Episode 93. You Deceived Me
“Young Lady, are you okay?”
Julius called out to Rose, who was frozen like a stone.
“Young Lady?”
Julius’s voice couldn’t reach the shocked Rose.
Rose, unfocused, just stared blankly into space.
Julius grabbed Rose’s shoulder. Then he called out to her once more.
“Young Lady Serviat.”
Rose, momentarily out of her senses, finally looked at Julius.
“Ah...”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay.”
Julius’s lips curled up at Rose’s bewildered appearance.
“You misunderstood Lucas and me.”
“...I naturally assumed the Princess was the Grand Duke’s fiancée.”
“Why did you think that?”
‘Why did I think that?’
He maintained his relaxed demeanor.
“Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, you’re not uncomfortable being with me, right?”
Julius reached out his hand to Rose.
“I’m not related to Lucas in any way. You don’t have to worry about distancing yourself from me.”
His bright eyes were incredibly welcoming.
Rose cautiously gazed at Julius, who had reached out.
“Oh, my arm is about to fall off.”
Julius joked when Rose didn’t take his hand.
Rose, perhaps realizing it, quickly grabbed Julius’ hand. She couldn’t be rude to Princess Mederion.
Julius finally looked satisfied.
Rose tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
“Oh, I thought you had nice hands.”
Julius's hand was unexpectedly firm.
She could feel calluses on her palms as she held them, just like when she had held Serun's.
'Does the Princess practice swordsmanship?'
She doesn't think she's ever heard that before... In that moment of inexplicable déjà vu,
"Young Lady, let's be friends."
He offered Rose once again. To be his friend.
"Huh?"
"I quite like you, Young Lady. So let's be friends."
Rose was taken aback by Julius's sudden words.
"Do you perhaps dislike me?"
"Uh... no! That's not true."
"Then we can be friends."
Julius gripped both of Rose's hands tightly.
She couldn't bring herself to refuse him, who was looking at her with sparkling eyes.
"Yes, that's fine. Let's be friends."
His voice was reluctant, but Julius's smile was brighter than anyone else's.
“Thank you. Oh, you haven’t had anything to eat since morning, so you’re hungry, right? Hurry up and have this.”
Julius pulled Rose by the hand and led her towards the table. He then forced her into a chair.
“You have to take things easy. You don’t want to collapse like that.”
Julius took a seat across from Rose. He rested his chin on both hands and looked at her.
“I’m not hungry.”
- Growling.
As soon as she finished speaking, Rose's stomach horn rang.
'...Did you hear that?'
She felt a bit embarrassed. The sound reverberated as soon as she spoke.
Rose glanced at Julius, studying his expression.
He was staring blankly at her. He quietly placed a fork in Rose's hand.
"The body doesn't lie."
"Ah, hahaha."
She heard everything.
Rose gave an awkward laugh, scratching her cheek.
It would be better to eat before the noise gets any louder.
Rose slurped down some food and put it in her mouth.
She'd thought she had no appetite, but the food actually made her mouth water.
"Our Lucas' heart is full, so don't refuse and eat."
"Phew!"
The food in her mouth flew everywhere.
Rose's face turned red from hearing the compliment, and she coughed.
"Cough! Cough!"
"Oh, drink some water."
Julius handed a water to the flustered Rose.
Rose gulped it down in a rush. Then, she looked at Julius with a puzzled expression.
“Are you uncomfortable with me staring at you? I’ll make room for you, so you can eat comfortably.”
Julius slowly rose from his seat.
He left Rose in a daze and abruptly left the room.
Left alone, Rose’s face was still flushed.
“You said you put a lot of your heart into it...”
It was an embarrassing statement.
It sounded as if the Grand Duke had feelings for her.
‘The Grand Duke treats me specially... It’s not just my delusion, is it?’
Julius’s words somewhat cleared up the misunderstanding, but a corner of her heart still felt uneasy.
Why did the Grand Duke tell her not to associate with Julia? And...
Rose put down her fork in the middle of her meal. She picked up the napkin on her lap and carefully wiped the corner of her mouth.
Rose got up and quietly left the room.
She had to meet Neruan.
Arriving in the garden, Rose looked around.
Neruan was nowhere to be seen.
“It must be time to come back after walking Finn...”
He took Finn out for a walk at the appointed time. He had often passed by and seen them.
As if Rose’s prediction was correct, Finn’s meowing could be heard from afar.
Did he even notice Rose was in the garden?
Finn ran at a terrifying speed.
-Woof, woof!
“Finn!”
Rose stretched out her hand toward Finn.
He was running so fast that Neruan, holding Finn’s leash, seemed to be struggling.
