After listening to Vivian, Rosenta was lost for words.
"Then the invitation...….”
"Of course, I thought you’d already received it because I sent it by courier."
Rosenta touched his forehead.
Vivian ran over with a surprised face. She looked at his body and even stamped her feet as if she were worried.
"Are you sick? What happened in Nequitia? Huh?"
"It's all right. Nothing happened."
Despite his answer, she didn’t budge and glared at him with her large, red eyes.
After looking at him like that for a while, she finally got tired of it.
Vivian rubbed her eyes and sat across from him again.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I was just thinking about what to do next."
‘Has something changed?’
Vivian frowned as though she was agonizing over something. Even her breaths felt full of worry.
"Hmm."
It was a bit out of the blue, but her exaggerated expression was quite funny and cute.
He burst into laughter.
"Phuhaha, what's with that?"
He wiped away the tears around his eyes, throwing away his dignified appearance.
After barely stopping laughing, he looked ahead.
Vivian was staring at him happily, with her chin up.
"As expected, it's best to smile."
"I feel like my head is clearer thanks to you, Vivian. Thank you."
Vivian shrugged.
Then she spoke in a lady-like tone, as if she were saying something natural.
"It's good to think deeply but, the deeper you go, the more likely you are to get buried. To the point where even simple things will seem difficult."
This was what I needed to hear.
A banquet is just a banquet. Don't give it too much meaning.
Vivian must have noticed his expression gradually relaxing. Vivian opened her mouth again, nodding.
This time, she spoke in a very cute and charming way, like a little sister.
"More than anything, this is my first having a friend of the same sex. I want to go to the banquet together."
"Haha...….”
Laughter was about to burst out again.
But before that laughter could burst forth, a quick knock came in.
Knock, knock.
Then came Edmund's voice, with words that made the laughter disappear at once.
"Excuse me, Duke, the Holy Kingdom and Imperial carriages are outside the castle."
‘Already?’
It was surprising that they’d arrived earlier than expected, but...….
"Wait a minute."
First, he asked Vivian for her understanding.
Vivian followed him to the entrance, and they went outside together.
Then they stared at the castle gates.
It was just as Edmund had said. A gold and a white carriage stood out in the crowd.
‘That white wagon is definitely...….’
While he was panicking, Vivian spoke in an irritable voice, as if speaking Rosenta’s thoughts.
"What's is the Holy Kingdom's carriage doing here?"
Although she was an uninvited guest, she was a guest.
He treated Yura as if he had known her for a long time, attempting to make it as comfortable as possible.
"I didn't know you’d be stopping by like this."
"Are you upset that I’ve come so suddenly?"
He’d spoken with an air of conviviality.
But he hadn’t expected to receive such a bone-chilling response.
He was taken aback for a second.
Fortunately, he was trying hard to keep a smile around his mouth.
"Not at all. Rather, it’s an honor for you to visit."
In response to his reply, the corners of Yura's mouth drew a smile of satisfaction, and soon her lips twitched.
But before Yura could speak, someone else interrupted the conversation first. It was Vivian.
Vivian spoke to Yura in a very gentle voice.
"The Duke of Estella is very kind, isn't he, Saint?"
Her underlying meaning was different than her words.
From the flow of the conversation, one could gather that they held some less-than-desirable implications.
They were definitely a blow.
Vivian even turned her head away from Yura, as if she didn't need to hear a response.
"Your Majesty."
Then she looked at Theodore with an unflattering gaze and asked the question,
"You said you wanted to hold a banquet as soon as possible. Then you should go to the Imperial Palace as soon as possible. Why are you here?"
‘There’s Vivian’.
This was a socialite’s way of wielding sarcasm. In short, she meant that he should’ve gone straight to the palace, so why was he here with a pest?
Surprisingly, Yura seemed to immediately understand the meaning.
Rosenta looked at her face, which had suddenly turned red and her hands, which were holding a teacup, had visible veins protruding.
"That, that’s right. If you were in such a hurry, you could have gone straight to the palace...….”
Her black eyes, which had been looking down, slowly turned to Theodore.
"Your Majesty has many worries...….”
That's how their eyes met.
For a moment, Yura's face was lively, while Theodore remained indifferent.
She could have been hurt by this. However, Yura smiled shyly as if she did not mind.
She even brought it up again.
"I could have come alone. I made you worry for nothing...….”
"That’s not why I came here."
There was silence.
Theodore brutally cut off Yura's words and dismissed them to the point of embarrassment.
It was sudden. Not only Rosenta, but Vivian kept their mouths shut.
"Your, Your Majesty?"
In a way, Yura’s expression, as the person involved, was beyond words.
She looked like she was struggling not to cry.
But Theodore, once again, paid her no mind.
He just continued what he was saying.
"That’s not why I’m here."
He looked at Rosenta as he said that.
Normally, he would playfully move on, but...…. Strangely, Rosenta couldn't look him in the eye.
It'd been like this since he’d seen him off.
He deliberately avoided Theodore's gaze and was careful not to speak with him.
Even if he tried to pretend that everything was okay, the same thing came to mind every time he saw Theodore.
‘Did my father really do such a terrible thing? How can I face Theodore?’
