When Roselia startled, Klaus narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“Why are you so surprised about having a meal together?”

Roselia was at a loss for words at Klaus’s question.

No, you’ve never done this before!

Rolling her eyes in confusion, Roselia finally answered awkwardly.

“Um… well… Roselia will find it difficult to make time.”

“Why is that?”

Roselia, thinking quickly, decided to use the already revealed card of Marquis Yukilliode.

“Well… I’m staying with Marquis Yukilliode!”

“……”

Klaus’s expression could be seen hardening.

But soon he continued speaking indifferently with a calm expression.

“Does the Marquis of Rapellios not tolerate his lover having a meal with someone else?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“If you’re so worried, I’ll send a letter to Marquis Yukilliode.”

“No, don’t!”

“…?”

Fearing she would be caught, Roselia hastily came up with another excuse.

“Actually, Roselia has gone on a trip! Regrettably, dinner will have to wait for another time…”

Seeing Roselia’s awkward smile, Klaus coldly drove the point home.

“Then I’ll send a carriage and people to where you are now”

“What??”

“Where are you? I’ll send a carriage driven by the fastest horses so you can come as quickly as possible.”

No… Is this meal so important that you’d go to such lengths…?

“Well…”

Finally, Roselia continued, seemingly resigned to her fate.

“I’ll talk to Roselia about it.”

Klaus, who had been looking curiously at the dejected Roselia, soon nodded with a calm expression.

“That would be good. Let me know if you need a carriage anytime.”

“Yes…”

What should I do! I can’t split my body in two!

Should I have just insisted I couldn’t come? But he seemed ready to come and fetch me himself…!

Roselia, tugging at her hair in frustration, inwardly screamed.

“Young lady, are you trying to pull out your hair? It’s a shame, especially since you cut it short.”

Roselia turned her head at Nadia’s leisurely voice and quietly lowered her hand, feeling sheepish.

She had visited Nadia’s house to deliver the sponsorship money.

Nadia, now accustomed to meeting Roselia in her Antonio state, was looking at her leisurely with her chin propped up.

Suddenly, Roselia’s gaze fell on Nadia’s delicate arms.

With a sudden thought, Roselia looked at Nadia meaningfully.

Slender like Roselia, and with a modest chest volume similar to Roselia when dressed as a woman.

Come to think of it, their heights were similar too.

As Nadia raised her eyebrow questioningly, as if to ask why she was staring, Roselia hesitantly opened her mouth.

“Nadia, would you mind helping me?”

Unlike Roselia, who asked seriously after making a big decision, Nadia replied lightly with a grin.

“I’ll think about it if you pay me.”

Roselia was dumbfounded by Nadia’s attitude, thoroughly weighing pros and cons for everything except selling her paintings.

Having grown up in the back alleys and experienced all sorts of hardships, Nadia prioritized money for most things except her paintings.

After being stunned for a moment, Roselia soon nodded with a determined expression.

“Alright. I’ll pay you properly.”

At Roselia’s words, Nadia curled her lips seductively.

“What do you want me to do?”

To Nadia’s question, Roselia hesitantly continued, speaking haltingly.

“Um… Could you pretend to be my younger sister?”

“You mean pretend to be you, right?”

Nadia, who already knew that Antonio was Roselia, asked with a meaningful smile.

“Ahem, yes… You just need to act like Roselia from a distance.”

As Roselia cleared her throat in embarrassment, Nadia smiled as if finding her cute.

“Hmm… Alright. I’m not responsible if we get caught though.”

“It’s fine. You just need to show your back from a distance.”

She planned to show Nadia from afar, as even Klaus wouldn’t be able to recognize Nadia’s disguised appearance up close.

Well… I’ll have to think more about how to keep him looking…

After making this meaningful contract with Nadia, Roselia went into town with a heavy heart.

It was to catch a carriage to the mansion.

As she was walking through the streets with the road, she noticed a familiar figure looking at flowers in front of a flower shop on the way.

It was Marquis Yukilliode.

As Roselia stopped and stared at him with wide eyes, Johannes, feeling her gaze, turned his head and pretended to be surprised.

“What a coincidence. I was just passing by and stopped to look at these beautiful flowers.”

The Marquis, who should be staying in the royal guest palace, came all the way to town to look at flowers…?

When there are flowers all over the royal garden…?

As Roselia was pondering this question, Johannes had already bought a bouquet and was holding it out to her.

Roselia, in her Antonio state, could only look flustered with wide eyes.

“Why are you giving this to me…”

If she had been in her Roselia state, she would have understood, but currently she was in her Antonio state.

As if seeing through Roselia’s inner thoughts, Johannes showed his characteristic gentle smile.

