《Marriage Contract with Two Husbands》 Chapter 1.1 With the marriage vows in front, Roseline fell into disdain. ¡°Let me know if there¡¯s any problem. An oath is a basic form, so it doesn¡¯t matter if you add a few conditions if necessary.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think adding conditions will help.¡± ¡°What seems to be the problem?¡± ¡°This part.¡± Roseline pointed at the lengthy part of the pledge. [Melchor Eckhard Julian of Postenmeyer] As the long name proves, he is the greatest knight of the empire, trusted by the emperor, and is the head of the Postenmeyer family¡ªthe most prestigious family among all. And it is also the name of the ridiculous man who suddenly asked her to sign the marriage pledge. ¡°Does it mean that I am unfit for your marriage? What part of me don¡¯t you like?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like anything, Grand Duke. There¡¯s no problem with you.¡± Indeed, there¡¯s no problem. A Duke of a prestigious kingdom; the young landlord. She heard that his property was enormous. As of now, half of the imperial territory belongs to the Grand Duke of Postenmeyer. That¡¯s not all. He is the best and strongest knight, and the Black Knights under his command are well-known for being loyal. He has a stunning beauty, dignified physique, and a soothing yet powerful voice. The Duke¡¯s reputation was clean without any rumors, even though he rarely showed his face to the social community because of his solitary personality. It is widely said that he is a perfect man to become a husband. Roseline herself doesn¡¯t think the appraisal is wrong. However, at this moment, something is missing. ¡°Is this not our first meeting?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve met you. I met you first when you were in custody. Therefore, this is the second time.¡± ¡°Usually, we don¡¯t call people an acquaintance whom we haven¡¯t seen for a long time without first saying hello.¡± That¡¯s right. She got a marriage pledge from a man who only saw her face twice. No, she didn¡¯t even get a proposal. The man who only saw her face twice already announced their marriage first to save Roseline, without explaining anything to her! ¡°Isn¡¯t it proper to propose to me first?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have time.¡± Right, he didn¡¯t have time. Roseline also admits that she cannot do anything because she was in the position to be dragged by the guards at any time. The problem is that the lie was too much to escape the situation, saying that they were getting married. And now he is urging her to sign a marriage oath to tackle the marriage fraud. ¡°I always thought that achieving a normal marriage would be too difficult because my family¡¯s situation is not good, to begin with, and I once experienced a failed relationship in the past¡­¡± She had never thought she¡¯d get married like this. Even more ridiculous was that she was in no position to argue that this snatch marriage was a fraud. How did I end up in this situation? Looking down at the wedding vow surrounded by uselessly bright gold, Roseline closed her eyes and breathed a sigh. * * * Other people¡¯s will has always controlled Roseline¡¯s life. The first daughter was born to the Crimson Rose family, passed down as a single child from generation to generation. Her father raised Roseline as his successor. She had to endure her rigorous training as a successor. When Roseline turned 12, his younger brother, Alfons, was born. It was the moment when the Crimson Rose family infringed the hundreds of years-old orthodoxy that claims only one child was born in their family. Her parents stopped training Roseline as a successor and sent her to the academy, saying that her younger brother Alfons should be the successor instead. In the end, Roseline was left unattended. To make matters worse, his younger brother Alphonse was weak, and he had a hard time receiving an education as a successor, so his parents rushed to find a marriage partner for Roseline. First of all, to bring in a son-in-law and hand over the head of state when Alfons grows up enough. Roseline had to drop out of the academy because her parents drove her into marriage without notice. As soon as she returned home, her parents sent her to be engaged with a man, even though it was not Roseline¡¯s intention to get married in the first place. Roseline did not know whether she was a part of the family or a tool to use to make her parents comfortable, but Roseline followed their will without protest. However, it all ended in a failed marriage. Roseline, who couldn¡¯t capture the heart of her fianc¨¦, caused her family to punish her and locked her up in an isolated room. Chapter 1.2 When the family¡¯s finances deteriorated, Roseline insisted that she would work even if she entered the Knights Templar, but her father was extremely sensitive to external gaze. He ignored Roseline¡¯s opinion, saying he didn¡¯t want to hear that his daughter, who didn¡¯t even hold an adult ceremony, was setting up a family with the money she earned from working and tried to find a way. Roseline¡¯s father met scammers, caused disasters, and acted as a blind man with an invisible business. Aggravating the situation, he then eventually tried gambling as his last resort. However, what can the landlord, who made the family poor because he couldn¡¯t even manage the land properly, do? Roseline¡¯s father had been acting behind his family¡¯s back, fearing that law enforcers would catch him. However, his gambling act was a felony equivalent to treason under imperial law. As a result, the Crimson Rose family was destroyed in an instant. * * * ¡°At this moment, we will seize the territory and property of Count Crimson Rose! Any member of the Crimson Rose family who violated the imperial law should show themselves and admit their sins!¡± The Crimson Rose mansion was in chaos at the unannounced arrival of the knights. Screams, objects breaking, and heavy footsteps echo throughout the place, making it look like they were getting attacked by bandits. Roseline heard the loud voices even from a distance. Roseline¡¯s mother, Countess Renate Crimson Rose, opened her eyes wide and asked her daughter. ¡°Roseline, what is the meaning of this?¡± Roseline, who watched through the window and witnessed the whole disaster outside, looked back at her mother. ¡°It is said that my father gambled. He died while running away to avoid arrest at the scene, and since they have evidence against him, they told my father not to rebel and turn himself in.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking because I don¡¯t understand that! What¡¯s this all of a sudden?¡± Why are you asking me that? It was a question that Roseline could not answer, for her mother had always blamed Roseline when she was in a dire situation. As if this happened because of her doings. Roseline was not particularly angry because she was already used to being criticized for something that was not her fault. However, the situation was too serious to ignore. ¡°I checked the flag¡¯s pattern. It must be the Blue Knights of His Majesty.¡± ¡°So your father gambled? He got caught running away and lost his life?¡± ¡°Well, my father was also your husband.¡± Roseline didn¡¯t expect her father would even gamble, but she was mistaken. Due to business failures, her father sold most of their lands. She expected him to do something that could save their situation, but she didn¡¯t mean that he should commit a crime and hide it from his family. ¡°What should I do now? Are we all going to be arrested as well? If you¡¯re a sinner, you¡¯ll lose your pretense. What about young Alfons?¡± her mother cried. The young brother, who was in his mother¡¯s arms, couldn¡¯t make a decent sound and was only shedding tears. He didn¡¯t understand the situation yet, and he could only cry in response. ¡°¡­We didn¡¯t know my father was gambling. We¡¯re not at fault.¡± ¡°The knights are certain! If they didn¡¯t conclude that we were sinners, why would they invade us?¡± Trembling at the chaos heard from the hall on the first floor, the mother hugged her son, who was more cherished than her own body. The family was staying on the third floor, but once the knights invaded the mansion, they would reach them soon. ¡°What should I do now¡­ It¡¯s over!¡± Is it the end? Roseline thought. If so, her father has indeed gambled, so he must be the one held responsible. Even if the knights were following the order of the Empress, they could not invade the Count without justification. I didn¡¯t know. And my mother¡­ If we can prove that we are not involved in our father¡¯s gambling, we can avoid being deprived of our status and imprisoned. Roseline recalled what the loud-voiced knight said a little earlier. He had told them to admit their crimes, but she was certain it¡¯ll only be used against them in the court. When falsely accused, you must resist as much as you can and claim innocence. It is also included in the academy¡¯s law textbook. The professor had said: ¡°The law in this country is strange. Even if you don¡¯t die, you¡¯ll get hurt. However, if you do not resist to that extent, you will surely be at a disadvantage in the trial.¡± Roseline learned that it is difficult to reverse the ruling if the judge¡¯s mouth says, ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you didn¡¯t even resist even though you were caught falsely?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll block them,¡± she finally said. ¡°What? How can you stop those soldiers alone?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try as much as I can.¡± When Roseline got up from her seat and took the two swords hanging on the wall, her mother¡¯s face turned white. But it wasn¡¯t from concern for her daughter. ¡°Are you crazy? What if the knights get angry?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re taken calmly, it¡¯s more disadvantageous in a trial. You have to resist as hard as you can,¡± Roseline replied. ¡°What if they harm us even before we get a trial?¡± her mother asked. But by ¡°us¡±, her mother only meant herself and young Alfons. It does not include Roseline. However, Roseline wasn¡¯t disappointed nor discouraged because she was so used to it. She wasn¡¯t expecting affection from her mother. It has always been that way. Roseline stepped forward and opened the door to the drawing-room. ¡°So hide, I made it clear for you.¡± ¡°Hey, Roseline! Roseline!¡± Chapter 2.1 Crash! The chandelier in the hall fell into pieces. Sharp pieces of glass were embedded in the carpet, and the shiny crystals were dizzy and lost their meaning as decorations. The white candle, rolling on the ground, was trampled on by mud-covered gunfire and crumbled. ¡°Wait a minute, what a rude thing to do! At least after she¡¯s ready¡­¡­ Whoosh!¡± The butler tried to stop the knights, but his efforts failed. The body of an old butler, who died without screaming, fell to the floor. ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°Search everywhere. Catch those who hide!¡± Knights came inside to find Countess Crimson Rose, the Countess¡¯ daughter, and son. The cries of frightened servants followed, and the sounds of breaking objects were heard. It was then that Roseline appeared from the stairwell. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The rose-colored red hair, which symbolizes ¡°Crimson Rose,¡± has vivid green eyes that stand out from a distance. Knowing at a glance that she was the Count¡¯s daughter, Antonion took a step forward and raised his left arm in front of his chest. ¡°The Count of Crimson rose has gambled against the country¡¯s law. This undermines the dignity of the aristocracy and undermines the prestige of the empire. You know it¡¯s a felony equivalent to treason.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Roseline reached around her waist and pulled out her sword. She pulled three silver blades out of a sheath decorated with gold with a sharp iron sound. ¡°I can¡¯t be dragged away by those who broke in so recklessly.¡± she hastily said. ¡°Lady Crimson Rose, please confess your guilt. If you resist in this way, the crime becomes even heavier.¡± It wasn¡¯t wrong. In addition to the crime of disgrace for making false claims, the punishment is heavier than initially deserved. It is advantageous to resist the ruling when innocent, but if you commit a crime, the sentence will be lighter if you do not resist. The worst case was when Roseline pleaded not guilty and resisted but was found guilty. So even if she was innocent, she learned that if it is difficult to prove her innocence, it would be better to surrender and receive a reduction in sentence. Although realistic, it was unreasonable to be published in law books that she learned from her middle school. ¡°But it¡¯s already a felony equivalent to treason. It¡¯s not a crime that can be lightened.¡± If she admits to the charges, she will only feel a little comfortable being taken, and the results will be the same. They will all die in prison or on the streets. ¡°A nobleman of the rank.¡± It was disastrous for the aristocrats who are used of their wealth and lost their title by committing crimes. Since they do not know how to farm, it is difficult to escape to the countryside and hide their identity, and the only way left is to fall into the dark side. As a criminal, they cannot go to an office or become a knight. Even if they do business, they don¡¯t have a top to sign a transaction contract, and even ordinary stores don¡¯t accept it with one hand. