Chapter 22

“I was going to talk to you anyway, so this is good. Let’s break up. Let’s end things cleanly here.”

As soon as Rosie finished speaking, Calvin started to laugh quietly. The laughter grew until his shoulders shook.

What had she ever seen in this man?

Theo was right. Calvin was the worst of all the people she’d ever met.

“Who says so?”

His expression suddenly turned vicious.

“I’ve said everything I needed to. I hope we never meet again.”

Warning bells rang in her head. This was a deserted place. She needed to escape. Rosie swallowed hard and took a step back. As she turned to run, Calvin grabbed her wrist and pinned her against the wall.

“Ah! Let go!”

He squeezed her wrist as hard as he could, making it hurt.

“Who says we’re breaking up? Huh?”

In his hand was a crumpled envelope from the threatening letters that had tormented her.

“This? Yeah, I wrote it. Can you blame me? I put someone on you. What a spectacle that was.”

He twisted his lips in a sneer.

“You liked the Young Master so much? You thought I wouldn’t know?”

He lowered his hand and grabbed her bottom.

“W-what are you doing!”

“Was it fun, shaking that plump *ss and throwing yourself at him? Playing games with me, saying we were dating or not?”

Rosie pushed Calvin with all her strength, but he didn’t budge.

“You acted disgusted whenever I got close, but you went to hotels with him? You thought no one would know?”

He pressed his body against hers, pinning her between the wall and himself. Rosie struggled desperately to escape.

“Let go! I said let go!”

“I knew all along. Such a wicked girl.”

Tears began to form in Rosie’s eyes. Her back hurt from being pressed against the rough stone wall, but the situation scared her even more.

Calvin’s lips rubbed her neck, moving downward, while his hand tried to lift her dress.

“Ha. You smell good.”

“Stop! I said stop!”

Rosie squeezed her eyes shut and screamed. Calvin laughed, pressing his lips to the top of her chest.

‘Disgusting.’

She felt unspeakably dirty. This was nothing like Theo. Theo always touched her gently and cherished her. His careful, soft embrace flashed through her mind.

He could never hurt her.

“Do you know why he acted like that at the party?”

Rosie’s struggling paused.

“I told him what people thought about the two of you.”

Calvin snickered in a sinister voice.

At that moment, the weight crushing her disappeared.

“Ugh! What—!”

Calvin’s scream rang out.

“Let go! Ugh!”

“I warned you. Not to cling to her.”

Rosie slowly opened her eyes at the familiar voice. The person grabbing Calvin by the collar and punching him was Theo.

“S-stop! Young Master—! Ugh!”

“Sir Theo! Please stop!”

Ruth rushed over to try and stop him, but it was useless. Theo’s fury burned like a blue flame as he ruthlessly kicked Calvin.

‘It’s Theo. Theo came.’

Rosie’s legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground.

Theo grabbed Calvin’s collar, whispered something in his ear, then punched him again.

Ruth clung to Theo, trying to stop him, and finally Theo stepped back.

He looked strangely calm. He wasn’t panting or excited, but his cold eyes and gray gaze showed how angry he was.

Theo cast a chilly glance at Calvin, who was bleeding on the ground, and ordered Ruth,

“Dump him at the Deacon household.”

He turned away, as if he didn’t even see Rosie.

“Theo.”

He stopped walking, but that was all.

Rosie wiped her tears with the back of her hand, barely finding the strength to stand by leaning on the wall.

“Wait, Theo. I have something to say. Since last summer at the villa……”

“Ruth, take the young lady home.”

He never looked back, just ordered Ruth and walked away.

Tears, which had paused, welled up again and fell from Rosie’s eyes.

“Theo……”

Her voice didn’t reach him. He was already far away.

* * *

Ruth dutifully took Rosie and Calvin to the Deacon household in separate carriages, leaving a thick stack of documents on the Earl’s desk explaining why Theo was not the culprit.

