Episode 66. We're Not That Close
What was this sudden, out-of-the-blue statement?
She couldn't believe her ears. Was it really birth control coming out of Rivera's mouth?
But Rose was certain she hadn't misheard. Rivera kept talking about birth control.
"It'll be really hard if you get pregnant without a plan. Your hormones will make you feel moody, you won't be able to eat well, and if you're not careful, you could even develop depression."
Rivera tightened her grip on Rose's hand as she listed the risks of pregnancy.
"You know what I mean, right?"
No, I don't know...!
Rose was at a loss as to what to do with Rivera's sudden outburst.
She was hearing from Rivera things she hadn't even heard from her parents in her previous life.
Rose's eyes darted back and forth, lost in thought.
"Rivera, we're leaving."
Rivera whispered one last time to Rose at the demon's call.
“Mother believes in our daughter.”
She shook her clenched fist at Rose, as if to encourage her.
Frozen in place, she sent Count Serviat and his wife away.
Even after Count Serviat and his wife left, Rose stood there blankly.
Grand Duke Artaeum gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
Rose, who had been lost in thought, was startled by the Grand Duke’s touch.
“Now, I will show you around the mansion.”
Grand Duke Artaeum smiled and reached out his hand to her. However, the moment she saw the Grand Duke’s face, Rivera’s words flashed through Rose’s mind.
“Make sure you use contraception, my dear.”
Rose’s face instantly turned bright red.
'What on earth have you misunderstood!'
Rose covered her cheeks, which were flushed red like bright red tomatoes, with both hands. Then, she lowered her head.
“Why is your face so red? I think you have a fever.”
When the Grand Duke tried to place a hand on Rose’s forehead, she flinched and took a step back.
“Uh... here, I’ll just wash my face for a moment!”
She ran away without even meeting the Grand Duke's eyes.
Rose washed her face with cold water and looked at herself in the mirror.
As if under a spell, Rivera’s voice continued to ring in her ears.
“You’re crazy, you’re crazy!”
Why did Rivera’s words keep coming to her mind?
It would be good if those words came to her. Strange imaginations filled Rose’s head.
Rose, who had never thought of the Grand Duke in that way, was only bewildered by the current situation.
“Ugh... why on earth did you misunderstand like that?”
The Grand Duke hadn’t been particularly kind to her.
Rose patted her cheeks and shook her head.
"Let's get our heads together. We shouldn't be so conscious. The Grand Duke probably didn't hear anything anyway."
He must have thought it strange that she suddenly ran away.
Rose took a deep breath and steeled herself.
Roughly wiping the water from her face, she stepped into the long hallway.
"I came this way just now..."
As she turned to walk back, she felt a burning gaze from behind her.
Rose glanced back.
The moment she turned, she met a pair of gleaming red eyes.
The large red eyes stared at her with a strange expression.
The creature poked its head out the window, its form resembling a horse.
"A horse?"
Had it escaped from the stable?
The pitch-black creature didn't even have a bridle.
It was remarkably docile. It didn't even flail, just staring at Rose with its wide eyes.
"Are you lost?"
Rose cautiously approached the horse.
The creature, seemingly unfazed, didn't run away and remained in its place.
Rose's eyes widened as she saw the horse up close.
"A horn...? Could it be a unicorn?"
It was no ordinary horse. With a pointed horn on its head, it was undoubtedly a unicorn.
The creature poked its head toward Rose as if acting cute.
Rose carefully stroked the unicorn's face.
"Wow... I didn't know there were black unicorns."
As Rose was stroking the unicorn's face, a loud cry was heard from somewhere.
-Waaf! Waaf waaf!!
The owner of the fierce voice was Finn.
Finn charged forward with all his fur standing on end.
"Fin?"
Rose, who had only seen Finn wagging his tail and acting cute until then, was utterly bewildered by the sight of Finn running towards her so fiercely.
As Finn ran towards her, the unicorn's once gentle gaze turned sharp.
The unicorn raised its front paws high as if it would not give in to Finn and stamped its feet threateningly.
"It's okay, calm down."
Rose tried to calm the excited unicorn by pulling on its neck. Then she shouted at Finn.
-Keuuuuung! Krrrr!
"Finn! Stop! What if you bully your friends?"
