Episode 82. Who are you to judge me
“It wasn’t my fault for the divorce, so why should I have to live with my head bowed just because I’m a divorcee?”
Neruan quirked an eyebrow at Rose’s words. He couldn’t really refute her words.
He had been trying to disparage Rose from the start by nitpicking about her divorce.
Not with Rose’s words or actions, but simply with the label of “divorcee.”
“The cheater proudly took a new wife, so why should I live like a criminal? My worth is determined by marriage and divorce. It’s ridiculous.”
Rose no longer wanted to live in the same shackles as before.
She simply wanted to confidently carve out her own future.
But what did this man know about her to spout such harsh words?
“And my worth isn’t for you to judge. I decide it. I’ll step on people who look down on me like you and live my life proudly.”
Neruan, though quite taken aback by Rose's words, didn't change his demeanor.
"Both are meant to be together. What I meant to say was that you're not a good match for His Highness the Grand Duke."
He snapped without even apologizing to Rose.
"If you want a wealthy noble, I'll find someone suitable, so you can ignore His Highness the Grand Duke."
"Yes?"
Well, let's see...!
Rose's face flushed bright red as she huffed. Her hair was burning.
She was deeply offended by Neruan's way of rambling on about her personal life.
"Do I look like I'm crazy about men? It's embarrassing, so stop there."
Neruan, about to say, "You're crazy about men, aren't you?", swallowed back the words that were rising to his chin.
He was fully aware that he was being rude.
"And!"
Boom!
Rose slammed both hands down on the table.
The teacups and plates holding snacks on the table shook precariously.
A tingling pain surged through Rose's palms. She nearly lost control of her expression, but managed to avoid the crisis.
"Why have you been linking the Grand Duke to me all this time?"
Rose's face flushed red as she snapped at Nerhyang.
"You seem to have misunderstood! I have no romantic interest in the Grand Duke."
Neruan frowned in disbelief at Rose's unexpected words.
"You heard from the knights what happened at the palace today, and they say I confessed to the Grand Duke simply to chase after my ex-husband, Eric!"
Rose shouted, as if she was being unfair. Nerhan looked quite confused at her words.
What on earth was this woman saying? Was she sincere?
Neruan asked Rose as if confirming her words.
"So... you're saying you used His Highness the Grand Duke?"
“...I, I have already apologized sufficiently to the Grand Duke about that.”
Rose’s words trailed off at the mention of using the Grand Duke. But that was only for a moment, and she soon spoke in a brash tone.
“The Grand Duke fully understands my situation, so there is no problem.”
Far from being offended, the Grand Duke even tried to ease Rose’s tension by joking.
‘The Grand Duke said it was fine, so who am I to meddle?’
Is this how it would feel to have a sister-in-law? Neruan’s expression remained suspicious.
Rose grumbled in discontent. Then, she glared at Neruan, as if telling him to stop now that she had told him everything.
Neruan ignored Rose’s glare and thought carefully about his conversation with the Grand Duke. He had suddenly mentioned that he was going to get married, and said something like,
‘She confessed to me.’
Rose’s explanation and the Grand Duke’s attitude were quite different.
Rose claimed her confession was simply to get her ex-husband off her back, but the Grand Duke seemed delighted, as if he had just received the confession of the century.
He looked at Rose with a complex complexion.
Rose, not missing Neruan's reaction to her words, pressed on further.
"I repeat, I have absolutely no interest in the Grand Duke. We are merely business partners, nothing more, nothing less."
Saving his life was also Rose's mission, but there was no need to go that far.
"I don't know why you think I'm not interested in the department store business and only interested in men. I think about the business all day long. How can I make it more successful? How can I make things go a little faster? Except when I'm sleeping or eating, I'm completely absorbed in the department store."
He stared at Rose with sunken eyes.
Those mysterious purple eyes were fixed on him, unwavering.
It was still difficult to discern Rose's true feelings. However, it would be difficult to gauge her feelings any further.
