Episode 132. Luna's Tears and Rose
His unwavering gaze met Rose's.
He seemed convinced that Rose possessed Luna's tears.
At the Grand Duke's words, Rose unconsciously touched her neck.
Her slender, straight neck was free of any accessories.
She stroked her neck repeatedly, as if checking its utter bareness.
'Luna's tears... I don't know about that.'
The Grand Duke of Artaeum seemed to be pressuring her.
She swallowed hard. It felt as if a storm was about to break through her peaceful relationship with the Grand Duke.
An ominous feeling of foreboding washed over her. The Grand Duke's gaze made her cringe.
She had done nothing wrong, but she felt as if she were a sinner.
If she truly possessed Luna's tears, which should belong to Cedric, the trust she had built with the Grand Duke might be shattered.
'...Because you might think I’m in cahoots with Cedric.’
Rose glanced at the Grand Duke's face. His eyes were as confident as ever.
She doesn’t know why the Grand Duke thought this way.
She never worn a necklace similar to Luna’s Tears, and she doesn’t have anything around her neck right now.
If that’s true, then it’s not because she's certain of it based on the necklace, but because there were other factors at play...
Rose reflected on her actions.
What could have been so special that could have caused the Grand Duke to misunderstand?
The thought didn’t last long.
‘Could it be that Luna’s Tears are related to monsters?’
The only thing that was different from usual was the presence of monsters in her room.
Baby monsters are trembling around her.
Rose’s expression, which had been puzzling, soon hardened into conviction.
‘It’s definitely related to monsters. Otherwise, the Grand Duke wouldn’t have suddenly asked.’
The baby monsters huddled together and hid behind Rose as if she were their protector.
A soft cotton ball tickled her leg. The touch wasn't unpleasant, but the pitiful trembling of their bodies was palpable.
Rose decided to get the monsters out safely. She then immediately checked Finn's movements.
Finn was wagging his tail, as if he'd never been wild.
"He doesn't seem to have any intention of attacking."
Then, she thought, "Now is the time to let them out. "
Rose pointed to the wide-open window and whispered,
"Get out this way."
At the sound of Rose's soft voice, the baby monsters' eyes flashed red. They all moved in unison and left the room in a single file.
The Grand Duke's eyebrows rose slightly as he watched. No matter how curious and gentle the baby monsters were, they couldn't have listened so well to humans.
Rose, on the other hand, didn't notice anything unusual about her own behavior. In Rose's eyes, the baby monsters were obedient, no different from adorable puppies.
Before she knew it, only Rose, the Grand Duke, and Finn remained in the room.
The Grand Duke remained silent. He simply looked at her, demanding an explanation.
'I guess I need to clear up the Grand Duke misunderstanding first.'
She had wasted too much time.
'I need to tell him that Luna's tears have nothing to do with me.'
The young monsters who had entered her room were just naive children who had entered without knowing anything. Rose didn't believe that the current situation had anything to do with her abilities.
Moreover, she had left all her accessories behind when she left Count Wence's household. Therefore, Rose believed that Luna's tears could not possibly exist within her.
She parted her tightly closed lips and opened her mouth. And just as she was about to speak to the Grand Duke,
'If I say I don't know anything... will the Grand Duke believe me?'
A sudden worry struck her.
What if the Grand Duke, who had been smiling so affectionately at her, suddenly turned cold? What if he wouldn't believe her even if she said no... what would she do then?
Fear washed over Rose as she pictured the Grand Duke glaring at her with cold eyes. However, Rose's fear didn't last long.
'...What can I do? I have to maintain my innocence until he believes me.'
Rose's eyes, which had been trembling with anxiety, quickly regained their composure. She raised her gaze, which had been downcast, to meet the Grand Duke's.
Luna's tears and all, she had never actually touched the jewel.
"I haven't done anything that would arouse your suspicions, Grand Duke."
Rose leisurely crossed her arms and slightly raised her head, her expression confident, as if she were inviting him to come if he wanted to.
The Grand Duke, who had been staring at Rose silently, finally spoke.
"You..."
A calm voice echoed softly.
Rose, who was pretending nothing was wrong, had become parched.
Preparing for her first fight with her lover, Rose felt like a warrior standing in the middle of a battlefield.
Her mental preparations were now complete.
She gazed at the Grand Duke with a serious expression when something unexpected came to her.
“You took Luna’s tears from Cedric, right?”
“...Yes?”
...You think so? You’re not doubting me?
