Episode 48. The Uninvited Guest
Rose's hands were still busy moving over her closed face.
"Would you mind opening your eyes slightly?"
Rose blinked at the employee's tapping under her eyes.
"It's done."
She removed her hand from Rose's and smiled contentedly.
The employees exchanged glances and nodded.
"You worked hard."
"You too."
They gave a thumbs-up and a satisfied smile.
Rose's eyes widened as she looked at herself in the mirror without much expectation.
Her pale skin stood out. Unlike usual, her skin was remarkably fresh and transparent, captivating her.
"Wow... Wasn't all I've been wearing makeup?"
Rose's possessed face was quite beautiful. Rose, who usually wore makeup that was barely there, felt different today.
Rose couldn't help but marvel at her own appearance.
It wasn't just her skin. Her eyes were incredibly clear and sparkling, and her eyelashes, once limp and outstretched, were now upturned like a doll's. Without realizing it, Rose approached the mirror. Turning her head here and there, she gazed at her face for a long time.
Just then, the Grand Duke, who had gone out to buy a dress, returned.
Rose couldn't take her eyes off the Grand Duke. He was dressed immaculately, though he had been draped in a robe.
Everyone blushed as they gazed at the Grand Duke. He might have been intimidating, but his face was magnificent.
Behind the Grand Duke, a line of dress shop employees entered, each carrying three or four dresses. Rose stared at the Grand Duke with wide eyes.
"What are all these?"
"I didn't know which one you'd like, so I just brought them all."
She blinked at the array of what looked to be at least twenty dresses.
They lined up in front of Rose, holding up the dresses so they could be seen better.
"How about the sky blue one in the middle?"
“What are you talking about? It has to be white.”
The employees who had been dressing Rose narrowed their eyes and whispered among themselves.
“For now, I’ll leave out the white one. I don’t want it to look like I have any lingering feelings for Eric.”
At Rose’s words, several of the people holding the white dresses put them down.
At that moment, the Grand Duke of Artaeum lifted one up.
“How about this one?”
Rose, unsure of which to choose, smiled brightly at the sight of the dress in the Grand Duke’s hands.
“It’s nice. I’ll wear that.”
The dress, intricately decorated with luxurious beads, shimmered softly.
The dress, a perfect blend of sky blue and white, was incredibly elegant at first glance.
After Rose chose her dress, the employees who had followed the Grand Duke took her in.
They changed her dress and placed various ornate accessories on her neck and ears.
They asked Rose’s opinion and put on expensive necklaces and earrings.
“You are so beautiful.”
They each praised Rose, saying she was beautiful. It seemed they wanted to give her strength so she wouldn't be intimidated at her ex-husband's wedding.
After finishing her make-up, Rose walked over to where the Grand Duke was waiting. Rose pulled back the red curtains and said in a cheerful voice,
"It's all done. Let's go."
The Grand Duke, sitting on the sofa, was speechless the moment he saw Rose.
He already knew that she had a striking appearance, resembling Rivera, but Rose's appearance after she finished her make-up was breathtaking.
He stared at Rose with wavering eyes.
'I thought you were cute...'
She was so beautiful that he couldn't take his eyes off her. When the Grand Duke looked at him silently, Rose trailed off.
"Is it strange...?"
She had thought she was pretty, but perhaps not in the Grand Duke's eyes?
The Grand Duke's eyes wavered at Rose's words, losing focus. He avoided Rose's gaze and spoke softly.
"...You're pretty."
He glanced at Rose, absentmindedly touching his cheek.
"Let's go to the temple now."
Rose's eyes widened, and she smiled. The Grand Duke of Arteum gently extended his arm.
Rose smiled and carefully took his arm.
As they left the store, a massive carriage came into view. It wasn't the one they'd ridden from the Serviat mansion, but a black carriage emblazoned with the Arteum family crest.
Rose stared at the Grand Duke with wide eyes.
"Oh, how did you get that carriage? It'll take at least two hours from the Arteum territory."
“You came to the capital in that carriage.”
Rose nodded in agreement.
But there was one secret she didn’t know: this carriage was the same one Rose had used.
The carriage she had been riding in had been the Grand Duke’s from the beginning. It had simply been shabbily transformed using the Grand Duke’s magic.
