Chapter 07
Was something wrong from that moment on?
If it had been ten years ago, how on earth had he managed to endure the madness until now?
“If it’s a curse… how have you held out until now?”
“I always wear a magical artifact that can suppress the madness.”
Cheyton’s earring glinted. It had kept catching her eye, and now she realized it was because it held the power to quell the curse of the mad dragon.
Roshanne subtly pulled her captured hand back. Cheyton looked at it with a gaze full of lingering regret, but Roshanne pretended not to notice.
‘If I keep Cheyton by my side like this, I can get the information I want.’
Information to unlock the hero’s seal. And why the subjugation party from ten years ago had been annihilated, all except one. What exactly had happened back then.
To uncover all of that, Roshanne needed Cheyton as well.
Right now, the only ones who knew about the hero were the members of that subjugation party who had been with him ten years ago.
She had to start from here. Otherwise, she wouldn’t even find a starting point.
“I…”
It was right as Roshanne opened her mouth.
Thud!
From outside, someone roughly yanked at the drawing room door.
“…! This door, why… Miss! What are you doing right now…”
Through the small crack in the door, the butler peered inside and shouted loudly.
“Open the door, Miss! What is this all about!”
The drawing room door, jammed with a broom, shook violently back and forth. It was clear that in a few minutes, the door would open.
“Your Grace.”
Roshanne rose from the sofa. And she extended the back of her hand toward Cheyton.
“This means you need me right now, doesn’t it, Your Grace?”
It was an arrogant gesture, demanding he take her hand. As if she’d instantly grasped who held the upper hand, her tone became even more casual in a flash.
“The young lady has better comprehension than I expected.”
But instead of bristling at the haughty behavior, Cheyton grasped Roshanne’s hand very carefully, as if handling something precious.
“If I give you what you want, what will you give me in return?”
“I’ll ensure no one ever looks down on you again. What happened last time with Viscount Zichelia won’t happen anymore.”
It also meant granting her power, so Cheyton was certain she wouldn’t refuse.
But the response that came back was completely unexpected.
“No. Forget that.”
Forget that?
Cheyton blinked in surprise. Roshanne gently stroked her chin with her other hand, lost in thought.
Was this the original image of the young lady? It felt like something she’d seen a lot somewhere before…
“Just promise me one thing.”
Roshanne pulled Cheyton’s hand as it was. The sudden force made Cheyton, who had been sitting on the sofa, rise awkwardly.
“Later, grant me one unconditional request, whatever I want.”
Bang!
The drawing room door rattled again. Now it truly seemed like the door would open any moment.
Once that door opened, their secret deal would be over.
“Even if that request is for the Emperor’s head.”
“Do you realize how dangerous those words are? Young lady.”
“You’d better answer quickly. Once that door opens, I have to go.”
Roshanne teased by almost pulling her hand away, urging him on. In truth, Cheyton was the one with no choice.
It was Cheyton who needed Roshanne to survive.
“…I promise, young lady.”
To Cheyton, Roshanne was a hand he absolutely could not let go.
“Duke Railaten won’t allow the Grand Duke and me to meet. He serves the Emperor and would never do anything to fall out of his favor. And as you know, the Grand Duke is hated by the Emperor.”
Duke Railaten had always been like that since childhood. How much effort he put into not falling out of the Emperor’s good graces.
“So my plan is that we have to force it into view, Your Grace.”
“What?”
Roshanne drew close to Cheyton. Because of her small frame, she fit right into his embrace.
“Do you know how many people are outside that door right now?”
Roshanne whispered softly into Cheyton’s ear. At the small whisper, Cheyton stared at the closed drawing room door.
Many people were exerting force outside to open the drawing room door, which was jammed by the broom and wouldn’t budge.
“Even if you try to silence them, with that many people gathered, one or two are bound to talk.”
“…Young lady. I have no idea what you’re thinking.”
“So what I mean is.”
Bang!
Before Roshanne could finish her words, the broom caught on the door handle slipped out, and the drawing room door opened.
People who had been slamming their bodies against the door to open it tumbled inside in a rush.
“Kiss me right now, Your Grace.”
Roshanne whispered softly while pulling Cheyton’s hand.
The unexpected words burst out, and Cheyton, flustered, tried to back away, but the hand he was holding wouldn’t let go.
“Just think of it as artificial respiration, and it’ll be easier.”
Roshanne murmured quietly as she pressed even closer into Cheyton’s embrace. Between the two of them, clinging tightly together, not even a small gap was visible.
Cheyton quickly glanced at the open door. As Roshanne had said, many people were there.
