To have tea time with the Crown Princess as Roselia, huh…

With the mysterious presence targeting Roselia and all.

There’s also a chance of running into Klaus…

There were many things to be concerned about.

“I’m sorry, but I think I’ll have to avoid cross-dressing for a while.”

It feels strange to say I’m cross-dressing when I’m originally a woman…

Anyway, Closet seemed to have sensed the unfavorable situation to some extent, as she nodded without much reaction.

“Well… His Highness didn’t insist on you coming, he just asked about your intentions.”

Closet put down her teacup and smacked her lips regretfully.

“Still, it’s a shame. I have mountains of dresses I wanted you to try on.”

Roselia had to give an awkward smile as Closet sighed, dropping her shoulders in genuine disappointment.

At the masked ball and the welcoming banquet for the delegation, Closet really enjoyed dressing up and styling Roselia.

Perhaps because Roselia’s usual appearance was masculine, Closet found it fascinating how dramatically she changed when dressed up.

Surely she doesn’t see me as a doll…?

While Roselia was worrying about this, a baritone voice suddenly interrupted.

“You have many dresses to try on?”

Startled, Roselia and Closet turned their heads to see Klaus, who had just entered the reception room, staring intently at Roselia.

Feeling guilty for no reason, Roselia swallowed hard and froze, while Closet responded instead, furrowing her brow.

“Can’t you make some noise when you walk?”

“I knocked on the reception room door, but it seems you didn’t hear.”

Closet cleared her throat at Klaus’s calm words and continued nonchalantly.

“The dress talk was because we haven’t seen Roselia lately. I bought a bunch of dresses for her.”

Roselia inwardly admired Closet’s quick-witted improvisation as she smoothly covered the situation.

As Roselia looked at Closet with appreciation, Klaus, who had been staring at Roselia, continued speaking.

“Antonio. Come to my office briefly this afternoon.”

Did he come all the way here just to say that?

Roselia looked at Klaus with wide eyes before calmly replying.

“Understood.”

Roselia thought he probably wanted to nag or give her some errand, and let it slide.

Klaus, who was reviewing overdue documents in his office, looked up at the sound of a knock.

Is Antonio here already?

“Your Grace. A guest has arrived.”

Hearing the voice of the butler Jeffrey instead of the one he was expecting, Klaus relaxed his shoulders and asked curiously.

“Who is the guest?”

“She says she is Viscountess Clément.”

Viscountess Clément…

She was someone Klaus wasn’t very familiar with. He had only seen her briefly at public events.

However, being well-informed as he was, Klaus knew basic information about Viscountess Clément.

Originally the wife of Viscount Clément, she had taken over the position in place of her deceased husband.

Usually, noble titles are inherited by children or blood relatives, but the Viscount had no blood relatives.

Whether she knew this fact when she became the wife of the old Viscount is uncertain…

But one thing was clear: when he died, the Viscountess naturally inherited the title, along with the lucrative iron mines owned by the Viscount’s family.

“Show her in.”

At Klaus’s words, the office door opened and the butler gestured to guide someone in.

Soon, a woman with an unhurried gait entered the office.

Unlike Lugbelzet women who wore dresses with skirts puffed out like umbrellas, she wore a formal suit with a tight-fitting long skirt at the bottom.

But while the style was formal, her top was so revealing it looked as if she wore nothing under the tight-fitting suit jacket, her ample bosom clearly visible in a provocative outfit.

Klaus, who also knew that Clément, who had become a Viscountess, had complicated relationships with men, slightly furrowed his brow.

The word ‘seductress’ would suit a woman like her, not Roselia.

“It’s been a while, Duke Balthazar.”

Her voice was as sticky and coquettish as her appearance.

Klaus, trying to ignore his growing displeasure, continued coldly.

“What brings you here?”

“My, you’re so cold to your guest.”

Klaus looked at the woman as if to say ‘stop the unnecessary talk and get to the point’.

The woman, seemingly unfazed by such a reaction, smiled with her eyes and continued.

“I’ve recently become interested in businesses other than mining.”

Saying this, the woman leisurely walked up to Klaus’s office desk and perched on it.

“For example… investing in school construction…”

Klaus frowned with great displeasure as she sat on the edge of his desk, which was spread with numerous documents.

“The Duke’s capital is sufficient for school construction.”

“Hmm… I wasn’t talking about investing money…”

Saying this, the woman lightly stroked Klaus’s firm arm resting on the desk.

Klaus, who had been coldly watching the Viscountess’s actions, grabbed her wrist as if he couldn’t tolerate it any longer and stood up.

Klaus’s eyes turned fierce, as if asking what on earth she was doing.

However, despite his menacing aura, the woman curled her plump lips into a smile and continued.

“I meant investing with the mines owned by the Clément viscounty as collateral.”