Even when he wasn’t looking at Theodore, such thoughts would come to mind. But looking straight at Theodore's face...….
He was in such distress.
Not only did he have to manage his expression, but he felt like he wanted to collapse at any moment.
‘Is this a terrible sin?’
“……Yes."
Eventually, he avoided his persistent gaze, but Theodore called him again.
"Rosenta?"
“……Then, since you must be tired, let's stop talking here. I will provide a room for the saint to rest a while before she goes."
He ignored Theodore's call.
And he asked a question to Yura, who was biting her lower lip.
"Saint, are you all right?"
Yura's black eyes turned to him.
The moment their eyes met; her black eyes glowed fiercely.
But it was only for a moment.
It was short enough to be taken for an optical illusion created by his blurred vision.
"Thank you, Duke, but could you do me another favor?"
"Another request?"
It was an unexpected remark.
For some reason, she’d acted as though she were extremely wary of him before she’d left the palace.
‘But she has a favor to ask of me?’
"Could I stay here for a while before the banquet?"
Yura glanced at Theodore and smiled bitterly.
‘Is that why?’
Theodore spoke first before Rosenta could give her an answer.
In a very firm tone, too.
"Wasn't the Saint supposed to go back to the Holy Kingdom? I think it would be better to rest for a while and then return before the Pope comes looking for you."
"Not at all."
However, Yura smiled innocently and laughed it off as if nothing had happened.
There was not an inch of retreat in sight.
"After hearing about the banquet that Lady Marigold just mentioned, I also want to attend. If you’re worried about the Pope, I’ll send him a letter, so it’s fine."
***
Everyone stood up out of their seats.
Ignoring the usual rules of who should leave first, everyone got up from their seats, blaming the "late hour."
In fact, the sun was still setting, but it was just an uncomfortable situation for everyone.
And now.
Rosenta came out to see off those who wanted to leave the duke's castle.
Of course, he was with Yura.
"Your Majesty, Lady Marigold. Thank you for this visit. Please get home safely."
When his greeting was over, Yura walked forward.
Then she lifted the hem of her dress with her white lace-gloved hands, which she’d not taken off even once today.
"Take care you two."
There was no particular response.
Theodore, as well as Vivian, turned to the carriages they came in.
Rosenta could see that the top of the cloth of Yura's dress was getting crumpled. He averted his eyes as if he hadn't seen it.
Then he followed Vivian's lead.
"Carful getting on."
As always, he opened the carriage door and even confirmed that Vivian was seated safely.
Then, as he stepped back, Vivian called to him in a hurry, poking her head out of the window.
"Rosen."
‘Do you have something to say to me?’
As he strode back to the carriage, Vivian covered her mouth and whispered to him.
"My gut tells me she definitely has an ulterior motive. If she bothers Rosen...….”
Vivian stopped talking.
Her eyes seemed to be on someone behind Rosenta instead of him.
With stunned rabbit eyes.
“……Your Majesty?"
Then she called the one approaching.
Rosenta quickly turned at the name Vivian called.
They saw Theodore approaching them. There was no escape.
"Didn't you get on the carriage?"
"Before I leave, I have something to discuss with the Duke of Estella."
He called him the Duke of Estella.
Rosenta understood that he had something to share privately with him.
"Then I'll get going. I think I'll be busy for a few days because a certain someone unexpectedly asked me to do something."
So, Vivian made a joking farewell, and immediately closed the window.
Vivian left.
Rosenta was staring at the back of the Marigold carriage for no reason.
"Rosenta."
Theodore called him.
Normally, he would ask what's going on and if there was anything he could do to help.
But not this time.
Looking into Theodore's brilliant gold eyes, he was breathless.
Extreme anxiety swept over him like a child who’d done something wrong and was on the verge of being scolded.
He managed to control his trembling heart and kept his gaze down.
Then Theodore called him again.
"Rosenta."
At the same time, Theodore's firm hand grabbed his wrist.
"Did I make a mistake?"
"That's...… Let's go."
Giving an unnatural answer, he urgently tried to avoid his gaze.
But Theodore did not let go of his wrists; rather, he pulled him harder.
As if to force him to make eye contact with him.
"Then, are you deceiving me? Are you avoiding my eyes because there's something that you’re hiding from me."
“……What do you mean by that?"
For a complex set of reasons, it didn’t sound like a joke to Rosenta.
Naturally, he raised his head high.
His eyes met with his for a moment and his ever-gentle gold eyes were releasing a fierce glare.
"That was a joke."
And it was fleeting.
Theodore's expression changed instantly as if it really were a joke.
Soon he smiled faintly.
"I just said it because you won’t make eye contact with me, Rosenta."
With those words, Theodore let go of his wrist.
Step, step.
Theodore's footsteps could be heard.
Soon there was even the sound of the remaining carriages and horses leaving.
So, he stood there and watched Theodore's back as he gradually moved farther away.
Until he left the castle completely.
After that, he breathed a sigh full of tremors that he had been holding inside.
"Ha, ha...….”
He covered his face in his hand.
As he uttered the words that he had held back, that he had kept hidden away.
"I'm sorry...….”
The area around the palm that covered his eyes was slightly wet.
With a light fever.