“What…?”
Klaus was actually the one taken aback by the sheer audacity and lethal intensity of Roselia’s demeanor.
Roselia pulled an envelope containing a 1,000 Verang check from her breast pocket and slammed it onto the table beside him with a sharp *thud*.
Klaus stared at the envelope with wide eyes before slowly picking it up to inspect the contents.
“That’s double the 500 Verang I promised to pay back.”
As Klaus pulled out the check and scrutinized it with suspicion, his gaze landed on the Crown Princess’s signature.
“This check, surely this is…”
Klaus glared at Roselia as if he might devour her, but she met his gaze without flinching.
“What choice do I have when I’m being held hostage for debt? Don’t worry. I’ll keep hovering around Her Royal Highness only until I’ve paid back the 3,000 Verang I owe.”
Klaus’s expression crumpled violently at the way she openly declared she would use the Crown Princess, as if intentionally trying to provoke him.
“You…”
He gritted his teeth, his voice strained and heavy, as if he were barely holding back a tidal wave of restraint.
Roselia’s mood only soured further at his reaction.
“You should be the one acting rationally, Duke. Do you not realize that the more you shield Her Royal Highness, the harder you make her life in the Imperial court?”
The words were thrown out like an impulsive jab, fueled by the frustration boiling inside her.
Perhaps it was a fact he had been feeling in the back of his mind, for Klaus went rigid as ice at her words.
“Shut up…”
His voice, lowered and dipped in warning, carried a clear, ominous threat. But to Roselia, whose heart was already in turmoil, his warning meant nothing.
“Tethering yourself to others’ sides, pretending it’s for their sake while you don’t even understand your own emotions—that’s just a nuisance.”
“…”
“Have you ever asked for Her Royal Highness’s opinion? Do you not realize that your selfish behavior is only making things more awkward and difficult for her?”
Klaus, who had been listening in silence, eventually moved with a threatening momentum and grabbed Roselia by the collar.
“I told you to shut that mouth. It would be best not to run your mouth pretending to know everything when you don’t know a thing.”
His massive frame, likely twice her size, gripped her collar with such force that her breath caught in her throat and a primal fear washed over her.
Yet, her eyes—already filled with just as much venom—flashed brightly, challenging his murderous glare.
“And what if I run my mouth some more?”
For a split second, Klaus’s eyebrow twitched in disbelief, as if he thought he had misheard.
“What?”
The expression on Klaus’s face as he looked down at her with a furrowed brow was less anger and more pure bewilderment.
Staring at him with an unwavering gaze, Roselia continued, enunciating every word.
“Whether you sympathize with the Crown Princess or pine for her, I have no desire to interfere, so please, do not twist things by dragging me into your thoughts.”
As she spoke, a spark seemed to dance in her green eyes as she locked gazes with him without backing down. Klaus recoiled, momentarily stiffening at her audacity.
There it was again. A subtle, mysterious scent that prickled at his senses. It was a fragrance he couldn’t quite pinpoint. He wasn’t even sure if it could be called a scent at all.
It felt as though if he breathed it in for too long, his mind would grow hazy.
While Klaus was frozen, Roselia pried his hand from her collar. Klaus let his hand fall, looking down at her with a dazed expression.
Roselia didn’t forget to deliver the final nail in the coffin while glaring at his face.
“And, how I pay back my debt is my business, so please stop telling me what to do. Isn’t it enough that you get your money back?”
With that, Roselia slipped out from the space where she had been trapped between Klaus and the wall and headed straight for the door.
*Bang!* As the door slammed shut with violent force, Klaus stood there, dazed, for a long while.
***
Closette, who had dragged Roselia out to the garden under the pretext of the weather being nice, had a tea table prepared and settled in.
Roselia, sitting across from her, took a sip of the tea Closette offered with a blank expression, staring vacantly at the cup.
Closette, who had been observing Roselia’s soul-departed look, finally spoke.
“Did things not go well with the Crown Princess?”
Startled by Closette’s concerned question, Roselia lifted her gaze and forced an awkward smile.
“No. Thanks to your help, Lady, everything was resolved well.”
“Is that so? Then why that look?”
“What’s wrong with my look…?”
“You look like a young family head who’s just collapsed under a mountain of debt.”
*Uh… well, that’s not entirely wrong…*
As Roselia let out a sheepish smile, Closette examined her face meaningfully and hinted,
“I heard Klaus entered the Imperial palace that day too. Did you run into him?”
*She’s so little, yet so quick-witted.*
Roselia nodded reluctantly.
“What did that cold-blooded man say? That man’s temper gets even worse whenever it involves Evelionne—no, the Crown Princess.”
“Lady Closette!”
Melda, Closette’s nanny, who had been serving tea nearby, let out a sound like a scream.
Whether she cared or not, Closette just went on with her business with a nonchalant expression.
