Episode 64. Living with the Grand Duke?
“Didn’t you say you were sick of him, too? There’s no need to think long about it.”
“Daemon!”
Rivera’s voice snapped at Daemon’s seemingly urging words.
“Our Rose, we finally met after three years apart. And you’re sending her away so quickly!”
Rivera looked at Daemon with a resentful gaze.
Of all places, the North.
Of course, the Grand Duke of Artaeum’s mansion was located at the northern entrance, close to the capital, but Rivera didn’t want to send Rose so far away.
Normally, Daemon would listen to Rivera’s opinion, but he had no intention of bending.
“It’s not like she's going to a foreign country. It’s the Grand Duke of Artaeum’s mansion. We can go there whenever we want.”
He said soothingly, trying to calm Rivera’s excitement. Then he added.
“I hope you think rationally about our Rose.”
Rivera, who had been sulking at Daemon's words, flinched.
She could confidently say that he was one of the people who knew her daughter better than anyone.
Her daughter, Rose, was the one who had no pride in the face of love.
She didn't know how Rose, who was like that, had gotten a divorce and left the Count Wence family.
Rose had even attended Eric's wedding without any regrets, but that made Rivera even more anxious.
If she had no lingering attachments, she wouldn't have gone to a wedding.
Rivera bit her lips and rolled her eyes nervously.
Rivera's anxiety didn't easily subside.
Even when Rose told her she didn't care about Eric, it only brought her relief for a moment.
A corner of her mind lingered with the fear that Rose might leave for Eric at any moment.
Daemon slowly took Rivera's hand. Then, as if asking her to trust him, he squeezed it firmly.
Rivera sighed deeply at the sight of Daemon staring at her with such intense eyes.
At that moment, Rose's voice pierced the still air.
"Will the Grand Duke accept me?"
Her voice was cautious. But it wasn't a negative response.
"Staying with the Grand Duke?"
Daemon had said "for the time being," but the embarrassment was unavoidable.
Rose pictured the fierce face of the Grand Duke of Artaeum.
The Grand Duke stared at her with blue eyes that seemed devoid of any emotion.
"... Scary."
His face, so imposing that it made her shiver, felt a strange intimidation.
If she had to live in the Grand Duke's mansion, it was obvious how she would live. She would have to live stealthily, like a stray cat, to avoid offending him.
"...But would living together help with business?"
Coordinating with the Grand Duke was no easy task.
His busy schedule had barely allowed them to meet last time.
Rose pondered, lost in thought.
"I'm troubled...."
She wants to move forward with business quickly, but ahe don't want to live in the same mansion as the uncomfortable Grand Duke...
When he saw Rose's worries, Daemon used this momentum to persuade her.
"That's not for you to worry about. I'll explain it to His Highness the Grand Duke, so you just have to decide what you want to do."
"...Then please ask."
Daemon answered carefully after much thought. Daemon's face brightened at Daemon's answer.
"Yes. Good thought."
"Ha."
Rivera, on the other hand, sighed with a sullen expression. However, unlike the first time, she wasn't angry at Daemon.
"I'll present my request to His Highness the Grand Duke. Until then, don't change your mind. If that bastard Eric comes by again when we're not around, just pretend you're not home."
Daemon spoke loudly, spittle flying, saying that kind of person shouldn't be dealt with.
He sent a hasty letter to the Grand Duke of Artaeum, hoping that Rose might change her mind.
A day later.
From early in the morning, the Grand Duke of Artaeum was looking through documents with a tired look. There must have been a lot of work to do, as countless documents were piled up on the Grand Duke's desk.
At that moment, the butler Neruan knocked on the door.
"It's me."
"Come in."
"This is a letter addressed to the Grand Duke."
"Is it from Rose?"
"No."
The Grand Duke's expression hardened terribly at the denial. He roughly put the documents down on the desk and glared at Neruan.
"Didn't I tell you to throw away all the other letters?"
A cold voice, almost freezing the room, echoed.