Finn, who had been running fiercely with his sharp teeth bared, suddenly stopped in his tracks. And the unicorn took advantage of that moment to run away.
"Ah, ahh. My eyes... why do they suddenly hurt?"
Rose, who had been watching the fleeing unicorn, squeezed her eyes shut in sudden pain.
Rose rubbed her eyes and stared with bleary eyes at the place where the unicorn had disappeared.
As Rose stared into space, a red light flickered before her eyes.
“What is it?”
The red light twinkled, as if calling her. As if possessed, Rose climbed out the window and headed toward the garden.
- Woof! Woof, Woof!!
Finn barked from behind, and Rose spoke to Finn.
“Fin. Stay right there. If you follow me, that unicorn might get startled and run away again.”
-Keeeeeek. Keeeeeek. Woof!!
Did he understand Rose’s words not to follow?
Finn’s expression was droopy, and he couldn’t help fidgeting. He spun in place and barked desperately at Rose.
Rose followed the flashing light. After passing the well-maintained garden, a dense forest emerged.
The sun was setting, giving it a somewhat eerie feeling.
Beneath the darkened forest was a calm lake, the full moon dimly reflecting on its waters.
“Ah... It’s creepy. I guess I should just go back.”
The red light that had been visible until just now was no longer visible. Rose turned around to return to the mansion.
- Hee-eeeeee!
When she turned around, the unicorn that had run away poked its head towards Rose.
“There you are. You were quite surprised, weren’t you?”
Rose said, stroking the unicorn’s face, and the unicorn let out a whine as if throwing a tantrum.
Rose met the unicorn’s eyes. The pain in her eyes, which had suddenly been fine, felt faint.
“Oh... It’s snowing again...”
As Rose rubbed her eyes, Finn and the Grand Duke's voices could be heard from far away.
“Rose!”
- Woof! Woof woof!!
Rose turned her head and looked at the Grand Duke.
The Grand Duke was running towards her with a very fierce expression. Like his master, Finn also had a combative expression on his face.
“Grand Duke!”
Rose waved at the Grand Duke with a bright expression.
Unlike Rose, who was relaxed, the Grand Duke's expression looked extremely anxious. He shouted at Rose,
"Get away from him!"
"Huh? This unicorn?"
Was it perhaps too precious to touch?
Rose was startled by the Grand Duke's words and pulled her hand away. The Grand Duke frowned at Rose's words and shouted,
"That's not a unicorn, it's a monster."
The Grand Duke, who had run up to her, had a cold gaze and pulled out a sharp sword.
"Huh? A monster! It's so gentle!"
Rose blocked the Grand Duke's path as he was about to stab the unicorn. Then she embraced the unicorn.
"It's dangerous. Let go of your hand right now."
It was the most terrifying sight of the Grand Duke she had ever seen. Rose unconsciously took a step back at the Grand Duke's murderous intent, forgetting that the lake was behind her.
One step, two steps, and...
Splash!
"Whoa!"
Before she could even take three steps, she fell into the lake.
“Rose!”
The Grand Duke ran towards Rose, who had fallen into the lake. The unicorn also rushed into the lake, as if trying to save Rose.
Rose, still conscious even in the water, shouted at the black unicorn.
“Don’t come this way. Run away!”
The unicorn, which had been lapping the lake water with the sound of hooves, raised its forelegs, rolled, and began to run away in the other direction.
The Grand Duke gently pulled Rose’s hand out of the water. Then, so as not to lose sight of the unicorn, he ordered Finn.
“Finn, chase.”
- Woof, woof!
With a loud roar, Finn, his fur standing on end, turned towards the direction the unicorn had run off to.
But only for a moment.
“Finn, don’t go. Sit down!”
Finn, who looked ready to run away at any moment, sank to the spot at Rose’s voice.
"W-this is working?"
Rose looked at Finn with bewildered eyes.
Rose wasn't the only one who was surprised. The Grand Duke was also staring at Rose with a strange look.
"Finn is a monster dog... and he sat down at a single word from Rose?"
Finn was a breed specialized in hunting monsters. How could such a dog sit still with its prey right in front of it?
There were many questions, but now was not the time to examine them all.
The Grand Duke looked at Rose, soaking wet from the lake water. The loose one-piece dress clung to Rose's curves, emphasizing her curves.
