Klaus was walking down the hallway with Alejandro, wondering who he was scheduled to meet here for business.

“Asking to meet in a place like this, that guy must know.”

“Please be patient. He’s still the top merchant in this area. It wouldn’t hurt to establish a relationship.”

“Fine, just guide me quickly.”

The flustered Roselia had no choice but to turn around and walk in the opposite direction.

Why, why! Of all places!

Moreover, she was wearing the same blonde wig she had on when they encountered each other in Algrisha village. Though it was only a brief moment, the sharp Klaus was likely to recognize her immediately.

Conscious of Klaus walking behind her, she had to grit her teeth.

She couldn’t keep walking in the opposite direction forever.

Nadia’s room was in the opposite direction, past Klaus.

Unable to decide what to do, she finally turned into a side corridor branching off.

Even if it meant taking a detour, she planned to go to Nadia’s room through the opposite corridor.

Just as she was about to turn right at the end of the corridor after rounding the curve.

A huge shadow loomed over Roselia as she turned her body towards the right corridor.

With an eerie feeling at the back of her neck, Roselia slowly raised her head.

Above the broad chest, over the neatly buttoned shirt up to the neck, a familiar and cold gaze was looking down at her.

“My lady.”

Roselia unconsciously met Klaus’s eyes and gulped.

“Haven’t we met somewhere before?”

It felt like facing an enormous wall.

Having encountered him so suddenly, unlike in Algrisha village, she didn’t even have time to cover her face. Roselia could only stand frozen like a rabbit before a leopard, feeling sweat forming in her palms.

“My lady.”

He who had been intently staring at her green eyes spoke coldly.

“Haven’t we met before?”

His chilling gaze seemed to pierce right through her.

A chill ran down her spine as cold sweat broke out.

But Roselia forced a calm smile and spoke as nonchalantly as possible.

“Is… that so?”

Since running away seemed unwise, she intended to feign ignorance as much as possible.

She thought if she firmly denied it, he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

However, Klaus’s expression as he looked down at Roselia’s smiling face was terribly cold.

“In Algrisha village… Didn’t you bump into me?”

“Did, did I? I meet so many people, it’s hard to remember.”

At Roselia’s curt reply, Klaus glanced at her attire and made an expression as if that explained it.

Though a wave of indignation rose at his seemingly misunderstanding gaze, she deliberately maintained a calm expression to settle her heart.

There was no point in making excuses in this attire, and it would only prolong things unnecessarily, so she intended to let it pass quietly.

“Well then, I’m busy so I’ll be going.”

As Roselia tried to slip past him, she made a startled expression at Klaus’s movement, blocking her path again like a wall.

Looking up at Klaus quizzically, she found his calm navy blue eyes staring down at her intently.

“Let me ask you one question.”

“Wh-what is it?”

Roselia swallowed hard, deliberately ignoring Klaus’s penetrating gaze while trying to appear calm.

“Do you know Antonio?”

So he was suspicious after all.

Unconsciously, Roselia’s pale hands tensed as sweat seeped out.

Thinking it fortunate that she wasn’t meeting his eyes, Roselia looked towards the end of the corridor as calmly as possible.

At that moment, she saw Alejandro appearing at the end of the corridor, looking for Klaus.

With Klaus suspecting her now, if she encountered Alejandro as well, the chances of being caught were high.

Without much thought, Roselia grabbed Klaus’s suit collar and pulled him into an open door beside them.

Fortunately, it seemed to be an empty room, but being unused, it was pitch black without a single light.

Klaus, suddenly pulled into the room by Roselia, looked down at the woman panting against his chest.

His gaze was drawn, as if mesmerized, to the green eyes peering out from under the somewhat artificial-looking blonde hair, surveying outside the door.

As he stared intently at that sight, a moment of bewilderment flashed across Klaus’s eyes.

If he had wanted to resist, he could have avoided being led by her hand, so why did he follow her in so compliantly?

Looking down at Roselia in confusion, Klaus soon calmed his blue eyes coldly and collected his thoughts rationally.

Right, she might be Antonio’s younger sister. If those damn Hessink siblings were deceiving him, he’d need to properly interrogate them and make them pay the price, that was all.

However, from the moment he entered this room, her scent – whether perfume or her natural fragrance – was clouding his thoughts.

Only after Alejandro’s presence had faded did Roselia realize she was extremely close to the duke in the dark room.

Hurriedly releasing her grip on the duke’s suit lapel, Roselia awkwardly cleared her throat.

“Ah, I’m sorry. Um… I saw an acquaintance. It wouldn’t be good in many ways if they saw me with another guest.”

