99. An Unexpected Moment

“It was only out of excitement to celebrate my younger brother, who will soon become the Crown Prince. It seems I may have been impolite to our guests from Rugbeljet. Hoho…”

Suddenly, Tania, now exuding the demeanor of a refined lady, shyly glanced at Klaus, who stood behind Roselia, and spoke softly.

“You must be Duke Valtazar.”

As the princess acknowledged him, Klaus reluctantly inclined his head.

“Greetings, Princess Tania.”

His deep, resonant voice, as pleasing as his strong and handsome appearance, caused Tania to blush as she extended her hand.

“I was just thinking of stepping onto the dance floor…”

However, before her hand could reach its intended target, Klaus turned his gaze to Roselia and spoke.

“Come with me for a moment.”

“I believe I already said I have nothing to discuss with you.”

Tania, shocked by Klaus’s disregard for her presence, stared in disbelief as he ignored her entirely and addressed Roselia with unwavering seriousness.

“It’s about Viscountess Bernas.”

Roselia’s expression faltered momentarily at his words.

After hesitating briefly, she bowed politely to Prince Aaron, who was still standing nearby.

“Your Highness, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave now.”

“Ah, yes… Very well. Viscountess Bernas, we’ll speak again later.”

Aaron’s unexpectedly mature tone tugged at Roselia’s heartstrings. She leaned closer to whisper softly in his ear.

“Don’t associate with unpleasant adults.”

With a playful wink, she caused Aaron to blush and nod.

Turning her attention away from the young prince, Roselia walked toward the garden without even glancing at Klaus.

“Let’s talk outside.”

Forgetting entirely about Princess Tania, Klaus followed Roselia out. Watching the two leave together, Tania clenched her fists, trembling with frustration.

In the garden, Roselia walked until she reached the center of the maze-like greenery before stopping.

“Did something happen to Viscountess Bernas?”

“He asked me to check on how you were doing.”

Klaus’s immediate response caused Roselia to frown.

“Is that all?”

Klaus didn’t answer right away, instead staring at her silently. Roselia’s face tightened in annoyance.

“Don’t tell me that’s really it.”

Finally, Klaus spoke plainly.

“I knew this was the only way to get you to talk to me.”

“Ha…”

Realizing she’d been played, Roselia let out a deep sigh and turned away.

“If that’s all, I’ll be going back now.”

At that moment, a voice called out from nearby.

“Duke Valtazar, are you here?”

Scowling, Klaus grabbed Roselia’s wrist and pulled her into the maze-like hedges.

Caught off guard, Roselia struggled to free herself from his grip.

“What on earth…!”

Klaus tightened his hold, speaking quietly but firmly.

“You don’t want to get entangled with that troublesome princess either, do you?”

At his words, Roselia paused her resistance.

“Your Grace! I have something important to discuss with you. Where are you?”

Both Klaus and Roselia held their breath, waiting for Tania to pass by.

The narrow space between the hedges left little room for two people. Their breaths, close enough to feel on bare skin, filled the air between them.

Roselia turned her head away, trying not to focus on Klaus’s breath brushing against her forehead.

But Klaus’s gaze on her was anything but indifferent.

“Roselia…”

Klaus’s voice was filled with longing as he whispered.

“Can’t you look at me?”

His grip, once firm, became cautious, his tone laced with restrained desperation.

Roselia, refusing to meet his gaze, spoke in a voice as cold as ice.

“Nothing will change just because you shake me like this.”

Her frigid words caused Klaus to grit his teeth as if the inability to reach her physically or emotionally was unbearable.

“If shaking you is what it takes to bring you back, I’ll do it as many times as it takes.”

His low voice, brimming with intensity, sent a shiver down her spine. Confirming that Tania was no longer nearby, Roselia stepped away from him.

“You’re wasting your time.”

Klaus’s hopeful eyes followed her as she moved farther away.

Meeting his gaze, Roselia spoke with a finality that left no room for argument.

“I’m not someone who can be shaken anymore, Your Grace.”

With that, Roselia turned decisively and walked back toward the banquet hall.

The place she left behind had only one figure standing there alone, unmoving for a long time.

* * *

Roselia achieved her goal at the imperial banquet—to observe Empress Gwenhilla and her close associates.

Though an unexpected clash with Princess Tania occurred, most of the attention was focused on Duke Valtazar, allowing Roselia to remain relatively unnoticed.

Despite his bothersome presence, Roselia couldn’t deny that Klaus’s intervention had been somewhat helpful that evening, even easing the tension during her exhausting interaction with Tania.

While Roselia reflected on the events, a knock on her door broke her thoughts. Eva, who was quietly pouring tea beside her, quickly moved to the door.

“My lady, it’s the Marquess,” Eva informed her.

Roselia rose cautiously and approached the door. Johannes stood there, straight and composed, tilting his head slightly as he caught a faint whiff of her scent.

