Chapter 28
Having achieved her goal, Rosanne pushed away Chayton, who had been supporting her, and stood up as if nothing was wrong.
“There’s no need to stay here. I think it would be better to go inside the manor and talk.”
Her voice carried a hint of fear, as if she was afraid that the sweet sanctuary she had barely found might be shattered.
“No. It’s fine. And the reason I called you here today is…”
Rosanne looked closely at Chayton’s face. Just moments ago he had clearly looked unwell, but now he seemed much more at ease.
‘His madness must be calming down.’
Rosanne nodded and held out her hand as if asking him to escort her.
“Today, I didn’t call you to the manor. I called you for a date outside.”
Chayton accepted Rosanne’s invitation, and the two of them traveled by carriage to a lakeside.
It was a place Rosanne had already researched for a date.
‘There are a lot of couples.’
It was a popular spot among noble lovers recently, known for renting rowboats where they could share private conversations.
‘It helps reduce his madness, creates rumors that House Leilaten is openly dating the Grand Duke of Barpheus, and it’s also perfect for private discussions.’
Today, Rosanne planned to ask Chayton about what happened ten years ago with the punitive expedition, and why he developed madness after sealing the dragon.
Once they were on the boat, there would be nowhere to escape—truly perfect.
“Let’s go, Grand Duke.”
Rosanne led Chayton forward.
“Ah?”
Chayton responded blankly, looking at the lakeside filled with couples wrapped in pink, romantic energy.
At first, he had been surprised when Rosanne suggested a date, but he quickly calmed down.
On the surface, they were supposed to pretend to be lovers. That would give them more reasons to meet often.
Rosanne had said that before.
So he assumed the “date” was just part of maintaining appearances. A way to deceive others.
After that unexpected kiss that had once caused him to misunderstand her intentions, Chayton thought they would simply walk around and return to the manor.
He never expected a place like this.
It was his first time at a noble dating spot for couples.
Chayton froze stiffly.
“Grand Duke?”
Rosanne waved her hand in front of his face.
“Ah?”
Chayton, who had been staring at the romantic atmosphere all around, turned his reddened eyes toward Rosanne.
“Do you maybe have aquaphobia? Are you afraid of water?”
Rosanne asked with concern.
Chayton couldn’t hide his disbelief at her sincere worry.
No one had ever asked him if he had fears before.
On the contrary, people only feared him—so much so that they avoided him entirely.
“Ha.”
A dry laugh escaped him. Men twice his size would tremble in fear at the sight of him, yet this woman—who could barely walk without looking like she might collapse—showed no fear of him at all.
“It’s fine. This was simply my mistake in choosing the place. If you’re scared, we don’t have to take the boat.”
Rosanne reached out and gently patted his shoulder, as if soothing a frightened child.
That gesture, treating him like a child, strangely irritated Chayton.
Frowning, he suddenly grabbed her hand as she was comforting him.
It was a small, soft hand that fit easily within his own.
So small… and yet…
“I’m not scared.”
He said bluntly and pulled her forward.
After paying the boatman, Chayton stepped onto the rowboat. The calm water rippled as the boat rocked.
“Your Grace.”
Chayton held out his hand toward Rosanne to steady her.
She looked around. Everyone nearby pretended not to notice while clearly watching them.
‘Holding hands would be best here.’
Rosanne took his hand and carefully stepped onto the boat.
“Do we not need to hire a boatman?”
she asked as she sat down.
“I can row.”
Chayton took his seat and began rowing with practiced ease. The boat quickly drifted away from land.
“Oh.”
This was Rosanne’s first time on a boat. More precisely, it was her first time seeing a clear lake untouched by blood.
Everything she had seen before had been either lakes stained red with death or polluted waters she could never even step into.
“So fun?”
Chayton asked, watching her expression. Rosanne nodded, closing her eyes.
“The wind… feels nice.”
Each ripple of the water rocked the boat gently.
The warm breeze brushing her face made her feel drowsy, like she might drift into the sky.
