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Chapter 15
“Isn’t that woman the one who used to trail after Count Wens and ended up marrying him?”
As people began to recognize Rosé, the looks directed at her grew far from friendly.
“Did you truly see everything?”
Duke Pliche approached Rosé with sharp eyes, striding straight toward her. He looked as though he might grab her by the collar at any moment, and Rosé swallowed hard before answering.
“Yes.”
Biting down on his lower lip, he glared at her—clearly irritated by Rosé’s unexpected presence. Just a little more pressure and he could have had the man arrested for the murder of Marquis Bled. If that happened, the plan to execute the Grand Duke could have been pushed forward.
“How strange. You should be in the banquet hall. Why are you with the Grand Duke instead? At night, leaving your husband behind… and with the Grand Duke, no less. Your dress is filthy too, as if you’d been rolling around on the ground.”
Was he trying to change the subject? Duke Pliche narrowed his eyes and glared at Rosé, then looked her up and down with an unpleasant gaze.
“I stepped out with Count Wens, but I lost my way in the garden.”
Rosé replied calmly, without panic. She made sure to mention Eric, emphasizing that she had not been with the Grand Duke from the beginning.
“And this dress— I was startled by a monster that suddenly appeared and fell.”
Duke Pliche, who had intended to crush her spirit and steer things his way, felt an urge to shut her mouth as she stared him straight in the eyes and spoke clearly.
She’s just an ignorant woman who doesn’t even know which side her husband is on…!
She should have known to shrink back quietly instead of rattling on with unnecessary explanations. Rosé was known as a rather foolish woman, so he never suspected that she was deliberately siding with the Duke of Arteum.
“I nearly lost my life myself. But…”
Rosé trailed off and looked toward the Grand Duke. She offered him a slight smile and spoke softly.
“Thanks to Your Grace, I survived. If it weren’t for you, I would have lost my life along with Marquis Bled.”
“Then where did that so-called monster go?”
Duke Pliche shot back sharply, leaving no opening, but Rosé continued unflustered.
“It seems it fled while I stepped away to bring someone who could treat Marquis Bled. It was extremely violent… This is troubling. What if it causes havoc elsewhere?”
She wore the frightened expression of someone who had truly seen a monster, then turned her gaze to the Duke of Arteum. Blinking her large eyes at him as if signaling, Rosé caught his attention. Watching her with interest, the Grand Duke picked up on her cue and spoke with a smile.
“There’s no need to worry. It was at death’s door. Even if it did escape, it will be found as a corpse.”
The Grand Duke himself had severed the monster’s last breath.
A monster that’s already dead, gone without a trace…
The Duke of Arteum looked calmly at Duke Pliche. In this situation, there was only one person who could have disposed of the body. As expected, it had been Duke Pliche—or rather, his subordinates. They had removed the monster’s corpse and taken only Marquis Bled back to the mansion, then shouted to the people that Marquis Bled had been “murdered.”
Damn it! How could they botch it this badly?!
To fabricate the incident, Duke Pliche had stationed six knights near the Duke of Arteum, ordering them to kill anyone who became a witness. Yet now, when things had come to this, those six knights were nowhere to be seen. Grinding his teeth, Duke Pliche vowed not to let them off once they appeared.
This is my fault for entrusting everything to them.
Believing his plan to be flawless, he had grown careless. The crowd listening to the exchange began to murmur. With a witness now present, the Duke of Arteum was effectively innocent. Those who had been ready to tear into him hesitated as the situation reversed. Some began thinking it might be time to back away—after all, the fate of those who crossed the Duke of Arteum had never been pleasant. One by one, people began slipping away.
“Ahem. We nearly made a terrible misunderstanding.”
“Indeed. There’s no way the Duke of Arteum would do such a thing.”
Like hyenas scattering, the crowd offered excuses as they retreated. Among them were nobles who had conspired with Duke Pliche, yet they abandoned him without a second thought, eager to save themselves.
Those bat-like cowards…!
But even charging in had its timing, and Duke Pliche knew all too well that now was not the moment.
“So, it seems we were mistaken, Duke of Arteum.”
Forcing the corners of his mouth upward, Duke Pliche addressed him. His lips smiled, but his eyes were chillingly cold.
“And you as well. A pleasure to meet you.”
He turned that cold smile toward Rosé—the prime culprit who had ruined his plan. Though his gaze made her knees tremble with fear, she greeted him as if nothing were wrong.
“The pleasure is mine.”
When Rosé hesitated, unsure who he was, he introduced himself.
“I am Duke Pliche.”