Rose, who had been surprised by the carriage, was surprised again when she climbed into it.
On one side of the carriage, boxes of dresses were stacked one on top of the other.
The boxes were so tightly stacked that the space was cramped.
“What are all these?”
The Grand Duke, who had followed Rose into the carriage, spoke nonchalantly.
“They’re all yours.”
He extended his arm diagonally in front of Rose. This time, the Grand Duke acted as if to ask her to grab his arm.
Rose, bewildered, grabbed the Grand Duke’s arm and asked,
“...Yes?”
She had assumed the dress she was wearing was simply borrowed from a store, but it seemed otherwise.
Rose blinked and stared at the Grand Duke. She was quite taken aback by the Grand Duke's kindness.
"Don't feel pressured. Buying that much is nothing."
"But..."
It was burdensome. There must have been at least twenty items. How could she possibly accept all of this?
Rose trailed off, at a loss for words. The Grand Duke spoke,
"Surely you're not trying to disrespect people's kindness, are you?"
"No, that's not true."
"I personally chose every single one of them."
"Ahaha..."
For some reason, she felt like the Grand Duke was pressuring her. Rose awkwardly avoided his gaze.
"Or do you dislike it because it's a gift from me?"
Rose, who had been rolling her eyes, replied in surprise at the Grand Duke's words.
"No way!"
"Then take it."
If she refuses again...
'Won't that just make the Grand Duke of Artaeum hate her for nothing?'
The Grand Duke's blue eyes shone coldly. The corners of her lips slightly turned up, pressuring Rose even more.
“Yes... Thank you.”
Rose reluctantly nodded and replied. Only then did the Grand Duke smile with satisfaction.
“Yes. It’s just a gift. Let’s take it with a smile.”
She probably only had one dress anyway, so it was a good thing.
The carriage, which had been shaking violently, slowly came to a stop. Rose released herself from the Grand Duke's arms and looked out the window.
The temple was bustling, a truly festive atmosphere.
“We’re here.”
“Shall we get off now?”
Rose spoke quietly with calm, sunken eyes.
Seeing the Grand Duke's carriage stop in front of the temple, the nobles whispered in unison.
“Grand Duke Artaeum?”
“Attending the wedding of Count Wence?”
“That’s right. I thought he wouldn’t come.”
Since Count Wence and the Grand Duke of Artaeum were practically enemies, most people couldn’t hide their surprise.
The nobles focused their attention on the carriage of the Grand Duke of Artaeum. The immaculately dressed Grand Duke emerged first, followed by Rose.
“...My goodness.”
“The abandoned Countess has arrived.”
“She’s not even a Countess anymore.”
“What gives her the courage to come here?”
“Did she come to wreak havoc at Count Wence’s wedding?”
“Hahaha. That would be quite something.”
The nobles murmured as they watched Rose appear with the Grand Duke.
As the surroundings grew noisy, Tercia, Cedric, and Eric, who had been welcoming the guests, also looked at Rose.
“Oh my, where did she come from?”
Tercia glared at Rose with a look of exasperation.
“Haa, what a persistent fellow.”
Cedric sighed, his expression turning into a pained one.
Of the three, Eric was the only one smiling.
'After all, you’re going to come back like this, tailspined.'
He felt a pang of pity for Rose, who had been out and about for less than three days, but it was hard to hide the twitching of his lips.
At that moment, the Marquis of Dikar walked in slowly.
“It seems we have an uninvited guest.”
He frowned and trailed off, as if he didn’t like Rose’s appearance.
The person who deserved the most attention today was none other than his own daughter.
Of course, she was not his real daughter, but a slave brought from the gutter, but it was a day when the daughter of the Dikar family deserved to be in the spotlight.
However, with the appearance of Rose, Eric’s ex-wife, all the attention was turned not to the Marquis of Dikar’s youngest daughter, but to Rose.
"That vixen of a woman came here with great determination."
Rose's hands were still busy moving over her closed face.
"Would you mind opening your eyes slightly?"
Rose blinked at the employee's tapping under her eyes.
"It's done."
She removed her hand from Rose's and smiled contentedly.
The employees exchanged glances and nodded.
"You worked hard."
"You too."
They gave a thumbs-up and a satisfied smile.
