As Klaus’s lips overlapped with hers, Roselia’s movements suddenly stopped as if it were a lie.

Roselia, who had been staring with a surprised expression, soon closed her eyes tightly with her eyes turning red.

If only she could forget this reality, anything would be good.

And his kiss, as always, allowed her to empty her mind to white.

Klaus’s chest tingled at Roselia’s response, clinging to his arms as if they were a lifeline.

As the small body that didn’t even fill his embrace trembled with sorrow and fear, an indescribable feeling of pity and affection made his whole body tingle.

Unlike the kiss that brushed like a feather falling by the lake. The salty and hot liquid that rushed into his lips made him even more impatient and heartbreaking.

Her desperate gestures, struggling to live while struggling with his huge body, tightened his chest even more.

How long did they desire and cling to each other like that?

A moment of silence fell between the two who had parted heads, along with rough breathing.

And as if knowing that brief gap, there was a presence outside the carriage door.

“Your Grace, it’s Alejandro.”

Klaus felt Roselia startling and trying to pull away, but he didn’t loosen his arms embracing her and calmly opened his mouth.

“What’s the matter?”

While answering Alejandro outside the carriage, Klaus’s gaze was still looking at Roselia, and only then did Roselia’s mind snap to attention.

What on earth had she just done…!

She was currently Antonio, not Roselia.

But even if that was the case for her, why did the Duke kiss her first?

As her mind was becoming confused, Alejandro’s calm voice was heard.

“What should we do with Nadia’s paintings inside the house?”

While Klaus hesitated, Roselia opened her eyes wide and escaped his embrace, opening the carriage door.

“Just a moment.”

Klaus’s eyebrow unknowingly furrowed at Roselia’s action of slipping out of his embrace like a loach.

On the other hand, Alejandro looked flustered as Roselia got out of the suddenly opened carriage door.

“I want to see the last paintings Nadia drew for myself.”

At Roselia’s words, Alejandro glanced at the Duke’s expression.

The Duke, who had been staring blankly at Roselia’s face, soon sighed and quietly nodded.

Ignoring her legs that felt like they would collapse and her reddened eyes, Roselia calmly entered Nadia’s house.

The familiar furniture and odds and ends that hadn’t changed at all except for Nadia’s absence came into view.

Roselia closed her eyes tightly, trying to ignore the feeling of her chest freezing.

And soon she slowly turned her gaze towards the direction Alejandro was pointing.

It was a warehouse that had been full of junk and trash before.

Roselia, who had moved into the dark warehouse, froze as soon as she entered.

Instead of trash and junk, numerous paintings filled the walls.

From dazzling skies with rainbows, to skies where butterflies played, and skies where blue birds flew freely…

Paintings of countless skies were arranged in the room in various sizes.

And Roselia’s lips trembled at the sight of those many skies coming together to form a vast sky.

She had tried not to cry in front of Nadia’s paintings…

Klaus, who was blankly looking at the paintings beside Roselia, muttered in a low voice.

“Look carefully, Antonio. If it weren’t for you, Nadia wouldn’t have been able to paint this sky.”

Looking at the numerous paintings that weren’t in the original work, a smile formed on Roselia’s lips.

And soon a tear rolled down over her smile.

Roselia stood there endlessly, looking at the most beautiful and precious legacy Nadia had left behind.

No one dared to open their mouth in the carriage heading towards the mansion.

As the carriage arrived at the Duke’s mansion in that silence, Roselia was the first to open the carriage door and step out.

Klaus, who got out following her, worriedly followed Roselia’s back with his gaze.

At that moment, Roselia, who seemed to stumble for a moment, fell sideways like a doll with its string cut.

And Klaus, who had been keeping a close eye on her, quickly caught and embraced her.

“Antonio!”

Klaus called out to her in surprise, but Roselia had her eyes closed and was breathing heavily.

Her body is too hot.

Only then realizing that Roselia’s body was like a fireball, Klaus carried her and entered the mansion with quick steps.

Head butler Jeffrey, who had been waiting after receiving word that the Duke was coming, had to make a startled expression at the sight of the Duke entering carrying Antonio.

“Your Grace, what is this…”

“Antonio’s body is like a fireball! We need to bring down Antonio’s fever first.”

Jeffrey, who had been looking at the unconscious Antonio and Klaus in bewilderment, soon collected his startled mind and bowed his head.

“I’ll have the servants wipe the body with wet towels. First, let’s hand Antonio over to another servant.”

It was a polite way of saying there were many eyes watching.

But there was no way such things would be heard by Klaus’s ears.

His heart was burning up, wondering if she was dehydrated from crying so much earlier, or if she had fallen ill.

At that moment, Closet, who had come down from upstairs, discovered Klaus and Roselia and rushed over in shock.

“Antonio!”

While the surprised Closet was examining Roselia’s complexion in Klaus’s arms, Jeffrey opened his mouth again in a troubled voice.

“Your Grace, please put Antonio down first. We will take care of the rest.”

Closet’s eyes widened as she looked back and forth between Roselia and the head butler.

If she left Roselia to the head butler like this, it was only a matter of time before her identity was revealed.