“As expected, you’re an unpredictable woman. How could you surprise me like this?”
Suddenly, the energy vanished.
She had been preparing herself thoroughly, but instead of doubting herself, he flattered her.
“No, that’s...”
It seemed her anxious premonitions were sometimes wrong.
Rose looked at the Grand Duke with a bewildered expression. While she was indeed overjoyed that there had been no misunderstanding, her bewilderment was even greater.
“You have Luna’s tears? Why did you hide them from me all this time?”
The Grand Duke approached Rose, who was frozen stiffly, and lightly ruffled her hair. A wisp of disheveled hair stuck out from Rose's forehead.
"I've been quite confused by what Duke Flice said. Cedric controlling monsters was a huge threat. But now I can worry less."
Rose's mind was filled with a new worry.
The Grand Duke's face was flushed.
If Rose had said, "I don't have that?", he would have immediately expressed disappointment.
"Wait a minute."
But she had to say what needed to be said. She couldn't pretend to have something she didn't have just to see his delight.
The Grand Duke looked at Rose's voice, which sounded somewhat urgent.
"I really don't have Luna's Tears."
The Grand Duke furrowed his brow in confusion at Rose's words.
"You just showed me your power, so why are you lying like this?"
"Luna's Tears are related to monsters, right?"
Instead of answering, Rose turned to the Grand Duke of Artaeum and asked a question as if to confirm. The Grand Duke nodded faintly, looking at Rose.
“I don’t know how they came into my room, but they really have nothing to do with me. Animals tend to follow me around, and like Finn here, they seem to simply find me friendly.”
“Monsters aren’t animals. And... Finn has monster blood in his veins.”
She made an excuse, but it ended up proving that she didn’t have.
“Besides, Finn, handling this guy is no easy task. Sometimes it’s a burden even for me, his master. But you’re not like that. Just look at him.”
He pointed to Finn, who was quietly wagging his tail.
“He's just sitting there, just like you ordered, not moving an inch.”
“Isn’t that because the Grand Duke trained him so well?”
“Training...”
The Grand Duke smiled faintly at Rose’s words.
“Finn is a very bright guy, enough to follow training. However, that doesn’t mean he’ll blindly obey me.”
He was as smart as he was confident.
The Grand Duke gave Finn various instructions, as if to confirm his point. However, Finn's eyes were fixed on Rose. He was solely focused on Rose.
Finn seemed to respond by pricking up his ears to the Grand Duke's words, but did nothing. In fact, he even pushed the Grand Duke aside, seemingly annoyed by his blocking vision. His huge forepaws squashed the Grand Duke's face savagely. The Grand Duke gave a hollow laugh, as if he was used to it, and spoke to Rose.
"Say anything to Finn."
Rose, with a half-doubted expression, extended both hands toward Finn.
"Come here."
The creature, which had been acting arrogantly at the Grand Duke's words, came running as soon as Rose finished speaking. Finn, who charged with his massive body, repeatedly licked Rose's face.
"Ahaha. It tickles. Stop."
Rose gurgled and gently pushed Finn away, and as if by magic, Finn stopped.
"Finn?"
Normally, even if he told him to stop, he wouldn't stop and would cover his face in spit.
'What is this?'
Even Rose gradually felt something was strange. She spat out various commands at Finn.
"Bark!"
-Woof!
"Be quiet."
-...
Finn stuck out his huge tongue and panted as he looked at Rose.
'You really obey my orders?'
Was it because he heard the Grand Duke's words? Finn's actions felt different than usual.
'But everything I tell him to do is ordinary.'
For a well-trained dog, these were ordinary, everyday things.
'If the Grand Duke's words are true...'
Rose trailed off, swallowing hard. She would give him orders she would never normally give.
'You will carry out my orders.'
She ordered Finn to remain still and moved to the far corner of the room, ensuring a safe distance between them.
She exhaled softly and stared at Finn with determination. Then,
"Finn, bite me."
She gave the order to attack her.
In an instant, Finn's eyes flashed red. He bared his sharp teeth and lunged at her like a beast without any warning.
His massive body flew forward menacingly. Finn, who had suddenly rushed forward, leaped high as if aiming for Rose's neck.
"Rose!"
This wasn't how I asked you to test your abilities!
The Grand Duke immediately prepared to use magic, reaching out for Finn. A pure white flash erupted from his fingertips. And,
“Stop!”
Before he could even use his magic, Rose’s single word brought the situation to a halt.
Finn, who had been charging at him like an animal, tucked his tail between his legs and collapsed to the ground as if nothing had happened.
