Episode 35. Surely, I wasn't kidnapped
Rose's skin, which was in contact with the Grand Duke, was extremely hot.
“What kind of fever is this...!”
The Grand Duke's brow furrowed involuntarily at Rose's feverish state. He looked at Rose, who lay helplessly, and bit his lower lip. He glanced around, checking for Rose's companions. But there was no one around her. Not a maid, not a knight escort.
“You came out alone in this body.”
No, was she sent out alone?
'I just got divorced.'
The Grand Duke felt a strange unease at Rose's muttered smile. He lifted Rose's body into his arms and entered a deserted alley. People were casting suspicious glances at the Grand Duke, who was standing with the collapsed woman in the middle of the square.
“Where am I taking her?”
Should I take her to my mansion? No, if he did, it might lead to rumors. It wouldn't bother him, but it would probably spread to Rose. What about leaving her at the doctor's office?
“...Madma Wence’s face is well-known, so rumors might spread.”
People might whisper, "Abandoned," upon seeing her lying there naked. He hated having Rose hear such things. The Grand Duke, unable to do anything, just stomped his feet. Rose's body was still a ball of fire. He bit his lower lip as he watched Rose gasp unevenly in his arms. A frightening thought flashed through his mind: what if something bad happened to the fragile woman? Then, the Grand Duke remembered people he had forgotten.
“...I guess I can go there.”
He chuckled at the belated memory of them. The Grand Duke strode forward briskly. He turned the corner, not forgetting to glance around.
Where he thought there would be no one, there was a small knight. The knight couldn't take his eyes off the robed Grand Duke and the fallen Rose. The Grand Duke frowned and quickly moved away.
“...No way, ma’am?”
The person the Grand Duke encountered was Serun, Rose's escort knight. Seeing Rose by chance, Serun couldn't believe his eyes. Just now, hadn't Madma collapsed in some man's arms? Her face was buried in the Grand Duke's, so he couldn't see her features clearly.
“Hey, Serun.”
As Serun, who had been running at a terrifying speed, stopped, the wind blew across the man's face.
'Wow, that's surprising. If someone saw him, they'd think Serun was running so fast that the wind picked up.'
"There's no way Serun, with his flaws, would do that," the knight thought, dismissing the incident as a coincidence. Serun, despite having run to the mansion in one breath, asked the knight without even gasping for breath.
“Where is Madam?”
“...Madam? Ahahaha. That’s it.”
When asked about Rose's story, the knight looked embarrassed and lowered his head.
“Madam has divorced the Count.”
“So where is she now?”
The divorce was already expected. Serun was Cedric's man. He knew Rose would eventually get divorced.
“...Aren’t you surprised?”
The knight's eyes widened at Serun's reaction.
"If it were the usual Serun, I'd be like, 'Huh! Really? This is ridiculous! Why Madam! No, this can't be happening! This is how you should react!"
He diligently imitated Serun's voice and glared at him suspiciously. "I don't want to keep up with the rhythm..."
'If you show too much unusual behavior, people will be suspicious.'
He played the 'Serun' he had created as expected by the man.
“...I was so shocked I couldn’t speak. Madam got divorced? What on earth is going on?”
He blinked, his large eyes wide, as if he were living up to the man's expectations. The knight, who had been casting a suspicious glance at Serun's actions, laughed heartily.
"Haha, you surprised me, Serun. I thought you were a completely different person."
Serun glared at the knight who didn't tell him the gist of where Rose was.
“Hey, you punk. Why are your eyes open like that?”
“Yes? Me?”
Serun looked at the knight with innocent eyes, as if nothing had happened.
“Hmm. You’re a bit annoying today.”
“Oh, my brother. When did I ever disobey you?”
Serun walked behind the knight, who was looking at me with a grumpy expression, and shook his shoulder.
“Where is Madam now? Surely she wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye to me...?”
Serun, with her gentle voice and squinted eyes, shook the man's shoulder.
'If you've gone this far, tell me.'
Social life was truly difficult. Serun wanted to just ignore him, but this knight was very persistent. He would always find fault with trivial matters. To carry out Cedric's orders with ease, it was best to maintain friendly relations with the other knights.
'Gwen is gone too. I have to do better.'
It was Serun who had just sent a telegram to Cedric. Eric had kicked Gwen out. The knight sighed and suddenly began rummaging through his trouser pockets. He quietly handed Serun a folded note.
“Madam has already left. She said she didn’t get to say goodbye to you one last time... She asked me to make sure you pass this on.”
