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Chapter 18
“She really did come all this way… but will it be all right?”
Wrapped in a shabby robe, Rose paced nervously in front of his mansion.
He looked a bit uncomfortable back then…
The Grand Duke had said he would lend her money, but after returning to the count’s estate and thinking it over, the expression on his face that day didn’t sit well with her. It might have seemed to him as though she were demanding money in exchange for his life—making her look shallow and mercenary. Of course, she had said she was borrowing it, not asking for it outright, but still.
What if His Grace glares at me and throws me out?
Swallowing hard, Rose imagined herself standing before the Grand Duke of Arteum for no reason at all.
“Why are you here? Did you take my polite words seriously and come begging?”
In her imagination, the Grand Duke looked her up and down with an icy expression. The fact that he even had horns growing out of his head showed just how terrifying her image of him still was.
“Eat this and get out immediately.”
With that—him scattering a bundle of money over her face in her fantasy—Rose snapped back to reality.
“Haaah…”
She let out a deep sigh, as if the ground might cave in beneath her. Perhaps because she looked suspicious, loitering around in a worn robe, the knights guarding the entrance approached her menacingly.
“What have you been doing here all this time?”
Startled by the men who had come right up to her, Rose flinched.
“I—I’ve come to see His Grace the Grand Duke of Arteum. My master asked me to deliver an item.”
Overwhelmed by their presence, Rose barely managed to blurt out the line she had practiced, her voice trembling. She was hiding her true identity, pretending to be a maid. The knights looked her up and down and spoke curtly.
“We can deliver the item for you.”
“Ah, but… it’s something I must hand over in person…”
As Rose trailed off, an odd glint appeared in the men’s eyes.
“In person? Which household sent you?”
Their gazes sharpened with suspicion as they stared at her. It was only natural—His Grace rarely permitted visits from nobles at all. And yet a mere maid had come demanding to meet him face-to-face. To them, Rose looked extremely suspicious.
The knights exchanged glances and moved to surround her. Seeing their grim faces closing in, beads of sweat formed on Rose’s brow. The corners of her mouth trembled as she forced an awkward smile.
“Please just tell His Grace that I’m here. He’ll let me in.”
She had ridden in a carriage for a full two hours—surely she wouldn’t be chased away like this? Meeting the Grand Duke was frightening, but being turned away without even seeing him felt worse.
Just then, someone stepped in between Rose and the knights.
“She is a guest of His Grace. Please step back.”
Rose looked up at the man standing before her, red hair fluttering lightly.
Who is he?
Judging by his neat uniform, he was clearly a servant of the mansion. His hair, reaching down his back, was loosely tied, and his eyes—resting on Rose—were filled with curiosity.
“A guest?”
At Neran’s words, the knights could not hide their surprise. For over a decade, the Grand Duke of Arteum had ordered that no one be allowed in.
So I wasn’t the only one surprised, Neran thought.
Watching their stunned expressions, the butler felt a sense of kinship. Anyone who had worked in this mansion long enough would be shocked.
Just who is this woman?
Neran was deeply curious about Rose’s identity. A woman in a shabby robe, with nothing particularly remarkable about her—she looked like an emissary sent by some noble family.
“His Grace is expecting you. This way, please.”
All this time Rose had looked on the verge of tears, afraid she would be thrown out, but at the butler’s words she finally let out a long breath.
Thank goodness… at least I wasn’t turned away at the door.
Rose gave Neran a small bow and followed him to the reception room.
“I will fetch His Grace shortly. Would you like some tea while you wait?”
“Ah, yes, please.”
Her throat dry with tension, Rose brightened at his kindness.
“What kind of tea would you like?”
“Do you have Darjeeling?”
“Of course.”
Neran’s eyes curved gently in a warm smile. With an exceptionally courteous demeanor, he summoned a nearby maid.
“Bring Darjeeling.”
“Yes, sir.”
…The butler?
Rose momentarily doubted her ears when the maid addressed the red-haired man as “butler.”
He looked about her age. The butler at the count’s estate was an elderly man with graying hair, so the contrast felt strange.
“Is there anything else you need?”
Noticing her curious stare, he met her eyes directly.
Ah… I must have been staring too much.
Thinking she might have been rude, Rose quickly shook her head.
