If I were caught by the Duke here, there would be no way out; that much was certain. Feeling an acute threat to my life, Roselia instinctively took a step back. The Crown Prince, watching the scene with an amused expression—as if observing an entertaining play—must have felt a prick of conscience, for he blocked the Duke’s path.
“Duke Baltezar, it doesn’t seem like you came here to dance with me.”
“Move.”
At Klaus’s cold, threatening tone, the Crown Prince only smirked.
“My, my. If you approach a lady so savagely, won’t she be frightened?”
“I don’t believe that is a remark I should be hearing from Your Highness.”
It was a sharp rebuke for the Crown Prince, who was leaving the Crown Princess all alone while his eyes wandered elsewhere. As a look of cold insolence filled Klaus’s gaze, Esteban’s expression began to harden.
“Do you realize how incredibly insubordinate that tone is?”
“…….”
Sparks seemed to fly between the two. While Esteban and Klaus were locked in an invisible war of nerves, Roselia slowly backed away. Then, spotting her a beat too late, Klaus’s eyes widened with a fierce intensity.
“Hey!”
As soon as she heard his voice, Roselia turned on her heel and bolted through the crowd. She could hear Klaus swearing in frustration as he gave chase.
*Damn it! He looks like he’s ready to cut my throat if he catches me!*
Hearing his rapid pursuit, Roselia ducked toward a secluded garden. Filled with thickets and dense trees, it was the perfect place to hide. Since it was night, if she truly committed to it, she could easily shake the Duke off.
Dashing into the foliage, Roselia quickly pressed herself into the deepest brush. As she crouched down and held her breath, she saw Klaus rush past the very spot where she was hiding. Letting out a shuddering sigh of relief, she waited for a good while; judging that it was safe, she carefully emerged.
Just as she began brushing grass from the lovely dress Closette had painstakingly prepared for her, someone suddenly grabbed her by the wrist. Startled, Roselia’s gaze shot backward. There, panting heavily, was Klaus. His deep navy eyes shone with an intense, predatory light as he gripped her tight.
“Your talent for escaping is quite exceptional.”
Roselia swallowed hard, her throat feeling like sandpaper.
“Is this the third time already? That you’ve run away from me.”
Klaus’s hand reached toward Roselia’s face, which had gone deathly pale. As she squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation, his fingers slowed, gently removing the eye mask that had been obscuring her. As the lace fell away, her green eyes sparkled under the moonlight.
Watching her intently, Klaus murmured her name in a low, hollow voice.
“Roselia.”
Her gaze wavered. She couldn’t help but think that his blue-tinged black hair and deep, dark eyes—illuminated by the moon—suited the pitch-black night perfectly. Perhaps it was a thought born from a desperate desire to escape this reality.
“Roselia De Hessink.”
As if to anchor her straying focus, Klaus called her name once more. Only then did Roselia regain her senses and look at him with a tense, guarded expression. There was no room for denial; the look of absolute certainty in his eyes was blinding. Ignoring the faint tremor at the corners of her eyes, she forced herself to speak calmly.
“I think you have the wrong person.”
At her blunt remark, Klaus twisted one corner of his mouth upward.
“Wrong about what? That the woman I saw at the tavern that day wasn’t you? Or when we ran into each other in the village of Algrisha? Or are you trying to say that you aren’t Roselia?”
“If I say it’s none of those…… you wouldn’t believe me, would you……?”
When she asked in a tone of near-resignation, Klaus hardened his expression, driving the final nail into the coffin.
“After I lost you that day, I investigated the Hessink barony again. Your records, which stated you were dead—I looked into them closely and found them to be fake.”
Roselia’s throat bobbed involuntarily. Watching her, Klaus smiled thinly and tilted his head.
“Well…… I suppose I should blame the civil servants who take the country’s taxes while failing to do their jobs properly. But at the very least, one thing is certain: Antonio deceived me.”
For a moment, Roselia’s gaze wavered. *Could it be……?*
He seemed convinced the woman in front of him was Roselia, but he hadn’t connected her to Antonio. It was better that way. If he remained unaware of her true identity while she operated as Antonio, she might be able to navigate this with fewer complications than she anticipated.
While Roselia organized her thoughts, Klaus continued, his eyes fixed on her.