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to admit it anyway,¡± But the Knightsman seemed to have no faith in Roseline¡¯s words. ¡°I understand that the Crimson Rose family are very close. Don¡¯t lie that you didn¡¯t know.¡± Her father thought of his daughter as a tool. Still, he was a person who cared about others¡¯ reputations to the point where he was concerned, so he always talked to others, saying, ¡°my family is always harmonious and friendly.¡± She didn¡¯t deny it because it wouldn¡¯t be good to know that we were on bad terms, but she didn¡¯t expect to come back like this. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I¡¯ll insist on my innocence. So I have no choice but to resist.¡± ¡°We are officially trained knights. You¡¯ll only be ashamed if you resist the swordsmanship you¡¯ve learned a little in the academy.¡± The tone was polite, but there was undeniable sarcasm. ¡°But isn¡¯t it the childish Count who grew up without knowing the world? To confront the Knights of the Empress with a single blade is to say that you don¡¯t understand the situation.¡± ¡°If you think so, I¡¯d rather be glad.¡± The more you look down on your opponent¡¯s skills, the easier it is to be careless, it is naturally easy to aim for a gap. Roseline turned her wrist, and her three swords bent and stretched out toward the sky. It seemed that the actor on stage seemed to be performing tricks, and some of the knights standing behind the chief of the Knights burst into laughter. ¡°Quiet!¡± The Captain blamed the knights behind him, but the only thing that stopped was a laugh; the look in his contempt remained unchanged. In their eyes, Roseline would have seemed a foolish child who could not grasp the situation. ¡°Last warning, Lady Crimson Rose. If you don¡¯t surrender, I¡¯ll have to put you down with all my might.¡± ¡°Try,¡± Roseline stood upright and pointed at the sword. The afternoon sun from the cracked window glitters against her sharp blades. ¡°If you¡¯re going to tie me up, you¡¯ll have a hard time.¡± Pouting! The Roseline¡¯s sword was like a living creature in itself. It bent like an elastic vine, took the blade of the knights, and drilled sharply and accurately into the gauntlet, breaking the tendons of his wrist. ¡°Ouch!¡± There was no need to aim for life, for Roseline was not slow enough to be caught by a half-horse knight who could not hold his sword. The faces of the knights who laughed at the sight of a childlike aristocrat wielding a knife came to mind. The knight¡¯s face showed that he didn¡¯t understand what was happening now. It was instead the Empress¡¯s knights who could not grasp the situation. Chapter 2.2 Roseline, who avoided the large hands that stretched out toward her, poked a blade into the floor and turned the carpet upside down, and the knights who rolled down the stairs twisted and fell. The sun gathered at the end of the sharp three blades. The light reflected on the blades was so intense that it stung the knight¡¯s eyes. On the armor of the knights who had fallen on the floor, Roseline jumped up. ¡°Oh my god!¡± At first, the Captain was relaxed, thinking it was ridiculous, but then the Captain was embarrassed by unexpected situations and fell behind their strategy. The Captain has a good physique and strength, and knights seem to be dominant in numbers, but that¡¯s a story that only works in a large stadium. In a cramped stairwell, it is rather disadvantageous to have more people. The radius of attack was limited to not hurt their troops, but there have been a series of accidents trying to counterattack Roseline, who jumps in and stabs and escapes, aiming for a gap between them. But if it were a real war situation, I wouldn¡¯t be so helpless. The Captain thought. At best, he did not seem to expect that a strategy would be needed against a noble Lady. He didn¡¯t know how much he looked down on himself. Roseline quickly and efficiently went after the knights¡¯ wrists and neutralized them. By the time she had done about twenty wrists. ¡°Save me, Roseline!¡± Roseline heard her mother scream. ¡°Stop, Lady Crimson Rose!¡± Looking back in the direction in which Roseline heard the Captain¡¯s voice. She saw her mother and brother sitting on the floor with a blade pointed at their necks. ¡°Roseline, please! Please save us.¡± ¡°My dear sister,¡± Alfons was sobbing. ¡°Have you taken my mother and brother hostage?¡± Roseline pointed out. It seems that they are aware that it is something that only rascals would do. But now, it was before his face to fulfill the order of the Empress. ¡°If Lady Crimson Rose had not resisted, neither your mother nor brother would have been threatened.¡± ¡°Roseline, I told you not to disobey Her Majesty¡¯s knights! What¡¯s going on with you?¡± Her dead father committed the crime; the Empress¡¯ knights made a mess of their mansion, and the Captain took hostage of her mother and brother, and her mother¡¯s resentment was consistently directed at Roseline. ¡°You don¡¯t want to lose your mother and younger brother when you¡¯ve lost your father.¡± There was no strong bond between the family members. It¡¯s been a long time since she gave up being loved by her parents. But that didn¡¯t mean that it wouldn¡¯t matter if Roseline lost her family in front of her. ¡°¡­please let mother and Alfons go.¡± When Roseline laid down the sword, the Captain¡¯s stiff face was finally loosened. He looked pitifully at the knights still tangled and groaning in pain and turned away. ¡°Bring the Countess Crimson Rose, love and spirituality.¡± * * * ¡°Don¡¯t you dare go to the capital, my dear!¡± The knights whose wrist was wounded by Roseline¡¯s blade could no longer hold the sword. They grabbed Roseline by the hair and dragged her outside to vent their anger. With her body tied to the rope, Roseline could not resist. The man, who was moaning with his wrists wrapped around him, kicked Roseline. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t yell at me. Before I pull out your tongue.¡± Despite the first aid, the man¡¯s hands were devastating. Blood oozed through the tightly wound bandage. Some of them still groaned, holding their arms. ¡°You were so wild before, and now you¡¯re frightened? You don¡¯t even say a word.¡± The giggles around Roseline overgrew. When she was a nobleman, there were signs of trying to put up with ridicule, but now that she was a sinner, she was not only a bully on the street. Roseline cried reluctantly. ¡°Even if it weren¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have been able to work as a knight for long anyway.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± the knights were confused. ¡°Be glad you lost your wrist. You have given the honor of retiring.¡± The men looked puzzled by the unexpected response. Roseline did not know that she would remain calm even in this situation. Did they think she¡¯d cry or beg? Chapter 3.1 The men who were frozen in place looked at each other, and then quickly bowed their heads. What ? Roseline coughed and barely raised her upper body, her attention on the tall man clad in jet-black armor. He was a man with dark hair that looked black even under the warm sunlight, pale skin that looked like it was made of wax, and extraordinarily beautiful blue eyes. ¡°Roseline?¡± His eyes, which were like sharply forged ice spears, flickered for an instant. ¡°Roseline¡­isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Do you know me?¡± If Roseline met such an impressive man before, there was no way she would not remember it. His eyes blinked again at Roseline¡¯s question. Those blue orbs which seemed to enclose the winter scenery stared at her delicately. ¡°Your Majesty, is something the matter?¡± ¡°No.¡± A young man with blonde hair, who seemed to be an aide, approached and asked a question, but the man in black dismissed it. Your Majesty? It only meant one person. The Grand Duke of Postenmeyer, who placed all the eastern territories of the Empire under his jurisdiction, said that he was side by side with the emperor. Perhaps his name was Melchor. It was unknown why the Grand Duke, who ruled the eastern territory, came to the West. ¡°Your Highness, what are you doing here?¡± Perhaps he understood the situation too late. The commander in blue cloak rushed to his feet and knelt in front of the archduke. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± the Grand Duke asked. ¡°Her Majesty has ordered me to take the Crimson Rose family,¡± the captain replied, attempting to hide the tremble in his voice. ¡°You took the family and caused a lot of damage in the mansion. ¡°Sir, it happened because we needed to find those who were hiding.¡± ¡°Does it look like a person can hide behind a picture frame or a flowerpot with that mess?¡± the duke retorted, his voice chilling. The knight commander¡¯s expression darkened in fear at the duke¡¯s reply. Roseline found it a little bit strange: killing the butler as an example or scouring the mansion to catch the servants. However, the knights in the blue cloak did not stop there. They pulled out all the furniture and household items in the mansion one by one and destroyed them. It seemed like they were trying to find something else. ¡°Then work hard to find the missing ones. I will take this one.¡± When the Grand Duke glanced at Roseline and shook his head, the knight commander jumped up from his seat and dissuaded him. ¡°I would be in trouble, Grand Duke! ¡° ¡°You¡¯re going to take her to the capital anyway.¡± ¡°It is the order of the Empress to bring the sinner myself.¡± ¡°The Emperor said I could take her with me.¡± At the words of the Grand Duke, the knight commander¡¯s face turned earthy. The knights cannot move without the emperor¡¯s consent, so the empress¡¯ command to arrest the Crimson Rose family was also like an emperor¡¯s order. Therefore, even in front of the Grand Duke, the commander could claim to secure Roseline¡¯s recruitment, but the story would be different if the emperor had ordered the Grand Duke. If the orders of the emperor and the empress diverged, the order of the empress became invalid. ¡°But I can¡¯t allow His Excellency¡¯s hand to touch such a thing¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve come all the way here, and if I go back without doing anything, I won¡¯t be able to see the Emperor either. Countess Crimson Rose and his son Alfons had already been transferred to the capital, so why don¡¯t I take this woman with me?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Or are you about to have my Black Knights search the house?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even worth it!¡± The commander quickly claimed. When the duke dismissed the commander of the blue cloak, he turned his head and looked down at Roseline, who was still tied. His eyes narrowed. He seemed hesitant about something. But that was all. The Grand Duke immediately turned away, erasing his affection for her in his eyes, and gave instructions to the blond young man who seemed to be his assistant. ¡°Heinz, please take care of Lady Crimson Rose.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Heinz quickly pulled a dagger out of his arms and approached Roseline to sever the rope which bound her. Roseline was surprised at how he was able to cut it easily. He took off his cloak and put it over Roseline¡¯s body, examining her condition. ¡°I don¡¯t think your bones are damaged. But you¡¯d better be careful. I¡¯ll help you, Lady Crimson Rose.¡± ¡°I can get up on my own.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let me regret untying the rope. I¡¯ll tie you up again if you don¡¯t listen to me.¡± There was a considerable difference between his smiling face and his words. His appearance was as fresh as the early summer sun, and he had a good sense of strength and balance¨Cmuch needed as he was an aide to the Grand Duke of Postenmeyer. He held Roseline unshakable and carried her to the carriage. The Black Knights¡¯ transport wagon was not only gigantic but also comfortable. The Blue Knights carriage, which had ridden Roseline¡¯s mother and Alfons, was far from this form, though she had only seen it at a glance. Chapter 3.2 ¡°Well, Nicholas, please, I¡¯d like Lady Crimson Rose to the capital.¡± There was already a man sitting in the carriage who looked like a watchman. His aide Heinz put Roseline in the chair and beckoned to the outside. A man in a white coat came running from afar. As the Black Knights of the duke of Postenmeyer, they were all dressed in black armor and black cloaks, but the man in the white coat with a black armband, was perhaps, by his looks, a military doctor. ¡°Aide Heinz, what¡¯s the matter?¡± the man in white asked. ¡°Lady Crimson Rose is wounded. Damien, you treat her.¡± ¡°What? Did you tell me to treat her in a moving carriage?¡± ¡°Damien, you can do it. Because you¡¯re the best of them all!¡± ¡°What do you mean by that superlative?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Damien? I believe in you. Nicholas, if Lady Crimson Rose¡¯s condition worsens, send a signal as soon as possible.¡± Heinz smiled brightly like the sun and pushed Damien into the carriage and closed the door. The wheel of the carriage began to roll. Although the shaking was less than Roseline expected, Damian sighed as if he was not even bothered by it. ¡°This is so¡­¡± Damien clicked his tongue and fixed his glasses. ¡°Well, let me see your wound.