2. Sweet but Painful

“The temple again today?”

Juliet said languidly, her body reclined in the long bathtub. As the banquet preparations neared their final stages, she had leisure and resumed bathing after two days. Rosaline, who had finished preparing to go out, glanced at her mother attending to Juliet’s bath in her stead. Her mother, who was mixing fragrant oil into the water, didn’t give her a single glance, but her displeasure was evident.

Rosaline hid a bitter smile and nodded.

“Yes. The central office will decide my placement soon.”

“You don’t need to be so diligent. With how much money I’ve poured in, would the diocese dare send you somewhere else on their own? This time too, you’ll stay in Valher with Father Laurence.”

Juliet rested her arm on the edge of the tub and leaned her cheek against it.

“Before long, you’ll become our family’s exclusive priest.”

The way she looked up at Rosaline while speaking in a confident tone was exactly like a cat. Love welling up in her heart, Rosaline approached the bathtub and bent at the waist. Then, as a parting greeting as always, she kissed Juliet’s cheek and forehead as if drawing the sign of the cross.

“…Today I’ll pray for you, Miss.”

“I’ll pray for you too.”

Juliet smiled brightly with her eyes closed. Rosaline nodded, bowed lightly, and left the room. Deceiving both her mother and Juliet simultaneously was an unpleasant matter. But……

‘It’ll be over soon.’

It was a relationship that would end with the banquet anyway. Regardless of the debt, he would return to the royal palace, and Juliet would inherit the family and live enjoying blessed glory.

Resolving not to lose her composure today, Rosaline pulled her cloak over her head and opened the back gate. A tall man wearing a hat with a long brim leaned against the opposite wall.

He wore his usual black tunic and calf-hugging boots, with a cloak reaching his thighs. However, perhaps because she’d told him to come in inconspicuous clothing, he wore a hat with a long brim that half-covered his face. His presence was certainly half-deadened with his face covered.

That should be fine. He removed his hat and greeted her nonchalantly.

“Hello, Rosaline.”

His presence revived conspicuously. Perhaps because his blond hair that reached his neck was tied short, his long deer-like neck and chiseled jaw looked more handsome than usual. The weather happened to be good, so his prominent features created distinct shadows.

A beautiful yet fierce charm emanated richly. Instead of returning the greeting, Rosaline pointed out lightly.

“Lord Montague. You’d better put your hat back on.”

“Why? Are we eloping or something? It’s too bright for that.”

As if the recent incident had never happened, he squinted peacefully while looking at the clear sky. Despite the scorching sunlight, his dark eyes had no gleam at all.

“…I don’t want unsavory rumors spreading.”

“We’re going to the old town anyway, aren’t we?”

He said while holding and shaking the hat’s edge.

“You’re pretty enough to make eyes roll, but you’re only famous in the neighborhood, and there aren’t many faces that know me.”

Rosaline was simply dumbfounded. First of all, she wasn’t pretty enough to make eyes roll. He was probably trying to tease her. Since pointing it out would seem pathetic, she shook her head faintly.

“…Sir, someone of your caliber would be recognized even as a beggar.”

“Are you saying I’m handsome?”

“Yes.”

Enough to worry Juliet might fall for him.

Rosaline didn’t bother adding the rest. But she was confident because she was stating facts as they were. At least in Valher, it was hard to find someone like him. He looked down at Rosaline with an unreadable expression, let out a small laugh, and suddenly extended his hand.

When Rosaline instinctively stepped back, he frowned slightly.

“Would you have avoided Juliet too?”

He spoke again, reminding her of their promise. Rosaline was newly reminded of how absurd his demand was.

Do with him what she did with Juliet? Give him the heart she gave Juliet?

First of all, Juliet and he were different in size. And neither Juliet nor Rosaline stared at each other so intensely.

They’re different people, so how could she treat them with the same heart?

She hadn’t planned to treat him with the same heart in the first place, but since she’d made a promise, she had to pretend.

