Chapter 05
Roana kept herself busy picking coffee cherries while Gerald worked on making tools for processing the beans.
After harvesting the cherries, she would shut herself in her room all day—removing the pulp, soaking the seeds in water, and washing away the mucilage.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“Not at all.”
Roana answered Iz’s worried question brightly.
Just the thought that she would soon be able to drink coffee made everything feel effortless.
“Today makes five days.”
Counting on her fingers, Roana murmured happily.
With only two more days to wait until she received the roasting machine and extractor, she felt a surge of energy.
“Bring me more cloth, Iz.”
Roana said this as she looked for a place to put down the pile of cherries she had gathered. Iz quickly brought a clean cloth.
Smiling, Roana poured the cherries onto the white fabric.
“Ah!”
At that moment, Iz suddenly gasped and dropped the cloth.
“Oh no!”
Roana’s eyes widened in alarm as the cherries scattered across the ground. The sparkle in her eyes dimmed with dismay.
“Iz, what hap—”
“Y-Your Grace!”
Before Roana could finish, Iz bowed deeply toward someone behind her.
At the mention of “Your Grace,” Roana turned around—and froze when she saw Klaus standing there.
‘Why is he here?’
Startled, she could only blink for a moment.
Klaus, seeing his wife shrink like a startled small animal, felt oddly uncomfortable.
He was used to being feared—but usually by rivals or enemies.
He had rarely dealt with someone as small and fragile as Roana.
So when she looked at him with fear in her eyes, it stirred an unfamiliar feeling.
‘It’s like I’m a hunter tormenting an innocent squirrel…’
As Klaus cleared his throat, Roana snapped out of it and greeted him.
“It’s been a while, Your Grace.”
Klaus glanced at the red Adanta fruits scattered at her feet.
“You were picking these?”
His voice was filled with curiosity.
He had heard she visited the mage and came to investigate—but now she was dealing with Adanta fruits?
The mystery surrounding Roana only deepened.
“Ah… yes.”
Roana answered somewhat reluctantly.
Klaus raised an eyebrow. For some reason, her wariness toward him did not sit well with him.
“So you’d prefer I don’t interfere?”
Roana lifted her head sharply at his words. Her face clearly gave away the answer, making Klaus let out a dry chuckle.
“I heard you went to see a mage. I’d like to know what you’re plotting.”
Caught off guard, Roana looked flustered.
‘Was she really up to something?’
Klaus studied her face closely, trying to see if she was hiding anything.
‘She said she’d live quietly… yet she’s been scheming behind my back.’
A wave of irritation rose within him.
It was strange. Klaus never expected anything from others—so he was never disappointed.
And yet, thinking that Roana was hiding something from him made him feel unexpectedly let down.
“Well…”
The longer she hesitated, the more irritated he became.
“Speak honestly. If you’re hiding something from me here, it won’t end well.”
Roana’s face turned pale at his warning. Anyone would think she was caught doing something suspicious.
‘As expected.’
Klaus gave a bitter smile.
‘So her promise to live quietly was a lie.’
He cast aside expectations he hadn’t even realized he had for her—completely unaware of what she was truly thinking.
‘What do I do?!’
Roana’s mind went blank with panic.
The sudden appearance of the intimidating duke, questioning her so harshly, left her unsure how to respond. His frown was terrifying.
And besides—
‘How do I even explain coffee?’
Only Roana and Gerald knew about the properties of the Adanta fruit.
Even Gerald was skeptical about this unknown drink called coffee.
‘If I suddenly say I’m making a beverage out of it, he’ll think I’m crazy.’
At worst, he might think it was just an excuse to cover something else.
Roana racked her brain, trying to figure out how to ease the tension in his furrowed brow.
But no matter how much she thought, no answer came.
In the end, she decided to be honest. If she couldn’t do anything else, telling the truth was best.
“Even if I say I’m not doing anything suspicious… you won’t believe me, will you?”
Klaus looked momentarily taken aback.
“You think I broke my promise to live quietly, so you’re suspicious of me, right?”
Roana continued bluntly.
Klaus narrowed his eyes, looking down at the small woman before him.
Just moments ago, she had seemed like someone caught red-handed—yet now she was suddenly bold. It was both surprising and perplexing.
“Come to my annex in a week.”
Roana took a step forward as she spoke.
“I’ll explain everything then.”
Her eyes sparkled like stars again.
“In a week… to your annex?”
Klaus trailed off, caught off guard.
“Yes. Then you’ll understand why I went to see Mr. Gerald. And that I haven’t broken my promise.”
Klaus met her gaze—her eyes unusually lively and bright.
‘I should press her now.’
And yet, for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to be forceful with her. It was truly… strange.
“…You’d better give me a reason I can accept.”
With that, Klaus turned and walked away. Behind him, he heard Roana let out a sigh of relief.
‘Was my presence that unwelcome?’
A bitter taste lingered in his mouth.
“Honestly, what was that? Showing up out of nowhere and scaring people…”
After confirming Klaus had returned to the main residence, Roana slumped to the ground and grumbled.
It wasn’t surprising that he knew about her movements. She had already expected he might have someone watching her.
What surprised her was that he personally came to question her over a visit to the mage.
‘I thought he wouldn’t care as long as I didn’t interfere with household matters…’
It seemed their definitions of “living quietly” were slightly different.
‘Or maybe…’
Roana briefly considered another possibility—then shook her head.
‘No way.’
She brushed off her knees and began picking up the fallen cherries. Iz hurriedly helped her gather them.
“Let’s go, Iz.”
Trying to shake off the lingering pressure left by the man who felt like a wild beast, Roana spoke brightly.
After that day, she no longer went out to the garden. There was no need anyway—she had already harvested all the cherries.
Instead, she spread the beans across her room to dry in the sunlight, spending her time reading beside them in contentment.
Two days after encountering Klaus in the garden, Gerald knocked on the door of her annex—carrying a large bundle.
