Roselia’s face, staring blankly into Klaus’s intense eyes, involuntarily brightened.

Heart pounding

Once again, her helpless heart began to accelerate. Simultaneously, as the area around her chest tensed up again and she felt something oozing out, Roselia had to lower her gaze in embarrassment.

Seemingly aware of her reaction, Klaus smirked, lifting the corners of his mouth. And the moment his face gradually approached, Roselia instinctively reached out, using her palm to block his advance.

“T-This is awkward!”

Blushing, emitting a fragrant scent, and speaking frankly, Klaus twisted his lips in response to her assertive words.

“Um… It’s not like there’s any sincerity, and is it really awkward for a man and a woman to feel mutual attraction?”

In response to Klaus’s confident words, Roselia became speechless. Until recently, she used to be outspoken about being deceived, so when did she become so aggressive? Perhaps she felt more relieved because she wasn’t the protagonist’s fiancee.

But it was awkward. Although he might not believe her, she knew the flow of the original story, and she couldn’t just act freely according to her feelings.

“I don’t like it.”

With Roselia’s firm rejection, Klaus finally withdrew his head slightly.

“Is that sincere?”

Feeling as if her lie was exposed under his piercing gaze, Roselia averted her eyes and mumbled.

“For now… I don’t have such thoughts with the Duke.”

“Is ‘for now’ a way of saying it might happen later?”

“……. ”

In response to Klaus’s serious question, Roselia lowered her gaze and bit her lip.

Maybe she won’t be by his side later… For now, it’s better to say it like this…

While Roselia’s expression sank, Klaus, seemingly not considering her a complete denial, grinned with charm.

“Fine, if you don’t like it, I’ll refrain.”

After saying that, Klaus, who still held her small hand that was blocking them, kissed her palm.

Caught off guard by this unexpected action, Roselia stiffened, and Klaus, looking down at her, sniffed her palm.

Even from her hand, it seemed like a fragrant scent was coming out. Klaus, with a sly smile, extended his tongue as if sensing her reaction.

Reacting to the soft and warm touch on her palm, Roselia, surprised, pulled her hand away, gasping slightly.

Looking down at her, Klaus, with a bitter smile, said, “Feels like I’m being punished.”

His intense gaze, the breath tickling his forehead, and the suffocating body temperature pressing on her made Roselia’s heart beat loudly.

Thump-thump
When I see him, fragrance emanates, and when fragrance appears, he gets that kind of look, and my heart shakes at that look, producing fragrance again.

In the repetition of this vicious cycle, it was doubtful whether a method to control the related fragrance could be grasped.

Klaus, who had been staring at her for a while, rose with a deep sigh as if enduring something.

“For now, it’s more important to grasp how to control the fragrance as you say. Please step back.”

Saying so, Klaus stepped aside, and when Roselia stood up quickly, she straightened out her crumpled clothes.

Gazing at her intently, Klaus, who had sat down at a distant table, opened his mouth.

“And… you don’t have to repay the debt anymore.”

“What?”

“In a way, it’s a debt you should owe to the Marquis, not you. You, who are untainted, don’t need to repay that debt.”

Caught off guard by his unexpected suggestion, Roselia was momentarily stunned.

Her plan was to pay off Klaus’s debt, cut off all ties related to him, and live that way. To definitively conclude with Klaus, she must not leave any lingering attachments.

With that thought in mind, Roselia firmly shook her head.

“No, there isn’t much left now. I will pay it off.”

At her firm words, Klaus’s brow furrowed. Looking displeased as he stared at her, Klaus soon sighed and brushed back his bangs.

“Sigh… Who will win against your stubbornness.”

In the end, Klaus surrendered, and with a gesture as if drawing a line, Roselia delivered the final blow.

“And, in the future, please continue to call me Antonio.”

In response to her statement, which seemed to draw a clear boundary, Klaus’s expression wrinkled again.

Unable to tolerate it this time, Klaus reluctantly nodded his head.

“Fine.”

After saying that, Klaus sighed deeply and furrowed his brow as if in torment.

“If you keep this up, it feels like I’ll be getting a cold sword in your body… How about dealing with that fragrance a bit?”

At Klaus’s straightforward words, Roselia, who had made a wry expression, decisively approached the window, opened it wide, and said, “Ventilate.”

Responding to her assertive words, Klaus, who had been looking dumbfounded, couldn’t help but let out a wry laugh.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Roselia was on her way to the royal palace, holding the painting she received from Abel.

She had gone to see them because she was worried about not seeing Abel and Eirin for a while, and Abel handed her the completed painting.