Episode 20. You're Going to Die
Rose wasn't sure if she was making the right choice. Her original goal was to escape the Count's family, live a simple life, and witness Doana's downfall. However, the Grand Duke of Artaeum kept looming over her. She'd barely escaped danger, but the thought that they would eventually kill him lingered in her mind. If the novel's plot were to follow, the Grand Duke would die soon. And in a brutal manner.
'If that happens... I might have to live the rest of my life feeling guilty.'
She could have saved someone, but she turned away? The fear that no matter what excuse she could come up with, she might never be able to escape the thought, "I killed someone," tormented her. The rest of her life would be hell, not even simple happiness. Terrified that she would be entangled in the Grand Duke's fate, Rose agonized over it for the past three days. And then, finally, she made up her mind. She would save the Grand Duke of Artaeum. She would intervene in his fate.
“Topaz is a gem that protects life and health.”
Unlike her refreshing voice, her eyes were very solemn.
“I don’t want you to die.”
As soon as Rose finished speaking, the Grand Duke's expression froze. A chill ran through his cold expression, sending chills down his spine. A chill assailed Rose, as if she were buried in a snowy field in the dead of winter.
'Me, dying?'
The Grand Duke seemed quite shocked by Rose's unexpected words. Rose always surprised him with unexpected remarks whenever they met, but this particular remark was simply too much to ignore. Rose's reaction made him shiver, but she continued speaking without stopping.
“If you continue like this, you will be executed. In a very horrific and... cruel way.”
'I said it...'
The die was cast. Now the choice was up to the Grand Duke. How would he take her words? Would he laugh at them, or would he angrily expel her, or would he...
'Will you trust me?'
If someone suddenly told you, "You're going to die soon," would you readily believe them? No, you wouldn't. You'd dismiss them as a weirdo. In her previous life, she, too, had often ignored people who made outrageous statements out of the blue.
'There's a ghost behind your back. Now, while you're having a cup of tea with me....'
'If you continue like this, you might get into big trouble. I'll write you a talisman... '
"The sins you committed in your past life were great. I can see your ancestors crying."
Rose looked at the Grand Duke anxiously, recalling memories of her past life when she had not even responded.
'Why does it seem like my actions aren't much different from those people's?'
Demanding money in exchange for his life, and telling him he would soon die. To Rose, it was a genuine attempt to save the Grand Duke, but to the Grand Duke, her words might have sounded like nonsense. Rose glanced at the Grand Duke, hoping that the Grand Duke of Artaeum would trust her.
“...”
He had no idea what the Grand Duke was thinking. He remained silent, his eyes dark and dark.
'Wasn't this the right way? I could have just borrowed money from the Grand Duke... and helped him secretly.'
In fact, this idea was also one of Rose's options. She had been considering ways to find out about the Emperor's faction's plans in advance and secretly intervene to prevent the Grand Duke's death.
'But I'm just a Countess in name only, with no power whatsoever... And if I get a divorce, I won't even have a chance to see Eric's papers...'
Unable to even spy on their plans, Rose was left with no choice but to suck her thumb, let alone help. She wanted to help him, but she certainly had no intention of sacrificing herself like a saint, delaying her divorce for the sake of the Grand Duke, with whom she had no relationship. Wouldn't it be far easier to reveal the Imperialist plot she had seen to the Grand Duke and work together to navigate this situation? That was Rose's thought.
'I think it would be better to bring this up again after building more trust with the Grand Duke.'
She thought that if he felt more threatened, he would believe her. Rose felt compelled to abandon her plan, seeing the Grand Duke staring at her without any response.
“Interesting.”
Just then, the Grand Duke's unexpected voice rang out. Rose's eyes widened at his response. The Grand Duke was staring at Rose with sharp eyes. Far from reprimanding her, he seemed benevolent.
“Do you believe me?”
Rose, with a bewildered expression, turned to the Grand Duke as if to confirm the truth. Seeing his unresponsiveness, she thought she'd been hasty, but who would have believed her? Rose's words made the Grand Duke rub his chin, thinking.
‘In the past... it would have been difficult to understand.’
Because he was a member of the royal family, he couldn't be easily tampered with. But after Marquis Bled's death, the Grand Duke changed. Duke Flice had laid a trap to get rid of him. If it weren't for Rose, he would have undoubtedly been arrested and charged with his murder.
'I thought I had been warned enough for ten years.'
The Grand Duke hunted down and beheaded all the watchers sent by the Imperial nobles, who were impatient to catch him. He then sent them back to them as gifts, along with a letter of thanks. "It's not polite to just receive, so I'll send a gift too. I don't know if you liked it. However, gifts aren't my style. Next time, please send me something I like."
The nobles trembled at the counterattack of the young Grand Duke, whom they had taken lightly. But that was only the beginning. The Grand Duke of Artaeum repaid those who provoked him with a reputation for "cleverness." Although naturally gentle, he had to be cruel to survive. Rather than being angered by the Grand Duke's actions, the Imperial faction seized this opportunity to fan rumors about him. Since they couldn't kill a member of the imperial family without a justification, they exaggerated the rumors to create a justification for their death later.