Neruan decided to end today's argument here.
He stared at Rose with a curt expression, then, unable to resist, apologized.
"If I was rude, I apologize."
However, Neruan's words didn't end there.
"But, I hope you're sincere when you say you don't care about His Highness the Grand Duke."
Rose felt a surge of anger at Neruan's continued disbelief.
"I said I don't like him...!"
Rose glared at Neruan with a blazing gaze.
Faced with Rose, he smiled faintly and spoke softly.
"Because His Highness the Grand Duke has a fiancée."
With those words, Neruan stood up.
Rose, who had been grumbling at him, froze for a moment.
'Because His Highness the Grand Duke has a fiancée.'
“It wasn’t my fault for the divorce, so why should I have to live with my head bowed just because I’m a divorcee?”
Neruan quirked an eyebrow at Rose’s words. He couldn’t really refute her words.
He had been trying to disparage Rose from the start by nitpicking about her divorce.
Not with Rose’s words or actions, but simply with the label of “divorcee.”
“The cheater proudly took a new wife, so why should I live like a criminal? My worth is determined by marriage and divorce. It’s ridiculous.”
Rose no longer wanted to live in the same shackles as before.
She simply wanted to confidently carve out her own future.
But what did this man know about her to spout such harsh words?
“And my worth isn’t for you to judge. I decide it. I’ll step on people who look down on me like you and live my life proudly.”
Neruan, though quite taken aback by Rose's words, didn't change his demeanor.
"Both are meant to be together. What I meant to say was that you're not a good match for His Highness the Grand Duke."
He snapped without even apologizing to Rose.
"If you want a wealthy noble, I'll find someone suitable, so you can ignore His Highness the Grand Duke."
"Yes?"
Well, let's see...!
Rose's face flushed bright red as she huffed. Her hair was burning.
She was deeply offended by Neruan's way of rambling on about her personal life.
"Do I look like I'm crazy about men? It's embarrassing, so stop there."
Neruan, about to say, "You're crazy about men, aren't you?", swallowed back the words that were rising to his chin.
He was fully aware that he was being rude.
"And!"
Boom!
Rose slammed both hands down on the table.
The teacups and plates holding snacks on the table shook precariously.
A tingling pain surged through Rose's palms. She nearly lost control of her expression, but managed to avoid the crisis.
"Why have you been linking the Grand Duke to me all this time?"
Rose's face flushed red as she snapped at Nerhyang.
"You seem to have misunderstood! I have no romantic interest in the Grand Duke."
Neruan frowned in disbelief at Rose's unexpected words.
"You heard from the knights what happened at the palace today, and they say I confessed to the Grand Duke simply to chase after my ex-husband, Eric!"
Rose shouted, as if she was being unfair. Nerhan looked quite confused at her words.
What on earth was this woman saying? Was she sincere?
Neruan asked Rose as if confirming her words.
"So... you're saying you used His Highness the Grand Duke?"
“...I, I have already apologized sufficiently to the Grand Duke about that.”
Rose’s words trailed off at the mention of using the Grand Duke. But that was only for a moment, and she soon spoke in a brash tone.
“The Grand Duke fully understands my situation, so there is no problem.”
Far from being offended, the Grand Duke even tried to ease Rose’s tension by joking.
‘The Grand Duke said it was fine, so who am I to meddle?’
Is this how it would feel to have a sister-in-law? Neruan’s expression remained suspicious.
Rose grumbled in discontent. Then, she glared at Neruan, as if telling him to stop now that she had told him everything.
Neruan ignored Rose’s glare and thought carefully about his conversation with the Grand Duke. He had suddenly mentioned that he was going to get married, and said something like,
‘She confessed to me.’
Rose’s explanation and the Grand Duke’s attitude were quite different.
Rose claimed her confession was simply to get her ex-husband off her back, but the Grand Duke seemed delighted, as if he had just received the confession of the century.
He looked at Rose with a complex complexion.