¡± There were many middle-aged men in the empress¡¯s Blue Knights, but in the Black Knights, perhaps because of the young Grand Duke Postenmeyer, the age bracket of the knights was relatively young. The same was true of the army named Damien, who tended to her wounds. He was probably in his mid-twenties, sporting thin silver hair and blue-gray eyes. He was a dull-looking, unsatisfied man. Contrary to Roseline¡¯s first impression, it was surprising that he grunted and nagged. ¡°They are fucking bastards. It¡¯s not even a back alley fight. How can you become a knight and make a lady¡¯s body look like this¡­¡± he grumbled while mending Roseline¡¯s wounds. Roseline answered, ¡°There is no reason for them to look after my situation. Just as I had no reason to think about their situation.¡± In response to her blunt answer, Damien put on a worried expression, then shook his head and continued explaining in a soothing voice. ¡°Your muscles are swollen, but no bones are broken. The bruises on your skin will go away quickly. The scratches should not come in contact with water, and if you take good care of them, there will be no scars.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen in vain. The human body is a consumable item. If you don¡¯t value it, it will quickly break down.¡± Roseline looked at her bandaged arm for a moment, then asked Damien. ¡°How long does it take to get to the capital?¡± ¡°At this rate, it will take about five hours to arrive late in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Can I borrow a blanket? I want to sleep.¡± Not only Damian, but also Nicholas, looked roundly at Roseline, but she answered calmly. ¡°Do I need to stay awake on the go?¡± ¡°Oh, no.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll be fine. Please wake me up when you arrive.¡± Damien and Nicholas exchanged awkward glances with each other. Damien nodded, and Nicholas pulled out the blanket from the box under the chair. Damien lightly brushed it off and handed it to Rosaline. ¡°Thank you. You are kind.¡± ¡°Because I was taught to be kind to patients. It¡¯s only natural,¡± replied Damien. ¡°It is not easy to put what you have learned into practice.¡± As soon as Roseline said that, she tried to close her eyes, but somehow she felt like she was being arrogant, so she added, ¡°Damien, thank you for your treatment. The Grand Duke has a good army by his side. Roseline didn¡¯t mean to flatter him. She merely didn¡¯t want to offend the person who healed her wounds. But in response to Rosaline¡¯s answer, Damien quickly turned his head and coughed. It seemed that the corners of his eyes were a bit red for some reason. ¡°When we arrive in the capital, we will no longer meet, so thank you in advance.¡± Roseline didn¡¯t care that her guards were sitting on either side of her, and she slept soundly. * * * Arriving in the capital, Roseline followed guard Nicholas to the interrogation room. No, should she call it an interrogation room? It was pretty different from what she had envisioned as her interrogation room: a dark, damp, closed room blocked on all sides. In a spacious room with late afternoon sunlight pouring in from a large window, a chair with gold ornaments was on the other side of an elegant lacquered table. ¡°Is this the place where I am to be interrogated?¡± she inquired but received no response. Nicholas showed Roseline her seat, then went outside and closed the door. She looked around and sat down in the chair across from her table. She found the chair wrapped in reddish-purple velvet very soft and comfortable. I¡¯m under suspicion of a felony. Is it okay to be treated this way? With a somewhat shaky mind, Roseline waited for an interrogator to come inside¡­ only that the interrogator did not come. ¡°Roseline Crimson Rose.¡± ¡°¡­Grand Duke?¡± Chapter 4.1 Why is the Grand Duke here? Roseline was embarrassed, but she did not show any expression and only bowed her head slightly to give respect. The Grand Duke did not accept her greeting, but he did not ignore her either. He stood by her doorway, still and staring at her. He took off his black cloak to reveal his dark gray uniform with ornate patterns adorned with silver. His hair was black and his skin was pale, even his clothes were achromatic. It seemed that only the space he was in had lost its color. It would be so had it not been for his twinkling blue eyes. ¡°Are you Roseline Crimson Rose?¡± Why did he ask for my name when he already knew it? ¡°Yes,¡± Roseline nodded. The Grand Duke walked towards the table and sat across Roseline. He was a large man even when sitting down. Even in the late afternoon sun, he exuded a dominant presence. I thought his eyes were beautiful, but seeing them up close, they¡¯re even more amazing. Unlike ordinary people, his eyes were sharp like a warrior, but there was a sense of intimidation that could not be explained by that alone. At first glance, Roseline thought they were spears forged in ice, but up close, she saw raging blue flames that seemed to devour everything that came close. Her body tensed from just a single glance from him, feeling as though those fiery eyes would devour her. It was strange, to feel like being swallowed by people¡¯s eyes. ¡°Roseline, do you know me?¡± he suddenly asked, breaking Roseline from her trance. ¡°I heard other people call you Grand Duke. There is only one in the Empire, so I thought you would be Grand Duke Melchor Postenmeyer,¡± she replied. ¡°You know my name.¡± ¡°Yes, because you¡¯re well known.¡± It was difficult not to know the name of the one and only Grand Duke of the Empire. Political lessons discussed the history of Grand Duchess Postenmeyer, as well as the size of the empire¡¯s territory in ancient times, and the influence of the subordinate families. ¡°Roseline, you are eighteen this year. Your mother and six-year-old brother are under police custody. Am I right?¡± asked the Duke. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Roseline paused, ¡°Is this an interrogation?¡± ¡°Do you only have one brother?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she nodded. ¡°Do you have an older sister with a big age gap? Or a cousin like your age?¡± ¡°There is not. There are no immediate relatives in the Crimson Roses.¡± The Crimson Roses have been passed down by one son for nearly a few hundred years. Her grandparents had no children, so they were worried that it would be the end of their generation until Roseline¡¯s father was born. It was a strange tradition for the Crimson Roses to bear children late after continuing miscarriages, but it was rarer for a couple to bear two children. ¡°Roseline. Is there anyone out there who resembles you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have much interaction with my mother¡¯s relatives.¡± ¡°Even more distant relatives are fine. Is there a woman like you with red hair, green eyes, and maybe ten years older than you?¡± ¡°Red hair and green eyes are the characteristics of the Crimson Rose family.¡± Perhaps she was mistaken, perhaps she was not, but she could sense a faint disappointment from him. As if he was dismayed that she didn¡¯t know someone who looked exactly like her. ¡°But what does this question have to do with my father¡¯s gambling allegations?¡± she inquired. ¡°Gambling allegations, yes. We have to talk about it.¡± Strange, Roseline thought, was he talking about something completely unrelated before? The Grand Duke subtly avoided Roseline¡¯s gaze and picked up the documents laid on the table, scanning each page with pretend seriousness. Finally, he asked, ¡°Did you know that you killed the lives of twenty knights of Her Majesty?¡± ¡°It was self-defense,¡± answered Roseline. ¡°Self-defense?¡± ¡°I did not commit a sin, but they were going to drag me away. To prove my innocence, I had to resist.¡± ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I learned at the academy. It¡¯s also in law school textbooks.¡± The Duke looked at her intently. Silence lingered in the space between them for a brief moment until he finally spoke. ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing to put into practice what you learned. But the world doesn¡¯t work that way.¡± Did that mean she should have been caught? When the Blue Knights attacked, they were already accusing Roseline and the rest of her family of criminals. If she had conceded obediently, wouldn¡¯t it mean that she had admitted her sin? ¡°Do I have charges for injuring Her Majesty¡¯s knights?¡± she asked. ¡°No, you won¡¯t.¡± ¡®No, you won¡¯t.¡¯? Can he use ambiguous words during an interrogation? Roseline was doubting the Grand Duke¡¯s ability as an interrogator. ¡°According to the testimony of the knights, you severed only the tendons of their wrists as precise as a broom sweeps dust from the hallway.¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Chapter 4.2 Roseline¡¯s swordsmanship was not meant to defeat the enemy and gain victory, but only to defend herself. It was quite accurate to say that she had used a broom to sweep dust in the hallway. ¡°Roseline, did you ever receive a knighthood, or have you ever participated in an official swordsmanship contest? Even if you took swordsmanship classes at the Academy, it makes no sense to figh with such skills against elite knights.¡± ¡°But it is true,¡± insisted Roseline. ¡°Those who haven¡¯t seen it won¡¯t believe it. There will be no charges against you since it will be concluded that several of the Knights of the Blue Cloak were injured because of other accidents.¡± Her father¡¯s gambling allegations resulted in their entire family being branded as criminals. Pleading that she was unaware of it all would simply be impossible¡ªnobody would believe her. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, Your Highness, do you?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I asked if you didn¡¯t believe in my ability to neutralize the twenty elite members of the Blue Knights. You said people who haven¡¯t seen it won¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t a sloppy cut. The knights¡¯ wounds were so accurate and clean. It¡¯d be difficult to achieve such precision even for experienced knights. Even with three swords.¡± ¡°Is it difficult even for you, Grand Duke?¡± The Grand Duke raised his head at her provocative question. As their eyes met, Roseline could glimpse the twirling flames in his icy gaze. ¡°Roseline, do you want additional charges in your case?¡± Despite his threatening remark, Roseline stared straight at him, unwavering. ¡°It¡¯s not a crime because I only defended myself, but if what I did offended Her Majesty, I shall apologize.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a very wise decision.¡± ¡°I will take responsibility for what I have done, but I will plead innocence for what I did not do. I¡¯ll be sure to tell them in court. My father had never told me about his illegal affairs.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a very wise decision either.¡± ¡°Is it so because I have no evidence to convince the judge?¡± asked Roseline. ¡°No, it is because there is no trial.¡± Wasn¡¯t she supposed to go to trial because she had been charged? Roseline, unable to understand the Grand Duke¡¯s words, tilted her head. ¡°Roseline, do you know why the Knights Templar moved?¡± ¡°Evidence came out that my father was a gambler, and my family was also accused of it.¡± ¡°Evidence of gambling has emerged, so why are the Queen¡¯s Knights moving?¡± ¡°Gambling by aristocrats is a felony equivalent to treason. Of course, the Emperor must have also reported it, right?¡± Just as the Grand Duke possessed the Knights of Black Cloak and the Empress the Knights of Blue Cloak, the Emperor owned the Knights of the Red Cloak. At the Emperor¡¯s command, the Knights of the Red Cloak moved. However, the Queen¡¯s Knights had been the first. ¡°I know that even the Empress cannot move the Knights Templar without the Emperor¡¯s approval. His Majesty the Emperor should also agree,¡± added Roseline. ¡°Agreeing means that the other party made the offer first, right?¡± Even if the report was delivered to the Empress first, the decision lay with the Emperor. The illegal affairs of her father were far from urgent, but the fact that the Empress acted on it and asked the Emperor for consent only meant that the Empress had a reason to handle the matter herself. The Crimson Roses were incomparable to the Imperial family. Whatever his father did, it shall not pose any threat to Her Majesty the Empress. Why would she have to send her own knights to ruin their mansion? Thinking that far, Roseline suddenly realized that there was something wrong. The Blue Knights ransacked the mansion. Why? What was their reason for their peculiar behavior? They had smashed the mirrors, overturned carpets, opened drawers, and searched all rooms. For what? Their actions indicated that they were looking for something. Did Roseline¡¯s father hide something? Are they trying to find evidence of his gambling? No, they said they had already found evidence of it. So, what did the Blue Knights scour the mansion for? ¡°Roseline, Is there anything you¡¯d like to point out?¡± Melchor asked, interrupting her train of speculations. Roseline shook her head, ¡°No, no. I have none.¡± ¡°Then think about it. I will think about it myself as well.