The young Grand Duke didn't bother to let the rumors about him spread like wildfire. After they spread, the number of people who harassed him decreased. He endured for ten years. Regardless of the truth of the rumors, no one in the empire could easily approach Grand Duke Artaeum. They trembled in fear at the mention of his name.
The Grand Duke opened his mouth, looking at Rose, who blinked with wide, rabbit-like eyes.
“Why do you look like that? Maybe what you said was a lie?”
"What?! No way! Absolutely not, not at all, not a lie. I can tell you this on my deathbed!"
Rose denied the Grand Duke's words with her whole being. She shook both her hands and head simultaneously, emphasizing that there was not a single falsehood in her words. The Grand Duke couldn't help but laugh at Rose's actions.
'You who likes me wouldn't lie to me, would you?'
Because he was convinced that Rose had feelings for him, he didn't doubt her words from the beginning. Completely oblivious to the Grand Duke's delusional intentions, Rose began spouting nonsense to prove her words were true.
“So how should I explain it... I went into the study a while ago and found some documents there, and in them...”
“I believe you.”
A short, powerful word pierced Rose's ear. Rose, who had been groaning with a sense of duty to make the Grand Duke trust her, finally closed her mouth at the sound of his voice.
“I trust you. So you don’t have to try so hard.”
The Grand Duke's low, low voice echoed softly in the quiet room. Rose and Grand Duke Artaeum's eyes met in midair. The Grand Duke, who was gazing at her with sharp eyes, was looking at her with a look of trust.
“Thank you for trusting me.”
Things that were about to go wrong were put back on track thanks to the Grand Duke's faith.
“Yeah. I wonder how you knew I was going to die.”
The Grand Duke of Artaeum's eyes darted toward Rose. He created a calm atmosphere, allowing Rose to speak calmly.
“Let’s sit down and talk.”
Grand Duke Artaeum sat down on the sofa first and gestured toward Rose. Rose nodded and sat down.
“Tell them to bring me a new tea.”
The Grand Duke, seeing Rose's empty glass, called for the maid. The maid came in immediately, and Rose spoke to her quickly.
“I’d like a glass of ice water, please.”
She was so nervous that her palms were sweating, and she felt a heat build up inside her. She wanted to drink cold water right away to cool down.
"All right."
The maid filled a tall cup with ice and began pouring water. And the moment Rose took the glass, something heavy and golden suddenly fell upon her in the blink of an eye.
"Oh!"
The ice glass in Rose's hand slipped and spilled onto the floor. With a loud crash, the glass fell to the floor and shattered into pieces.
“Why do you look like that? Maybe what you said was a lie?”
"What?! No way! Absolutely not, not at all, not a lie. I can tell you this on my deathbed!"
Rose denied the Grand Duke's words with her whole being. She shook both her hands and head simultaneously, emphasizing that there was not a single falsehood in her words. The Grand Duke couldn't help but laugh at Rose's actions.
'You who likes me wouldn't lie to me, would you?'
Because he was convinced that Rose had feelings for him, he didn't doubt her words from the beginning. Completely oblivious to the Grand Duke's delusional intentions, Rose began spouting nonsense to prove her words were true.
“So how should I explain it... I went into the study a while ago and found some documents there, and in them...”
“I believe you.”
A short, powerful word pierced Rose's ear. Rose, who had been groaning with a sense of duty to make the Grand Duke trust her, finally closed her mouth at the sound of his voice.
“I trust you. So you don’t have to try so hard.”
The Grand Duke's low, low voice echoed softly in the quiet room. Rose and Grand Duke Artaeum's eyes met in midair. The Grand Duke, who was gazing at her with sharp eyes, was looking at her with a look of trust.
“Thank you for trusting me.”
Things that were about to go wrong were put back on track thanks to the Grand Duke's faith.
“Yeah. I wonder how you knew I was going to die.”
The Grand Duke of Artaeum's eyes darted toward Rose. He created a calm atmosphere, allowing Rose to speak calmly.
“Let’s sit down and talk.”
Grand Duke Artaeum sat down on the sofa first and gestured toward Rose. Rose nodded and sat down.
“Tell them to bring me a new tea.”
The Grand Duke, seeing Rose's empty glass, called for the maid. The maid came in immediately, and Rose spoke to her quickly.
“I’d like a glass of ice water, please.”
She was so nervous that her palms were sweating, and she felt a heat build up inside her. She wanted to drink cold water right away to cool down.
"All right."
The maid filled a tall cup with ice and began pouring water. And the moment Rose took the glass, something heavy and golden suddenly fell upon her in the blink of an eye.
"Oh!"
The ice glass in Rose's hand slipped and spilled onto the floor. With a loud crash, the glass fell to the floor and shattered into pieces.
