Chapter 25: “Where a betrayer arrives, there is no paradise.” (2)

Trying to calm his trembling fists, Rosel glared at Biella. In response, Biella awkwardly smiled and shifted the blame to Esil.

She claimed that the incident in the Duke’s mansion corridor was entirely Esil’s fault.

“Ugh, the smell. How can you make such a mess for your master?”

Biella, now standing beside Rosel with her arms crossed, acted as if she were the lady of the house.

Rosel remained silent, struggling to control his breath, trembling with rage.

Meanwhile, Esil, terrified by the silence, hastily tried to clean the corridor with the towel she had been holding to wipe her body.

This was a different situation from when they were alone.

The actions taken under the gaze of others might have consequences for her master.

“I-I’m sorry… Master… I didn’t mean to…”

Esil wiped furiously, but the towel could hardly do the job, covered in the disgusting mess. She wiped desperately, gagging and fighting tears, unable to stop.

Looking down at her, Biella burst into laughter.

“Heh, yeah. If you make a mess, you should clean it up yourself. But at least you have some shame, huh?”

However, her mocking laughter abruptly stopped at the sound of Rosel’s furious voice.

“…Shut your mouth.”

“What…?”

“Every time you open it, the stench spreads. Close it.”

“…R-Rosel, Duke…”

The difference in status between a duke and a count was considerable.

It was not appropriate for the Duke to refer to the Countess with such derogatory language, yet Rosel had humiliated Biella, the supposed ‘hero of the kingdom’, by ordering her to be silent.

This was a deeply unfair situation for Biella. She had no choice but to protest.

She had even rinsed her mouth with acacia flower water for three minutes, all for Rosel’s private meeting.

“The stench comes from that s*ave’s vomit…”

“I told you to be quiet.”

But her protest was crushed by Rosel’s ruthless command.

Rosel moved toward Esil, leaving Biella stunned behind him.

Biella clenched her hand into a fist and blew air through her lips, sniffing the air—only the refreshing scent of acacia flowers reached her nose.

Rosel stood in front of Esil, who was kneeling and cleaning the corridor with a towel.

“…Get up, Esil.”

“But… if I leave it like this, the stench…”

“I said, get up.”

With Rosel’s repeated heavy command, Esil finally stood.

The vomit, which she hadn’t fully cleaned, was spread across the floor.

Rosel stepped on it without hesitation, advancing closer without a shred of reluctance.

His gaze was fixed on Esil, whose trembling figure seemed to pierce his heart.

“…You’ve expelled it all. Are you alright inside?”

“Y-Yes…”

At Rosel’s solemn question, Esil lowered her head, answering quietly.

Despite not being guilty, in front of Biella, Esil’s pitiful appearance as she became a criminal once more pierced Rosel’s heart like a sharp thorn.

“The one who needs to heal is not you. Let me ask one last time. Are you truly alright inside?”

With Rosel’s probing question, Esil raised her head.

His unwavering gaze dug into her soul, urging her to not retreat any longer.

His promise to stay with her, no matter the cost, echoed in her heart.

She should not hold back the turmoil inside, he would stay by her side, despite facing the horrors of that day. She should not be afraid.

Did their hearts connect, perhaps?

Esil, who had been anxiously fidgeting like a beaten puppy, now seemed to have regained her composure, her eyes softening and a gentle smile curving on her lips.

Yes, she had made a promise.

She had promised to overcome everything and to heal every wound, together with her master.

“…I’m not feeling well, Master.”

For herself.

For her own sake.

In the midst of the shackles of betrayal, Esil’s sorrowful smile, as she tried to overcome it all, made Rosel smile in return.

“Yes, that’s it. Esil. You no longer need to hide or swallow the bitterness inside. As long as you are by my side, I will gladly accept everything you wish to release.”

With one step, Rosel closed the distance between them. He gently wiped the vomit from the corner of Esil’s mouth with his hand.

Esil, flustered, tried to wipe his fingers, but Rosel pulled his hand back, shaking his head.

“It’s… it’s dirty… Master. I’ll clean it…”

“This is not dirty. The faces of those who stab their comrades in the back and live in luxury are what is truly filthy. What’s on you isn’t dirty at all, so don’t worry.”

Suddenly, Biella flinched behind Rosel as if the words, sharp as fangs, were meant for her.

However, even Graha, a close confidant of Brikal, would never have known about such conspiracies.

Thus, Biella lifted her gaze with calm red eyes.

She had to be bold wherever she went. That was the only way to appear as a victor, not a loser.

Just then, the chamberlain Jicel ascended the stairs from the third floor.

“Master? Is something the matter?”

Jicel, while speaking to Rosel, had already overheard everything from halfway up the stairs.

She had been listening since Esil and Biella’s argument started.

