You Are Gentle, But You Don’t Love Me - Chapter 41

The excuse they gave Arborea—that Rosaline was assisting with the preparations for the Escalus banquet—was just that. An excuse.

A way to justify her staying in Escalus a little longer.

“Julie, I finished sorting the list! Here!”

But Rosaline had actually started helping with the preparations.

No matter how many times Juliet told her she didn’t have to, that she should just rest, Rosaline wouldn’t listen.

“I’ve been doing nothing for too long. Let me do this, okay?”

She had practically barged into Juliet’s study, where she worked, and immediately started sorting things out.

Even without eating properly, she was brimming with energy.

Juliet had no idea where that strength was coming from.

“You know I love this kind of thing. Ordering people around, making them scurry everywhere.”

“That’s true, but…”

“Right? That’s why I’m full of energy!”

It was true—Rosaline had always enjoyed directing people.

But to hear her say it outright… Juliet could only blink in mild disbelief.

And then, Rosaline added something that made it impossible for Juliet to refuse her help.

“Besides… I want to help.”

“…….”

“You’re my beloved sister. I want to be useful to you, even just a little. Banquet preparations are all about experience, and I’ve done this plenty of times before. I want to help…”

A moment ago, she had spoken so confidently about how she enjoyed bossing people around.

But now, she lowered her head, her voice hesitant.

She almost looked… pitiful.

“…If you help, that’d be great for me.”

In the end, Juliet found herself working side by side with Rosaline every day.

“The tea party on the first day won’t have too many guests. At most, twenty?”

“Really?”

“Yes. So we can hold it in the rose garden. It’s small, but we should be able to fit about seven round tables.”

Having hosted many banquets as the Marchioness of Arborea, Rosaline was genuinely helpful.

The problems Juliet had been agonizing over for days were solved in an instant.

“And about the seating for the banquet on the second night—these two should switch places. I heard something recently…”

Unlike Juliet, who had been confined within castle walls for most of her life, Rosaline was well-versed in Sardegna’s social scene.

That knowledge was invaluable for organizing a banquet.

Every time Rosaline rattled off the latest gossip, table placements, room assignments, and all sorts of other details had to be revised.

“Unbelievable.”

“Right? I was shocked, too. No wonder he avoided marriage for so long. When I heard about the broken engagement, I thought he just wasn’t interested in marrying at all.”

“I didn’t even know he was engaged…”

“And yet, in secret, he—”

“Stop talking about this so loudly.”

Of course, Rosaline’s gossip was often overly detailed and, at times, outright scandalous.

As a result, their conversations frequently veered off course.

“Who would have thought? That quiet young man—”

Knock, knock.

“Oh my!”

Of all times, Cassio had to walk in at that exact moment.

“Oh dear. I didn’t mean to startle you. It seemed like you didn’t hear me knock.”

“…Your Grace of Escalus.”

“Apologies for the interruption.”

Juliet tensed.

She had been so engrossed in the conversation that she hadn’t even noticed when he entered.

Apparently, Rosaline hadn’t either.

Her mouth, which had been eagerly spilling all sorts of private affairs, clamped shut.

“Hello, Juliet. A lovely afternoon, isn’t it?”

“…Your Grace.”

Cassio smiled warmly, unfazed by the moment he had walked in on.

Juliet, however, was still painfully awkward around him.

Without realizing it, she clenched her fist—so tightly that the flower she had been holding crumpled between her fingers.

“Good afternoon, Duke of Escalus. It certainly is a fine afternoon.”

“Marchioness of Arborea.”

Rosaline, noticing Juliet stiffen, quickly shifted Cassio’s attention to herself.

After spending the past few days helping Juliet, she had already seen this happen multiple times.

She had, of course, noticed that Juliet was uncomfortable around Cassio.

The first time Cassio had visited while she was in Juliet’s study, she had greeted him with her usual charming smile.

And the moment Juliet brushed him off with the excuse of being busy, Rosaline had turned to her and asked—

“Is that man… is he bothering you?”

“No, it’s not that…”

Juliet had hesitated, trailing off vaguely.

Rosaline hadn’t pressed for details.

But she had definitely understood that her only sister felt… something uneasy about her husband.

And ever since, Rosaline had taken it upon herself to act as Juliet’s self-proclaimed protector.

As if she were some brave knight fending off Cassio’s “wicked clutches.”