Neruan hurriedly chased after Finn, lest he lose the leash.
-Woof, woof, woof!
Finn approached noisily and rubbed his body against Rose.
Rose bent down and carefully stroked Finn’s fur.
“Did you have a good walk?”
Finn's tail waggled repeatedly, as if it were pleased with Rose's touch.
"Are you not even paying attention to me, who always takes you for walks, Finn?"
came Neruan's disgruntled voice.
Neruan grumbled and approached Rose.
Rose, who had been enjoying her reunion with Finn, stood up and faced him.
"Did you have a good walk?"
Rose spoke with a completely different air than yesterday.
Neruan's brow furrowed at her appearance.
"...What is it? You looked like you were going to die just yesterday. You recovered in just one day."
Julius had appeared, and everything was going according to plan. If everything had been as expected, Rose should have been feeling down by now...
“I mean, I’ll be honest with my feelings now. I won’t try to deny my feelings.”
Neruan’s expression sank heavily at Rose’s words.
“Are you saying you can’t give up even though he has a fiancée?”
He looked at Rose with a cold gaze.
“It sounds like you’re saying you’ll settle down in this mansion. Are you saying you’ll insist on becoming the Grand Duke’s mistress?”
“Neruan, speak clearly.”
Rose cut him off and spoke confidently.
“Your Highness, he doesn’t have a fiancée.”
“...!”
How could you...? ”
Neruan couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the unexpected question.
“I knew you hated me, but I never seemed like a liar.”
Rose looked at Neruan with unwavering eyes.
“It wasn’t me who deceived you, Neruan.”
Neruan’s pupils dilated at the sharp point.
"You shamelessly accused me of being a vulgar person. How despicable."
He bit his lower lip, unable to say anything.
Neruan was a proud man.
To preserve his family's name, he had run forward, shouldering the burden of those who had already departed.
He could confidently say that he had lived without shame.
But not at this moment.
The words he had uttered to drive out Rose were now a belated shame.
Rose looked up at Neruan.
"Still, thanks to you, I have realized one thing."
She folded her arms and addressed Neruan.
"That I had feelings for the Grand Duke."
"!"
"Neruan, it was thanks to you that I realized it."
Rose spoke each word carefully, as if to show off to him.
Rose smiled faintly and then continued speaking.
"And, I really want you to come to the conference in two days. I really want to show you how serious I am about this business."
I'll make it clear to Neruan, who's ignored my efforts so far.
With those words, Rose turned her back on Neruan.
Seeing Neruan's speechless face, her frozen heart eased a little.
The unnecessary worry was over.
'I don't have to worry about being misunderstood anymore.'
She couldn't even begin to imagine how anxious she'd been, worried that her relationship might be misunderstood.
Having suffered the heartache of her ex-husband's infidelity, she didn't want to inflict the same pain on Princess Mederion. Even if it was a misunderstanding.
Furthermore, she hated being framed as someone who stole another man's when she had done nothing wrong.
Rose, who detested infidels, was truly repulsed by being treated the same way.
Rose's footsteps seemed remarkably light as she left the garden.
The uncomfortable feelings swept away.
'The rumor about having a fiancée was a lie, after all,'
The Princess of Mederion, and even Neruan admitted.
'Then who will the Grand Duke marry...?'
He had clearly said they would get married...
Rose recalled her conversation with the Grand Duke, when they had discussed when the wedding should take place.
Rose, who had been walking briskly, suddenly stopped. And stood still.
'Because I can marry you,'
Rose muttered, her eyes wavering as she stared into space.
“Surely... I’m the one you’re going to marry?”
There was confusion in Rose’s voice.
“Young Lady, are you okay?”
Julius called out to Rose, who was frozen like a stone.
“Young Lady?”
Julius’s voice couldn’t reach the shocked Rose.
Rose, unfocused, just stared blankly into space.
Julius grabbed Rose’s shoulder. Then he called out to her once more.
“Young Lady Serviat.”
Rose, momentarily out of her senses, finally looked at Julius.
“Ah...”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay.”
Julius’s lips curled up at Rose’s bewildered appearance.
“You misunderstood Lucas and me.”
“...I naturally assumed the Princess was the Grand Duke’s fiancée.”
“Why did you think that?”
‘Why did I think that?’
Because the Grand Duke and Julius matched well?
Was I surprised by their casual attitude toward each other?
‘...No. It was because of Neruan.'
It took only a few seconds to find the answer.
Rose pictured Neruan's face.
He had definitely said that the Grand Duke had a fiancée.
Moreover, he had even dropped meaningful words about Princess Mederion, as if she were the Grand Duke's fiancée.