“Please give this to Lady Roselia. It seems I’ll have difficulty seeing her directly.”

“Ah… Yes, thank you. I mean, I’ll deliver it well.”

Johannes smiled brightly at her bewildered greeting.

As Roselia blankly stared at his smile that could melt most women, she suddenly raised her eyes at a passing thought.

“Marquis, perhaps…”

“?”

After hesitating for a moment, Roselia blurted out with an ‘oh well’ attitude.

“Since you’ve pretended to be Roselia’s lover, could you help me, I mean, us a bit more?”

In response to her desperate voice, Johannes, who had been looking puzzled, soon replied with a kind smile.

“What is it? If I can be of help, I’d be glad to.”

At Johannes’s words, Roselia’s expression brightened as if she had met a savior.

Looking at Johannes smiling warmly, she felt a bit guilty, but it was a situation she had created by claiming the Marquis was Roselia’s lover.

It’s better to make proper use of what I’ve started anyway.

With that rationalization, Roselia looked at Johannes with a meaningful expression.

Watching her, Johannes, who knew that Antonio was actually Roselia, smiled as if finding her cute.

The Duke’s carriage that arrived in the bustling downtown of the duchy stopped at the roadside.

Soon, Roselia dressed as a servant and Duke Balthasar, the owner of the duchy, stepped out from inside the carriage.

Klaus frowned as he looked at the bustling downtown, as if finding it bothersome.

“We have a first-class chef at the ducal residence, do we really need to eat out?”

In response to Klaus’s displeased demeanor, Roselia deliberately replied cheerfully.

“It’s nice to have a change of mood once in a while!”

Seeing her seemingly cheerful expression, Klaus soon put aside his complaints and looked around.

“Where is Roselia?”

“She said she’d wait here…”

As she said this, Roselia pretended to look around while secretly observing Klaus’s expression.

He didn’t seem to suspect anything yet.

Now, if only Nadia and Johannes act well…

At that moment, as previously arranged, Nadia and Johannes appeared across the street beyond the crowded throng of people.

Nadia, wearing the blonde wig Roselia used to wear and a wide-brimmed hat pulled low, was standing with her back turned.

Confirming this sight, Roselia deliberately spoke loudly.

“Ah! There she is.”

At Roselia’s words, Klaus’s gaze turned to the direction she pointed.

Nadia, disguised as Roselia, was seen seemingly conversing with Johannes, showing only her back.

Johannes could be seen gently caressing her cheek.

Klaus stiffened as he watched the scene.

Something feels off.

Unlike before, his heart wasn’t racing, nor did he feel jealous.

Clearly, last time he felt his blood boiling just seeing the Marquis next to Roselia.

Klaus’s expression hardened at this unexpected reaction of his.

While Klaus was in shock, Nadia, acting as Roselia, seemed to hesitate before getting into the carriage that Johannes had opened the door to.

Having confirmed all this, Roselia deliberately spoke in an exaggerated manner.

“Oh? It seems the Marquis and she have some urgent business! What a shame… I’m truly sorry, Your Grace. I’ll try to set another date!”

“……”

Even as Roselia was giving her best performance, Klaus remained lost in serious contemplation.

Misinterpreting his expression, Roselia cautiously observed his mood.

“Are, are you angry?”

Thinking Klaus was angry at Roselia for leaving with Johannes after making plans, she fidgeted nervously. Klaus furrowed his brow and spoke stiffly.

“Let’s return to the mansion for now.”

Seeing Klaus’s deeply serious expression, Roselia could only nod silently.

Thus, the two returned to the mansion and somehow ended up having dinner alone together.

Roselia, who would normally have refused, accepted due to his serious expression and her hunger from running around preparing this ridiculous play.

It seemed Klaus had informed the chef that a guest would be coming, as luxurious dishes began to fill the table as if they had been waiting.

However, even as the food was served, Klaus’s expression remained unrelaxed.

“Eat.”

Lost in complex thoughts, Klaus picked up his knife without even looking at Antonio.

Holding his fork and knife, Klaus again fell into a daze.

I clearly thought I was interested in Roselia, so why isn’t my heart racing?

I used to feel sick just seeing the Marquis next to her, so why am I not jealous now?

Could it be that I really…?

Lost in such thoughts, Klaus unconsciously looked towards Antonio and stiffened his shoulders.

He saw the small mouth busily chewing food, apparently hungry.

The small lips, neatly chewing food, glistened temptingly with grease.

He found his gaze drawn to the sight of those sparkling green eyes following the food, cheeks puffed full of food.

Damn it, how can someone eat so cutely?

Realizing he had been staring blankly at this sight, Klaus was shocked.

Cute…? Calling a man cute…!

Good heavens, it seems he had truly lost his mind.