“Should I really tell the truth?”
But before Roselia could speak, Evelione interjected.
“I called for her out of concern for Clozette’s well-being, Duke.”
“By your command, Your Highness?”
Glancing subtly, it seemed Evelione wanted to keep hidden the fact that she was collecting paintings through Roselia.
Roselia had her own reservations about revealing everything, so she didn’t bother to argue.
Klaus looked at Roselia suspiciously before turning his attention back to the Princess.
“And your wrist, Your Highness? Is it alright?”
“It’s fine, Duke.”
“Does the Prince still treat you so recklessly?”
“That’s none of your concern, Duke.”
Roselia watched their exchange with a vacant expression.
In the original story, it was the same. The Duke showed a mixture of attachment, resentment, and obsession towards the Princess.
Whether it was familial love from growing up together as childhood friends or romantic love, it was never clarified. After all, the Duke… disappears as the love story between the main characters develops.
Feeling a strange sense of empathy for him, Roselia’s gaze softened towards Klaus. Sensing her gaze, his dark blue eyes coolly met hers.
“What are you doing here?”
Taken aback by his cold question, Roselia looked at him, bewildered.
“Me? I’m just watching your conversation.”
“Do you think this is a situation where you belong?”
It was a hint for her to leave.
“Do I need to be told to leave?”
Though she was there first, it was as if she had bothered the Princess and was being dismissed, which was both absurd and slightly hurtful.
Hurt? Because the Duke was cold to her? When was he ever warm to her?
Never. He was always cold to Roselia.
That’s probably why it was even more irritating to see Klaus showing a hint of warmth only to the Princess.
Roselia left the room abruptly, feeling a mix of emotions, without a proper farewell.
Just then, Esteban, who had been leaning lazily against a pillar across the hallway, called out to her.
“Hey…”
Not wanting to believe the voice, Roselia’s head jerked around involuntarily.
His voice, full of displeasure, sent a shiver down her spine.
I’m displeased too! How could she not be, facing the person responsible for her death in the original story?
Trying to ignore Esteban’s call, Roselia bowed her head and hurried on her way.
But Esteban, who had quickly approached, grabbed her nape, halting her in her tracks.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
To go home!
Contrary to her inner thoughts, Roselia turned around, feigning ignorance.
“Oh, my! Your Highness, what business do you have with such an insignificant servant?”
“Pretending not to hear… Look here, Baltazar’s dog.”
Calling someone else’s dog? In the original story, Esteban had indeed referred to Roselia as ‘Baltazar’s dog.’
In the novel, as Roselia was smitten with the Duke, she indeed seemed fitting for the nickname, eagerly feeding the royalty information. But now that she was the extra…
Roselia suppressed her annoyance and forced a smile.
“What’s your command?”
“What has the Duke tasked you with? Speak truthfully, and I might spare your life.”
Even in the original story, Esteban had callously killed Roselia without a second thought, and now, in a different situation, he was threatening her life again. Roselia had to struggle to suppress a twitch in her lips as she spoke.
“I am not here on the Duke’s orders…”
As Roselia spoke, Esteban, still holding her by the nape of her neck, dragged her away towards the back garden of the palace.
“Your Highness?!”
Is this how I’m going to be killed off again?!
While she was lost in wild imaginings, Esteban had dragged her to a secluded spot in the palace garden.
“Here, you can speak freely.”
“Excuse me…?”
“In this place, the Duke cannot eavesdrop. So, go ahead and speak.”
But I’m telling you, it has nothing to do with the Duke…
Strictly speaking, she had contacted the Princess to repay the Duke’s debt, so it wasn’t entirely unrelated…
But it was not on the Duke’s instruction. Even if she told Esteban what he wanted to hear, there was no guarantee that the Prince, who viewed human life as less than a dog’s, would spare her.
“Your Highness, with all due respect, I am just running an errand for Lady Clozette and visited the Princess.”
“How much is the Duke paying you? I’ll double it.”
“…”
“Triple!”
The atmosphere was such that if she asked for 3,000 Verang, he seemed ready to give it immediately. Tempted for a moment, Roselia, however, had no guts to fabricate a lie and take money. She knew very well from the original story that such money usually came with bad consequences.
“Your Highness, I am just a servant, and I have mountainous tasks to attend to. Please excuse me.”
As she turned to leave, Esteban’s hand roughly grabbed her wrist.
She barely contained her irritation and was about to protest when Esteban looked curiously at her wrist.
“Why is a man’s wrist so slender?”
Roselia felt a sudden chill but composedly replied, “I grew up malnourished.”
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
