Chapter 5
After finishing my conversation with Pavel, all the fatigue I’d been holding back came crashing down on me.
Planning to lie down for a bit before dinner, I headed to my bedroom.
The moment I opened the door, a thick floral scent flooded my senses. Roses of every color filled the room, and scented candles cast a warm red glow as they welcomed me.
The overpowering fragrance made my head spin.
“Marian…”
“Yes, miss!”
At the sound of her name, Marian suddenly popped out from a corner of the room. I immediately rushed over and clasped both her hands tightly.
“You’re amazing! This is absolutely beautiful!”
Roses were my favorite flower, and I loved everything fragrant and beautiful.
A room surrounded by flowers—how romantic was this?!
As I looked around, my eyes landed on a single red rose inside a large vase on the table.
It was larger and more lush than any rose I’d ever seen. I buried my nose in it and asked,
“Don’t tell me this is—?”
“Yes, it is. A King Rose from the Dua Garden. I managed to get it just in time for your return.”
The King Rose was produced using a proprietary method developed by the Dua family, growing several times larger than ordinary roses and gaining explosive popularity.
It was especially famous as a flower used for anniversaries and marriage proposals.
Most of them were supplied directly to the palace, and even the leftovers were fiercely competed over—making them incredibly difficult to obtain.
“Ah…”
Overwhelmed with emotion, I was momentarily speechless. Marian seemed to understand and handed me an armful of flowers.
As expected, Marian and I were perfectly in sync when it came to these things.
Having lived in the knight order since childhood, I’d had to keep my distance from beautiful things like this.
But being told not to do something only made me want it more. My obsession with beauty only grew stronger.
Even on days when I fought monsters and rolled around in the mud, I found joy in tiny flowers blooming in corners. On my days off, I read romance novels to replenish my withering sensitivity.
Still, very few people around me understood that side of me. No—most of them couldn’t even hold a proper conversation with me.
I’d nearly cracked a subordinate over the head for asking, “You read things like that?” while I was reading a novel.
In that sense, Marian was a precious friend—someone I could actually talk to.
I hugged the flowers she’d given me and inhaled their fragrance deeply.
A week from now, I wouldn’t even be able to enjoy moments like this. I had to savor it while I could.
A proper day off meant eating well, sleeping well, and resting thoroughly.
I wouldn’t move a single step from my bed!
With that firm resolution, I planned to spend the next week doing absolutely nothing.
Knock, knock.
Just as I was about to throw myself onto the bed, someone knocked on the door. The butler’s voice followed.
“Miss, the young duke of the Berg family has arrived.”
“Ricardo Berg…?”
“Yes. He is waiting in the reception room.”
Why was he here?
This was the first time Ricardo had ever come to our estate himself.
Did he hear that I was going on another monster subjugation? Was that reason enough to come all the way here?
This was troublesome.
Ricardo had always been difficult to deal with. He made it painfully obvious that he disliked me, and as a result, I’d never bothered trying to get close to him either.
“So why is that guy here?”
Dragging my heavy body, I trudged toward the reception room.
The moment I opened the door, shimmering golden hair caught my eye.
No matter where he went, his flashy looks stood out. Leaning back on the sofa, Ricardo stared at me as if he’d been waiting for me to arrive.
That gaze made me uncomfortable, and I stepped back slightly as I asked,
“What is it? Why are you here?”
“I heard you’ve scheduled another monster subjugation.”
“You’re well-informed. Why do rumors about me spread so fast? Don’t tell me this was your doing.”
I voiced the suspicion I’d been harboring, but Ricardo responded with a look of utter disdain.
“Why would I bother doing something like that? But why didn’t you tell me you were going?”
Why would I tell you…?
I wanted to question him point by point, but his sheer confidence made me hesitate.
“I only heard about it today myself. But seriously—how did you find out? Don’t tell me you planted a spy.”
“I don’t need to go that far. News about you spreads the moment I step into the plaza.”
“Wow. Life as a celebrity is tough.”
Despite my joking tone, Ricardo only scoffed coldly.
Seriously, I couldn’t stand him.
“Just make sure you keep the promise you made to me last time.”
What promise?
I tilted my head in confusion and sat down on the sofa across from him.
“Promise?”
“I’m going on this subjugation with you.”
Ah. That promise.
So he’d actually meant it when he said he wanted to come along last time. Though, if I remembered correctly, it had sounded more like a one-sided declaration than a promise.
After a brief pause, I asked,
“Did you get your father’s permission?”
His glare sharpened instantly.
What? Why are you looking at me like that?
I glared back just as fiercely. From my perspective, this was a problem too.
What idiot would bring the heir of a ducal house along on a monster subjugation?
“You need to think about my position too. Our knight order already has enough people, and everyone would feel uncomfortable if you came along.”
