67. Be a little more honest, Antonio

Klaus’s deep navy eyes locked onto Roselia’s green ones, making her freeze in place.

As the memory of that desperate moment in the carriage surfaced, Roselia flinched and looked away, her voice flustered as she spoke.

“I… am a man.”

Her attempt to draw the line once more made Klaus’s lips curve into a leisurely smile.

“That doesn’t matter.”

His calm tone left Roselia staring at him in astonishment.

If that didn’t matter, then what did?

Could he really not care about her being a man?

But it wasn’t as if Klaus had shown any inclination toward men. When they had met while she was Roselia, he had been just as intense and unreserved.

As confusion filled her gaze, Klaus met her eyes with unwavering intensity, as if he would consume her whole. Her chest tightened at his gaze, and she quickly looked away.

This wasn’t good. No, it was dangerous.

She had disguised herself as a man to avoid getting physically involved with him, but if this was possible even while she was Antonio…

Her body might instinctively respond to him, like Pavlov’s dog.

“That’s an inappropriate joke, Your Grace.”

Trying to deflect, Roselia forced her voice to stay steady. But Klaus, his eyes fixed on her lips, responded calmly.

“What part of it is a joke? That it doesn’t matter if you’re a man? Or that I would kiss you again, no matter how many times?”

His directness made Roselia’s face flush bright red.

No, Roselia, pull yourself together!

She had learned so much from Nadia and the count’s situations.

The more she interfered with the original plot, the faster events seemed to progress. That feeling weighed heavily on her.

She couldn’t get further entangled with Klaus.

The more she involved herself, the more tightly the knots of fate became tangled, shortening the threads of the original timeline.

For her own sake—and for Klaus’s—it was too dangerous to continue.

“I’ve never had those kinds of feelings toward someone of the same sex,” she said firmly.

At her resolute words, Klaus slowly stood, towering over her as his voice turned cold.

“Then what was that kiss? You seemed pretty enthusiastic about it to me.”

His blunt remark made Roselia’s face flush even deeper. She struggled to ignore her own reaction and spoke as tersely as she could.

“That was because I was overwhelmed with emotions from Nadia’s situation.”

Roselia, now avoiding his gaze and blushing furiously, found herself under Klaus’s penetrating stare. He stepped closer, unhurriedly, until he loomed over her.

Resting one hand on the armrest of the sofa, he bent down, leaning close enough that his presence consumed her.

“Be more honest with yourself, Antonio.”

His breath brushed her ear as she turned her head to avoid his gaze. She stiffened reflexively, her shoulders tensing.

Panicked, she quickly sidestepped the sofa and stood up.

“I have some work I need to catch up on, so I’ll excuse myself.”

Bowing politely, Roselia headed straight for the door.

Her heart was racing again, pounding so hard that her chest physically ached. It felt like it might burst out of her chest any second.

But she couldn’t ignore the danger of getting further involved with Klaus, especially with Nadia and the count’s situations still fresh in her mind.

For Klaus’s sake, too…

Resolving firmly to avoid him for a while, Roselia pressed her lips into a determined line and walked away.

* * *

Claucet, adjusting her outdoor dress in front of the mirror, glanced at Roselia, who was seated on the sofa sipping tea, and asked worriedly.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

“Yes… I have other work that’s piled up,” Roselia replied hesitantly.

At Roselia’s wavering tone, Claucet let out a heavy sigh, her expression somber.

“Grandfather Bernas might feel hurt…”

“…”

Claucet was preparing to visit Count Bernas, who was still recovering in the hospital. While the count hadn’t suffered any visible serious injuries and could technically be discharged, Klaus had arranged for him to remain in a private suite under the care of a nurse for a month.

Claucet had been visiting the count almost daily. Roselia, too, wanted to see the count in good health, but a gnawing unease in her chest held her back.

She was afraid of becoming involved with the count.

What if her involvement made his condition worse? What if he ended up like Nadia?

For the count’s sake, it might be better not to cross paths with him anymore.

Noticing the shadowed expression on Roselia’s face, Claucet tried to lighten the mood with a bright smile.

“Don’t worry, I’ll explain everything to him.”

Claucet, now wearing her bonnet, smiled back at Roselia, who forced a smile and replied, “Take care.”

Once Claucet left the estate with Melda in the carriage, Roselia, hoping to clear her troubled mind, busied herself with various tasks.

Jeffrey, ever accommodating, assigned her the job of cleaning the mansion’s decorations.

Roselia focused on polishing the ornate displays and cabinets lining the hallways, letting her mind empty as she worked.

Even though the ornaments were already sparkling, wiping them down with a dry cloth gave her a peculiar sense of satisfaction.

As she worked on a large cabinet covering an entire wall, she reached for an item placed at an awkward height. Struggling, she stood on tiptoes, stretching as far as she could to reach it.

