They returned to the castle.
"Enoch, you can take a rest now."
Rosenta unwound Enoch’s hand from around his waist and immediately turned around.
He wanted to rest as soon as possible.
So, he put his hand on the doorknob to quickly leave, but he immediately heard Enoch's question from behind him.
"Is that okay?"
He didn't look back.
He tried to think of what Enoch's question was referring to.
‘Oh, he means Anna.’
Anna just kept saying sorry while shedding tears without giving any answers to his questions.
"Yes."
But he didn’t harm Anna, and he just felt disappointed.
He released Anna straight away.
It wasn’t because he was weak-hearted or kind that he let Anna go so easily.
“……It was a warning."
While still holding the doorknob, he turned his head back slightly.
Then he continued, speaking while looking at the pale green eyes, which were still focused on him.
"She can’t speak carelessly because of the curse on her. Her mind is even somewhat damaged."
“……I see."
One side of Enoch's crept up.
His venom was apparent.
"If she were to wander the streets in such a state, would she even be able to survive unscathed?"
The more Rosenta continued, the more and more the corners of Enoch's mouth twisted.
Soon he was smiling broadly.
"I thought that, since you’re a good person, you would forgive her unconditionally...….”
Enoch gradually approached him.
Then he stopped in front of him and lowered his head slowly.
Rosenta didn't shy away from those eyes.
Rather, he faced that gaze directly and tightened his grip on the doorknob.
"If you liked me because you thought I was nice, you'd better go find someone else."
He proceeded to turn the doorknob.
Without even hearing Enoch's answer, he went through the door and released it.
Through the closing door gap, he could see Enoch's two eyes staring at him, motionless.
"No way."
Just before the door completely closed, Enoch put his hand through the gap.
Then he opened it.
Before he knew it, Enoch's eyes were curved and smiling to the fullest.
“……You can have a good heart, a strict attitude, or a wrathful temperament."
Normally, they would never have had this type of conversation in the open.
But Rosenta was just quietly listening to Enoch as he stood in the hallway.
He was curious. What would Enoch say next...….
"It's you, not the ‘good duke,’ that I like; it's all of you, no matter which you."
After saying that, Enoch released the edge of the door he was holding tightly.
The door closed.
"Oh...….”
Rosenta quickly covered the lower part of his face.
After covering his face with his palm, he quickly walked down the hallway.
He couldn’t let others see his red face.
***
His face had been flushed face since the morning.
Enoch, who was staring at him blankly, reached toward his forehead.
"I’m fine."
But he avoided his hand.
Without making eye contact, Rosenta picked up his coat as if he were busy.
Enoch came up to him with a tie when he saw that he was about to leave.
Rosenta tried to evade that approach as well.
“……I'll do it."
He took it so quickly that he seemed to be snatching the tie.
He thought that Enoch might offer to tie it again, so Rosenta left the room with it.
Of course, he gave an excuse.
"I’m running late for breakfast, so I'll tie it on my own while I move."
"Sigh."
He heard Enoch's hollow sigh.
But it wasn't that he purposefully avoided making eye contact with Enoch.
To put it bluntly, he couldn’t handle it.
"Duke."
Rosenta tried to put on his tie quickly.
But whether it was because it’d been a long time since he’d done it himself, or he was too concerned with others’ gazes...….
He kept failing to tie his tie straight.
His hands were shaking.
"Duke."
In the end, Enoch grabbed him, feeling frustrated with him. Then he took the tie from his hand.
Rosenta desperately wanted to shake him off.
However, as he’d failed on his own, he accepted Enoch's touch this time.
Enoch pulled up his shirt collar and tucked the tie beneath it.
Rosenta felt his touch so strongly that his neck almost felt hot.
"It's done."
‘Were Enoch's black eyelashes always so pretty?’
‘Come to think of it, his hair has grown a lot.’
"Duke?"
“……You did a great job."
‘What the hell am I thinking...….’
He quickly turned around and resumed walking without giving Enoch any time to follow.
When he felt him catching up and getting closer to him, Rosenta accelerated his speed.
To hide his red face.
"Sigh."
A faint sigh escaped Rosenta, though it wasn’t certain whether it was because it was difficult to walk so fast, or if it was a reflection of his confused mind.
It kept coming to my mind.