Rose's eyes widened as she looked at herself in the mirror without much expectation.
Her pale skin stood out. Unlike usual, her skin was remarkably fresh and transparent, captivating her.
"Wow... Wasn't all I've been wearing makeup?"
Rose's possessed face was quite beautiful. Rose, who usually wore makeup that was barely there, felt different today.
Rose couldn't help but marvel at her own appearance.
It wasn't just her skin. Her eyes were incredibly clear and sparkling, and her eyelashes, once limp and outstretched, were now upturned like a doll's. Without realizing it, Rose approached the mirror. Turning her head here and there, she gazed at her face for a long time.
Just then, the Grand Duke, who had gone out to buy a dress, returned.
Rose couldn't take her eyes off the Grand Duke. He was dressed immaculately, though he had been draped in a robe.
Everyone blushed as they gazed at the Grand Duke. He might have been intimidating, but his face was magnificent.
Behind the Grand Duke, a line of dress shop employees entered, each carrying three or four dresses. Rose stared at the Grand Duke with wide eyes.
"What are all these?"
"I didn't know which one you'd like, so I just brought them all."
She blinked at the array of what looked to be at least twenty dresses.
They lined up in front of Rose, holding up the dresses so they could be seen better.
"How about the sky blue one in the middle?"
“What are you talking about? It has to be white.”
The employees who had been dressing Rose narrowed their eyes and whispered among themselves.
“For now, I’ll leave out the white one. I don’t want it to look like I have any lingering feelings for Eric.”
At Rose’s words, several of the people holding the white dresses put them down.
At that moment, the Grand Duke of Artaeum lifted one up.
“How about this one?”
Rose, unsure of which to choose, smiled brightly at the sight of the dress in the Grand Duke’s hands.
“It’s nice. I’ll wear that.”
The dress, intricately decorated with luxurious beads, shimmered softly.
The dress, a perfect blend of sky blue and white, was incredibly elegant at first glance.
After Rose chose her dress, the employees who had followed the Grand Duke took her in.
They changed her dress and placed various ornate accessories on her neck and ears.
They asked Rose’s opinion and put on expensive necklaces and earrings.
“You are so beautiful.”
They each praised Rose, saying she was beautiful. It seemed they wanted to give her strength so she wouldn't be intimidated at her ex-husband's wedding.
After finishing her make-up, Rose walked over to where the Grand Duke was waiting. Rose pulled back the red curtains and said in a cheerful voice,
"It's all done. Let's go."
The Grand Duke, sitting on the sofa, was speechless the moment he saw Rose.
He already knew that she had a striking appearance, resembling Rivera, but Rose's appearance after she finished her make-up was breathtaking.
He stared at Rose with wavering eyes.
'I thought you were cute...'
She was so beautiful that he couldn't take his eyes off her. When the Grand Duke looked at him silently, Rose trailed off.
"Is it strange...?"
She had thought she was pretty, but perhaps not in the Grand Duke's eyes?
The Grand Duke's eyes wavered at Rose's words, losing focus. He avoided Rose's gaze and spoke softly.
"...You're pretty."
He glanced at Rose, absentmindedly touching his cheek.
"Let's go to the temple now."
Rose's eyes widened, and she smiled. The Grand Duke of Arteum gently extended his arm.
Rose smiled and carefully took his arm.
As they left the store, a massive carriage came into view. It wasn't the one they'd ridden from the Serviat mansion, but a black carriage emblazoned with the Arteum family crest.
Rose stared at the Grand Duke with wide eyes.
"Oh, how did you get that carriage? It'll take at least two hours from the Arteum territory."
“You came to the capital in that carriage.”
Rose nodded in agreement.
But there was one secret she didn’t know: this carriage was the same one Rose had used.
The carriage she had been riding in had been the Grand Duke’s from the beginning. It had simply been shabbily transformed using the Grand Duke’s magic.
Rose, who had been surprised by the carriage, was surprised again when she climbed into it.
On one side of the carriage, boxes of dresses were stacked one on top of the other.
The boxes were so tightly stacked that the space was cramped.
“What are all these?”
The Grand Duke, who had followed Rose into the carriage, spoke nonchalantly.
“They’re all yours.”