‘It’s stopped... It’s over.’
Rose froze stiffly, panting heavily.
“Haa... haa...”
She must have been scared despite her brazen actions. Beads of sweat formed on her pale face.
‘Really... I thought I was going to die.’
The sight of Finn aiming for her neck without a moment’s hesitation.
She had no idea that the affectionate Finn would attack so ferociously.
Rose’s right hand, which had been wrapping her neck, trembled. She slowly lowered her hand and looked at her palm.
It was sticky. Red drops of blood trickled down her fingers.
Was it from seeing blood? Her throat stung and ached belatedly. He dodged Finn's teeth, which were aiming for his windpipe, but it seemed she couldn't avoid her claws.
"Damn it!"
The Grand Duke cursed, unable to control his anger. He then approached Rose with a pained expression.
"What on earth have you done?"
He snatched the cloth from the table and approached Rose. He then immediately stopped the bleeding on Rose's neck.
"If you were going to give such an order... You should have told me. You should have told him to bite me!!"
The Grand Duke's voice rang out sharply as he shouted.
This was the first time he had shouted at Rose.
Beneath his trembling eyebrows, a painfully contorted face was visible. Rose's heart also felt uneasy at the sight of the Grand Duke in agony. However, Rose couldn't help it. She couldn't hurt the person she loved just to test her abilities.
Rose smiled as if this was nothing and spoke softly.
"I can't let the Grand Duke get hurt because of me."
“Then, are you okay?”
“Don’t worry too much. It doesn’t hurt much.”
Every time she spoke, blood flowed out, colorless despite her smile. The cloth that had been stopping the bleeding became damp.
“...Don’t say anything. I’ll tell you later.”
The Grand Duke’s eyes shook helplessly as he watched the soaking cloth. His eyes, distorted with misery, turned to Rose.
Grand Duke Artaeum was speechless before hugging Rose’s body tightly.
The Grand Duke’s breathing was extremely irregular, as if he were quite surprised. His hot breath was directly transmitted to Rose.
“Please... You...”
...Don’t leave me.
The Grand Duke’s voice, heard softly, was trembling to the point of pitiful sadness.
Now he had finally found a place to put his heart.
He didn’t want to... lose anyone precious to him anymore.
His unwavering gaze met Rose's.
He seemed convinced that Rose possessed Luna's tears.
At the Grand Duke's words, Rose unconsciously touched her neck.
Her slender, straight neck was free of any accessories.
She stroked her neck repeatedly, as if checking its utter bareness.
'Luna's tears... I don't know about that.'
The Grand Duke of Artaeum seemed to be pressuring her.
She swallowed hard. It felt as if a storm was about to break through her peaceful relationship with the Grand Duke.
An ominous feeling of foreboding washed over her. The Grand Duke's gaze made her cringe.
She had done nothing wrong, but she felt as if she were a sinner.
If she truly possessed Luna's tears, which should belong to Cedric, the trust she had built with the Grand Duke might be shattered.
'...Because you might think I’m in cahoots with Cedric.’
Rose glanced at the Grand Duke's face. His eyes were as confident as ever.
She doesn’t know why the Grand Duke thought this way.
She never worn a necklace similar to Luna’s Tears, and she doesn’t have anything around her neck right now.
If that’s true, then it’s not because she's certain of it based on the necklace, but because there were other factors at play...
Rose reflected on her actions.
What could have been so special that could have caused the Grand Duke to misunderstand?
The thought didn’t last long.
‘Could it be that Luna’s Tears are related to monsters?’
The only thing that was different from usual was the presence of monsters in her room.
Baby monsters are trembling around her.
Rose’s expression, which had been puzzling, soon hardened into conviction.
‘It’s definitely related to monsters. Otherwise, the Grand Duke wouldn’t have suddenly asked.’
The baby monsters huddled together and hid behind Rose as if she were their protector.
A soft cotton ball tickled her leg. The touch wasn't unpleasant, but the pitiful trembling of their bodies was palpable.
Rose decided to get the monsters out safely. She then immediately checked Finn's movements.
Finn was wagging his tail, as if he'd never been wild.
"He doesn't seem to have any intention of attacking."
Then, she thought, "Now is the time to let them out. "
Rose pointed to the wide-open window and whispered,
"Get out this way."
At the sound of Rose's soft voice, the baby monsters' eyes flashed red. They all moved in unison and left the room in a single file.