“Miss!”
Following behind, the butler was pushing through the crowd to enter.
If all those people saw Cheyton and Roshanne kissing, the word would inevitably leak out.
No matter how hard the Duke tried to stop it.
There was no better rumor than one about a man and woman deeply entangled.
“…Then, excuse me.”
Cheyton gently cupped Roshanne’s cheek and tilted his head to the side. Roshanne, too, angled her head diagonally in the opposite direction, following Cheyton’s lead.
Hot, soft lips pressed into Roshanne’s.
This is artificial respiration. A desperate struggle to survive.
Roshanne tried hard to think that way as she firmly closed her eyes. Yet no matter how much she resolved herself, the feeling was entirely different from performing artificial respiration.
The warmth that softly seeped in was strangely comforting.
“Gasp!”
“Ah, Miss!”
And from that day on, rumors spread like wildfire through high society that Roshanne had kissed Cheyton.
The Duke, upon hearing reports of what happened in the drawing room, tried to suppress the rumors, but stopping people’s mouths was no easy task.
The rumor that the Railaten family, the core of the Emperor’s faction, might form ties with Grand Duke Barpheus, stirred up not only the nobles in the capital’s social circles but also spread to provincial aristocrats and even the imperial family, causing quite a commotion.
And then.
“Why do you keep causing trouble? Just stay quiet like before!”
“You told me to do as I please before, didn’t you? You definitely said, ‘Do as you like.'”
“Does that mean this? Huh? Did I mean it that way for you!”
“Then don’t tell me to do as I please. Father.”
“Don’t call me Father!”
“Fine, Duke.”
“Roshanne!”
Roshanne received an order to stay confined to the house.
‘What’s the point of issuing a confinement order? The incident happened in the mansion’s drawing room anyway. If he wanted to prevent it, he should have told me not to leave the bedroom at all.’
Roshanne looked at the still-novice Duke Railaten and clicked her tongue in disapproval.
‘He still has a lot to learn.’
Unaware of Roshanne’s inner thoughts, Duke Railaten let out a deep sigh and ran his bandaged hand through his hair.
“Roshanne. The outrage you committed at the wedding…”
“You’ve had that bandage on for a while. Must have failed to control your strength. I didn’t squeeze that hard, though.”
Duke Railaten’s composed cheek twitched.
“…What do you mean, failed to control strength, Roshanne? This hand was injured by my own mistake.”
“…Is that so?”
“Since you seem worried about me, I’ll make it clear this time. This hand got hurt when I fell on your wedding day. It has nothing to do with you, Roshanne.”
But it was definitely the hand we shook…
“You couldn’t possibly hurt me. I am the great Duke Railaten, after all.”
Duke Railaten emphasized each word with force. Seeing him stress it so much, it seemed like it really wasn’t the case.
“…You’ve risen to Duke and nothing’s changed. Hurting your hand from a fall. You should have rolled your body quickly to avoid injury.”
Duke Railaten smiled as he clenched his fist tightly. Barely calming his trembling fist, the Duke changed the subject.
“Ha. Roshanne.”
“Yes?”
“I overlooked you canceling the wedding on your own, but there’s a limit to how much you can act freely…! How long has it been since the wedding fell apart, and you’re doing this kind of thing! This kind of thing! With a man?!”
“You seem to be building up anger as you speak, Duke. You might need to manage your temper.”
“Shut that mouth! Roshanne!”
Not being able to say what she wanted. The life of a noble lady is tough.
Roshanne barely swallowed the words rising to the tip of her tongue.
“Ha, His Majesty must have heard this rumor too…”
The Duke let out a deep sigh and propped his forehead with his hand.
‘Of course. That’s why I did it on purpose.’
The Duke seemed unaware of just how influential the Railaten family was, but being the empire’s sole dukedom was a power that could hardly be ignored.
Duke Railaten had been loyal since childhood. He never did anything to displease the Emperor, and his loyalty was beyond question.
The Emperor wanted to wield Duke Railaten like a sharply honed sword. So he sharpened and polished him over and over.
All the good things to the Duke, everything he could give to the Duke.
Thus, Railaten became the empire’s only ducal house, and in name and reality, the core of the Emperor’s faction, forming the foundation of a massive tower.
Without Duke Railaten himself even realizing it.
‘The perfect opponent appeared at just the right moment.’
Roshanne unconsciously touched her lips as she thought of Cheyton.
In her urgency, she had impulsively kissed him in front of others, but now that time had passed, embarrassment took precedence.
‘I should apologize next time we meet.’
She felt she had been rudely abrupt in her haste.
