111. Rose’s Turn

“Above all, isn’t the Grand Duke getting along well with Lady Anette now?”

Pout.

Despite Alexander’s consolation, my puffed cheeks still wouldn’t deflate.

Of course, Darius is handsome, holds the position of the North’s great lord, and unlike those ill-mannered fellows who put on airs with their titles, he has substance too…… but still!

“You don’t need to try to comfort me. Do I look like someone who would pettily nag Darius about things that happened before I met him?”

“……Yes.”

You can’t lie, can you?

“I really…… thought you already knew because it’s quite a famous story.”

Come to think of it, Darius did seem to change the subject a few times when I asked about Count Alexei’s bad nickname.

“Hmph.”

“It’s true that when he was single, the Grand Duke was consistently ranked as the top bachelor among young unmarried nobles…… but anyway, his wife now is you, Lady Anette.”

“Things turned out this way because you never know what will happen in life.”

“……You two really suit each other well.”

“Ah, no wonder Sir Lucion was so picky with me at first. I suppose a marquis family is quite beneath his standards?”

With marriage talks even with the princess, ending up marrying into a mere marquis family must have been such a waste!

Alexander tried desperately to comfort me, sweating more than when his godfather was suddenly revealed to be the villain.

Rose, who had been waiting for the right moment to join the conversation between Alexander and me, quietly sat on her chair and just observed when the talk turned to her brother.

* * *

“So, my lady. Listen to this.”

“Rose, it’s getting late. You should head home now.”

In the evening, when Rose had regained her energy after just observing, Darius cut her off and spoke firmly.

Darius, who had become even more blatant toward Anette as Barbarossa and Sylphid had noticed, glared at Rose for interrupting his alone time with Anette.

But Anette, whose mood had soured from the story Alexander had told her, didn’t notice this. Of course, it also helped that Darius absolutely maintained his image in front of Anette.

“But this is something I must tell you right now!”

On Darius’s “list of annoying people who occupy Anette’s side” was Rose Temeri, who held the undisputed first place because she always clung to Anette with the shameless excuse of being young and naive, just like now.

“……I have something I want to discuss only with another woman. I feel somehow embarrassed in front of men.”

Rose twisted her hands, blushed, and asked for just a little more time, making Anette smile.

“Oh, could it be about love?”

“Oh my. I can’t tell you right now.”

“Well then, Rose. Let’s talk about such things during the day.”

Darius’s smile as he joined the conversation in a gentle tone was cold.

“Oh my, I don’t think I’ll be in the mood to talk about it tomorrow. Besides, you’re busy during the day too, aren’t you, my lady?”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t spent time alone with Rose for a long time.”

“That’s right, isn’t it, my lady? I’ve been so lonely. You’ve been with brother Darius all the time lately. Of course, it was natural for you to be by his side since he was sick, but he’s all better now.”

Anette fell into thought at Rose’s complaint.

Tonight, I could spend time with the lovely Rose instead of Darius, who receives marriage proposals from all sorts of women, right?

And after finishing her deliberation, she opened her mouth.

“Darius, go ahead and rest. I’ll just have a cup of tea with Rose and then come in right after.”

“Kyaa! Thank you so much, my lady! Let’s bring Apple too and have a girls’ talk like we haven’t had in ages! Like that night when I stayed at the castle before! With snacks and pajamas!”

“Shall we do that then? Would Darjeeling tea be alright?”

At Anette’s response, Rose jumped up and down while Darius cried out in an incredulous voice.

“But Anette!”

But as if they couldn’t hear his voice, the two naturally got up from their seats, and Darius followed them with dejected eyes.

How could you abandon me……..!

As if she had heard Darius’s inner thoughts, Rose looked back with a grin while linking arms with Anette. Her face seemed to say, I’ve won just for today.

‘Anette, look at that. Look at the little devil you’re keeping right now!’

The sound of victorious Rose’s ohohoho laughter echoed like an auditory hallucination in defeated Darius’s ears.

* * *

Knock knock knock.

It was when Darius was alone in the dark office with a sulky face.

“Your Grace, I have something brief to discuss with you, if you have a moment.”

The visitor was Alexander, heir to an eastern count. Darius’s eyebrows rose at the sight of Alexander who had come without an appointment.