Rosé flinched at the name.
Duke Pliche… the emperor’s closest confidant.
During her private lessons, her tutor had praised this very man—the one who had contributed most to placing the current emperor on the throne.
…And the man who thoroughly used and discarded the House of Wens.
At the center of the Wens family’s downfall stood Duke Pliche. After exploiting them to the fullest, he cast them aside for knowing too much. The saying “a dog chasing chickens ends up staring at the roof” fit the Wens family perfectly.
“Yes, Duke Pliche.”
Realizing she had been dealing with a terrifyingly powerful figure, a chill ran down Rosé’s spine.
It’s a good thing I didn’t know. If I had, I might not have dared to look him straight in the eye like before.
Ignorance was bliss. She had complained about the lack of cameras in this world, never imagining it would help her like this. As Rosé greeted him and turned to leave, his voice stopped her.
“Wait.”
She glanced back, and Duke Pliche spoke with a meaningful expression.
“Please give my regards to Count Wens.”
Sending regards to her husband in a situation like this—Rosé instantly understood his intent.
He’s marked us firmly.
It was a clear expression of his anger toward the House of Wens.
“Yes, I will. Duke Pliche.”
Feigning ignorance, Rosé smiled brightly and turned away. His arrow seemed aimed not at her, but at Eric, so she didn’t mind. Straightening her posture, she walked away calmly. After walking far enough that she felt they could no longer see her, she finally let out a deep breath.
“Haah…”
Her heart pounded wildly. She hadn’t realized just how terrified she’d been when the duke pressed her with questions, afraid her lies would be exposed.
“…I thought I was going to die.”
She sank to the ground and muttered to herself, her palms soaked with sweat. Then, breaking the silence, the voice of the Duke of Arteum rang out.
“You were that frightened—so why did you step in?”
“Eek!”
Thinking she was alone, Rosé nearly fainted in shock at his sudden voice.
That scared me! When did he even get here?
She hadn’t heard a single footstep.
“…How long have you been there?”
Seeing her stare at him as if she’d seen a ghost, the Duke of Arteum shrugged.
“I was behind you the entire time.”
Rosé glanced behind him, wondering if others were there as well.
“Don’t worry. It’s just you and me here.”
She sighed in relief. The last thing she wanted was to face Duke Pliche’s icy expression again.
To think I stood up to someone even darker than the Duke of Arteum…
“I’ll ask again. Why did you protect me?”
The Duke asked, genuinely curious.
“…You said you didn’t kill him.”
“So you claimed to have seen something you hadn’t, just for my sake?”
Rosé slowly nodded.
“It seems you believed me—when I said I didn’t kill Marquis Bled.”
“…Yes.”
Though at first, she had thought he did. At her answer, the Duke’s eyes curved slightly.
“You must know the rumors that follow me.”
“I know the rumors, but… I thought you seemed kinder than expected.”
The Duke looked at her with surprise. Their first meeting had been terrifying, but today he seemed no different from anyone else. He had even caught her when she fell from the carriage and helped her escape her husband’s grasp.
“I’m really sorry for misunderstanding you at first. I didn’t realize you were trying to save Marquis Bled…”
Unable to face him, Rosé lowered her head. She had treated an innocent man like a murderer. The Duke silently watched her, his gaze tinged with a strange madness she failed to notice—because her head was bowed. He slowly approached her.
“It’s fine. You’re no different from a benefactor who saved my life.”
Bending down toward Rosé as she sat on the ground, he whispered,
“I’d like to repay the one who saved me.”
As he spoke, he gently brushed aside her tangled hair. Loosened by Eric and further disheveled by the night’s chaos, it looked rather unkempt. Staring up at him with wide eyes, Rosé reminded him of his pet dog.
…They’re alike.
His hand unconsciously lifted to pat her head, then froze midair. No matter how similar, treating a lady like a pet was improper. He quickly lowered his hand.
“Repay me? There’s no need. I didn’t do it expecting anything…”
The moment she said she didn’t need repayment, a thought struck her.
Wait… this could be a good opportunity.
She hesitated, lips parting, then spoke with difficulty.
“Um… Your Grace.”
“You have something you want, don’t you?”
At his words, Rosé nodded slowly.
“I…”
The Duke waited patiently, not pressing her. After a long moment of deliberation, she finally made up her mind.
“Please help me. I need to go through a divorce, but I don’t know anything about the process.”
The Duke’s eyes wavered at her unexpected request.
“A divorce? You?”
It was hard to believe that the woman who once chased after Eric would utter the word divorce.