Julius spoke softly to Rose, who was speechless.
"Hmm. It seems someone told Young Lady that Lucas had a fiancée."
This time, Julius saw through Rose's inner thoughts.
He leaned in closer, his expression intensely interested.
"Who could it be?"
A husky voice echoed lowly.
Rose felt uncomfortable with Julius's approach.
Even if they were of the same sex, being so close that you could see through their pores was uncomfortable.
She took a step back as Julius approached.
Julius straightened his back and closed his eyes into crescent-shaped ones.
"Aren't you going to tell me?"
At his words, Rose only gave a faint smile.
“Well, it’s okay. I’ll know right away even if Young Lady doesn’t tell me.”
Was I surprised by their casual attitude toward each other?
‘...No. It was because of Neruan.'
It took only a few seconds to find the answer.
Rose pictured Neruan's face.
He had definitely said that the Grand Duke had a fiancée.
Moreover, he had even dropped meaningful words about Princess Mederion, as if she were the Grand Duke's fiancée.
Julius spoke softly to Rose, who was speechless.
"Hmm. It seems someone told Young Lady that Lucas had a fiancée."
This time, Julius saw through Rose's inner thoughts.
He leaned in closer, his expression intensely interested.
"Who could it be?"
A husky voice echoed lowly.
Rose felt uncomfortable with Julius's approach.
Even if they were of the same sex, being so close that you could see through their pores was uncomfortable.
She took a step back as Julius approached.
Julius straightened his back and closed his eyes into crescent-shaped ones.
"Aren't you going to tell me?"
At his words, Rose only gave a faint smile.
“Well, it’s okay. I’ll know right away even if Young Lady doesn’t tell me.”
He’ll figure it out while staying in this mansion.
He maintained his relaxed demeanor.
“Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, you’re not uncomfortable being with me, right?”
Julius reached out his hand to Rose.
“I’m not related to Lucas in any way. You don’t have to worry about distancing yourself from me.”
His bright eyes were incredibly welcoming.
Rose cautiously gazed at Julius, who had reached out.
“Oh, my arm is about to fall off.”
Julius joked when Rose didn’t take his hand.
Rose, perhaps realizing it, quickly grabbed Julius’ hand. She couldn’t be rude to Princess Mederion.
Julius finally looked satisfied.
Rose tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
“Oh, I thought you had nice hands.”
Julius's hand was unexpectedly firm.
She could feel calluses on her palms as she held them, just like when she had held Serun's.
'Does the Princess practice swordsmanship?'
She doesn't think she's ever heard that before... In that moment of inexplicable déjà vu,
"Young Lady, let's be friends."
He offered Rose once again. To be his friend.
"Huh?"
"I quite like you, Young Lady. So let's be friends."
Rose was taken aback by Julius's sudden words.
"Do you perhaps dislike me?"
"Uh... no! That's not true."
"Then we can be friends."
Julius gripped both of Rose's hands tightly.
She couldn't bring herself to refuse him, who was looking at her with sparkling eyes.
"Yes, that's fine. Let's be friends."
His voice was reluctant, but Julius's smile was brighter than anyone else's.
“Thank you. Oh, you haven’t had anything to eat since morning, so you’re hungry, right? Hurry up and have this.”
Julius pulled Rose by the hand and led her towards the table. He then forced her into a chair.
“You have to take things easy. You don’t want to collapse like that.”
Julius took a seat across from Rose. He rested his chin on both hands and looked at her.
“I’m not hungry.”
- Growling.
As soon as she finished speaking, Rose's stomach horn rang.
'...Did you hear that?'
She felt a bit embarrassed. The sound reverberated as soon as she spoke.
Rose glanced at Julius, studying his expression.
He was staring blankly at her. He quietly placed a fork in Rose's hand.
"The body doesn't lie."
"Ah, hahaha."
She heard everything.
Rose gave an awkward laugh, scratching her cheek.
It would be better to eat before the noise gets any louder.
Rose slurped down some food and put it in her mouth.
She'd thought she had no appetite, but the food actually made her mouth water.
"Our Lucas' heart is full, so don't refuse and eat."
"Phew!"
The food in her mouth flew everywhere.
Rose's face turned red from hearing the compliment, and she coughed.
"Cough! Cough!"
"Oh, drink some water."
Julius handed a water to the flustered Rose.
Rose gulped it down in a rush. Then, she looked at Julius with a puzzled expression.
“Are you uncomfortable with me staring at you? I’ll make room for you, so you can eat comfortably.”
Julius slowly rose from his seat.
He left Rose in a daze and abruptly left the room.
Left alone, Rose’s face was still flushed.
