As she tidied up and polished the decorations and display cabinets in the corridor, Rozelia emptied her mind.

Although the decorations were originally exquisite, wiping them with a dry towel to bring out their luster made her feel unexpectedly refreshed.

Deliberately trying to look pleased, Rozelia wiped the decorations on the top shelf of the display cabinet. To bring down the items from the slightly high shelf, she was awkwardly reaching out and grumbling.
However, at that moment, the shadow of her consolation crumbled as she grumbled, keeping her toes on the ground.

In an unexpected moment, as she lifted her head, Rozelia saw a firm and giant hand comfortably gripping the shelf that her hand had barely reached.

Following the sturdy arm connected to the massive hand, Rozelia turned her gaze, and she had to swallow a gasp.

“Yo, Your Grace?”

Klaus, who extended his comforting hand, was standing right behind her, looking down at her with one hand reaching up to the display shelf and the other casually touching her side. Before she knew it, she found herself caught against his gigantic chest.

As Rozelia’s startled gaze wavered, Klaus, with a leisurely upturned eye, spoke calmly.

“If I take this out, will it be alright?”

Feeling that he was piercing through her reactions, Rozelia coldly turned her back, lips curving into a frown.

“I, I can do it.”

As Rozelia, turned away, reached out again for the shelf, Klaus, lowering his head behind her, whispered in a low voice.

“Antonio, be honest. If there’s something you want, just say it.”

Startled by the warm breath that brushed her ear, Rozelia looked back at him again.

Confronted with Klaus’s gaze, who was staring at her so intensely from up close, Rozelia tried not to be flustered and bit her lip.

“Then, what will change?”

Maintaining a cold expression, Rozelia asked, and Klaus, smoothly lifting the corners of his lips, pacifyingly continued.

“Whatever you desire will appear in front of you.”

As he spoke, his body got even closer. Feeling his body getting closer, Rozelia closed her eyes tight.

Thump, thump.

Her heart pounded madly.

Conversely, his heartbeat was audible, indicating how close he was.

In the face of his intense gaze, Rozelia, who was nervously rolling her eyes, suddenly opened her mouth.

“P-Please take out that decoration on the top.”

Although what he intended to convey was clearly not limited to mentioning only the decoration, Rozelia drew a line and redirected the topic.

At her reaction, Klaus, who looked at her with an expression as if she were cute, charmingly lifted the corners of his lips.

“That’s right. Well done, Antonio.”

In a tone as if praising a child who had just expressed their opinion, Klaus’s words made Rozelia’s eyebrows slightly furrowed in annoyance.

Reacting to her response, Klaus, with a bright smile, reached up to the high shelf and effortlessly grabbed the decoration.

“Is this it?”

“Yes……”

Watching Klaus easily pick up the item that she had been struggling to reach for a while, Rozelia looked up at him with a sense of wonder.

Her gaze, which was focused on Klaus’s strong arm grabbing the decoration, inadvertently moved up to his broad shoulders and the thick neck looking down at her.

Her eyes, staring at the firm neck with a prominent Adam’s apple, unintentionally reached his lips.

And soon, as Klaus lowered the decoration and their eyes met, Rozelia found herself caught in the moment.
Klaus’s breath as he looked down at her tickled Rozelia’s forehead.

Although they just made eye contact, her entire body felt bound to him, unable to move a muscle.

Seemingly sensing the same feeling, Klaus, who was in the midst of lowering the decoration, froze, staring at her.

In an instant, the surroundings fell silent, and it felt like they were the only ones left.

However, soon the sound of footsteps passing through the corridor made Rozelia snap out of it, and she quickly turned her head, becoming aware of the approaching servants who glanced briefly in their direction.

Startled, Rozelia hastily lowered her body, maneuvering herself out from between Klaus and the display shelf.

Due to her petite and slender figure, she easily slipped out from under his arm.

Amused, Klaus chuckled at her.

“Thank you.”

Consciously exaggerating her greeting, Rozelia received the decoration from him.

Watching her intently, Klaus smiled bitterly.

“You don’t need to go to such lengths. There are plenty of servants to handle these tasks.”

Responding to Klaus’s tone, which sounded like he was treating her specially, Rozelia replied sternly.

“I am also a servant of the Duke.”

In her stubborn tone, Klaus, with a wry smile in his eyes, leisurely continued.

“You are handling special tasks unlike other servants, such as overseeing Closett’s domestic affairs.”

Domestic affairs or simply serving Closett and sharing a cup of tea; it wasn’t much of a job.

Recently, considering Rozelia’s condition, Closett didn’t insist on accompanying her to external gatherings.

In fact, in her position as a servant, she was already receiving enough discriminatory treatment from others.

Even though she had been treated that way before, now, with Klaus openly being affectionate, it became even more burdensome under the gaze of other servants.

“I’ll assist within reasonable limits.”

In her firm tone, Klaus gently lifted the corners of his lips.

“Well, if that’s what you prefer, I can’t help it.”

After saying that, Klaus, who had patted Rozelia’s head, smoothly turned and left.

Staring intently at his departing figure, Rozelia’s brow furrowed.

Where did the cold and impenetrable Duke go? As she looked at Klaus, who smiled gently at her, Rozelia couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

If Klaus’s fate, which originally involved being executed for treason, were to be advanced… If that were to happen… It somehow felt very painful to her.
In the moment she surprised herself with her thoughts and tilted her head, a sudden pain struck her chest.

“Ugh….”

Startled, Rozelia, clutching the shelf of the display cabinet, gripped her chest in discomfort.