TCBUP 66

Chapter 66

The Crimson Rose of the Valley

Emily leaned in and whispered into Nox’s ear.

“Oppa, why are you so dense? I saw it earlier—they really don’t get along, do they?”

“……”

“If that unni tags along, she probably won’t even get to eat properly. The air’s too tense.”

I can hear you, Emily.

As expected of a young girl—her intuition was sharp.

There was no way I could butt in after hearing something like that.

Besides, the thought of dining with Lily… didn’t exactly sound like great digestion.

“Teacher, today is Emily’s day. I think you should honor any request she makes.”

“But, my lady…”

“It’s fine. You should go. Emily’s all relaxed now, so she’s probably hungry.”

I forced a bright smile as I gave Nox a gentle push.

It bothered me to send Lily off with him, but there was no other choice.

All I could do was hope that Nox didn’t end up liking Lily more.

“I’ll contact you later, my lady.”

“Alright. Emily, congratulations again. I hope you’re happier today than anyone else.”

“Thank you.”

Emily hesitated, then tightly hugged the bouquet I’d given her.

“See you next time. And thank you again for the flowers.”

“Don’t mention it.”

I knew Nox would keep hesitating if I didn’t leave first, so I offered a brief nod to Lily and turned away.

Walking slowly toward the exit with my hands folded behind me, I glanced around at the people.

Some groups were happily chatting and offering congratulations, while others were comforting children who hadn’t placed and were now crying.

‘Wait, that guy…?’

In the middle of the crowd, I spotted a familiar face.

A sleek, high-end suit. A trim, slim body unusual for his age. A meticulously styled mustache.

It was none other than Marquis Pites.

And next to him, whispering something with a sly smile, was Judis Melin.

Did those two have a connection?

No way… Is Judis that man’s mistress too?

I squinted at them suspiciously—and then Judis and I locked eyes.

She waved at me enthusiastically. I had no choice but to awkwardly raise my hand in response.

“Why is she acting so happy to see me?”

Feeling uncomfortable, I tried to quickly get away.

But Judis suddenly rushed over, grabbed my arm, and dragged me right in front of Marquis Pites.

“Miss Judis, what are you…?”

“Look who it is. Isn’t this Lady Siena Hagrives?”

“Hello, Marquis Pites.”

Caught off guard, I offered a stiff bow.

I didn’t know what he thought of me—though it surely wasn’t good. Still, he put on a relatively friendly expression.

“The marquis is one of our company’s key clients. He has exceptional taste and is a very generous patron. He even came to watch today’s concours in person.”

“Oh, I see. What about you, Miss Judis?”

“I—well, my company is one of the sponsors of this concours. Oh my, excuse me—I see some people I must greet.”

“Wait, hold on—”

Before I could stop her, Judis excused herself from the marquis and scurried off, leaving me alone with him.

What now? I missed my chance to escape. I guess I’ll have to make some polite conversation.

Forcing a strained smile, I tried the safest topic I could think of.

“I didn’t know Miss Judis was acquainted with you, Marquis.”

“The Melin Company is rather sizable. More importantly, I heard you made quite the impression at Count Cherrat’s banquet?”

“That’s not quite accurate. The credit belongs to Duke Ortiz. I was just struggling to clear my name.”

“Is that so? By the way, Lady Siena…”

“Yes?”

“Do you know The Crimson Rose of the Valley?”

Ah. That was the book I stole from the Cherrat mansion.

When I checked it at home, I found it wasn’t just some old novel—it was covered in cryptic symbols and strange dates, and seemed to be encrypted.

Could he know the ledger was missing?

My heart thumped anxiously.

“Why do you ask, Marquis?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t know?”

He smiled, lips curved with ominous grace.

That smile was chilling enough to make me feel like a rat trapped in a cage.

What should I do?

My mind spun, scrambling for a good answer.

The longer I stayed silent, the more suspicious I would seem.

“You may as well be honest. Seems like you do know something.”

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry. I was just startled you knew about it, that’s all.”

Since it’s come to this, I had no choice but to talk about The Crimson Rose of the Valley.

Avoiding his gaze, I feigned embarrassment and offered a shy laugh.

“It’s actually a very popular book among young ladies these days.”

“Hmm?”

“Ah, perhaps Lady Ariana read it? Is that why you brought it up?”

Ariana was Marquis Pites’ only daughter.

We’d never spoken, but I remembered seeing her clinging to the Empress at a previous banquet.

They said she was the most likely candidate to become Crown Prince Withro’s wife.

“You must be worried it’s inappropriate—but it’s actually a well-known piece of classical literature, Marquis.”

“……”

“I’m sure she read it only for its literary value. I’d like to defend Lady Ariana on her behalf.”

I spoke sincerely, as if I truly cared about protecting Ariana.

But the more I said, the deeper the frown lines etched into the marquis’s forehead.

Not only did I not give him the answer he wanted, I dared to bring up his beloved daughter—someone like me.

He clearly didn’t like that.

“I see. Then, Lady Siena, I’ll be seeing you.”

“Of course.”

Marquis Pites turned and walked away, vanishing swiftly into the crowd.

Was that it? Did I get through it?

Phew. I let out a long breath of relief.

Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the marquis wouldn’t let it end here. Unease lingered.

* * *

As soon as I pushed through the crowd and stepped outside, I looked up.

The sun had already set. The clear night sky glittered with scattered stars.

I regretted not being able to end the day with Nox, but he had looked so sorry—I felt like I’d have another chance soon enough.

I could always use Emily as an excuse to call him out again.

“Ack!”

Where and how should we go on our next date?

As I was pondering this, the carriage turned into a quieter area—and suddenly jolted violently.

My head slammed into the window, and before I could process anything, my body lurched sideways and slammed onto the floor.

“Ah, ugh…”

A groan escaped me.

I had no strength to lift myself. I just lay there, dazed, when I heard unfamiliar voices from outside.

“That’s the girl, right?”

“Yeah. Hey, get the carriage upright!”

“Ugh, annoying. Told you not to go overboard. Now we gotta clean up the mess.”

The girl, they said.

That meant someone had specifically targeted me.

Who? Could it be the marquis?

Maybe that fake excuse earlier really hadn’t fooled him.

My vision blurred and faded, but I struggled to hold on to consciousness.

Then came chaos from outside.

I tried to lift myself, but my head spun and nausea surged violently.

“Ugh…”

Clutching my mouth, I tried to suppress the queasy swell in my gut, but pain and dizziness made it almost impossible.

I barely managed to twitch my fingers. That was it.

Then—BANG! BANG!
Gunshots rang out, followed by the brief screams of men.

I froze where I lay, flinching and pressing myself flat to the floor.

Just a moment ago, I had been consumed by pain—but the sharp terror from those gunshots sent adrenaline surging, and the pain vanished from my mind.

“……”

How long had I been like that?

The wild noise had died down, replaced by an eerie silence.

Could I escape now?

I summoned all my strength and inched my body forward.

They say people can tap into superhuman strength when near death—and sure enough, I was more mobile than before.

Just as I managed to push myself up to a sitting position, the overturned carriage door burst open.

“Gasp—”

Terrified, I instinctively flattened myself to the floor again.

In the dead silence, all I could hear was the thunderous pounding of my own heart.