Looking at it objectively, there was no one more suitable than Nigel from her position. Nigel was probably mocking that point. His expression was arrogant, confident that there could be no one better than him.

“How much more perfect a person do you want?”

As Nigel stared at her as if he’s seeing through her true thoughts, Rosia had to feel a slight shame. Several words were omitted from Nigel’s question.

For someone like Rosia Berthe… Now, to Nigel, she must be a greedy woman who didn’t know her place.

Nigel threw another question at Rosia, who couldn’t say anything.

“Looking closely, you have no interest in marriage at all. You don’t try to make yourself look good like other noble ladies. So why do you wander around parties all dressed up?”

I wanted to meet you and talk directly. I wanted to explain that the incident at the walking path was a misunderstanding, and I wanted to keep the promise to be lovers for a month. However, as she stood before Nigel now, not a single sentence would come out. Rosia just stood silently with her lips tightly closed. Nigel smiled crookedly with his red lips and urged Rosia in a kind and gentle voice.

“I don’t think it’s something that requires much contemplation.”

“What other reason would a noble lady like me have for frequenting social circles without marriage in mind? I don’t want unnecessary relationships. I want a more certain future than anyone else.”

After swallowing once, Rosia answered clearly while slightly gripping the cool folds of her dress. It wasn’t the truth. Rosia didn’t have even the slightest confidence to marry a man just for his wealth without knowing him well. However, right now she wanted to leave Nigel Gragford to his misunderstandings. Even Rosia, who had been dismissed several times before Nigel, had some shallow pride left.

You actually proposed to such a calculating woman. It would be better to forget about the promise now and go back to being strangers. That was the meaning. Rosia suppressed her complicated emotions and waited for Nigel’s response.

After silently looking at her for a moment, Nigel let out a soft, mocking laugh.

“You’re saying completely different things from when we first met. Like you’re a different person.”

“Hearts can change depending on the situation. My situation has just become a bit more desperate.”

Rosia barely managed to continue speaking while deeply pressing down her fine eyes. It felt rough and unpleasant, and stinging, as if there was inflammation on a canker sore.

“I’m not the only one who came out to social circles looking for someone suitable for the sake of family. Don’t you know that well, Your Highness? Besides, this is my debut season. My purpose wouldn’t be any different.”

Nigel unconsciously frowned. Family, love. These were words far removed from him. From the moment he was born until now, he had never loved his family, nor received such love. To him, family was a relationship of holding and being held by weaknesses, a relationship where emotions had to be hidden for fear of betrayal at any moment. Just that much. Marriage for family and house. He thought he could read Rosia Berthe to some extent.

From the beginning, she had raised her sharp thorns like a noble rose, and now she dared to prick him. Where was the person who had firmly rejected his proposal while questioning his reasons? Now she proudly straightens her shoulders, saying she’s out looking for a marriage partner. That fact gradually crumbled Nigel’s mood. But he couldn’t be swayed by this woman. Absolutely not by a mere woman like this. Nigel painted his beautiful face with his characteristic indifference, as if he had never frowned.

“Ah, now I understand you a bit.”

“……What do you mean all of a sudden?”

“Well.”

Nigel handed over his wine glass with a smirk. Rosia, who had received the glass in bewilderment, stared at him for a moment trying to read his intentions. Then Nigel raised his wine glass, covering half of that proud face of his, and whispered.

“A toast to your and House Berthe’s future.”

Clink. The glasses touched lightly. The wine in the glass wavered slightly like Nigel’s eyes before quickly settling. Nigel only savored his wine as if he had finished what he had to say. Rosia followed suit and swallowed an unfamiliar sip of alcohol.

Ah, sweet. The excessive sweetness stuck to the tip of her tongue to the point of discomfort. Rosia quickly put down her glass.

“Your Highness, about the misunderstanding last time……”

“Which ‘last time’ are you referring to? There must be quite a few misunderstandings between you and me.”