“I’m fine.”
Despite her flat reply, Neran remained kind.
“Then I’ll go fetch His Grace.”
Shortly after Neran left, the maid brought in the tea. When Rose grasped the handle, warmth seeped into her fingertips. Lifting the cup, she savored the gentle aroma and took a sip of the Darjeeling.
“…It’s delicious.”
It felt as though the tension freezing her body was slowly melting away. Rose finished the tea while glancing around the reception room.
The tightly closed doors opened, and a familiar voice echoed inside.
“It’s been a while.”
Rose set down her teacup and stood up. Seeing the Grand Duke again after three days, he didn’t seem nearly as frightening as she had feared. He wore a pastel sky-blue shirt, its buttons once again casually undone.
He smells nice…
Instead of the bloodstained scent from before, a freshly applied perfume pleasantly tickled her nose. The Grand Duke slowly looked Rose over—checking for injuries, for any sign that she had been hurt. Thankfully, it seemed none of his worries had come true.
She must have slipped out secretly.
Seeing how thoroughly Rose hid her face beneath the robe, the Grand Duke guessed that she didn’t want her identity revealed. He gave a small gesture to Neran standing behind him.
“You may leave.”
“Yes… understood.”
Neran replied reluctantly, curiosity evident. He desperately wanted to know why this woman had come. Moving at a turtle’s pace, he headed for the door, hoping to overhear at least a word—
“Leave. Now.”
At the Grand Duke’s firm command, leaving no room for argument, the butler had no choice but to hurry out. Only after confirming he was gone did Rose remove her robe. Beneath it, instead of her usual pale pink hair, short blond hair was revealed.
Facing her, the Grand Duke watched with keen interest. He hadn’t expected her to go so far as to wear a wig.
“Madam, you’re far more thorough than you look.”
Meanwhile, at the same time, Eric was with nobles of the imperial faction. At the head of the long table, Duke Pliche addressed them.
“What a pity. If the plan had succeeded that day, we could have struck him much sooner than expected.”
Duke Pliche trailed off slowly, then fixed his gaze on Eric. It was far from a friendly look. After all, the man who had ruined his plans was none other than Rose’s husband—Eric.
“You’ve got yourself quite a fine wife. Thanks to her, the noble Grand Duke of Arteum has extended his lifespan.”
At the duke’s sarcastic remark, the other nobles chimed in.
“Tsk, can’t even keep his wife in check… What on earth were you doing at that time, Count?”
“What do you expect? It’s obvious without even asking.”
“Seems he was enjoying himself somewhere.”
They mocked Eric relentlessly. More than a few had seen the vivid lipstick mark on his shirt that day. Listening with a sneer, Duke Pliche raised a hand as if showing mercy and intervened.
“That’s enough. The count still has his dignity.”
Though he had started the taunts himself, he now pretended to defend Eric, then turned his gaze to Cedric—Eric’s father—whose face beside him had turned red and blue with rage.
Unable to lift his head, Cedric looked as though he himself were the one being publicly humiliated. His trembling hand clenched into a fist as he glared at his son.
He had worked like a dog for Duke Pliche. Just a little more effort, and he could have achieved what he wanted. Yet right at the brink of success, everything collapsed—because of his own son, Eric.
No—more precisely, his son wasn’t at fault. It was all because of that damned Rose. If she hadn’t given that cursed testimony, the plan would never have gone awry.
“He’s still young and failed to grasp the situation, acting on his own. I’ll make sure to speak to him firmly.”
Cedric subtly shifted the blame from his son to Rose. It was the only excuse he could offer.
After the meeting ended, Cedric could no longer suppress his anger and swung his fist at Eric’s face. With a dull thud, Eric’s head snapped to the side.
“All this disgrace because of that wretched woman!”
Eric touched his throbbing cheek. Bright red blood smeared his palm—his lip had split.
You fool, driven mad by women. Look at how ridiculous our family has become because of the woman you brought in!”
Veins bulged along Cedric’s neck as he raged. His glaring eyes lashed at Eric like a whip.
“I won’t tolerate this anymore. Throw her out—immediately.”
Cedric’s words sparked Eric’s defiance. As he looked at his father, Eric’s gaze lost focus, flashing with a half-cavage, dangerous light.
