73. You, Antonio

Klaus stared at Roselia’s slightly parted, flushed lips, clenching his fist tightly.

‘How could I have ever thought this woman was a man?’

Her soft body, those lips, every single expression she made while looking up at him—all of it screamed femininity.

And yet, this woman had managed to fool him into believing she was a man, completely unguarded.

A sudden surge of irritation rose within Klaus, and he leaned closer, bringing his lips dangerously close to hers as he murmured in a low voice.

“Will you still not confess?”

Startled by his boldness, Roselia turned her head quickly, forcing herself to sound calm despite the tremble in her voice.

“I… I have nothing to confess.”

Her trembling body pressed so close to his was impossible to ignore.

The memory of her on top of him, shuddering with rough breaths that night, flashed vividly in his mind. That small, involuntary movement of hers now brought his entire body to attention as he whispered threateningly.

“Your body, unlike that stubborn mouth of yours, is far more honest.”

At that moment, the tension in the air was broken by a knock at the door and the familiar voice of someone calling out.

“Your Grace, it’s Alejandro.”

The charged atmosphere dissipated instantly.

Klaus scowled in irritation, glancing toward the door. Taking advantage of the distraction, Roselia quickly slipped out of his grasp.

“I-I’ll take my leave now.”

She stammered, putting as much distance as possible between them.

Klaus, displeased, shot her a sharp look and called out softly, “Antonio.”

She froze mid-step, her hand on the door, and glanced back at him hesitantly. Klaus’s expression carried a tinge of bitterness as he added.

“I hope you won’t keep me waiting for too long.”

The faint sorrow in his eyes sent an inexplicable pang through Roselia’s chest. Lowering her head to hide her emotions, she opened the door and left the room, striving to appear composed.

Alejandro, standing outside, observed her retreat with curiosity before stepping inside.

Klaus, meanwhile, sank heavily onto the sofa, as though exhausted, paying no attention to Alejandro’s arrival.

Approaching cautiously, Alejandro asked.

“Are you all right, Your Grace?”

“What?” Klaus snapped.

“You look like you’ve just run a lap around the estate,” Alejandro commented, eyeing Klaus’s sweat-soaked state.

Annoyed, Klaus frowned deeply and responded coldly.

“Just get to the report.”

Recognizing the edge in his master’s tone, Alejandro quickly delivered his findings.

“The shadows of the Grand Duke’s faction appear to have withdrawn. They’ve pulled back from the Count’s household and even the home of Abello, the painter.”

“All of a sudden?” Klaus asked, narrowing his eyes.

“They withdrew a few days ago, but there’s been one figure lingering near the ducal residence. I’ve been monitoring him.”

“One figure?”

“He doesn’t appear to be a well-trained shadow, but he’s been loitering around for about two weeks. Ah… it’s the same man who contacted Antonio two weeks ago.”

Klaus leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, deep in thought.

‘That so-called old friend?’

Now that he knew Antonio was actually Roselia, Klaus found himself doubting everything about her. Was that man truly her friend?

“Look further into him,” Klaus ordered firmly.

* * *

Claucet, examining the new dresses brought in for autumn, clicked her tongue in regret as she looked at a few dresses she had set aside.

“What a shame. I had a whole bunch of dresses tailored for Roselia too, along with mine…”

At Claucet’s lament, Roselia gave an awkward smile.

“I appreciate the thought.”

Claucet, resting her chin on her hand, stared at Roselia with a doubtful expression as she sipped her tea.

“Isn’t it suffocating to keep pretending to be a man?”

The unexpected question made Roselia blink in surprise, but she quickly responded with a gentle smile.

“It’s more comfortable for me now.”

Seeing her grin in her servant attire, Claucet let out a deep sigh, raising her hands in mock defeat.

“Fine, but if you need anything other than dresses, just say the word.”

‘Something I need…’

The thought immediately brought Antonio’s absurd demand to mind.

Two thousand berangs? That wasn’t an amount anyone could scrape together overnight. The deadline he had set was today, but Roselia had no intention of playing along with his ridiculous threats.

She had already paid off a two-thousand-berang debt on behalf of the Baron’s family. Antonio asking for the same amount now felt like saving someone from drowning only to have them demand a lifeline.

Besides, if her impersonation of Antonio were exposed, there was no guarantee that the real Antonio would remain safe.

Knowing Klaus as she did, Roselia was certain he wouldn’t hesitate to capture the one-handed Antonio and squeeze every last coin out of him.

‘Maybe I should turn the tables and threaten Antonio instead,’ Roselia thought, deciding that it might be better to remind him that her exposure would drag him down with her.

Lost in these thoughts, Roselia wore a grave expression as Claucet glanced at the clock and suddenly jumped up.