“You said you put a lot of your heart into it...”
It was an embarrassing statement.
It sounded as if the Grand Duke had feelings for her.
‘The Grand Duke treats me specially... It’s not just my delusion, is it?’
Julius’s words somewhat cleared up the misunderstanding, but a corner of her heart still felt uneasy.
Why did the Grand Duke tell her not to associate with Julia? And...
Rose put down her fork in the middle of her meal. She picked up the napkin on her lap and carefully wiped the corner of her mouth.
Rose got up and quietly left the room.
She had to meet Neruan.
***
Arriving in the garden, Rose looked around.
Neruan was nowhere to be seen.
“It must be time to come back after walking Finn...”
He took Finn out for a walk at the appointed time. He had often passed by and seen them.
As if Rose’s prediction was correct, Finn’s meowing could be heard from afar.
Did he even notice Rose was in the garden?
Finn ran at a terrifying speed.
-Woof, woof!
“Finn!”
Rose stretched out her hand toward Finn.
He was running so fast that Neruan, holding Finn’s leash, seemed to be struggling.
Neruan hurriedly chased after Finn, lest he lose the leash.
-Woof, woof, woof!
Finn approached noisily and rubbed his body against Rose.
Rose bent down and carefully stroked Finn’s fur.
“Did you have a good walk?”
Finn's tail waggled repeatedly, as if it were pleased with Rose's touch.
"Are you not even paying attention to me, who always takes you for walks, Finn?"
came Neruan's disgruntled voice.
Neruan grumbled and approached Rose.
Rose, who had been enjoying her reunion with Finn, stood up and faced him.
"Did you have a good walk?"
Rose spoke with a completely different air than yesterday.
Neruan's brow furrowed at her appearance.
"...What is it? You looked like you were going to die just yesterday. You recovered in just one day."
Julius had appeared, and everything was going according to plan. If everything had been as expected, Rose should have been feeling down by now...
"I thought you were feeling down because you didn't eat breakfast, but that's not true at all."
A strange foreboding filled her.
"As you can see, I had a good time."
"I see."
Rose looked at Neruan with a relaxed expression.
"I've been waiting."
"Me... you mean?"
Neruan asked, as if he couldn't believe his ears.
"Yes. There's something I want to confirm."
Neruan's eyebrows twitched uncomfortably as he looked at Rose. He handed the leash he was holding to a nearby attendant and nodded.
The attendant took the leash with trembling hands.
"Let's go. Finn. I'll feed you."
Finn had barked ferociously at the attendants, too. He was also large enough to instill fear in people.
Finn, who would normally have growled, seemed to realize he was going out to eat, and followed the servant, wagging his tail.
After Neruan watched Finn quietly leave, he turned to Rose.
“Go ahead.”
“Is Princess Mederion the Grand Duke’s fiancée?”
Neruan let out a deep breath at Rose’s direct question.
He raised his head haughtily and nodded in agreement.
“Yes. That’s right.”
There was not an inch of hesitation in his answer.
“I guess that’s what you were curious about.”
Rose was astonished at how shamelessly Neruan had deceived her.
'As expected, it was all a lie.'
Seeing Rose’s silence, Neruan added,
“Do I really need to hear it to know? Anyone can see that Princess Mederion and His Highness the Grand Duke are very close.”
A strange foreboding filled her.
"As you can see, I had a good time."
"I see."
Rose looked at Neruan with a relaxed expression.
"I've been waiting."
"Me... you mean?"
Neruan asked, as if he couldn't believe his ears.
"Yes. There's something I want to confirm."
Neruan's eyebrows twitched uncomfortably as he looked at Rose. He handed the leash he was holding to a nearby attendant and nodded.
The attendant took the leash with trembling hands.
"Let's go. Finn. I'll feed you."
Finn had barked ferociously at the attendants, too. He was also large enough to instill fear in people.
Finn, who would normally have growled, seemed to realize he was going out to eat, and followed the servant, wagging his tail.
After Neruan watched Finn quietly leave, he turned to Rose.
“Go ahead.”
“Is Princess Mederion the Grand Duke’s fiancée?”
Neruan let out a deep breath at Rose’s direct question.
He raised his head haughtily and nodded in agreement.
“Yes. That’s right.”
There was not an inch of hesitation in his answer.
“I guess that’s what you were curious about.”
Rose was astonished at how shamelessly Neruan had deceived her.
'As expected, it was all a lie.'
Seeing Rose’s silence, Neruan added,
“Do I really need to hear it to know? Anyone can see that Princess Mederion and His Highness the Grand Duke are very close.”
How could he lie so brazenly, without even wiping his lips? Rose calmly stared at Neruan.
