Episode 92. The Master of Mind Reading
A day had passed since Julius arrived.
Rose had holed up in her study, refusing to leave.
She had planned to obediently follow the Grand Duke's instructions not to touch Princess Mederion.
Of course, he didn't mean to be left alone, but Rose had already misunderstood.
Rose didn't want to give either Princess Mederion or the Grand Duke any room for misunderstanding. She didn't even go to the dining room today.
It had become a custom to eat with the Grand Duke every day, but there was no need to feel uncomfortable anymore.
'We'll have to have a three-way meeting at the dinner table.'
Princess Mederion, the Grand Duke, and Rose herself.
The thought of all three of them eating together was terrifying.
Was it because he was worried about Rose, who hadn't eaten?
The Grand Duke knocked on Rose's study.
Knock.
"Rose."
Rose's hand, which had been busy writing, faltered.
She can't kick out the Grand Duke who came all the way to my office...
Rose slowly answered.
"Yes."
She rose from her seat to greet the Grand Duke.
The Grand Duke was worried at the sound of Rose's feeble voice.
The Grand Duke, who opened the door and came in, was as kind as ever.
"You still don't seem to be feeling well, do you?"
Rose met the Grand Duke's eyes, maintaining a blank expression and shaking her head.
"No. I'm fine."
Looking at Rose's complexion, it was definitely better than yesterday.
"I thought you were sick because you skipped meals."
"I just didn't have an appetite."
Rose's unsmiling voice felt a little awkward.
The Grand Duke was quite flustered by the unusual atmosphere.
The Grand Duke looked at the documents filling Rose's desk and thought,
'You're working quite hard preparing for the conference that's not far away.'
It was entirely Rose's responsibility.
The Grand Duke was present, but merely as an investor.
"Your shoulders must be heavy."
He thought, knowing Rose couldn't help but be sharp.
"But don't skip meals. I'm worried."
He wanted to give her a big hug, encouraging her to cheer up. However, such an action, now that she was on edge, might backfire.
With those words, the Grand Duke quietly left the room.
Rose watched the Grand Duke's back as he quickly left. She moved only after he was completely gone.
"...Are you sorry I skipped dinner and stayed in the office because of what you said yesterday?"
It was a subtle warning, but seeing her holed up in the office, he thought she must have visited out of a sense of apology.
The Grand Duke's last words lingered in his mind.
"But don't skip meals. I'm worried."
Rose muttered with a low sigh.
"I don't want excessive kindness..."
Rose muttered to herself and quickly returned to her desk.
She had already completed the presentation she was going to give to the CEOs.
Rose checked to see if anything was missing or needed to be added.
After finishing her review, Rose suddenly became worried about Gwen, who hadn't contacted her yet.
It had been quite some time since she'd sent the letter.
Normally, she would have received a reply within three days, but this time, there hadn't been any contact at all.
"She's not someone who should be this inaccessible... Could something have happened?"
Rose couldn't hide her anxiety.
"I guess I should ask Sir Serun."
Serun and Jane were still in the capital.
Serun was acting as a double agent for the Count Wence family, and Jane was enjoying a sweet rest. Rose had tried to persuade Gwen to follow Rose to the Artaeum estate.
She had insisted that Jane, who had worked tirelessly for years, take this opportunity to rest.
She had threatened that she would be completely exhausted if she started working at the department store, but Jane, seemingly defeated, was enjoying the rest.
Rose, who was writing a letter to Serun, hurriedly put it away when someone knocked on the door.
There was no point in showing a letter addressed to a knight of the Count Wence family.
"Yes."
There was no one else coming.
Had the Grand Duke brought food to Rose's office?
"I brought food to the Grand Duke's direction."
It was as expected.
A cheerful voice came from outside the door.
Rose answered without a second thought, telling him to come in.
Then she pretended to review the documents.
When the maid with the food came in, Rose naturally raised her head and spoke.
“Yes. Left it on the table... Princess?”
“Ugh. Is it okay if I leave it here?”
The one who brought the food wasn’t the maid, but Julius.
Rose was dumbfounded by Julius’s unexpected appearance.
“How did you get here?”
Rose stood up, her eyes wide.
Julius placed the tray on the table and smiled brightly.
“I came to bring you food.”
“So why did the Princess...”
Rose, whose words trailed off, tilted her head.
