38.

At those words, the duchess’s face instantly turned paler than the white teacup she was holding. She abruptly whipped her head toward Rosetta, glaring fiercely—so intense that she seemed to have forgotten entirely about the other guests present in the room.

“Lea, you……!”

Then, as if only now truly noticing Rosetta’s appearance, she froze momentarily, lips trembling speechlessly. The duchess’s horrified gaze swept over Rosetta’s crumpled maid uniform, her disheveled hair, and the soot-streaked cheeks. Her elegant lips twisted as though crushed.

“Anna…….”

It was a whisper so faint it could barely be heard even at close range, yet it carried a chilling cry reminiscent of one rising from hell. Rosetta briefly offered a silent prayer for Anna’s well-being. The duchess clutched the back of her neck, murmuring briefly about dizziness, then barely managed to compose her expression into something calm.

“Lord Cardier Montrosa, although this girl has recently been acting rather peculiarly… you must understand she wasn’t always like this.”

“…….”

“According to her physician, it’s due to a mild shock, and he assured me she’ll regain her former brightness within a year—or even just a few seasons. And I’m not saying this just because she’s my daughter… isn’t she truly lovely?”

The duchess’s eyes kept darting uncertainly toward Lea’s tangled hair.

“If it’s a matter of insufficient dowry, I can speak with the duke myself……”

“The dowry is fine.”

Cardier replied without turning to face the duchess, his eyes fixed on Rosetta—more precisely, on the narrow space between Rosetta and Owen.

“…Fine?”

The duchess’s face stiffened instantly, then quivered. As if Cardier had just withdrawn his marriage proposal. Only then did he seem to realize how his words might have been misunderstood.

He softened his expression slightly before replying.

“It would be better if the gift were made in the lady’s name, not tied to the Montrosa estate. So she may dispose of it freely at any time.”

“What do you mean……?”

“The engagement still stands, madam. Whether it proceeds depends entirely on the lady.”

At that moment, the duchess turned to her with a radiant smile. Rosetta flinched backward instinctively at such a reaction—so crass in its greed, yet so maternal in its eagerness. In doing so, she ended up close to Owen, and instinctively pressed herself against him like a shield, hiding from the duchess’s gaze.

Cardier’s face turned icy in an instant. When Owen raised both hands as if protesting, “What do you expect me to do when the lady acts like this?”, Cardier now glared at him as if he might devour him whole.

Then, as if nothing savage had ever occurred, his expression cleared completely as he turned back to the duchess.

“However, though you had the betrothal documents drawn and even summoned witnesses, it appears the lady herself does not consent to this engagement.”

“Oh no, Lord Cardier, that’s not it at all. This is merely……”

The duchess began stammering an explanation, but Cardier gently cut her off.

“I’d like to speak with the lady directly.”

It was an unmistakable request to leave them alone. Most parents with a daughter of marriageable age would hesitate to allow such a thing, but the rumors surrounding Cardier and Lea had already reached their peak. The public already regarded them as husband and wife.

At this moment, if Lord Cardier were to change his mind, Lady Valdemore would be forced into remarriage with a widower, no matter how enormous her dowry. No matter how prestigious a family a young woman came from, once her purity was in question—or merely believed to be compromised—her value would inevitably plummet.

The Duchess of Valdemore was a woman ready and willing to sell her daughter for her future. And especially so when the suitor was Lord Cardier Montrosa. If it meant being left alone with him, she’d do anything—she might as well own half the empire.

Without a trace of guilt, the duchess quickly signaled to the maids and attendants.

“Lord Cainebridge. Let us move to the adjacent reception room.”

“Oh, I’ll……”

Owen’s lips hadn’t even fully parted, excited at the thought of deliberately spoiling their moment by pretending not to get the hint. But Cardier, rising from the couch, stepped close and extended his hand toward Rosetta.

“Come here.”

“…….”

“You’re beneath my notice. You’re not even worth my attention.”

Owen instantly wore an expression of deep indignation, feeling utterly demeaned. It wouldn’t have stung so much if he’d at least spoken to the lady or tried something. But he’d merely been standing close—that was all!

Rosetta blinked, frozen in place, until Cardier gently urged her, extending his hand a little further.

“Hurry.”

She took his hand almost reflexively. His cold, stern lips finally relaxed into a satisfied, languid curve.

And with just that faint smile, it was as if the dim room had suddenly brightened. Though, in truth, that bright reception room had never known shadows to begin with.

Rosetta, dazed by his sculpted features, blinked rapidly—then snapped back to reality at the sound of the door closing.

……There was no one around. None of the attendants, none of the servants, not even the duchess or Owen, who had been so cheeky moments ago.

They had really left the two of them alone? Truly? She turned her head back and forth in disbelief. But the more she did, the clearer reality became—the undeniable truth that everyone else had vanished from the room, leaving only the two of them, in just a single minute.

Rosetta ground her teeth together. Damn it. This couldn’t ruin everything. Even collapsing and being carried out had caused an unprecedented scandal—what kind of rumors would spread now, with them left alone together in a reception room, perfectly conscious?

“…Aren’t you a bit thirsty? I’ll call someone.”

Rosetta swiftly shook off his hand and tried to bolt from the room. But Cardier caught her elbow, forcing her to stop after only a few steps.

“Wait a moment.”

“…What? What is it?”

She thought she sounded calm, but upon hearing her own voice, it came out awkwardly, almost like “Wh-what is it?” Rosetta swallowed hard, the saliva thick with tension.

As he stepped closer, the distinctive, refreshing scent reminiscent of the sea wafted toward her. He gently brushed her cheek with his thumb.

“There was something on your face.”

“Oh? Really?”

She hastily raised her hand and rubbed the spot where his finger had touched, scrubbing roughly. Whether her cheek reddened from the friction or from something else, she couldn’t tell. But it only seemed to smear the stain further. Cardier let out a soft chuckle.

“I’ll do it.”

Rosetta stiffened like someone with a knife at their throat as Cardier gently wiped her cheek with his clean sleeve. Once she became aware of it, everything began to feel overwhelming.

Frankly, Cardier’s appearance was perfectly tailored to Rosetta’s tastes. The pleasing shape of his lips, the smoothness of his cheeks—unusual for a naval officer, his lean yet broad-shouldered frame, his handsome face that could sway between saintly grace and decadent beauty with just a shift in expression.

In the past, due to his youth, he had seemed merely beautiful—but now, unmistakably masculine. His large hands that could easily cover her entire face, his defined jawline, the thickened neck, the deeper, richer voice… he was, from head to toe, a masterpiece crafted exactly to Rosetta’s preferences.

“All done.”

He straightened up with a pleasing little smile.

Rosetta gasped for breath. This was… dangerous. Not because Cardier was threatening—but because she feared she might do something reckless toward him. Warning signals flashed wildly in her mind.

It was absurd. Once, he was someone she’d thought, “Might be delicious when he grows up,” but never as a man she could desire. Why did she suddenly feel this way? She was utterly confused.

“You keep going pale, then flushed. Are you unwell?”

“…….”

At those words, Rosetta sharply lifted her eyes. If he had sensed even a little of what she felt, she’d have driven a butter knife into his carotid right then and there. But this bastard—actually looked like he was genuinely concerned for her well-being. Well, his naivety was on par with a cheerful little retriever pup. Whether to be relieved or annoyed by his obliviousness, she couldn’t decide.

Rosetta crossed her legs defiantly.

“Don’t worry about my face. What did you want to say?”