Fetching a step stool would require a trip to the storage room, and since there was only one item left, she stubbornly continued to strain upward.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her as she teetered on her toes.

Startled, she looked up and saw a large, firm hand effortlessly gripping the shelf she could barely touch.

Following the muscular arm attached to the hand, Roselia inhaled sharply.

“Y-Your Grace?”

Klaus was standing directly behind her, his arm stretched over her head to the shelf. His other hand rested beside her, effectively trapping her against the cabinet and his broad chest.

Roselia’s panicked eyes darted around as Klaus, calm as ever, tilted his lips into a leisurely smile.

“Is this what you were trying to reach?”

Biting her lip in frustration at the thought that he could see right through her, Roselia turned away coldly.

“I-I can do it myself.”

She reached up toward the shelf again, but Klaus leaned in closer, resting his chin lightly by her shoulder. His low voice murmured near her ear.

“Antonio, be honest with yourself. If you need something, just ask for it.”

The warmth of his breath brushing against her ear made Roselia flinch, and she instinctively turned to face him.

Klaus’s gaze bore down on her from such a close distance that she found herself frozen, trying to suppress her growing fluster.

“What difference would it make?” she asked, forcing herself to sound cold.

Klaus’s expression softened as he spoke in a coaxing tone.

“You might just get what you want.”

As his body seemed to lean even closer, Roselia tightly shut her eyes.

Thud, thud.

Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, and she could feel his own heartbeat, so close it was almost overwhelming.

Trying to break the tense atmosphere, she blurted, “Then… just grab that decoration for me, please.”

Though she knew he wasn’t referring to the ornament, she immediately redirected the topic, drawing a clear line.

Klaus, amused by her reaction, smirked charmingly.

“Fine. Good job, Antonio.”

He said, his tone almost like a parent praising a child for speaking up.

Roselia frowned slightly at his patronizing tone, but Klaus casually reached for the high shelf, effortlessly retrieving the decoration.

“This one?” he asked.

“Yes…” Roselia replied softly, watching in awe as he easily grabbed the object she had struggled to reach.

Her gaze lingered on his strong arm before naturally wandering to his broad shoulders and the thick curve of his neck.

As her eyes traced the bulge of his throat, her gaze inadvertently landed on his lips.

At that moment, their eyes met as Klaus lowered the decoration and looked at her.

His breath brushed against her forehead as he gazed down at her. Though nothing had been said, she felt completely immobilized, as though bound by his presence.

It seemed he felt the same, as he remained frozen, still holding the decoration.

The air between them grew still, as if the world around them had faded away, leaving only the two of them.

The faint sound of footsteps in the hallway broke the spell, jolting Roselia back to reality. She quickly turned her head.

As she glanced around, she noticed two servants passing by, occasionally glancing in their direction.

Flustered, Roselia ducked under Klaus’s arm, freeing herself from the confined space between him and the cabinet.

Her small frame slipped easily out of his grasp, leaving Klaus to chuckle lightly in disbelief.

“Thank you.”

She said loudly, overly formal in an attempt to divert attention as she took the decoration from his hand.

Klaus watched her intently for a moment before letting out a faint, bittersweet smile.

“You know, there’s no need for you to do such work. There are plenty of servants here.”

His tone carried a sense of special treatment, which only made Roselia frown as she replied curtly.

“I’m also a servant of the duke’s household.”

Her stubborn response made Klaus’s eyes crinkle in amusement as he spoke leisurely.

“But unlike the others, you’re doing something special. You’re also Claucet’s ‘il domestico’, after all.”

Roselia wanted to scoff. Being ‘il domestico’ only meant keeping Claucet company and drinking tea together. It wasn’t even proper work.

She was already receiving enough preferential treatment to make the other staff envious, and Klaus’s recent tenderness only worsened the stares directed at her.

“I’ll help within reasonable limits,” she replied firmly.

Klaus smiled softly at her determination. “If that’s what you want, I can’t stop you.”

He reached out and gently patted her head, leaving Roselia wide-eyed with surprise. Klaus’s casual smile lingered as he turned and walked away, his demeanor as relaxed as ever.

As Roselia watched him leave, her brows furrowed deeply.

Where had the cold, unyielding duke gone?

The memory of his gentle smile flashed in her mind, making her shake her head roughly.

I can’t be swayed by that smile.

The images of Nadia and the count flickered through her thoughts, making her expression twist with worry.

If Klaus’s fate of dying for treason in the original story came sooner than expected… if that happened…

She felt a sharp pain in her chest just imagining it.

Startled by her own thoughts, she shook her head firmly, only to feel a sudden stabbing pain in her chest.

“Ah…”

Gasping, Roselia clutched at her chest and leaned against the cabinet for support.

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