“This isn’t a letter from the daughter of the Serviat family, but...”
“You handle useless letters yourself.”
The Grand Duke’s firm words could have intimidated him, but Neruan ignored them and opened his mouth."
“This is a letter from Count Serviat.”
“Master?”
His face, which had been distorted with fear, relaxed. He gestured for Neruan to come closer.
Neruan strode toward the Grand Duke.
“He’s never sent letters like this before...”
It was strange.
Count Serviat had never sent him an official letter.
Whenever he sent a letter to the Grand Duke, he would do so secretly, even if it took a long time.
Grand Duke Artaeum could not hide his surprise as he handed the letter over.
The handwriting on the rough envelope was unmistakably Count Serviat's.
Grand Duke Artaeum held the envelope up to the lamp, narrowed his eyes, and then carefully examined it.
'... There are traces of the envelope having been reattached.'
Someone had clearly intercepted the Grand Duke's letter and read its contents first.
Was there an emergency? How could he have sent it like this, knowing there would be someone watching?
'Nothing could have happened.'
Rose's face flashed through the Grand Duke's mind. He felt that Count Serviat had sent the letter, and that it had something to do with Rose.
He opened the letter with a stern face. The contents were remarkably monotonous.
A single, short but bold sentence caught the Archduke's eye.
"...Please allow Rose to stay here for the time being?"
Relieved that it wasn't something he had been worried about, the Grand Duke tilted his head at the unexpected request.
"Why...? Is this what you're asking?"
He looked down at the letter with a bewildered expression. Then he pictured Rose's face.
Rose, blushing with embarrassment, looked at him.
The Grand Duke, remembering her smile, smiled as if he finally understood everything.
"I guess she asked."
Yes. She must have asked this of her father because she wanted to stay with him.
Count Serviat must have sent this letter because he couldn't resist his daughter's nagging.
Grand Duke Artaeum smiled, clearly misunderstanding.
"Truly, she's such an aggressive woman."
He didn't dislike the sight of Rose trying to approach him.
The Grand Duke laughed absentmindedly, oblivious to the fact that it was all his own delusion.
Neruan made a puzzled expression, unfamiliar with the Grand Duke's appearance.
"Why are you suddenly making that expression?"
Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked the Grand Duke,
"Do you have any good news?"
“Well, that’s not very good news.”
Neruan was even more confused by the Grand Duke's vague attitude.
Grand Duke Artaeum folded the letter in half and looked at Neruan. Then, with a more excited expression, he ordered him,
“We must prepare to welcome the guest.”
“Is Count Serviat coming?”
“No.”
The Grand Duke slowly rose from his chair, looking somewhat excited.
“We will welcome the daughter of Count Serviat.”
“...”
Neruan’s face hardened subtly at Rose’s mention.
“...Should I send a carriage to the Count’s residence?”
“There is something to do before that.”
The Grand Duke shook his head at Neruan’s words and continued slowly.
“Prepare a room.”
“Yes?”
“Please make sure it is neat and tidy so the lady can stay there.”
Neruan’s expression was reluctant, but he followed the Grand Duke's order without saying a word. He ordered the maids to tidy up one of the empty rooms.
The once-empty room was filled with a large bed, a wardrobe, and even a tea table.
The once-empty room was quickly cleaned up. The Grand Duke looked around the room where Rose would stay and then dispatched a carriage straight to the Serviat mansion.
Less than half a day after the letter arrived, everything was ready.
Grand Duke Artaeum couldn't concentrate on his work, checking the ticking hands countless times.
Grand Duke Artaeum, who had been sitting, got up and paced around the window.
Tick-tock.
The only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock. The Grand Duke looked out the window without saying a word.
After some time, a long-awaited black carriage entered the Grand Duke of Artaeum's sight.
It was the carriage he had sent for Rose.
"You're here."
He smiled as soon as he saw the carriage. His eyes, previously frozen with indifference, widened slightly. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, indicating a pleasant mood.
The Grand Duke of Artaeum left the room, eager to welcome Rose, who had arrived at his mansion.