From the time he’d seen Enoch that morning, what he said yesterday...….
***
Time flew by.
Maybe it's because of the sudden banquet, but everyone had been busy preparing and running around since yesterday.
Of course, Rosenta was also so busy that he didn't even have time to rest in his bedroom.
When he finished breakfast, Vivian sent him a letter asking him to meet in a hurry.
At the villa of the marquis.
He went to see Vivian in a hurry because he was wondering what was going on.
But there was nothing wrong.
Rather, Vivian was waiting for her (Rosa) with the same dresses she had given her as a gift.
"Hmm, now that I see you wearing it, you'd better take this ring off. I think it's too much. And...… Hmmm."
‘I’ve never prepared this much. How many times does Vivian change at a banquet?’
It was hard just changing accessories and shoes.
But because she was worried, she couldn't shake off Vivian, who had postponed her own makeover that day.
"Oh, my. It's already time...…!”
The evening was near before long.
The sun hadn't set yet, but the dark sky was telling them the time.
As Vivian quickly swept the items aside and put them away.
Then, Rosa put a few of the trinkets she’d prepared into the box.
"I gave the excuse that I was tired in order to send the villa’s staff away, but I have to get ready soon before everyone gets here."
Vivian put the shoes in the box and held them out to Rosa.
"I hope the young lady got some rest."
"How tired she must have been to come to the villa and rest."
Suddenly, there was a commotion outside.
Her red eyes widened like a scared rabbit’s, and she rushed out of the room.
"Miss?"
"I woke up from my nap and I’m so hungry. I need to eat something."
"What? You don't usually eat anything before you go to a party...… What? Miss?"
But Rosa didn't panic.
Because she wasn't alone in this villa.
She opened the window and saw a crow sitting on a branch and called out to it.
"Enoch."
***
Rosenta descended at a high speed.
He closed his eyes tightly amidst the cold air and the dizzying speed.
And when he opened his eyes again, he was in Enoch’s arms, sitting in the top floor window.
Their eyes met.
He quickly left Enoch's arms and placed the box on the floor. Then he straightened out his messy hair and clothes.
Enoch looked at him with a gloomy gaze and asked him out of the blue,
"Are you okay?"
"What?"
While he untangled his tangled hair, he waited for Enoch's answer.
Enoch didn’t answer immediately but quietly came up behind him and grabbed a handful of his messy hair.
Then, he started to speak while carefully combing with his fingers.
"You refused to let me anywhere near you this morning, and I was wondering if you were okay now."
He paused for a moment.
He’d tried to forget about that, but when Enoch mentioned it, he remembered it all over again.
His mouth went dry.
"I never avoided you...….”
This stupid answer was the only thing he could say.
He looked outside for no reason.
He thought there might be something else to talk about, so he focused his attention.
"What?"
There was some commotion.
He didn’t know if it was because he was paying full attention, but it seemed to be especially noisy below.
First, he pushed Enoch's hand away for a moment to look outside.
"Hold on for a moment."
He looked straight down.
In front of the main gate were the white carriages of the Holy Kingdom, which were arranged in a straight line.
And there were also people carrying luggage and loading them into the wagon.
It was too much to be preparing for the banquet.
Enoch, who was looking down with him, let out a snort as he meaningfully remarked,
"That's strange. They're preparing to leave at the same time as they're about to attend the banquet."
It was as Enoch said.
Rosenta realized it was definitely weird and went straight down.
As he went the entire way unblocked, he encountered the saint in the hall on the first floor.
Yura wore a white veil and a long, white dress with a train dragging behind her.
"Duke?"
Yura approached with a smile.
And then she started talking as if she knew what he was going to say.
"As soon as the banquet is over, I think I'll have to hurry back to the Holy Kingdom."
"Are you leaving so suddenly?"
"Yes, I have heard from the Pope, so was looking for you, duke...….”
It was a voice full of regret.
He had nothing to say. It was true that he’d been away from the castle since breakfast.
"I see. Something suddenly came up, so I went out."
"Oh, you went out. Then you didn't go to your bedroom or anywhere else today, did you?"
He nodded.
At first glance, her face, which was covered by a white veil, seemed to be smiling.
Of course, Yura's tone didn't match her smile.
"Oh, my. That's why I couldn't find you no matter how much I looked for you!"
It was truly a pity.