Rosaline stopped walking. However, since the alley was narrow, her back touched the wall. Zelkova leaves extending from the residence created a blue shade over them.

His approaching hand felt slow. She instinctively shrank back, but instead of grasping her cheek, his hand slowly removed her cloak. Looking down in turn at her brown hair, straight forehead, and pale brown eyes, he lowered his head. His breath touched the area around her chin.

He said he didn’t want her body—did he change his mind already? While inwardly sneering, Rosaline’s heart pounded nervously. When his nose tip touched her cheek, she closed her eyes, unable to look at him so closely.

“Don’t be scared. It’s annoying.”

Romeo whispered shamelessly. It must be about her pushing away his hand before. Absurdly, she glared up at him, and he blinked as if he knew nothing, right before her eyes.

“I have no hobby of forcing things.”

It seemed to be about her pushing him away when he grabbed her wrist last time. She stared at him intently. To be honest, she wasn’t afraid he would violate her. She was just angry at him constantly tearing through her mind. She knew she shouldn’t engage with his mischievous words to avoid getting entangled, and that it was better to humor him as much as possible.

But the cracks he alone caused were too unfair.

Because she suddenly remembered the thrill of honestly getting angry.

She didn’t want to just take it.

“Romeo, did you put on perfume?”

She spoke with unwavering eyes. In her heart, she screamed, ‘Rosaline, what on earth are you doing? You’re crazy,’ but her expression and lips moved as they pleased, out of control.

“Mixed with your body scent, I was puzzled at first, but now I’m certain. Capulet deals in perfume too.”

Clearly when she first met him, he had the characteristic metallic smell of knights. But at some point, it had changed to a heavy yet refreshing scent that quite suited him. It couldn’t be pure body scent.

Seeing his cracked expression made her more certain.

“Why? You don’t need my body, but you want to look good to me?”

Romeo’s eyes wavered and his earlobes faintly reddened. Rosaline’s lips twitched excitedly as if she’d slapped his cheek. One last, one last blow……! As she racked her brain like a boy before his first hunt, her vision suddenly darkened.

He had pulled her cloak back over her. When Rosaline grabbed and lifted the cloak again, he was already several steps away.

“As you said, you should definitely wear the cloak. Rumors will start even where there are none.”

Rosaline wanted to see his face, but he’d already put on his hat. The shadow created by the hat’s long brim covered everything except around his chin. He stood tall and gestured with his chin for Rosaline to lead the way.

Rosaline turned around, dazed yet with a buoyant heart. Though she knew it was childish, her steps lightened, and her chest tickled, perhaps from the afterglow of victory. The current Romeo also had aspects that were easy to deal with. Rosaline, who got cocky from just one retort, was too excited to objectively judge her own state.

“Follow me.”

Romeo followed silently as usual at a slower pace than her, but without falling behind.

However, when they entered the old town and the crowd grew, he stuck close to her side, bumping people’s shoulders or creating distance to make space to pass through. Rather than grateful for his escort-like behavior, Rosaline was exasperated.

Though he might be used to escorting as a knight who’d been on expeditions, this was a street Rosaline could walk with her eyes closed, and moving mixed in the crowd was much safer than making such a fuss. It would be more troublesome if they picked a fight.

“Romeo.”

She didn’t even realize she was naturally calling Romeo’s name. His shoulders stiffened, but Rosaline had no time to notice.

“I know this place better. You don’t need to……”

Suddenly he pulled Rosaline’s shoulder. As she touched his embrace that she couldn’t even pretend was unfamiliar anymore, Romeo pressed Rosaline’s nape with the hand that had grabbed her shoulder. Then he lowered his other free arm and rummaged around her waist. When his large hand touched her waist and buttocks firmly, Rosaline was horrified and pushed him away.

“What, what are you doing?”

As she was about to warn him not to do it again after he was pushed away obediently, her words disappeared when she saw the young pickpocket caught in his hand.