The Grand Duke watched Rose like that and then, without a second thought, took off his own shirt. He then approached Rose, who had collapsed.
The Grand Duke, shirtless, lowered himself and met Rose's eyes. The Grand Duke acted casually, seemingly unashamed of being shirtless, but Rose was different.
She held her breath as she looked at the Grand Duke with wavering eyes.
This wasn't the first time she'd seen his body, but unlike last time, her heart felt like it was going to burst.
Was it because she was aware of the Archduke after Rivera's words?
Rose couldn't calm her pounding heart.
The Grand Duke leaned toward Rose and draped his shirt over her shoulders.
The Grand Duke's shirt fluttered, enveloping Rose's body.
"...Thank you."
Her heart felt like it was going to burst out. Rose bowed her flushed face and answered in a croaking voice.
"The night air is cold in the north. Let's go inside before we catch a cold."
The Grand Duke rose from his seat and reached out to Rose. Rose nodded and took his hand.
The Grand Duke's brow furrowed as he stared at Rose. His expression became extremely serious, and he muttered softly,
"You don't have any shoes."
Rose, distracted by the Grand Duke, seemed unaware that she was standing barefoot.
"Oh, I think I lost my shoes in the lake."
Rose, who had come to her senses belatedly, pointed to the lake and spoke. The Grand Duke gazed at the deep lake and then spoke to Rose.
“I’ll get you new shoes.”
With those words, he lifted Rose into his arms.
“Your, Your Highness?”
Rose was instantly engulfed in the Grand Duke's arms. Rose’s mind was spinning, dizzy.
The touch of her damp skin against the Grand Duke gave her a dizzying feeling.
“Hold on tight, you don’t want to fall.”
The Grand Duke pinned Rose’s limp arms behind his neck.
Rose froze in his embrace, awkwardly positioned, not knowing where to look.
'I’m going crazy...'
Even being held in the arms of a clothed man was embarrassing, but the Grand Duke was holding Rose with nothing on his upper body.
Everywhere she looked, the color of flesh was there, every color of flesh.
Why did it have to be naked?
Her vision was filled with a feast of flesh-colored colors. She rolled her eyes around, but realizing she had nowhere to look, she closed them.
What was this sudden, out-of-the-blue statement?
She couldn't believe her ears. Was it really birth control coming out of Rivera's mouth?
But Rose was certain she hadn't misheard. Rivera kept talking about birth control.
"It'll be really hard if you get pregnant without a plan. Your hormones will make you feel moody, you won't be able to eat well, and if you're not careful, you could even develop depression."
Rivera tightened her grip on Rose's hand as she listed the risks of pregnancy.
"You know what I mean, right?"
No, I don't know...!
Rose was at a loss as to what to do with Rivera's sudden outburst.
She was hearing from Rivera things she hadn't even heard from her parents in her previous life.
Rose's eyes darted back and forth, lost in thought.
"Rivera, we're leaving."
Rivera whispered one last time to Rose at the demon's call.
“Mother believes in our daughter.”
She shook her clenched fist at Rose, as if to encourage her.
Frozen in place, she sent Count Serviat and his wife away.
Even after Count Serviat and his wife left, Rose stood there blankly.
Grand Duke Artaeum gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
Rose, who had been lost in thought, was startled by the Grand Duke’s touch.
“Now, I will show you around the mansion.”
Grand Duke Artaeum smiled and reached out his hand to her. However, the moment she saw the Grand Duke’s face, Rivera’s words flashed through Rose’s mind.
“Make sure you use contraception, my dear.”
Rose’s face instantly turned bright red.
'What on earth have you misunderstood!'
Rose covered her cheeks, which were flushed red like bright red tomatoes, with both hands. Then, she lowered her head.
“Why is your face so red? I think you have a fever.”
When the Grand Duke tried to place a hand on Rose’s forehead, she flinched and took a step back.
“Uh... here, I’ll just wash my face for a moment!”
She ran away without even meeting the Grand Duke's eyes.
***
Rose washed her face with cold water and looked at herself in the mirror.
As if under a spell, Rivera’s voice continued to ring in her ears.
“You’re crazy, you’re crazy!”
Why did Rivera’s words keep coming to her mind?
It would be good if those words came to her. Strange imaginations filled Rose’s head.
Rose, who had never thought of the Grand Duke in that way, was only bewildered by the current situation.
