RVMPT Chapter 33

Chapter 033

A cold breeze blew, scattering rose petals on the ground, the wind slicing through the air.

“…….”

“…….”

Harold’s lips curled into a soft smile, but his eyes held an icy, chilling gaze.

“You two should step away from each other,” he said, without bothering to pick up the fallen bouquet of roses. He moved between Dante and me, pulling me into his arms while casting a chilling gaze at Dante. The intensity of his stare made it seem like there was some unresolved issue between Dante and him.

“Nice to meet you, Your Grace,” Dante said, offering a formal introduction. “I’m Dante Malcons.”

“Dante Malcons?” Harold repeated, raising an eyebrow as if something was bothering him about the name.

“Yes. Dante Malcons,” Dante confirmed, bowing respectfully.

Harold muttered the full name again as though testing its sound, then placed his hand on his chin thoughtfully.

After a moment, he narrowed his eyes and lowered his hand.

“Is your name really Dante Malcons?”

“Yes, it is.”

“I feel like you resemble someone I know.”

Dante’s face darkened. “You mean someone you know?” he asked cautiously.

Harold’s smile deepened. “You resemble the sun of the Empire.”

“…….”

As Harold’s smile deepened, Dante’s face grew darker. When Harold compares him to the ‘sun of the Empire,’ the Prince, Dante’s pupils seem to shake violently.

“More precisely, you resemble Prince Andrew, who is probably overseas by now.”

“Haha,” Dante forced a laugh.

Did he resemble Prince Andrew?

In Diana’s memory, Prince Andrew was small and had an almost delicate, feminine appearance. On the other hand, Dante was clearly masculine, with a strong build and striking features that were the opposite of Andrew’s softness. Moreover, the side story described Andrew as competent and capable, not clumsy or awkward. The comparison didn’t make much sense to her.

“It’s probably because of your hair color,” Harold continued. “Your mother is from the Talian Kingdom, where many people have red hair.”

“Oh!” Dante seemed surprised, but his face softened. “So, I must resemble Prince Andrew because of my hair color.”

Talian Kingdom natives often had red hair.

“Ah! It seems the Marchioness is calling for you. I should take my leave. Please, take care, you two.”

“Running away, huh?”

“He’s going to the Marchioness.”

Though he seemed a bit flustered, I couldn’t help but wonder, Is he going to trip again? He’d already fallen five times today.

As I was watching him, a large hand blocked my view.

Then, with a smooth motion, Harold gently cupped my cheek and turned my face toward him.

“You should only look at me, my dear.”

Harold said, smiling sweetly but with an underlying shadow in his expression.

He seemed much more upset than before, and I couldn’t look away from him.

For a moment, I thought he might be jealous. I quickly shook my head. We’re not even really married, what am I thinking?

 

“It’s just because I was worried that Dante might trip again, given how clumsy he is,” I said, trying to downplay it.

“That’s something you don’t need to concern yourself with,” Harold murmured, his tone quiet and controlled.

“Well, I couldn’t help it. I was just nearby and could assist,” I explained. When I see a lost child or someone struggling, I instinctively step in to help—my body just moves before I can even think.

“…That’s true, isn’t it?”

“What?” I replied, unsure of what he meant.

His voice had dropped so low that I barely heard it. As I glanced up at him in confusion, Harold gently pressed his finger to the tip of my nose and grinned.

“I told you, no distractions, darling.”

“Distractions? What do you mean…! I value money above all else!” I protested in a small voice, glancing around to make sure no one was listening.

“Is money really your number one priority?” Harold asked in amusement.

“Yes, money is the most important thing,” I affirmed with a firm nod, narrowing my eyes to emphasize my point.

Harold patted my cheek twice, as if he had made a decision.

“Alright, I got it.”

“Why ‘got it’?” I pouted, feeling dissatisfied with the lack of reassurance.

“Looks like everyone’s leaving. We should go too,” he said, changing the subject.