I wrapped don’t come in polite phrasing, but Ricardo Berg was nothing if not self-centered.
“I’ll stay out of the way and follow quietly. You don’t need to worry about that.”
How was I not supposed to worry? If anything happened to him, I’d be the one held responsible.
At this point, it felt like a new form of harassment. Crossing my arms, I asked sharply,
“Do you really want to come that badly? No—be honest. What exactly is your problem with me?”
I had a pretty good guess, but I’d never heard it directly from his mouth.
Ricardo straightened up from the sofa, braced his hands on the table, and met my gaze.
Then, true to form, the self-centered man began saying only what he wanted to say.
“Was it two years ago? When I joined the knight order because I wanted to become stronger. Back then, I looked down on you. Thought you were just a reckless kid riding on my father’s influence.”
He let out a short, humorless laugh before continuing.
“And a knight order that monopolizes monster subjugation? It was ridiculous.”
I knew well enough that he disliked me.
But did he really have to spell it out so blatantly?
Did this guy not know how to speak tactfully?
My brows furrowed in irritation, and I didn’t feel the slightest need to hold back.
“So what? If you’re unhappy, go beg your father directly. You can’t say a word in front of him, but you act all high and mighty in front of me? Who do you think is ridiculous here?”
As I snapped back, Ricardo leaned closer.
“I want to confirm it. I want to see your strength with my own eyes. That’s why I’m coming.”
Ha…
I let out a short sigh and pressed my fingers to my forehead.
How had we ended up like this?
A long time ago, I’d already given up on any romance with the male lead. I thought at least we could be friends.
But even having a simple conversation like this was exhausting.
I wasn’t entirely unable to understand Ricardo’s feelings.
A girl who’d suddenly appeared—his uncle’s carriage accident victim—had caught his father’s attention and received blind support.
Of course that would feel absurd.
For a teenage boy suffering from emotional neglect, it might have been unbearable.
And though Ricardo didn’t know it, the treasured Berg family sword—something that should’ve been his—had ended up in my hands.
I hadn’t asked for it, but when the duke insisted, I saw no reason to refuse.
I hadn’t done anything wrong.
Yet despite that, a sense of pity toward Ricardo lingered.
In the end, I decided to give in just this once. Come to think of it, I’d always been generous toward him.
“Fine. Do whatever you want. You’re really living up to that young-master status.”
If Captain Alonso found out, he’d clutch the back of his neck and collapse.
…Actually, maybe that made this even better.
Slumping back into the sofa, I waved my hand dismissively, telling Ricardo to leave.
Now that the heir of the ducal house was joining, the schedule would need to be redone. My plan to pack lightly and finish quickly was ruined.
Since things had come to this, I started plotting how to pester Captain Alonso into increasing the budget.
But Ricardo was still standing there, staring at me.
“What? Why aren’t you leaving?”
If you’re done, shouldn’t you go home already?
Despite my curt tone, Ricardo only looked down at me silently.
“Shiona Rodriz.”
“Hm?”
Why was he suddenly getting serious?
At the sound of my name, I lifted my head slightly to look at him.
“When the monster subjugation is over, I have something to tell you.”
“Something to tell me? Why not say it now?”
Ricardo tilted his lips into a crooked smile.
“I don’t feel like saying it now.”
Then don’t bring it up in the first place…
Being that self-indulgent took real talent.
At this point, I wasn’t even annoyed anymore. Shaking my head lightly, I replied with a tone that clearly meant please leave.
“Suit yourself. But shouldn’t the young master head home soon?”
Ricardo scoffed, as if my words weren’t even worth responding to.
After Ricardo left, I returned straight to my room and buried myself in the pile of flowers Marian had prepared, lost in thought.
Come to think of it… has Ricardo met Emilia yet?
Recalling the novel, Ricardo and Emilia’s first meeting was painfully cliché—something you’d seen in countless stories.
The male lead saves the female lead in danger. Though their meeting is fated, misunderstandings arise. Yet even amid those misunderstandings, love begins to bloom.
Emilia’s debutante ball had been just a month ago. That timing marked the beginning of the novel—after her death and regression.
Emilia wouldn’t know yet that Pavel was the one who killed her.
If she truly had regressed like in the novel, she’d be desperately searching for the culprit by now…
In truth, nothing was certain.
Whether Emilia had regressed.
Whether Pavel would truly become a murderer.
At this point, everything was merely speculation.
And yet, the unease lingered. The possibility that events might follow the novel’s path continued to torment me.
If Pavel became a villain who killed countless people…
Would I end up pointing my sword at my own brother?
“Hah…”
I let out a deep sigh.
My brother’s potential karma was far too heavy for me to bear alone.