“Madam... left?”
Serun's hair turned white at the knight's words. If Madam wasn't in the mansion... Could the woman he'd just seen really be Rose? To Serun's eyes, the woman in the arms looked like she'd been kidnapped.
'...She's a woman who has nothing to do with me. I just approached her at Cedric's behest.'
Serun forced himself to calm down and accept the note Rose had given him. While it was true that he was a knight, he now considered her a woman with no connection to him. He slowly unfolded the folded note.
Rose's skin, which was in contact with the Grand Duke, was extremely hot.
“What kind of fever is this...!”
The Grand Duke's brow furrowed involuntarily at Rose's feverish state. He looked at Rose, who lay helplessly, and bit his lower lip. He glanced around, checking for Rose's companions. But there was no one around her. Not a maid, not a knight escort.
“You came out alone in this body.”
No, was she sent out alone?
'I just got divorced.'
The Grand Duke felt a strange unease at Rose's muttered smile. He lifted Rose's body into his arms and entered a deserted alley. People were casting suspicious glances at the Grand Duke, who was standing with the collapsed woman in the middle of the square.
“Where am I taking her?”
Should I take her to my mansion? No, if he did, it might lead to rumors. It wouldn't bother him, but it would probably spread to Rose. What about leaving her at the doctor's office?
“...Madma Wence’s face is well-known, so rumors might spread.”
People might whisper, "Abandoned," upon seeing her lying there naked. He hated having Rose hear such things. The Grand Duke, unable to do anything, just stomped his feet. Rose's body was still a ball of fire. He bit his lower lip as he watched Rose gasp unevenly in his arms. A frightening thought flashed through his mind: what if something bad happened to the fragile woman? Then, the Grand Duke remembered people he had forgotten.
“...I guess I can go there.”
He chuckled at the belated memory of them. The Grand Duke strode forward briskly. He turned the corner, not forgetting to glance around.
Where he thought there would be no one, there was a small knight. The knight couldn't take his eyes off the robed Grand Duke and the fallen Rose. The Grand Duke frowned and quickly moved away.
“...No way, ma’am?”
The person the Grand Duke encountered was Serun, Rose's escort knight. Seeing Rose by chance, Serun couldn't believe his eyes. Just now, hadn't Madma collapsed in some man's arms? Her face was buried in the Grand Duke's, so he couldn't see her features clearly.
However, the elegantly braided, light pink hair was the style he'd always seen on his Madam. To confirm his vision, he followed the Grand Duke. The man in the black robe was extremely suspicious. How could he be looking around like that while holding the fallen woman in his arms? Serun followed after the Grand Duke, oblivious to the robed figure. Serun didn't miss the Grand Duke as he disappeared into the crowd. However, the Grand Duke noticed Serun stepping on him.
'Why are you following me?'
The Grand Duke, thinking that he had to shake off Serun, walked even faster.
‘...Did I get caught!’
The Grand Duke began to run at full speed to shake off Serun. Serun chased after him fiercely, terrified of losing him. The gap between them narrowed. Now, if he just turned that alley, he might be able to catch him. The Grand Duke turned the corner and entered the alley. Serun quickly followed. The moment Serun turned the corner,
"...what?"
He couldn't help but freeze in his seat.
“Where did hedisappear to?”
It was a dead end. But the Grand Duke and Rose were nowhere to be found. Serun, unable to hide his bewilderment, hurried to the mansion.
'I need to go to the mansion and check if Madam is there.'
He thought that the person in his arms wasn't Rose, but he kept feeling uneasy.
'If she were our Madam, she would never come out alone.'
He felt a bit uneasy. What if the man he was carrying was the real Madam? He was following Cedric's orders, but he was her knight escort. Serun ran through the wind to the mansion. His mind was filled with only one thought: "Rose." As Serun entered the main gate, the knights waved their hands in greeting.
'Why are you following me?'
The Grand Duke, thinking that he had to shake off Serun, walked even faster.
‘...Did I get caught!’
The Grand Duke began to run at full speed to shake off Serun. Serun chased after him fiercely, terrified of losing him. The gap between them narrowed. Now, if he just turned that alley, he might be able to catch him. The Grand Duke turned the corner and entered the alley. Serun quickly followed. The moment Serun turned the corner,
"...what?"
He couldn't help but freeze in his seat.
“Where did hedisappear to?”
It was a dead end. But the Grand Duke and Rose were nowhere to be found. Serun, unable to hide his bewilderment, hurried to the mansion.