The letter found in Calvin’s pocket matched his handwriting.

Rosie finally realized why he’d only sent telegrams and not letters.

Normally, Calvin would have been arrested and put on trial. But Rosie suggested letting him go.

She simply shook her head at Earl Deacon’s anger. She didn’t want her affair with Theo to become gossip.

Calvin avoided trial on the condition that he never approach Rosie again.

Rosie hugged her knees and stared out the window with a dazed look. Everything was resolved, but Theo was not by her side.

A week had already passed, but there was no word from him. She remembered how he left without looking back.

“What should I do……”

He probably wouldn’t see her even if she went.

“I need a natural reason to meet him.”

After thinking for a long time, Rosie suddenly jumped up and ran out of the room.

* * *

The carriage stopped.

Rosie stood carefully at the door, looking at the ducal residence and trying to calm her pounding heart.

Today was the birthday of Duchess Durand, her mother’s close friend.

“Aren’t you getting out?”

Her mother, Countess Deacon, looked at Rosie as she stood still.

“Yes, I’m coming. I’m coming.”

How natural this was.

It was a family gathering, and both Rosie and Theo had to attend the party.

She often visited the ducal residence, but today she was especially nervous. She wondered what to say to Theo first.

‘Should I apologize? Or explain that it was a misunderstanding?’

The weather was cool and nice, so the party was held outdoors in the garden. The Earldom wasn’t small, but the endless garden made her realize the gap in status.

She passed under an arch of rose vines, and Duchess Durand recognized her mother and ran over with a bright face.

“Cecile!”

“Phoebe! Happy birthday.”

“Thank you for coming.”

Duchess Durand smiled warmly.

“Happy birthday.”

“Oh, Rosie. Thank you. Theo should be around somewhere.”

The Duchess glanced around.

“It’s okay. I’ll find him.”

“Will you? For some reason, Theo brought a partner today. So he must be inside.”

“Pa…partner?”

Rosie’s face turned pale at the Duchess’s words.

“Yes. He always refused to introduce anyone, but today he brought someone. Oh, there he is. Theo!”

The Duchess shouted and waved. Hearing her, Theo turned toward Rosie. He wasn’t alone, just as the Duchess said. Nodding toward the Duchess, he approached, a red-haired woman clinging to his arm, just like in Rosie’s dream.

Her heart dropped and rolled away.

“Oh, she’s the daughter of Marquis Lance, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The Duchess smiled contentedly.

“They look good together.”

Rosie frowned at her mother’s comments. She wanted to protest that they didn’t look good together, but the cool, calm Theo and the fiery Marquis Lance’s daughter did seem to match.

“No, but you are better, Rosie. When you two stand together, you look like a painting. I thought you’d date since you were always together. Maybe friends don’t develop romantic feelings.”

‘No, they do. A lot. Suddenly, a lot.’

Rosie looked bitterly at Theo and Marquis Lance’s daughter as they walked over.

‘But maybe it’s too late.’

Her shoulders slumped.

She’d bought a new dress and dressed up for today. It was all pointless.

Miss Lance was a woman who’d always shown interest in Theo. Rosie couldn’t miss the sharp looks she got when standing next to Theo at parties.

She hated the woman clinging to Theo’s arm. Now, she understood why Theo had been angry seeing her with Calvin.

“Theo, say hello. Cecile and Rosie are here.”

“Thank you for coming.”

Theo stood next to the Duchess and bowed.

“This is Miss Lance.”

The Duchess introduced her.

“I’m Catherine Lance.”

Catherine smiled at Rosie, almost smugly, as if she’d won.

“Long time no see, Miss Rosemary.”

Rosie quietly watched Catherine cling to Theo’s arm, feeling her mood sink. Her stomach churned.

She knew how strong that arm was—he’d held her just days ago, and now he was with another woman.

Theo, who had been looking down, now turned his gaze to Rosie.