Klaus was walking through the corridor that cut across the garden, heading toward the Crown Prince Palace.
Just then, a breeze from the garden swept past, wrapping around him.
His gaze, inadvertently drawn to the source of the wind, landed on a sea of roses in full bloom.
Was it the scent that beckoned him? Uncharacteristically, Klaus deviated from the well-maintained hallway and stepped into the garden.
The white roses, meticulously cultivated by the Imperial Family, lined the path like silent guides.
As he walked, a familiar fragrance caught in another gust of wind. He turned his head.
There, a woman in a flowing white dress was walking toward the distance.
Unlike the Rugvelzet-style dresses, which relied on excessively voluminous skirts, this gown featured a graceful silhouette that subtly traced her curves.
Clinging to her legs as it fluttered, the ethereal fabric lent her a mysterious, almost spectral quality.
Klaus felt a sudden, sharp curiosity about her identity. A blonde woman, wandering the Imperial garden with such ease…
The moment he wondered if she might be the Crown Princess and instinctively began to follow, she turned. A sudden gust of wind caught her hair.
With a heady surge of rose-scented air washing over him, Klaus froze.
The sun hung behind her, obscuring her features, but the moment she looked back, his heart plummeted.
“Your Grace?”
The familiar voice reached him.
It took a long, heavy moment of silence before Klaus could process that it was Roselia.
“Roselia…?”
Unlike the Roselia he had known—who had been encased in stiff, armor-like dresses since the masquerade—this transformation left him bewildered.
It was staggering how much her atmosphere had shifted with a mere change in attire.
It was clearly a Laphelios-style dress… but were they usually this explicit?
In truth, the silhouette was simply different, and it wasn’t particularly revealing, yet he felt flustered, strangely unable to find a place to rest his eyes.
“What are you doing here?”
His voice came out sharp, betraying his inner turmoil.
Roselia looked around awkwardly at his blunt question, then offered a bashful smile.
“I think… I’ve lost my way.”
Watching her laugh, looking so genuinely embarrassed, Klaus stiffened.
Her smile felt blindingly bright today. He attempted to dismiss the feeling, convincing himself it was merely the glare of the sun, and maintained a stoic expression.
“Did you not say you were having tea with Her Highness the Crown Princess?”
At his stiff inquiry, Roselia tucked her hair behind her ears.
“Yes… somehow I ended up here. Haha…”
Seeing her laugh sheepishly only tangled his thoughts further.
Klaus cleared his throat, forcing a calm tone.
“If you continue this way, you will reach the Crown Prince Palace. The Crown Princess Palace is in the opposite direction.”
“Oh my… I almost made a grave mistake.”
Roselia, who had worn an expression of earnest concern, smiled brightly, radiating genuine gratitude.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
Lifting her thin skirt slightly, she bowed politely with a radiant smile.
As she turned and began walking in the direction he had indicated, Klaus slowly lifted a hand to cover his face.
The wind, heavy with the scent of roses, brushed past his bangs.
Through his long, splayed fingers, the skin of his face was flushed a deep, telltale red.
Confused by his own reaction, Klaus wiped his face roughly and let out a jagged, complicated sigh.
Despite his internal agitation, his gaze remained fixed on the direction where Roselia had disappeared.
* * *
“Ms. Roselia, where have you been? You’re just now arriving?”
The Crown Princess, Closette, and Ikelia—who had already finished changing into their Laphelios-style dresses—greeted her warmly.
Roselia gave an awkward smile and scratched her head.
“Ah… I went to the garden for a moment and ended up getting lost…”
“Oh my… the Imperial garden is a bit of a labyrinth, isn’t it? Especially the area in front of the Crown Princess Palace; it connects to the Crown Prince Palace, so it must have been confusing.”
At Ikelia’s kind explanation, Roselia, who had indeed almost walked all the way to the Crown Prince Palace, laughed sheepishly.
Closette approached, spinning around to show off her feminine grace.
“How do I look, Roselia?”
While Roselia exuded a mysterious, womanly air, Closette looked fresh and vibrant, like a mermaid who had just surfaced from the depths.
The ethereal dress, which naturally followed the lines of her body rather than hiding them beneath voluminous, childish layers, made her appear significantly more mature.
Feeling a swell of pride to see Closette blossoming, Roselia curved her lips into a gentle smile.
“You’re quite ready to be married off, I see.”
At Roselia’s teasing, Closette pouted and put her hands on her waist.