“Ugh... why on earth did you misunderstand like that?”
The Grand Duke hadn’t been particularly kind to her.
Rose patted her cheeks and shook her head.
"Let's get our heads together. We shouldn't be so conscious. The Grand Duke probably didn't hear anything anyway."
He must have thought it strange that she suddenly ran away.
Rose took a deep breath and steeled herself.
Roughly wiping the water from her face, she stepped into the long hallway.
"I came this way just now..."
As she turned to walk back, she felt a burning gaze from behind her.
Rose glanced back.
The moment she turned, she met a pair of gleaming red eyes.
The large red eyes stared at her with a strange expression.
The creature poked its head out the window, its form resembling a horse.
"A horse?"
Had it escaped from the stable?
The pitch-black creature didn't even have a bridle.
It was remarkably docile. It didn't even flail, just staring at Rose with its wide eyes.
"Are you lost?"
Rose cautiously approached the horse.
The creature, seemingly unfazed, didn't run away and remained in its place.
Rose's eyes widened as she saw the horse up close.
"A horn...? Could it be a unicorn?"
It was no ordinary horse. With a pointed horn on its head, it was undoubtedly a unicorn.
The creature poked its head toward Rose as if acting cute.
Rose carefully stroked the unicorn's face.
"Wow... I didn't know there were black unicorns."
As Rose was stroking the unicorn's face, a loud cry was heard from somewhere.
-Waaf! Waaf waaf!!
The owner of the fierce voice was Finn.
Finn charged forward with all his fur standing on end.
"Fin?"
Rose, who had only seen Finn wagging his tail and acting cute until then, was utterly bewildered by the sight of Finn running towards her so fiercely.
As Finn ran towards her, the unicorn's once gentle gaze turned sharp.
The unicorn raised its front paws high as if it would not give in to Finn and stamped its feet threateningly.
"It's okay, calm down."
Rose tried to calm the excited unicorn by pulling on its neck. Then she shouted at Finn.
-Keuuuuung! Krrrr!
"Finn! Stop! What if you bully your friends?"
Finn, who had been running fiercely with his sharp teeth bared, suddenly stopped in his tracks. And the unicorn took advantage of that moment to run away.
"Ah, ahh. My eyes... why do they suddenly hurt?"
Rose, who had been watching the fleeing unicorn, squeezed her eyes shut in sudden pain.
Rose rubbed her eyes and stared with bleary eyes at the place where the unicorn had disappeared.
As Rose stared into space, a red light flickered before her eyes.
“What is it?”
The red light twinkled, as if calling her. As if possessed, Rose climbed out the window and headed toward the garden.
- Woof! Woof, Woof!!
Finn barked from behind, and Rose spoke to Finn.
“Fin. Stay right there. If you follow me, that unicorn might get startled and run away again.”
-Keeeeeek. Keeeeeek. Woof!!
Did he understand Rose’s words not to follow?
Finn’s expression was droopy, and he couldn’t help fidgeting. He spun in place and barked desperately at Rose.
Rose followed the flashing light. After passing the well-maintained garden, a dense forest emerged.
The sun was setting, giving it a somewhat eerie feeling.
Beneath the darkened forest was a calm lake, the full moon dimly reflecting on its waters.
“Ah... It’s creepy. I guess I should just go back.”
The red light that had been visible until just now was no longer visible. Rose turned around to return to the mansion.
- Hee-eeeeee!
When she turned around, the unicorn that had run away poked its head towards Rose.
“There you are. You were quite surprised, weren’t you?”
Rose said, stroking the unicorn’s face, and the unicorn let out a whine as if throwing a tantrum.
Rose met the unicorn’s eyes. The pain in her eyes, which had suddenly been fine, felt faint.
“Oh... It’s snowing again...”
As Rose rubbed her eyes, Finn and the Grand Duke's voices could be heard from far away.
“Rose!”
- Woof! Woof woof!!
Rose turned her head and looked at the Grand Duke.
The Grand Duke was running towards her with a very fierce expression. Like his master, Finn also had a combative expression on his face.
“Grand Duke!”
Rose waved at the Grand Duke with a bright expression.
Unlike Rose, who was relaxed, the Grand Duke's expression looked extremely anxious. He shouted at Rose,
"Get away from him!"