‘What brings him here?’

Since Alexander’s godfather, Count Alexei, had attacked Anette, Darius didn’t have good feelings toward Alexander, who reminded him of Alexei.

‘Don’t tell me he’s going to argue now that his godfather died unjustly. Although Alexander himself testified that his godfather had been acting particularly strange after he came down to the North, still, a godfather is a godfather.’

The castle had already been turned upside down because Darius had collapsed and returned after going out for subjugation, and to find out that the culprit who caused all this was his godfather—Alexander must have been bewildered by it all.

Now that he’s gathered his wits somewhat, he might have developed resentment toward the one who killed his godfather.

‘If that’s the case, I’ll prove that I had sufficient reason to kill Count Alexei on the spot and demand thorough compensation for the damage.’

“I’d like to speak about Miss Rose. I, I want to propose to her.”

“Yes, propose to Rose……”

What, propose?

The ears of the particularly quiet young man had turned red.

Come to think of it, the reason Alexander came to Inkheart was…… to get engaged to Rose.

* * *

While Anette and Apple enjoyed a small tea party with only people Rose liked, an unplanned men’s gathering unfolded in Darius’s office. Alexander spoke boldly to Darius, though shyly.

“I never disliked the idea of marrying Rose in the first place. I knew she was a good person after spending time with her. But.”

What made him make up his mind was indeed that incident.

When he almost had to tour the North’s underground prison because of his godfather Count Alexei, Rose saved his life.

“Watching Rose’s back as she stood in front of me, I made my decision. Despite her much smaller frame, she blocked the knights to save me, and now I want to protect her.”

‘Alexander.’

His title was heir to an eastern count. They were originally meant to be engaged with marriage in mind.

“Rose’s family members are all good people too. Especially when I see Lady Temeri, I’m reminded of my late mother. She treats me very well.”

Unlike his godfather, Alexander had earned a reputation for good character among the people of the North, and Rose’s mother, Lady Temeri, liked him as well. Of course she would—a promising count as a son-in-law.

“Alexander, do you aspire to be a knight?”

“Yes. Though I can’t compare to Sir Lucion, Rose’s brother, I’m also training to at least protect myself as the future head who will lead the count’s family.”

“Hmm.”

Darius looked Alexander up and down as if appraising him. Alexander, who had come for marriage consultation but suddenly found himself being evaluated, was flustered but stood straight.

“Not bad. You’ve been training diligently enough.”

Person, decent.

Future, promising.

Reputation, high.

By all measures, Alexander was an excellent groom. His one flaw was having an uncle and aunt who were aiming for his title since his parents died early, but Darius could block the uncle’s interference in the name of Inkheart.

“Rose is like a little sister to me, so I’ve always wanted to arrange an excellent marriage for her.”

“Yes, I may seem quite inadequate compared to Rose, but if you would advise me, I’ll truly treat Rose well.”

If Rose marries into the East, she’ll be separated from Anette.

“Inadequate? Not at all. What an excellent groom you are. Looking at you, I finally understand the feeling of being full just by looking. Haha, that Rose……”

He likes Rose. It’s not that I’m sending my sister away out of petty jealousy.

No, really, it’s because he’s such a good person.

‘Even if she marries into the East, she’ll return to her family home once every few years, and then I can tolerate her clinging to Anette a few times.’

Surely he could endure that much.

“Thinking about entrusting Rose to you makes me feel really reassured and at ease. Ahem.”

Darius turned his head in the middle of speaking. Seeing this, Alexander thought that Darius felt sad because the little sister he had watched over since childhood was all grown up and getting married, going far away to the East, and he felt guilty.

“Please don’t worry too much. I will definitely protect Rose in the East too.”

“……Ahem, cough. Yes, you must.”

Hahaha.

Hahahaha!

That Rose must have quickly sneered at him behind Anette’s back earlier.

Now it’s your turn to experience it.

“I hear young people these days joke about punishing someone with a confession.”

“Pardon?”

“I really like that saying.”

Confessions should indeed be proactive. Darius patted Alexander’s shoulder once more with satisfaction. All the unpleasant feelings he had when Alexander first knocked on the office door had completely disappeared.