Under the cold gaze of Roselia, Klaus’s entire body stiffened. Ignoring him, Roselia spoke coldly.

“No matter how many times you say it, my thoughts won’t change. So please go back.”

As Roselia turned away, Klaus, with all his strength, barely managed to speak.

“Roselia!”

At his shout, Roselia, who had momentarily paused, climbed onto the carriage without looking back.

“Wait, listen to me for a moment…!”

Approaching the carriage, Klaus, in a precarious physical state due to his shoulder pain, knelt down on one knee.

“Ugh…”

Johannes watched Klaus like that for a moment and then climbed onto the carriage where Roselia was.

Roselia sat in the carriage, staring straight ahead without looking at Klaus who was visible through the window.

Concerned, Johannes, looking at her worryingly, asked cautiously.

“Are you okay?”

“Please depart.”

Closing her eyes tightly, Roselia spoke firmly, and Johannes gave the order to depart.

The carriage, along with the knights, passed by Klaus.

In the place where the carriage departed, Klaus had to remain in the same kneeling position.

Roselia sat in the carriage, gazing ahead with an extremely composed and calm expression.

It was their last encounter in Rughveltzet.

After more than two weeks of travel by carriage, they finally arrived in Raphelios.

Despite taking breaks at inns along the way, Roselia, not accustomed to long-distance carriage travel, felt exhausted upon reaching Raphelios.

Upon entering the Marquis’s mansion, Roselia, now completely bedridden due to illness, lay on the guest room bed, unable to move.

“I’m sorry. I caused trouble right after arriving.”

Lying in bed and speaking with a feeble voice, Roselia’s appearance made Johannes frown as he replied.

“Don’t think that way. This is Roselia’s hometown.”

Roselia, thinking that Johannes was talking about Raphelios, smiled faintly.

Looking down at Roselia, Johannes hesitated for a moment, then cautiously opened his mouth.

“Since you’ve come to Raphelios, are you planning to find your family?”

In response to Johannes’s question, Roselia, with a determined expression, spoke.

“Actually, I didn’t think that far since leaving Rughveltzet, but when I get better, I might have to try. Is it okay to ask the Marquis for help?”

Looking down at Roselia, who seemed to be considering Raphelios, Johannes smiled gently and answered cautiously.

“Yes, of course. It shouldn’t be too difficult.”

‘We just need to be prepared for what lies ahead…’
Johannes’s expression clouded as he thought that way.

“First, prioritize your recovery.”

“Thank you as always, Marquis.”

Seeing Roselia’s smile, which seemed devoid of energy, Johannes responded with a warm smile.

“Don’t mention it…”

Opening the door quietly, Johannes stepped aside, allowing Roselia to gaze blankly at the ceiling.

As she looked at the ceiling adorned with different, splendid patterns than the Duke’s mansion, a single teardrop rolled down her cheek.

Without bothering to wipe away the tears, Roselia closed her eyes tightly, as if tears never flowed in the first place.

Starting tomorrow, she would begin a new life without him.

Not as a Duke’s servant or a debt-ridden Hesingka’s maid. It would be the real life of Roselia.

Ignoring the emptiness in her heart, Roselia tried to sleep quietly like that.

In the dark bedroom, Klaus lay on the bed, covered in sweat, groaning.

Opening the bedroom door, a closet carrying a basin of lukewarm water and a towel approached the makeshift chair near the bed.

Despite Klaus’s strict orders not to enter, it was a story that applied only to servants, not the closet.

“Even the cold-blooded Duke Valtazar is suffering from a fever.”

Familiar voice caught Klaus’s unfocused gaze, and he turned to look at the closet.

Although he had received treatment from the chief physician, he couldn’t regain consciousness due to the fever boiling from the wounds.

Looking down at him, the closet sighed deeply and said a word.

“Who would ride a horse with a dislocated shoulder?”

Saying so, the closet, having brought the basin, wiped Klaus’s body with a towel, tutting.

Even though Klaus’s entire body was sensitive to the point of stinging from the towel’s touch, he grimaced with determination.

“Do you think your body is made of iron? You’re just a human, like everyone else.”

In response to the closet’s taunt, Klaus brought his arm to his forehead.

Even in the midst of his body boiling, his mind was clear, bordering on insanity.

In this confused state, thoughts about Roselia relentlessly swirled in his head like an illusion.

In that illusion, Klaus felt frustration, anger, and even pleading endlessly.

A bitter smirk appeared on his lips.

“Yes, I’m just an ordinary human after all.”

For a moment, in his unfamiliar expression, the closet asked with concern.

“Klaus?”

He thought Klaus might be crying. However, Klaus’s vacant blue eyes seemed to contain more than just sadness, making him appear more sorrowful than shedding tears.

Letting out a sigh, the closet gently wiped Klaus’s exposed shoulders with a wet towel and spoke.