Rose, not missing Neruan's reaction to her words, pressed on further.
"I repeat, I have absolutely no interest in the Grand Duke. We are merely business partners, nothing more, nothing less."
Saving his life was also Rose's mission, but there was no need to go that far.
"I don't know why you think I'm not interested in the department store business and only interested in men. I think about the business all day long. How can I make it more successful? How can I make things go a little faster? Except when I'm sleeping or eating, I'm completely absorbed in the department store."
He had never seen her engrossed in business planning.
He'd seen her drooling and prone in her office, documents scattered beneath her. But since Neruan had no interest in Rose, it must have been difficult for him to see her so absorbed.
“I put my life on the line for this business. For the first time in my life, I challenged myself to do something I wanted to do. But you, ignorant of everything, belittled my efforts and determination. You saw my business as nothing more than a means to seduce a man.”
Rose's harsh voice continued.
“So, apologize. For everything you said to me.”
Everything was rude.
The mention of divorce, the disparagement of the business... and even the arbitrary judgment of her worth.
Neruan listened to Rose's words and fell into thought.
'... Is she lying to me?'
Or... Could His Highness be mistaken?
He'd seen her drooling and prone in her office, documents scattered beneath her. But since Neruan had no interest in Rose, it must have been difficult for him to see her so absorbed.
“I put my life on the line for this business. For the first time in my life, I challenged myself to do something I wanted to do. But you, ignorant of everything, belittled my efforts and determination. You saw my business as nothing more than a means to seduce a man.”
Rose's harsh voice continued.
“So, apologize. For everything you said to me.”
Everything was rude.
The mention of divorce, the disparagement of the business... and even the arbitrary judgment of her worth.
Neruan listened to Rose's words and fell into thought.
'... Is she lying to me?'
Or... Could His Highness be mistaken?
He stared at Rose with sunken eyes.
Those mysterious purple eyes were fixed on him, unwavering.
It was still difficult to discern Rose's true feelings. However, it would be difficult to gauge her feelings any further.
Neruan decided to end today's argument here.
He stared at Rose with a curt expression, then, unable to resist, apologized.
"If I was rude, I apologize."
However, Neruan's words didn't end there.
"But, I hope you're sincere when you say you don't care about His Highness the Grand Duke."
Rose felt a surge of anger at Neruan's continued disbelief.
"I said I don't like him...!"
Rose glared at Neruan with a blazing gaze.
Faced with Rose, he smiled faintly and spoke softly.
"Because His Highness the Grand Duke has a fiancée."
With those words, Neruan stood up.
Rose, who had been grumbling at him, froze for a moment.
'Because His Highness the Grand Duke has a fiancée.'
'Because he has a fiancée.'
'His fiancée...'
Neruan's voice echoed like an echo.
His mind went blank.
Her heartbeat pounded irregularly.
Thump, thump.
"... What is it?"
She felt strange. The throbbing in her head didn't sit well. After Neruan left, Rose, left alone, remained frozen for a long time.
Even as the maids cleared away the teacups and snacks, she sat there like a stone.
One of the maids cautiously called out to her as she sat there blankly.
"Excuse me, Rose?"
"...Huh?"
"It's cold. Let's go now."
Neruan's voice echoed like an echo.
His mind went blank.
Her heartbeat pounded irregularly.
Thump, thump.
"... What is it?"
She felt strange. The throbbing in her head didn't sit well. After Neruan left, Rose, left alone, remained frozen for a long time.
Even as the maids cleared away the teacups and snacks, she sat there like a stone.
One of the maids cautiously called out to her as she sat there blankly.
"Excuse me, Rose?"
"...Huh?"
"It's cold. Let's go now."
Only then did Rose look around.
The sun had already set, and it was pitch dark.
"Ah, yes,"
Rose answered weakly and stood up.
Her trudging steps were terribly unsteady.
She stumbled over a rock and lost her balance, staggering.
"Oh, are you okay?"