Roselia inwardly let out a self-deprecating sigh. She had ended up speaking as if she were an employee working here. Though her mouth felt bitter, it was unavoidable to get through this crisis.

Though she thought it was quite a plausible excuse, it didn’t seem so to Klaus’s ears as he was looking down at her coldly.

Thinking his navy blue eyes were strangely intense, Roselia tried to move her body in an effort to escape this situation.

“Well then… I’m a bit busy so…”

As she said that, trying to slip out from between his massive body, his huge arm blocked her path.

As the startled Roselia gulped, Klaus’s low voice, thick with something, was heard.

“You didn’t answer my question from earlier…”

A danger signal flashed. If she stalled any longer, she’d be found out!

Roselia deliberately ignored his gaze and retorted sharply, adding irritation on top of her feigned composure.

“I don’t know such a person, so would you please move your arm?”

At Roselia’s assertive words, Klaus smiled deflate and continued.

“Then why can’t you look me in the eye?”

“…”

“Isn’t it polite to look at someone’s face when talking?”

As Klaus said that, his massive body drew even closer.

His firm leg touched the folds of her dress wrapping around her legs. At that, Roselia inhaled sharply and rolled her eyes in bewilderment.

As if finding her reaction interesting, he grabbed her chin and turned her to look up at him.

“I’ll ask again. Do you know Antonio?”

Too close. It’s too close to even answer!

At the reaction that made her heart feel like it would jump out, Roselia couldn’t bear it anymore and roughly pushed him away.

“I said I don’t know him! How many times do I have to say it?”

Roselia rushed out the door without looking back.

She could tell her face was flushed even without looking in a mirror. Roselia huffed, seemingly upset at her inexplicable reaction, and left the building.

She felt she wouldn’t be able to have a proper conversation with Nadia like this.

Damn that Duke Balthasar!

Roselia was thoroughly irritated by her body’s sensitive reactions to even small touches, as if instinctively drawn to him due to their relationship in the original story.

Roselia shook her head as she looked at Closet wearing a black eye mask decorated with duke’s feathers.

Closet protested with a sulky face at Roselia’s unsatisfactory reaction.

“Is it no good?”

“No.”

At Roselia’s blunt assessment, Closet immediately acquiesced and put on another mask that Delma handed her.

This time it was an eye mask decorated with green feathers and gold trim.

It was an elegant and sophisticated mask, but it didn’t harmonize well with Closet’s clear sapphire-blue eyes.

When Roselia shook her head again, Closet made a stubborn expression and held out her hand to Melda.

“Next!”

Melda glared at Roselia and handed over the last mask.

It was a sky-blue mask decorated with white feathers and inlaid with blue sapphires.

Roselia, who had been raising a teacup to her lips, looked at the mask that matched well with Closet’s blue silver hair and eyes, and smiled as she put down her cup.

“Is this one okay?”

When Closet asked with a bright smile at Roselia’s positive reaction, Roselia nodded and replied.

“Yes, it suits you well.”

“Right? I thought this was the best too. Oh, and thinking about it, this mask might suit Antonio well?”

What Closet held up was the mask with green feathers and gold trim that she had worn earlier.

It would indeed match well with Roselia’s emerald green eyes. The only problem was that it was a women’s mask.

Of course, she was actually a woman, but outwardly she was pretending to be a male servant, so she couldn’t wear a women’s mask.

“You’re joking, right?”

“That’s too bad. Antonio would have been so pretty if he were a woman.”

Though it was probably said lightly, Roselia felt oddly stung and just sipped her tea.

“If I wore that mask to your ladyship’s debutante, I’d be branded a pervert.”

“Well… You may not be able to wear it to my debutante, but there’s no problem with trying it on for a moment now, right?”

“Pardon?”

Roselia had to break out in a cold sweat at the sight of Closet approaching with a mischievous smile, holding the mask.

“My lady, please…”

“Just once, Antonio. Hmm? I think it would suit your green eyes so well. Aren’t you curious too, Melda?”

When she sought agreement by dragging in Melda who was standing nearby without any particular intent, even Melda started to chime in.

“Well, it may not compare to Lady Closet’s beauty, but I am a bit curious.”

“See, Antonio? Just once. Okay?”

Roselia could only sigh deeply and reluctantly nod.

Excited by her acceptance, Closet tripped over excitedly with the mask.

Soon, Closet placed the mask over Roselia, who was sitting quietly on the sofa, and remained silent for a moment.

Roselia, who had her eyes closed, slowly opened them, puzzled by Closet’s lack of reaction after putting the mask on her.

In front of her eyes was Closet with a expression as if she had discovered a great masterpiece, her eyes shining.

“My lady?”

“Oh my, Antonio… Why weren’t you born a woman?”