You think you're worthy of saving the world?

"And what about Cecilia?"

Rosalia countered, "And what kind of feelings do you have for little Yuri?"

“Yuri is an important person to me, and I must protect him.”

Cecilia and Rosalia exchanged glances, and Cecilia answered without hesitation: "From anyone who wants to use Yuri."

Rosalia smiled gently: "You want to stay by Yuri's side and protect him, so you want to become his fiancée?"

“Yes.” The blonde knight nodded emphatically.

"And what about your romantic relationships?" Rosalia pressed.

"—"

Cecilia pursed her lips in silence, then shook her head and honestly uttered a sentence.

"I don't know, I don't really understand what love is..."

"I see... Cecilia, you're no different from 'my past self.'"

"What……?"

The Grand Duchess said coldly, "It's all just self-satisfaction; they all want to achieve self-realization through Yuri."

Cecilia, you haven't considered Yuri's feelings at all...

At least for now, you're not qualified to be his fiancée.

"I'm not..." the blonde knight hummed weakly.

"Let's end the conversation here. I'm going back to my room."

Rosalia tidied the files on her desk, then got up from the sofa, hugging herself to her chest.

As she turned around, Cecilia's disgruntled question came through.

"Have you changed your attitude towards Yuri now?"

Rosalia stopped and turned around, revealing a mysterious and beautiful smile.

In the depths of her gaze was a defiant gleam, and a delicate blush rose on her exquisite cheeks.

"I like Yuri."

"……what?"

Cecilia suspects there's something wrong with her ears.

"Ah, it shouldn't be called 'like,' it should be 'love.'"

The Grand Duchess narrowed her eyes slightly, her bright red lips forming a twisted arc.

"I love Euryphus Falción."

"Uh……"

Cecilia looked at Rosalia, and for the first time, a girlish shyness appeared on her dignified and noble face.

—She was serious, not joking.

Cecilia suddenly felt a wave of dizziness deep in her head.

I really wanted to yell at the other person, but I couldn't say a word.

Love knows no age, so even an age gap of more than a decade won't be a problem, but...

"Do you want to have a secret relationship with Yuri...?"

"No."

Rosalia answered decisively: "I want to be with Yuri openly and honestly, and let everyone know that I am Yuri's woman."

"But if we do that, public opinion will definitely not accept it..."

Rosalia scoffed at Cecilia's concerns.

She crossed her arms over her ample bosom and wore a fearless smile.

“I’ll shut them all up.”

"!"

Rosalia's cold words made Cecilia's shoulders tremble, and she was stunned as if she had been electrocuted.

She was able to answer so confidently because she was full of confidence in herself.

That was a confidence and composure that Cecilia could never possess.

The figure was so dazzling that Cecilia couldn't help but look away.

"Since I've already decided to go against the world's opinion, I don't mind going even further."

“What exactly do you mean by something even more extreme…?” Cecilia asked, her voice trembling.

Rosalia smiled and squeezed her hand.

The Grand Duchess's soft palms were so cold that they made the girl shrink back.

"For example, serving the same husband as you..."

"!"

Cecilia's mouth dropped open.

Rosalia continued, "I had already prepared for this."

Unfortunately, it seems you don't share that view, so let's leave this topic at that.

After saying this, Rosalia returned to her room alone, leaving Cecilia standing there in a daze.

……

……

……

Nine p.m.

After finishing his daily training and practice, Yuri returned to his room.

Just as I was about to go to bed, I heard a knock on the door.

"Master...are you resting?"

It's Annabelle's voice.

After receiving permission, the purple-haired maid opened the door to the room.

It was quite unusual for her not to be with Eileen, but to appear alone in Yuri's room.

Annabelle wore a maid outfit that Yuri had customized for her. The revealing and seductive clothing wrapped around her mature and alluring body, and her full breasts and slender waist outlined a taut curve.

"Anna... is something the matter so late?"

Yuri looked at Annabelle.

Because there are now two maids in the house, their working hours have been greatly reduced, and they have free time after 9 p.m.

The moment Euryphus spoke, Annabelle's delicate body trembled slightly, like a frightened little bird.

Annabelle could almost hear her own heartbeat, which was pounding wildly in her chest.

She pursed her lips, trying to hide her shame, and then took a deep breath.

“Master, I haven’t thanked you for what happened the night before last.”

She was referring, of course, to the death of Siegel.

If it weren't for Euryphus's help, she would probably be disgraced and waiting for trial in the dungeon by now.

Annabelle felt grateful to Yuri, but more importantly—

Yuri's willingness to become an accomplice to crime deeply moved her.

Therefore, I must also show the corresponding sincerity.

—That's what Eileen said.

"Oh, didn't we already thank you?"

Yuri tilted his head and thought for a moment.

That rainy night, after the three of them returned home, Annabelle, accompanied by Eileen, went to his room to thank him.

"No. That's not enough, and more importantly..."

Annabelle pressed her clenched right fist against her pert chest and said with a sad expression.

"I did some very bad things to you before, and said some very bad things... I hope you can forgive me."

"I didn't take it to heart."

Yuri replied without hesitation, "I know Anna very well. Although you were very strict at the time, you certainly didn't mean me any harm."

"...Woo."

The more Yuri spoke politely, the more ashamed Annabelle felt, and the more she loathed her past self.

"Master, can you forgive me?" she asked, trembling.

Yuri replied with a smile.

"Whether I forgive you or not, Anna, I've never held a grudge against you from the very beginning."

Hearing the black-haired boy's seemingly casual words, Annabelle felt an even stronger sense of sorrow.

Just as Eileen had said, gaining his master's forgiveness wouldn't be so easy; he would have to show even more "sincerity"...

"What's wrong, Anna?" Yuri asked with concern.

The purple-haired maid shook her head. She placed her right hand on her chest, feeling her racing heartbeat. Her body was slightly hunched, and her legs unconsciously curled up a little.

Annabelle bit her lip gently, tears welling up in her eyes from shame.

—That's the only thing we can do.

She took a deep breath, then reached her hands behind her waist—unfastening the white apron of her maid outfit.