He extended his arm diagonally in front of Rose. This time, the Grand Duke acted as if to ask her to grab his arm.
Rose, bewildered, grabbed the Grand Duke’s arm and asked,
“...Yes?”
She had assumed the dress she was wearing was simply borrowed from a store, but it seemed otherwise.
Rose blinked and stared at the Grand Duke. She was quite taken aback by the Grand Duke's kindness.
"Don't feel pressured. Buying that much is nothing."
"But..."
It was burdensome. There must have been at least twenty items. How could she possibly accept all of this?
Rose trailed off, at a loss for words. The Grand Duke spoke,
"Surely you're not trying to disrespect people's kindness, are you?"
"No, that's not true."
"I personally chose every single one of them."
"Ahaha..."
For some reason, she felt like the Grand Duke was pressuring her. Rose awkwardly avoided his gaze.
"Or do you dislike it because it's a gift from me?"
Rose, who had been rolling her eyes, replied in surprise at the Grand Duke's words.
"No way!"
"Then take it."
If she refuses again...
'Won't that just make the Grand Duke of Artaeum hate her for nothing?'
The Grand Duke's blue eyes shone coldly. The corners of her lips slightly turned up, pressuring Rose even more.
“Yes... Thank you.”
Rose reluctantly nodded and replied. Only then did the Grand Duke smile with satisfaction.
“Yes. It’s just a gift. Let’s take it with a smile.”
She probably only had one dress anyway, so it was a good thing.
The carriage, which had been shaking violently, slowly came to a stop. Rose released herself from the Grand Duke's arms and looked out the window.
The temple was bustling, a truly festive atmosphere.
“We’re here.”
“Shall we get off now?”
Rose spoke quietly with calm, sunken eyes.
Seeing the Grand Duke's carriage stop in front of the temple, the nobles whispered in unison.
“Grand Duke Artaeum?”
“Attending the wedding of Count Wence?”
“That’s right. I thought he wouldn’t come.”
Since Count Wence and the Grand Duke of Artaeum were practically enemies, most people couldn’t hide their surprise.
The nobles focused their attention on the carriage of the Grand Duke of Artaeum. The immaculately dressed Grand Duke emerged first, followed by Rose.
“...My goodness.”
“The abandoned Countess has arrived.”
“She’s not even a Countess anymore.”
“What gives her the courage to come here?”
“Did she come to wreak havoc at Count Wence’s wedding?”
“Hahaha. That would be quite something.”
The nobles murmured as they watched Rose appear with the Grand Duke.
As the surroundings grew noisy, Tercia, Cedric, and Eric, who had been welcoming the guests, also looked at Rose.
“Oh my, where did she come from?”
Tercia glared at Rose with a look of exasperation.
“Haa, what a persistent fellow.”
Cedric sighed, his expression turning into a pained one.
Of the three, Eric was the only one smiling.
'After all, you’re going to come back like this, tailspined.'
He felt a pang of pity for Rose, who had been out and about for less than three days, but it was hard to hide the twitching of his lips.
At that moment, the Marquis of Dikar walked in slowly.
“It seems we have an uninvited guest.”
He frowned and trailed off, as if he didn’t like Rose’s appearance.
The person who deserved the most attention today was none other than his own daughter.
Of course, she was not his real daughter, but a slave brought from the gutter, but it was a day when the daughter of the Dikar family deserved to be in the spotlight.
However, with the appearance of Rose, Eric’s ex-wife, all the attention was turned not to the Marquis of Dikar’s youngest daughter, but to Rose.
"That vixen of a woman came here with great determination."
She was dressed splendidly, as if she were a bride herself. Rose's appearance shone with such beauty that even a bride had to keep her in check.
"Don't worry, Marquis. I'll kick that child out right away, so you don't have to worry about it."
Tercia tried to reassure the Marquis with a subtle smile. However, Eric blocked Tercia's path.
"Just leave it be. It's a fine day... There's no benefit to making a fuss, is there?"
Cedric looked at Eric disapprovingly and then left first.
Normally, he would have scolded him, but he didn't.
Eric glanced at Cedric as he headed towards the other nobles, then quickly looked away. Then, looking at Rose, he continued.
"She's a woman who can't cause any trouble anyway. Seeing that she's even brought a partner, I guess she's just trying to impress me and leave."
