The banquet hall, which the Viscount Clement and the Imperial Guard had left, naturally became an atmosphere of dispersal.

Count Blimond also gave a courteous greeting to Count Bernas and disappeared into the mansion with a deep sigh.

Roselia, who had been staring blankly at the chaotic surroundings, suddenly came to her senses and approached Count Bernas.

“Grandfather, how did you come out here?”

“Do I look sick to you too?”

“No, it’s stranger that you look too fine.”

Roselia asked worriedly, belatedly recalling the bombshell declaration the count had thrown.

“But what do you mean by guardian? Can you just decide that?”

“A soldier doesn’t take back words uttered from his mouth.”

Grandfather, you’re not a soldier anymore but a senile old man…

Roselia could only smile awkwardly, holding back the words that almost spilled out of her mouth.

Well, he’ll forget again tomorrow.

As Roselia was trying to brush it off with such thoughts, Klaus approached and bowed to the count.

Roselia’s eyes widened, as she had never seen Klaus bow so politely to anyone except royalty.

“Count Bernas, it’s been a long time.”

“Oh, the young Duke of Balthazar.”

“I’m the Duke now.”

“Hmm? Has it already come to that? Then what about your father?”

Klaus’s expression became subtle as the count mentioned the late Duke of Balthazar who had passed away long ago.

It seemed the count’s dementia was acting up again.

Since it wouldn’t be good for the count’s dementia to be widely known, Roselia quickly intervened between the two.

“Count! Aren’t you tired?”

“Now that you mention it, I am tired. Isn’t this all because of you!”

“Yes, yes, I’ll escort you to the mansion.”

Saying so, Roselia glanced at Klaus and pushed the count’s back to move away.

Closet, who had come out of the powder room after a while looking unwell, hurriedly followed Roselia as the banquet was suddenly breaking up.

“What? What’s going on? Antonio! I’m coming too!”

After the culprit targeting Roselia was caught, Closet and Roselia attended a tea party at the invitation of the Crown Princess after a long time.

Roselia, dressed gorgeously with Closet’s selfish desires after a long time, was dazzling just to look at.

The Crown Princess, looking at her like a younger sister, smiled and opened her mouth.

“I heard what happened. I heard you were almost in big trouble when thugs attacked.”

“It was nothing serious.”

“Still, it’s fortunate that the mastermind was caught. To think that Lugbella, who was only rumored, was Viscount Clement…”

At the Crown Princess’s words, Closet intervened, raising her chin haughtily.

“That woman, I didn’t like her from the beginning.”

As Closet, who had just had her debutante and was barely shedding her girlish appearance, spoke with a pretentious adult expression, the Crown Princess let out a laugh as if finding her cute and asked.

“Did Lady Closet have occasions to converse with Viscount Clement?”

“Just as a woman, you can tell at a glance that she gives off a bad feeling.”

“It’s not that you didn’t like the Viscount’s figure, is it?”

“Your Highness!”

The Crown Princess, seemingly enjoying the time with the cute Closet after a long while, made a joke, and Closet, thinking she was being treated like a child, flared up.

The Crown Princess and Roselia burst into laughter at Closet’s reaction.

At that moment, a shadow fell over them amidst their blooming laughter.

“I hope I’m not interrupting the ladies’ conversation.”

It was Marquis Yucilliode, staying at the imperial guest palace as part of the Lapelios delegation.

At his sudden appearance, not only Roselia but also the Crown Princess and Closet had startled expressions.

The Crown Princess, who had recently engaged in a second round of adjustment debates over the imperial treaty, even showed signs of wariness.

Johannes, looking at the ladies, smiled and extended his hand towards Roselia.

In his hand was a colorful bouquet of flowers, seemingly picked from the imperial garden.

“This is a gift to comfort you for the hardships you must have endured.”

“Oh my, it’s so pretty.”

Closet answered instead of Roselia.

Unlike the fussy Closet, Roselia, who received the bouquet with a dazed expression, looked at him quizzically.

“Are you giving this to me?”

“Is there anyone else here who has suffered more than Lady Roselia?”

At the sight of Johannes playfully looking around, Roselia inadvertently let out a laugh.

“Thank you.”

As she said so, smelling the flowers and smiling brightly, Roselia’s expression looked so happy that a smile spread across Johannes’s face as well.

Cecilia also loved flowers since she was a baby.

It was such a daily routine for her mother to take Cecilia for walks in the marquis’s garden.

At that moment, a breeze blew by, brushing past Roselia and Johannes.

And Johannes’s eyes widened at the faint scent carried by the wind.

This sweet fragrance wasn’t coming from the flowers.

It was a special scent emanating from those who strongly inherited the blood of the Lapelios lineage.

Johannes’s gaze naturally turned to Roselia, who was smiling while looking at the flowers. Meanwhile, the Crown Princess and Closet showed no signs of noticing anything unusual, their expressions no different from usual.