“It sounded like you were having an amusing conversation. I could hear laughter all the way down the hall.”

“Oh my, we were just chatting about some rumors floating around. Of course, Your Grace wouldn’t concern yourself with such things.”

Rosaline, uncharacteristically, spoke in a roundabout way as she addressed Cassio.

“Well, I don’t usually pay much attention to gossip.”

Of course, Cassio wasn’t so easily deterred.

“But if it’s something that makes my wife smile, I can’t help but be interested… Juliet, are you busy today as well?”

He stepped closer to her as he spoke.

As his presence approached, Juliet’s grip tightened on the crushed petals in her hand.

She kept her gaze down, pretending to brush them away, but her shoulders visibly tensed.

“If you’re not too busy, how about tea together? It’s been a while.”

A large hand rested gently on her shoulder.

Because of the summer heat, she had gathered her hair neatly, leaving the nape of her neck completely exposed.

The moment his warm touch met her skin, a familiar scent enveloped her.

“I’d like to hear the story that made you laugh.”

The first note was fresh—bergamot and lemon.

But soon, soft floral tones emerged.

Lily of the valley, orange blossom, jasmine… a scent that was both airy and subtly sweet.

Then, a faint trace of tobacco and musk gave it an edge, something deeper, rougher.

And when all those layers faded—what remained was the sea.

“Hmm? Is that a no?”

Deep, vast, and impossibly blue—so much so that it felt overwhelming.

And yet, it was the kind of sea one wanted to dive into.

Lately, Cassio always smelled like that.

“Juliet.”

Her head spun.

She couldn’t even smell the flowers still clinging to her hands.

His scent wasn’t strong.

It wasn’t overpowering.

And yet, in this moment, it felt like he was the only thing in her entire world.

Bang!

“…….”

The sharp slap of papers hitting the table jolted her back to reality.

Rosaline had dramatically thrown down the documents she was holding.

“I, um… I don’t think I can.”

Even now, her mind was reeling.

She mumbled the words without really knowing what she was saying.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

“Hmm.”

Every breath she took only pulled more of his scent into her lungs.

Ah… I feel like I’m dying.

No—she already felt like she had died.

“I see. Well, take care. Don’t skip meals.”

“Yes…”

“You as well, Marchioness of Arborea. I hope you find comfort here.”

Juliet remained frozen, even after he had exchanged pleasantries with Rosaline and left the study.

She was oblivious to the way Rosaline squinted at her, clearly unimpressed.

She simply sat there, inhaling the lingering trace of his scent in the air.

Late at night.

After finishing dinner with Rosaline—who was in an oddly sulky mood—Juliet returned to her room.

And found that the curtains had been changed.

The pale, unassuming drapes that had hung there for years had been replaced.

In their place, deep blue linen cascaded over the windows, adorned with white lace.

The lace shimmered with countless tiny gemstones, catching the night breeze and glistening as they swayed.

Like ocean waves.

Like the foam cresting at their edges.

“What… is this?”

Juliet stared blankly at them before turning to the maids.

Her bewildered question made them light up, eager to explain.

“It’s a surprise gift from His Grace.”

“He made sure we kept it a secret, but we were dying to tell you…”

“Hush, Alma.”

Juliet, still dazed, murmured.

“But… where did this come from? All of a sudden…?”

It wasn’t just the unexpected change.

That deep blue linen hadn’t existed in the castle before.

And all those gemstones…

Even if they were small, even if they were merely decorative, there were so many.

“You wouldn’t have seen them before, my lady. The fabric, the lace, and the jewels—they’re all from His Grace’s spoils of war.”

“He personally selected the most beautiful pieces for your chamber. Isn’t that thoughtful?”

At those words, a memory surfaced—one that had happened not long ago, yet felt as if it belonged to a distant past.

“As you can see,” he had said with a playful wave of his hand, weaving through the countless chests stacked in her room.

“I was looking for something, and things got a bit messy. I figured I might as well go through everything and reorganize.”

At the time, Juliet hadn’t cared.

She hadn’t wondered what he had been searching for.

Too much had happened after that moment—things far more overwhelming.

And she had thought it had nothing to do with her.

But from the very start, the reason he had rummaged through all those chests—

Had been for this.

Just so he could give her these curtains.

“I wonder how he even thought of this. It’s so extravagant and beautiful.”

“…….”

“Isn’t it breathtaking?”

Juliet couldn’t bring herself to touch them.