He couldn't take his eyes off Rose as she was escorted by the Grand Duke of Artaeum.
The bright smile she flashed at the Grand Duke.
It was truly the first time in a long time that he seen Rose's smile.
She always acted angry when she was with him.
Rose's innocent, clear smile was so beautiful, it was almost charming. The Marquis frowned at Eric's gaze.
'You said you hated the Countess so much that you kicked her out...'
It wasn't that at all.
He averted his gaze, thankful that he hadn't married off his real daughter.
Rose, who was chatting amicably with the Grand Duke, felt Eric's gaze intently fixed on her.
She turned her head without hesitation and met Eric's gaze.
Confidently, with dignity, they met in mid-air.
Rose didn't shy away from his gaze. In fact, it was Eric who averted it. Rose felt a sense of victory, a strangely elated feeling.
As Rose's lips twitched over a trivial matter, a welcoming voice rang out from behind her.
“Madam...! No, Miss Rose!”
It was Jane.
Rose turned and looked towards the source of the voice.
There, Jane was preparing for the banquet. Jane ran to Rose, her eyes welling up.
Serun had been concerned that Rose might have been kidnapped, but it seemed to have been a lie.
“I’m glad. You’re doing well.”
Jane sniffled and wiped away tears. She wanted to ask why she’d left without saying anything, but there were too many eyes on her right now.
“Jane!”
“You look so beautiful today.”
Jane said, instead of saying she was sad. Rose also had a lot to say, but she held back because the situation wasn’t right.
The ceremony wasn’t far away. It was time to meet Doana first.
“By the way, Doana, where is that girl?”
Rose said, running her hand through her thick, wavy hair. Rose was very curious to see what Doana’s expression would be when she found out that she wasn’t Eric’s bride.
‘Will she have a look on her face that says she’s lost everything? Or... will she be gnashing her teeth venomously?’
Either way, it was definitely an entertaining sight.
Jane, who looked like she was about to burst into tears, suddenly burst into laughter the moment she heard ‘Doana’s’ name.
“Pfft!”
Jane tried to calm her shaking shoulders and barely managed to speak.
“Doana... heh heh... is still in the waiting room.”
Rose, who was momentarily puzzled by Jane’s words, soon nodded.
“It seems she doesn’t want to attend today’s ceremony because she can’t accept the fact that she’s not the bride.”
However, Jane’s next words were incredibly funny.
“...No, Doana doesn’t know yet.”
“Yes?”
Don’t know? Rose tilted her head, at a loss for words.
“Heh heh...! Well, sje don’t know. Even on the wedding day, she believed without a doubt that she was the bride. It’s so funny to see her do that!”
How could she not know that until the day of the wedding?
Rose couldn't help but question Doana's unexpected foolishness.
However, if someone had deliberately planned this situation, it was entirely possible.
Doana was a mere maid, with no social circles, so it would have been perfectly possible to keep it quiet within the Count's residence.
'Tercia.'
Rose looked at Tercia, who was gathered with the nobles in the distance.
She was famous for her fierce love for her son.
She had trembled when Rose, from a fallen family, became pregnant. Therefore, she must have been gnashing her teeth at Doana.
“Things seem to be going quite well.”
Rose quietly nodded at the Grand Duke, who had been silently listening to the conversation from the side.
“Jane.”
Rose gently called out to Jane, who was standing in front of her.
“Take me to Doana. At least she was once my beloved maid, so I need to make sure she understands her place before she’s embarrassed in front of so many people.”
At first glance, it sounded very kind, but her true intention was anything but.
Jane nodded and guided Rose.
“Would you like to come with me?”
The Grand Duke nodded.
“Of course. It must be a rare sight, I don’t want to miss it.”
Rose elegantly placed a hand on the Grand Duke's arm and took a light step.
She wanted to embarrass Doana before anyone else.
Rose played with the wedding invitation in her hand, a cheerful smile spreading across her face.
"Don't worry, Marquis. I'll kick that child out right away, so you don't have to worry about it."
Tercia tried to reassure the Marquis with a subtle smile. However, Eric blocked Tercia's path.
"Just leave it be. It's a fine day... There's no benefit to making a fuss, is there?"