As the Grand Duke left, Neruan followed, his long hair fluttering.
The two hurried to the garden. The carriage door was already wide open.
The Grand Duke's heart pounded strangely at the sight of her pastel pink hair. He looked at her with a flushed expression.
The woman, who had been swiping her flowing hair behind her ear, must have sensed his gaze, as she turned and smiled at the Grand Duke.
"It's been a while, Grand Duke of Artaeum."
It wasn't Rose. It was her mother, Rivera.
Count Serviat was also beside Countess Serviat.
Grand Duke Artaeum, who was heading towards the garden with an excited expression, his expression hardened slightly. He looked around as if looking for someone.
'Could it be that she's not here?'
Roae wasn't there.
He'd said he'd asked for Rose, but only the Count and his wife had arrived, leaving Rose absent.
Grand Duke Artaeum couldn't hide his bewilderment. He stared at Count Serviat and his wife with a stern expression.
"It's been a while, Countess Serviat."
He glanced at Rivera, who had greeted him first, and then at Daemon.
He wanted to ask if Rose hadn't come, but for some reason, his mouth wouldn't open easily. He merely moved his lips and then closed them.
At that moment, a woman's elegant laughter rang in the Grand Duke's ears.
"Ahaha! It tickles!"
As soon as the high-pitched voice was heard, the Grand Duke and Neruan simultaneously turned their heads.
They saw Finn, tail wagging, on one side of the garden, and a woman crouching next to him.
It was Rose.
Rose was spending time with Finn, her expression as bright as a child's. Finn rubbed his fluffy body against Rose and licked her face profusely.
Perhaps she finally sensed the gaze on him. Rose, who had been stroking Finn's head, turned her head toward the Grand Duke.
"Hello, Grand Duke."
Rose, who had been sitting, slowly rose and smiled at the Grand Duke.
"You're here."
The Grand Duke's stiff expression softened. He looked at Rose with warm eyes, unable to hide the smile that was blooming.
“Didn’t you say you were sick of him, too? There’s no need to think long about it.”
“Daemon!”
Rivera’s voice snapped at Daemon’s seemingly urging words.
“Our Rose, we finally met after three years apart. And you’re sending her away so quickly!”
Rivera looked at Daemon with a resentful gaze.
Of all places, the North.
Of course, the Grand Duke of Artaeum’s mansion was located at the northern entrance, close to the capital, but Rivera didn’t want to send Rose so far away.
Normally, Daemon would listen to Rivera’s opinion, but he had no intention of bending.
“It’s not like she's going to a foreign country. It’s the Grand Duke of Artaeum’s mansion. We can go there whenever we want.”
He said soothingly, trying to calm Rivera’s excitement. Then he added.
“I hope you think rationally about our Rose.”
Rivera, who had been sulking at Daemon's words, flinched.
She could confidently say that he was one of the people who knew her daughter better than anyone.
Her daughter, Rose, was the one who had no pride in the face of love.
She didn't know how Rose, who was like that, had gotten a divorce and left the Count Wence family.
Rose had even attended Eric's wedding without any regrets, but that made Rivera even more anxious.
If she had no lingering attachments, she wouldn't have gone to a wedding.
Rivera bit her lips and rolled her eyes nervously.
Rivera's anxiety didn't easily subside.
Even when Rose told her she didn't care about Eric, it only brought her relief for a moment.
A corner of her mind lingered with the fear that Rose might leave for Eric at any moment.
Daemon slowly took Rivera's hand. Then, as if asking her to trust him, he squeezed it firmly.
Rivera sighed deeply at the sight of Daemon staring at her with such intense eyes.
At that moment, Rose's voice pierced the still air.
"Will the Grand Duke accept me?"
Her voice was cautious. But it wasn't a negative response.
"Staying with the Grand Duke?"
Daemon had said "for the time being," but the embarrassment was unavoidable.
Rose pictured the fierce face of the Grand Duke of Artaeum.
