74. Why Don’t You Just Say You Hate It Instead?

Roselia stared at Klaus in disbelief.

“Your Grace…?”

“The Duke of Valtazar, is it…?”

Klaus’s expression twisted in distaste, and with a sharp motion, he twisted Antonio’s arm further.

A sickening crack resounded as Antonio’s arm bent unnaturally, followed by his piercing scream.

“Arghhh!!!”

“With that filthy hand, where do you think you’re touching? Should I cut off the other one as well?” Klaus growled, his tone icy.

“Antonio de Hesingk.”

Although Klaus’s words were directed at Antonio, a chill ran down Roselia’s spine.

‘How does he know? Since when?’

Antonio seemed to share her thoughts, his reddened face contorted in pain as he stammered, “Y-you… you knew?”

Klaus looked down at Antonio with an air of arrogance, not bothering to answer.

Antonio glanced between Klaus and Roselia, his expression twisting further before he spat angrily, “So you two were in on it together! Pretending not to know while mocking me—Roselia, you wretched wench!”

Roselia frowned, stunned by Antonio’s audacity. Unfazed by her reaction, Antonio’s eyes gleamed wildly as he continued, “I took in you and your worthless mother, who had no pedigree and was wandering the streets, and this is how you repay me?!”

Klaus, who had been silently watching Antonio’s tirade, furrowed his brow, his gaze turning colder.

“Enough… I’ve heard enough.”

With a swift motion, Klaus forced Antonio to the ground, pinning him facedown with his arm twisted painfully behind his back.

“You demanded 2,000 berangs from Roselia, didn’t you?” Klaus’s voice was low and menacing.

“The debt owed by the Count’s family was 3,000 berangs. Roselia, who shares no blood with them, paid off 2,000 of that. If anything, it’s you who should be coughing up 2,000 berangs.”

Antonio, his face pressed against the ground, sneered despite his pathetic position.

“Ha… The Duke of Valtazar isn’t so impressive after all. Being led around by a woman’s skirts, huh?”

Klaus’s patience snapped. He kicked Antonio squarely in the chest, sending him sprawling backward with a choked cry.

“Gah!”

As Antonio wheezed on the ground, Klaus approached him leisurely, pressing his boot down onto his chest.

“I’d say I’m still better than a beast like you, who can’t even discern his place.”

Antonio groaned, a guttural sound escaping him as Klaus applied more pressure. Drawing his sword from its sheath, Klaus leveled it at Antonio’s throat, his eyes as cold as steel.

“Consider your life the payment for the Baron’s debt.”

“N-no! Please!” Antonio shrieked in terror as Klaus raised the blade.

Just then, Alejandro’s urgent voice rang out, halting Klaus mid-motion.

“Your Grace! Please, calm yourself! If you kill him now, we won’t learn anything!”

Klaus paused, his hand lowering slowly as he turned his icy gaze to Antonio, who was trembling uncontrollably.

Sheathing his sword, Klaus spoke in a chilling voice. “If you don’t want to trade your life for 2,000 berangs, don’t show your face here again. The next time, your neck won’t be worth even that much.”

Antonio, his face pale and drenched in sweat, scrambled away on all fours, leaving a trail of humiliation behind.

Roselia’s eyes darted between Klaus and Antonio’s retreating figure, her thoughts spinning in confusion. Sensing her gaze, Klaus turned his head slowly to meet her eyes.

“Let’s talk inside,” he said coldly, his voice laced with barely concealed anger.

“Roselia.”

* * *

Roselia entered Klaus’s study, her footsteps hesitant, and approached him silently where he sat on the sofa.

“When did you find out?” she asked quietly.

“Does that matter?” Klaus cut her off coldly, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. “Why did you deceive me?”

Roselia hesitated, her lips pressing tightly together. Klaus’s expression grew colder at her silence.

“Why did you disguise yourself as Antonio to approach me?”

His voice was calm but laced with a sharp edge. Roselia exhaled deeply, finally parting her lips to speak.

“I only intended to repay the debt. I had no plans to get entangled with you, Your Grace.”

Her response made Klaus’s brows knit tightly.

‘No plans to get entangled? After everything, after all the moments we’ve shared?’

Klaus’s lips curled into a bitter smirk. “Did you enjoy playing with me, switching between being Roselia and Antonio?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Then explain it clearly, Roselia. Why did you do it?” he demanded, his tone harsh.

Roselia’s expression darkened. Would he even believe her if she told him the truth?

That she had disguised herself to avoid falling in love with him? That being involved with him would lead to both of their deaths?

Even to her, the explanation sounded ridiculous. Her teeth sank into her lip as she grappled with how to respond. Klaus’s patience finally snapped.

“Damn it, Roselia! Say something!”

“To avoid falling in love with you,” she said quietly.

“What…?” Klaus’s voice wavered, disbelief evident as he stared at her.

Roselia looked up at him with nowhere left to retreat, her voice a trembling whisper. “I disguised myself as Antonio to avoid becoming involved with you.”

Her serious expression made Klaus feel like all the strength had drained from his body.

‘What does she see me as? Some scoundrel who preys on women?’

Her words, as though she had anticipated their relationship turning into something dangerous, only stoked his anger further.

“You thought I was some kind of trash?”