“If that man says anything, just sell my name. Tell him you met the Crown Princess on my errand.”
*I already shouted in the Duke’s face that I would use the Crown Princess to pay off my debt…*
A sudden wave of regret washed over her.
She could have phrased it more tactfully, but Klaus’s aggressive reaction had stirred her pride, causing her to use the very thing she knew would provoke him.
If it had been anyone other than the Duke standing there, she might have been arrested for insulting the Crown Princess.
*Sigh… I really need to kill this temper of mine…*
“Forget what’s already done, Antonio. You just have to think about how to clean up the mess you’ve stepped in.”
*So young, yet so sharp…*
Roselia looked at Closette with a newfound sense of admiration.
Despite Roselia’s gaze, Closette simply tilted her teacup with a haughty air.
Just then, Melda, who was refilling the refreshments, carefully opened her mouth.
“Lady Closette, you know today is the day we go to get your debutante dress fitted, right?”
“Haa… Melda. Can’t I just wear anything?”
“What are you saying! This is your first debutante, Lady Closette! Don’t you dare say such absurd things!”
“Pfft…”
Come to think of it, Closette’s debutante was less than a month away.
Any other girl of a similar age would be counting down the days with excitement, but Closette seemed to have no interest in it at all.
Well, in truth, Roselia was no different.
Having grown up mistreated in the Barony, she hadn’t been able to have a debutante, but she had never felt regret or envy toward other noble ladies.
A debutante might sound nice as a “social debut,” but in reality, it was no different from putting oneself on the marriage market. For Roselia, who had no interest in marriage, it was truly…
“It’s a bother.”
Yes, it just looked like a troublesome chore.
It was unexpected, though, that a noble of such standing as Closette would share the same thought.
“A bother? Good heavens! It’s the debutante of the young lady of the Baltezar Duchy! I’m sure every young gentleman in society is waiting in anticipation!”
“And what if I get stuck with a man like Klaus?”
At Closette’s pouty remark, Melda tilted her head.
“Then wouldn’t that be something to welcome with open arms?”
At Melda’s innocent answer, Closette and Roselia simultaneously made faces as if they’d eaten a bitter persimmon.
When the two looked at her strangely, Melda shrugged, looking utterly bewildered.
“By the way, I’m worried because it seems the head butler still hasn’t decided on the theme for the banquet.”
“Weren’t they talking about this banquet theme or whatever for the past half-year?”
“Exactly. They were acting like they were preparing months in advance… it seems the basic menu and the banquet hall setup are organized, but… they say they still haven’t decided on the most important part: the theme.”
At Melda’s sigh, Closette replied with the air of someone listening to someone else’s problem.
“Then why don’t you just do it without a theme?”
At Closette’s blunt reaction, Melda jumped to her feet in a panic.
“How can you say such a heartbreaking thing!! Have you forgotten the debutante of the Marquess Belmont’s daughter last time?”
“Hmm… I spent the whole time sneezing, so I don’t really remember.”
The Belmont family held as much influence as the Baltezar Duchy, so the Belmont banquet had been briefly mentioned in the original novel.
They said they’d gathered every flower in the Empire, decorating the interior so heavily one couldn’t even see the walls.
The atmosphere was like walking into a forest of flowers, and the Belmont daughter had appeared like a fairy of flowers.
Of course, it seemed Closette had suffered quite a bit due to her severe pollen allergy…
Since the social scene was so full of frequent banquets, the young heirs of notable noble families preferred to set themes for their events to show off rather than holding ordinary ones.
Having spent over a month with Closette, Roselia had realized that beneath her prickly and haughty exterior was a surprisingly easy-going and deep-hearted girl, and she felt a strong urge to cheer her on.
However, knowing full well that the society Closette would face was not easily navigated, Roselia also felt worried for her. That was why she decided to offer a small, perhaps insignificant, piece of advice.
“How about a masquerade ball?”
Suddenly, Melda and Closette’s gazes turned to Roselia.
After a brief look of confusion, Melda shook her head, as if she didn’t approve of the suggestion.
“A masquerade ball is way out of date. It’s been over ten years since it was in fashion, hasn’t it?”
Roselia smiled faintly at Melda’s blunt comment and continued.
“If you mean a Rugvelzet-style masquerade ball, yes.”
A Rugvelzet-style masquerade ball referred to parties where guests wore masks that covered the entire face, with only the eyes cut out.
Because it covered the whole face, it was difficult to distinguish the identities or social standing of the attendees, and while it had been momentarily popular due to the thrill of secrecy, it had quickly died out.
However, the masquerade ball Roselia was referring to was the Laphelios-style that would soon become the latest trend.
“Do you know about the masks that are currently becoming popular in the Western Empire and beginning to spread across the nations of the Western Continent?”