“Huh? That’s being the new recruit until the next new recruit comes in.”

“Then that new recruit title will last at least a year, right?”

“……”

Why ask something so obvious?

“I thought I was considered a fairly close junior, but I guess not.”

I tilted my head, feeling a strange sense of discomfort from Ian’s words.

Wait a minute?

“So… are you roundaboutly asking me to call you something other than new recruit?”

Ian’s eyes trembled briefly.

“I just felt unpleasant being treated the same as other new recruits.”

As I noticed his ears turning slightly red as he cleared his throat, I swallowed a laugh.

Come to think of it, I called Simon by name, but kept calling Ian “new recruit.”

Of course, I didn’t do it on purpose.

The name Ian is much more familiar to me.

I just called him “new recruit” to prevent accidentally blurting out “Ian” when I should call him “Klein”…

“I guess I was inconsiderate, since we spar together. Then what should I call you?”

“I didn’t mean for you to call me anything else…”

“Klein?”

When I said that name, Ian closed his mouth as if flustered.

He has a subtly cute side.

“I’ll call you this from now on, okay, Klein?”

Seeing Ian flinch like a mimosa at the word “Klein,” I couldn’t help but laugh.

“See you tomorrow then, Klein.”

*

“Your Highness, I think we should call for a physician.”

“Why a physician?”

“You were clutching at your chest again, Your Highness.”

“It’s nothing.”

Nathan let out a deep sigh. He couldn’t even count how many times this conversation had repeated over the past few days.

“If you don’t want to see a physician, at least tell me about your symptoms.”

Ian hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“It just feels a bit tight in my chest lately, like something’s weighing on it. My stomach feels queasy too.”

“Does it happen randomly?”

“Not exactly…”

‘See you tomorrow then, Klein.’

As Rosebelia’s face, smiling as she called him Klein, came to mind, his chest felt heavy again.

But what made him feel even more uncomfortable was when Rosebelia was close to someone else.

He didn’t like it when she was with Simon or Edwin, or even that woman clinging to her like a vine.

“I get irritated when someone else is next to a certain person. It feels like my stomach is turning.”

Nathan’s eyes widened as he listened intently to Ian’s words. The symptoms his prince was describing sounded suspiciously similar to feelings towards someone you have a crush on.

‘The person His Highness is talking about must be Captain Gabriel. Is he upset that she neglects him and only takes care of others?’

Nathan quickly came to a conclusion and gave a clear answer.

“It seems you really want to become close with that person. That’s why you dislike seeing them being close with others.”

Can such unpleasant emotions arise just from wanting to be close to someone?

‘Why do I want to get close to her in the first place?’

Ian couldn’t even clearly understand the reason.

‘At first I thought she was someone with a rather blunt and cold impression, but…’

Up close, Rosebelia easily smiled at small things, often got flustered, and sometimes laughed brightly.

Moreover, she seemed to keep her distance by calling him “new recruit,” but then unexpectedly crossed that line at unexpected moments, and when that happened…

Ian undid his shirt buttons as if his neck felt tight and let out a ragged breath.

Her actual appearance differed from what the other members said about her having little facial expression and being stubborn in nature, and from the image he had hastily judged at the eve of the festival.

At first he just thought it was interesting, but before he knew it, his eyes would naturally seek her out whenever he went to the order.

Whether the other members didn’t notice, or if he was particularly good at noticing, it was fun to observe the changes in expression on her face.

It’s also important to understand her emotions well if we’re going to keep sparring…

‘Yes, at first it was definitely just a light-hearted feeling, but…’

Admiration, was it?

‘Because she’s someone I look up to, I want to get close and become friends.’

Ian tilted his head slightly as he recalled Jace’s words.

‘If that’s the case, I should be recalling her sword-wielding form, but why…’

As he ran his hand through his hair with a confused expression, his gaze suddenly fell on what Nathan was holding.

“Nathan, what’s that in your hand?”

“Ah, there’s going to be a party at the Winters estate in a few days.”

He was about to add that he would convey the intention not to attend as usual, when Ian beckoned to Nathan.

“Bring it here.”

“Pardon? Why?”

“I’m thinking of going.”

Ian snatched the invitation from Nathan’s hand and stared at it intently.

“What? You’re going in person, Your Highness? You know about the Winters family. Olivia Winters, the Empress’s younger cousin, is there. Everyone knows that the Winters family is outwardly friendly to the Empress and the Second Prince, even if they don’t show it.”

“The second part is a masquerade ball. It should be fine if I wear a mask, right?”

Nathan’s mouth fell open. Ian seemed more sincere than ever.

“You really want to go? You usually hate going to such places. Why on earth…”

“Don’t people usually become close at such events?”

The words that flowed from Ian’s mouth were quite unexpected, and Nathan scratched his cheek with a dazed expression.

“It is a place to build connections.”

“That’s why I should go.”

“Are you serious?”

Ian frowned one eyebrow as if to ask how many times he needed to repeat himself. Nathan wisely closed his mouth and racked his brain.

‘Could Captain Gabriel be attending that party?’

*

The house had been noisy for days with preparations for Cayden’s birthday party. The only place that had escaped the noise was the library in the annex.

“Vivian, are you going to stay here too?”

“Yes. I like it here because there are lots of books.”

I smiled at Vivian, who looked ready to bury her head in a book, and turned my eyes to the medical text I had been reading until just now.