“Did you visit the greenhouse?” he asked.

“Oh, yes.”

Having suppressed her scent around Klaus, she had taken a stroll to the greenhouse to release it.

“Well done. I’m heading out to a gathering with the Empress’s faction nobles. You must be tired from attending the banquet yesterday, so take it easy at the mansion today.”

“I didn’t do much aside from observing,” Roselia replied with a small smile.

Johannes gave her a warm, affectionate smile.

“That’s more than enough. I’ll see you at dinner.”

His kind smile seemed to say that her presence alone was sufficient, and Roselia couldn’t help but smile back.

As Johannes walked away, Eva, who had been observing their interaction with a soft expression, spoke up.

“You two look wonderful together.”

“Do we…?” Roselia responded awkwardly.

Eva glanced at Johannes’s retreating figure before continuing cautiously.

“His Lordship has endured a lot of hardship. After the Marchioness and you went missing, he spent ten years searching for both of you with the late Marquess.”

“Ten years… He didn’t just sit idly by, then,” Roselia thought, a sense of bittersweet understanding washing over her.

“The late Marquess became ill during the search and eventually passed away. Lord Johannes had to inherit the title at the young age of nineteen. Around that time, I believe he resigned himself to the loss of the Marchioness and you…”

Roselia felt more sympathy than resentment as she imagined how difficult it must have been for Johannes to lead the household at such a young age.

“Still, meeting you again like this must be a blessing from the heavens. He doesn’t show it much, but he seems so much more at ease now. Even though he always appears calm and gentle, he used to have a loneliness about him, as if he were living in a world of his own.”

Roselia understood that feeling all too well.

When she had first woken up in this world, she had felt a similar emptiness. With her mother gone and left to deal with the Hesingk family, who bore the title of “family” but were colder than strangers, Roselia’s loneliness had only hardened her.

Perhaps Johannes had endured something similar, holding on at the Marquessate despite the pain.

Noticing the shadow on Roselia’s face, Eva quickly brightened the mood.

“My lady, how about I give you a massage to help you relax after the banquet?”

“A massage?”

After a brief moment of thought, Roselia nodded, and Eva enthusiastically rolled up her sleeves.

“Great! Then let’s start by taking off your clothes!”

“Why do I need to take off my clothes?”

“For a full-body oil massage, of course! I’ll show you my skills today!”

Roselia let out a soft chuckle at Eva’s spirited determination.

Soon, Roselia lay comfortably on a massage table, draped in a towel, as Eva worked on her back. Just as promised, Eva’s massage skills were exceptional, leaving Roselia feeling drowsy and relaxed.

After using up half a bottle of oil, Eva exclaimed excitedly, “I’ll grab more oil! Be right back!”

Covering Roselia’s back with a long towel, Eva rushed out of the room.

As Roselia lay there, she smiled to herself, thinking that occasionally indulging in such leisure wasn’t so bad.

* * *

Aven, the head butler of the Marquessate of Euciliod, who had served the family for generations, looked at the tall man dressed in Benuvian-style clothing with a conflicted expression.

“I’m sorry, but the Marquess is currently away.”

“I’m not here to see the Marquess of Euciliod. I’m here to meet Viscountess Bernas.”

“…”

When Prince Asif of Benuve, who had recently arrived as part of the delegation, crossed his arms arrogantly, Aven’s expression grew even more uneasy. He had strict instructions from Johannes to delay or turn away any nobles or suspicious individuals seeking Roselia.

Maintaining a calm demeanor, Aven replied steadily, “The Viscountess is extremely busy today.”

“I’ll wait.”

Asif’s firm tone made it clear he wasn’t leaving anytime soon, forcing Aven to lower his head respectfully.

“I’ll relay the message, but I must warn you that I cannot guarantee you’ll meet her.”

“Just tell her I’ve brought the painting she wanted. She’ll understand.”

“Understood.”

Of course, Aven had no intention of delivering Asif’s message to Roselia. He was merely following Johannes’s orders.

With a polite bow, Aven escorted Asif to the parlor before quietly slipping away.

Asif, now seated comfortably on the parlor sofa as though it were his own, leisurely glanced around the room. His eyes caught the figure of a maid passing by the door.

She was familiar—she had been with Viscountess Bernas at the harbor.

Without thinking, Asif stepped into the hallway and followed the maid, who was carrying an empty oil bottle and walking briskly.

The scent coming from the direction she had come from caught his attention. It was familiar—a fragrance reminiscent of Roselia, the one that lingered when she had been in his arms at the harbor.

Drawn by the scent, Asif followed it until he reached a room. Peeking through the slightly open door, he spotted a figure with familiar black hair lying on a massage table, draped in a towel.

Hearing the sound of someone entering, Roselia, assuming it was Eva, spoke without suspicion.

“Eva?”

“My apologies—it’s not Eva,” came an unfamiliar voice.

 

 

 

 

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