Cedric looked at Eric disapprovingly and then left first.
Normally, he would have scolded him, but he didn't.
Eric glanced at Cedric as he headed towards the other nobles, then quickly looked away. Then, looking at Rose, he continued.
"She's a woman who can't cause any trouble anyway. Seeing that she's even brought a partner, I guess she's just trying to impress me and leave."
He couldn't take his eyes off Rose as she was escorted by the Grand Duke of Artaeum.
The bright smile she flashed at the Grand Duke.
It was truly the first time in a long time that he seen Rose's smile.
She always acted angry when she was with him.
Rose's innocent, clear smile was so beautiful, it was almost charming. The Marquis frowned at Eric's gaze.
'You said you hated the Countess so much that you kicked her out...'
It wasn't that at all.
He averted his gaze, thankful that he hadn't married off his real daughter.
Rose, who was chatting amicably with the Grand Duke, felt Eric's gaze intently fixed on her.
She turned her head without hesitation and met Eric's gaze.
Confidently, with dignity, they met in mid-air.
Rose didn't shy away from his gaze. In fact, it was Eric who averted it. Rose felt a sense of victory, a strangely elated feeling.
As Rose's lips twitched over a trivial matter, a welcoming voice rang out from behind her.
“Madam...! No, Miss Rose!”
It was Jane.
Rose turned and looked towards the source of the voice.
There, Jane was preparing for the banquet. Jane ran to Rose, her eyes welling up.
Serun had been concerned that Rose might have been kidnapped, but it seemed to have been a lie.
“I’m glad. You’re doing well.”
Jane sniffled and wiped away tears. She wanted to ask why she’d left without saying anything, but there were too many eyes on her right now.
“Jane!”
“You look so beautiful today.”
Jane said, instead of saying she was sad. Rose also had a lot to say, but she held back because the situation wasn’t right.
The ceremony wasn’t far away. It was time to meet Doana first.
“By the way, Doana, where is that girl?”
Rose said, running her hand through her thick, wavy hair. Rose was very curious to see what Doana’s expression would be when she found out that she wasn’t Eric’s bride.
‘Will she have a look on her face that says she’s lost everything? Or... will she be gnashing her teeth venomously?’
Either way, it was definitely an entertaining sight.
Jane, who looked like she was about to burst into tears, suddenly burst into laughter the moment she heard ‘Doana’s’ name.
“Pfft!”
Jane tried to calm her shaking shoulders and barely managed to speak.
“Doana... heh heh... is still in the waiting room.”
Rose, who was momentarily puzzled by Jane’s words, soon nodded.
“It seems she doesn’t want to attend today’s ceremony because she can’t accept the fact that she’s not the bride.”
However, Jane’s next words were incredibly funny.
“...No, Doana doesn’t know yet.”
“Yes?”
Don’t know? Rose tilted her head, at a loss for words.
“Heh heh...! Well, sje don’t know. Even on the wedding day, she believed without a doubt that she was the bride. It’s so funny to see her do that!”
How could she not know that until the day of the wedding?
Rose couldn't help but question Doana's unexpected foolishness.
However, if someone had deliberately planned this situation, it was entirely possible.
Doana was a mere maid, with no social circles, so it would have been perfectly possible to keep it quiet within the Count's residence.
'Tercia.'
Rose looked at Tercia, who was gathered with the nobles in the distance.
She was famous for her fierce love for her son.
She had trembled when Rose, from a fallen family, became pregnant. Therefore, she must have been gnashing her teeth at Doana.
“Things seem to be going quite well.”
Rose quietly nodded at the Grand Duke, who had been silently listening to the conversation from the side.
“Jane.”
Rose gently called out to Jane, who was standing in front of her.
“Take me to Doana. At least she was once my beloved maid, so I need to make sure she understands her place before she’s embarrassed in front of so many people.”
At first glance, it sounded very kind, but her true intention was anything but.
Jane nodded and guided Rose.
“Would you like to come with me?”
The Grand Duke nodded.
“Of course. It must be a rare sight, I don’t want to miss it.”
Rose elegantly placed a hand on the Grand Duke's arm and took a light step.
She wanted to embarrass Doana before anyone else.
Rose played with the wedding invitation in her hand, a cheerful smile spreading across her face.
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