For a moment, Klaus’s eyes returned to rationality.

The mines owned by the Clément viscounty… were mines that even most wealthy individuals coveted.

“I’m not rich enough to dare compare to the Balthazar duchy, so I was thinking of offering half of the mining yield for a year as a guarantee along with the mines as collateral. What do you think?”

Klaus’s eyes, which had instantly turned into those of a calculating negotiator, rationally weighed the costs and benefits.

It was a tempting offer to receive the mines as collateral in exchange for contributing to building the school. Moreover, half of the mining yield for a year meant owning about one-fifth of the iron ore circulating in the empire.

The woman, noticing that Klaus was quite tempted, approached him with a leisurely smile.

While he was organizing his thoughts with a calm expression, the woman pressed close to his chest and exhaled hotly as she fiddled with his chest area.

“Of course, I’m willing to make other investments as well. This seems like it would depend on the Duke’s inclination…”

Just as the woman suddenly clung to him, leaning on his chest before he could even realize it, a knock was heard.

“Your Grace, it’s Antonio.”

Along with the knock, a very youthful male voice was heard, and suddenly the Duke grabbed the wrist of the woman who had been fondling his chest and forcibly pushed her away.

Viscountess Clément looked up at Klaus with wide eyes, experiencing such rough treatment for the first time in her life.

However, Klaus merely looked down at her with an extremely cold face.

What’s with this man? Is he really a man?

While the stunned woman froze, Klaus, warning her with a cold gaze, opened his mouth towards the door.

“Wait a moment.”

After saying this, Klaus calmly walked to the office chair, sat down, and leisurely interlocked his fingers.

“Viscountess Clément, I’ll consider your proposal to invest in the school with the mines as collateral.”

Klaus’s tone was so businesslike and cold that Viscountess Clément was left speechless and frozen.

Looking at the woman standing there stupidly, Klaus didn’t forget to drive the final nail.

“If you have nothing more to say, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave now.”

Finally, Viscountess Clément, her face flushed red, bit her lip hard and turned around.

As she roughly opened the office door and walked out, her gaze fell upon a man in servant’s attire standing there with a blank expression.

Come to think of it, it was that servant who was said to be Roselia’s brother.

What? Is he kicking me out now because of that servant?

Feeling displeased, she glared fiercely at the innocent Roselia before haughtily leaving the place.

Roselia, who had been standing there blankly, could only wear a bewildered expression at the sight of the woman who suddenly threw a murderous glance and disappeared.

A low voice brought her back to her senses.

“Come in.”

At Klaus’s low, sunken voice, Roselia, finally coming to her senses, approached him.

As she was wondering about Klaus’s appearance, with several shirt buttons undone as if something had upset him, Klaus looked straight into her eyes and opened his mouth.

“Why are you frequenting the Bernas Count’s residence?”

Roselia’s brow suddenly furrowed.

“Did you have someone follow me?”

“Answer my question first.”

Who should be angry right now? This is beyond the pot calling the kettle black.

Roselia’s words couldn’t be gentle in response to Klaus’s attitude, which was not just brazen but seemed to be interrogating her after having her followed.

“I don’t think I have any obligation to answer honestly to someone who has people follow others.”

At Roselia’s sharp retort, Klaus belatedly realized he had pushed too hastily and let out a deep sigh.

It seemed his words had come out rough due to his mood being spoiled by that damned woman calling herself Viscountess Clément just now.

“Hah… I only had someone follow you because I was worried.”

“…”

The word ‘worried’ that he had been mentioning since last time had something that weakened Roselia’s heart.

The fact that this person, who didn’t seem to suit the word ‘worried’, was concerned not just for Roselia but even for her as a servant, quickly calmed her unpleasant feelings somewhat.

But the improved mood soon turned unpleasant again due to his other words that sounded like an interrogation.

“Where on earth is Roselia?”

“It seems you can’t find Roselia even if you have people follow her?”

“Don’t mock me, Antonio.”

Sighing at her cold expression, Klaus continued in a softer voice, as if trying to soothe her.

“Roselia leaves remarkably no trace. Where on earth is she?”

“…”

“Antonio, if you don’t really want to see someone go mad with frustration, please, I beg you.”

Klaus’s expression showed not only fatigue but also anxiety as he said this.

“I won’t forcibly keep her in the mansion. I just want to meet her for a moment, even if it’s very brief… Can’t that be done?”

Roselia’s expression wavered slightly at the unfamiliar sight of him, who was always calm and cold, showing such a demeanor.

“Why are you looking for Roselia so desperately?”

Klaus rubbed his face with a low exclamation at Roselia’s tense voice.

“Because I feel like I’ll regret it if I don’t see her right away.”

Roselia’s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at him, his head bowed with his forehead resting on both hands.