Chapter 27

“No, for this part, it’s best to coordinate with Gérard. Rosalie, use the other staircase and wait in your room.”

Angela pushed Rosalie toward the outside and added,

“I’ll handle the officers with a good story.”

“Alright, let me know as soon as the officers leave.”

No matter what she said, it would be hard to get a positive reaction after being missing for three days.

If she told the truth, both she and Hystein would suffer. Rosalie had no choice but to leave the dining room and hurry up the stairs the officers and Gérard wouldn’t see from the entrance.

“Angela! Where’s Rosalie?”

“Come here for a moment. I have something to discuss.”

As Rosalie crossed the second-floor hallway, she heard Angela’s urgent voice. She mumbled a wish for things to be resolved well, then hurried to her room and closed the door.

About an hour later, there was a knock. When she opened the door, Gérard was stiff and Angela couldn’t meet her eyes.

“…Angela told me everything. Rosalie, can we go downstairs for a moment?”

“The officers?”

“They’ve already left. Angela told them you weren’t ready to meet anyone yet.”

Gérard, who had shaved neatly that morning, now looked pale. Silently, Rosalie followed him down to the living room.

On the living room table, the officers’ teacups hadn’t been cleared away yet. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen the maid who’d been attacked with her since yesterday.

Rosalie sat on the old sofa and spoke first.

“Where is Mia?”

“She’s hospitalized. Six weeks of recovery. But is it true? Were you with the late King’s illegitimate child?”

Rosalie found it hard to answer right away and looked at Angela instead of Gérard’s sharp gaze. Angela quietly nodded.

“It’s true. Three days ago, Hystein saved me, and…”

“The Duke of Vallière.”

“Yes, the Duke of Vallière.”

“Then why didn’t we know until now?”

“I don’t know either. He said he’d contact you, but maybe something went wrong in the middle?”

Rosalie bowed her head like a child who’d made a mistake. Gérard’s sigh sounded especially loud.

“What kind of problem? It’s not like he doesn’t have people working for him.”

“I don’t know the details…”

“He must have done it on purpose. Not knowing whether you were alive or dead, these last three days have been h*ll for us.”

Gérard jumped up, searching for a cigar. Angela grabbed his sleeve, looking up at him with pleading eyes.

“Where are you going, Darling? Sit and finish the conversation.”

“I’m just frustrated, ha… Fine, Rosalie. The fact that you came back healthy is real. For that alone, I’m grateful to him.”

Gérard sat back down, placing his clenched fist on his thigh. Rosalie braced herself for the anger to come, squeezing her eyes shut.

“But this isn’t right! The murderer was found ages ago! If he saved you, he should have sent you home immediately!”

“When Hystein—no, the Duke of Vallière—found me, I was in bad shape. I had a high fever…”

“Then you must have needed your family even more. What, did he think we couldn’t take care of you?”

“No, that’s not it. I don’t know what he was thinking, but I’m sure it wasn’t anything bad.”

“…Rosalie, do you even know what you’re saying? How can you defend such a thoughtless man? Are you—”

Rosalie could guess what Gérard wanted to say. Are you still not over that man? That’s what he wanted to ask.

Her answer was yes, but she couldn’t say it out loud. She realized she’d instinctively tried to defend Hystein.

“This must never get out. Are you out of your mind, Rosalie? How can you get involved with him again now?”

“Darling, that’s enough.”

“No! I can’t stop. If the Aloua family finds out where you were—!”

If that happened, the marriage talks would surely collapse. No other noble family would want her as a bride.

They’d grow poorer, and years later, Theo would be ashamed of his aunt.

Suddenly, reality hit Rosalie hard. And at the same time, she realized—this was exactly what Hystein had intended.

***

The next morning, Rosalie was preparing breakfast in uncomfortable silence. Since the only maid had been injured, they hadn’t hired a new one, so Rosalie was slicing bread herself in the kitchen.

“D*mn! It’s starting again!”

Suddenly, Gérard exploded with anger. Rosalie, still not reconciled with him, asked carefully,

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Angela, is Theo still asleep?”

Gérard, sitting at the dining table, ignored Rosalie and focused on Angela, who appeared looking unrested.

“He cried all night and finally quieted down. The nanny insisted on staying with him, so I came alone.”

“That kid’s been a handful lately.”

Listening to their conversation, Rosalie brought the toasted bread to the table. Sensing her presence, Gérard startled and threw the bundle of papers in his hand.

“What’s that?”

“Nothing.”

“It’s a newspaper.”

Rosalie set down the plate and picked up the papers from the floor. Gérard quickly bent down, trying to snatch the newspaper away.

“This is from a different publisher than before. When did you start subscribing to so many?”

“…The day after you went missing.”

“Ah…”

Rosalie felt sorry for Angela and Gérard again. She didn’t meet their eyes and unfolded the crumpled newspaper.

Then she saw her name in huge letters in the headline and caught her breath.

‘Rosalie de Malève, the missing young lady, returns alive! But her suspicious whereabouts…?’

“It’s just a trash article. Put it down.”

Gérard fidgeted, reaching out. But Rosalie’s eyes were already glued to the article.

“…‘Who knows, perhaps she suffered terrible s*xual ab*se at the hands of the accomplice arrested on the 16th. The Malève family has yet to make a statement.’…”

“What does this mean? How do people know Rosalie is back?”

Angela was so shocked she couldn’t even sit down. Gérard rubbed his face irritably.

“The guards found out, so word must have leaked somewhere. D*mn, no wonder I felt people staring at us when I came home with the officers yesterday.”

“Those awful people! How can they print such malicious speculation? We should sue the newspaper!”

“Calm down, Angela. You know we can’t afford that.”

Angela began to sob at Gérard’s realistic reply. Rosalie checked the rest of the newspaper but found nothing about Hystein.

There was, however, one article speculating how the Count Aloua family would react.

‘No matter how urgent Jeremy Aloua’s marriage may be, would he accept Rosalie Malève, who may have been tainted by a depraved hand?’

“…Why am I always in the news like this?”

The feeling of misery was brief. Ten years ago, articles like this had torn her down every day. She wasn’t unaffected, but she decided to remain calm.

More importantly, what could she say to comfort Angela? As she went to throw the newspaper in the kitchen trash, she thought about it.

“…Angela.”

Just as Rosalie stepped toward Angela, who was trembling in Gérard’s arms, the doorbell rang and she flinched. Gérard and Angela were just as bewildered.

“Who could it be at this hour? Journalists…?”

Gérard, overcome with anger, left Angela and stomped toward the entrance. But he soon returned, looking baffled.

“R-Rosalie. Hurry and change clothes. Countess Aloua and Jeremy have come to visit.”