“The Grand Duke wouldn’t have asked you to bring it.”
As if he had sensed Rose’s true feelings, Julius spoke softly.
“The maid was bringing food, so I intercepted her in the middle. I wanted to play with Young Lady.”
“Huh?”
Julius's words were utterly bewildering.
He already had an appointment with the Grand Duke, yet Julius came first.
It seemed he was seeking to delve into the details of his relationship with the Grand Duke.
"Huh, what should I do?"
To keep his promise to the Grand Duke, Julius couldn't just turn him away.
Rose looked at Julius with a troubled expression.
"I'm sorry, but what should I do? I have an important conference and won't be able to be your conversation partner."
Rose politely declined.
That should have been enough to understand, but Julius didn't even consider leaving his office.
"Conference? What conference? When is it?"
Julius was a man of great curiosity.
His eyes sparkled as he walked toward Rose.
"In two days. It's an important conference about my business."
"Oh, you mean the business with Lucas that I mentioned yesterday?"
"Yes, that's right."
That should have satisfied your curiosity, right?
Rose gave an awkward smile and a look that suggested she leave.
“I wonder what kind of business it is.”
Julius ignored Rose’s gaze and continued the conversation.
“It’s a shopping center.”
“I see. I don’t know what it is, but it’s an interesting business.”
“I’ll send you an invitation to the opening ceremony later. I would be honored if the Princess would grace the occasion.”
Despite her personal feelings, Rose’s entrepreneurial spirit was evident.
'If Princess Mederion attends the opening ceremony, it would be a great publicity opportunity.'
If rumors spread that Princess Diana of her country and Princess Julia of another country had visited, it was only a matter of time before they would become famous.
“Are you inviting me?”
Julius swallowed the bait Rose had thrown him.
“Of course. Please grace the occasion with the Grand Duke.”
Julius’ eyebrows rose curiously at the mention of “with the Grand Duke.”
At first, Rose hadn't been particularly pleased with Julius's visit, but her unexpected revelation lifted her spirits.
"But, you're really not related to Lucas, are you?"
Julius looked at Rose with a dubious expression and took a step closer.
Rose's expression hardened as she looked up at the tall Julius.
"I told you yesterday that it wasn't like that..."
As expected, the Princess of Mederion still had her doubts.
She had spoken with a smile yesterday, but today she felt she needed to deny it even more firmly.
"I explained it to you sufficiently yesterday, but it seems the misunderstanding hasn't been resolved."
Rose's air was different from the cheerful one she had yesterday.
"I have no relationship with the Grand Duke."
"But I heard a rumor. That the young lady confessed to Lucas publicly."
Rose flinched at Julius's words, having nothing to say about the rumor.
"I didn't know it would spread to the Kingdom of Mederion."
"That's not it. I found out when I arrived yesterday."
Curious about the Grand Duke and Rose's relationship, Julius used his friendliness as a weapon and approached the servants without hesitation.
He then learned that Rose had made a public confession at a palace banquet.
'Hmm. I wonder why she keeps denying it. Surely she's not toying with Lucas?'
The servants, unable to grasp the full extent of the situation, merely skimmed the surface of the rumors.
Hearing their words, Julius's thoughts deepened.
He was curious about Rose's thoughts, who kept denying it even after confessing.
'Lucas, just trust me. I'll reveal to you exactly what kind of woman Young Lady Serviat is.'
Julius smiled innocently. However, the smile reflected in Rose's eyes felt somehow murderous.
"That... was a mishap due to a somewhat personal matter. The Grand Duke also understood my situation and smiled and let it go."
"Hmm... So what the young lady said is, you confessed to Lucas because of unavoidable circumstances?"
"Yes. That's right."
"To get your ex-husband off your back?"
"Ah... Yes, that's right."
She didn't elaborate, but Julius understood perfectly.
Even though he only heard that Rose had divorced, his quick wit immediately grasped the situation.
'So Young Lady Serviat confessed to Lucas to get her ex-husband off her back. And even after explaining the situation fully, Lucas still misunderstood the Young Lady's confession as sincere.
It was something absolutely incomprehensible if you only heard it in fragments.
From the beginning, the Grand Duke had mistakenly assumed that Rose liked him, and this had all happened.
“...What did Lucas say after hearing Young Lady’s explanation?”
“I apologized for blocking his wedding...”