"Huh? This unicorn?"
Was it perhaps too precious to touch?
Rose was startled by the Grand Duke's words and pulled her hand away. The Grand Duke frowned at Rose's words and shouted,
"That's not a unicorn, it's a monster."
The Grand Duke, who had run up to her, had a cold gaze and pulled out a sharp sword.
"Huh? A monster! It's so gentle!"
Rose blocked the Grand Duke's path as he was about to stab the unicorn. Then she embraced the unicorn.
"It's dangerous. Let go of your hand right now."
It was the most terrifying sight of the Grand Duke she had ever seen. Rose unconsciously took a step back at the Grand Duke's murderous intent, forgetting that the lake was behind her.
One step, two steps, and...
Splash!
"Whoa!"
Before she could even take three steps, she fell into the lake.
“Rose!”
The Grand Duke ran towards Rose, who had fallen into the lake. The unicorn also rushed into the lake, as if trying to save Rose.
Rose, still conscious even in the water, shouted at the black unicorn.
“Don’t come this way. Run away!”
The unicorn, which had been lapping the lake water with the sound of hooves, raised its forelegs, rolled, and began to run away in the other direction.
The Grand Duke gently pulled Rose’s hand out of the water. Then, so as not to lose sight of the unicorn, he ordered Finn.
“Finn, chase.”
- Woof, woof!
With a loud roar, Finn, his fur standing on end, turned towards the direction the unicorn had run off to.
But only for a moment.
“Finn, don’t go. Sit down!”
Finn, who looked ready to run away at any moment, sank to the spot at Rose’s voice.
"W-this is working?"
Rose looked at Finn with bewildered eyes.
Rose wasn't the only one who was surprised. The Grand Duke was also staring at Rose with a strange look.
"Finn is a monster dog... and he sat down at a single word from Rose?"
Finn was a breed specialized in hunting monsters. How could such a dog sit still with its prey right in front of it?
There were many questions, but now was not the time to examine them all.
The Grand Duke looked at Rose, soaking wet from the lake water. The loose one-piece dress clung to Rose's curves, emphasizing her curves.
The Grand Duke watched Rose like that and then, without a second thought, took off his own shirt. He then approached Rose, who had collapsed.
The Grand Duke, shirtless, lowered himself and met Rose's eyes. The Grand Duke acted casually, seemingly unashamed of being shirtless, but Rose was different.
She held her breath as she looked at the Grand Duke with wavering eyes.
This wasn't the first time she'd seen his body, but unlike last time, her heart felt like it was going to burst.
Was it because she was aware of the Archduke after Rivera's words?
Rose couldn't calm her pounding heart.
The Grand Duke leaned toward Rose and draped his shirt over her shoulders.
The Grand Duke's shirt fluttered, enveloping Rose's body.
"...Thank you."
Her heart felt like it was going to burst out. Rose bowed her flushed face and answered in a croaking voice.
"The night air is cold in the north. Let's go inside before we catch a cold."
The Grand Duke rose from his seat and reached out to Rose. Rose nodded and took his hand.
The Grand Duke's brow furrowed as he stared at Rose. His expression became extremely serious, and he muttered softly,
"You don't have any shoes."
Rose, distracted by the Grand Duke, seemed unaware that she was standing barefoot.
"Oh, I think I lost my shoes in the lake."
Rose, who had come to her senses belatedly, pointed to the lake and spoke. The Grand Duke gazed at the deep lake and then spoke to Rose.
“I’ll get you new shoes.”
With those words, he lifted Rose into his arms.
“Your, Your Highness?”
Rose was instantly engulfed in the Grand Duke's arms. Rose’s mind was spinning, dizzy.
The touch of her damp skin against the Grand Duke gave her a dizzying feeling.
“Hold on tight, you don’t want to fall.”
The Grand Duke pinned Rose’s limp arms behind his neck.
Rose froze in his embrace, awkwardly positioned, not knowing where to look.
'I’m going crazy...'
Even being held in the arms of a clothed man was embarrassing, but the Grand Duke was holding Rose with nothing on his upper body.
Everywhere she looked, the color of flesh was there, every color of flesh.
Why did it have to be naked?
Her vision was filled with a feast of flesh-colored colors. She rolled her eyes around, but realizing she had nowhere to look, she closed them.
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