Having tea with the Crown Princess while in the guise of Roselia, huh… Between the mysterious entity targeting Roselia and the chance of running into Klaus, there were too many concerns.
“I’m sorry, but I think I should avoid dressing as a woman for the time being.”
It was a bit absurd to claim I was cross-dressing when I was a woman in the first place, but regardless, Closette sensed the situation wasn’t ideal and accepted it without much pushback.
“Well… His Highness didn’t strictly demand your presence; he was just asking for your thoughts.”
After saying that, Closette set down her teacup and smacked her lips in disappointment.
“Still, it’s a shame. There are so many dresses I want to try on you.”
Seeing Closette slump her shoulders and sigh as if genuinely heartbroken, Roselia had to force an awkward smile. Whether it was at the masquerade ball or the welcome banquet for the delegation, Closette truly loved dressing Roselia up. Since Roselia’s daily appearance was usually that of a man, Closette seemed fascinated by the drastic transformation each time.
*Don’t tell me she sees me as a doll…?*
While Roselia was harboring such worries, a low-pitched voice abruptly cut in.
“Dresses you want to try on?”
Startled, both Roselia and Closette turned their heads to see Klaus, who had just entered the parlor, staring intently at Roselia. Feeling guilty for no reason, Roselia froze and gulped, but Closette merely crumpled her expression and retorted.
“Can’t you make your presence known before walking in?”
“I knocked on the parlor door. It seems you didn’t hear.”
Faced with Klaus’s calm remark, Closette coughed, then continued nonchalantly.
“The talk about dresses was just because I haven’t seen Roselia around much lately. I’ve bought a ton of outfits for her.”
Roselia marveled inwardly at Closette’s quick wit. While Roselia looked at her with admiration, Klaus, who had been staring at her, continued.
“Antonio. See me in my office later this afternoon.”
*Did he come all the way here just to say that?*
Roselia looked at Klaus with wide eyes, then replied calmly.
“Understood.”
Roselia simply assumed he was going to nag her or assign another menial errand.
* * *
Klaus, who had been reviewing backlogged documents in his office, looked up at the sound of a knock. Was it Antonio already?
“Your Grace. You have a visitor.”
Hearing Butler Jeffrey’s voice instead of the one he was expecting, Klaus relaxed his shoulders and asked with a puzzled look.
“Who is it?”
“It is Viscount Clement.”
Viscount Clement, huh… Klaus didn’t know her well. He had only caught fleeting glimpses of her at official public events. However, being well-versed in intelligence, he knew the basic facts.
The title had been taken by the woman after the death of her husband, the late Viscount Clement. Usually, aristocratic titles were inherited by children or blood relatives, but the late Viscount had left no survivors. Whether she had known that fact before becoming his wife was unclear, but the result was certain: upon his death, she had naturally inherited the title, along with the lucrative iron mine owned by the Viscounty.
“Let her in.”
At Klaus’s command, the office door opened, and the butler gestured for someone to enter. A woman with a leisurely gait walked inside. Unlike the women of Rugvelzet, who favored dresses with skirts puffed out like umbrellas, she wore a suit-style outfit with a long, tight-fitting skirt. However, the upper part was so explicit that her voluptuous breasts were fully visible, as if she wore nothing beneath the jacket.
Klaus, who knew that Viscount Clement led a complicated life with men, slightly furrowed his brows. The term ‘femme fatale’ would be better suited for a woman like her, not Roselia.
“It’s been a while, Duke Baltezar.”
Her voice was as sticky and syrupy as her appearance. Klaus deliberately ignored the unpleasant sensation and spoke coldly.
“What brings you here?”
“My, you’re so chilly to a guest.”
Klaus stared at her, as if telling her to stop the nonsense and get to the point. The woman, seemingly unbothered, flashed a flirtatious smile and moved closer.
“I’ve become interested in businesses other than mining lately.”
She walked slowly to the desk where Klaus was sitting and perched herself on the edge of it.
“For example… investing in school construction…”
Klaus furrowed his brow with deep disgust as she draped her hips over the desk where his documents were spread out.
“School construction is sufficiently covered by the Duchy’s capital.”
“Hmm… That’s not to say I was going to invest with money…”
The woman said this while lightly stroking the strong arm Klaus had resting on the desk. Watching the Viscount’s behavior with a cold gaze, Klaus finally reached his limit; he grabbed her wrist firmly and stood up. His gaze was savage, questioning her audacity. Despite his menacing aura, the woman pulled her full lips into a smirk.