Of course…

The scent given off by the Lapelios bloodline was close to pheromones, so it was barely noticeable by the same sex and could only be sensed by the opposite sex.

Moreover, it tended to become stronger when affected by emotions such as joy, sadness, or love.

Previously, there probably hadn’t been much emotional change, so no noticeable scent had been given off.

This almost confirmed that Roselia was Cecilia.

Johannes’s gaze towards Roselia now held a subtle light mixed with affection, longing, and joy.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Roselia tilted her head quizzically, unaware of his thoughts.

Even that gesture overlapped with the image of Cecilia as a child, making Johannes’s heart swell.

And in a corner of his mind, another worry bloomed.

If the scent is this strong now… the time for her awakening isn’t far off.

If she hadn’t learned how to control the scent, it could be dangerous when she awakens.

He must be by her side when she awakens.

As Johannes was making such a resolution, a flower petal carried by the breeze settled on Roselia’s head.

Johannes, who had been looking at her lovingly, slowly reached out his hand.

“Lady Roselia, excuse me for a moment.”

His hand, which touched Roselia’s head as if caressing it, held a flower petal.

“A flower petal was stuck to your hair.”

Saying so and smiling kindly, Johannes’s appearance made Roselia smile back shyly in return.

Looking at his smile made her feel a warmth in a corner of her heart for no reason.

Is it because it’s the smile of a handsome person…

While the two were having their own separate thoughts, there was someone else having different thoughts elsewhere.

Klaus, who had just finished reporting the school site construction situation to the Crown Prince, was standing in the corridor passing through the garden, staring intently at Roselia and Johannes.

Watching the two smiling at each other, he felt irritation creeping up and his insides twisting.

Seeing her smiling so brightly, a smile she had never shown him, made him feel inexplicably bitter and angry.

What is this nasty feeling?

His hand, which had unknowingly clenched into a fist, was so tense that veins were bulging, due to emotions he himself couldn’t understand.

As Antonio, Roselia visited Count Bernas as usual that day and was having tea time with the count.

Roselia carefully examined the count’s face as she poured tea into his cup.

“Grandfather. About you saying you’d become my guardian…”

Roselia, who had cautiously broached the subject, put down the teapot and spoke worriedly.

“Did you ask the young count for his opinion?”

Count Bernas frowned unpleasantly at Roselia’s question.

“Why would I need permission from that fellow?”

“But he is the heir to the count family.”

At Roselia’s words, the count snorted and casually drank his tea.

“If he doesn’t show up at the mansion within three months, I’m thinking of removing him from the family register.”

Roselia knew that though his words were harsh, it was just talk.

The count, with his strong military disposition to the bone, was secretly proud of the young count who was busy with national affairs, though he didn’t show it.

Of course, being in the navy and spending more than half the year at sea, he seemed to feel lonely deep down…

At that moment, Closet, who had now made it a routine to come and go to the count’s house following Roselia, opened her mouth excitedly.

“Look at this! Isn’t it better than last time?”

The plan to stimulate Count Klaus to paint had now seemingly become Closet’s hobby.

Closet’s painting skills, as she set up an easel in one corner of the reception room and painted, seemed to have improved day by day.

It had only been less than two weeks since she started painting, but her progress was truly remarkable.

Could it be… that Closet had talent in this area?

While Roselia was marveling at Closet’s painting, the count glanced at the painting from afar and muttered.

“You’ve improved from drawing with your feet to drawing with your hands.”

At the count’s critical words, never one for empty praise, Closet puffed her cheeks.

“Phew…”

As Closet sulked, looking at the easel, the count leisurely got up and limped over.

“You used too much paint here. And right now, the vase stands out more than the flowers. You should use more color on the flowers to make them the focus.”

The count, who had suddenly snatched the brush from Closet, dabbed the brush as if scribbling carelessly.

And the painting, which had been quite decent until then, was transformed beyond recognition.

Closet, who had been staring blankly at the scene, looked at the count with eyes full of admiration.

“Wow… Grandfather, you’re good at painting!”

As Closet marveled at the count’s exceptional brush strokes, which made her feel guilty for doubting him until now, the count suddenly looked bewildered and asked as if he had just learned something new.

“Me?”

“Yes! It got much better after you touched it, Grandfather.”

“…”

At Closet’s words, the count fell silent as if lost in thought.

Then, as if irritated by something he couldn’t recall, he suddenly continued in a very displeased voice.

“I’m hungry, prepare a meal.”

“Grandfather! Antonio is not a servant of the count family!”

Ignoring Closet’s protest, the count returned to sit on the sofa and suddenly looked at Roselia with wide eyes.

It was as if he was seeing Roselia for the first time.

“By the way, why are you, a girl, wearing men’s clothes?”

At that moment, both Roselia and Closet froze.