70.

“Was it too sudden for you that I’m inheriting the admiralty?”

Seeing Rosetta freeze with no reaction, he asked cautiously. Cardier leaned his cheek against the warm nape of Ro’s neck, gently untangling the rest of her knotted hair with his fingers.

“If you say you don’t want it, I’ll ask for a few more years’ delay.”

“……What do you want to do?”

“I’d rather settle this as soon as possible. If it’s something I’ll have to carry someday anyway.”

Ro struggled to steady her voice.

“Becoming admiral means…… well, regular training, frequent deployments, and if war breaks out, you’re dragged into battle no matter what.”

“That’s my duty.”

“Damn it, risking your life every other day…… They call you precious, yet throw you into every dangerous situation. You’re not some stray dog on the streets.”

He chuckled, and a faint tremor ran through their pressed skin. After a moment, Cardier subdued his laughter and gently soothed her.

“The reason the Empire holds the Montrosas in such high regard, Ro, is because when the Empire is invaded, I’m the one who steps forward to take the bullets, and my ship is always the first to be pierced by enemy cannons.”

“……”

“If the Montrosa flag ever sinks beneath the waves, that moment will mark the final naval battle of Esperanda.”

Ro leaned against his broad shoulders and lowered her eyes. The nobility’s way of thinking was so lofty it often felt impossible to follow. Yet this one thing she understood instantly from a leader’s perspective—no honor ever awaited a captain who abandoned his ship before the mast broke. And to a captain, the ship meant not just the vessel itself, but also the crew who trusted him enough to board.

Toulon. Ro recalled her sunken corvettes and her scattered crew. Since Toulon had gone down, her second life had been nothing but an unexpected bonus, like receiving an unwanted gift. A life clinging half-alive to someone else’s body, unable to truly die. Her pride had long been buried in the gutter. Unlike Cardier, who shone from the Empire’s highest peak.

She pressed her ear against Cardier’s warm body, listening to his heartbeat. In this moment, the jealousy that had quietly built up within her felt absurdly petty. Truthfully, Cardier had offered her a fine refuge, like a puppet whose strings had been forcibly severed.

As she relaxed into him, she felt Cardier’s strong arms wrap tightly around her. Ro finally let out a truth she hadn’t fully swallowed.

“You…… live far too hard.”

He gave a small laugh.

“Ro. That’s not something you should be saying……”

“When did you become so responsible? Weren’t you the one who used to ditch your duties and run off every other day when we were kids?”

“Because you’re the land and sea I’ll live for from now on.”

“……”

His tender words brushed softly against her heart. As she stood there dazed, he rubbed his nose against hers, then used his large, vein-popping hand to slowly pull down the strap of her slip. Seizing her momentary lapse in guard, his lips settled on her nape, moving with a soft, slick sound. Ro exhaled a shiver of breath. Despite her aching muscles threatening to tear her apart, her body warmed easily.

Damn it…… If we keep rolling around here, today’s completely ruined…… Ro bit her lip, hesitated, then finally pushed his upper body toward the bed.

Cardier flashed a smile so intense it nearly stole his breath, then obediently let himself fall backward at her force. Ro swiftly straddled his firm abs. Propping himself up on his elbows, Cardier caressed her cheek with his opposite hand.

“Ro……”

Ro plunged her hand into his golden hair and lowered her head, pressing her lips to his.

* * *

Rosetta anxiously checked her pocket watch. She had lost track of time dawdling with Cardier and was now late for her appointment with Lady Audrey. She’d made her wait a full thirty minutes—clearly, her mind had been elsewhere, completely distracted. It was an embarrassingly pitiful state to be in.

The lodging where Lady Audrey stayed was a five-story hotel located on the busiest street in Cyclide. A luxury accommodation operated by the Bellfaster family, one of the noble houses from the Eastern region, its scale surpassed even most noble estates.

Among its two hundred-plus rooms, the cheapest cost five hundred sols per night, yet Lady Audrey had rented the entire hotel. And she’d paid ten days’ worth in cash upfront. Considering she held no title or personal fortune aside from the honor of being a future crown princess, it was truly a grand display of the crown prince’s devoted affection.

