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–much 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.