The chief steward asked, puzzled. Rosie gazed down at the plain green tea in her cup, looking bitter.

She had been saving money so carefully that she had even had to downgrade the tea she loved. Isabella had taken all the fine tea that Rosie had grown herself, leaving her with nothing but cheap blends and no chance to harvest her own.

With a faint, wry laugh, she murmured.

“I just… want to drink something better now.”

Thinking about how little time she had left to live made her feel that these moments slipping through her fingers were a waste.

“Bring out the Royal Tamris tea from the Duke’s stores.”

Royal Tamris was a rare tea favored by the imperial family and grown only in the Kingdom of Yones, where Rosie’s elder sister Serena had married.

‘Trade’s been banned because of the current conflict, though.’

Ironically, it was the very royals who had banned it that were secretly drinking it in private.

At her request, the chief steward gave her a pained look, as if he had just realized that she had taken all the good tea.

“Understood, my lady. I’ll bring you the finest among them.”

“That would be nice.”

They continued their quiet, pleasant exchange until Rosie caught sight of Ide returning through the garden.

But as she listened to his report, her fine brows drew together in clear discomfort. The back of her gloved hand froze in place and her slender fingers, which had been gliding like feathers over the ledger, came to a complete stop.

By the time he had finished speaking, the smile had already vanished from Rosie’s face.

“Why is the Duke going there?”

***

An hour later, Rosie — her face hidden deep beneath a hood — was guided by Jenny into the interior of a pub steeped in the heavy, aged scent of oak.

“I’ll wait outside, my lady!”

Jenny cheerfully saw her off, but Rosie stood in one corner of the pub, swallowing a silent sigh.

‘He really came…’

In the crowd, she immediately spotted the enormous, strikingly handsome man — Callios — who was not trying to hide and was still wearing the imperial uniform he had worn to the palace.

People kept glancing in his direction, but he appeared not to notice any of them.

‘Why is he here…?’

She narrowed her brows slightly when Rob Beisler strode over and offered his hand.

“I felt this during the Duke’s birthday banquet too, but the Duchess has changed quite a lot. I never imagined you’d choose such a crowded place for a meeting.”

Dodging the husbandly stare she could feel even from beneath her hood, Rosie smiled.

“My tastes changed a little.”

“In a good way, I’d say.”

She accepted Rob Beisler’s offer of an escort and took her seat, deliberately brightening her smile. Callios’s gaze was sharp enough to cut, but she refused to back down.

“Please, take a seat as well, Sir Beisler.”

At least they weren’t seated at the same table, that much, she could be thankful for.

‘He has sharp ears. At this distance, he’ll hear every word. There’s no helping it.’

Meanwhile, Rob seemed to find the situation amusing, his tension from earlier replaced by a grin.

“To think I’d receive such a precious invitation from you.”

“As I said, a crowded place is actually better. Less attention on us.”

“Oh? Then I’m the only one allowed to hear this secret conversation?”

Rob leaned in, trying to create a confidential atmosphere. His overly close approach made Rosie frown.

“Sir Beisler? You’re too close.”

“Ah, my apologies—”

He recoiled abruptly, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead, and rubbed the back of his neck. Glancing behind him, he looked horrified.

“I truly thought my head was about to fly off…”

Rosie turned around, too.

Callios was simply running his thumb along the spine of his sword.

She let out a small laugh. He was exaggerating.

“Well then, let’s get to the main topic.”

His playfulness faded at once. Seeing his now-serious expression, Rosie began.

He needed to believe her—no matter what.

“Whatever I say, you’ll believe me, right?”

“Of course. What’s happened?”

Finally sensing the gravity of the situation, Rob stood up straight and took on a more serious demeanor. Although he often seemed light-hearted, he was not a foolish man. He was intelligent, logical and not easily swayed.

After a moment of hesitation, Rosie found it difficult to speak.

“Soon, a disaster will strike your family’s territory.”

Rob’s expression hardened.

“Pardon…?”

“The ground will split. Buildings will collapse. Luckily, it will happen during the day, so casualties will be fewer, but—”

“One moment, my lady.”

He raised a hand, stopping her words. Then he drained his ale and dragged a troubled hand over his face.

“I may be slow, but… I truly don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“I know it’s difficult to believe. But you must trust me.”

“And on what basis are you making this claim?”

All traces of levity disappeared. His eyes sharpened of course he would waver when the lives of his people were being spoken of.