“Oh no, it’s time to visit Grandfather!”

Lately, Claucet had been visiting Count Bernas almost daily to check on him.

It had been over a week since Roselia had last seen the count. Concerned about him but unable to gather the courage to visit, Roselia’s face grew somber.

“How is the count…? Is he doing better?” Roselia asked carefully.

Claucet smiled brightly and replied, “He’s improved a lot. He’s speaking clearly now. Walking is harder for him than before, but he can move around a bit on his own.”

“That’s a relief.”

“He doesn’t say it, but I think he’s hoping to see you. Why not come with me this time?”

At Claucet’s suggestion, Roselia shook her head quietly. Though she wanted to see the count, lingering concerns about Nadia and other unresolved issues weighed heavily on her.

“No… I’ll visit him once he’s doing a little better.”

What if meeting her worsened his condition just when he was improving? The thought terrified Roselia, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.

Perhaps she was being cowardly, choosing to avoid rather than confront the situation.

Claucet sighed deeply as she looked at Roselia’s shadowed expression.

“Fine. If that’s what you’ve decided…”

After finishing her preparations, Claucet left the mansion for her visit, while Roselia watched her go with a bittersweet expression.

* * *

As the sun set, Roselia quietly slipped out of the ducal estate.

No matter how reluctant she felt, she needed to deal with Antonio—the ticking time bomb—herself. Forcing her unwilling feet to move, she made her way outside.

Antonio, for all his greed for money, wasn’t particularly smart. Roselia planned to counter his threats with her own: if her identity were revealed, Klaus would likely skin Antonio alive to recover the remainder of the debt. She even considered adding that Klaus might claim his life as collateral if he had no money to pay. Though, she admitted, her own fate might not be much better if exposed.

As she approached the building where she had previously met Antonio, he emerged from the shadows, as if waiting for her. A sly grin spread across his face as he openly stepped into view, making Roselia’s brow furrow in frustration.

He was standing casually near the estate, a place where the shadows of Klaus or even the Grand Duke’s faction could easily be watching. His carefree demeanor enraged her. Grabbing his arm, she pulled him into the alley behind the building.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been loitering around the estate this openly until now?” she hissed sharply.

Antonio shrugged with an annoying smirk. “If I get caught, it’s your problem, Roselia. There’s no reason for me to hide, is there?”

His nonchalant response made Roselia grit her teeth. As she seethed silently, Antonio leaned his head slightly, his voice taking on a casual tone.

“So, where’s the money?”

“Who do you think I am, your banker?” Roselia shot back icily.

Antonio’s expression twisted as he scanned her figure, quickly realizing she hadn’t brought anything resembling a coin pouch.

“Really, Roselia… this isn’t what we agreed on,” he said, his tone sour.

“Agreed? When did I agree to anything with you?” Roselia’s voice turned colder.

Antonio stepped closer, his fingers brushing through her short black hair, a smug grin on his face.

“Did you forget what I said? If you didn’t bring the 2,000 berangs by today, I’d reveal your little secret.”

Roselia’s glare sharpened as she stared at him, unflinching. “Don’t be ridiculous! Do you really think you’d be safe if my secret came out?”

Her sudden counter-threat made Antonio’s face contort with anger. “Why is our clever little Roselia acting like this?” he sneered, twisting his lips into a crooked grin. Without warning, he grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her head back.

Roselia clenched her teeth as her head was forced back, her body trembling with rage.

“Should I shave off the rest of your hair and sell it off?” Antonio jeered.

Roselia’s entire body shook with fury, but no matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t shake off his grip. Even with one hand, Antonio’s strength as a man left her at a disadvantage.

Then, suddenly, Antonio’s face drew closer to her neck, and he sniffed audibly, his expression curious.

“What’s this smell…? Living the high life now, huh? Wearing perfume?”

Leaning in closer, he inhaled deeply near her neck, as if savoring the scent. To Roselia, it was revolting. The feeling of her so-called older brother behaving like a depraved animal sent waves of humiliation and disgust coursing through her.

And then, a voice rang out from the opposite end of the alley, deep and restrained, like a growling beast.

“What do you think you’re doing, Antonio?”

Both Roselia and Antonio turned their heads toward the sound.

From the shadows emerged a tall figure exuding an overwhelming sense of authority. Slowly and deliberately, Klaus approached, his movements reminiscent of a panther circling its prey.

Once he was within reach, Klaus grabbed Antonio’s wrist with a swift motion, twisting it sharply behind his back.

“Ugh…!”

Antonio groaned in pain, gritting his teeth as Klaus glared down at him with disdain.

“You,” Klaus said coldly, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

“A piece of trash who does nothing but leech off his sister.”

 

 

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