“You’re finally looking at me, Rosaline.”

Rosaline was frozen as if possessed. The dark golden hair and the beautiful features that bowed before the twilight were definitely Romeo. However, the well-defined muscles, solid waist, and tanned skin were not the Romeo she knew.

Romeo was about the same height as Rosaline, with a fairy-tale prince-like face with white skin and black eyes. But the man in front of her now seemed to be someone who had trained his body more than the Montagues, or rather, even more.

Even the black tunic and the static, gray-brown colored cloak, instead of the gorgeous clothes he usually wore. The only ornamentation was the gold ring on his right index and ring fingers. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him.

“You’ll wear it down if you keep looking at me like that.”

He whispered with a smile. Rosaline quickly averted her eyes, but she couldn’t shake off her doubts. Romeo was a timid man who couldn’t even meet Rosaline’s eyes properly. But now, he was observing her and even acting playfully.

Not only Rosaline, but also Juliet, who was watching them, was quite embarrassed. Because it seemed that Rosaline was afraid of Romeo.

Suddenly, the thought came to Juliet that Rosaline, who had been caught up in the fight between the servants, might have been in serious trouble.

“Sir Montague. Could it be that to Rosaline….”

“No, no, that’s not it, Miss.”

As Juliet was about to ask firmly, Rosaline abruptly cut in. Although it was to prevent Juliet and Romeo from talking to each other, it was a move that was more likely to amplify Juliet’s misunderstanding.

“What do you mean ‘that’s not it’? You don’t have to talk about it if you are uncomfortable.”

“Miss, I’m really okay.”

“…You don’t look okay. Did you know each other before?”

“Yes, we know each other.”

The atmosphere hardened coldly at Romeo’s immediate answer. Even at the gaze of the women fixed on her, he just raised the corners of his mouth and smiled crookedly.

“Oh, was it supposed to be a secret? I didn’t know the young lady of Capulet would mind who you meet.”

Rosaline involuntarily glared at him. It wasn’t because she had great feelings for him, but rather because she wanted to know what hardships had fallen before her.

Romeo did not seem to care at all about the rude behavior. Rather, he leaned his chin on his hands, as if he wanted them to watch him as much as they wanted, and matched gazes without blinking once.

If Rosaline’s gaze was anxious, his was ruthless. As if looking down on a once strong, but now collapsed sculpture.

His eyes swept over Rosaline’s black hair, which was slightly bluish, and her light brown eyes. Those eyes, which seemed golden at first glance because the tears had not yet dried.

Thanks to this, Rosaline could also examine him in detail.

Romeo Montague—either the years he had lived had changed him, or his appearance had shifted as well, and his personality now seemed different. Even when he made the same jokes, it was somehow suspicious, his body’s lines were thick, and his eyes were cold.

Come to think of it, Romeo had not been in the fight with the servants in the past, either.

What had changed, and what remained the same? She would have to find out, but Rosaline was too concerned about this situation, in which Juliet and Romeo were in the same space right now. She couldn’t rule out the possibility that he would fall in love with Juliet again with a better appearance and flexible personality than before.

“…About what you did to save me…”

Rosaline carefully tried to smooth her cracking voice.

“Thank you very much. I will definitely repay you if I get the chance.”

“Is there anything to be thankful for?”

He drew a smile on his lips, which he could have mistaken as innocent, with his fingers on his mouth.

“I was protecting what was mine.”

Silence settled back over the surroundings at the tone one used when addressing what they had found on the road. It was difficult to pinpoint anything right away, since Romeo’s attitude was consistently light, and his silly jokes seemed as natural to him as breathing.

“Since I saved you, aren’t you mine?”

Rosaline realized that his ambiguous and arrogant words were all unpleasant jokes. She was about to be caught up in the intentions that were so shallow, knowing that Rosaline, whom he had accidentally saved, was a close associate that Juliet cherished, and hoping for compensation.

Juliet seemed to have the same thoughts, and murmured, ‘The prince of Montague needs to learn etiquette again,’ with a snicker. Rosaline hurriedly cut in as Romeo’s lips, which were undoubtedly mocking, parted.

“It seems we really aren’t familiar with each other.”

His jaw tightened at what bothered him. She put the strength into her hands on her thighs, clenched her fists, and said calmly.