The maid asked, holding Rose's body in place.
Rose simply nodded blankly, not even looking at the maid's face.
Led by the maid's hand, they soon arrived in their room.
She barely greeted the maid before sitting on the edge of the bed.
Rose, who had been staring blankly at the floor, muttered to herself,
"The Grand Duke has a fiancée...?"
The Grand Duke, who was an extra in the original work, had never dreamed he had a fiancée.
"Rose?"
"..."
"Rose."
"...Yes?"
The Grand Duke was staring intently at Rose.
"How long have you been watching me?"
After hearing Neruan's story, she tossed and turned all night for some reason. Rose shook her head and took a deep breath.
'I shouldn't be so absent-minded when we're talking about business. Neruan, that guy will definitely misunderstand me again.'
If she acted like this, he would surely tease her, asking if she really put her life on the line for the business.
Rose glanced at Neruan, who was standing to one side.
Their eyes met. He looked at Rose with a sullen expression and shrugged his shoulders.
His reaction, reflected in Rose's eyes, seemed to say, "See, you're not serious about business."
"... Tch."
She felt uneasy, having shown her weakness since morning. Rose glanced at Neruan and quickly replied to the Grand Duke.
“I’m sorry. You asked when I was going to invite my business partner, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I told you last time, but you haven’t said anything.”
Rose felt the Grand Duke was quite impatient.
Even though it had only been a few days, he pressed for a meeting with Gwen.
“I sent him a letter anyway. I’ll catch up with you when I get a reply.”
“Yes.”
The Grand Duke nodded with satisfaction.
“And I’ve also printed out a few designs for the department store’s exterior.”
Rose unfolded the rolled-up parchment.
There were five in total. Rose listed the designs one by one.
The Grand Duke was speechless at the designs Rose had brought.
“Did you draw them?”
“No. I commissioned them.”
“I see. Which one do you like best?”
“Hmm.”
Rose carefully examined the five pieces of paper with the Grand Duke's words.
She calmly looked through them, then confidently pointed to one.
“This one.”
It was a gorgeous design, reminiscent of a cathedral.
“If we’re going to do it, we should do it very extravagantly.”
The sun had already set, and it was pitch dark.
"Ah, yes,"
Rose answered weakly and stood up.
Her trudging steps were terribly unsteady.
She stumbled over a rock and lost her balance, staggering.
"Oh, are you okay?"
The maid asked, holding Rose's body in place.
Rose simply nodded blankly, not even looking at the maid's face.
Led by the maid's hand, they soon arrived in their room.
She barely greeted the maid before sitting on the edge of the bed.
Rose, who had been staring blankly at the floor, muttered to herself,
"The Grand Duke has a fiancée...?"
The Grand Duke, who was an extra in the original work, had never dreamed he had a fiancée.
***
"Rose?"
"..."
"Rose."
"...Yes?"
The Grand Duke was staring intently at Rose.
"How long have you been watching me?"
After hearing Neruan's story, she tossed and turned all night for some reason. Rose shook her head and took a deep breath.
'I shouldn't be so absent-minded when we're talking about business. Neruan, that guy will definitely misunderstand me again.'
If she acted like this, he would surely tease her, asking if she really put her life on the line for the business.
Rose glanced at Neruan, who was standing to one side.
Their eyes met. He looked at Rose with a sullen expression and shrugged his shoulders.
His reaction, reflected in Rose's eyes, seemed to say, "See, you're not serious about business."
"... Tch."
She felt uneasy, having shown her weakness since morning. Rose glanced at Neruan and quickly replied to the Grand Duke.
“I’m sorry. You asked when I was going to invite my business partner, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I told you last time, but you haven’t said anything.”
Rose felt the Grand Duke was quite impatient.
Even though it had only been a few days, he pressed for a meeting with Gwen.
“I sent him a letter anyway. I’ll catch up with you when I get a reply.”
“Yes.”
The Grand Duke nodded with satisfaction.