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Grand Duke rose from his seat, ignoring Roseline¡¯s confusion, and walked to the door. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about going to visit her Majesty the Empress until you think about it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s unravel the mystery.¡± * * * After the interrogation¡ªor so-called ¡°interrogation¡±¡ªMelchor¡¯s assistant, Heinz, appeared in front of him. He, who usually wore a bright expression in front of others, approached him with a solemn expression and whispered in a small voice. ¡°The Empress¡¯s younger brother, Count Wigelhofen, has come to visit.¡± Melchor¡¯s eyes narrowed. This was what I was aiming for after all. Chapter 5.1 ¡°I told him that you were busy, but he still insisted on meeting you. What should we do?¡± asked Heinz. Countess Crimson Rose and her son would have been taken, but they came here at the height of the interrogation. The fact that the younger brother of the Empress came in person, not the Blue Knights, means that the purpose is not to punish their ¡°crime of gambling.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve guessed since the Knight Commander of the Blue Cloak was flustered,¡± Melchor muttered. He didn¡¯t know what their purpose was, but he was glad he brought Roseline. ¡°Where is he now?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t keep him in the hall, the butler led him to the drawing-room on the first floor.¡± Roseline was staying on the third floor. Before they can find her, they must acquire access to the corridors and stairs. ¡°Heinz, you take care of this place. I¡¯m going to see Count Wigelhofen.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± * * * After having sat still for long, silent hours, Roseline finally rose from her seat when she heard a knock. As she opened the door, a man whose radiance cannot be concealed by the black cloak he wore, entered with a polite smile. ¡°Lady Crimson Rose. Is everything okay?¡± asked Heinz. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay¡­¡± Roseline was not sure if she was permitted to call his name, so she only nodded. ¡°This is Heinz Kleich Allenscus. You can call me Heinz.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, Lord Heinz.¡± Roseline greeted him awkwardly and asked, ¡°What will happen to me from now on?¡± She had nothing to do as the Grand Duke finished the interrogation on his own. As evident through the windows, the sun would set soon. Will she be kept waiting? Since the interrogation for today was already over, will she be imprisoned and then questioned the following day? ¡°Lady Crimson Rose, you can stay here,¡± spoke Heinz. It was a better option to be stranded in a homey interrogation room than rot in a prison cell. Besides, the room included a sofa she could sleep on. It would be better to stay here, she thought. ¡°Then can I sleep on the sofa?¡± Roseline asked. ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± Heinz chuckled, which surprised Roseline. He then pointed toward some part of the room, ¡°You can enter the bedroom by opening the door in the back. There¡¯s a bathroom in it.¡± Heinz approached the red door decorated with silk and guided Roseline. The room was quite spacious, inclusive of a large bed. The bathroom was beyond the gold-decorated partition. It was more luxurious than her room in their Crimson Rose mansion. ¡°If you want to change clothes, the closet is over there. I¡¯ve arranged it urgently because I think you¡¯ll need it while you¡¯re here,¡± said Heinz. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s dressing for women, of course. I didn¡¯t prepare it myself, but I ordered a maid to prepare it for you.¡± Roseline only listened as Heinz continued his explanation with a gentle smile, the tension between them finally disappearing. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not as comfortable as you were at home because I was in a hurry to prepare this room, but please understand for a while. If you ask the maid, she will prepare what you need.¡± Roseline was speechless. ¡°Of course, you can tell me now, Lady Crimson Rose.¡± Heinz smiled again, but Roseline could not be moved purely by his kindness. ¡°Is this how the Duke handles interrogations?¡± she asked. At her question, Heinz raised an eyebrow, ¡°Hmm? What do you mean by interrogation?¡± ¡°I have been arrested as a person involved in the gambling case of my father Count Crimson Rose.¡± Although she claimed to be innocent, Roseline was ordered to be captured together with her family. Roseline thought she would have to stay in prison while she was under interrogation. ¡°Well¡­¡± Heinz¡¯s features were slightly distorted with embarrassment. But it was only for a moment that his expression faltered, and he soon smiled warmly and denied her assumptions. ¡°The Duke brought Lady Crimson Rose here so that you will not be taken to the Blue Knights.¡± ¡°What?¡± Roseline could not grasp her situation. ¡°This is neither a captive¡¯s room nor an interrogation room. It¡¯s the Postenmeyer family¡¯s capital villa.¡± ¡°What?¡± Roseline¡¯s eyes grew bigger as her voice grew smaller. Didn¡¯t she get caught because she was an alleged sinner? Was Heinz saying that Duke Postenmeyer is hiding the accused? ¡°Then should I not be here? Her Majesty¡­¡± There was an order to arrest the Crimson Rose family. No matter how great the Duke¡¯s authority was, defying the order of the Empress may seem like a challenge to the authority of the Emperor. Chapter 5.2 ¡°Lady Crimson Rose. How far have you been briefed?¡± Heinz asked, also confused. Roseline muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything. No explanation whatsoever¡­¡± ¡°Oh, my.¡± Heinz felt sorry for Roseline, whose embarrassment for her obliviousness was evident. But it was also difficult for Heinz to come forward and talk if the Grand Duke hadn¡¯t explained to her. ¡°First of all, there are two things I can tell you,¡± Heinz began, ¡°one is that Lady Crimson Rose was brought here by the Grand Duke for your protection.¡± This means that they are going against the Empress. Roseline¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°The other is,¡± Heinz paused, ¡°His Excellency needs your help.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Roseline was puzzled. She didn¡¯t know why he needed her to the point that he would defy the Empress¡¯s orders. What was so important that he had to do this? But Roseline didn¡¯t know anything that might benefit the Duke. If she couldn¡¯t give what the Duke desired, she might be discarded to the Blue Knights later on. Roseline could already see the worst thing that could happen. ¡°What should I do?¡± she mumbled to herself dejectedly, ¡°there is nothing I could do.¡± ¡°You must have had a hard time coming in the carriage, so you¡¯d better take a rest.¡± When Roseline faced Heinz, her worries seemed to fade away. She decided to remain quiet, believing that asking more questions would not solve her curiosity. She ought to speak with the Grand Duke himself. He¡¯ll come again tomorrow for an interrogation, right? But rarely do things go the way people want. * * * ¡°Melchor, oh, Grand Duke of Postenmeyer!¡± As soon as the door of the drawing-room on the first floor opened, a dark silhouette appeared and a short, fat man jumped out of his seat and approached Melchor. ¡°You may call me whatever makes you at ease, Count Wiegelhoffen.¡± Count Rainer Mostri Wiegelhofen. The younger brother of Empress Wilhelmine, a greedy figure who constantly uses his sister¡¯s power to satisfy his own interests. Unfortunately, his power was insignificant compared to his greed. It was also rumored that the Empress covered up all the accidents he had caused. The Count was unable to meet Melchor in the eye, causing the Duke to laugh at his nervousness. Count Wiegelhofen had a small physique, while Melchor was of considerable stature. His mere presence would undeniably intimidate the feeble Count. ¡°Oh, my. I¡¯m sorry to barge in without an appointment. It¡¯s such an urgent matter,¡± the Count rambled as he fidgeted. ¡°Since you came all of a sudden, I thought there was a reason for that,¡± replied Melchor. ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand. Then, let¡¯s sit down and talk.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll have the tea ready.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the Count chuckled nervously, ¡°excuse me then.¡± As Melchor beckoned, Count Wiegelhofen sat on the sofa, wiping the sweat that trickled down his fat chin. When Melchor sat across from him, the butler named Hugo served the tea. ¡°Well,¡± the Count coughed, eyeing the butler, ¡°Duke of Melchor, would you please tell the butler to step aside?¡± ¡°Hugo is a faithful butler. He¡¯s not going to move anywhere from here.¡± ¡°Well, still. I want to talk to the Duke of Melchor alone.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± When Melchor beckoned, Hugo politely bowed his head and left the drawing-room, closing the door carefully behind his back. Afternoon sunshine enveloped the spacious room along with the strong scent of tea. But in spite of this serene and warm scene, Count Wiegelhofen, as he faced Melchor, felt as if an eclipse had happened. He felt frightened as the Grand Duke¡¯s icy glare pierced his soul. He even believed that the man in front of him wasn¡¯t actually a human, but a human-eating beast or a demon of hell. Count Wiegelhofen felt a chill in his back and a cold sweat running down his cheeks even when he avoided his gaze. He puffed and wiped off his sweat with his damp palms, gulped down his tea like cold water, and put it down. It was quite hot to drink at once, but Count Wiegelhofen was not in a condition to feel the temperature of the tea. He began, trying his best not to stutter, ¡°The Duke of Melchor. I hear you¡¯re protecting Count Crimson Rose¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°Yes, Count Wiegelhofen.¡± ¡°The Count of Crimson Rose has already lost his title and territory, which makes his daughter also the daughter of a sinner. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need for interrogation because the crime of the family is crystal clear. Hence, I¡¯d like you to hand over Roseline Crimson Rose and her personal belongings.¡± Melchor stared straight into Count Wiegelhofen, a smirk playing on his lips. What a rude fellow. Chapter 6.1 ¡°I do not like that.¡± Melchor leaned back against the back of the chair and tapped the handle with his fingertips. He did not like the Count, albeit the Empress¡¯s younger brother and ten years older than him, to be treated with courtesy as an elder, especially because of his smug attitude. Neither could Count Wiegelhofen point out Melchor¡¯s poor bearing towards him. After all, there was no one in this Empire to whom Melchor bowed his head except for Emperor Balthazar. ¡°No, Grand Duke Melchor. In the first place, there is no reason for you to be involved in a mere aristocratic gambling case, right?¡± Wigelhofen, in a hurry, forced a smile on his lips and continued speaking with a look of impatience. ¡°So, I want you to leave the tedious chores to us, and pay attention to the matters of governing the East, and the Empress.¡± ¡°Gambling is prohibited by the national law,¡± retorted Melchor. ¡°It is a serious matter for aristocrats to gamble. It is also my job to look after the Emperor, so I do not think it is unusual for me to be involved in this case as well.¡± Despite his leisurely voice, Count Wiegelhofen felt as if the sharp tip of a sword was brushing through his body at each word of Melchor. He rubbed his shoulders and arms several times with his sweaty palms as though there were cuts on his skin. ¡°Your Majesty has already punished the deceased Count of Crimson Rose, so this case is over,¡± Count Wiegelhofen said. ¡°If it¡¯s over, there would be no reason for you to get involved in this case.¡± ¡°No, no! I mean, Duke Melchor doesn¡¯t have to do anything like an interrogation. So, with Roseline Crimson Rose¡­¡± ¡°Roseline Crimson Rose is injured, I brought her in and I am protecting her. May I ask why are you asking for her to surrender?¡± Count Wigelhofen¡¯s face turned earthy at Melchor¡¯s direct question. He paled and trembled, then clenched his molars and smiled again, forcing a laugh. ¡°Haha. I am going to take her over to the Empress. I was saying that since there is nothing more to be uncovered about this matter, don¡¯t waste your time, and you¡¯d be better off attending to more relevant matters.¡± Wigelhofen was smiling, but the corners of his mouth were twitching. The embarrassment and anger he felt were evident in his cloudy gray eyes. Meanwhile, Melchor¡¯s icy blue eyes remained cold, unnerved by Wigelhofen¡¯s despair. ¡°There is nothing more to discover. If you think that way, this case will not benefit you,¡± Wigelhofen desperately said. ¡°Uh, huh? It seems to me that there is still much more to be revealed,¡± answered Melchor. ¡°No, all the evidence came out¨C¡± ¡°All that came out was the evidence of gambling.¡± Gambling is prohibited by national law, but that did not deter the citizens from committing crimes. Melchor, who ruled over half of the empire on behalf of Emperor Balthazar, has seen countless nobles rise and fall from gambling. ¡°The Count of Crimson Rose was running away¡­¡± muttered Wigelhofen. ¡°He was killed by an assassin in a wagon. Not an accident,¡± Melchor corrected. ¡°Hey, doesn¡¯t that happen when you gamble? No, of course, I don¡¯t know anything about gambling! I just heard it.