The Grand Duke stared at her with blue eyes that seemed devoid of any emotion.
"... Scary."
His face, so imposing that it made her shiver, felt a strange intimidation.
If she had to live in the Grand Duke's mansion, it was obvious how she would live. She would have to live stealthily, like a stray cat, to avoid offending him.
"...But would living together help with business?"
Coordinating with the Grand Duke was no easy task.
His busy schedule had barely allowed them to meet last time.
Rose pondered, lost in thought.
"I'm troubled...."
She wants to move forward with business quickly, but ahe don't want to live in the same mansion as the uncomfortable Grand Duke...
When he saw Rose's worries, Daemon used this momentum to persuade her.
"That's not for you to worry about. I'll explain it to His Highness the Grand Duke, so you just have to decide what you want to do."
"...Then please ask."
Daemon answered carefully after much thought. Daemon's face brightened at Daemon's answer.
"Yes. Good thought."
"Ha."
Rivera, on the other hand, sighed with a sullen expression. However, unlike the first time, she wasn't angry at Daemon.
"I'll present my request to His Highness the Grand Duke. Until then, don't change your mind. If that bastard Eric comes by again when we're not around, just pretend you're not home."
Daemon spoke loudly, spittle flying, saying that kind of person shouldn't be dealt with.
He sent a hasty letter to the Grand Duke of Artaeum, hoping that Rose might change her mind.
***
A day later.
From early in the morning, the Grand Duke of Artaeum was looking through documents with a tired look. There must have been a lot of work to do, as countless documents were piled up on the Grand Duke's desk.
At that moment, the butler Neruan knocked on the door.
"It's me."
"Come in."
"This is a letter addressed to the Grand Duke."
"Is it from Rose?"
"No."
The Grand Duke's expression hardened terribly at the denial. He roughly put the documents down on the desk and glared at Neruan.
"Didn't I tell you to throw away all the other letters?"
A cold voice, almost freezing the room, echoed.
“This isn’t a letter from the daughter of the Serviat family, but...”
“You handle useless letters yourself.”
The Grand Duke’s firm words could have intimidated him, but Neruan ignored them and opened his mouth."
“This is a letter from Count Serviat.”
“Master?”
His face, which had been distorted with fear, relaxed. He gestured for Neruan to come closer.
Neruan strode toward the Grand Duke.
“He’s never sent letters like this before...”
It was strange.
Count Serviat had never sent him an official letter.
Whenever he sent a letter to the Grand Duke, he would do so secretly, even if it took a long time.
To evade the eyes of the Grand Duke and the Emperor's faction watching him.
The handwriting on the rough envelope was unmistakably Count Serviat's.
Grand Duke Artaeum held the envelope up to the lamp, narrowed his eyes, and then carefully examined it.
'... There are traces of the envelope having been reattached.'
Someone had clearly intercepted the Grand Duke's letter and read its contents first.
Was there an emergency? How could he have sent it like this, knowing there would be someone watching?
'Nothing could have happened.'
Rose's face flashed through the Grand Duke's mind. He felt that Count Serviat had sent the letter, and that it had something to do with Rose.
He opened the letter with a stern face. The contents were remarkably monotonous.
A single, short but bold sentence caught the Archduke's eye.
"...Please allow Rose to stay here for the time being?"
Relieved that it wasn't something he had been worried about, the Grand Duke tilted his head at the unexpected request.
"Why...? Is this what you're asking?"
He looked down at the letter with a bewildered expression. Then he pictured Rose's face.
Rose, blushing with embarrassment, looked at him.
The Grand Duke, remembering her smile, smiled as if he finally understood everything.
"I guess she asked."
Yes. She must have asked this of her father because she wanted to stay with him.
Count Serviat must have sent this letter because he couldn't resist his daughter's nagging.
Grand Duke Artaeum smiled, clearly misunderstanding.
"Truly, she's such an aggressive woman."
He didn't dislike the sight of Rose trying to approach him.
