“I want to give you wine made by the Queen of Hargogne.”

“…Hargogne……”

One of the famous wine regions, where the finest craftsman there was called the Queen. Not just the price, but wine so expensive even kings couldn’t easily obtain it.

“If you’re giving it, I’ll gratefully receive it. But I must say this.”

Paris fixed his trembling eyes and stared at Juliet.

“Though you may call me disloyal, I won’t deny that the foundation of all my actions was love for you. I wanted to protect your beloved cousin, this country where you reside.”

Everyone in the room felt love transfer just by listening. Paris’s love was that fervent and hot. Rosaline, waiting quietly behind, glanced up to observe Juliet.

From what she knew, Juliet regarded Count Paris as a longtime friend, not thinking of him as a lover. But this confession seemed enough to shake even such a Juliet. Juliet’s cheeks reddened like a shy girl.

Rosaline had a premonition. Juliet would live a long, long life that was special yet smooth, sometimes painful but enjoyable. Leaving the ending of neglecting the trading company she led, turning her back on her family’s cries, and dying following her beloved buried in vanished fate.

It was the ending she’d hoped for. Yet why was it so sad? Because Juliet ultimately decided to let her go? Because the woman she’d gazed at like the sun her whole life wouldn’t shine only on her?

Rosaline had only wished for Juliet’s happiness from the start. But it might all have been hypocrisy. She’d wanted to be beside the sun, even like an invisible moon.

But their world was far too different from Rosaline’s. She saw walls and lines that could never be crossed. Rosaline realized only now. Even without leaving, she could never have been Juliet’s moon.

As she observed the world from which she was newly estranged, Lord Capulet smiled and gestured to bring the boxed wine.

“Bring it here.”

As she went to take the well-packaged wine, her mother beside her snatched the bottle away. Apparently she was reluctant for Rosaline to go near Juliet or the Capulet family.

Her mother cherished Juliet more than her own life, but didn’t much like Lord Capulet. Lord Capulet often treated her mother kindly, but she thoroughly maintained only the line between employer and employee, never even showing a common smile.

‘Does she think Lord Capulet killed her close friend?’

The lady had been close friends with Rosaline’s mother in life. Since her healthy friend died giving birth to a daughter, it was natural to resent that husband.

“Haha.”

Laughter suddenly escaped. Though she laughed very quietly, she covered her mouth with the back of her hand and pretended to cough.

Wasn’t it funny? Mother, who hated Lord Capulet, going directly to his side carrying wine. How much must she hate her daughter, how much must her daughter displease her?

“You laugh well in front of employers when you’re about to leave.”

Rosaline ignored her mother’s words. Good heavens, Romeo’s dirty personality must have rubbed off. As she stared at empty air while holding back laughter, she heard a familiar name in the conversation between the Capulet family and Count Paris.

“…Montague was initially a knight without a single soldier. He’d only made a hasty oath. Everyone didn’t even know his name.”

Tybalt spoke. Moreover, since Romeo looked like he’d only play around with his lower half, there were many who looked down on him as surely someone kicked out of his family. Looking back, it was complete nonsense. He was one of the few men who didn’t seek women on the battlefield.

“The barbarians cursed that darkness brought by the moon god Tivre would cover the nation, pointing out our worn faith. When the front lines only retreated at first, I thought that curse might be right but……”

He let out a breath close to a sigh.

“Where Romeo Montague was, there was only the light of victory.”

Truly, it was amazing. As Tybalt added that, Count Paris’s eyes sparkled with interest. In contrast, Juliet maintained an indifferent posture, but Tybalt smiled smoothly and continued.

“So instead of executing Romeo who was outside command by military law, we placed him in a commanding position. It was an excellent choice. We won in the end.”

He laughed, recalling that time with a low breath.

“We called him Kata.”

Kata, the name of the sun god.

Daring to use a god’s name as a nickname, standing alone on a battlefield of only blood and ash, he was regarded as the only light and salvation.

“That’s strange. Though his achievements are so outstanding, countless people don’t even know his name.”

