Rosie could feel Callios’s gaze on her—dark, fixed directly on her.

“What do you mean? Let’s step out first. We’ll talk outside.”

Just then, the clear voice of the announcer echoed through the hall, signalling the start of Act Two following the interval.

Callios tried to pull Rosie to her feet, but she stubbornly refused to leave her seat with the perfect view of the stage.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to say for a long time. I just never had the courage.”

The bright stage dimmed, and the seating area, which had previously been in darkness, gradually became illuminated. Much the same could be said of her life. Darkened by death, it had been given another chance and was growing bright once more. It was like finally waking from a dream that should have ended long ago.

Under the slowly brightening lights, Rosie began to speak.

“Let’s… stop here.”

His face fell instantly. His broad, solid shoulders tensed, and he seemed unable to speak. Silently, he loosened the top buttons of his collar in frustration, as though it were choking him. His Adam’s apple moved sharply.

“I told you we could pause on having an heir. What do you mean, stop—”

“Callios.”

She let go of her final hesitation.

Calmly and steadily, Rosie delivered the verdict.

“Let’s divorce.”

As people returned from the interval, the hall buzzed with loud chatter. Yet a cold, perfect silence fell around them.

“…….”

Callios looked like a man whose gears had all jammed at once. His brow repeatedly twisted and smoothed out as if even repeating her words in his mind wasn’t enough to make sense of them.

After a long silence, the only thing he could say was:

“…Why?”

Rosie put the handkerchief she had used to wipe her lips back into her bag. The sickening churning in her stomach had finally settled.

“I said let’s divorce. We’ll follow the proper procedures.”

“Why are you saying this all of a sudden…?”

“It’s not sudden. I was planning to tell you once I was a little more prepared, but—”

Now that things had come to this, she would let go of all her remaining attachments and live out the rest of her days quietly. The dowry she had brought from the Count’s estate would provide her with enough money to get by for a few months.

‘There’s no real chance of earning big money anytime soon.’

Furthermore, she would gain nothing from a divorce overseen by the Papal Court. Her own family, the House of Moavis, had already fallen into ruin. There was nothing left to rely on.

However, Rosie needed peace of mind far more urgently than material gain. She was ready to accept whatever happened. All she felt was a reckless need to breathe freely again.

Callios looked stunned. He stood frozen until the sound of the trumpet players rehearsing backstage finally brought him back to reality.

“…Wait. Divorce?”

He stopped again halfway through the words. Some time later, he pressed his thumb hard against the center of his brow, lowering his voice.

“Was coming to this play together your way of trying to reconcile?”

“Reconcile? Don’t jump to conclusions. I only came here to confirm something.”

Rosie let out a small, incredulous laugh.

“I just saw Viscount Russell having s*x with Sabrina! With my own two eyes!”

“…What kind of nonsense is that supposed to be?”

Callios dragged a hand down his face, looking as if he were losing his mind. The barrage of unexpected revelations had shaken his usual composure.

However, Rosie had no intention of alleviating his confusion.

“I’ll be leaving, but make sure Miss Ashley stays safe. Get Viscount Russel away from her. And keep an eye on Sabrina too. You’ll see for yourself what kind of person she is.”

“I know that. But what are you talking about, why—”

“Good. Then that’s settled. I’m going now.”

At a complete loss for words, Callios stepped in front of her, blocking her path. He grabbed her arm and looked at her as though he hadn’t understood a word she had said.

“You confronted my mother directly in an attempt to restore order to the household. Doesn’t that mean you were serious about the duchy? What are your real intentions?”

Rosie lifted her usually gentle brown eyes and met his gaze directly.

She quietly pulled her arm from his grasp and spoke calmly and firmly.

“This is my real intention. Once we’re home, we’ll begin the procedures.”

“Stop joking.”

“This looks like a joke to you? I feel like I’m suffocating.”

The words she had held back for so long burst out of her, leaving her breathless and overwhelmed by a dizzying mix of relief and exhilaration at finally saying them.

Meanwhile, Callios clenched his fists and his eyes clouded over, hiding his emotions.

“What’s suffocating you? Tell me.”

People in the theater began to look up toward the VIP balcony. They seemed baffled and someone hushed, “Is that a couple’s quarrel?”

Rosie glanced down briefly, then turned back to him.

“I’m done talking. Aren’t you going to watch Act Two?”

Callios growled back.

“I was never interested. In this sort of thing.”

“Then let’s go. I don’t plan to watch any more either.”

Rosie left first and was escorted out of the theatre by staff who helped her retrieve her coat, which she had checked in at the entrance.

Looking in the mirror, Rosie saw the Duchess of Benedict, dressed in modest, muted tones. Unlike the other noblewomen, she was not flamboyant. Far too humble for someone of her position.