The Grand Duke laughed absentmindedly, oblivious to the fact that it was all his own delusion.
Neruan made a puzzled expression, unfamiliar with the Grand Duke's appearance.
"Why are you suddenly making that expression?"
Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked the Grand Duke,
"Do you have any good news?"
“Well, that’s not very good news.”
Neruan was even more confused by the Grand Duke's vague attitude.
Grand Duke Artaeum folded the letter in half and looked at Neruan. Then, with a more excited expression, he ordered him,
“We must prepare to welcome the guest.”
“Is Count Serviat coming?”
“No.”
The Grand Duke slowly rose from his chair, looking somewhat excited.
“We will welcome the daughter of Count Serviat.”
“...”
Neruan’s face hardened subtly at Rose’s mention.
“...Should I send a carriage to the Count’s residence?”
“There is something to do before that.”
The Grand Duke shook his head at Neruan’s words and continued slowly.
“Prepare a room.”
“Yes?”
“Please make sure it is neat and tidy so the lady can stay there.”
Neruan’s expression was reluctant, but he followed the Grand Duke's order without saying a word. He ordered the maids to tidy up one of the empty rooms.
The once-empty room was filled with a large bed, a wardrobe, and even a tea table.
The once-empty room was quickly cleaned up. The Grand Duke looked around the room where Rose would stay and then dispatched a carriage straight to the Serviat mansion.
Less than half a day after the letter arrived, everything was ready.
Grand Duke Artaeum couldn't concentrate on his work, checking the ticking hands countless times.
Grand Duke Artaeum, who had been sitting, got up and paced around the window.
Tick-tock.
The only sound in the room was the ticking of the clock. The Grand Duke looked out the window without saying a word.
After some time, a long-awaited black carriage entered the Grand Duke of Artaeum's sight.
It was the carriage he had sent for Rose.
"You're here."
He smiled as soon as he saw the carriage. His eyes, previously frozen with indifference, widened slightly. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, indicating a pleasant mood.
The Grand Duke of Artaeum left the room, eager to welcome Rose, who had arrived at his mansion.
As the Grand Duke left, Neruan followed, his long hair fluttering.
The two hurried to the garden. The carriage door was already wide open.
The Grand Duke's heart pounded strangely at the sight of her pastel pink hair. He looked at her with a flushed expression.
The woman, who had been swiping her flowing hair behind her ear, must have sensed his gaze, as she turned and smiled at the Grand Duke.
"It's been a while, Grand Duke of Artaeum."
It wasn't Rose. It was her mother, Rivera.
Count Serviat was also beside Countess Serviat.
Grand Duke Artaeum, who was heading towards the garden with an excited expression, his expression hardened slightly. He looked around as if looking for someone.
'Could it be that she's not here?'
Roae wasn't there.
He'd said he'd asked for Rose, but only the Count and his wife had arrived, leaving Rose absent.
Grand Duke Artaeum couldn't hide his bewilderment. He stared at Count Serviat and his wife with a stern expression.
"It's been a while, Countess Serviat."
He glanced at Rivera, who had greeted him first, and then at Daemon.
He wanted to ask if Rose hadn't come, but for some reason, his mouth wouldn't open easily. He merely moved his lips and then closed them.
At that moment, a woman's elegant laughter rang in the Grand Duke's ears.
"Ahaha! It tickles!"
As soon as the high-pitched voice was heard, the Grand Duke and Neruan simultaneously turned their heads.
They saw Finn, tail wagging, on one side of the garden, and a woman crouching next to him.
It was Rose.
Rose was spending time with Finn, her expression as bright as a child's. Finn rubbed his fluffy body against Rose and licked her face profusely.
Perhaps she finally sensed the gaze on him. Rose, who had been stroking Finn's head, turned her head toward the Grand Duke.
"Hello, Grand Duke."
Rose, who had been sitting, slowly rose and smiled at the Grand Duke.
"You're here."
The Grand Duke's stiff expression softened. He looked at Rose with warm eyes, unable to hide the smile that was blooming.
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