CH 7

Rosalie swallowed the sandwich in her mouth and spoke.

“Yes. I’m going to participate this time.”

In the original story, the original Rosalie goes up to the capital to attend a social party in two weeks at Bella’s insistence, and Bella secretly contacts the Marquis of Windell at the party on the first day to plan a territorial war. Rosalie intended to go up to the capital for their meeting.

‘I have to make sure that Marquis Windell and Bella meet.’

A breeze blew in and Rosalie’s nose caught the familiar scent of perfume. There was only one person in the duchy who wore such a thick, heavy perfume.

Rosalie looked to where the wind was blowing, and as expected, there was Bella, who had returned from her travels, striding majestically.

“I greet His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince.”

Having finally made it to their table, Bella bent down to greet Derivis. Sonia made a face of open displeasure at Bella’s arrival, while Rosalie and Derivis looked at her with solemn expressions.

‘Is this the inevitable fate of a novel?’ 

In the original novel, Bella should have appeared at dinner last night, but her sudden trip prevented her from doing so.

Rosalie thought that they wouldn’t meet, but in the end, she showed up today.

“Why didn’t you tell me that His Highness the Crown Prince was coming to visit? What’s wrong with you?”

Sonia frowned at Bella’s irritated tone and tried to say something. It was always Rosalie’s turn to be left speechless, so Sonia took the initiative as usual.

“Why should I tell you?”

But the cold voice came from Rosalie’s mouth, not Sonia’s. Flinching at the icy voice, Bella puffed out her chest and shouted.

“Because I am the Grand Duchess of Judeheart!”

Rosalie slowly stood up and took one, then two steps toward Bella. Bella staggered and stepped back.

“And I am the Duchess of Judeheart.”

“Well, so what?!”

“I’m saying that you are in a position to follow my choices as head of the household. Dolan, take her to her room.”

At Rosalie’s call, Dolan came quickly to Bella’s side and stood in her way. Dolan spoke up, his tone not at all polite.

“Let’s go.”

Bella’s face flushed with anger.

In the end, unable to control her boiling anger, she raised her hand to slap Dolan in the face when Rosalie’s hand grabbed her wrist, her voice ice-cold.

“You’d better go quietly unless you want to be dragged off by the knights in front of the guests.”

At the low-voiced warning, Bella glanced at the two seated at the table. Derivis, sipping his tea in a nonchalant and leisurely manner, spoke up.

“It was the Duchess’ right choice not to inform you of my visit.” 

It was a shameful thing to say, but Bella, who couldn’t even confront the Crown Prince, bit her lower lip. When Rosalie gestured to call the knights, Bella eventually turned her body with an angry expression and left.

If she were to be dragged away by the knights, it would be the ultimate shame. Rosalie stared at the departing Bella for a moment, then returned to the table and sat down in her chair.

“I’m sorry. I showed our guests an unfavorable sight.”

Rosalie sat down naturally as if nothing had happened. However, Sonia couldn’t stop staring at her with an expression of disbelief.

“Rosalie!”

Sonia kept staring in the direction where Bella disappeared, then turned to Rosalie, still in disbelief.

“Are you really the Rosalie that I know?”

Rosalie quickly averted her eyes and picked up her teacup.

“Of course.”

Suddenly, Sonia got up from her seat and grabbed Rosalie’s shoulder. Her eyes sparkled with emotion.

“You know, I was so worried when you changed. I was afraid something bad had happened… But I think I can relieve my worries now.”

Rosalie smiled awkwardly at Sonia’s emotional outburst. She hadn’t even shown half of her personality yet, and her reaction was so strong.

“I think I’m going to cry.”

But maybe because she was the heroine, Rosalie didn’t find her annoying. In fact, her contrasting behavior was cute, and Rosalie even smiled slightly.

“I’m really glad. Aren’t you, Devi?”

Sonia asked Derivis, and he set down the teacup in his hand. He looked frozen for some reason, so Sonia called out to him once more.

“Devi?”

“Oh, I’m glad.”

Derivis, who had regained his senses, quickly responded. Sonia and Rosalie ignored his strange reaction and shrugged it off.

“Rosalie. Let’s chat all night and sleep together, as we always do.”

Rosalie, with her training schedule, tried to decline Sonia’s invitation right away, but the look of anticipation in her eyes was too much to resist.

Rosalie reluctantly nodded her head, and Sonia nodded back with a satisfied expression.

Sonia walked up to her room, not even bothering to pull away from Rosalie. Excited, she changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed, but she didn’t stop talking.

