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Chapter 59.
“Thank you for your help, but I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”
“Mistaken you?”
“Yes. Well then, excuse me.”
I deliberately spoke as softly and lowly as possible in denial, but Lexian didn’t budge.
“There’s no way I’d mistake you.”
“I’m not sure what you mean—”
“Rosia Levian.”
His large right hand came up to cover my face as if to block it from view, and with his left hand, he gently lifted my mask.
My eyes met the deep blue ones I had been avoiding all this time.
“Are you still going to say you’re not her?”
“…That’s unfair.”
“You left me no choice when you insisted you weren’t yourself.”
Lexian carefully put the mask back on me.
Before he had grabbed that leech-like man earlier, I had already sensed his presence.
The familiar fresh scent that I loved brushed the tip of my nose, and instinctively I realized Lexian was nearby. And sure enough, he appeared.
That familiar height, his build, even the old-fashioned white gloves reaching up to his wrists — all unmistakably Lexian’s.
Even with his face hidden, there’s no way I wouldn’t recognize the one light of my life.
And surely, the same went for Lexian.
Even when I tried to run away so as not to endanger him, he always found me and pulled me into his arms again — almost miraculously fast.
Even without his memories, in every lifetime, he would recognize me at first sight.
As if it were fate.
“Leaving the party all alone — are you plotting something dangerous?”
There was no point in denying it. Lexian looked ready to follow me no matter what, so I nodded.
“All right. Let’s go.”
Lexian subtly placed his arm around my shoulders as if to guide me, moving quickly. To anyone watching, we would look like a couple heading to a private room.
We passed through a hallway lined with doors. There were no servants or maids in sight.
Some of the doors were open — and from within came indecent moans.
“If you’re doing something dangerous, you should’ve told me.”
“I didn’t think you’d come to a party like this.”
“If you’re attending, how could I not?”
His tone was curt, but the meaning behind it made my heart race.
“And even if I hadn’t planned to come — if you’d told me, I would have.”
A deep joy welled up inside me.
“So what exactly are you trying to do, Rosia?”
“I’m going to rob the Count’s study.”
Lexian stopped in disbelief.
“Now that you know, you’re my accomplice.”
When I smiled, he sighed as if resigned and resumed walking.
“Do you know where the Count’s study is?”
“Shh.”
Hearing voices nearby, I quickly opened a door and pushed Lexian inside. He let me push him — but wrapped his arm around my waist as we slipped in.
Through a small deliberate crack, deep voices of middle-aged men drifted in.
“The party my daughter is hosting is in the hall, so let’s take the other way.”
“Hoho, Count, you’re not attending?”
“It’s a party for the young. How could I show my face there? If people learned I was present, what a disgrace that would be.”
One of them was definitely Count Ickel.
When their footsteps faded, I peeked out. Seeing no one, I slipped out quickly, Lexian following.
“You were going to sneak into the Count’s study without even knowing if he was home?”
“I wasn’t sure what the outcome would be, but I planned to try.”
Lexian sighed shortly.
“You at least know where his study is?”
“Third floor, first door on the right.”
At my confident reply, Lexian sighed again — then effortlessly lifted me into his arms.
“Excuse me, then.”
He ascended the stairs far faster than I ever could.
In the blink of an eye, we arrived at Count Ickel’s study. As expected, the door was unlocked.
The room was dark, the Count apparently gone for a while. We entered and closed the door.
“You do realize this is a crime?”
“I know. And I know you could report me to Count Ickel.”
“And yet you’ll go through with it?”
“Are you going to tell him?”
I trusted that Lexian wouldn’t. He might think I was teasing him, but I knew better.
“…If I were going to tell him, I would have already.”
As expected, he chose to become my accomplice.
Ah, even without his memories, he would never do anything that could put me in danger.
My eyes grew hot — I blinked rapidly to hide it.
“I’ll take care of the rest. You just stay there, Lexian.”
“Why won’t you call me Lex?”
His low voice came from behind as I searched for the Count’s hidden safe.
“You used to call me Lex. Back at the gambling den.”
…Did I?
“If you let me call you Roa, I’ll keep this secret.”
“We’re already accomplices, aren’t we? If Lexian tells Count Ickel, do you think I’ll just sit back and do nothing?”
“And if I tell Marquis Levian about your illegal gambling, what do you think will happen?”
I’d just found the safe hidden behind a moving bookshelf and was in a good mood — until Lexian’s threat made me bristle.
“That’s low.”
“You always do whatever you please, Rosia. I have to, too.”
Instead of replying, I opened the safe.
As expected, inside was a white magic stone gleaming even in the dark. I slipped it into my pouch and restored everything to its original place.
“Then at least let me call you Roa. Do that, and I’ll keep your secret.”
Hearing Lexian use an affectionate nickname — or allowing him to — both made my heart weak.
“…Fine. Call me Roa.”
“Good.”
If I called him “Lex,” I might end up confessing everything — so I allowed him to use the pet name instead.
“I’m done here.”
“Then let’s go. Pardon me.”
Lexian lifted me up again and lightly carried me out of the Count’s study.
After finishing all the dances with ladies dressed like Rosia, Silla was about to leave the floor.
But a woman blocked her path as if waiting — wearing a different mask now, but unmistakably Merina.
“I’m done dancing.”
“Let’s do something else. Something better.”
Her breathy tone might have aroused lust in some, but Silla felt nothing but irritation.
What intrigued her instead was the unpleasant aura she sensed from the woman.
“Something better? Not interested.”
“Please, Tower Master, give me a chance to apologize.”
When Silla didn’t fall for her bait, Merina changed tactics — and this time, she succeeded in gaining Silla’s attention.
“Fine. I’ll hear what you have to say.”
“It’s noisy here. Please follow me somewhere quiet.”
Apparently, her target wasn’t Rosia after all, but Silla herself.
It seemed better that she handle this strange woman rather than Rosia, so Silla followed without resistance.
But in truth, Silla was only Merina’s second target — she had already set her plan in motion for the first.
Through a maid, Merina had obtained a crystal bottle filled with a yellow liquid — one that stirred excitement and desire.
And after a certain time, it left the body naturally, so no physician could ever detect it.
Merina’s plan was to make Rosia appear immoral and depraved before others.
She’d cried and begged for help, and many young noblemen had readily agreed.
Yes, they’re all on my side. That’s only natural.
At the right time, she would gather people and lead them to the room where Rosia was — and everyone would see that Rosia Levian was not the virtuous lady she pretended to be.
There were several women dressed like Rosia, which was confusing — but that only meant she needed more accomplices. She assigned two of her loyal servant men to fill the missing spots.
The enchanted champagne would make Rosia cheerful, eager to talk — even with strange men.
Once she was inside the room, everything would unfold as planned.
Merina reassured her helpers that the Empress — her elder sister — would smooth everything over afterward, so they needn’t worry.
Rosia Levian, the wicked woman who torments me, will be ruined — and this man will be mine.
With the vile Rosia out of the way, the beautiful Tower Master would surely become hers.
Duke Lisianshus and the Crown Prince had always sided with Rosia — clearly because she used dark magic to manipulate their hearts.
Compared to Rosia, how pure and good Merina was.
After that man… Duke Lisianshus, you’re next.
A lewd smile curled on Merina’s lips as she walked ahead.
