The Beast That Licks Me - Chapter 1.9

***

The drawing room door was open. Stefan, sitting on the sofa, somehow looked a bit angry. Who’s the one who should really be angry? Rosette recalled what happened yesterday. A thousand years’ worth of anger boiled up. She had asked him to help her travel, and he dared to propose? Rosette silently walked with determined steps and sat on the sofa.

Stefan merely glanced at Rosette without saying much. Crossing her legs, Rosette sipped the herbal tea placed before her. The tea tasted unusually strong today.

“Why did you come?”

“Rosette Alpaine.”

Since he rarely called her by her full name, Rosette knew Stefan was thoroughly angry. But so what?

“What, Stefan Demetium?”

Rosette was equally unforgiving. She had told him not to interfere, and he proposed? Stefan finally began glaring at Rosette in response to her cold reaction. However, he wouldn’t say anything else. Their subtle battle of nerves made her throat dry. Just as Rosette took another sip, Stefan finally opened his lips that had been twitching all along.

“I heard you slept with another man.”

“…What?”

Rosette was so shocked that she spat out her tea. Droplets were sprayed directly onto Stefan’s face. Stefan calmly wiped his face with a handkerchief. The process was quite ridiculous given Stefan’s serious demeanor. But Rosette didn’t laugh.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. I heard everything.”

“Who told you what?”

“That there was a naked man in your bed this morning.”

Rosette let out a short sneer. Judy, you’ve really lost your mind. It had only happened this morning. It was just past lunchtime now, and Evan’s existence had become known during lunch. There wasn’t enough time for another maid to have spread the word. There was only one culprit. Judy.

“Come to think of it, Judy was the maid you introduced to me.”

When Judy’s name came up, Stefan visibly flinched.

“You’ve been spying on me.”

At Rosette’s coldly sunken voice, Stefan hastily tried to make excuses.

“It’s not like that. I heard it through rumors.”

“The rumors reached you quite quickly. It only happened this morning.”

“Are you admitting that the rumor is true?”

“Yes. But it’s not what you think. For details, ask my parents. They know him, too.”

Stefan looked confused by Rosette’s cold tone. Rosette continued to snap at Stefan.

“How many more ears do you have in the Count’s household?”

“Ears? That’s a harsh way to put it, Rosette.”

“It’s not wrong, though.”

Stefan couldn’t hide his bewilderment at Rosette’s haughty attitude. Perhaps he thought he had the upper hand since Rosette appeared to be in the wrong.

“It’s not like that. Since she was close to me, we occasionally met and she told me about things you like. It’s nothing serious.”

“Really? Then I can tell my Dad the same thing? Since it’s nothing serious?”

“That’s…”

Stefan couldn’t continue. In reality, Stefan’s actions were quite wrong. It was essentially the same as sending a spy into the Count’s household. It was a serious matter that could lead to suspicion and dismissal of all the servants. If she had entered as Rosette’s servant, there was no rule saying she couldn’t also serve the Count and Countess. Knowing this, Stefan tried to gloss over the matter, and Rosette pointed this out precisely.

“Rosette, please listen to me.”

Was it wrong to have lived thinking that letting things slide was for the best? Rosette felt easily fatigued by this not-so-long conversation. Cutting off Stefan’s words, she said.

“For a while, I don’t want to see your face.”

“Rosette!”

“Go home.”

“We’re about to get married. It makes no sense to fall out over something like this.”

“You know that planting someone in the Count’s household is no small matter. And as you said, we’re about to get married, but we’re not married yet.”

“Rosette, please.”

“I have nothing more to say. If you’re curious about that man’s identity, visit my parents and demand an explanation. And if you’re still unhappy with that, I don’t mind breaking off the engagement.”

When Rosette cut him off, Stefan’s face turned pale.

“Breaking the engagement? That’s absurd.”

“Why is it absurd? You spied on me, and beyond that, on our household. Isn’t that more absurd? You should be grateful I’m not running to my parents to tell them right now.”

“Even so, we’ve been engaged for a period of time. We can’t end it like this.”

“It’s not over. I’ll write to you when I want to see you again. I’m busy, so I’ll be going now.”

Saying that, Rosette stood up. As she tried to leave without looking back, Stefan gripped her wrist tightly.

“What are you doing?”

“Listen to me. You can’t leave before you do.”

Rosette was dumbfounded by his forceful attitude.

“Let go.”

Rosette tried her best to shake him off, but he wouldn’t budge.

“Listen to what I have to say.”

“Let go, I said let go!”

Rosette shouted and twisted her body. The movement caused them both to stagger like reeds in the wind. When Stefan’s knee hit the table, the teacup fell directly onto Rosette.

“Rosette!”

Crash-

The teacup that fell to the floor made a loud noise as it shattered. Becky, who had been waiting outside, flung the door open.

“Miss! Are you alright?”

“No, I…”

Stefan tried to say something in confusion, but Becky ignored him completely and checked Rosette’s condition. The drawing room was already a mess. The luxurious tea set, which couldn’t be bought even with a commoner’s monthly salary, was in pieces scattered across the floor, and the beige tapestry on the floor was soaked with an ugly greenish tea stain. The most serious concern was Rosette’s leg.

“Oh no. Blood, you’re bleeding!”

A streak of bright red blood ran down Rosette’s snow-white calf. It seemed a piece of the broken teacup had grazed her calf. The problem was that she was wearing slippers with her indoor clothes. Rosette gave Stefan, who didn’t know what to do, a cold look before leaving. Becky quickly followed behind her.

“Miss, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Oh my, what’s all this about…”

Though Rosette replied that way, she didn’t look fine at all, but the perceptive Becky didn’t pry further.

“You’re going straight to Evan, right?”

“Huh?”

“You need to treat that wound.”

“Ah… right.”

Rosette trailed off, thinking about Evan’s current state. Becky was also one of the servants who knew about Evan’s situation.

“I should go see Evan.”

“Good thinking. If walking is difficult, should I call for a knight?”

“It’s not that serious.”

Rosette shook her head at Becky’s fussing. Before she knew it, Rosette had arrived at Evan’s door.

“Could you wait outside for a bit?”

“Yes, of course. Call me immediately if anything happens.”

Becky was treating the mansion like a completely dangerous place just because Rosette got injured from a broken teacup. Not minding Becky’s fussing, Rosette nodded and went inside.

“Oh, Rosette! You’re back already?”

Evan was still sitting and eating cake. He must have eaten at least a whole cake by now. Without a maid to assist him and being clumsy with the fork, Evan’s clothes and hands were covered in cream. Nevertheless, Evan looked splendid. Had she been unconsciously imagining him in dog form? The current Evan felt somewhat unfamiliar.

“Yes. It was nothing important.”

“It was Stefan, right? Why did he come?”