Chapter 147

Chapter 147

“I would prefer that you go straight to the point, sir. As you know, there are people waiting.”

Though the response given to him was cold, Leo simply nodded.

And the smile on his lips disappeared in a flash.

“I’d like for you to keep what happened today a secret.”

“Do you mean the pagans’ intrusion?”

“Yes. Quite honestly, I feel ashamed. If it becomes rumored that one of the pillars of the Empire couldn’t deal with mere pagans properly, to the point that a family member had shown a disgrace such as this in front of his guests…”

“Indeed, it’s nothing honorable.”

When Leo trailed off, Rosetta filled in the blanks sharply.

After some consideration, she nodded.

She wasn’t planning on divulging the matter anyway.

Even if it would bring a loss if what happened today were to be told, it was also true that she wouldn’t stand to gain anything from it.

At this point in time, she was still being followed by various rumors. If today’s incident were to be revealed, those who liked to flap their lips would go on to insinuate that House Valentine must have had a hand in it.

The reclusive ducal lady had been staying home all this time, but of all days, it was when she left her abode that intruders went to the place where she went.

Perhaps Leo had also reached the same conclusion as her.

“I understand. It’s not a difficult request.”

“Thank you.”

One succinct answer and one brief mention of gratitude came and went.

Right after, Rosetta immediately turned away from him. She now looked towards the direction of the carriage.

“Then, may I be excused now?”

“Of course. I’m sorry to have kept you for a long time.”

“Not at all.”

The reflexive reply was perfectly formal.

Smiling quietly, Leo stepped forward.

And the place where he stopped was right next to Rosetta.

Slowly raising her head, Rosetta looked at the man’s face.

However, as the sun was directly behind him, the man’s face was covered entirely with a black shadow.

Round, red eyes glinted slightly, but even that was blurry.

The only thing that was clear to her was the man’s vivid red hair, soaked in the sunset’s stark light.

With his face obscured, the man reached out one hand.

However, instead of turning her attention to the outstretched hand, Rosetta continued looking at that man’s face.

Lips drawn in a straight line.

Looking at him like this, she couldn’t even remember what his face looked like under the shadow.

However, with that red hair clear to her, she could see only another man’s face.

Urien.

That man, with hair as red as a rose.

That man, who she had taken a step towards, not knowing that his gentle smile and intoxicating smile were piercing thorns.

That man, whose true self she had unmasked only when her entire body had already been torn to pieces by those deadly thorns.

She felt her head cooling down.

Just as low as the body temperature of the hand that had touched her wrist.

Various emotions surged within her.

No, it wasn’t fear.

It was displeasure. It was anger.

Neither were positive emotions, but they were enough for her to keep hold of her rationality.

“Let’s go together. I have to see you off, too.”

Meanwhile, the man spoke again.

This, too, was a suggestion that couldn’t be justifiably rejected, so Rosetta had no choice but to nod bitterly.

“…Let’s go.”

In time, the man’s hand moved slightly midair.

As if to let her know that it was still there.

Rosetta managed to push down a sigh that’s threatening to come out.

Then, she turned away from him, purposely not looking at that hand that he was offering.

The feeling of something holding her wrist was still clear to her, so she loathed to hold that man’s hand.

It had already been a long time since he had offered his escort, but she never once looked at his hand. So, she could be excused from taking it.

Without saying a word, Rosetta walked ahead.

Smiling, Leo closed his empty hand and soon followed her.

As they were walking side-by-side, the backs of the young lady and young lord were the picture of elegance.

Such a sight was in stark contrast to the strewn, bloody bodies all around them.

Ta-dak, ta-dak, ta-dak.

The sounds of their footsteps rang through the sparse, crumbling groans.

The deliberate footsteps of the two stopped when Rosetta passed by the last of the men who were sprawled on the ground.

The man who had been beside her froze as he was.

Through the array of lashes atop her eyes, her golden pupils reflected the face of the collapsed man on the ground.

There was a small, glinting bead near his mouth.

“Rosetta?”

When Rosetta suddenly stopped in her tracks, Leo called her name. However, when he looked at the same thing Rosetta was looking at, it’s as if something clicked.

Rosetta unhesitatingly strode towards the collapsed man and crouched down. Reaching out, she picked up the glinting object.

‘I knew it. It’s a real black bead.’

She felt the texture of the round bead on her fingertips.

It was only half.

“What’s wrong? What did you find?”

As Leo followed Rosetta, he tried to ask.

He spoke with a nonchalant tone, but his voice was lower than usual.

His expression had also stiffened.

Rosetta stood up, hiding the bead in her hand.