As the carriage halted before the grand hotel, Rosetta quickly hopped down with the help of a servant. She hurried up the marble steps and handed her robe to Lady Audrey’s waiting maid.

“Is the Lady expecting me?”

“She’s been waiting.”

Rosetta gestured with her chin, indicating she should be led inside. As she walked down the long corridor, she nearly collided several times with merchants carrying silk, jewels, and dresses. Recently, it seemed Lady Audrey had grown tired of visiting shops one by one, so she began summoning all the famous local merchants directly.

The maid skillfully wove through the crowd of merchants and guided her to the busiest floor. Upon reaching the fourth floor where Lady Audrey resided, a sharp, overwhelming scent stung Rosetta’s nose.

It smelled as though an entire bottle of perfume had been poured out—mixed with the odors of passersby, it had become almost unbearable. By the time Rosetta stood before Lady Audrey, her sense of smell was completely numbed.

“You’re late today.”

Audrey, who had just purchased five jeweled fans in a row, gave Rosetta a sullen look and feigned recognition. With a few gestures, she dismissed the merchants crowding the parlor out the door. Rosetta carefully chose her words.

“Something came up this morning. I’m sorry if I kept you waiting too long.”

“Oh, never mind. Come, sit here instead.”

Audrey gestured with her ring-laden hand. Rosetta cautiously took a seat across from the Lady. Servants bustled about, clearing away the mountain of boxes piled around them. Despite having witnessed this scene several times in recent days, it still felt unfamiliar.

“I called you here today for a special matter.”

Rosetta had been struggling to focus, but at those words, she finally turned her attention to Lady Audrey. Just then, a maid placed a tray before them, holding a teapot, teacups, and light refreshments.

Though she’d met Lady Audrey several times over the past few days, this was the first time she was being served food in such a manner. And tea, no less—instead of plain water…… Rosetta glanced up, slightly unsettled.

“A special matter? What is it?”

Without replying, Lady Audrey scooted her hips right to the edge of the sofa, then tilted the teapot to fill a teacup with a steaming crimson liquid. It didn’t resemble the kind of black tea nobles usually enjoyed, no matter how hard one looked.

“Drink first, wet your throat.”

Rosetta didn’t even have time to object to the commanding tone. At Lady Audrey’s glance, a maid placed the teacup into her hand. Rosetta tried subtly to sniff it, but her nose seemed completely disabled—likely due to the suffocatingly strong perfume.

“What is this?”

“Just tea. Surely you don’t think I’d try to poison you in front of all these people?”

Lady Audrey snorted. Rosetta was gradually regaining her composure. Though Lady Audrey was pretending to act normally, she seemed somehow anxious—fidgeting her hands, her eyebrows twitching faintly. Still, no matter how suspicious it seemed, Rosetta had no authority to refuse the command of a future crown princess.

“……Then I’ll drink it.”

Rosetta deliberately tilted the cup, making contact with her lips as wide as possible, and took a sip. The moment it touched her tongue, her entire body broke into goosebumps, as if she’d bitten into a repulsive insect. It’s fine. One sip won’t change anything. Even if there is something, I can take an antidote right after. Rosetta repeated this to herself like a mantra, barely managing to swallow the liquid. As her delicate throat moved with difficulty, Audrey broke into a bright smile.

“How does it taste?”

“It’s not quite to my liking.”

Rosetta answered firmly, then immediately pulled out a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed her lips. Apparently satisfied with just that one sip, Audrey smiled contentedly. Then, lifting the teacup, she ran the tip of her index finger along the gilded rim.

“Really? That’s a shame. It’s good tea—I went out of my way to get it……”

“Now that I’ve wet my throat, please tell me the matter at hand.”

“What’s the rush? Why not talk a little more?”

Scritch. Screech. The sound of her finger rubbing against the rim grated oddly on the nerves.

“I have other appointments this afternoon.”

“Is that so?”

“If it’s nothing urgent, may I take my leave today?”

At that moment, a flicker of displeasure passed through Audrey’s eyes. She opened her mouth as if she had no choice.

“That time…… the message my Diego asked me to deliver……”

And then Rosetta noticed—she had been repeating the same gesture over and over again all along.