Chapter 63
At that moment, he made a strange remark.
“Anyway, since you’ve seen it, you should know. There’s nothing between me and Her Highness the Princess.”
“……Yes?”
Rozie realized that questioning his words would be considered impolite, yet she couldn’t help but let a question slip out. His statement had been so sudden that her reaction was involuntary.
“So, would you reconsider the proposal I made yesterday?”
“Are you saying that……?”
Rozie trailed off. She then instinctively glanced at Rozelina, and their eyes met. Feeling a pang of guilt, she tried to look away, but Rozelina simply nodded with a firm gaze. Rozie had thought her companion had come to warn her about his supposed lover, but apparently, that wasn’t the case. Noticing that Rozie’s guard had softened, Cliden spoke even more assertively.
“I want to stay by your side and keep an eye on Portrei.”
“That……”
Rozie’s eyes rolled slightly, still unsure how to respond. Cliden tried hard to persuade her, adding a few more words.
“This isn’t a bad suggestion at all. I can protect you from any potential dark magic, and I can quickly quell any rumors surrounding you. I heard that Lili Kikern was expelled from Vine Rose but hasn’t left Baydos. Fortunately, she misunderstands our relationship—so—”
Cliden paused for a moment, as if carefully choosing his next words.
“Even if I suddenly start accompanying you, our relationship won’t look awkward at all.”
Rozie listened quietly. If the two of them truly had no relationship, she had nothing to worry about. Now that he spoke this way, she had no solid reason to refuse.
“……Alright. But,”
Rozie finally decided to accept his proposal, setting one condition.
“Please, tell me.”
“……I won’t give up my daily life, just as I’ve done until now.”
Cliden nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Of course. I also want you to live your life without regrets.”
He said this while gazing at Rozie with a serious expression. Rozie felt her face flush and nodded. She had hesitated briefly, fearing the misunderstanding about a supposed partner, but he had given her the opportunity to live differently and had been the secret owner of her feelings all along. She wanted to help him in any way she could. In truth, she even secretly desired to stand by his side at least once. He was the heir of the Diero dukedom, and she was just a fragile, short-lived commoner. If she could use this proposal as a reason to stay by his side, maybe that was acceptable.
Hiding her flushed face, she looked away and said,
“Then the contract is established.”
She tried to make her words sound as businesslike as possible. Now he could naturally enter Vine Rose to investigate traces of dark magic under the pretense of her, and she could stay in Vine Rose without feeling indebted.
“A contract? Isn’t that a rather cold word?”
Rozelina, observing the two of them, muttered in a blunt tone. She had been curious about whether her childhood friend and loyal servant, Cliden, was developing a pinkish relationship with someone, but this was…… Confused, Rozelina crossed her arms and shook her head. Clearly, someone would need to intervene if these two were really going to develop a romantic connection.
The very next day after their contract, something was delivered to the Rose Room. It was an amount of roses large enough to fill the spacious room, sparkling wine with a sweet flavor, and various accessories, including crimson smiles.
The staff who saw it started whispering among themselves.
“Seems like the rumors that the Rose Room’s guest is a foreign noble were true.”
At the same time, a stranger appeared in the Rose Room. The rumors about Rozie’s fiancé, a handsome man with golden hair and warm hazel eyes, quickly spread throughout the hotel.
Additionally,
“We’ve confirmed she was prescribed a large quantity of painkillers at the hospital.”
Ainar was approaching another secret of Rozie’s.
“Painkillers?”
That morning, Ainar looked up at Jerome, who was standing in front of him with a tilted posture. Why had Rozie specifically requested such a large amount of painkillers instead of having her primary doctor handle it? Considering her commoner origins, it was easy to understand—those who lived day to day would often turn to painkillers when in discomfort.
But Ainar frowned as he recalled seeing Rozie recently. She had suddenly turned pale, sweat covering her body, grimacing as if her head hurt. Though it wasn’t for a long time, she was clearly struggling with something other than her ankle pain.
“Tell me in detail.”
“Yes. She was prescribed about twenty bottles of painkillers and requested them specifically, without other consultations.”
“Which means……”
“Seems like she had been using these since the capital.”
Jerome’s words made Ainar frown even more. It was possible she simply liked the effect of the medicine, but requesting over twenty bottles implied she had been in significant pain even in the capital.
“Did she have a pre-existing condition?”
Jerome shook his head.
“I looked into it since it seemed strange, but there was no record of her visiting a hospital or appearing ill.”
“……That’s a relief,” Ainar said slowly, yet the crease between his brows remained. The image of Rozie in pain was too vivid in his mind.
He habitually tapped the desk with his fingers, feeling a dull ache in his index finger, which Rozie had once touched.
“……Tch.”
Jerome’s eyes accidentally landed on Ainar’s fingers. There was a clear red bite mark. Who could have left such a mark on a direct descendant of Portrei? Jerome’s pupils trembled.
“……What’s that?”
“Oh, this?”
Ainar noticed Jerome staring at his hand and smirked.
“It’s nothing. No need to worry.”
“That’s impossible! Who could dare……!”
Though Ainar was hiding his identity while working here, who could possibly leave such a mark on him? Jerome was incensed, raising his voice. Ainar cut him off firmly.
“Stop. It’s nothing for you to worry about, Jerome.”
“……Then at least let me see the wound.”
But Ainar only smirked at his hand and refused to let him.
‘Seems like……’
Ainar felt a subtle change. Most of the times he had shown such behavior until now had been because of—
‘Rozie. That girl is the problem.’
Jerome’s eyes gleamed sharply once. Around that time, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
It was Tom.
“Cliden Diero, the Viscount, has arrived.”
Ainar’s brow furrowed. Apparently, that brat no longer intended to hide his presence and was freely roaming Baydos.
‘Since I’ve been discovered anyway, there’s no point in hiding anymore.’
“Good. Where is he now?”
“Well……”
Tom hesitated before answering.
“……He’s in the Rose Room.”
“……What?”
“He just entered the Rose Room, Viscount Diero.”
Ainar exhaled a frustrated sigh. He had matters to discuss regarding this, and now the timing was perfect.
He immediately rose from his seat.
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