¡± At this point, Wigelhofen was carelessly rambling. ¡°Okay, I want to tell you one thing that you don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s usually the winner¡¯s side that gets killed in gambling.¡± It was not uncommon for the loser to lose his temper and kill the winner after losing all his stakes. But the winner never kills the loser; they don¡¯t have to. ¡°So that means the Count of Crimson Rose won the gamble and was killed by the loser,¡± Wigelhofen added. ¡°He must have committed murder out of rage from the shock of losing. Isn¡¯t it expected?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s strange. The Count of Crimson Rose didn¡¯t die in a gambling house, he was killed in a wagon. They even put in the effort of hiring an assassin.¡± The Duke interjected. It doesn¡¯t take half a day to collect the dividends and ride a wagon back to his mansion. To hire an assassin to execute the Duke in that short time? More so, by a gambler who had just lost his money? No matter which perspective, it was unnatural. ¡°Hey, how do you know what a gambler is thinking? They¡¯re all impulsive psychopaths! He must have done it without thinking about the consequences!¡± ¡°I do not know. There is evidence that the Count of Crimson Rose was a gambler, but his opponent had not been revealed. It is not easy for a person who impulsively commissioned a murder to erase his traces so thoroughly.¡± Chapter 6.2 Count Wigelhofen was speechless. The gambling case was handled by his sister, the Empress herself. Hence he was aware of the incompetence of the investigators hired by his sister. ¡°Ha,¡± Wigelhofen scoffed, ¡°but you can¡¯t ask the deceased Count of Crimson Rose, can you? Even after investigating this far, the tail of the culprit has not been caught. It would be impossible to find out who his opponent was!¡± ¡°Not necessarily,¡± the Duke muttered. The Count of Crimson Rose was an aristocrat. He would not dare to brag about his win nor his fortune, especially when they came from gambling¡ªan illegal activity. Furthermore, both gambling activities and participants were kept a secret. Despite that, they had the late Count of Crimson Rose murdered, at the risk of leaving evidence of gambling. ¡°The gambler must have had a different reason for not giving up the stake, obviously.¡± Even if the Count of Crimson Rose claimed that the money was not obtained through gambling, the source of the money must be revealed. Tax, Melchor concluded. The murderer was in danger of being defeated by the Count of Crimson Rose by betting on taxes. If the stake is private property and keeping one¡¯s mouth shut, it can hide the fact that someone was engaged in gambling even if the money was lost, but if the money was coming from the tax, it was another story. The source of the money must be divulged, and if so, the identity of the person who gambled by evading taxes would also be caught. So if you lose, there is only one way: kill the Count of Crimson Rose, collect the money, and return it to the treasury as if nothing had happened. The circumstances led to the murder of the Count. The loser had no choice, even if he didn¡¯t want to. ¡°Did the first report come to your Majesty the Empress?¡± Melchor asked. ¡°Melchor! Are you suspicious of my sister now?¡± Count Wiegelhofen exclaimed. His face reddened with anger and his breathing became rough, but Melchor didn¡¯t care. ¡°I did not say that her Majesty is suspicious. However, she stumbled upon the aristocratic gambling house by chance, and there is evidence that Count Crimson Rose was there. I thought that it would be a bit reckless to conclude the trial on that alone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business! The judge will decide on his own. Besides, Your Majesty, the Emperor, has allowed my sister to take care of this matter! No matter how much the Emperor trusts you, you have no more right to interfere!¡± That was it. The Emperor did allow Melchor to bring the Crimson Roses despite the Empress¡¯s will, but he did not allow Melchor to confront the Empress. If the Empress is so desperate that she has to deal with it herself, the Emperor will pressure me to let go of Roseline. How much does the Emperor know? Although he may not know that the Empress was involved in the gambling scandal, he will know that she wants to end the case by punishing the Crimson Roses. If the emperor condones that, it means that they are on the same page. It was a felony equivalent to treason, but the Empress wants to cover it up. Only Count Crimson Rose, who was certain to be guilty, needs to be punished, but since he is already dead, his family is punished instead. The justification for the family¡¯s capture was simple: ¡°There¡¯s no way the family didn¡¯t know what the head of their family was doing.¡± Since the Count of Crimson Rose was already confirmed as an offender, there would be no one to defend him. Most of the time, those who broke the law would not be able to hire a lawyer as their property would be confiscated. It was unreasonable, but it happened often. They were stripped of their rights, even if they were charged unjustly, creating speculations as if they were true. But there is no need to retaliate with honesty. Even on the battlefield, Melchor annihilates the enemy¡¯s army with no expression. He has never even lost his temper since becoming an adult. He has never been frightened by anything, never swayed by emotion. He thought he was very cold-hearted. ¡°So that¡¯s for the judge to do! It¡¯s the order of the Empress, for what reason are you going against it?¡± Wiegelhofen cried out. However, the truth was Melchor often cannot make a rational decision. ¡°As the head of Postenmeyer, it is my responsibility to protect the members of the family. So I can¡¯t give it away without clear evidence.¡± ¡°A member of the family? What are you suddenly saying¡­¡± Before he could think of the consequences of what he was about to say, the cold-hearted Grand Duke spoke with a firm voice: ¡°Roseline is my wife.¡± Chapter 7.1 Roseline sat staring out the window. The sky was clear. Contrary to the expectation that if he had brought her here because he needed her help, and he¡¯d come back and ask for what he wanted, the Grand uke had not come back after leaving the room that day. ¡°Though this room sure is luxurious¡­¡± muttered Roseline. She¡¯d been taught that prestigious aristocratic families usually left their mansions in the capital, but the Postenmeyer family even had a villa. The bedroom was even more than twice the size of the Crimson Rose mansion, and unlike what she¡¯d expected¡ªthat there would be a small bathtub beyond the partition¡ªthe sizes of the bathroom and bedroom were similar. On top of that, there was a separate living room so they could do their respective duties or entertain their guests. Though Roseline was in a locked-away position, there were no documents or guests for her to see. The door isn¡¯t even locked¡­ and I still can¡¯t leave¡­ The soft bed and the large window receiving the sunlight at the other end of the bedroom and the food she received when it was time to eat were not bad, but whenever she tried to leave, a platinum blonde knight named Nicholas blocked her path. She thought he was a sentinel, but he didn¡¯t actually let her go out of the room, but he didn¡¯t monitor her inside the room either. Heinz was sociable and friendly, so although it was hard to hear the replies she wanted, conversing with him was not difficult, but Nicholas was always silent except when he said what was really necessary. At first, she¡¯d wondered if he was a mute. Even the other employees were distant. Catalina, one of Roseline¡¯s maids, changed the sheets or brought her water whenever she asked for it, but that was it. There was never any reply whenever Roseline asked her where the Grand Duke was, when she could meet him, or how her mother and brother Alfons were doing. All she did was tend to Roseline with her mouth shut. After seeing them do only what they were set to do, Roseline had even become curious if someone had put a spell on them, turning them into moving wax figures. ¡°Whew¡­¡± Roseline lay on her bed again, with no choice but to go to sleep since she wasn¡¯t doing anything. How can I nap like this when I¡¯ve never even slept here before? Oh, that must explain why I have been having weird dreams. She¡¯d started having strange weird dreams from the day she¡¯d heard that her father died. Weirder than the contents of the dreams was the location. The dreams aren¡¯t bad, but I don¡¯t know the reason. Normally it was natural for dreams to be groundless, but she couldn¡¯t help but ponder since she¡¯d had the same one over and over. I hope I dream of something else this time. Feeling restless, Roseline closed her eyes. In her dream, she was standing in a mysterious room¡ªa room with large windows that stretched along the round walls to the hemispherical-shaped ceiling. The windows were wide open with no glasses, so she could see out of them clearly, and everything above and below her was as dark as the night outside¡ªlike she¡¯d been thrown into the cosmos. The floor was made up of black and white square tiles, almost like a chessboard. And the most unusual thing of them all¡­ The huge clock is in the center of the room. With no outer cover, the exposed golden cogwheels were rotating together. On top of there being no numbers on the face, there were only two same-sized minute hands, so she couldn¡¯t tell which one pointed to the seconds and which one pointed to the minutes. But it was merely a dream¡ªit was meaningless to know the time. What in the world kind of room was this? And why did Roseline keep having such a meaningless dreams? She stared blankly at the stars outside the window. The stars twinkled as her eyes fell on them. As if they were looking her way. If she were to peep in from the outside, she could observe what went on inside since there wasn¡¯t a single place to hide due to it being open on all sides. Though there wouldn¡¯t be anything to observe. When she thought of that she heard a voice calling her from somewhere. Roseline. It was the voice of a young boy. It wasn¡¯t her brother Alfons. ¡°Who is it?¡± The holder of the voice didn¡¯t appear when she asked. Instead, it called her name again. Please wait, Roseline. Wait for what? All she was doing was standing quietly. She looked around but saw nothing. Was it because the room was open on all sides? She couldn¡¯t even tell from which direction the voice was coming from. Roseline, I must¡­ do that, so¡­ so, then¡­ can you do that for me? It was cut off in the middle, so she couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. But the boy was speaking desperately as if begging her. I will save you. So please wait for me. She heard the last part clearly. Hold on. The last part? As soon as she realized it, she got a feeling as if the scenery in her dream was distorted and she was being sucked somewhere. Chapter 7.2 Roseline gasped as she woke up. Her body didn¡¯t feel heavy, and her senses returned to normal, too. Like her consciousness had gone away for a moment and come back. This time it was different. In fact, the scene wasn¡¯t different at all, but she had heard a young boy¡¯s voice. Though she didn¡¯t know who it was. Whose voice was that? No one came to mind. It was said that the faces of the people you see in dreams were made by combining the faces of countless people who you have seen in your life, but was this also the case for voices? Suddenly, there was a knock from the other side of the door. It was much faster and rhythmical than the normal way maids knocked. Was it the Grand Duke visiting her room? Roseline bolted toward the door. ¡°Your Excellency?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry to disturb you, My Lady. I came to check on your condition.¡± The person seen through the crack in the door was Heinz. ¡°I came to change your bandage.¡± Damien, who stuck his head out from behind him, greeted her with a nod. ¡°May we come in?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Of course.¡± It appeared strange to let them in since it wasn¡¯t her room, but since they¡¯d asked for her understanding, she had no choice but to answer. Thankfully she was just in her inside clothes, so there was no reason for her to change. Her clothes were noticeably wrinkle-free and her hair natural for having woken up after a nap. ¡°Please sit, Lady Crimson Rose.¡± Roseline sat awkwardly when Heinz pulled over a single-person couch from the middle of the living room. She felt weird because it had been such a long time since she has encountered such gentleman-like behavior. Was it the first time since she¡¯d broken off her engagement with her previous lover? When she took a seat Damien placed the medical supplies on the table and sat diagonally on the long sofa. Heinz sat away at a distance, as he was not a doctor. ¡°The wound is almost healed.¡± ¡°I see. It doesn¡¯t hurt, it must have healed right away ¡± Damien looked surprised. Though it wasn¡¯t that deep of a wound, he hadn¡¯t expected it to heal so quickly. ¡°Do your wounds normally heal this quickly, My Lady?¡± ¡°Not really¡­ I guess it did because I ate and rested well.