'I need to go to the mansion and check if Madam is there.'
He thought that the person in his arms wasn't Rose, but he kept feeling uneasy.
'If she were our Madam, she would never come out alone.'
He felt a bit uneasy. What if the man he was carrying was the real Madam? He was following Cedric's orders, but he was her knight escort. Serun ran through the wind to the mansion. His mind was filled with only one thought: "Rose." As Serun entered the main gate, the knights waved their hands in greeting.
“Hey, Serun.”
As Serun, who had been running at a terrifying speed, stopped, the wind blew across the man's face.
'Wow, that's surprising. If someone saw him, they'd think Serun was running so fast that the wind picked up.'
"There's no way Serun, with his flaws, would do that," the knight thought, dismissing the incident as a coincidence. Serun, despite having run to the mansion in one breath, asked the knight without even gasping for breath.
“Where is Madam?”
“...Madam? Ahahaha. That’s it.”
When asked about Rose's story, the knight looked embarrassed and lowered his head.
“Madam has divorced the Count.”
“So where is she now?”
The divorce was already expected. Serun was Cedric's man. He knew Rose would eventually get divorced.
“...Aren’t you surprised?”
The knight's eyes widened at Serun's reaction.
"If it were the usual Serun, I'd be like, 'Huh! Really? This is ridiculous! Why Madam! No, this can't be happening! This is how you should react!"
He diligently imitated Serun's voice and glared at him suspiciously. "I don't want to keep up with the rhythm..."
'If you show too much unusual behavior, people will be suspicious.'
He played the 'Serun' he had created as expected by the man.
“...I was so shocked I couldn’t speak. Madam got divorced? What on earth is going on?”
He blinked, his large eyes wide, as if he were living up to the man's expectations. The knight, who had been casting a suspicious glance at Serun's actions, laughed heartily.
"Haha, you surprised me, Serun. I thought you were a completely different person."
Serun glared at the knight who didn't tell him the gist of where Rose was.
“Hey, you punk. Why are your eyes open like that?”
“Yes? Me?”
Serun looked at the knight with innocent eyes, as if nothing had happened.
“Hmm. You’re a bit annoying today.”
“Oh, my brother. When did I ever disobey you?”
Serun walked behind the knight, who was looking at me with a grumpy expression, and shook his shoulder.
“Where is Madam now? Surely she wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye to me...?”
Serun, with her gentle voice and squinted eyes, shook the man's shoulder.
'If you've gone this far, tell me.'
Social life was truly difficult. Serun wanted to just ignore him, but this knight was very persistent. He would always find fault with trivial matters. To carry out Cedric's orders with ease, it was best to maintain friendly relations with the other knights.
'Gwen is gone too. I have to do better.'
It was Serun who had just sent a telegram to Cedric. Eric had kicked Gwen out. The knight sighed and suddenly began rummaging through his trouser pockets. He quietly handed Serun a folded note.
“Madam has already left. She said she didn’t get to say goodbye to you one last time... She asked me to make sure you pass this on.”
“Madam... left?”
Serun's hair turned white at the knight's words. If Madam wasn't in the mansion... Could the woman he'd just seen really be Rose? To Serun's eyes, the woman in the arms looked like she'd been kidnapped.
'...She's a woman who has nothing to do with me. I just approached her at Cedric's behest.'
Serun forced himself to calm down and accept the note Rose had given him. While it was true that he was a knight, he now considered her a woman with no connection to him. He slowly unfolded the folded note.
[ To Sir Serun.
Sir Serun, thank you for being my knight. You have been so reassuring to me, Sir Serun, while I've been here. It's such a shame to leave without even seeing you one last time. I hope you won't be too upset that I'm leaving you this note. Let's have a meal sometime. Not as knight and lady, but as sister and brother. Then I'll look forward to our next meeting.
P.S. Did you fight with Jane? Make up quickly so we can all eat together. ]
She must have told him this a long time ago, but why does the note radiate warmth?
Serun stared at the note she had left behind.
***
An old mansion nestled in a quiet place. It was so shabby that it didn't look like a noble residence. A woman with long, pink hair down to her waist was tending the garden. It wasn't a large garden, but it was a cozy space where she could plant her favorite flowers. The garden was filled with a variety of flowers.
“Summer is almost over. Now it’s time to start planting fall flowers.”
