Rosie startled herself the moment the words left her mouth. Ashley, of course, didn’t miss that unguarded truth.

“Sister… you really are thinking about it, aren’t you?”

When Ashley let out a tiny cheer, Rosie broke into a cold sweat.

This wasn’t what she meant.

“I–I just said it without thinking. And… ah, that reminds me. I need something done. Could you call a few people for me?”

Rosie gently ushered Ashley out of the room, using work as an excuse. Dealing with Ashley’s pure-hearted excitement was somehow more difficult than dealing with the sharp-minded Callios at the moment.

To handle the situation, she called two people she trusted: the poison expert, Hiint, and the businessman, Phil.

Since Phil worked in the medical field, she expected that they would both be able to help.

Hiint arrived first. Seeing Rosie sitting on the bed, he approached her with mild surprise.

“Have you suddenly gotten worse, my lady?”

“Not exactly… there’s just someone a bit overbearing.”

“Ah. I see.”

His mouth twitched as he tried to hide the faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Hiint nodded knowingly, as if he had already guessed who it was.

Feeling oddly embarrassed, Rosie quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, did you notice anything on your way in?”

“On my way in? Ah… now that you mention it, the atmosphere was very tense. I heard someone shouting to ‘catch him,’ too. Quite fierce, actually.”

“Catch who?”

“I’m not sure. It sounded like someone attempted an escape.”

Rosie froze.

“An escape attempt?”

“Yes. Perhaps someone the duke was holding prisoner.”

Hiint shook his head, insisting he knew nothing more. He had a firm personal rule: never pry too deeply into the private affairs of nobles, not even out of curiosity.

Rosie thought of the one person currently imprisoned in the ducal estate.

‘Did Pante attempt to escape? Could he have actually fled…?’

If so, it would be a serious problem.

Callios would certainly handle it, but Rosie still couldn’t help worrying a little.

Rosie could only hope that there weren’t many foolish retainers who were still loyal to Pante.

‘It should be fine.’

If anyone excelled at capturing, imprisoning and interrogating people, it was Callios. Worrying about it wouldn’t change anything. However, if he took matters into his own hands again, there would be another bloodbath. Nothing he handled ever ended quietly.

Shaking those thoughts off, Rosie asked Hiint.

“By the way, have you been able to get the ingredients?”

At her question, Hiint pushed up his glasses with a dark expression.

“The back alleys of the capital are fiercely territorial. Acquiring anything is proving difficult. You should expect it to take some time. Most of that territory is controlled by the wretched Viscount Ilaine of the Midas family.”

“…Sir Iraine? Wretched?”

“On top of that, this big-shot merchant — Phil, or whatever his name is — suddenly showed up and made things worse. He’s even opened a large trading company recently. He keeps buying up all the stock before I can.”

“Mm…”

As Hiint listed off every person standing in his way, Rosie’s expression shifted strangely. Hiint, not noticing, let out a sigh.

“Since the duke is supporting us directly, I’ll trust in that. In the meantime, please keep taking the olive oil. It will prevent the symptoms from worsening—”

At that moment—

“Madam! Good heavens, are you all right?!”

Phil burst into the room, breathless. He had sprinted all the way here the moment he received Rosie’s summons.

Ignoring Hiint’s wary stare, Phil dropped to one knee at Rosie’s bedside, solemnly pledging.

“I will use every means at my disposal to help you. Please rest assured!”

“Thank you.”

Rosie gave him a small, knowing smile. Only then did Phil glance around and finally notice Hiint standing stiffly nearby.

Recognition seemed to dawn, and his face brightened.

“Wait—you’re Hiint, aren’t you?”

“…Yes, that’s me.”

“Wonderful! If it’s ingredients you need, I can procure them for you!”

“May I ask who you are?”

“I’m the lady’s longtime business partner. Also the head of Rophil Trading House.”

Hiint, who had clasped Phil’s offered hand out of reflex, stared at him in shock.

“Robil Trading House? You don’t mean…”

Rosie, listening quietly, looked at Phil in surprise as well.

“Phil. Since when did you open an entire trading house?”

“Ah, well… the business you advised me on grew far too big. I thought it needed proper structure, so I established one.”

“And the name Rophil Trading House… is that…”

“Yes. It comes from your name and mine together. Isn’t it nice?”

Phil smiled brightly, clearly hoping for praise. Rosie narrowed her eyes at him. She didn’t want to dampen his enthusiasm, but she also couldn’t ignore the potential disaster.

“Make sure the origin of that name never reaches the duke’s ears.”

“…What? Why not?”

Rosie turned her head slightly as she muttered.

“Just… a feeling.”

If Callios learned her name was tied to another man’s, even in a trivial way, he would absolutely not take it lightly.

‘Maybe it’s an exaggeration… but still.’

Phil looked confused until an idea struck him.

His expression stiffened.

After clearing his throat several times, he glanced nervously at Rosie and carefully changed the subject.