Paris, who’d been quietly listening to Tybalt’s story, swallowed and expressed doubt.

“Usually at that level, rumors would spread, but should I say you can’t know unless you investigate?”

“As I mentioned earlier, Romeo was someone outside command. He didn’t listen to superiors, let alone comrades. It was possible because the system was so chaotic then, but if such behavior continued, it would have become the Montague family’s disgrace.”

“You mean… he wouldn’t even listen to the king’s orders?”

“Exactly. So he fell from the king’s favor. Not only were his achievements buried by the angry king, but Romeo himself didn’t particularly want a grand position, which is why it’s so quiet.”

The king wanted somehow to keep Romeo Montague under him. Since he had no princess, he tried to marry him to his cousin, but Romeo rejected all these requests and returned to his hometown.

“Is the prince being by his side also all to win him over?”

“Yes. But the prince isn’t particularly passionate either. He was simply curious about his friend Romeo’s or my hometown.”

Interest rose slightly on Juliet’s expressionless face. She showed her palm as if she had a question. Tybalt smiled and gestured for her to speak.

“I understand that ‘Montague’ is impressive, but even clinging that much, if he refused, the royal family would give up. Why attach even the prince?”

“Mm, actually the grand temple soon dropped a prophecy that an incarnation of the sun god Kata would arrive. Precisely, that prophecy was dropped long ago, but the temple side was hiding it.”

Everyone present drew surprised breaths. Tybalt continued without particularly dismissing the servants.

“The royal family who learned this needed a counterweight to the temple whose power would grow.”

“Don’t tell me… this war too.”

“Right. Only now can I say it, but the religious war was close to a play staged by the temple and royal family.”

The royal family, worried the temple’s position would rise due to the incarnation, created a show-like war together with them. The problem was the barbarians were stronger than the king expected.

“Romeo is a suitable person. Before the incarnation appears, if someone who gained the nickname of Kata’s guardian deity pledges loyalty to the royal family, it would make a good picture.”

“Both the king and cardinal are crazy. How many died in that war?”

Juliet criticized, scrunching her face. Count Paris beside her didn’t know what to do, but Lord Capulet didn’t particularly stop his daughter. Merchants were most sensitive to war, and his daughter’s fierce reaction, who would become the trading company master, was natural.

Tybalt drew a bitter smile.

“I too participated to prove that the Capulet family, despised for being merchants, could gain another honor. How am I different from the king?”

A silence like a moment of silence flowed. Lord Capulet broke it.

“So, what was Romeo Montague’s reason for coming here?”

His question was reasonable. He’d left home on his own without returning in glory, and even after coming, wasn’t particularly faithful to his family.

“Well. The prince seemed quite curious about that too.”

Tybalt grinned broadly and swept back his hair.

“What that guy is thinking, no one will know.”

A few more words about Romeo were exchanged, and the atmosphere began to relax. Taking advantage of this, Count Paris firmly grasped Juliet’s hand.

“Julie. I think we should leave now. If we depart now, we can arrive at the first inn before sunset.”

“Yes, let’s.”

While Juliet briskly stood up and exchanged farewells with Capulet and Tybalt, Rosaline was thinking about Romeo with her gaze fixed on the floor.

She newly realized she knew almost nothing about Romeo except his body. Minor habits or rough speech, the scar along his ribs on his side and his hip movements just before reaching cl*max. She could draw all these things even with her eyes closed.

But when she asked probing questions about his inner thoughts or past, he’d almost never answered properly. Even in the wine cellar, hadn’t he glossed over it?

Suddenly, she was engulfed in a feeling of being terribly alone.

“Rosaline, I’ll be back.”

While she was dazed, her wrist was grabbed. Juliet, who’d approached, embraced Rosaline tightly. Rosaline embraced her bewilderedly. The warmth from her small body was tearfully good. She was such a good mistress that she wanted to cling and beg her not to go.

“Yes, I’ll be waiting.”

“I’ll definitely tell you what the sea I saw was like. I’m sorry to see it alone.”