“So that’s why your father bought you a villa, right?”

“Yes, it was nice.”

Rosalie nodded as Sonia continued to brag. In person, Sonia was more like she’d imagined. 

She looked like a flower girl in a greenhouse, overgrown and untouched, with the look of a young woman who had been loved and nurtured. All the dark shadows of the world seemed to escape her.

‘And this kindness and loveliness made many characters in novels fall in love with her.’

Rosalie looked at Sonia, who was still talking nonstop.

“Sonia, that’s enough. It’s time to sleep.”

“…This is the first time that Rosalie has ever told me that I should do something.”

“Is that so?”

Rosalie feigned ignorance and turned off the bedside lamp. In an instant, the room was plunged into darkness.

“Yeah… It’s the first time. Is that why it feels so different?”

“Go to sleep quickly.”

Rosalie immediately closed her eyes, and Sonia blinked a few times before closing her eyes as well.

⊱⊱⊱────── {.⋅ ✧✧✧ ⋅.} ──────⊰⊰⊰

“Phew…”

Rosalie let out a tired sigh as she walked into her office. Due to Sonia’s late-night chatter, Rosalie had gotten only half as much sleep as usual. With morning training and the knights’ training, she felt unbearably tired.

‘Still, her chatty nature was cute.’

The corners of Rosalie’s mouth turned up slightly as she remembered Sonia’s nonstop chatter.

She listened to Sonia’s chatter while sacrificing her sleep because Sonia was much cuter chatting in real life compared to what she had read in the novel.

“Rosalie!”

The door to her office opened with Sonia’s cheerful voice.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. You didn’t wake me up?”

“You looked like you were sleeping so soundly.”

Sonia pouted her lips and muttered.

“I also wanted to see Rosalie training…”

When Sonia heard that Derivis had watched Rosalie train, she insisted last night that she wanted to watch it too. However, Rosalie couldn’t wake Sonia up because she was sleeping so soundly.

“Instead, let’s have dinner together.”

Sonia smiled and nodded at Rosalie’s soothing tone. Just then, there was a knock on the door to her office.

“Duchess, Erudit has arrived.”

Dolan’s polite voice came from the other side of the door.

“Tell him to come in.”

The door soon opened, and Dolan entered first followed by Erudit.

Erudit’s appearance seemed mild with his low-saturation khaki hair, silver eyes behind glasses, and drooping features. However, there was an atmosphere that made it difficult to approach him recklessly.

His glasses had no prescription. Rosalie knew that the glasses were to hide his scrutinizing gaze toward the person he was speaking to.

“Oh, a guest has come. I’ll leave.”

As Sonia turned to leave the office at Erudit’s entrance, Dolan held the door open for her.

“Good morning.”

Erudit bowed his head in greeting.

“Would you like to come this way first?”

Rosalie guided him to a sofa, and Erudit nodded his head and sat down. As soon as Rosalie took a seat, there was a soft knock on the office door.

Emma had brought fragrant tea. As the tea was prepared on the table, a formal interview atmosphere filled the room, and Rosalie was the first to speak.

“Are you available to start as soon as tomorrow? The commuting time is as stated in the job advertisement. However, I want you to know that there will be a lot of overtime for the next month or two. Also…”

As Rosalie explained, Erudit’s expressionless face gradually turned to confusion.

‘Wasn’t this an interview? You just hired me without even asking me…”

In response to Erudit’s bewildered attitude, Rosalie spoke calmly.

“We’re just trying to hire talent quickly. I also like you. Have you changed your mind?”

Since Rosalie had intended to hire Erudit right from the start, she had no intention of asking useless questions; the only reason she’d called him in was to give him the appearance of an interview.

Erudit hesitated, scanning Rosalie with his droopy silver eyes.

“No, it’s not that…”

His gaze drifted towards Dolan and Emma, who were standing behind Rosalie. Rosalie noticed his faint gaze and nodded toward Dolan and Emma.

The two of them bowed their heads and quietly left the office. It wasn’t until the door of the office was completely closed that Rosalie turned to Erudit and spoke.

“You can keep talking.”

Erudit adjusted his glasses and started speaking again. There was no more confusion in his voice.

“I’ll be straightforward. Why are you hiring me, a commoner, so quickly? Do you need a scapegoat to cover up your corruption in the (1)Dukedom?”

[Collection of Footnotes]

1) “Dukedom/Duchy” 

–  The territory of a duke or duchess.

–  I forgot to mention this before, but just in case you guys were wondering, the terms “dukedom” or “duchy” are basically interchangeable as they practically mean the same thing.