Here we go again with the fuss. Rosetta Toulon, feeling both charmed and annoyed by Anna’s lively voice, dragged her heavy body up from the sofa.

Anna was an important person to her. She gathered information well, worked hard despite lacking finesse, and had such thick skin that no words could hurt her. Rosetta also liked her bold demeanor, speaking freely without holding back. Would this be what having a younger sister feels like?

Despite how fondly she viewed Anna, and regardless of how capable Anna was, her life as a maid was soon to come to an end. The moment Rosetta escaped, Anna would face blame for failing to watch over her lady. Even if she avoided severe punishment, she’d likely never be trusted as a chambermaid again. For ambitious Anna, this would be a great setback.

And that fact always stirred a sense of guilt in Rosetta.

So, she prepared for that moment on Anna’s behalf, who knew nothing of it. She quietly collected trinkets that could be sold without being traced and hid them deep in the wardrobe. Since Anna’s future would be uncertain, she should leave plenty of such things behind.

Wait, what if this girl, acting all clueless, gets robbed of everything by someone?

“Milady! I’ve called you so many times!”

Anna’s innocent face suddenly popped up in front of her. Rosetta was in the middle of vividly imagining the jewelry being stolen, so Anna’s face only added realism to the scene. Rosetta clenched her fist tightly.

“Anna, listen. If things get tough for you later, come to the east.”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean all of a sudden?”

Anna widened her eyes and tilted her head. Though Rosetta had spoken impulsively, giving specific directions was as good as revealing her escape route. She waved her hand dismissively, as if to say not to worry about it.

“…It’s nothing.”

“Talking nonsense first thing in the morning? Are you still half-asleep? Do you have a fever?”

Anna cupped Rosetta’s cheeks with both hands, then touched her forehead repeatedly, asking with concern. Honestly, she was excessively fussy. Annoyed, Rosetta swatted Anna’s hands away with a smack.

“What is it this time? What’s going on now?”

“It’s absolutely huge news.”

Anna sat close, her eyes sparkling. Judging by her flushed cheeks… it must be one of the top five pieces of news they’d heard recently. The way she was dragging it out only confirmed it.

To humor Anna’s excitement, Rosetta opened her eyes like a dead fish. With a voice devoid of enthusiasm but feigning interest, she asked.

“What is it, then?”

Anna, with a face like she was savoring the best part of a dish, began skillfully braiding Rosetta’s long, flowing hair. Rosetta let out a big yawn and pretended to lie back down.

“If you don’t tell me, I’m going back to sleep.”

“I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you!”

Anna squealed with excitement. As if daring her to listen, she raised one eyebrow crookedly. Anna leaned close, whispering into her ear.

“I overheard the duchess and the steward talking earlier.”

“…”

“They said the Young Duke of Valdemore finished his academy studies two years early and is on his way to Marcelo now!”

“Valdemore… Young Duke?”

Rosetta quickly caught something odd in Anna’s words. So, if the Young Duke of Montrosa is that retriever-like guy… then the Young Duke of Valdemore must be the son of the Duke of Valdemore? Lea’s older brother? She blinked, barely processing it.

“I… have an older brother?”

Anna’s face froze in shock, as if she couldn’t believe Rosetta had forgotten even that. Then, she quickly nodded with understanding.

“Well… when you first woke up, you called the duchess ‘madam’…”

“Stop bringing that up. Anyway, is it true? I really… have a male sibling?”

It seemed like he’d be her older brother, but that word refused to leave her lips. A brother, maybe, but not that term.

Perhaps misunderstanding something, Anna’s eyes turned mournful, as if looking at something pitiful. She added gently.

“He’s three years older than you, milady. Instead of going to Valdemore’s estate from the academy, he’s coming straight to Marcelo to see the duchess. If the news is correct, he’ll arrive the day after tomorrow.”

Rosetta’s lips parted in shock. The day after tomorrow? With some festival or whatever happening soon? The packed schedule aside, a brother out of nowhere… For some reason, she felt an ominous chill. A shiver ran down her spine, and she trembled involuntarily.

And, as always, her bad premonition proved accurate.

Two days later, in the morning.

Servants were rushing through the corridors, carrying luggage, while maids busied themselves freshening windows and bed linens.

Wondering what all the commotion was about, Rosetta recalled that today was the day Anna had mentioned—the Young Duke of Valdemore’s return to Marcelo.

Sipping lemonade Anna had brought her, Rosetta stood on the staircase, watching the steward and attendants bustle about.

In a few weeks, the young duke would head to Valdemore’s eastern estate, and she’d escape the capital, so their paths wouldn’t cross for long. She’d stay quiet, keep out of sight, and avoid trouble. If she had meals brought to her room, she might avoid seeing him altogether.

But her naive hopes shattered precisely on the morning of the second day.

Called by the duchess, she was descending the stairs when she came face-to-face with a stranger. As she stepped aside to pass, he called out to her.

“Lea.”

It was a man she’d never seen, yet his tone and inflection felt oddly familiar. He looked like the Duke of Valdemore might have twenty years ago. Even his voice was so similar she couldn’t mistake it. Rosetta tilted her head warily.

“Brother?”

It came out almost like “bruh-thur,” the closest she could manage. The moment their eyes met, she realized he wasn’t the least bit pleased to see her. His gaze was cold, as if looking at something shameful.

“You fainted while putting on a corset, didn’t you?”

She clamped her mouth shut at the mention of her embarrassing past. …Yes, she’d fainted while wearing something like a child’s undergarment. She had fainted, but that was over a month ago. It wasn’t something to be brought up like it happened two days ago. He added coldly.

“Getting jilted was bad enough, but such a disgraceful rumor? You’re a shame to Valdemore.”

Rosetta let out a hollow laugh. Forgetting her resolve to act refined, a twisted feeling crept up inside her. She narrowed her eyes. That jerk—what was his name? Anna had told her.

“They say on the streets that you’ve gone mad.”

He scanned her up and down, his lips curling into a sneer.

“Seeing you today, that rumor doesn’t seem entirely wrong.”

His attitude was worse than the dockhands at the port, but that aside, Rosetta was the type to repay a single slight tenfold. No matter how pathetic she might seem, she had no intention of bowing to some polished nobleman. She was Kirgos’s most cherished child in life, and she knew her place very, very well.

Rosetta narrowed her eyes to gauge his strength. She quickly sized him up.

First, could she kill him? Poison might work, but physically, it was near impossible. Second, could she escape after poisoning him? Not a good idea unless she wanted Valdemore as an enemy. Finally, third, would provoking him cause her personal trouble? At least he had no authority to lock her in a convent.

As Rosetta gave a sinister smile, he flinched and stepped back. Sharp one, huh? But too late. Clearing her throat, she plopped onto the floor, letting out a long wail with a deliberately shameless expression.

“Oh, heavens! Brother, what’s that supposed to mean? Huh? Has that rumor already spread all over Marcelo? How am I supposed to live with such shame?”

The maids and attendants watching nervously let out a collective sigh, clutching their foreheads. In contrast, the Young Duke of Valdemore’s face went pale, then flushed red.

“You, what are you doing…?”