‘But I have to do it.’

This was something she could never have attempted in her previous life. Stepping into something this big, she would never have dared.

‘But now… I want to do whatever I can.’

Rosie rubbed her fingers, bracing herself.

“You won’t believe this, but I… study certain things as a hobby. So I have quite a bit of knowledge on the matter. I can’t tell you more than that.”

She could never say she knew the future, she would sooner die than reveal that.

Rob Beisler responded with a baffled look.

“So… what, you studied astronomy or something?”

“Whether you believe it or not, that event will happen. And because of the terrain, your family’s territory beneath the mountain will suffer the greatest damage.”

“A landslide, then?”

He repeated her words without much thought. Clearly, he still didn’t believe her, but he seemed willing to play along for now.

Nevertheless, Rosie didn’t waver.

“Yes. So evacuate the young children and the elderly first. They have no choice but to stay indoors.”

If she revealed too much, the Benedict Duchy would descend into chaos. She couldn’t afford that. She had to tread carefully.

Rob scratched the back of his head, looking troubled. She expected this — of course he wouldn’t believe her.

Then there was only one option left.

Tilting her head slightly, Rosie revealed her last resort.

“If I told you it was advice I received from Astronomer Elsavani, would you believe me?”

She had no choice but to invoke the authority of an expert.

Rob blinked dumbly. Elsavani was a renowned Imperial astronomer who had disappeared following an incident, and his whereabouts were unknown.

“Master Elsavani? How would a noblewoman like you ever…?”

That was when it happened.

A cold presence swept in. A heavy weight pressed down beside her.

Callios dropped into the seat beside her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“If it’s that serious, shouldn’t we notify the neighboring families as well? Sounds like no trivial matter.”

Rosie raised her brows, genuinely unable to believe this.

“You’re actually trusting what I’m saying?”

Looking into her wide brown eyes, Callios tilted his lips in a slanted smirk.

“No. Not really. I don’t believe you studied astronomy. Or that you met Elsavani. His Majesty is still looking for the man.”

“…I said it was by chance.”

She knew it. Callios never believed anything unverified or absurd.

But just as Rosie prepared to scoff internally he suddenly added.

“But I can tell the part about the disaster isn’t a lie.”

Was this really the same Callios she knew?

Was he accepting it as truth?

Feeling suspicious and thrown off, Rosie asked quietly.

“What makes you say that?”

Callios hesitated for a moment, then answered with brazen confidence.

“Instinct.”

It was a flimsy excuse, clearly made up on the spot. Rob Beisler turned away, fighting the urge to laugh.

Shrugging, he finished his ale.

“Well, that settles it. If my commander believes it, his lieutenant follows.”

Was it really that easy? All the hours Rosie had spent worrying now seemed meaningless.

Still feeling dazed, Rosie tugged at the edge of her hood while Rob added lightly:

“You should’ve just told the Duke from the start. Would’ve been simpler.”

“Well…”

Callios, who tolerated no nonsense, was never an option. Of all of them, Rob had seemed like the only one she might have a chance with.

The Callios she had known before wouldn’t have believed her. He wouldn’t have come here with her in the first place.

‘In my past life, he never cared what I did…’

But what about now? He was overly involved. To the point that it was almost overwhelming.

Thanks to Callios, events were unfolding in a way that Rosie could never have imagined. Rob Beisler, on the other hand, still wore an expression of disbelief.

‘Why?’

Callios’s dark, unblinking gaze was fixed solely on her. Whatever stubborn, relentless thing lived inside him, where was it directed?

Had her request for a divorce truly shaken him that deeply?

Rosie parted her lips in confusion, about to speak.

Thud!

Suddenly, a drunken thug slammed his bottle down between Rosie and Callios. Before anyone could react, he shot his hand out quickly and roughly and yanked Rosie’s hood back.

He sneered.

“Been watching you for a while. What’re you hiding so much for, huh? Something that pretty should be shared.”

When Rosie removed her hood, her soft chestnut hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her wide brown eyes reflected the silhouette of the brute who had dared to touch her.

No one had expected this, and no one moved. The noise drained from the room as if sucked into the floorboards, leaving the pub in eerie silence.

“……”

“……”

Every pair of eyes turned towards them: towards Rosie, whose face was exposed; towards Rob Beisler, who pressed a hand to his forehead; and towards Callios, whose expression had become utterly impenetrable and cold enough to freeze the blood.