Having forgotten why he covered her mouth, the two stared at each other blankly.

Suddenly, as Roselia’s lips touched Klaus’s hand through her mumbling, Klaus’s muscles stiffened as if shocked. Soon, Klaus, taken aback by his own reaction, quickly removed his hand from her lips and stepped back.

Clearing his throat, Klaus forced a nonchalant tone and said, “I’ll look into the Duke’s estate separately.”

Roselia, who had been just as stiff as Klaus, suddenly snapped out of it and awkwardly lowered her head.

“Um, then I’ll leave now.”

Watching Roselia hurry out as if escaping, Klaus sighed and rubbed his forehead with a confused expression.

What was that strange atmosphere just now?

Why is my heart pounding again?

In this situation that he couldn’t comprehend, Klaus nervously swept his bangs aside.

Whether it was when he was trapped in the building debris with Antonio last time or now… Could it be… Is he inclined that way?

But the emotions he felt for his sister, Roselia, were undoubtedly a rational liking.

Could it be that he unknowingly has a bisexual orientation?

Doubting his own identity, Klaus remained frozen for a while.

⭐⭐⭐

In the middle of a room that was unnecessarily spacious to call it a bedroom, a giant bed was placed where several women were lying down.

The man who had been lying with the women, without showing any sign of surprise at the shadows entering the room, got up from the bed, put on a gown, and went down.

The man, possessing a golden aura with silvery hair, looked much younger than his actual age in his early thirties, defying the fact that he was in his forties.

As the man put a pipe in his mouth, two women who were lying down behind him began to caress his waist and chest.

As a high-priced courtesan, each of the enchanting women was slender and attractive.

Ignoring the touches of these women, the man who was observing the shadow cast a glance at the man and spoke in a deep, low voice.

“The hallucinogenic herb meant for Raphelios has been discovered.”

The shadow, lying prostrate on the floor in response to the man’s sonorous voice, replied in a crawling tone, “I apologize.”

Glancing down at the trembling shadow with a tilted head, the man leisurely lit his pipe.

“Too bad.”

It was a calm tone, as if regretting not being able to buy something seen yesterday.

“I wish we had found it in the Imperial Palace.”

The man’s gaze, speaking differently from his calm tone, turned towards the shadow.

With an icy look, different from the calm tone, the shadow bowed his head even more.

“…I apologize.”

The shadow’s posture, as if acknowledging his impending doom, made the man return to his calm demeanor and speak languidly.
“Well, there are plenty of things to mess with between Valtesar and the Crown Prince.”

Saying so, the man who sucked on the lit pipe exhaled a cloud of hazy smoke.

“Who exactly discovered the hallucinogenic herb?”

“I heard it was one of the Duke’s servants.”

“A servant?”

The shadow, recalling the sinister man who followed behind him, frowned.

“Antonio… the one called the brother of Roselia, whom the Duke was looking for.”

“Her brother?”

At the mention of being Roselia’s brother, the man, curious, adjusted his posture, showing interest. In the gaze that seemed to ask for more information, the shadow recounted what he had seen and experienced.

“Yes. But strangely, he resembled her despite not sharing blood. We were about to deal with him, but the Duke suddenly appeared, and the situation got twisted.”

“The Duke saved a servant?”

With a forceful push forward, the man asked, making the shadow feel as if he had said something wrong.

“Yes…”

In response to the man’s question, the shadow, looking puzzled, answered.

“Rogelio said she’s hard to find.”

“Yes, we couldn’t even determine her place of residence.”

“Clément Jacquez must have had a reason for keeping an eye on that servant. She’s an outstanding woman even among the courtesans.”

She was a woman who had once entertained him as a high-priced courtesan.

It was she who had provided information about Clément Jacquez. Although she wore a mask named Lughbella and had enjoyed considerable entertainment for a while, that cunning woman wasn’t caught so easily…

He recalled her desperate gaze at the Blémont Marquis’s reception, where she was being dragged away by the Imperial Guards.

Indeed, one shouldn’t meddle without knowing the subject.

The man, who had twisted his lips and raised an eyebrow, sucked on the pipe again and spoke charmingly.

“Look into the servant called Antonio a bit more.”

“Yes, understood.”

As if he never existed, the shadow disappeared outside the window in an instant.

The silver-haired man removed the courtesan’s hand that was touching his chest and, as if steam rising, rose from the bed, heading towards the bathroom.

⭐⭐⭐

Sitting in a carriage and perusing documents, Klaus glanced briefly at Alejandro sitting across from him before speaking.

“Did you investigate the organization under Duke Rubeleo?”