Was it even okay to say something like that in front of his fiancée?
The Grand Duke's voice echoed in his head.
At the time, he had no idea she had a fiancée, so it was something he could laugh off.
'To say something like that when you already have a fiancée?'
For some reason, he felt a little resentful of the Grand Duke. Seeing Rose hesitating and unable to speak, Julius spoke.
“Could it be that Lucas proposed marriage while things were at this point?”
“!”
This guy, he couldn’t possibly read minds, could he?
“Oh. Don’t misunderstand. I can’t read minds.”
Rose’s eyes widened even more at Julius’s words, because these words seemed to have penetrated even deeper into her inner self.
“It’s just that I’m a little perceptive,”
He shrugged, a smug smile on his face.
Rose, who had been blankly staring at Julius, finally replied in a flustered manner.
“Please don’t misunderstand! The Grand Duke was just being humorous when he said that. He’s not suggesting I do anything to the Princess. Seriously!”
A day had passed since Julius arrived.
Rose had holed up in her study, refusing to leave.
She had planned to obediently follow the Grand Duke's instructions not to touch Princess Mederion.
Of course, he didn't mean to be left alone, but Rose had already misunderstood.
Rose didn't want to give either Princess Mederion or the Grand Duke any room for misunderstanding. She didn't even go to the dining room today.
It had become a custom to eat with the Grand Duke every day, but there was no need to feel uncomfortable anymore.
'We'll have to have a three-way meeting at the dinner table.'
Princess Mederion, the Grand Duke, and Rose herself.
The thought of all three of them eating together was terrifying.
Was it because he was worried about Rose, who hadn't eaten?
The Grand Duke knocked on Rose's study.
Knock.
"Rose."
Rose's hand, which had been busy writing, faltered.
She can't kick out the Grand Duke who came all the way to my office...
Rose slowly answered.
"Yes."
She rose from her seat to greet the Grand Duke.
The Grand Duke was worried at the sound of Rose's feeble voice.
The Grand Duke, who opened the door and came in, was as kind as ever.
"You still don't seem to be feeling well, do you?"
Rose met the Grand Duke's eyes, maintaining a blank expression and shaking her head.
"No. I'm fine."
Looking at Rose's complexion, it was definitely better than yesterday.
"I thought you were sick because you skipped meals."
"I just didn't have an appetite."
Rose's unsmiling voice felt a little awkward.
The Grand Duke was quite flustered by the unusual atmosphere.
The Grand Duke looked at the documents filling Rose's desk and thought,
'You're working quite hard preparing for the conference that's not far away.'
It was entirely Rose's responsibility.
The Grand Duke was present, but merely as an investor.
"Your shoulders must be heavy."
He thought, knowing Rose couldn't help but be sharp.
"But don't skip meals. I'm worried."
He wanted to give her a big hug, encouraging her to cheer up. However, such an action, now that she was on edge, might backfire.
With those words, the Grand Duke quietly left the room.
Rose watched the Grand Duke's back as he quickly left. She moved only after he was completely gone.
"...Are you sorry I skipped dinner and stayed in the office because of what you said yesterday?"
It was a subtle warning, but seeing her holed up in the office, he thought she must have visited out of a sense of apology.
The Grand Duke's last words lingered in his mind.
"But don't skip meals. I'm worried."
Rose muttered with a low sigh.
"I don't want excessive kindness..."
Rose muttered to herself and quickly returned to her desk.
She had already completed the presentation she was going to give to the CEOs.
Rose checked to see if anything was missing or needed to be added.
After finishing her review, Rose suddenly became worried about Gwen, who hadn't contacted her yet.
It had been quite some time since she'd sent the letter.
Normally, she would have received a reply within three days, but this time, there hadn't been any contact at all.
"She's not someone who should be this inaccessible... Could something have happened?"
Rose couldn't hide her anxiety.
"I guess I should ask Sir Serun."
Serun and Jane were still in the capital.
Serun was acting as a double agent for the Count Wence family, and Jane was enjoying a sweet rest. Rose had tried to persuade Gwen to follow Rose to the Artaeum estate.
She had insisted that Jane, who had worked tirelessly for years, take this opportunity to rest.
She had threatened that she would be completely exhausted if she started working at the department store, but Jane, seemingly defeated, was enjoying the rest.
Rose, who was writing a letter to Serun, hurriedly put it away when someone knocked on the door.