“What kind of curse is that?”
The Crown Princess, Ikelia, and Roselia burst into laughter simultaneously.
Having shared a lighthearted moment, they sat at an outdoor table in the Crown Princess Palace garden to enjoy tea.
“By the way,” Ikelia asked suddenly, “is it true that there are people among the Laphelios bloodline who naturally possess a scent?”
Roselia nearly choked, coughing violently as she tried to swallow her tea.
Startled, the Crown Princess handed her a handkerchief.
“Roselia, are you all right?”
“Cough, cough! Ah, yes… I’m… fine.”
Flustered, Roselia wiped her mouth, stealing a glance at the Crown Princess.
She, too, was curious about Ikelia’s question.
As everyone turned toward the Crown Princess for an answer, she smiled faintly and spoke with composure.
“I have only read about it in ancient records. It is said that such beings exist, but the lineage has thinned significantly over the centuries, making them nearly impossible to find now.”
Ikelia let her shoulders drop in disappointment.
“I see. That’s a shame.”
Seeing Ikelia look as dejected as a child whose fairy tale had been grounded in reality, the Crown Princess added a final note.
“Even if such beings remained, it would be difficult to distinguish them.”
“Why is that?” Closette asked.
The Crown Princess maintained her relaxed smile, opening her lips leisurely.
“I heard that because it is a hereditary ability, they learn how to suppress the scent from their family. Even those who possess it would appear no different from ordinary people if they chose to control it.”
Ikelia and Closette voiced their amazement in unison.
Roselia, however, sat quietly, her expression growing increasingly grave.
She had assumed the Crown Prince was simply spouting nonsense… but could it be true?
If it were… was his comment about her emitting a scent also grounded in reality?
Swallowing hard, Roselia spoke cautiously.
“Um… by any chance…”
All eyes turned to her. Roselia, fidgeting with her hands, offered an awkward smile.
“Do I emit some kind of scent?”
“A scent? The maids must have sprayed you with perfume; obviously, you would,” Closette replied bluntly.
Roselia offered a troubled smile.
“No. I meant a special kind of scent, or… something distinctive.”
“I don’t really know,” Closette shrugged.
Ikelia tilted her head as well. “Do you not like the perfume they used?”
“No, it’s not that… Haha! It’s nothing. A trivial thought.”
Seeing no signs of suspicion from them, Roselia laughed it off, feeling a wave of relief.
She remained oblivious to the fact that Empress Evelionne was watching her with intense, analytical eyes.
* * *
After changing back into her usual attire with Closette’s help, Roselia returned to the estate. She navigated the halls with practiced purpose, ensuring she was seen by the servants before finally collapsing onto her bed in her room, utterly exhausted.
She was forced to jump up again at the sound of a sharp knock.
“Who is it?”
“See me in my study for a moment.”
It was Klaus’s voice.
Surprised by the sudden summons, Roselia’s eyes widened, and she hurriedly checked her attire. Her shirt was buttoned to the collar, her chest binder was tight, and her trousers were perfectly straight.
She headed out, feeling prepared. She had no idea why he had called, but she assumed it had to do with the debt.
Arriving at his office, she cleared her throat and knocked cautiously.
Knock, knock.
“It is Antonio.”
“Come in,” Klaus’s voice came from inside, dry and clipped.
Klaus’s navy-blue eyes followed her as she walked in with a steady, upright gait.
He sat with his elbows on the desk, his chin buried in his clasped hands, his sharp eyes looking more ferocious than usual.
While Roselia stood nervously, Klaus was wrestling with an entirely different set of problems.
Ever since he had saved Antonio at the lake, he had been plagued by feelings he couldn’t comprehend.
He had tried not to think about it. He dared not think about it.
Deep down, he was even terrified that he might be “that” type of person.
But today, after encountering Antonio’s younger sister, Roselia, in the Imperial garden, he had been thrown into a fresh layer of chaos.
Just as with Antonio, he had felt an inexplicably complicated sensation—but beneath it, a strange, profound sense of relief.
At the very least, it seemed he was still attracted to women.
And so, he had called Antonio to get some clarity on the reactions he couldn’t fathom himself.
“Your Grace…?”
Roselia looked at him, bewildered by his silence.
Only then did Klaus lower his hands and part his lips slowly.
“Antonio.”
“Yes?”
“Does your younger sister happen to have a lover, or someone she has promised her future to?”