“Also… my niece said she’s with child. And… it seems to be with one of the servants here… so, well…”

He knew exactly what the rumor circulating in the count’s estate was about. Jenny had told him herself.

Rosie immediately understood what he meant and smiled faintly.

“There’s no need to tiptoe around it. It’s wonderful news. Celebrate it properly and give them your blessing.”

“Thank you, madam! I’ll share the good news with Viscount Ilaine, too. After all, you personally brought Hiint all the way to the capital.”

“Do that.”

Beside them, Hiint’s eyes widened as he murmured to himself.

“Viscount Ilaine?”

When Phil casually mentioned Viscount Ilaine, implying that he was on friendly terms with both Rosie and Phil, Hiint’s eyes—barely visible behind his glasses—widened until they looked ready to pop out.

Completely unaware of Hiint’s inner turmoil, Phil cheerfully continued.

“And Miss Natalie said to tell her immediately if there’s any news about you, my lady! She even came by to congratulate Jenny on her pregnancy.”

“Is that so? That’s good.”

‘Natalie? Surely not, the flame of the stage?’

Hiint couldn’t hide his shock as he stared at Rosie’s calm expression.

‘The Flame Natalie’ was a nickname the empress herself had bestowed, her acting was said to blaze like fire, stirring hearts to a fever.

Sensing Hiint’s gaze, Rosie blinked and looked back at him.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Your acquaintances are… truly extraordinary, my lady.”

The notoriously money-hungry Viscount Ilaine of the Midas family. The rising star of the medical business, Phil. And the empress’s beloved theatrical queen, Natalie.

Every one of them formidable. Every one of them difficult to please. Yet they were all inexplicably close to Rosie.

Rosie, embarrassed by Hiint’s disbelief, turned her head away.

“It just happened that way. I was lucky.”

‘Lucky? For that kind of network?’

Hiint felt dizzy.

And Phil still wasn’t finished. He grew serious as he continued.

“My lady, leave the acquisition of the antidote ingredients to Viscount Ilaine and me. If needed, I can even borrow the name of the Midas Marquis. He said you may use it anytime, if it’s for curing your illness.”

At the mention of the Marquis of Midas, Hiint felt reality slip.

The Duke of Benedict. The Midas Marquis. Sir Ilaine. Phil. Natalie.

All these powerful figures, woven together like a tapestry and at the center of it all stood one small, fragile woman.

‘How is this even possible…?’

“Come now, Hiint! Just trust me and follow along!”

Phil threw an arm over the bewildered Hiint’s shoulder and led him out of the room.

Only once the commotion had died down did Rosie finally manage to breathe properly. She let out a soft sigh and stared at the door as it closed.

‘Finally quiet.’

The peaceful rest Callios had so desperately wanted her to have was finally hers.

She pulled the blanket up to lie down and then froze.

She had forgotten something.

‘Is Rio… all right over there?’

***

By that point, Callios had already thwarted Pante’s escape attempt and returned him to confinement.

He had predicted the attempt easily and acted even faster. His intention was to exploit Pante’s panic to expose every remaining accomplice lurking in the shadows.

His prediction was perfect. But the problem lay elsewhere.

Down in the dungeon, Rob Beisler wore a troubled expression as he stared at the men tied up in the corner. They looked nothing like the people of the Empire — their skin tone and features were starkly different.

Rob rubbed his brow as if a headache might kill him.

“To think… there were Kuhote Kingdom men among those who helped him escape. I never would have imagined it.”

The Kuhote Kingdom was the last territory that Callios had conquered. Ever since then, the hawkish faction and the Emperor had been on edge about it.

Of all people, it was Pante who had chosen to drag them into this.

Rob shot a furious glare at the bound, unconscious Pante.

“To think he’d stoop so low as to borrow outside power…”

“He must have wanted what was mine that badly.”

Callios dismissed Rob’s bitter tone with indifference.

Pante had certainly never done this in his previous life.

The mysterious woman that Rosie had mentioned could also be from the Kuhote Kingdom. But right now, Callios didn’t care.

His focus was entirely on the prey lying helpless before him.

Ever since he had regained his memories of his past life, he had not forgotten for a single moment.

Callios stepped towards Pante, who hung limply in his chains.

“My lord?”

Rob froze when he saw Callios’s face.

It was utterly expressionless.

“Uh… Your Grace. Why are you—”

“Silence.”

Callios exuded a chilling, murderous aura, thick enough to suffocate the air around them. This was anger of an entirely different magnitude — nothing like the man he usually was.

As he approached the unconscious Pante, Callios spoke in a low, steady murmur.

“This time… Rosie will live. Until the very end.”

The sharp blade pressed against Pante’s throat. Blood welled up immediately, and Pante jerked awake with a shudder.

“You will never harm her again.”

Callios’s wild, unhinged eyes fixed on Pante as he slowly lifted his head.

“Because I’ll kill you first before you ever get the chance to lay a hand on her.”

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