Episode 34

Bishop Johann swallowed his sigh with effort.

“Viscountess Dacia, as a foreigner, you might not be aware of this, but Britna, for all its prosperity, remains quite conservative. While secretive love affairs are common, they rarely end well. The party who suffers most after a breakup is often… And unions between those of vastly differing status are still prime fodder for gossip.”

“That’s not an answer to my question.”

“…I mean to say that, regardless of your intentions, there are numerous variables that could hurt him.”

“Variables can be eliminated. Thank you for your concern, but I’ll take my leave now.”

Rosanna left the office and headed briskly toward Henry.

While she had been meeting with Bishop Johann, she had entrusted Henry to Raymond, whom they had encountered after the Mass. Although her last encounter with Raymond had ended poorly, making things awkward, Henry had insisted on staying with him.

Since their first visit to Ruby’s, Rosanna had taken Henry on occasional dessert outings at his parents’ insistence. Naturally, this had led Henry to grow familiar with Raymond, the shop’s owner. She would need to teach the boy to stop giving his affection to strangers so freely.

Arriving at the garden, she spotted the child darting about near a flowerbed, trying to catch a butterfly.

“He seems to be having fun.”

Passersby, seeing the laughing child, looked on fondly. Henry, with his features perfectly blending those of Vlad and Tanesia, naturally drew attention.

Rosanna’s gaze shifted to the man playing with him. Contrary to the curt and mocking Raymond she knew, this version seemed surprisingly adept at entertaining a child.

“So, he only acts prickly toward me,” Rosanna muttered, narrowing her eyes at Raymond, ready to confront him.

Just then, a familiar scent wafted through the air. Turning her head, she spotted Kyle partially concealed behind a tree some distance away, watching Henry and Raymond.

‘Why is he lurking so miserably?’

Rosanna changed her direction, heading toward Kyle. Even as she drew close, Kyle didn’t seem to notice her.

“Kyle!”

At her call, his gray eyes met hers. His weary face immediately brightened.

“Rosanna…”

“How have you been?”

Kyle offered a faint, tentative smile.

“What’s with that smile? Are you saying you’ve been fine without me?”

“…I missed you.”

“So did I.”

Rosanna feigned ignorance about their midnight encounter and greeted him as if it had been a while. Kyle shared snippets of his recent days, all while subtly observing her.

This back-and-forth continued until Kyle’s patience wore thin.

“Actually… I saw earlier. You were with some man. Who is he?”

The image of Raymond’s infuriating face flashed through Rosanna’s mind.

“Him? No one important. Don’t think too much about it.”

“You seemed close…”

“Oh, Kyle!” Rosanna crossed her arms and dramatically rubbed her upper arms as if shivering.

“Don’t say things like that. It’s creepy.”

“But you were laughing with him…”

“Was I?”

Rosanna tilted her head, replaying her interaction with Raymond in her mind.

“What are you doing here, anyway?”

“Why else would I be at the cathedral? To pray. What about you?”

“I’ll return your words to you: it was nice seeing you, but let’s go our separate ways.”

“Judging by your face, you didn’t find it nice at all.”

“What’s wrong with my face?”

“You look a bit… displeased.”

“Well, that’s because you said something unpleasant last time.”

She had forced a smile when Henry was nearby and engaged in a strained conversation with Raymond. But then he had the nerve to say something provocative about repaying a debt over a single meal. Rosanna had declared she’d repay any owed blood debt with interest, and apparently, he had misunderstood her entirely.

“When I’m with him, I find myself getting annoyed. He never backs down and always talks back. But with you, Kyle, I feel at peace.”

“They say fighting can bring people closer… Like the bond that forms through grudges, perhaps?”

Kyle’s expression was bitter, a look that reminded Rosanna of someone being told goodbye. Her logical conclusion followed naturally.

“Kyle, are you jealous?”

“What? No, it’s not like that…”

Rosanna suddenly recalled something a friend had once said. Yekaterina Volkov, who juggled multiple romantic partners, claimed nothing was as pathetic as a man consumed by jealousy. Jealousy, she said, led to obsession, which was exhausting. When such men surfaced, she discarded them and scouted for new suitors. After all, her self-made harem could not have vacancies.

At the time, Rosanna had dismissed the advice, more engrossed in hunting than physical intimacy, and even less interested in chaotic affairs. But now, as she saw jealousy surface in Kyle, the memory resurfaced. And oddly, she didn’t find it unpleasant.

‘Pathetic? Hardly. His reddened eyes from embarrassment are utterly charming.’

“You’re allowed to be jealous.”

