Chapter 15

Then his lips descended again. Just like before, it was a light and sweet kiss, like cotton candy.

Theo pulled back and gazed at her with deep eyes. He gently stroked her cheek with his thumb, his hand lingering with regret.

“Then I’ll go in first. Come quickly.”

Rosie could only nod, waving her hand to hurry him along. She couldn’t say a word. If she opened her mouth, her heart felt like it would leap out of her throat.

“No, what is this……”

She touched her lips with her hand. It was fresher than any kiss they’d shared, yet it shook her more than anything.

“This really must be an illness.”

Rosie muttered that it was serious, thinking she’d have to see her doctor as soon as she got home.

Still fanning her flushed face, she entered the banquet hall to find Calvin.

It seemed best to go home right away. If Calvin wouldn’t leave, she’d go alone.

“No, where is he?”

She searched the entire hall but couldn’t find him. When she reached the lounge at the back, she heard a commotion.

“……You must want to die.”

Rosie’s ears perked up. It was Theo’s voice. He was clearly angry.

“……Should have done it sooner!”

‘Calvin?’

That was definitely Calvin’s voice. Why were Theo and Calvin together?

“If you run your mouth like that again, I won’t let it go.”

Rosie peeked behind a partition and rushed in, startled.

Theo had Calvin by the collar, pinning him against the wall, his feet barely touching the ground.

“Theo! Calvin! What are you doing!”

Theo turned to her. His gray eyes, now chilling, were full of anger. The gentle man who’d melted the world just moments ago was nowhere to be seen.

“Theo, why……”

“Ro—Rosie! Cough! Please, let go……”

Calvin struggled even harder when he saw her.

“Let him go so we can talk!”

Rosie grabbed Theo’s arm. But his gray eyes, deeper than usual, just looked down at her silently.

“Ro! Sie! Cough!”

Calvin gasped for breath, his face turning blue. Rosie stomped her feet, worried that the commotion would attract attention.

‘Theo is heir to the Dukedom.’

She couldn’t let him become gossip over something like this.

Rosie started hitting Theo’s arm, but it wouldn’t budge, as if fixed in place.

“Theo, are you crazy?! Stop it!”

She shouted desperately, and Theo’s jaw tightened. He frowned deeply and let go of Calvin’s collar as if tossing him aside.

“Are you okay?”

Rosie rushed to Calvin, who slumped in the corner.

“I didn’t squeeze that hard.”

Theo muttered, but Rosie didn’t have time to care. Despite his words, Calvin’s neck was marked with dark handprints, and she feared he might really suffocate.

“Ro—Rosie. Sob……”

Calvin struggled to breathe, his eyes full of tears.

His round face, once excited, was now a mess of tears, snot, and saliva—hard to even look at.

“Are you okay?”

Calvin shook his head and clung to her arm.

“I was really scared.”

“What is going on? Theo, why did you hit him……”

Rosie frowned at Theo, but couldn’t finish her sentence.

He looked wounded. His eyes were so distorted it wouldn’t have been strange if he cried, and he lowered his gaze.

“Theo, I……”

As she hurried to stand, Theo raised a hand to stop her.

“It’s fine. I’ll go first.”

Rosie could only watch his back as he left.

She barely remembered how she got home.

After getting ready for bed, Rosie sat at her vanity, brushing her hair with a dazed expression.

Theo’s wounded eyes wouldn’t leave her mind.

When Rosie asked what happened, Calvin angrily replied,

[I should be asking you. I never knew the Young Master was so violent.]

Covered in dirt and disheveled, Calvin left the party early.

Rosie frowned. Something was off.

Theo was a bit cynical and not overly affectionate, but he never hit people for no reason.

“Theo isn’t that kind of person……”

She bit her lower lip. Imagining him blocking her with his hand made her heart ache.

She’d gone to Calvin first, but not to take his side.

Rosie trusted Theo, but if someone else had seen, they’d surely blame him.

“Fool, you don’t know anything.”

She sighed deeply, trudged to bed, and lay down.

She hadn’t felt this tired in a long time.

Images of Theo in the garden and Theo grabbing Calvin’s collar kept alternating in her mind, tormenting her. Rosie wrapped herself in her blanket like a shield.

Theo was her oldest friend.

Though many things had happened between them, their trust and care hadn’t changed.

Of course, Theo was the more patient and caring one, but Rosie felt the same. She cherished Theo.

“Maybe he was hurt……”

Maybe she should have gone to Theo first, not Calvin. She knew Theo wouldn’t act without reason.

His distant gaze haunted her late into the night, making it impossible to sleep until dawn.

* * *

She’d slept late, so it was midday before she finally woke up.

Even after breakfast, the uneasy feeling lingered.

No matter what she did, Theo’s wounded eyes followed her.

‘Maybe I should go see him first?’

Just as she finished a late breakfast and was getting ready to go out—

“My Lady, you have a letter.”

“A letter?”

Rosie tilted her head. Who would send her a letter?

Maybe it was Theo. After what happened yesterday, he might have found it awkward to visit, just like she did.

“Let me see.”

She opened the envelope Mia handed her, decorated with small navy tulips on all four corners. Rosie’s face crumpled, then turned pale.

“What is this……”

“What’s wrong, My Lady?”

Mia’s face changed, too, when she saw the letter Rosie handed her.

“Oh my goodness!”

Mia jumped, dropping the letter as if it were burning.

No sender, no address.

“Who would do such a terrible thing! We should tell the Count at once……”

Rosie stopped Mia as she hurried out.

“No, don’t. It might just be a prank.”

“But……”

Despite Mia’s worried look, Rosie shook her head.

She picked up the letter again. It was surely a bad joke. Most people knew she attended Count Keplan’s party.

“Burn it, Mia.”

She clicked her tongue and handed the letter to Mia. There was no room in her already tangled mind for prank letters.

Right now, Rosie’s mind was full of Theo’s wounded gray eyes. She wanted to clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible.

But she couldn’t see Theo right away.

“Last night, there was a big fire in the local estate, so he left urgently.”

The elderly butler of the Dukedom delivered the news in a gentle voice, and Rosie nodded blankly.

“I see. When will he return?”

“I’m not sure, but I’ll let you know as soon as he’s back.”

The butler smiled kindly, his eyes warm.

“Yes, thank you.”

“I’ll prepare the carriage. You’re returning to the Earldom, right?”

Rosie nodded silently.

‘I thought I could clear things up right away……’

Riding in the luxurious ducal carriage reminded her of her time with Theo. She remembered his charming smile, the gentle way he touched and kissed her. Suddenly, she missed him.

Rosie buried her face in the seat, feeling dejected.

“Don’t misunderstand, Theo. Really……”

She pressed her fingers into the seat.

“I miss you.”

Surprised by her own words, she quickly shut her mouth. Even knowing she was alone, she looked around the carriage to check if anyone heard.

“You’re crazy, Rosie.”

Like in the garden yesterday, something was definitely wrong—she must be sick.

“Theo, I think I’m sick. What should I do?”

At times like this, she wanted to whine to Theo.

Instead of a soft sofa, she wanted to lean on his solid chest and complain, so he’d smile and pat her comfortingly.

[You worry about everything. It’s fine.]

His gentle words seemed to echo in her ears. At the same time, she remembered his wounded gray eyes.