Surprised, Klaus called her, but Rozelia, with closed eyes, was shivering roughly, her chest heaving.

Her body was too hot.

Only then did Klaus realize that Rozelia’s body was burning. Holding her in his arms, Klaus swiftly entered the mansion.

The head butler, Geoffrey, who had been waiting and had noticed the Duke’s arrival, had to put on a perplexed expression when he saw Antonio in Klaus’s arms.

“Your Grace, what is this…?”

“Antonio’s body is burning! We need to lower Antonio’s fever first.”

Geoffrey, who had been looking awkwardly at the sight of a fainted Antonio and Klaus, quickly regained his composure and bowed his head.

“I will instruct the servants to wipe the body with wet towels. First, let’s hand Antonio over to another servant.”

It was a polite way of saying that there were many onlookers. However, Klaus couldn’t hear such words in his ears.

It stabbed Klaus’s heart to see her crying as if he were the target of her resentment. Klaus quickly carried her into the mansion, realizing that she was crying like she might faint just a moment ago.

At that moment, Closet, who came down from upstairs and found Klaus and Rozelia, rushed over, surprised.

“Antonio!”

While the startled Closet examined Rozelia’s complexion in Klaus’s arms, Geoffrey opened his mouth again with a troubled voice.

“Your Grace, please lay Antonio down first. We will take care of the rest.”

With a puzzled expression, the butler looked alternately between Rozelia and Geoffrey.

Leaving Rozelia to the butler would reveal her true identity sooner or later. Closet, with widened eyes, glanced alternately at Rozelia and the butler.

“Antonio will be nursed by me and my maids.”

With a stern expression, Closet uttered resolutely.

“Madam?”

Closet’s expression remained calm as she played the role of the Duke’s hostess and spoke firmly.

“Mel and my exclusive maids are enough. You don’t need to worry. And other than the maids I have allowed, no one should enter Antonio’s room.”

The butler’s expression, sensing the Duke’s mood, became somewhat twisted.

“Your Grace?”

Closet, with a determined expression, nodded her head, and Klaus, who was looking uneasy, headed decisively toward Antonio’s room where the fever was boiling.
Afterwards, Closet and Melda quickly followed. Klaus, who entered the room, gently laid down the lightly hugged Rozelia on the bed. Soon after, Melda and Closet’s exclusive maids entered with a basin filled with water and several towels.

Stepping back a bit to allow them to tend to Antonio, Klaus, standing awkwardly like a statue, made Closet frown and speak up.

“Aren’t you going out?”

“Do I really have to go out…?”

Seeing Klaus’s forlorn look, Closet sighed and spoke in a firm tone.

“Antonio has a big wound on his chest. It would be embarrassing for him if many people saw. If you don’t leave, it will be difficult to take care of Antonio.”

Unable to withstand Closet, who was holding her ground as if bracing herself, Klaus sighed and stepped back.

“I’ll come back later.”

With those words, Klaus left the room. Meanwhile, Melda and the maids moved swiftly according to Closet’s instructions. They moistened towels and began to wipe Rozelia’s body.

Klaus, pacing the hallway for a while, went back and forth in front of Antonio’s room many times. Checking a maid who came out with the last water, Klaus knocked on Antonio’s door.

“Can I come in now?”

For a moment, there was silence, then Closet’s annoyed voice was heard from inside the door.

“Come in.”

With Closet’s permission, Klaus opened the door and entered. However, as he entered, Klaus frowned at the instantly enveloping fragrance.

“Is it too strong? Did you burn incense or something?”

Upon Klaus’s words, Closet, who was wiping Rozelia’s chest with a towel, raised her head with a puzzled expression.

“Fragrance? What scent are you talking about?”

In response to Closet’s straightforward question, Klaus’s eyebrows froze.

As Klaus spoke, Closet, who seemed unbothered, asked a nearby maid.

“Do you smell anything?”

“No, not really…”

Could only she perceive the fragrance to the extent that it made her feel lightheaded? Was her heightened sensitivity due to exhaustion?

Klaus thought so and, pretending not to care, spoke.

“How about Antonio?”

“His fever has subsided a lot. There seems to be no need to call a physician.”

“That’s a relief.”

Having said that, Klaus scanned the face of the peacefully sleeping Rozelia.

Her expression seemed much more relaxed than before.

However, as the fragrance rushed back, making him feel dizzy again, Klaus had to hastily leave the room.

In response to Klaus’s call, Rozelia sat on the office sofa, waiting.
Seated across from her, Klaus, leisurely crossing his legs and staring intently, left Rozelia with nowhere to look, prompting her to clear her throat awkwardly.

Soon breaking the awkward silence, Klaus spoke first, “Is your body feeling a bit better?”

“Yes, thanks to the Lady, I’m much better.”

“Thank goodness.”

After saying that, as Klaus looked thoughtfully at the table, Rozelia, cautiously opening her mouth, addressed him, “Um… Duke.”

In response to her call, Klaus immediately lifted his head to meet her gaze. Uncomfortable under his scrutinizing look, Rozelia carefully continued, “It’s about Nadia’s paintings. Could you possibly donate them to the school being built in Algresha Village?”

“To the school?”

As Klaus inquired, Rozelia, casting her eyes down to the table, spoke with a wistful voice, “It’s Nadia’s last paintings. I hope young children in Algresha can see the sky she painted and grow up with it.”

Not wanting to turn Nadia’s final paintings into a source of income, they wished for Nadia’s soul to find solace through children growing up freely, unlike Nadia who lived as if in chains from a young age.

Having lived like she was in chains since childhood, they wished for a new life of freedom for Nadia through the children. Nadia seemed to desire the same.

“It feels like through the children, Nadia could live a new life.”

To Rozelia’s awkward words, Klaus silently nodded in agreement.

“…Let’s do that.”

Surprisingly agreeing without questioning why they wouldn’t sell profitable paintings, Klaus’s unexpected acquiescence made Rozelia look at him with a perplexed expression.

“I feel like through the children, Nadia could have a new life.”

In response to Rozelia’s hesitant words, Klaus nodded silently.

“…Sure.”

When Klaus, who seemed like he might urge her to sell the paintings, unexpectedly agreed so readily, Rozelia’s gaze fell on him in bewilderment.

As he calmly sipped his tea, Rozelia, reminded of that day in the carriage, hesitated but finally spoke, “And… please forget about what happened in the carriage.”

“Why?”

At Klaus’s straightforward question, Rozelia was caught off guard and blushed slightly.

“Why, you ask… We were both emotionally charged at the time, and… you’re a duke, and I’m a woman…”

Blurring her words and blushing, Rozelia’s perplexed expression caught Klaus’s attention.

“Why not? Even if we went back to that moment several times, I would have kissed you.”

“Yes…?”

Klaus’s azure eyes, staring at her, were unusually intense.

“Many times, if we went back, I would have kissed you.”