And when Rosel had been ascending the stairs, she had stopped him with a “shh!” gesture.

Now, she had come up because she knew her master needed help.

Having heard everything, including Biella’s mockery and Rosel’s words, Jicel’s gaze remained unreadable, as it always was.

Jicel gave a slight nod to Biella, then passed by her to approach Rosel.

Rosel, as if he had been waiting, spoke to her.

“Ah, Jicel. You’ve come at the right time. Esil doesn’t seem well. If we leave it like this, she might suffer from dehydration. Please take her to the infirmary and have her checked by Dr. Rochus. And tell him I’m sorry.”

“Yes, understood. Esil, come here.”

As Rosel gently patted Esil’s back, encouraging her to go, she slowly walked toward Jicel.

Then, Esil glanced back over her shoulder and gave a soft crescent moon smile.

“I’ll be back soon, Master.”

Although Rosel knew the smile was a forced one meant to comfort herself, it was still so beautiful that it made him smile in return.

“Go ahead, Esil.”

Watching the warm smile Rosel had given Esil, Biella’s expression twisted as if she were facing a terrible tragedy.

She had lost, clearly and completely.

The smile she had longed for was directed at Esil, the very person she had tried to bring down, and now she had to taste the bitter defeat.

“Master Rosel! Please marry me!”

“Master Rosel? But you have no fiancé, right?”

“If I defeat the Demon King and return, will you accept my proposal?”

“Do you not like my beauty?”

“Do you not like my figure?”

“I can raise a child well! I can do anything well!”

Since her debut in high society, Biella had relentlessly pursued Rosel.

But he was always cold and distant.

Despite not having a fiancée, a lover, or any romantic interest, Rosel ignored Biella’s advances.

Nevertheless, Biella stubbornly chased after him.

He was handsome, capable, and had a secure future—she desperately wanted to possess him.

Moreover, due to the common noble saying that “marrying the debut partner from a social gathering guarantees success for three generations,” Biella wanted him even more.

But Rosel remained silent and unresponsive.

It was understandable, for if Rosel married Biella, the course of his fate would drastically change.

Biella would become a typical noblewoman, concerned only with managing the household, and as a result, might not have been chosen as a member of the hero party.

He could not directly influence her change.

While indirect changes would ultimately align with the flow of destiny and find their path again, a direct intervention might lead them astray.

That’s why Rosel always ignored her, while Biella, despite her relentless pursuit, never lost sight of her fate as a “hero party member.”

Of course, even if she fulfilled that fate, things wouldn’t have changed.

In the end, everything went according to Rosel’s plan.

With the hero Emilia, she saved the kingdom, and like a moth to a flame, she pursued him until the very end.

Due to the distance between their territories, official social events and gatherings were rare, so the interaction between the nobles was minimal.

In other words, if Biella hadn’t admired him, she wouldn’t have followed him alone to Cecilia’s birthday party, and without that, it would have been quite difficult to involve Daltan and Gleon.

Especially since Daltan’s territory was far from Rosel’s.

To make someone willingly enter the tiger’s den, there had to be a discreet and reliable point of contact.

Only then would they enter of their own accord, without any consequences.

And it was Biella who became the starting point and the sacrificial pawn in this entire scheme.

Of course, whether she became a pawn by her own will, like Sregon, or whether she became the scapegoat would be determined later.

Finally, the revolution began, and Biella was placed on the chessboard of that revolution.

And just like with Sregon, Rosel sincerely hoped that she would repent.

Although it was because of him that things had turned out this way, there was still an “opportunity” for them.

Esil and Jicel had stepped back, and Rosel looked down at the shrinking Biella.

“Lady Biella.”

“Yes, yes?”

“I apologize for earlier. Every time my mouth opened, the stench must have offended you, Lady Biella.”

Rosel bowed politely to Biella.

But his polite words were like a knife, and Biella’s fear only deepened.

It was as though he had two faces, changing between how he treated Esil and how he treated her.

“…I-I’ll leave now… It’s getting late.”

Biella tried to escape.

Perhaps it was the woman’s intuition, but something about Rosel now seemed extremely dangerous.

She could clearly see that his pupils were as dark as pitch, yet today, they appeared red, reflecting the glow of the red lanterns, as if soaked in blood.

It was an unsettling, even terrifying, gaze.

“…Then have a peaceful night, Duke Rosel.”

With a bow, she turned to leave, but…

As she suspected, her intuition was right, and a chill ran down her spine.

Rosel muttered something under his breath.

“…I’ve heard you’ve been desperately looking for Raphelon… and Count Daltan and Duke Gleon. I’d like to hear the reason for that tonight, Lady Biella.”

That night, Biella was swallowed by the nightmare that marked the beginning of her downfall.