“Have you been in contact with Antonio all this time?”
Roselia hesitated, choosing her words with extreme caution. She had to weave a story that sounded natural. If this leopard-like man caught even the slightest hint of a lie, she knew her throat would be at his mercy.
“I met him occasionally where I stay. Please, don’t hold it against Antonio. My brother…… he only did it because he cares for me.”
At her pathetic performance, Klaus offered a twisted smile.
“So, the place where you hide away from my eyes—was it a place like that?”
He was clearly referring to the tavern. Given the location and her attire at the time, there was no room for excuse, and she knew he likely believed she worked in that industry. Roselia started to offer a clarification but stopped herself. If she denied it, she would have to explain her presence in such an outfit; it was better to let him hold his misconception than to layer lies upon lies.
“Believe whatever you like. I just want you to know that I am doing my part to help pay off the Duchy’s debt.”
For a moment, his expression twisted in annoyance, and a cynical sneer appeared on his face.
“Doing your part, is it…… Did you meet the Crown Prince that way, too?”
*What on earth is he babbling about?* Does he think I was serving the Crown Prince in such a place? She felt baffled and deeply annoyed, but she had no desire to clear up the misunderstanding.
“Think whatever you want.”
At her cold response, Klaus’s brow furrowed. The image of the Crown Prince and her appearing to kiss at the masquerade ball flashed through his mind, souring his mood further. He forced himself to remain calm and changed the subject.
“But…… how did you get into the Duchy’s banquet hall? This place should only be accessible to those who received an invitation from Closette.”
Roselia’s tongue was tied for a moment. She rolled her eyes before answering nonchalantly.
“I happened to have a connection with Lady Closette, so I was able to receive an invitation.”
“Closette’s invitation? You……?”
Roselia felt a twinge of guilt toward Closette, but she held onto the belief that no matter the excuse, Closette would stand by her.
“I ran into her by chance in the downtown area, and when she learned that I was Antonio’s younger sister, she took good care of me.”
It was known to everyone in the household that Antonio was well-liked while serving as Closette’s *il domestico*, so the reason sounded plausible. While Klaus was lost in thought, Roselia decided it would be unwise to remain in his sight a second longer and stepped back.
Then, Klaus, his arms crossed lazily, looked down at her like a sated beast and spoke quietly.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Pardon……? Ah, it seemed that you were finished with me, so I was just going to step away quietly……”
“Who gave you permission?”
At his firm tone, cold sweat ran down Roselia’s spine. Moving in two strides, he loomed over her, his eyes glowing with a threatening intensity.
“The debt is under the Hessink barony, so it’s unfair to ask only Antonio to pay it off.”
“Uh…… I am doing my part to help pay off the debt, too……”
Antonio was herself, and Roselia was herself, so the statement was true. However, Klaus stared at her, clearly dissatisfied.
“Since you’ve been found out, wouldn’t it be easier for both of us if you came into the Duchy and paid off the debt?”
Roselia’s throat bobbed. *Good heavens…… is he asking me to play two roles inside the Duchy?* I’m already terrified enough as it is! Feeling a chill, she put on the most nonchalant smile she could manage.
“I can’t stand living in places where I’m crowded by many people.”
“Living where you are now is hardly less crowded, is it? It would be much more comfortable to work as a maid in the Duchy than to live in a place like that.”
At his condescending tone, Roselia frowned.
“I decide what is more comfortable. If you’re worried that I’ll run away without paying the debt, don’t be. When the next debt payment comes, I will come to visit you in person, instead of Antonio.”
Watching the defiance in her eyes, Klaus let out a dry, disbelieving laugh. *Are they siblings despite not sharing blood?* Staring intently at Roselia, who held his gaze, Klaus eventually decided to take a step back. She wasn’t dodging the debt, and the balance was being chipped away; he saw no need to forcibly hold someone who was so clearly repulsed by his presence.
“Fine. Then I shall wait for the next debt clearance.”
As Klaus stepped back with a relaxed smile, Roselia turned and fled the garden. Her heart pounded violently, as if he might grab her again at any moment. Glancing back toward where Klaus stood, she quietly slipped into the shadows of the mansion. Until she vanished into the light of the residence, Klaus’s navy eyes tracked her, pinned to her retreating figure.