So this kind of world exists too.
As Rosanne enjoyed the wind with her eyes closed, the boat carrying them had already drifted toward the center of the lake.
Once they were far enough from others, Chayton rowed more leisurely.
“How do you know how to do this?”
Normally, nobles did not know how to row, instead hiring boatmen or servants.
But since Rosanne wanted a private conversation about the punitive expedition and his madness, she had even considered rowing herself.
“I learned when I was young and practiced alone.”
Chayton stopped rowing and stood, lifting a lace parasol from the boat.
The calm lake rippled as the boat shifted.
He tilted the parasol to shade Rosanne’s face from the strong sunlight.
Even though he himself remained exposed to the harsh sun without care.
“Why did you learn rowing when you were young?”
“In case I was thrown onto some deserted island. I thought I’d need to escape by boat. I studied survival from books, practiced everything I could alone. I didn’t want to die.”
Even though he didn’t specify anyone, it was obvious who he meant.
“…The Emperor.”
Rosanne said it without hesitation. Her calm tone surprised Chayton.
“Your Grace.”
He lowered his voice.
“To be honest, I don’t understand what you want from me. Calming my madness, and the Leilaten family—central to the Emperor’s faction—associating publicly with me… it’s all beneficial to me, isn’t it?”
“On the surface, yes.”
“On the surface?”
“I hate the Emperor treating House Leilaten like a dog.”
For the first time, emotion flickered across Rosanne’s usually calm face.
“It’s disgusting how he believes the Leilaten family can never disobey him.”
A burning rage, one that showed no sign of cooling, appeared in her eyes.
Chayton was seeing Rosanne’s anger for the first time.
“Emperor’s faction? Let’s be clear. Leilaten didn’t become the center of the faction…”
Rosanne reached out and took the lace parasol from his hand.
“The Emperor placed Leilaten there. As a puppet. And I really hate that.”
She spun the parasol lightly. Light and shadow danced across her face.
Chayton stared blankly at his empty hand. It was trembling.
Even in wars, even when leading troops through civil conflict, he had never trembled.
But now he was shaking in front of this small woman’s anger.
‘It feels familiar… somehow.’
He frowned.
This depth of rage. This instinctive fear and awe.
It felt like something he had experienced before—but he couldn’t remember.
“…The Emperor might abandon Leilaten. He might frame you all and kill you.”
“He won’t. He doesn’t have the courage.”
He can’t even kill me, someone he sees as an eyesore. He only sends me out whenever war threatens, constantly on edge.
Rosanne understood the Emperor better than anyone.
“And right now, the Emperor has other things to worry about.”
She said firmly.
“The hero is gone. Do you really think he has time to focus on nobles?”
“So you don’t need to worry about me. I told you before—don’t hesitate because of my situation. Hold on tightly and never let go.”
Because I won’t either.
She spun the parasol again. Shadows and sunlight flickered across her face.
“Now that I’ve answered your question, it’s my turn.”
She stopped the parasol.
“I’ve been studying the history of the Empire recently, and your story came up. Ten years ago—you went on the dragon subjugation expedition, didn’t you?”
At the mention of the “dragon subjugation expedition,” Chayton’s face tightened.
“I heard the entire expedition team died.”
A cool shadow fell across Rosanne’s face.
It was a casual question.
Yet an overwhelming pressure filled the air. It felt as if something invisible was pressing down on him.
Breathing became difficult.
“The truth about what happened after sealing the dragon—”
At that moment, Rosanne frowned. She quickly raised the parasol and used it to shield both of them.
“What—”
A shadow fell, and suddenly the sunlight vanished. Chayton froze at the sudden closeness of her presence.
And then—
Swish!
An arrow tore through the parasol, flying between Rosanne and Chayton into the air.
It had narrowly missed due to the sudden obstruction.
“Your Grace.”
Rosanne smiled.
“I thought it might be better if you used a parasol too, since the sun is quite strong.”