The Grand Duke's eyebrows rose slightly as he watched. No matter how curious and gentle the baby monsters were, they couldn't have listened so well to humans.
Rose, on the other hand, didn't notice anything unusual about her own behavior. In Rose's eyes, the baby monsters were obedient, no different from adorable puppies.
Before she knew it, only Rose, the Grand Duke, and Finn remained in the room.
The Grand Duke remained silent. He simply looked at her, demanding an explanation.
'I guess I need to clear up the Grand Duke misunderstanding first.'
She had wasted too much time.
'I need to tell him that Luna's tears have nothing to do with me.'
The young monsters who had entered her room were just naive children who had entered without knowing anything. Rose didn't believe that the current situation had anything to do with her abilities.
Moreover, she had left all her accessories behind when she left Count Wence's household. Therefore, Rose believed that Luna's tears could not possibly exist within her.
She parted her tightly closed lips and opened her mouth. And just as she was about to speak to the Grand Duke,
'If I say I don't know anything... will the Grand Duke believe me?'
A sudden worry struck her.
What if the Grand Duke, who had been smiling so affectionately at her, suddenly turned cold? What if he wouldn't believe her even if she said no... what would she do then?
Fear washed over Rose as she pictured the Grand Duke glaring at her with cold eyes. However, Rose's fear didn't last long.
'...What can I do? I have to maintain my innocence until he believes me.'
Rose's eyes, which had been trembling with anxiety, quickly regained their composure. She raised her gaze, which had been downcast, to meet the Grand Duke's.
Luna's tears and all, she had never actually touched the jewel.
"I haven't done anything that would arouse your suspicions, Grand Duke."
Rose leisurely crossed her arms and slightly raised her head, her expression confident, as if she were inviting him to come if he wanted to.
The Grand Duke, who had been staring at Rose silently, finally spoke.
"You..."
A calm voice echoed softly.
Rose, who was pretending nothing was wrong, had become parched.
Preparing for her first fight with her lover, Rose felt like a warrior standing in the middle of a battlefield.
Her mental preparations were now complete.
She gazed at the Grand Duke with a serious expression when something unexpected came to her.
“You took Luna’s tears from Cedric, right?”
“...Yes?”
...You think so? You’re not doubting me?
“As expected, you’re an unpredictable woman. How could you surprise me like this?”
Suddenly, the energy vanished.
She had been preparing herself thoroughly, but instead of doubting herself, he flattered her.
“No, that’s...”
It seemed her anxious premonitions were sometimes wrong.
Rose looked at the Grand Duke with a bewildered expression. While she was indeed overjoyed that there had been no misunderstanding, her bewilderment was even greater.
“You have Luna’s tears? Why did you hide them from me all this time?”
The Grand Duke approached Rose, who was frozen stiffly, and lightly ruffled her hair. A wisp of disheveled hair stuck out from Rose's forehead.
"I've been quite confused by what Duke Flice said. Cedric controlling monsters was a huge threat. But now I can worry less."
Rose's mind was filled with a new worry.
The Grand Duke's face was flushed.
If Rose had said, "I don't have that?", he would have immediately expressed disappointment.
"Wait a minute."
But she had to say what needed to be said. She couldn't pretend to have something she didn't have just to see his delight.
The Grand Duke looked at Rose's voice, which sounded somewhat urgent.
"I really don't have Luna's Tears."
The Grand Duke furrowed his brow in confusion at Rose's words.
"You just showed me your power, so why are you lying like this?"
"Luna's Tears are related to monsters, right?"
Instead of answering, Rose turned to the Grand Duke of Artaeum and asked a question as if to confirm. The Grand Duke nodded faintly, looking at Rose.
“I don’t know how they came into my room, but they really have nothing to do with me. Animals tend to follow me around, and like Finn here, they seem to simply find me friendly.”
“Monsters aren’t animals. And... Finn has monster blood in his veins.”
She made an excuse, but it ended up proving that she didn’t have.
“Besides, Finn, handling this guy is no easy task. Sometimes it’s a burden even for me, his master. But you’re not like that. Just look at him.”
He pointed to Finn, who was quietly wagging his tail.
“He's just sitting there, just like you ordered, not moving an inch.”
“Isn’t that because the Grand Duke trained him so well?”
“Training...”
The Grand Duke smiled faintly at Rose’s words.
“Finn is a very bright guy, enough to follow training. However, that doesn’t mean he’ll blindly obey me.”
He was as smart as he was confident.
The Grand Duke gave Finn various instructions, as if to confirm his point. However, Finn's eyes were fixed on Rose. He was solely focused on Rose.
