her had twisted my insides. So why don’t I feel jealous now?

Could it be that I actually…

Caught up in his musings, Klaus glanced at “Antonio” and froze.

She was quietly munching away, her small mouth full as she chewed eagerly.

The sight of her rounded cheeks, puffed out with food, her lips glistening faintly with oil, her sparkling green eyes trained on her plate… he found his gaze lingering.

Damn, how does someone eat so adorably?

Realizing he’d been staring, Klaus was stunned.

Adorable…? Calling a man adorable…?

Good heavens, he thought. He really must have lost his mind.