Chapter 91
The next morning, just as had been arranged, a servant came early to the room shared by Rosie and Cliden.
He was carrying a large gift box, which he handed to Rosie as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Caught off guard by the unexpected gift, Rosie stared at him with a bewildered expression. The servant spoke calmly.
“This is a gift for you, my lady. We would be grateful if you would wear it to breakfast.”
When he opened the lid, inside lay a silk dress and a necklace made of thickly layered gemstones, stacked several layers deep.
The dress was one thing, but the necklace was so extravagant that Rosie gasped in surprise.
“I can’t possibly accept something like this—”
“We heard you will soon be married, and it would have been unthinkable not to send a gift. Please don’t feel burdened by it.”
As if he had anticipated her reaction, the servant continued smoothly. Rosie looked at Cliden with troubled eyes.
She wasn’t going to remain his lover forever—was it really okay to accept something like this so easily?
However, Cliden gave a small nod and addressed the servant.
“Yes. Please convey our thanks.”
It was his way of telling her not to worry.
Left with no real choice, Rosie accepted the box from the servant. It was far heavier than she had expected.
The servant added,
“Once you have changed and are ready, please let us know. I will escort you to the dining room.”
“Yes, understood.”
After the servant left, Rosie turned to Cliden, still looking doubtful.
“Is this… really okay to accept?”
“Please do. Since it’s a congratulatory gift for our marriage, there’s no proper reason to refuse.”
“Even so, it feels excessive…”
Rosie murmured as she stared at the thick, glittering, overly ornate necklace.
Indeed, a necklace like that could easily purchase a small mansion in the capital. To hand over something so valuable without hesitation was undeniably excessive.
Having reached that thought, Cliden muttered,
“Now that I think about it, it is excessive. There may be some unsavory magic placed upon it. Let me check.”
Startled, Rosie quickly handed him the necklace.
Cliden carefully examined every part of it—checking for traces of dark magic, or any magic at all.
But contrary to his suspicions, he sensed nothing from it.
He handed the necklace back to Rosie.
“It’s safe.”
She accepted it with a slightly uncomfortable expression.
In truth, she hadn’t been worried about magic. It was simply that the necklace felt far too lavish and expensive for her to wear.
Still, after confirming it posed no danger, she could no longer refuse—especially knowing how Cliden would react if she did.
With a small sigh, Rosie spoke.
“They went to such trouble… I suppose I can’t not wear it. I’ll go change first.”
Leaving Cliden in the sitting room, Rosie went inside and stood before the full-length mirror after changing.
She had deliberately worn the dress she once wore on a cruise, thinking it appropriate for a visit to a marquis’s estate. But the newly gifted dress was on an entirely different level.
Her eyes widened at her reflection.
I look like Director Ainar…
Even wearing nothing more than a shirt and jacket, Ainar always dressed flamboyantly enough to stand out from afar—and this felt much the same.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
“Are you finished changing?”
“Ah—yes! You may come in.”
Rosie hastily adjusted her clothes and opened the door.
Cliden, standing outside, looked at her with a faintly surprised expression.
Blushing slightly, Rosie asked,
“Does it look awkward?”
“…Not at all.”
Cliden replied slowly.
He had always thought her pretty—but now, dressed like this, she was stunning enough to take him by surprise.
Flustered by the way his gaze kept drifting back to her, he spoke again.
“Why aren’t you wearing the necklace?”
“Ah, well…”
The thick, multi-layered necklace wasn’t easy to fasten by herself. She had come out wearing only the dress.
Holding the necklace, Rosie glanced at Cliden. He finally realized and said,
“Ah. I’ll put it on for you.”
“…Please.”
She shyly handed it to him, swept her hair to one side, and turned her back.
Her slender neck filled Cliden’s field of vision. He cleared his throat once before draping the necklace around her neck.
As he reached to fasten the hook, he noticed something.
“…What is this?”
Frowning, Cliden stared at the back of her neck.
There was a burn scar—one that looked like it had been there for a long time.
“…Ah, that?”
Rosie hesitated, momentarily flustered.
It was such an old wound that she hadn’t even thought about it.
“It’s a burn scar. I’ve had it since I was very young, so I forgot about it. …It’s ugly, isn’t it?”
“…Did you perhaps get burned in a fire?”
But the scar wasn’t large, and its rounded shape didn’t resemble an injury from a fire.
Then that means…
Cliden fell silent.
Although things had improved greatly, he knew well that in the past, nobles had inflicted countless cruel acts upon their servants.
“It wasn’t anything like that. Anyway, I’m fine now, so please don’t worry.”
Rosie smiled lightly, as if to dismiss it.
Yet somehow, the smile felt forced—like she didn’t want to talk about it any further.
Something must have happened.
It was clear there was a story behind the scar, but with her reacting this way, Cliden couldn’t press the matter.
Without another word, he fastened the necklace.
Looking closely, the scar had darker and lighter patches—but once the layered necklace was in place, it was completely concealed.
As if the necklace existed solely to hide it.
“…Cliden?”
Having noticed his silence, Rosie turned her head slightly to look back at him.
Cliden withdrew his hands and took a step back.
“It’s done.”
Perhaps he had been overly sensitive.
Shaking off his thoughts, Cliden focused on Rosie.
Dressed in a splendid gown and an even more splendid necklace, she looked entirely natural—like someone born to wear such things.
Was it because of her beauty? Or the subtly elegant air she had always carried?
“Shall we go, then?”
“Yes.”
“This way, please.”
Setting aside his lingering doubts, Cliden escorted her naturally.
The servant waiting outside immediately led them to the dining room.
Inside sat Wilhelm, Ainar, and the Marquis.
Cliden greeted him smoothly.
“Thank you for inviting us to breakfast, Marquis Portrey.”
“The honor is mine—sharing a morning meal with the famed young Duke of Diero. Please, take a seat.”
The marquis had silver hair and violet eyes like Ainar and Wilhelm.
But unlike the sharp features he had imagined, the man looked gentle and kindly.
Rosie found this unexpected as she observed him.
The marquis’s gaze shifted from Cliden to her.
“Ah, so you must be the young lady I’ve heard so much about.”
“Yes. This is Miss Rosie.”
At Cliden’s introduction, Rosie bowed politely.
All those childhood lessons—getting smacked on the calves alongside Lily—had paid off. Her manners were flawless.
The marquis laughed heartily.
“Indeed. She seems more than worthy to be the future lady of House Diero.”
“You flatter us.”
Cliden said as he pulled out a chair for Rosie.
She sat down, tense.
No matter how kind he seemed, facing the Marquis of Portrey made it hard to relax.
Then, she met the eyes of the man sitting across from her.
“Did you sleep well, Rosie?”
It was Ainar.
It felt strangely like it had been a long time since they’d properly faced each other like this. Ainar smiled, his lips curling upward unconsciously.
Dressed in such an unusually glamorous gown and necklace, she looked breathtaking.
“I expected it to suit you—but this exceeds my expectations.”
Rosie blinked, then stiffened.
She had forgotten to thank Wilhelm for the gift.
Ainar must have known it was his gift—that was why he said such a thing.
“Ah—come to think of it, thank you for the gift you sent this morning, Lord Wilhelm.”
But at her words, Wilhelm simply stared at her blankly, as though hearing it for the very first time.