There was no point in showing a letter addressed to a knight of the Count Wence family.
"Yes."
There was no one else coming.
Had the Grand Duke brought food to Rose's office?
"I brought food to the Grand Duke's direction."
It was as expected.
A cheerful voice came from outside the door.
Rose answered without a second thought, telling him to come in.
Then she pretended to review the documents.
When the maid with the food came in, Rose naturally raised her head and spoke.
“Yes. Left it on the table... Princess?”
“Ugh. Is it okay if I leave it here?”
The one who brought the food wasn’t the maid, but Julius.
Rose was dumbfounded by Julius’s unexpected appearance.
“How did you get here?”
Rose stood up, her eyes wide.
Julius placed the tray on the table and smiled brightly.
“I came to bring you food.”
“So why did the Princess...”
Rose, whose words trailed off, tilted her head.
“The Grand Duke wouldn’t have asked you to bring it.”
As if he had sensed Rose’s true feelings, Julius spoke softly.
“The maid was bringing food, so I intercepted her in the middle. I wanted to play with Young Lady.”
“Huh?”
Julius's words were utterly bewildering.
He already had an appointment with the Grand Duke, yet Julius came first.
It seemed he was seeking to delve into the details of his relationship with the Grand Duke.
"Huh, what should I do?"
To keep his promise to the Grand Duke, Julius couldn't just turn him away.
Rose looked at Julius with a troubled expression.
"I'm sorry, but what should I do? I have an important conference and won't be able to be your conversation partner."
Rose politely declined.
That should have been enough to understand, but Julius didn't even consider leaving his office.
"Conference? What conference? When is it?"
Julius was a man of great curiosity.
His eyes sparkled as he walked toward Rose.
"In two days. It's an important conference about my business."
"Oh, you mean the business with Lucas that I mentioned yesterday?"
"Yes, that's right."
That should have satisfied your curiosity, right?
Rose gave an awkward smile and a look that suggested she leave.
“I wonder what kind of business it is.”
Julius ignored Rose’s gaze and continued the conversation.
“It’s a shopping center.”
“I see. I don’t know what it is, but it’s an interesting business.”
“I’ll send you an invitation to the opening ceremony later. I would be honored if the Princess would grace the occasion.”
Despite her personal feelings, Rose’s entrepreneurial spirit was evident.
'If Princess Mederion attends the opening ceremony, it would be a great publicity opportunity.'
If rumors spread that Princess Diana of her country and Princess Julia of another country had visited, it was only a matter of time before they would become famous.
“Are you inviting me?”
Julius swallowed the bait Rose had thrown him.
“Of course. Please grace the occasion with the Grand Duke.”
Julius’ eyebrows rose curiously at the mention of “with the Grand Duke.”
At first, Rose hadn't been particularly pleased with Julius's visit, but her unexpected revelation lifted her spirits.
"But, you're really not related to Lucas, are you?"
Julius looked at Rose with a dubious expression and took a step closer.
Rose's expression hardened as she looked up at the tall Julius.
"I told you yesterday that it wasn't like that..."
As expected, the Princess of Mederion still had her doubts.
She had spoken with a smile yesterday, but today she felt she needed to deny it even more firmly.
"I explained it to you sufficiently yesterday, but it seems the misunderstanding hasn't been resolved."
Rose's air was different from the cheerful one she had yesterday.
"I have no relationship with the Grand Duke."
"But I heard a rumor. That the young lady confessed to Lucas publicly."
Rose flinched at Julius's words, having nothing to say about the rumor.
"I didn't know it would spread to the Kingdom of Mederion."
"That's not it. I found out when I arrived yesterday."
Curious about the Grand Duke and Rose's relationship, Julius used his friendliness as a weapon and approached the servants without hesitation.
He then learned that Rose had made a public confession at a palace banquet.
'Hmm. I wonder why she keeps denying it. Surely she's not toying with Lucas?'
The servants, unable to grasp the full extent of the situation, merely skimmed the surface of the rumors.
Hearing their words, Julius's thoughts deepened.
He was curious about Rose's thoughts, who kept denying it even after confessing.
'Lucas, just trust me. I'll reveal to you exactly what kind of woman Young Lady Serviat is.'
Julius smiled innocently. However, the smile reflected in Rose's eyes felt somehow murderous.