***
Meanwhile, at this time, at Count Wence's house, one of Rose's maids was standing in her place.
“Haa... You said you’d be here soon. Why haven’t you come yet?”
It was Jane, Rose's direct maid. Jane sighed, covering herself with the sheets on Rose's bed. She looked extremely anxious, watching the ticking clock.
“You said you’d be home before dinner... but it’s already almost 7pm...”
Jane, trying to avoid suspicion, covered herself with a pink wig and lay in bed all day, pretending to be sick. Suddenly, she heard the doorknob open. Jane turned, burrowed under the sheets, and cleared her throat.
“I’ll take the medicine later. Leave it there.”
She had no idea who had come in, thinking it was just a maid coming to give medicine to the sick Madam.
“You must be in a lot of pain. Your voice is really strange.”
Jane's heart skipped a beat at the sound of a voice behind her.
'...Why is the Count in the lady's room?!'
Thump, thump. Jane's heart began to pound at a frightening pace. The Count hadn't visited Rose even once since the affair with Doana. Why had he entered Rose's bedroom?
‘...No way. Surely...’
Jane turned pale and squeezed her eyes shut, praying fervently that it wasn't what she thought.
“Where does it hurt?”
The sound of Eric's approaching footsteps echoed eerily in Jane's ears. The footsteps stopped. Jane gasped at the weight of his gaze on her back, unable to speak. Eric lay down beside Jane, who was lying with her back turned to him. He then wrapped his arms around the maid's waist. The maid, realizing her prediction was correct, froze in place.
‘...Madam, what should I do!!’
Jane froze stiffly, letting out a silent scream. The maid was going crazy over Eric's hand around her waist. She had only briefly tried to fill in for Rose, believing she'd be back soon... Eric coming to Rose's room was a scenario neither the maid nor Rose had anticipated.
“...Do you have anything to say to me?”
Eric whispered a tickling whisper into the ear of the maid who was lying on her back. The maid flinched at his breath. Eric stroked the maid's light pink wig, which didn't respond. The slender neckline, previously covered by her hair, was revealed. Eric's hand, which had been gently stroking the hair, slowly stopped. Eric, who had been staring intently at the exposed neckline, pressed down on Jane with a violent force. In an instant, an overwhelming fear gripped Jane. She struggled, her hands trembling, clutching at the bedsheets. Perhaps because Eric's actions had brought her such terror, she had a seizure. She foamed at the mouth and gasped for breath in unbearable fear.
'I, I can't breathe...! I can't breathe...!'
“Haa... You said you’d be here soon. Why haven’t you come yet?”
It was Jane, Rose's direct maid. Jane sighed, covering herself with the sheets on Rose's bed. She looked extremely anxious, watching the ticking clock.
“You said you’d be home before dinner... but it’s already almost 7pm...”
Jane, trying to avoid suspicion, covered herself with a pink wig and lay in bed all day, pretending to be sick. Suddenly, she heard the doorknob open. Jane turned, burrowed under the sheets, and cleared her throat.
“I’ll take the medicine later. Leave it there.”
She had no idea who had come in, thinking it was just a maid coming to give medicine to the sick Madam.
“You must be in a lot of pain. Your voice is really strange.”
Jane's heart skipped a beat at the sound of a voice behind her.
'...Why is the Count in the lady's room?!'
Thump, thump. Jane's heart began to pound at a frightening pace. The Count hadn't visited Rose even once since the affair with Doana. Why had he entered Rose's bedroom?
‘...No way. Surely...’
Jane turned pale and squeezed her eyes shut, praying fervently that it wasn't what she thought.
“Where does it hurt?”
The sound of Eric's approaching footsteps echoed eerily in Jane's ears. The footsteps stopped. Jane gasped at the weight of his gaze on her back, unable to speak. Eric lay down beside Jane, who was lying with her back turned to him. He then wrapped his arms around the maid's waist. The maid, realizing her prediction was correct, froze in place.
‘...Madam, what should I do!!’
Jane froze stiffly, letting out a silent scream. The maid was going crazy over Eric's hand around her waist. She had only briefly tried to fill in for Rose, believing she'd be back soon... Eric coming to Rose's room was a scenario neither the maid nor Rose had anticipated.
“...Do you have anything to say to me?”
Eric whispered a tickling whisper into the ear of the maid who was lying on her back. The maid flinched at his breath. Eric stroked the maid's light pink wig, which didn't respond. The slender neckline, previously covered by her hair, was revealed. Eric's hand, which had been gently stroking the hair, slowly stopped. Eric, who had been staring intently at the exposed neckline, pressed down on Jane with a violent force. In an instant, an overwhelming fear gripped Jane. She struggled, her hands trembling, clutching at the bedsheets. Perhaps because Eric's actions had brought her such terror, she had a seizure. She foamed at the mouth and gasped for breath in unbearable fear.
'I, I can't breathe...! I can't breathe...!'
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