Callios’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her reflection. Despite her station, his wife was dressed plainly. She was excessively modest for what she had.

He followed behind her, speaking in a low voice.

“Tell me what you’re lacking. I’ll fix it. All of it.”

“There’s nothing I lack.”

“Even if you did everything you wanted to do, no one would dare call it excessive. And if they do, I’ll pull their tongue out.”

Rosie stopped in her tracks. She frowned and turned to face Callios. Because he was so much taller than her, she had to lift her chin to look up at him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Callios glanced over her outfit as if criticizing her.

“I’m providing more than enough. So why are you walking around dressed like this?”

“…Excuse me?”

“I’ve been meaning to say it for a while. I held it in because I thought you simply liked wearing dresses like these.”

Rosie let out an empty laugh. Was she being criticized for her clothing now, too?

Ignoring her, Callios lifted a hand and pointed at an elaborately dressed noblewoman who looked like a jeweled peacock.

“I send enough money that you could buy ten of those dresses if you wanted.”

Rosie followed his gaze and glared at the dress. It was a stunning green gown adorned with gemstones that appeared to hail from the eastern lands. Made of sumptuous silk and velvet, it had a gold belt studded with fine jewels.

Did he even know how much the dress had cost? His personal allowance for her had been shrinking with every passing month.

‘Does he know all this and still say such nonsense?’

If he was doing it to provoke her, it was working. Her smile was already cracking.

“I can’t use the duchy’s money however I want.”

Callios furrowed his brow, as if he didn’t understand.

“When I’m not here, you’re the master.”

“I wasn’t aware that the meaning of ‘master’ had changed. Unless you meant ‘servant.’”

She had never been the ruler of the duchy — not even once. What was he talking about?

Rosie scoffed.

Callios paused, as if her words had taken him aback.

“…Servant?”

His hand tightened around the hilt of the Imperial Sword at his waist, concealing the Crimson Dragon Manastone beneath his grip.

It was pointless to argue.

Rosie bit her lower lip with a weary sigh. There was no need to prolong this any further. Her decision had already been made.

Unaware of her thoughts, however, Callios continued, frowning deeply.

“Why do you think so little of yourself…? Was the duchy’s finances really that poorly managed? If you were struggling, you should’ve said something.”

“……”

“If you didn’t know how, you could’ve asked someone to help you.”

Rosie held her skirt as she walked, her expression bleak.

‘You don’t know anything.’

Isabella and Pante were heavily involved in the duchy’s finances. Their daily extravagance alone exceeded the spending of many noble households over the course of ten days.

Of course, Isabella had tried to keep things under control. However, she was met with insults and mockery for daring to interfere in matters she “didn’t understand”.

Then Callios spoke again, his expression dark.

“And for a reason like that, you want a divorce?”

“……”

“You abandoned the duties you should’ve fulfilled, and now that you don’t like the outcome, you’re saying you want to end it. Aren’t I right?”

She wasn’t sure what misunderstanding he had latched onto this time, but she had planned to ignore it.

However, his next words made that impossible.

“I was able to leave the house with peace of mind because I trusted you.”

At that, something inside her — which had been barely holding together until now — snapped completely.

He was blaming her again. He was using duty as an excuse. Responsibility. He was accusing her of failing the household.

Rosie turned to him and replied in a cutting, mocking tone.

“I apologize for betraying such precious trust.”

“Rosie.”

“For you to have trusted someone like me… Your judgement can’t be very good, Callios. I don’t know how you managed to win a war with eyes like those.”

“Rosie Benedict.”

Callios growled her name, his eyes burning with darkness.

He was renowned not only for his swordsmanship, but also for his ability to command mercenaries. He was famed for knowing where to place people and for directing talent with sharp intuition. That was why he had won battle after battle.

But what did it matter?

In a peaceful place where no sword was needed, he had no discernment at all. He couldn’t even see the pain in the eyes of the small woman standing before him.

Callios took a deep breath, as if trying to control the anger brewing beneath the surface. His broad shoulders rose and fell in measured breaths, clearly showing that he was holding himself back.

Before they knew it, they had reached the spot where their carriage was waiting. In the quiet night, only the sound of insects could be heard. The coachman had disappeared, perhaps to step away for a moment.

In that stillness, Callios spoke in a low voice.

“I can’t make sense of any of this. In fact, I’m not even sure if you’re the same woman I thought I knew.”

A cold wind blew in, brushing Rosie’s cheek and tossing her hair. She let out a small, dry laugh and swept her windswept hair aside with the back of her hand.

“You’re seeing me exactly as I am. I’m still me.”

The only thing that had changed was her determination. She simply wasn’t going to tolerate any of it anymore.