The woman, intoxicated by the fragrant scent of flowers, was strikingly beautiful, even for her middle age. With clear skin, chiseled features, and a slender figure, she was the epitome of a first love. At first glance, she bore a striking resemblance to Rose. It was Rose's mother, Rivera. She began watering the flowerbed, gazing at the dazzling blooms.
“Countess Serviat.”
At that moment, the voice of the Grand Duke of Arteum was heard from behind Rivera without a sound.
“Wow!”
Countess Serviat clutched her heart, startled by the sudden voice. Then she took a deep breath and slowly turned around.
“Summer is almost over. Now it’s time to start planting fall flowers.”
The woman, intoxicated by the fragrant scent of flowers, was strikingly beautiful, even for her middle age. With clear skin, chiseled features, and a slender figure, she was the epitome of a first love. At first glance, she bore a striking resemblance to Rose. It was Rose's mother, Rivera. She began watering the flowerbed, gazing at the dazzling blooms.
“Countess Serviat.”
At that moment, the voice of the Grand Duke of Arteum was heard from behind Rivera without a sound.
“Wow!”
Countess Serviat clutched her heart, startled by the sudden voice. Then she took a deep breath and slowly turned around.
“Your Highness? What is it...?”
Countess Serviat, facing the Grand Duke, let out another "Ah!" because the Grand Duke of Artaeum wasn't alone. A woman collapsed in his arms, like a corpse, and was with him. With limbs splayed limp, she resembled a corpse. Countess Serviat swallowed hard, then felt something strange. The person in his arms felt all too familiar. She calmed her pounding heart and looked at the woman with wide eyes. A small figure, even with her pink hair.
“Rose!”
Rose, the daughter she had longed for so long, was in the arms of the Grand Duke of Artaeum.
“What the heck is going on!”
Tears began to well up in her eyes when she realized that the person lying in the Grand Duke's arms was her own daughter.
“Baby, baby! Come to your senses!”
Rivera looked at Rose, who was breathing heavily, and her eyes filled with tears.
"Your Highness, Rose. What on earth is going on?"
Rivera, sobbing, looked at the Grand Duke with desperate eyes. Her eyes, filled with hope that nothing would happen to her daughter, seemed incredibly anxious.
Countess Serviat, facing the Grand Duke, let out another "Ah!" because the Grand Duke of Artaeum wasn't alone. A woman collapsed in his arms, like a corpse, and was with him. With limbs splayed limp, she resembled a corpse. Countess Serviat swallowed hard, then felt something strange. The person in his arms felt all too familiar. She calmed her pounding heart and looked at the woman with wide eyes. A small figure, even with her pink hair.
“Rose!”
Rose, the daughter she had longed for so long, was in the arms of the Grand Duke of Artaeum.
“What the heck is going on!”
Tears began to well up in her eyes when she realized that the person lying in the Grand Duke's arms was her own daughter.
“Baby, baby! Come to your senses!”
Rivera looked at Rose, who was breathing heavily, and her eyes filled with tears.
"Your Highness, Rose. What on earth is going on?"
Rivera, sobbing, looked at the Grand Duke with desperate eyes. Her eyes, filled with hope that nothing would happen to her daughter, seemed incredibly anxious.
“She has a high fever. Let’s come inside first.”
Rivera nodded vigorously at the Grand Duke's words. She desperately wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks and hurried forward. More than the joy of seeing her daughter after three years, she was overcome by the fear that something might go wrong. Rivera reached for the door with trembling hands, but before she could reach it, it creaked open.
“What’s the fuss about?”
“Hey, honey! We’re in trouble. Our, our Rose!”
The man who emerged was Daemon de Serviat, Rose's father. Rivera burst into tears at the sight of her husband. He held Rivera in his arms and comforted her. Then, he turned his cold gaze toward the Grand Duke. Or, more precisely, toward Rose, whom he was holding. Daemon's expression as he gazed at Rose was utterly cold.
Rivera nodded vigorously at the Grand Duke's words. She desperately wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks and hurried forward. More than the joy of seeing her daughter after three years, she was overcome by the fear that something might go wrong. Rivera reached for the door with trembling hands, but before she could reach it, it creaked open.
“What’s the fuss about?”
“Hey, honey! We’re in trouble. Our, our Rose!”
The man who emerged was Daemon de Serviat, Rose's father. Rivera burst into tears at the sight of her husband. He held Rivera in his arms and comforted her. Then, he turned his cold gaze toward the Grand Duke. Or, more precisely, toward Rose, whom he was holding. Daemon's expression as he gazed at Rose was utterly cold.
Comments
Post a Comment