Chapter 81

‘No, I must have seen it wrong.’

I made up a plausible excuse and tried to calm my pounding heart, but without realizing it, I was clenching my fists tightly. One young lady cautiously called out to me.

“Lady Katzel?”

“I’m sorry. I guess I haven’t gotten over my fatigue yet. I need to go get some fresh air.”

“We must have held onto you too much. Have a good rest.”

I left the young noble ladies behind and chased after Sihael.

* * *

I stormed in, announced my identity as a Katzel to the guard stationed on the terrace, and then purposefully shut the door with a loud thud.

I’m sure he’ll welcome me with a friendly smile, not with those insensitive eyes I just saw.

But what greeted me was his cold back and frigid voice.

“I said I wanted to be alone.”

“Would you not allow me also?”

Sihael, who turned back at my voice, frowned blatantly. His eyes were icy and harsh.

‘I wasn’t mistaken.’

My fingers became numb at his first rejection.

“Your Highness, are you perhaps mad at me? If you could tell me the reason you are suddenly behaving like this…”

“I told you to get out.”

My heart ached at his cold response. He not only cut me off, but also brutally dismissed me. I bit my lower lip as an unpleasant sensation swelled in my chest.

‘If he dismissed me, I would have to leave from here as ordered, however, he always told me he would never become estranged with me…!’

It was unfair. I didn’t want to be kicked out without understanding why. My despair quickly evolved to rage.

“No, I won’t.”

Who was it who insisted on staying by my side even if something bad happened?

‘Are you seriously going to pretend you don’t know who I am now?’

I couldn’t back down until I got the right answer.

Sihael got wary as I approached him with that thought.

“What are you doing now?”

“I’m not leaving until I know why you’re pushing me away.”

“There is no reason.”

“Do you think that makes sense? You were fine until yesterday, but why all of a sudden…!”

As my voice raised in excitement at Sihael’s constant attempts to avoid me, I faltered at the end of my words.

‘Wait, is this person really Sihael?’

I couldn’t tell when I saw him from a distance, but when I saw him up close, I had a peculiar sensation of dissonance.

“Miss Katzel. No, Ro- setta… You’re making me uncomfortable, so get away from me.”

He also addressed me incorrectly. When I looked for further hints, I discovered that there were more than just one or two odd things. I abruptly turned to face Sihael.

“What…!”

His eyes were a different colour, as expected. From a close look, I was certain.

‘He isn’t Sihael.’

The person looked like him, but it wasn’t Sihael.

When I realized that, my heart began to race. Along with my relief that Sihael had not pushed me away, I was concerned for the actual Sihael’s well-being.

I grabbed the fake guy’s shoulder.

“Who are you to try to mimic His Highness?”

The man’s face then cracked for a split second. He quickly corrected his expression, but it was of no use as he had already been caught.

“…Outrageous!”

“Outrageous indeed! Was it fun to pretend to be His Highness and mess with me?”

I erupted in rage when I realized I had been aggrieved because of this fake Sihael.

“If you were going to pretend to be His Highness, you should have done a thorough investigation beforehand.”

When I tightened my grip on the fake’s shoulder, his jaws closed. It was unusual to witness Sihael’s face give up to my power, but that was all there was to it.

‘What if his face is the same, he isn’t the real one.’

I released my grip on his shoulder and brushed off his wrinkled uniform.

“Well, now that our formal conversation is over, tell me who you are. Seeing how my brother is being quiet, I think you might know each other.”

Leonard isn’t a fool. There’s no way he didn’t know that this guy was a fake.

Maybe this guy’s also a close friend of Sihael?

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you.”

He’s so obstinate. Well it can’t be helped. I have no choice but to ask Leonard. I couldn’t use force when it wasn’t clear who my opponent was, so I let the matter go without regret.

“Rosetta?”

Was the goddess of destiny on my side? When I encountered Leonard on the terrace, I sang with joy inside.

“Why are you here?”

I smiled innocently and pointed behind me.

“His Highness was acting strange, so I came to see him but he turned out to be a fake. Brother, you knew about it, right?”

When Leonard looked behind me and frowned, the man covered his face and sighed.

“I really did my best.”

“Yes, you did your best.”

Leonard sighed as he complimented his best efforts to emulate Sihael.

“How did you find out?”

“The color of his eyes is subtly different. And…”

Looking at the fake’s emotionless eyes, I added.”His Highness will never pass by  me ignoring me.”

Perhaps he found my confident words strange, Leonard looked at me with a subtle expression.

“You were able to know with that?”

“Mm, why?”

“…”

“…”

The uneasy silence on the terrace persisted for quite some time. The longer it went on, the more worried I became. How long could he be stunned when I was so worried? I yanked Leonard’s arm and prodded him.

“So where is His Highness? Did something bad happen to him for you to put up a substitute in his place?”

“Rosetta, you know that this is top secret and I can’t say it casually.”

I knew. I knew it very well. But if it was concerned with Sihael, of course I should know.

‘I am Sihael’s caregiver, friend and colleague.’

Having made all sorts of excuses inwards, I decided to goad Leonard.

“Even if you don’t tell me, I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to keep pursuing and tormenting this fake.”

When I pointed my index finger at the man, his face hardened like a stone.

“And I might be able to help.”

In the end, Leonard raised both hands at my reckless stubbornness.

“… It would be better if you saw him for yourself. Go to the lounge.”

He indeed came. I was worried because I thought he couldn’t come, but it was a relief.

“Hurry up, don’t make a mess here.”

As the force on my back pushed me forward, I glanced around and said, “Ah, right.” Looking at the man leaning on the terrace, I murmured.

“Let’s meet in person next time.”

His face piqued my interest. When I stared at the fake Sihael and smiled, he secretly avoided my eyes.

“And brother, please go around the banquet hall.”

I tapped the brooch on Leonard’s chest.

“Please help me promote them properly.”

Leonard’s expression distorted when I told him to work hard instead of Sihael.