¡± Of course, it was important to rest. However, this meant that if she hadn¡¯t rested properly the wound would have gotten infected or healed slowly. Was it better because she had rested enough? Damien rolled his ash-colored eyes. ¡°His Excellency also heals remarkably fast.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. It takes him two days to recover from an injury that would normally require him to rest in bed for a month. I must say his regenerative powers are out of this world. I¡¯ve always wanted to research it, but it isn¡¯t my business, so I can not ask him.¡± This was his way of telling Roseline that he wanted to ask her. She thought about it for a moment but pretended not to hear him. ¡°I wondered if there was someone else with that kind of physical feature, but I didn¡¯t know you had it. Is that why His Excellency asked you to come here?¡± ¡°¡­you know why he brought me here?¡± Roseline asked. Heinz nudged Damien¡¯s side before he could reply to her question. ¡°Ow!¡± ¡°My apologies. Lady Crimson Rose. We can¡¯t babble about what His Excellency has said.¡± ¡°But he hasn¡¯t returned since the interrogation that day. It was nerve-wracking spending the last few days trapped in this room.¡± Actually, it was only frustrating, but Roseline decided to make a big fuss about it. As expected, Heinz¡¯s expression was slightly disturbed by the word ¡®nerve-wracking¡¯. The look in his eyes, Damien, who couldn¡¯t hide his expression, darkened. ¡°Ahem¡­ Lady Crimson Rose. Do you know that this is a very dangerous situation?¡± It must be a serious situation because the Grand Duke had pocketed the criminal that the empress had ordered to arrest. Even the Grand Duke could face treason charges. Of course, if the imperial family and Grand Duke were at odds, the empire would be divided into two, so it wouldn¡¯t go that far. ¡°Actually, the day you arrived at the villa Her Highness¡¯s person came.¡± It was good not to reveal that it was Count Wiegelhofen. Heinz mulled it over and quickly drew the line to how far he could speak with arbitrary judgment. ¡°Is he the one who came to catch me?¡± inquired Roseline. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. His Excellency sent him back.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll be in an awkward position. There is no justification.¡± Even if it was a charge, the Empress had a reason to catch Roseline. But the Grand Duke had no justification to oppose it. ¡°So, he visited the Emperor.¡± ¡°What? How come?¡± ¡°¡­must have been to save you, Lady Crimson Rose.¡± Why? * * * At that time, Melchor was having a private consultation with the Emperor alone. ¡°Melchor.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember hearing the news that you have a fiance.¡± Right, because it¡¯s my first time talking about it. Melchor spoke nonchalantly. ¡°My apologies, Your Highness. In the meantime, there was a reason to have to keep my marriage a secret.¡± Chapter 8.1 Light didn¡¯t enter the emperor¡¯s audience chamber. The old palace, which had been handed down from his ancestors, had a splendid pavilion to match the majesty of the empire, but ever since Emperor Balthazar ascended the throne, black curtains had been placed on the windows of the pavilion, so sunlight could not enter. Sitting on the throne decorated in gold, Emperor Balthazar placed one arm on the armrest. He had white hair, white skin, and red eyes. Despite being older than Empress Wilhelmine, who was in her 40¡¯s, Emperor Balthazar, who suffered from albinism, didn¡¯t look much older than Melchor, who was in his 20¡¯s. Rather, he had a softer impression of looking younger than the big, hard-faced Melchor. When his thin eyelids slowly came down and went back up, his red eyes were exposed under his white eyelashes. ¡°Melchor. You do know that I care a lot about you, right?¡± ¡°I suppose so, Your Highness.¡± ¡°If you had told me to let you get married since you found someone you wanted to marry, I would have let you, no matter who it was.¡± Was that indeed true? But here he had to thank him moderately. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°You, however, kept it a secret from me and got engaged behind my back? All the while knowing that a marriage between aristocrats needs approval from an emperor.¡± He would feel like he¡¯d been ignored. But the emperor looked more upset than angry. Of course, whether he was angry or upset was not Melchor¡¯s business to know. The important thing was to get permission to marry. ¡°I¡¯ve said that I am sorry more than once. But there was a reason why I could not seek your permission.¡± ¡°What reason?¡± ¡°Roseline and I made a promise to marry each other, but her father Count Crimson Rose did not agree with the marriage. That¡¯s why we were unable to officially make a vow.¡± Words rolled smoothly from Melchor¡¯s tongue. He was a man of few words, but it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to converse. He stood still like a tree and didn¡¯t speak when he didn¡¯t need to, and when he needed to he was fluent as an eloquent orator. Of course, that necessity was decided through his arbitrary judgment. ¡°A marriage objected by parents¡­ happens from time to time, but that doesn¡¯t give you a reason to not seek my permission. Rather, you would need to ask me for more help if Count Crimson Rose opposed the marriage.¡± The difference in status between the Crimson Roses and the Postenmeyers was immense. If Melchor wanted to, he could take Roseline as his bride. The situation would be much simpler if the emperor lent his force to that. ¡°It would have been possible if Your Highness had given an order. However, you may not have been able to break the law.¡± ¡°Break the law?¡± ¡°Roseline is a minor. It is impossible to marry her without permission from her guardian.¡± The emperor, who had been slanting, slipped down. He clutched the armrest and, holding himself up, lifted only his head and stared at Melchor. ¡°What? A minor? How old is she?¡± ¡°Seventeen, Your Highness. Her birthday still hasn¡¯t passed.¡± Emperor Balthazar placed a hand over his mouth and blinked. His eyes widening on his face was like someone witnessing a really unbelievable scene. ¡°Whoa. That is shocking.¡± ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°My Melchor¡­ Lord Melchor¡­ Melchor Postenmeyer the Grand Duke, I didn¡¯t expect you to fall in love with her this much.¡± It was normal to give up if parents opposed the marriage of their minor child. But Melchor had promised her that he would wait until she became an adult, and even that fact had been kept a secret. Just so he could keep her! This here was a scandal. Emperor Balthazar rubbed the corners of his convulsed lips with his fingertips, barely holding back the urge to gasp. ¡°I truly thought you would remain single forever. You¡¯ve always seemed uninterested in marriage.¡± That was correct. Melchor had never thought of marrying anyone until now. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? You rejected Princess Annestrothe¡¯s proposal.¡± ¡°The Postenmeyer family is loyal to the imperial family. Shouldn¡¯t the heir to the blood of the royal family join the family, so that their loyalty won¡¯t be blurred?¡± Melchor said. ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t have been a good reason for you to refuse the marriage then. At that time, you looked really adamant about not wanting to get married. So that¡¯s why I thought ¡®Okay, he¡¯s going to live alone forever or adopt a child.¡¯¡± The emperor¡¯s judgment was correct. A successor was essential as long as he was the head of the Postenmeyer family. However, since he was still young, he was not in a hurry to make a successor, so he said that he could someday find suitable talent from the field and make him his successor. ¡°Anyway, I understand the circumstances. I am upset about¡­ the reason you kept it a secret from me, but it is convincing.¡± ¡°Thank you for understanding me, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Melchor, what else can I say when you want to keep your wife? I would tell you that you better stop keeping this from the empress. And since Count Crimson Rose is dead there is nothing else to dig up.¡± ¡°Your Highness. As for the gambling situation, I have some suspicion.¡± ¡°Suspicion?¡± ¡°I mean the details of Count Crimson Rose¡¯s murder. I was rounded up and ran away from the gambling house, and on my way back to the mansion, the location the wagon was passing was strange. And even the traces of the assassin have been wiped away clean.¡± Emperor Balthazar, who had been sitting in a leaning position with his arm on the armrest the whole time, straightened himself out. His face became quite serious. Chapter 8.2 ¡°¡­is there new evidence?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no evidence, but the circumstances allow speculation. If he died by murder and not suicide it means that the count won at gamb¡ª¡± ¡°Melchor. If there¡¯s no evidence, stop speculating.¡± The Emperor cut him off swiftly. Melchor studied his face. The colorful expression from when Melchor was talking had disappeared, and an expressionless mask hung like a stone statue. He knows. Melchor stopped talking before even mentioning the empress. This meant that he didn¡¯t want to hear anymore. ¡°Your Highness, gambling amongst aristocrats is not something to take lightly.¡± ¡°There are many aristocrats who secretly dabble in gambling; the only evidence was Count Crimson Rose. I didn¡¯t intend to make a big deal out of this from the start. That¡¯s why I asked the empress to end it as soon as the Crimson Rose family was captured.¡± But Melchor didn¡¯t think that¡¯s why it had been left for the empress. Melchor knew that the emperor was protecting the empress, but he couldn¡¯t point that out. Now Melchor had offered to protect Roseline as her husband. It was the same as when it got harder if he dug deeper. The empire would be divided if the imperial family and grand duke had a falling out, and there was no reason to start a war over this. ¡°Understood, Your Highness. If that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sound so upset, Melchor. I really care for you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t listen so vacantly. I am still thankful that you saved the empress six years ago.¡± That was true before Melchor had become the head of the Postenmeyer family; when he was still treated like a troublemaker. He had heard that Melchor was able to participate in the race for a successor with the support of the emperor for saving the empress. There was one problem. ¡°I have no recollection of that.¡± ¡°I know. But I¡¯m asking you to thank me for remembering it.¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± Although he may not know what he had done in his uncertain memory, it had led the emperor to completely trust Melchor six years ago. There was nothing bad about receiving the emperor¡¯s trust, but Melchor was somehow uncomfortable about thanking him for something he could not remember. ¡°Then I shall head back, Your Highness. Now that I have your approval, I will officially announce our marriage.¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm. Okay. Are you going to take care of Countess Crimson Rose¡¯s situation as well?¡± ¡°Yes. I will.¡± Melchor left the audience chamber after bidding farewell to the emperor. That¡¯s when Emperor Balthazar, leaning in his chair, let out a sluggish sigh. ¡°Crimson Rose¡­ Should I have dried the seeds from the beginning?¡± * * * There was still no change in Roseline¡¯s daily activities. She woke up, had breakfast, changed her clothes, and went back and forth between her room and the living room drinking tea or staring out the window, napping occasionally. It was frustrating that she was still unable to go outside, but it still paid off. This was because Damian and Heinz, who became lenient when Roseline complained, started throwing clues one by one under consultation. They were tiny clues when she picked them one at a time, but she soon discovered a connection between them. So if I put them together, the grand duke¡¯s motive for bringing me here has nothing to do with Father¡¯s daily routine. The grand duke¡¯s first visit with the Black Knights was the reason why she was suspicious of the empress¡¯s Blue Knights. But the grand duke¡¯s aim seemed to have changed after meeting Roseline in that place. {His Excellency was young¡­ That¡¯s why his pre-adult memories are unclear.} She had never heard of Grand Duke Postenmeyer having a mental problem, so maybe only his confidants knew about it. Despite that, the reason they¡¯d told Roseline was because of the next reason. {His Excellency is actually looking for some person.} Neither Damian nor Heinz had heard who that person was. Because Duke Postenmeyer was not the type to tell them what he held inside. In their way, they had concluded the process of collecting clues under the orders of their supervisor. {What¡¯s certain is that the person His Excellency is looking for is named ¡®Roseline¡¯. The same first name as Lady Crimson Rose.} The grand duke had called Roseline by her name when he first met her. Even when he had brought her in and interrogated her he¡¯d only asked her if she knew someone who looked like her. They said she looked like me, though she must be much older. He had been looking for someone because of his memory of an uncertain past, and he had brought someone who looked like her and investigated. Roseline understood up to that point. The next part was problematic: she doesn¡¯t know who that person is. And yet he doesn¡¯t send me back and keeps me here. They said he had sent back someone who came to pick up Roseline at the order of the empress. Even though he no longer had to keep Roseline, he had even set up a confrontation with the empress to protect her. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What the hell am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Just sign.¡± When she lifted her head at the voice that replied to what she¡¯d said to herself, someone was standing at the door, someone whom she couldn¡¯t meet even if she wanted to. It was Melchor, Grand Duke Postenmeyer. Chapter 9.1 ¡°Lord Melchor Postenmeyer, Your Excellency.¡± Roseline, stuttering, called out to his random appearance. It was difficult to say his name as it was long. She should have just said ¡®My Lord Your Excellency¡¯. The grand duke shuffled his way toward her and placed a few sheets of paper on the table. ¡°This¡­ What are these?¡± asked Roseline. ¡°A promissory note and a power of attorney. And the marriage pledge.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Roseline took the promissory note and power of attorney as random but couldn¡¯t understand what the last one meant. ¡°Check it yourself.¡± A large document containing unnecessarily fancy gilt was stamped with the emperor¡¯s seal. [Emperor Balthazar permits the marriage between Melchor Eckhard Julian Noff Postenmeyer and Roseline Crimson Rose.] Roseline closed her eyes for a moment then opened them. The magic of changing the handwriting of the marriage pledge hadn¡¯t worked. It didn¡¯t turn into a pigeon and fly away like magic. It really was a marriage pledge. Roseline¡¯s head was off in the distance. ¡°Under the agreement of Count Crimson Rose, you will become Grand Duchess Postenmeyer this coming spring. So you can¡¯t be blamed for your father¡¯s crimes.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Countess Renate Crimson Rose and her son Alfons Crimson Rose couldn¡¯t avoid the crimes, but thankfully His Highness said he doesn¡¯t want it turning into a big deal.¡± ¡°Uh. Huh?¡± ¡°Instead of being taken into custody they were fined, and the Postenmeyer bore the burden of the large fine.¡± Roseline felt like an idiot, only able to say one word: ¡°Huh?¡± The grand duke continued in a calm voice, but Roseline couldn¡¯t understand a word he was saying. According to what he¡¯d said, the report from the emperor stated the following: One. Since Roseline¡¯s name had already been put into the Postenmeyer family registry for marrying Melchor this spring, she was not a member of the Crimson Rose family and was not able to get married because her birthday hadn¡¯t passed. Two. To fulfill his duty as a husband, Melchor had decided to pay the hefty fine so Renate and her son Alfons could avoid being sentenced to prison. Three. Because Melchor had paid twice the price to buy back the throne and territory of the Crimson Rose family that the emperor had seized, Roseline¡¯s mother and brother could continue to live in the estate¡¯s mansion, and their employees could work for their salaries. ¡°But this isn¡¯t about the condition of the mansion; for the time being, your mother and brother will stay in this mansion. It¡¯s going to be a while before you¡¯ll be able to see them again since I have to go through the procedures.¡± Roseline¡¯s mind was occupied with what would happen with her mother and Alfons. But now she couldn¡¯t be relieved that they were being released. This was not the time for that. ¡°Excuse me, Your Excellency?¡± ¡°At this point, we¡¯ll tear down the mansion and build a new one. I¡¯ve left it to a highly-skilled architect, so there¡¯s no need for you to worry about that.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. I have no idea what you are talking about right now, Your Excellency.¡± Roseline looked up at him with wide eyes as if embarrassed, but he was still calm. ¡°There was no such exchange between me and Count Crimson Rose, so I can¡¯t readily offer to help for no reason.¡± That¡¯s how it was. Because the two had met for the first time that day. Even Roseline had met Melchor for the first time, but he had been just surprised that she looked like someone he remembered. ¡°If I¡¯m going to save your family and return the land and title, it would be natural for me to become your husband and help my wife.¡± Roseline thought this was anything but natural. ¡°Meanwhile, you were underaged, and I couldn¡¯t marry you because Count Crimson Rose, the head of your family, opposed it. Now that position is vacant, and we can get married since no one can oppose us.¡± ¡°No. Hold on. So now¡­¡± Roseline felt as if she had been beaten by his sudden outburst of nonsense. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t know the meaning of what he was saying, but she couldn¡¯t understand the situation. ¡°I am not sure why you are doing this. You don¡¯t think it¡¯s weird to marry a woman you don¡¯t even know, Your Excellency?¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be uncommon.¡± ¡°That would be a political marriage. But you¡¯re not doing that.¡± He had to stop her from being dragged away, but there was no justification to do that for a stranger. So he had lied, saying they were engaged. ¡°It¡¯s weird that I said I¡¯d marry you to save you?¡± ¡°You know nothing about me.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t get married, you might be thrown into prison and die unexpectedly.¡± Roseline claimed to be innocent, but there was no way to exonerate her. If she goes to trial, she would be found as a criminal. Truth without evidence does not overcome plausible lies. Roseline knew that much. ¡°But¡­ Still, this is too weird for me.¡± ¡°Saint Bardelio claimed to be a husband after risking being excommunicated to save a woman who was nearly stoned to death. Admiral Auclihy took in a bunch of enslaved girls he didn¡¯t know as concubines, freed them from slavery, and returned them to their homeland in order to save them.¡± Chapter 9.2 ¡°Are you pitying me with good faith?¡± ¡°¡­I want to save you. Aren¡¯t you convinced through that reason alone?¡± ¡°No.¡± Roseline wasn¡¯t naive enough to candidly accept a baseless favor. She knew this after conversing with him. The grand duke didn¡¯t take pity on her, and he didn¡¯t look at her as someone needing to be saved. Even if she was really sympathetic, all she could think of was that marriage was too much. It was not like he was taking Roseline as a concubine as Admiral Auclihy had done, but she was definitely his wife. Marriages of noble families such as the Postenmeyers were treated as a serious matter in the empire. And he¡¯d decide that just because he feels sorry for a noble girl who died after taking a rap for a crime? How ridiculous. From a helpless¡¯ standpoint, she didn¡¯t really speak, but to Roseline, the grand duke¡¯s words were considered nothing but lunatic. Frankly speaking, she didn¡¯t know what he was plotting. He could be spreading a charity business, or he may be trying to do something by getting a woman who can do whatever he wants. Maybe he was a lunatic who had decided on this big event on a whim because he was out of his mind. If not that, then he¡¯s really¡­ I am just like her. The ¡®Roseline¡¯ the grand duke was looking for. The girl with the same name and same appearance. Heinz had only said that he was looking for someone related to lost memory, but it was just someone who resembled her, not her. Wasn¡¯t it weird to save her by marrying her? The person he said I resemble¡­ Is she someone greatly precious to him? Had she become his unforgotten first love? If he¡¯d fallen for her so much that he wanted to keep even someone who remotely resembled her by his side, it was no wonder that Roseline was considered a stand-in for his first love. ¡°You said that you want to save me, Your Excellency.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Is that because I resemble the ¡®one¡¯ you are searching for?¡± The grand duke¡¯s eyes shook. I knew it, Roseline thought. ¡°I heard it from Heinz. Oh, it isn¡¯t his fault. He just asked about something he heard from Your Excellency¡¯s investigation.¡± It wasn¡¯t the truth, but here she decided to defend Heinz. Through looking at the expression of the grand duke, who muttered, ¡°A futile act¡­¡± Roseline thought Heinz would be in trouble if she left it alone. He had given her all the information he could pick and choose for the frustrated woman, so she had to keep her loyalty. ¡°I¡¯ll say this once again, but I am not that person.¡± ¡°I know. Because I first met ¡®Roseline¡¯ ten years ago. Around the same age as you right now.¡± Ten years ago Roseline was only eight years old at the most. At that time, she was pretty much wet behind the ears, and the grand duke was already with an eighteen-year-old girl. Somewhat furious, Roseline glared at the innocent pledge. ¡°Was proposing to me first not a part of the order of things?¡± ¡°There was no time. A messenger came to send you back as soon as I brought you here.¡± Roseline, who didn¡¯t know Count Wiegelhofen had come looking for her, couldn¡¯t care less about the identity of the messenger. ¡°I want to protect you, and there was no justification to disobey Her Highness Empress¡¯s orders. All I could do was make up something, that we are planning to get married.¡± ¡°You could have told her the next time.¡± ¡°I sent the messenger back right away. I needed to see His Highness right before they took the initiative.¡± So, had he immediately gone to the imperial palace? Roseline knew it had been urgent, but couldn¡¯t he have at least tried to send a message in the meantime? She had had to spend an entire week not knowing a thing. This man had said he¡¯d save her, but he had never considered her feelings about being locked up. That¡¯s really mean. Of course, there was no better option for Roseline right now. Between going to jail or becoming the grand duchess. If she had to choose one of the two the latter was definitely better. On top of that, it was she who benefited from it. Both the Postenmeyer family and the grand duke bore nothing but losses. If I become Grand Duchess Postenmeyer, naturally, my safety is guaranteed. There was no possibility that he would use violence or physically abuse her, as the grand duke and grand duchess had to make regular appearances in public. ¡°Alright. I will sign the marriage pledge.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a wise decision.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to make one condition instead.¡± That he wanted to save her was true. She didn¡¯t deny having been helped. But she didn¡¯t like the man¡¯s method. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Please spar with me.¡± She thought she would feel better if she gave him at least one blow. Chapter 10.1 ¡°Spar?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Roseline actually had the urge to have a duel or something. Besides, didn¡¯t she owe her life anyway? It was cheap if she ended up married in a situation where she had nothing to say even if she were a slave for life. If he¡¯s a man who can marry through the sole reason that I look like his first love, this marriage won¡¯t last long anyway. If he¡¯d truly found his first love there will be no need for a stand-in anymore. Even if he didn¡¯t find her, he wouldn¡¯t want to see Roseline anymore if her presence sways away from the ¡®real¡¯ over the years. In a relationship where they don¡¯t know each other, it wasn¡¯t even like they were making a compromise to achieve some goal, and there was no way that the impromptu marriage would be maintained properly. Of course, all of the married couples who came out of a political marriage didn¡¯t all have a bad relationship, and people who happen to meet and become sworn siblings cared for each other like their lives depended on it, but wasn¡¯t it a rare probability? Roseline was not optimistic enough to believe her case was an exception. We won¡¯t even¡­ last ten years. Let alone five. It wouldn¡¯t go smoothly, but five years was enough to push through. Wasn¡¯t it better for someone to get a divorce after maintaining a formal marriage life than to live a single life? ¡°Roseline. What¡¯s your reason for requesting a spar?¡± As she couldn¡¯t say ¡°I want to hit you one time,¡± she quickly found an excuse. ¡°It has been one week since Your Excellency Lord Postenmeyer has left me here. During that time I couldn¡¯t once leave this room. Frankly, I am very limited right now. I feel antsy.¡± The situation wasn¡¯t all that stressful, but Roseline decided to exaggerate the strain. ¡°¡­is that so?¡± First Heinz and Damian, and now Melchor listened attentively to her exaggeration. Roseline felt a little amazed. She had been criticized by her family, telling her not to whine and moan about anything, but now a complete stranger accepted her excuse. ¡°And Your Excellency doesn¡¯t know my abilities. Since we¡¯ve become a married couple I want to let you know about me.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± His response was doubtful. His tone let it be known that he clearly did not want to spar with her. Roseline understood that no matter how much the most seasoned knight in the empire sparred with a puny noblewoman, his pride would not allow it. ¡°In fact, I have no options. Even if you deny my suggestion I have no choice but to sign the pledge. However¡ª¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°If you really want to save me by pushing ahead with this marriage, I want you to respect my opinion, too.