“…”

Kyle clenched and unclenched his fists, lost on how to respond. Only after his uneven breathing settled did he manage to speak.

“I was worried… that you’d forget me.”

“Do I seem like someone with a bad memory?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

How could he explain this?

Kyle had been consumed with thoughts of Rosanna. Her entrance into his world had been a welcomed new connection, and every moment with her had been enjoyable. Their bond had grown, and after their kiss, his feelings had crossed an invisible line.

In the month they hadn’t met, his mind had been utterly occupied by Rosanna Enache. At night, he would trace his lips, recalling the sensation of their kiss. He oscillated between feeling guilty over such improper thoughts and convincing himself that his feelings were a natural reaction to affection.

He had often wondered if Rosanna felt the same. Did she think about him as he thought of her? Did he occupy a space in her heart as she did in his?

The longer he reflected, the more his thoughts turned pessimistic.

“I’ve only given my heart to a few people. My social circle has always been limited, and I haven’t had many opportunities to connect with others. Meeting you and staying connected feels like a miracle.”

“And?”

“You have so many people around you, Rosanna. I kept wondering… what if I lost my place? What if I no longer had a place in your heart? I think that fear is what unsettled me.”

Deep within Kyle was a rooted insecurity—the pain of not knowing where he came from. Though he had been raised with love by nuns and surrounded by orphanage friends, he was like a house without a foundation. The loneliness he had never fully acknowledged was a void waiting to engulf him whenever a trigger arose.

And Rosanna had become that trigger.

Seeing her with another man had awakened an unbearable fear of abandonment. The idea of Rosanna leaving him would shatter his heart and allow the buried loneliness to overtake him.

He didn’t know when he had fallen so deeply for Rosanna, but he knew with certainty that life without her would never feel the same. She had become irreplaceable.

“I think I like you more than I realized… Rosanna, I… like you a lot.”

Kyle’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, his emotions momentarily choking his voice. Seeing his struggle, Rosanna cupped his face in her hands.

“My standards are high. If I were going to lose interest in you after a short while, I wouldn’t have bothered with you in the first place. So stop worrying.”

“I’m not crying…”

“You’re crying on the inside.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

When Rosanna grinned, Kyle couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

“The only man I care about is you, so keep that in mind.”

She playfully pinched his cheek before lowering her hands. Kyle coughed, his expression one of someone unaccustomed to such gestures.

Rosanna pointed toward Henry.

“Let’s go say hi to Henry.”

She tugged at his arm, but Kyle hesitated.

“You’re not going to use your theological studies as an excuse, are you? You said coincidental meetings were fine.”

“There’s someone else there today. It’s better if…”

“I’ll send him away.”

“What? That’s not what I meant…”

“Then come along. If you refuse, I’ll make sure that guy never comes back here again.”

“He seems like a devout believer… I shouldn’t interfere with his faith.”

“Then he can pray somewhere else.”

With a sigh, Kyle followed her.

Rosanna ran ahead to Henry, scooping him up and spinning him around. Though she meant to startle him, the boy simply giggled.

“Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, it was so much fun!”

Henry, brimming with excitement, flailed about, causing his knitted bag to fall open. His attachment toy tumbled out, but Raymond quickly scooped it up and tucked it back into the bag.

“Wait a second. I smell something sweet.”

“I ate chocolate,” Henry admitted with a bashful grin, reaching out to touch Rosanna’s cheek. The chocolate smudged on his fingers left a mark on her pale skin, but Rosanna’s sharp gaze shifted to Raymond.

“You took him outside the cathedral? Who said you could do that? And why on earth would you buy him chocolate? Are you trying to turn him into a pig?”

“He said he wanted some…”

Henry, shrinking under Rosanna’s stern expression, looked ready to wilt. Sighing, Rosanna patted the boy’s back to comfort him.

“I’m not scolding you. It’s just that lately, your mom’s been worried you’re eating too many snacks and skipping meals.”

“Am I in trouble…?”

“Let’s keep today our little secret, okay? But you have to cut back on the snacks.”

“Promise!”

Henry hooked his pinky with hers, a smile returning to his face. Watching him begin to have small secrets from his parents filled Rosanna with pride. Secrets were a natural part of growing up, after all. Under her guidance, Henry was developing perfectly.

As they exchanged smiles, Kyle, who had been silently lingering behind Rosanna, stepped forward. He extended an embroidered handkerchief toward her.

“You’ve got… something on your face,” he said, glancing at the chocolate smudge.

Rosanna tilted her head, studying Kyle for a moment.

“Clean it for me.”

“…Me? Here?”

Kyle hesitated, unsure if she was serious.

 

 

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