“Stop pretending not to care about His Highness the Grand Duke. Princess Mederion is a jealous woman.”
Neruan, delighted by Rose’s silence, continued to babble on and on.
“She's in a position to eliminate the daughter of a fallen family without anyone noticing.”
Neruan’s words seemed intimidating.
Rose, who had been silently listening to him, relaxedly raised the corners of her mouth.
“Are you smiling?”
Neruan couldn’t understand Rose’s relaxed smile.
However, his face relaxed as Rose continued to speak.
“Yes. I guess I should stop now.”
He finally got the answer he wanted.
Rose is giving up on the Grand Duke!
Neruan secretly exulted.
And then, without even knowing what Rose was about to say, he smiled brightly.
“I’m going to stop deceiving my heart.”
As Rose spoke, Neruan sensed something was wrong.
The corners of his lips, which had been raised to the sky, suddenly grew cold.
“...What are you saying?”
“Stop pretending not to care about His Highness the Grand Duke. Princess Mederion is a jealous woman.”
Neruan, delighted by Rose’s silence, continued to babble on and on.
“She's in a position to eliminate the daughter of a fallen family without anyone noticing.”
Neruan’s words seemed intimidating.
Rose, who had been silently listening to him, relaxedly raised the corners of her mouth.
“Are you smiling?”
Neruan couldn’t understand Rose’s relaxed smile.
However, his face relaxed as Rose continued to speak.
“Yes. I guess I should stop now.”
He finally got the answer he wanted.
Rose is giving up on the Grand Duke!
Neruan secretly exulted.
And then, without even knowing what Rose was about to say, he smiled brightly.
“I’m going to stop deceiving my heart.”
As Rose spoke, Neruan sensed something was wrong.
The corners of his lips, which had been raised to the sky, suddenly grew cold.
“...What are you saying?”
“I mean, I’ll be honest with my feelings now. I won’t try to deny my feelings.”
Neruan’s expression sank heavily at Rose’s words.
“Are you saying you can’t give up even though he has a fiancée?”
He looked at Rose with a cold gaze.
“It sounds like you’re saying you’ll settle down in this mansion. Are you saying you’ll insist on becoming the Grand Duke’s mistress?”
“Neruan, speak clearly.”
Rose cut him off and spoke confidently.
“Your Highness, he doesn’t have a fiancée.”
“...!”
How could you...? ”
Neruan couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the unexpected question.
“I knew you hated me, but I never seemed like a liar.”
Rose looked at Neruan with unwavering eyes.
“It wasn’t me who deceived you, Neruan.”
Neruan’s pupils dilated at the sharp point.
"You shamelessly accused me of being a vulgar person. How despicable."
He bit his lower lip, unable to say anything.
Neruan was a proud man.
To preserve his family's name, he had run forward, shouldering the burden of those who had already departed.
He could confidently say that he had lived without shame.
But not at this moment.
The words he had uttered to drive out Rose were now a belated shame.
Rose looked up at Neruan.
"Still, thanks to you, I have realized one thing."
She folded her arms and addressed Neruan.
"That I had feelings for the Grand Duke."
"!"
"Neruan, it was thanks to you that I realized it."
Rose spoke each word carefully, as if to show off to him.
Rose smiled faintly and then continued speaking.
"And, I really want you to come to the conference in two days. I really want to show you how serious I am about this business."
I'll make it clear to Neruan, who's ignored my efforts so far.
With those words, Rose turned her back on Neruan.
Seeing Neruan's speechless face, her frozen heart eased a little.
The unnecessary worry was over.
'I don't have to worry about being misunderstood anymore.'
She couldn't even begin to imagine how anxious she'd been, worried that her relationship might be misunderstood.
Having suffered the heartache of her ex-husband's infidelity, she didn't want to inflict the same pain on Princess Mederion. Even if it was a misunderstanding.
Furthermore, she hated being framed as someone who stole another man's when she had done nothing wrong.
Rose, who detested infidels, was truly repulsed by being treated the same way.
Rose's footsteps seemed remarkably light as she left the garden.
The uncomfortable feelings swept away.
'The rumor about having a fiancée was a lie, after all,'
The Princess of Mederion, and even Neruan admitted.
'Then who will the Grand Duke marry...?'
He had clearly said they would get married...
Rose recalled her conversation with the Grand Duke, when they had discussed when the wedding should take place.
Rose, who had been walking briskly, suddenly stopped. And stood still.
'Because I can marry you,'
Rose muttered, her eyes wavering as she stared into space.
“Surely... I’m the one you’re going to marry?”
There was confusion in Rose’s voice.
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