This was already the third medical book, but no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find any mention of arrhythmia.

I thought medicine would be quite advanced since the facilities were quite convenient, but it seems medical knowledge isn’t that advanced.

Well, I guess that’s why the Riley family, who excel at herb cultivation and blending, have such great influence.

As I put down the book I had quickly skimmed through, I saw that Vivian had fallen asleep. I covered the curled-up Vivian with a blanket and picked up the fourth medical book.

How much time had passed? When I opened my eyes at the sensation of my clothes being tugged, Vivian’s face was right in front of me.

Had I dozed off?

“Sister, Vivian is hungry.”

At Vivian’s urging, I got up, opening the library door with my left hand and grasping Vivian’s hand with my right.

Why does Vivian’s hand feel hot?

“Vivian, you…”

“But I think I’m sick, sister.”

Vivian, who had been blinking slowly, staggered in place. I picked her up in my arms and ran to the main building.

“It’s a mild fever. She’ll get better soon if she takes medicine.”

I could finally breathe properly at the physician’s words. Herman and Olivia, who had rushed over upon hearing about Vivian’s condition, also seemed to be relieved.

“What on earth did you do with Vivian for her to end up like this when she was fine this morning?”

“We just read books together in the library.”

I answered, looking straight into those golden eyes. That was the plain truth.

“Herman, Vivian has always been sickly, hasn’t she? And how could Rose have known Vivian was sick? If they were reading together as she said, wouldn’t it have been even harder to notice?”

As Herman listened to Olivia’s gentle words, anger clouded his face.

“Yes, everyone in our family knows Vivian has a weak constitution. But does it make sense that you didn’t know Vivian’s condition during all that time you were together in the library? Vivian follows you so devotedly, Rosebelia, do you even think of Vivian as a sister?”

At Herman’s shouting, Olivia wiped her eyes with a sob.

“I may not be to your liking, but please don’t hate the children, Rose.”

From Herman getting angry out of nowhere to Olivia putting on a detestable act, I was utterly disgusted.

“Sister doesn’t hate Vivian! Vivian was sick since morning but didn’t say anything and followed sister because she said she was going to read books.”

Vivian, who I thought was sound asleep, jumped off the bed and spoke.

“Oh my, Vivian!”

While Olivia let out a shrill voice, I quickly caught Vivian, who was staggering, in my arms.

“Vivian wasn’t feeling well since this morning?”

“Well…”

“My lady, Miss Vivian begged me not to tell the madam, saying she could only be with Miss Rosebelia that way. I didn’t report to the madam, not knowing things would turn out like this.”

It was Margaret, Olivia’s dedicated maid, who stepped forward instead of Olivia, who was trailing off her words with a troubled look.

“Sister, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry and get some sleep, Vivian.”

As Vivian nodded slightly and closed her eyes, I approached Margaret, who was hanging her head like a sinner.

“If Vivian wasn’t feeling well since morning, you should have called for a physician right away. How could you let her come to the library with me?”

“I’m sorry, Miss Rosebelia.”

“You should have at least given me a hint. If you weren’t planning to tell mother or me till the end, you, Margaret, should have come in from time to time to check on Vivian’s condition, but you didn’t do that either.”

“It was my oversight, Miss.”

I looked straight at Olivia, who was pretending to be calm, beyond Margaret.

“But I didn’t know Vivian was sick while I was with her either. If I had known, I would have sent Vivian out of the library and called for a physician right away. I mean I wasn’t pretending not to know while actually knowing, like Margaret.”

I could feel Herman clearing his throat and watching me, but without giving him any attention, I turned towards Vivian’s bed.

As I looked at Vivian sleeping soundly in my arms, I suddenly recalled the annihilation of the Winters family in the original story.

At first, I just wanted to avoid the death ending looming over me, but the number of people I wanted to be happy was gradually increasing.

I lightly grasped Vivian’s small hand and then got up.

*

“Rose, why can’t you concentrate today?”

“Ah, sorry.”

My mind was still complicated because of what happened yesterday. That incident was clearly orchestrated by Olivia.

There’s no way Margaret wouldn’t have reported Vivian’s condition to Olivia in the first place, and if Vivian’s symptoms had been more severe, Margaret could have been kicked out of the marquis’s residence.

Margaret, who has served Olivia for a long time, wouldn’t have taken such a risk.

If everything was Olivia’s plan as I suspected, it means she knew Vivian was sick but left her in the library like that.

Why go to such lengths? Is there some great benefit in tarnishing my reputation?

From looking for a marriage partner to wanting to get me out of the mansion as soon as possible, it’s clear she wants something, but…

“You don’t need to apologize to me, but I’m worried you might get hurt…”

Edwin, who was approaching me with a worried look, stopped in his tracks. It was because the training ground door had opened rather noisily.

“Rosebelia, are you here?”

The one who rushed into the training ground urgently was Vanessa.

“Senior Vanessa?”

“Thank goodness. Edwin, you’re here too.”

Vanessa approached me and Edwin while catching her breath.

“Did something happen?”

“The Guardian Knight Order, no, to be precise, a knight from the Guardian Knight Order has requested support.”

“Requested support?”

The Guardian Knight Order and a request for support. It was a combination of words that didn’t quite fit together.

“Monsters have appeared in a village on the outskirts of the capital.”