"That... was a mishap due to a somewhat personal matter. The Grand Duke also understood my situation and smiled and let it go."
"Hmm... So what the young lady said is, you confessed to Lucas because of unavoidable circumstances?"
"Yes. That's right."
"To get your ex-husband off your back?"
"Ah... Yes, that's right."
She didn't elaborate, but Julius understood perfectly.
Even though he only heard that Rose had divorced, his quick wit immediately grasped the situation.
'So Young Lady Serviat confessed to Lucas to get her ex-husband off her back. And even after explaining the situation fully, Lucas still misunderstood the Young Lady's confession as sincere.
It was something absolutely incomprehensible if you only heard it in fragments.
From the beginning, the Grand Duke had mistakenly assumed that Rose liked him, and this had all happened.
“...What did Lucas say after hearing Young Lady’s explanation?”
“I apologized for blocking his wedding...”
Was it even okay to say something like that in front of his fiancée?
‘I can marry you, after all.’
At the time, he had no idea she had a fiancée, so it was something he could laugh off.
'To say something like that when you already have a fiancée?'
For some reason, he felt a little resentful of the Grand Duke. Seeing Rose hesitating and unable to speak, Julius spoke.
“Could it be that Lucas proposed marriage while things were at this point?”
“!”
This guy, he couldn’t possibly read minds, could he?
“Oh. Don’t misunderstand. I can’t read minds.”
Rose’s eyes widened even more at Julius’s words, because these words seemed to have penetrated even deeper into her inner self.
“It’s just that I’m a little perceptive,”
He shrugged, a smug smile on his face.
Rose, who had been blankly staring at Julius, finally replied in a flustered manner.
“Please don’t misunderstand! The Grand Duke was just being humorous when he said that. He’s not suggesting I do anything to the Princess. Seriously!”
It was somehow sad to have to regurgitate the Grand Duke's nonsense, but in the current situation, this was the best option.
Seeing Rose desperately denying her relationship with the Grand Duke, Julius finally realized what he’d been missing.
'You seem to think Julia is the Archduke’s girlfriend.'
Now the puzzle pieces were complete.
Despite the humorous situation, Julius felt a pang of pity for his friend.
'Poor Lucas. You promised to marry her, but this is completely unrequited love?'
It was heartbreaking, but he couldn’t help but laugh.
Julius chuckled, clutching his stomach and bursting into laughter.
“...Princess?”
Rose was so shocked that she worried Julius, wondering if he hadn’t lost his mind.
He continued laughing in front of Rose for a long time.
Rose couldn’t say anything, just staring at Julius, who was laughing like a lunatic.
Julius, who barely managed to stop laughing, looked at Rose.
“Haa. Now I understand why the young lady was uncomfortable with me. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not Lucas’s lover.”
“Yes?”
But an engagement that promised a future...
“Not even a fiancée.”
“Yes?”
Rose looked at Julius with wide eyes.
“Then who is your fiancée?”
“For your information, Lucas doesn’t have a fiancée.”
Rose was speechless and froze in place.
The time she had spent suffering alone flashed before her eyes like a kaleidoscope.
It was all a misunderstanding.
Seeing Rose desperately denying her relationship with the Grand Duke, Julius finally realized what he’d been missing.
'You seem to think Julia is the Archduke’s girlfriend.'
Now the puzzle pieces were complete.
Despite the humorous situation, Julius felt a pang of pity for his friend.
'Poor Lucas. You promised to marry her, but this is completely unrequited love?'
It was heartbreaking, but he couldn’t help but laugh.
Julius chuckled, clutching his stomach and bursting into laughter.
“...Princess?”
Rose was so shocked that she worried Julius, wondering if he hadn’t lost his mind.
He continued laughing in front of Rose for a long time.
Rose couldn’t say anything, just staring at Julius, who was laughing like a lunatic.
Julius, who barely managed to stop laughing, looked at Rose.
“Haa. Now I understand why the young lady was uncomfortable with me. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not Lucas’s lover.”
“Yes?”
But an engagement that promised a future...
“Not even a fiancée.”
“Yes?”
Rose looked at Julius with wide eyes.
“Then who is your fiancée?”
“For your information, Lucas doesn’t have a fiancée.”
Rose was speechless and froze in place.
The time she had spent suffering alone flashed before her eyes like a kaleidoscope.
It was all a misunderstanding.
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