“And I’ve also printed out a few designs for the department store’s exterior.”
Rose unfolded the rolled-up parchment.
There were five in total. Rose listed the designs one by one.
The Grand Duke was speechless at the designs Rose had brought.
“Did you draw them?”
“No. I commissioned them.”
“I see. Which one do you like best?”
“Hmm.”
Rose carefully examined the five pieces of paper with the Grand Duke's words.
She calmly looked through them, then confidently pointed to one.
“This one.”
It was a gorgeous design, reminiscent of a cathedral.
“If we’re going to do it, we should do it very extravagantly.”
The Grand Duke frowned as if troubled at the parchment Rose pointed to.
“That...”
When the Grand Duke trailed off, Rose looked at him with a tense expression.
“Why? Is this design not that great?”
“No. It’s very good. That’s the problem.”
Rose tilted her head as if she didn’t understand the Grand Duke's meaning.
“Designs like this take quite a long time to build.”
“Oh, really?”
Taking a long time... That’s a bit difficult.
“How many years do you think it will take? About... five years?”
The Grand Duke shook his head at Rose’s question.
“Then... seven years?”
The Grand Duke shook his head again.
“About thirty years is a good guess.”
Using magic would shorten the time even further, but it was still impossible to create this design in a short period of a few years.
“T-Thirty years?!”
Rose was so shocked by the Grand Duke's words that she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.
Neruan's snickering laughter could be heard from beside him, but she was too busy to respond.
The Grand Duke couldn't help but laugh at Rose's jaw-dropping gaping mouth. He couldn't help but find her cute.
Rose was so shocked that she froze, unable to even pull the hair out of her mouth.
The Grand Duke gently reached out to Rose to pull the hair out.
And, as soon as the Grand Duke touched Rose's hair, bang!
Rose reflexively pushed his hand away.
"Ah... I'm sorry. I was so surprised..."
The Grand Duke blinked, embarrassed by Rose's appearance, before quickly apologizing.
"I apologize if I startled you."
The Grand Duke's expression as he offered his apology felt somehow gentle.
He could now fully understand that it was a smile he rarely shared with others.
That made Rose even more uncomfortable.
Rose nodded silently at the Grand Duke's words.
The Grand Duke's affectionate attitude towards his fiancée was... extremely troubling.
“That...”
When the Grand Duke trailed off, Rose looked at him with a tense expression.
“Why? Is this design not that great?”
“No. It’s very good. That’s the problem.”
Rose tilted her head as if she didn’t understand the Grand Duke's meaning.
“Designs like this take quite a long time to build.”
“Oh, really?”
Taking a long time... That’s a bit difficult.
“How many years do you think it will take? About... five years?”
The Grand Duke shook his head at Rose’s question.
“Then... seven years?”
The Grand Duke shook his head again.
“About thirty years is a good guess.”
Using magic would shorten the time even further, but it was still impossible to create this design in a short period of a few years.
“T-Thirty years?!”
Rose was so shocked by the Grand Duke's words that she couldn’t keep her mouth shut.
Neruan's snickering laughter could be heard from beside him, but she was too busy to respond.
The Grand Duke couldn't help but laugh at Rose's jaw-dropping gaping mouth. He couldn't help but find her cute.
Rose was so shocked that she froze, unable to even pull the hair out of her mouth.
The Grand Duke gently reached out to Rose to pull the hair out.
And, as soon as the Grand Duke touched Rose's hair, bang!
Rose reflexively pushed his hand away.
"Ah... I'm sorry. I was so surprised..."
The Grand Duke blinked, embarrassed by Rose's appearance, before quickly apologizing.
"I apologize if I startled you."
The Grand Duke's expression as he offered his apology felt somehow gentle.
He could now fully understand that it was a smile he rarely shared with others.
That made Rose even more uncomfortable.
Rose nodded silently at the Grand Duke's words.
The Grand Duke's affectionate attitude towards his fiancée was... extremely troubling.
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