“I am someone who will devote my body to religion. I belong to Kata. If you had known that, you would not have made such a joke so lightly.”

His eyes darkened, and the impression that had been so frivolous, like a mere villager, suddenly became sharp.

“It is not a joke, Rosaline.”

“I am grateful for saving me, but your jokes are excessive.”

Rosaline retorted coldly and quickly, as if the pain was a lie. Even in the short silence, the two did not take their eyes off each other. Juliet, not wanting them to hold even a neck-and-neck fight, had no choice but to intervene.

“Romeo Montague, you will be compensated handsomely on the Capulet side. So, for today, let’s just…”

“I don’t understand.”

He tilted his head with his hands in his pockets. As his posture became more relaxed, his well-shaped calves brushed against Rosaline’s knees, and the tips of his toes were close to touching her thighs.

“It was Rosaline who received my favor, so why are you going to compensate?”

“Sir Montague.”

There was displeasure in his gaze toward Juliet. Rosaline hurriedly reached out and touched his knee. She couldn’t allow his gaze to go to Juliet, whether it was unpleasant or pleasant.

Fortunately or unfortunately, his head turned to Rosaline. Rosaline flinched, but she continued with her words.

“Since I owe you my life, I will definitely repay this favor myself.”

Romeo’s lips, which seemed to be about to reply, slightly moved so that only she could notice. But that was all. The indescribable gaze that had been staring at her was slowly lowered. To be exact, to Rosaline’s hands that had touched him.

Did he think it was rude? Embarrassed, Rosaline was about to lift her hand, when her wrist was twisted by a strong force.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Without a chance to be surprised, he bowed his waist as if it was a courtesy and kissed the back of her hand. His upturned black eyes were fierce.

“I am impatient, so I hope you will repay that favor quickly.”

He let go of her hand without hesitation, speaking almost in a whisper, and got up. Whether it was because Romeo’s strides were large or because the room was narrow, she could only see the tips of his cloak through the door when Rosaline came to her senses.

Rosaline involuntarily held her hand, as if she could still feel Romeo’s touch. His hand was more than just rough. The calluses and sunken scars on each curve were ghastly. Although Rosaline did not know about m*rder, she knew that he was a man who had held the act of k*lling.

She was staring blankly at his empty space, but she came to her senses because of Juliet, who was looking at his footprints in a similar way. Rosaline hurriedly pulled on Juliet’s clothes and drew her gaze to her.

“Miss.”

Juliet turned around with a slightly spaced-out face, saying, huh? Rosaline’s heart was about to burst with anxiety, so she couldn’t help but ask.

“Did you fall for Sir Montague?”

“…Rosaline.”

Juliet frowned, as if she didn’t know Rosaline would say such a thing.

“Are you crazy?”

* * *

Until Rosaline got up from the sickbed, Juliet complained about Romeo’s rudeness. In fact, it was closer to cursing his family for having to prepare a banquet to suit the fussy Montagues’ tastes, but in any case, she was certain that Juliet didn’t like Romeo.

It was the same today before going to bed. Juliet, who had been grumbling about the Montagues for a while, as Rosaline was brushing her hair, suddenly seemed to remember and asked.

“Rosaline, are you and Romeo really strangers?”

“Yes, I saw him for the first time that day.”

Rosaline answered, applying the fragrance to Juliet’s neck, pretending to be calm.

After a few days of investigation, Rosaline herself was still the daughter of the nanny in the Capulet family, a priest awaiting an appointment from the central diocese, and Juliet was the only heir to the family.

The problem was Romeo.

As expected, Romeo Montague was even different from what he had done in the past. Around this time, he should have been completing his studies in administration at the academy. But now, as the eldest son of the Montague family, he was a knight who had returned after completing a long religious war as a soldier in the Western Expeditionary Force, which was formed by the royal family and the temple.

The religious war.

Though it was an anomaly to occur in a nation where the religious authority had weakened, when a foreign country insulted the national religion and attacked, claiming that ‘Kata had disappeared beyond the West, and the sun would never rise again,’ the royal family, along with the temple, formed an army and set out to punish them.

It was even heard that Romeo Montague had distinguished himself in battle, receiving a knighthood and land as well. Even though he was a knight of the royal court, his achievements were so remarkable that the temple side even gave him the title of ‘Son of the Apostle.’