Closet soon opened her mouth resolutely with a determined expression.

“I and my maids will take care of Antonio.”

The head butler’s expression widened at Closet’s words.

“My lady?”

Closet spoke in a stern voice, pretending to be the mistress of the Duke’s household.

“Melda and my personal maids are enough, so there’s no need to worry. And don’t let anyone into Antonio’s room except the maids I allow.”

The Duke, who was in a hurry due to Roselia’s burning fever, nodded at the expression of the head butler looking at him.

Klaus was unable to think rationally because of the feverish Roselia.

Looking at such a Klaus, Closet continued to speak calmly.

“First, to Antonio’s room.”

Klaus, who nodded, strode towards Antonio’s room.

Closet and Melda quickly followed behind.

Klaus, who had entered the room, carefully laid Roselia, whom he had carried lightly, on the bed.

And soon Melda and two of Closet’s personal maids entered with a basin filled with water and several towels.

As Klaus stepped back to allow them to attend to Antonio, Closet frowned and opened her mouth.

“Aren’t you going out?”

At Klaus’s pitiful question, Closet sighed and spoke in a stern voice.

“Antonio has a big scar on his chest. He might be uncomfortable showing it to many people.”

Seeing Closet standing with her arms crossed as if it would be difficult to take care of Antonio if Klaus didn’t leave, Klaus finally sighed and withdrew.

“I’ll come back later.”

As Klaus, who said so, left the room, Closet met Melda’s gaze and instructed her to undo Roselia’s chest bandages.

Following Closet’s instructions, Melda and the maids moved in unison, wetting towels and starting to wipe Roselia’s body.

Klaus had been pacing back and forth dozens of times in front of Antonio’s room door in the hallway for a long time.

And Klaus knocked on Antonio’s room door after confirming the maid who had come out with towels and a basin to change the water for the last time.

“Can I come in now?”

After a moment of silence, Closet’s strained voice was heard from inside the door.

“Come in.”

At Closet’s permission, Klaus opened the door and entered, but he frowned at the fragrance that suddenly hit him.

Klaus momentarily rubbed his forehead and leaned against the wall as the fragrance made his head dizzy and seemed to stimulate his nerves.

“The fragrance is too strong, did you light incense?”

At Klaus’s words, Closet, who was wiping Roselia’s forehead with a towel, raised her head quizzically.

“Fragrance? What fragrance are you talking about?”

Klaus’s brow hardened at Closet’s blunt words.

Tilting her head at Klaus’s words, Closet asked the maid next to her.

“Do you smell a fragrance?”

“No, not particularly…”

Only he could smell this fragrance that made his mind hazy?

Was his senses heightened from fatigue?

Klaus spoke, trying to act as if nothing was wrong.

“How’s Antonio?”

“The fever has gone down a lot. I don’t think we need to call the doctor.”

“That’s a relief.”

Klaus, who said so, scanned Roselia’s face as she slept soundly.

His face relaxed at her expression that seemed much more comfortable than before.

But soon, as the fragrance rushed in again and made him dizzy, Klaus had to hurry out of the room.

Roselia was sitting on the sofa in the office at Klaus’s summons.

Klaus, sitting across from her, was staring at her leisurely with his legs crossed, causing Roselia to clear her throat awkwardly, not knowing where to look.

And soon Klaus broke the awkward silence and spoke first.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, I’m much better thanks to the lady.”

“I’m glad.”

Klaus, who said so, looked at the table as if lost in thought, and Roselia, who was watching his expression, cautiously opened her mouth.

“Um… Your Grace.”

At her call, Klaus immediately raised his head to look at her. As if uncomfortable with his gaze, Roselia slightly averted her eyes and continued in a low voice.

“About Nadia’s paintings. Could you possibly donate them to the school that will be built in Algria village?”

“To the school?”

At Klaus’s question, Roselia lowered her gaze to the table and continued in a wistful voice.

“I’d like the children to grow up seeing the sky Nadia painted.”

As Nadia disliked using paintings for profit, she didn’t want to sell her last paintings. And she wanted Nadia’s soul to find some comfort through the children who would grow up freely.

She hoped that they would live enjoying freedom to the fullest like in the paintings, on behalf of Nadia who had lived as if chained from childhood. Somehow, she felt Nadia would want that too.

“I feel like Nadia could live a new life through the children.”

Klaus nodded silently at Roselia’s troubled words.

“…Let’s do that.”

Roselia’s gaze fell on him quizzically as Klaus unexpectedly agreed readily, instead of pressing why she wouldn’t sell the profitable paintings.

As he calmly sipped his tea, Roselia hesitated and opened her mouth, suddenly reminded of what happened in the carriage that day.

“And… about what happened in the carriage… please forget it.”

“Why?”

At Klaus’s blunt question, Roselia was rather flustered.

“Why, you ask… We were both in an emotional state… and Your Grace and I are men…”

As Roselia trailed off, blushing, Klaus, who had been staring at her expression, opened his mouth firmly.

“I don’t regret it.”

“What…?”

Klaus’s navy eyes looking at her were particularly deep.

“Even if I went back to that moment many times, I would have kissed you.”