We made our way to the carriage, which had already departed with my maid. I decided to ride in Harold’s carriage instead. Harold passed by the fallen bouquet of roses without a second glance, but I paused for a moment and bent down to pick it up.

“Why bother picking it up? It’s just on the ground,” he remarked.

“Why not? It’s still quite beautiful,” I responded.

“Tell Evan to buy you something better,” he suggested, clearly uninterested in the bouquet.

“It’s fine. I’m happy with this one. Didn’t you buy it yourself, Harold?”

“…….”

“I guess you did,” I added, noticing that Harold didn’t seem to have a servant or assistant with him, which made it seem like he had gone to the flower shop himself.

He wouldn’t have wanted me to throw such a lovely bouquet away.

I walked beside him, inspecting the roses. Though some petals were slightly damaged from the fall, most of them were still intact. It seemed that no one had stepped on them.

‘I’ll put them in a vase once we get back.’

It had been so long since I had received a bouquet, and these flowers seemed especially beautiful to me.

The last flowers I received were from the children at the orphanage when I graduated from college. I hoped they were doing well.

As I thought of those dear to me, I inhaled the fragrance of the roses, holding them close to my chest.

“I really love these roses. Thank you, Harold,” The fresh scent lifted my mood, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“We could tear down the unused annex and build a rose greenhouse,” Harold suggested casually.

Harold had been considering what to do with the annex, but now it seemed like he had made up his mind.

I was surprised that he wanted to tear it down completely, but I was excited about the idea of a greenhouse.

“A rose greenhouse sounds beautiful!” I said it with excitement.

“It will be even larger than the one at the Imperial Palace,” he replied, his smile growing.

We continued talking about the rose greenhouse as we got into the carriage.

 

After preparing, Harold entered the couple’s bedroom. An unfamiliar scent lingered in the room. Following the fragrance, He spotted a vase placed near the window.

Harold looked at the vase of roses placed by the window, wondering why she had decided to put them there. Ultimately, it didn’t matter where the roses were, as long as Diana liked them—that was enough for him.

However, the color of the roses reminded him of someone, and he clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“…What a strange name to use, Prince Andrew.”

Through his informants, Harold had learned that a red-haired servant was pretending to be the prince in the foreign residence, while the real prince had already returned to the Empire. Yet, to think he would see that prince clinging to Diana, blushing around her, was something Harold had not anticipated.

If the roses had been a person blushing before Diana, Harold would have crushed them underfoot without a second thought. He genuinely regretted not being able to do so.

But his irritation wasn’t only because of Andrew.

“It’s just that I saw him, and he was close enough to help.”

He knew Diana’s kindness wasn’t because she thought he was special. She just couldn’t ignore anyone in need. But seeing it with his own eyes made him feel uncomfortable. It reminded him that he wasn’t a special person in her life—just another person she couldn’t ignore.

Having lived with terminal conditions for so long, Harold had become possessive. He was determined that Diana’s attention and affection should belong to him alone. No one else should be able to share in her kindness.

As he gently brushed a rose petal, Harold found himself thinking about Diana again.

She always said she loved money the most. She was delighted whenever he gave her expensive gifts like jewels or other valuables. Even when she agreed to treat his condition, it was in exchange for money.

But even though she enjoyed receiving those gifts, that was all there was to it—simple joy, nothing more.

Diana clearly loved wealth, but Harold began to wonder if money and gifts were enough to truly win her over.

“She seemed happier with the roses, though,” he thought.

Since she had mentioned liking flowers, not just roses. Maybe he should order more varieties planted in the greenhouse. Or perhaps he could have an entirely new greenhouse built just for her.

At that moment, Harold sensed someone entering the room.

Diana, wearing her nightgown, walked over to him. Her calm and gentle expression made him set aside all thoughts about the greenhouse.

“Harold, you’re already here?” she asked.

“You’re a bit late tonight,” he replied.

“I was deciding where to put the roses, and it made me run late,” she said.

First, Harold decided to clear up any lingering doubts he had. Hiding his true intentions, he gave her a relaxed smile and said, “Diana, come to bed.”