“No, that’s not what I meant—”

“I thought you’d have a good reason, so I waited for you to tell me,” Klaus said, his voice quieter now, tinged with an unfamiliar sadness.

Roselia couldn’t meet his gaze, her own dropping as she bit her lip.

“And this is your reason? You didn’t want to be entangled with someone as worthless as me?” Klaus let out a bitter laugh. “How pathetic.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Roselia snapped back.

“Then explain it!” Klaus’s voice rose in frustration.

Roselia looked up at him, her face shadowed with doubt. Klaus’s expression mirrored hers, a mix of pain and confusion.

“Roselia, I can’t understand what you’re saying unless you explain it to me.”

“….”

Her silence only deepened his anger. Grinding his teeth, Klaus turned away sharply, his back to her. Just as he was about to speak again, her voice, barely above a whisper, stopped him.

“If we grow closer… we’ll both die.”

Klaus froze, turning his head slightly, his brows furrowing. “What…?”

Roselia bit down hard on her lip, unable to continue.

How could she explain that this was a world within a novel, and the original story doomed them both? He would never believe her, and at best, he’d think she was mad.

As Roselia’s gaze fell to the ground, Klaus misunderstood her hesitation, his expression turning incredulous. Running a hand through his hair in frustration, he let out a bitter sigh.

“Why don’t you just say you hate me, then?”

The words he uttered felt like a knife stabbing into his own chest. He clenched his jaw, forcing his pain down.

“At least that would make more sense than this nonsense.”

Without sparing her another glance, Klaus strode toward the window. He stood there stiffly, his back to her, his voice cutting through the silence.

“For now, it would be better if we don’t see each other. Leave.”

Roselia stood still, staring at his shadowed figure, her heart heavy. After a moment, she turned and left the study quietly, closing the door behind her.

The sound of the door shutting echoed through the room. Klaus, still standing by the window, leaned heavily against the back of the sofa. His face twisted in anguish, though he made no sound.

* * *

After leaving Klaus’s study, Roselia locked herself in her room, unsettled by the events that had just transpired.

Still dressed in her servant attire, she lay sideways on her bed, her thoughts swirling. Suddenly, an odd sensation in her chest drew her attention. She raised her hand, gently pressing it against the spot, her expression turning puzzled.

Ever since her confrontation with Klaus, a strange ache lingered near her chest—a dull throb, accompanied by a sensation as though something was seeping out from within her.

‘Blooming… is this related to that?’

The feeling was entirely different from the earlier pain she had experienced. It was like grains of sand slipping through her fingers, an inexplicable sensation.

Roselia suspected this, too, was connected to the Raphelios bloodline. The thought crossed her mind that she should visit Marquess Euciliod to ask for more details—both to understand her condition and to temporarily distract herself from Klaus.

With her resolve set, Roselia slowly rose from the bed.

* * *

Her frequent visits to the imperial palace as Antonio to see the Crown Princess made entering the palace’s guest wing a relatively smooth process.

Guided by an attendant, she waited in the drawing room for Marquess Johannes von Euciliod. As she gazed absentmindedly out the window, a familiar voice pulled her attention.

“I’m glad to see you looking well,” Johannes said warmly as he entered the room, dressed impeccably and smiling faintly.

Roselia stiffened slightly at his familiar demeanor and bowed her head. “I apologize for dropping by so suddenly.”

“There’s no need to apologize. I told you to come to me whenever you needed help, didn’t I?”

Had he said that when she was Antonio? Or was it when she was herself? The overlapping memories made Roselia tilt her head in slight confusion, but she quickly dismissed the thought.

“I have questions about the Raphelios bloodline,” she said directly.

Roselia suspected that her connection to this bloodline might have something to do with her late mother, who had passed away when she was young.

Should she reveal her true identity to him?

As she debated internally, Johannes smiled gently, as though he could see right through her.

“It’s nearly dinnertime. Why don’t we discuss it over a meal? I’m feeling rather hungry.”

“Pardon?”

Before she realized it, Roselia found herself agreeing. The situation unfolded so naturally that she struggled to find the right moment to steer the conversation to her questions.

After dinner, they moved to the terrace in the imperial garden for tea. Roselia, bewildered by the easy flow of events, sat with an uncertain expression. Johannes, watching her with amusement, finally brought up the topic she had been waiting for.

“Now, shall we talk about Antonio?” he said warmly.

Roselia’s eyes widened in surprise. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, a sudden interruption arrived in the form of Johannes’s aide, Lognan, who approached with a polite bow.

“Marquess, the Duke of Valtazar has requested an urgent meeting with you.”

Johannes frowned slightly at the unwelcome news, his earlier smile fading.

“Escort him to another drawing room. I’ll be with him shortly.”

“About that… he’s already here.”

Before Johannes could respond, the terrace doors swung open abruptly, revealing Klaus. His displeasure was evident, his gaze fixed unyieldingly on Roselia as he strode in.

“What brings you here so suddenly, Your Grace?” Johannes asked, his tone calm but tinged with curiosity.

Though Johannes posed the question, Klaus’s attention remained locked on Roselia. His voice was firm, tinged with irritation as he spoke.

“When I said we shouldn’t see each other for a while, I didn’t mean you should run off to the Marquess, Roselia.”

 

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