¡± ¡°¡­do what it is that you want.¡± His response was more unexpected than giving permission itself. Do what I want¡­ Does he even know what that means? Wasn¡¯t he the one who¡¯d made a motion for an impromptu wedding without even asking her? Roseline thought he would either dismiss her opinion or give her more ground for persuasion. ¡°Thank you for accepting, Your Excellency Lord Postenmeyer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Melchor.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°How can you call your husband ¡®Your Excellency Lord Postenmeyer.¡¯ Isn¡¯t that strange? Call me by my first name.¡± That was true. Roseline had no intention of calling the grand duke, a man of first-class on top of maturity, by his first name, but as long as they¡¯re married, she needed to speak more kindly to him. Also for the sake of not making a slip of the tongue in front of others later on. Well, before I knew it he started calling me by my first name, too. Roseline said his name a bit strangely. ¡°Well then, Melchor. Please spar with me.¡± ¡°I will.¡± * * * The Postenmeyer villa in the capital did not have a drill hall, so Roseline and Melchor went out to the garden to sword fight. ¡°Roseline. Is a fine sword okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When the Black Knights are in the capital, they seem to wait not here but in separate accommodations at the Imperial Palace. It seemed to be to keep the knights from moving while not under the watchful eyes of the emperor. So, there were no other spectators. Roseline¡¯s observer, Nicholas, came holding a fine sword. Roseline held the simply designed practice sword that had no designs or decorations. It wasn¡¯t hers, but it had been well managed so it wasn¡¯t difficult to wield. ¡°As this is a sparring match, I thought you would give me an unfinished one, but it¡¯s been sharpened right,¡± said Roseline. ¡°You aren¡¯t strong enough to be subjected to the swordsmanship I learned in the academy. I don¡¯t care if you use a real sword.¡± His comment clearly undermined Roseline¡¯s abilities. As she¡¯d expected, he seemed to be unconvinced of her abilities. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it because there wasn¡¯t really a reason to explain it, Melchor.¡± Roseline spread her stride a little wider than the width of her shoulders and lowered her hand holding the sword below her waist, tilting the blade diagonally. ¡°I never said that what I learned in the academy was all about my swordplay.¡± Her stance didn¡¯t suit the fine sword centered for stabbing. It was not suitable for exploration or defense due to its lack of stability; its tilted, unstable stance. The heel of one foot was hovering in the air; it was a stance specialized for attacking so that she could keep her speed up at all times. Chapter 10.2 It¡¯s no mistake that she¡¯s killed about twenty men. Nor is it a coincidence. Melchor¡¯s eyes shook slightly. ¡°Melchor. Are you going to spar with me without drawing your sword?¡± When she asked him, who was standing still, he blinked slowly and placed his hand on his long sword. It wasn¡¯t enough to be called a fine sword, but it was a rather feeble-looking sword to be held by Melchor, who was half a head taller even among the tall knights. ¡°That¡¯s used for practice?¡± ¡°No. For actual use.¡± Melchor didn¡¯t take his sword from its sheath and maintained a sword-aiming posture. ¡°¡­Melchor. Please draw your sword out. If you¡¯re looking out for me there is no need.¡± ¡°I cannot.¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried I¡¯ll get hurt?¡± Melchor didn¡¯t reply. The silence said it all. ¡°Then you can stop before I get hurt. You must not have enough confidence in your sword to hurt me?¡± Melchor¡¯s sword still remained in its sheath even though she¡¯d provoked him. ¡°You are not fit for my original form right now, so I¡¯ve transformed it my way.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Because with that stance it is difficult to attack an opponent shorter than yourself.¡± At his words, Roseline realized what he was saying. Roseline¡¯s stance was the right one for a short person attacking a tall person. She wasn¡¯t exactly short but compared to adult men, she was on the smaller side. This was all the more so if an unusually large knight were her opponent. On the other hand, Melchor was a noticeably tall man even among the knights. Such a man didn¡¯t experience many times when his opponent was larger than him. Roseline¡¯s stance was one more comfortable for facing an opponent taller than her. Melchor¡¯s stance was one more comfortable for facing an opponent shorter than himself. It didn¡¯t look like there was a common point in their respective stances, but they were perfect in that they were optimal stances to take advantage of their opponent¡¯s strength and skills. But what was that earlier about ¡®original form¡¯? Roseline wondered. There is no such thing as an original form in Roseline¡¯s swordplay. The basic swordsmanship of the academy and the standard swordsmanship of the knight training center were different. Her sword was an anomalous skill specialized for ¡®Roseline¡¯ to wield, not a ¡®knight¡¯. I¡¯ll know the meaning once we start. There was no need for a signal to start. The moment the sunlight beaming off the blade shone sharply Roseline quickly entered Melchor¡¯s zone. Melchor is right-handed. When the slanted sword was swung using the power of her wrist, it twisted like a rose vine, then it suddenly stretched out and rose toward his left shoulder. At the same time, Melchor¡¯s sheath hugging his sword swayed down ever so slightly. Roseline heard the slick sound of the blade rubbing. Melchor didn¡¯t undo the sheath but struck Roseline¡¯s sword with part of the blade that appeared only about a finger long. Damn it. Roseline quickly swung the sword back. That he didn¡¯t draw the sword from the sheath simply wasn¡¯t because he looked down on her. He¡¯s trying to change the trajectory of my sword on his own. Swordfight was not about hitting each other¡¯s blades at the same time but spilling the opponent¡¯s blade. But if the blade is fully exposed it flows down along the slippery surface, so the movement increases, causing unnecessary friction. As Melchor used his sheath to expose the blade as much as he needed, Roseline¡¯s blade was fixed in just one direction. If she didn¡¯t swing her sword back fast enough she would get caught. Since he has a large stature, I naturally thought he would put forth his strength. In a surprise attack using the terrain, she didn¡¯t know, but in a head-to-head confrontation, the superiority and inferiority due to force could not be ignored. For a big, strong man like Melchor, it was standard to overpower the opponent with force. But he isn¡¯t using his strength and instead is taking advantage of my sword movements. He had good common sense. She didn¡¯t know why he used this method even with his physique and strength. His strength and technique seem more to the left than I am¡­ How is his strength? When Roseline didn¡¯t strike him right away and rolled her eyes as if admiring him, Melchor, not moving a muscle, stared quietly at her, too. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be stronger since you wanted to spar.¡± Was he a man who knew how to talk offensively? Roseline was a bit shocked. Melchor¡¯s expression was unexpectedly serious. Up until the point when the sparring had started, he¡¯d talked down on her skills, but now somehow¡­ It was faint, but he seemed to be let down. Disappointed that he had thought he could find someone who resembled Roseline but hadn¡¯t. She had thought he would display outstanding swordsmanship, but this was just a disappointment. I really can¡¯t leave without giving him at least one blow. Roseline turned the handle to grip the sword upside down. ¡°Melchor. Damian said so, that your recovery speed is fast.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°This is going to sting a little.¡± Roseline leaned to one side, then lightly dashed off the ground. Her sword flew up like a ball that¡¯d been thrown into the sky. Chapter 11.1 ¡°Your Excellency!¡± Nicholas¡¯s voice grew louder. Melchor¡¯s long sword had fallen to the ground. While still in its sheath. The short cloak that hung over his shoulders fell over. To be exact, it had been cut in half. Nicholas hadn¡¯t been able to see how Roseline¡¯s sword moved. It had seemed almost as fast as the speed of light. It¡¯d suddenly looked like it would fly up into the air, but the fine sword had sliced into Melchor¡¯s shoulder. Clean red blood flowed out from the exposed flesh seen through his sliced clothing where the cloak had been. ¡°Uh, Melchor¡­¡± Roseline seemed a little bewildered. However, it wasn¡¯t because she¡¯d injured Melchor. ¡°It¡¯s the same.¡± The fine sword that had sliced Melchor¡¯s left shoulder. Roseline was gripping the handle upside down, and Melchor was hugging her with one arm as if he had caught her after falling from the sky. ¡°Perfectly the same. How did this happen?¡± ¡°Please let me go, Melchor.¡± Roseline had thought she would be blocked or suffer a counter-attack but never knew she¡¯d get caught. Melchor had grabbed her after tossing the sword away. Having her waist hugged by him was uncomfortable, and her foot was floating in the air so she had no choice but to let go of her sword. Clack. Her sword fell to the ground. ¡°Melchor. Your shoulder is injured, so¡ª¡± ¡°Roseline. Who taught you how to sword fight?¡± He didn¡¯t look once at his bloody shoulder and only stared at her. His blue-green eyes trembled with passion. They were a mixture of marvel, pride, or whatever unexplainable emotion. ¡°Roseline. Did you, too, learn from ¡®Roseline¡¯?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Your swordsmanship compares to that of ¡®Roseline¡¯. Tell me, Roseline. You in fact must have actually met my ¡®Roseline¡¯. Right?¡± My Roseline. The tension that¡¯d lingered disappeared at the awkward approach of those words. Roseline frowned slightly. ¡°You¡¯re still talking about that? I told you that I don¡¯t know that person.¡± ¡°But your swordsmanship is exac¡ª¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t learn it from anyone. Because I made it.¡± ¡°¡­you what?¡± ¡°I said let me go!¡± Roseline couldn¡¯t dare hit Melchor¡¯s bloody shoulder, so she pinched his arm that was around her waist. Perhaps her words were more shocking than the pinching, the strength in his arm loosened a bit. Roseline quickly jumped out of his grasp and landed on the floor. Then she took two steps back. ¡°Stop with the weird assumptions. It¡¯s rude of you to keep on engaging with me and someone I don¡¯t even know.¡± ¡°Is this a coincidence?¡± ¡°If you think you¡¯ve remembered something by mistake you must be right.¡± When she picked at his uncertain memory, Melchor¡¯s expression sank coldly. ¡°¡­is that so?¡± The expression hadn¡¯t changed too much, but the blue-green light in his eyes froze quickly, and Roseline could tell his feelings. His face was closer to resignation than disappointment. So he remembered that person through me. The woman looked like Roseline; the one Melchor was searching for, probably his first love. Well. Since he decided to marry me for the reason that we look alike, if we discover something in common it¡¯ll be enough to amaze him. It could be that the two women¡¯s figures had overlapped in Melchor¡¯s memory because of their similar swordsmanship. She was convinced but somehow didn¡¯t feel good about it. Roseline had been caught by Melchor, but his shoulder was injured and he had missed her sword, so she was the winner of the sparring. Was it pointless to say let¡¯s spar? She wondered. Despite the success of giving him a blow as she had hoped, she felt somehow uncomfortable. Roseline swept back her disheveled hair and called out to Nicholas who was still standing bewildered. ¡°Nicholas. Melchor is hurt.¡± ¡°¡­huh? Huh?¡± ¡°Call Damian in here. He needs to treat Melchor.¡± ¡°Oh, yes! I will go get him!¡± Roseline turned to Melchor standing absently. His shoulder had been cut, but since it was not a deep one; he would recover quickly after treatment and a few days¡¯ rest. ¡°Melchor. I am going to go up first. Please get the treatment when Damian comes.¡± It seemed that there would be a commotion if she ran into someone else, so she circled to go back to the rose-filled backyard. * * * Roseline let out a sigh. Where in the world had things gone wrong? The puzzle seemed to be distorted because the piece that did not fit had been forced to. The piece of life. My family suddenly collapsed, and I was brought in and locked up¡­ And when I came to, I had already gotten married. But the reason he saved me is because of some woman I don¡¯t even know who looks like me. Rather she would feel better waking up one day to find herself in a different world, or married to a stranger years later. It was more than rolling her life in the disharmony of a cogwheel like this. Disharmony? Suddenly turning her head, she heard the sound of tree leaves shaking in the wind. Trees with leaves thick enough to cover the sky were surrounding her. ¡°Hey¡­ Where is this place?¡±