Nigel mocked Rosia’s words as if he had been waiting for them. Rosia completely lost her desire to talk with him and firmly closed her mouth. Just then, a lively waltz began. Couples paired up and started dancing in sync. Nigel observed the scene unfolding right in front of him like an outsider and muttered casually.

“I think I might have made a mistake, so I was thinking of making you a different proposal.”

“A different proposal……”

Nigel let his empty wine glass hang down and stared directly into Rosia’s round eyes. He slowly lowered his head and whispered.

“Marriage, romance—they’re just unnecessary steps for me, really.”

“……”

“One night with you would be enough.”

Rosia’s face turned red in an instant before becoming as pale as snow. Nigel’s face came very close before slowly moving away.

＊＊＊

Nigel’s proposal was nothing short of an insult to Rosia. One night? Rosia was so shocked she couldn’t even remember how she had returned to the mansion. Only Nigel’s leisurely face, seeming to enjoy her reaction, floated around in her mind.

Rosia spent the night sleepless and only regretted the next day. Why couldn’t she have rejected him more firmly? She had only moved her lips several times in complete bewilderment.

How foolish. Rosia couldn’t look in the mirror the entire time her nanny was arranging her hair. She was ashamed of herself. And she kept feeling uncomfortable as yesterday’s events kept coming to mind.

“Miss, do you have something worrying you?”

Rosia, who had been sitting with her gaze lowered and an expressionless face, reflexively looked at the mirror. She immediately met the nanny’s worried eyes. Rosia shook her head with an awkward smile.

“I just had a nightmare, Nanny.”

“No wonder you look tired. Wouldn’t it be better to rest a bit more?”

“It’s not that bad. Thank you for worrying.”

Rosia reached out and patted her nanny’s hand that was placed on her shoulder. At that moment, the door burst open rudely with a thud, and an unwelcome visitor showed their face.

“Rosia! Why didn’t you tell me about something this important?”

It was Baroness Luther with an extremely excited face. The nanny who had been brushing Rosia’s hair dropped the brush in surprise. She wasn’t the only one startled. Rosia too couldn’t hide her bewildered expression at the Baroness’s sudden visit.

“What important matter?”

“About His Highness the Grand Duke Gragford!”

The Baroness shrieked as if about to faint while holding out a newspaper. Rosia, seized by an ominous feeling, barely managed to receive the newspaper.

「grand Duke Gragford Who Has Returned, Continuing Secret Meetings With Lady Berthe……」

Rosia closed her eyes tightly before she could finish reading the scandalous headline. Secret meetings? It made no sense. Just imagining such a shameful misunderstanding spreading everywhere made her stomach churn. It was clearly an unfavorable article for an unmarried lady. People wouldn’t even care whether the article was true or not. Of course, it was different for Lady Luther. She was already excited as if Rosia and the Grand Duke had made marriage promises.

“So this is why you refused the arranged marriage, our Rosia. You had a hidden lover.”

“We’re not like that.”

“Finally, light shines upon our family!”

Baroness Luther didn’t even pretend to hear Rosia’s words. She hugged the tattered newspaper as if it were a treasure while humming an indecipherable tune. Rosia looked at her nanny, who stood with her mouth slightly open, and sighed apologetically.

Nothing had gone right since meeting that man. Or perhaps it was because Rosia had entered the social circles that didn’t suit her, following the advice of the Luther couple. Either way, she couldn’t deny that a strong wave was rushing toward Rosia Berthe.

Who could have written such an article? If there was an informant? Could the informant be Grand Duke Gragford? An unpleasant voice brushed through her mind.

One night with you would be enough.

Her head throbbed. Rosia instructed that Baroness Luther be guided to the reception room and had to sit alone in her room for a while, lost in thought. The scandal would follow Rosia for a long time. She had only two choices.

Either become Nigel Gragford’s lover and marry him, or quietly disappear from social circles. But both options had nothing to do with Rosia’s own will. Her mind was already complicated because of what happened with Nigel, and now these absurd rumors were spreading. Was God playing with her life as He pleased?

Rosia sat in the hard chair and buried her face in her pale hands, letting out a deep sigh.

＊＊＊