As she faced Leo once more, she was seemingly enshrouded with a glacial wind of the midwinter.

Her tightly closed mouth soon turned up into a grim smile. A faint hint of hostility could be seen rising on those crooked lips.

“I found something interesting over there. What is this?”

Rosetta stretched out her hand so that Leo could see.

His red eyes turned to her palm.

Above it was that bead, sparkling underneath the sun.

Leo’s brows moved up. His red tongue licked over his dry lips once.

Gaze moving quietly away from the bead, Leo slowly looked at Rosetta once more.

“I’m not sure. I don’t know what it is exactly.”

However, there was a strange mixture of mirth and laughter in the eyes of the man who answered as such.

Leo’s hand moved slowly, heading towards Rosetta’s hand where the bead was.

He drew her hand closer as though he wanted to take a closer look at the object.

Again, this time, the man’s large hand clasped the woman’s slender wrist. Each finger wrapped over her wrist as though he was playing the piano.

“It seems to be a piece of a bead… But why is it here?”

Rather than answering his question, Rosetta roughly shook off Leo’s hold on her wrist.

And, emotionally, she threw the bead to the ground.

Tak!

It was such a small bead, but as it hit the ground, the sound it gave off was comparatively tremendous because of the force behind it.

Rosetta soon jutted out one foot and crushed the bead further.

Rubbing the sole of her shoe over it a few times for good measure, all that’s left of the bead was powder.

“I’ve been suspecting it ever since the beginning. Especially with the incident of the lizard. And the fact that you kept trying to approach me.”

It was a quiet tone, but it contained undeniable murderous intent.

However, Leo shrugged as though he knew nothing.

“Whatever do you mean…”

“Yes, keep pretending not to know. That suits you better.”

Urien.

Along with the name she had uttered through clenched teeth, Rosetta turned her back to the man.

She walked away, but this time, Leo did not catch up to her.

He simply stared at the woman’s long hair as it cascaded behind her.

“…Rita.”

And the only thing that spilled through his lips was that name.

* * *

Back to the present.

Leo and Daniel entered Leo’s study in the Carter residence.

Leo sat down on the sofa first, and Daniel walked languidly over to the seat opposite the other man.

Soon, a maid came in with a tray of tea, set it down on the table, then left again.

It was only when the maid’s footsteps had become distant that the two started speaking.

“So, did the plan work?”

Leaning back on the cushion behind him relaxedly, Daniel smiled as he asked.

His voice was saccharine, yet the look in his eyes was exceedingly cold.

Leo nodded, casually facing Daniel’s gaze.

“Yes. It’s as you said—she has great eyesight.”

It was a small piece of a bead that was strewn on the ground among many other things, so I was a bit worried about whether she would even notice it.

At Leo’s murmur, Daniel smiled and nodded steadily.

Leo could only think that he was looking at a broken doll. It repulsed him.

“Right? My Rita is like that. Isn’t she truly sharp? Of course, it’s with that sharp wit that she’s making it difficult for me whenever she runs away. Nevertheless.”

Daniel’s voice was full of excitement.

He said it himself—she’s making things difficult for him—but only a faint, pleased smile could be seen on his countenance.

With both corners raised, his lips opened to speak in a hushed voice.

“Now that she’s under the impression that you are ‘Urien’, for the time being, her defenses against me will be lowered.”

The Rita who he knew very well was quite quick-witted.

Besides that, the walls around her were quite high.

He needed to break through that vigilance.

Originally, even if she was backed away at the very edge of a cliff, the sharp-eyed Rosetta wouldn’t ever consider taking his outstretched hand.

That’s why it’s been difficult.

He needed her to hold his hand.

No. At the very least, he needed her to lower her defenses and accept him wholly.

That way, only the slightest gap of ‘negligence’ would open up for him.

Making such openings was something he did best.

Daniel picked up his teacup with a satisfied expression.

Though it was lukewarm tea, he was nothing but elegant as he sipped it.

Leo stared quietly at Daniel as he did so, then licked his lips with his tongue.

It was not long before a question was belatedly uttered.

“…What about the other part?”

At the sound of the slightly tense tone, Daniel smiled and lowered his teacup.

Beyond the roundly curved eyes, a blue gaze turned to Leo.

“What exactly are you asking about?”

Daniel depicted himself as perfectly and innocently clueless. Leo gritted his teeth at the sight.

Seeing the bulging vein on the other man’s jaw, Daniel chuckled.

“Are you worried that I might have done something wrong with Alicia? Or, are you asking how it’s going with that part of the plan?”

His voice dropped to a clandestine whisper.