Finn seemed to respond by pricking up his ears to the Grand Duke's words, but did nothing. In fact, he even pushed the Grand Duke aside, seemingly annoyed by his blocking vision. His huge forepaws squashed the Grand Duke's face savagely. The Grand Duke gave a hollow laugh, as if he was used to it, and spoke to Rose.
"Say anything to Finn."
Rose, with a half-doubted expression, extended both hands toward Finn.
"Come here."
The creature, which had been acting arrogantly at the Grand Duke's words, came running as soon as Rose finished speaking. Finn, who charged with his massive body, repeatedly licked Rose's face.
"Ahaha. It tickles. Stop."
Rose gurgled and gently pushed Finn away, and as if by magic, Finn stopped.
"Finn?"
Normally, even if he told him to stop, he wouldn't stop and would cover his face in spit.
'What is this?'
Even Rose gradually felt something was strange. She spat out various commands at Finn.
"Bark!"
-Woof!
"Be quiet."
-...
Finn stuck out his huge tongue and panted as he looked at Rose.
'You really obey my orders?'
Was it because he heard the Grand Duke's words? Finn's actions felt different than usual.
'But everything I tell him to do is ordinary.'
For a well-trained dog, these were ordinary, everyday things.
'If the Grand Duke's words are true...'
Rose trailed off, swallowing hard. She would give him orders she would never normally give.
'You will carry out my orders.'
She ordered Finn to remain still and moved to the far corner of the room, ensuring a safe distance between them.
She exhaled softly and stared at Finn with determination. Then,
"Finn, bite me."
She gave the order to attack her.
In an instant, Finn's eyes flashed red. He bared his sharp teeth and lunged at her like a beast without any warning.
His massive body flew forward menacingly. Finn, who had suddenly rushed forward, leaped high as if aiming for Rose's neck.
"Rose!"
This wasn't how I asked you to test your abilities!
The Grand Duke immediately prepared to use magic, reaching out for Finn. A pure white flash erupted from his fingertips. And,
“Stop!”
Before he could even use his magic, Rose’s single word brought the situation to a halt.
Finn, who had been charging at him like an animal, tucked his tail between his legs and collapsed to the ground as if nothing had happened.
‘It’s stopped... It’s over.’
Rose froze stiffly, panting heavily.
“Haa... haa...”
She must have been scared despite her brazen actions. Beads of sweat formed on her pale face.
‘Really... I thought I was going to die.’
The sight of Finn aiming for her neck without a moment’s hesitation.
She had no idea that the affectionate Finn would attack so ferociously.
Rose’s right hand, which had been wrapping her neck, trembled. She slowly lowered her hand and looked at her palm.
It was sticky. Red drops of blood trickled down her fingers.
Was it from seeing blood? Her throat stung and ached belatedly. He dodged Finn's teeth, which were aiming for his windpipe, but it seemed she couldn't avoid her claws.
"Damn it!"
The Grand Duke cursed, unable to control his anger. He then approached Rose with a pained expression.
"What on earth have you done?"
He snatched the cloth from the table and approached Rose. He then immediately stopped the bleeding on Rose's neck.
"If you were going to give such an order... You should have told me. You should have told him to bite me!!"
The Grand Duke's voice rang out sharply as he shouted.
This was the first time he had shouted at Rose.
Beneath his trembling eyebrows, a painfully contorted face was visible. Rose's heart also felt uneasy at the sight of the Grand Duke in agony. However, Rose couldn't help it. She couldn't hurt the person she loved just to test her abilities.
Rose smiled as if this was nothing and spoke softly.
"I can't let the Grand Duke get hurt because of me."
“Then, are you okay?”
“Don’t worry too much. It doesn’t hurt much.”
Every time she spoke, blood flowed out, colorless despite her smile. The cloth that had been stopping the bleeding became damp.
“...Don’t say anything. I’ll tell you later.”
The Grand Duke’s eyes shook helplessly as he watched the soaking cloth. His eyes, distorted with misery, turned to Rose.
Grand Duke Artaeum was speechless before hugging Rose’s body tightly.
The Grand Duke’s breathing was extremely irregular, as if he were quite surprised. His hot breath was directly transmitted to Rose.
“Please... You...”
...Don’t leave me.
The Grand Duke’s voice, heard softly, was trembling to the point of pitiful sadness.
Now he had finally found a place to put his heart.
He didn’t want to... lose anyone precious to him anymore.
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