“I meant I would invest using the mine owned by the Viscounty Clement as collateral.”
In an instant, Klaus’s focus shifted to that of a rational man. The mine owned by the Viscounty was a prize that even the wealthiest financiers coveted.
“I don’t have enough capital to stand alongside the Baltezar Duchy, but I’m willing to offer half of my annual excavation volume along with the mine as collateral. What do you think?”
Klaus’s eyes instantly turned into those of a calculating negotiator as he crunched the numbers. Receiving a mine as collateral in exchange for helping build schools was a proposal worth considering. Moreover, half of the annual yield would mean gaining control over roughly one-fifth of the iron ore circulating in the empire.
Noticing that Klaus was visibly tempted, the woman smiled leisurely and moved toward him. While he was busy organizing his thoughts, she stepped tightly against his chest, letting out a hot breath while playing with his lapels.
“Of course, I’m willing to make other investments as well. I think the Duke’s personal intentions are important for this one…”
Just as she leaned into his chest, a knock sounded.
“Your Grace, it is Antonio.”
The moment that soft voice echoed through the door, the Duke suddenly grabbed the wrist of the woman touching his chest and forcibly pulled her away. Viscount Clement looked up at Klaus with wide eyes, having never been treated so roughly in her life. Klaus merely looked down at her with a chilling expression.
*What is this man? Is he even human?*
While the stunned woman stood frozen, Klaus, having warned her with a cold glare, opened his mouth toward the door.
“Wait a moment.”
He sat back down at his desk, calmly clasping his hands together.
“Viscount Clement, I will consider the school investment proposal using the mine as collateral.”
Klaus’s tone was so businesslike and clinical that the Viscountess was left speechless. Klaus didn’t forget to hammer the point home.
“If you have nothing more to say, I would like you to leave.”
In the end, Viscount Clement, her face beet-red, bit her lip and turned around. As she marched toward the door and opened it roughly, her gaze landed on the man in a servant’s uniform standing there with a blank expression. She realized this was the servant rumored to be Roselia’s brother.
*What, is he kicking me out because of that servant?*
Feeling deeply offended, she glared fiercely at the innocent Roselia before stalking away. Roselia was left bewildered by the woman who had cast a murderous glare at her before disappearing. A low voice snapped her back to reality.
“Come in.”
At Klaus’s low, sunken voice, Roselia finally came to her senses and stepped toward him. Seeing Klaus loosening the top buttons of his shirt, seemingly infuriated by something, she felt a moment of confusion. He stared straight into her eyes.
“Why are you visiting the Count Bernas estate?”
Roselia’s brow shot up instantly.
“Did you have me followed?”
“Answer my question first.”
Who was the one who should be angry here? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Klaus had followed her and was now not only unapologetic but actually interrogating her; there was no way Roselia was going to respond kindly.
“I don’t think I have any obligation to answer someone who stalks others.”
At Roselia’s sharp retort, Klaus sighed deeply, realizing too late that he had pressed her too rashly. Perhaps his temper had been ruined by that damned Viscount Clement, causing his words to come out rough.
“Ha… I only had you followed because I was worried.”
“…”
The word ‘worried’ had a way of softening Roselia’s heart. Hearing that a man not suited to that term was concerned about her—even as a servant—her unpleasant mood subsided slightly. However, the improvement was ruined by his next inquiry.
“Where on earth is Roselia?”
“I suppose Roselia cannot be found even if you have people trail her?”
“Don’t be sarcastic, Antonio.”
Seeing her cold expression, Klaus sighed and continued, his voice softening a notch as if trying to appease her.
“Roselia leaves no trace; it’s truly miraculous. Where on earth is she?”
“…”
“Antonio, please, I’m begging you—unless you want to see me go absolutely insane from frustration.”
The expression on Klaus’s face showed not only exhaustion but genuine anxiety.
“I won’t keep her forcibly locked up in the mansion. I just want to see her, even for a moment. Just for a brief moment… can’t you do that?”
Seeing this unfamiliar side of the man who was usually so cold, Roselia’s expression wavered.
“Why are you searching for Roselia to such an extent?”
At Roselia’s tense voice, Klaus let out a low groan and rubbed his face with his hands.
“Because I think I will regret it if I don’t see her right away.”
Watching him with his head bowed, his forehead pressed against his hands, Roselia’s eyes went wide with disbelief.