Chapter 20
Meanwhile, many things were happening in the capital.
And one of them was this.
“Dad! Please, okay? Pleeease!”
Every single day, Lily tearfully begged her father, Count Kikerne, for one thing.
“You said you looked into it, and that no important foreign guests have come into the Empire recently! That means Rosie was definitely lying to me on purpose! I have to check if she’s really at Vine Rose or not! Right? Please!”
“Hoo…”
The count let out a sigh.
He had long known that his daughter, who was about to make her debut in society, was desperately jealous of a mere maid and paid attention to her every move.
But he had never imagined she would still behave like this even after that maid had quit her job.
“Lily, my daughter.”
“Yes, Father!”
“First things first—your debutante ball. Let’s get through that properly. Thinking about traveling after that won’t be too late.”
“…Father, you mean you’ll send me to Beidos after my debutante ball, right? Right?”
Whether his face stiffened or not, Lily hopped in place with excitement and added,
“Oh, and the lodging absolutely has to be Vine Rose. You know that, right?”
Another deep wrinkle formed between Count Kikerne’s brows at his thoughtless daughter’s words.
“Hoo…”
If he had known she would fall apart like this, he would never have let her get close to that maid in the first place.
With another sigh, Count Kikerne finally said,
“Fine. I’ll try to arrange it. So go finish your debutante preparations.”
“Yay! I love you, Daddy!”
Like a child, Lily threw her arms around his neck and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.
She wouldn’t be satisfied until she saw with her own eyes whether that sly little thing was really at the earthly paradise of Beidos or not.
Elsewhere…
A similar conversation was taking place in the imperial palace.
“There must be something happening in the East.”
Clidden had just confirmed that every dark mage they had discovered recently had at some point—however briefly—stayed in the eastern region.
“Yes. It does seem that way.”
Rozelina pressed her fingers to her forehead.
“This is troublesome. The East is heavily influenced by the Portrey faction, so it’s difficult to send people there.”
“Indeed. Many of those we dispatched to the East last time returned to the capital with serious injuries.”
“What should we do…? We can’t just sit still and do nothing…”
Rozelina looked at Clidden expectantly.
Clidden—her most loyal vassal and friend—always produced a brilliant solution whenever matters reached an impasse.
And living up to her expectations, he said,
“There is a way.”
“What way?”
Clidden answered with a faint smile.
“I will go myself.”
“Huh? What about the painkillers?”
Rosie looked strangely at Ainar, who had escorted her directly back to her room. Her wrist still throbbed faintly.
“They will be brought to your room. So please wait inside.”
“Oh, okay. I understand.”
Rosie nodded obediently at his explanation and entered the room.
She sat on the sofa in the living room, where the sea was beautifully visible, and finally relaxed.
Thinking back on today’s events, it truly felt real—this new life she’d gained in Beidos.
A life where she didn’t need to go to a clinic when she was sick.
A life where she didn’t need to find her own medicine.
Back then, she only sought out a doctor when she was about to collapse from pain.
Meanwhile, Lady Lily called her personal physician for painkillers every month whenever her menstrual cramps flared up.
Just then, she heard a knock from outside. The painkillers must have arrived.
Rosie stood up to open the door—
“Please stay seated.”
The door opened, and Ainar walked in.
She had expected a doctor or a staff member—she hadn’t expected him to come.
“M–Manager? Why are you…?”
“I thought an ice compress would help, so I prepared one.”
That wasn’t what she meant, but Ainar answered calmly and matter-of-factly.
On the tray he carried were several folded towels, a bowl filled with ice, and several bottles of liquid medicine.
Ainar walked naturally over to the sofa Rosie sat on and held out his hand.
“Using precious ice for a compress…?”
She had never even imagined such luxury in her life.
Rosie widened her eyes at Ainar—and accidentally met his violet gaze head-on.
In that moment, she suddenly realized.
His eyes carried a familiar kind of light.
“Please give me your hand.”
Was it just her imagination?
The men who wanted her—those looks they gave her—his eyes looked strangely similar.
I like you, Rosie.
Even aside from that incident with the young lord from House Myilton, this wasn’t new for her.
Among groups of maids, Rosie’s beauty always stood out at a glance.
Men of all ranks had, at least once, confessed their interest in her this same way.
No way…
Rosie shook her head slightly and looked at Ainar again.
He opened his mouth, puzzled.
“You look pale. Are you in a lot of pain?”
“No, I was just thinking about something else.”
Rosie quickly said, forcing a casual smile.
Then the ice-wrapped towel touched her wrist.
She flinched at the coldness, and after some hesitation, she asked,
“…Does the manager usually do this kind of thing at Vine Rose?”
If she hadn’t noticed earlier, maybe she wouldn’t have asked.
But once she became conscious of his behavior, she had to ask.
“Of course not. Normally, I would never do chores like this.”
“…!”
Rosie stiffened, startled far more than before.
Memories flickered past—men who forced their affection on her despite her protests—like flashes of lightning.
As she tried to pull her hand away in fear, Ainar said flatly,
“Please don’t move. Relax your body.”
His tone was plain—even businesslike—but Rosie, already suspicious of his intentions, felt even more anxious.
“Then… why are you doing these things for me?”
“…These things?”
“Doing chores you don’t have to do… giving me your jacket at the beach… and…”
Ainar looked directly at her face, and Rosie, having finally made up her mind, spoke.
“If you’re doing all this because you have feelings for me… please don’t.”
She didn’t want to get dragged into something like that during her vacation.
Rosie squeezed her eyes shut as she spoke, her voice earnest.
Her past experiences made her too afraid to look at his reaction.
Seeing her like that, Ainar’s expression twisted—not with anger, but with sheer disbelief.
He had been paying more attention to her than others because she might be connected to the Rose Queen…
But to think she would misunderstand it this extremely—
And to see her trembling and pale, as if his supposed feelings were some heavy punishment…
