Rico, who had been following Rosaria, dashed from the door and snatched the sweets from her hand.
“Rico!?”
“I can’t let the Captain taste it for poison! I’ll do it instead!”
With that shout, he shoved the Kroene into his mouth in one bite.
Immediately, he clutched at his throat with a choking sound.
“Rico!”
Watching Rosaria rush to Rico, Annamaria cheered inwardly.
‘Could things get any better than this!?’
She had realized during her first visit to Parsa Castle: this young knight named Rico was definitely in love with Rosaria.
The Potion of Love was a drug that made the one who consumed it feel an inexplicable attraction toward whoever they saw right after taking it.
In this situation, the person Rico would see was Rosaria.
Which meant, even if the potion worked, his attitude wouldn’t change at all.
She could escape having her scheme of spiking the sweets with the Potion of Love revealed.
‘God! I thank—’
She started to pray, but—
“Don’t panic, Rosaria! Step back. Let me. Are you all right? Someone, water!”
Jeremiah pushed Rosaria aside and wrapped an arm around Rico’s shoulder, peering at him.
‘Wait—no, wait just a moment—!’
Annamaria pressed both hands to her cheeks, giving a silent scream.
“Are you insane!? No matter what, if you swallow it in one bite, it’ll get stuck in your throat.”
Jeremiah accepted a glass of water from an attendant and handed it to Rico.
The reason Rico started struggling was because the sweet was caught in his throat.
The Potion of Love caused no pain at all when ingested.
After gulping down the water in one go and taking a breath, Rico turned his gaze to Jeremiah and said, “Thank you, Duke,”
His cheeks flushed pink.
‘God. This is the worst.’ Annamaria looked up at the heavens.
“You? What’s wrong? Are you still not feeling well somewhere?”
While setting the glass he took from Rico’s hands on the table, Jeremiah tried to touch Rico’s shoulder, but Rico gently wrapped both of his hands around Jeremiah’s.
“The Duke saved my life.”
“That’s an exaggeration, you know.”
Even as he kept holding Jeremiah’s hand, Rico started to lean in closer, an unusual fervor in his eyes.
Sensing this, Jeremiah’s body instinctively recoiled.
“Rico, step back!”
Rosaria’s commanding voice seemed to go unheard as Rico, with a desperate look in his eyes, brought his face right up to Jeremiah’s.
His breathing was rough.
“You saved my life… I want to serve by your side.”
Annamaria wanted to cover her face.
The effects of the Potion of Love differed from person to person.
For those who were calm and deeply thoughtful, it might not even be apparent whether they were in love at all.
But for someone exceedingly pure and simple-minded, they could be unable to control their overwhelming feelings, forgetting themselves—just like the scene unfolding before her eyes.
“You’re a knight in service to the Romano Family, so you’d need Count Romano’s permission for that, right?”
“Then please, ask Count Romano for me! Right away! I can’t hold these feelings back any longer, Duke…”
“What’s gotten into you? You’re acting strange.”
Jeremiah tried to pull his hand away from Rico and take a step back, but Rico spread his arms, trying to embrace him.
“Duke!”
“Stop it! Do you intend to shame the Romano Family!?” With fury twisting her beautiful features into a demon’s mask, Rosaria dashed forward.
She grabbed Rico, who was about to embrace Jeremiah, around the waist, and with a shout of effort, hoisted him onto her shoulder.
‘A delicate, lovely young lady easily lifting a sturdy, head-taller young knight’—Jeremiah, seeing it up close, stared wide-eyed and let out a surprised, “Whoa!?”
“Calm down, Rico!” Shouting, Rosaria skillfully maneuvered the young knight’s body on her shoulder, firmly supporting his torso and thighs, preparing to throw him.
Realizing Rosaria’s intent, Annamaria screamed.
“Rosaria, you need to calm down!”
But her cry was in vain.
With all her strength, Rosaria hurled Rico toward the open window leading to the balcony.
“Go cool your head outside!”
Rico’s body flew like a cannonball.
Rosaria only meant to toss Rico out onto the balcony.
However, given her strength, Rico’s body sailed far past the balcony railing.
He was about to crash to the ground, his head destined to be shattered instead of cooled.
“Annamaria!”
A tense call from Galileo.
At that moment, Rosaria seemed to come to her senses, turning pale.
Annamaria stretched both arms toward the balcony.
There was no time to chant a spell.
She focused her magical power into her palms and released it.
Irregular, interwoven strands of translucent light flashed across the balcony.
“Magic without chanting!?”
She heard Jeremiah’s voice, full of astonishment, behind her, but she had no time to turn around.
Rico, who had been hurtling off the balcony at incredible speed, was caught by the translucent light, bounced back, and rolled forcefully across the balcony floor.
Rico’s eyes spun, and he collapsed right there.
“What have I… what have I done…”
Rosaria fell to her knees in shock, while Annamaria tried to calm her racing heart, breathing heavily.
‘…Thank goodness. I made it in time…’
It was extremely difficult to shape magical power and unleash it instinctively without a chant.
Somehow, she had managed to do it, responding in the blink of an eye.
Her stamina was drained all at once.
As her heart settled, a deep regret welled up inside her.
All of this chaos had been caused by her own scheme.
Though she could not have predicted such an unexpected intruder and this much confusion, ultimately, the responsibility rested with Annamaria.
She cursed herself as immature and bit her lip.
Turning to the dumbfounded Jeremiah and his attendants, she bowed deeply.
“I’m terribly sorry, Jeremiah. All this chaos was caused by my own shallow plotting. The blame is mine alone. If anyone should be punished for this disturbance, it is me.”
“Wait, please!” Rosaria, her expression suddenly composed, stood up.
“This disgraceful uproar happened only because I had the audacity to come here. If I had not come, none of this would have happened. The blame is mine.”
Annamaria stared at Rosaria in disbelief as she stepped up beside her.
“Are you an idiot? This all started with my scheme in the first place.”
“Even if your scheme had succeeded, it would have just been the usual game between man and woman. I tried to stop that, and this is what happened. So the blame is mine.”
“It can’t be called just a usual game. In any case, the responsibility is mine.”
“No, it’s mine. I will not back down on this.”
“I absolutely will not back down either.”
“Annamaria, can’t you at least let me take the blame?”
“I wouldn’t give you so much as a crumb of burnt bread, Rosaria.”
The two glared at each other, while the attendants watched in stunned silence.
Galileo pressed a hand to his forehead, shaking his head as if to say “hopeless.”
Jeremiah looked slightly astonished, but after a moment of silence, he spoke.
“Silver Countess and Wild Countess. Both of you, please come with me to the office. I’d like to hear your explanations—slowly and thoroughly.”
Annamaria and Rosaria turned to Jeremiah together and nodded gravely.
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
A serious light shone in Jeremiah’s eyes when he said, “I also have something to consult with you both about. I wish to speak with just the three of us.”