Rose's younger brother ran away from home.
At first glance, there would be nothing unusual about this.
After all, Gilbert had already turned eighteen. By the laws of the empire, a person of that age was considered an adult and had every right to manage his own life.
He could leave, travel, start his own business, or even gamble away the entire family fortune in the capital's card houses — that would have been his personal choice.
If only…
But there was one very important "but" in this story.
Rose's younger brother — Gilbert de Rosmund — was not just some young man from a noble family.
He was the heir.
The main heir to the Rosmund countly house.
The very person on whose shoulders the fate of their entire lineage was supposed to fall.
And yet…
Exactly one day before the official ceremony to transfer the title of the new Count Rosmund—
this little scoundrel simply up…
and ran away!
Without warning.
Without explanation.
Without even the slightest attempt to take responsibility for the consequences.
He simply disappeared.
Gilbert left the family estate, abandoning his family on the brink of financial collapse and in a situation that could only be described as catastrophic.
This alone was more than enough to curse him until the end of his days.
Because he knew perfectly well.
He understood perfectly well the situation their family would be in after his disappearance.
The House of Rosmund had been teetering on the edge of ruin for many years.
And the reason was simple.
The Countess Rosmund — mother of Rose and Gilbert — had raised her children alone.
And it wasn't due to divorce or a family quarrel.
The Count Rosmund had died.
Many years ago, when Rose and Gilbert were still just children, their father tragically died in a carriage accident.
That day turned the fate of their family upside down.
After her husband's sudden death, the Countess Rosmund had to take on a burden that even an experienced head of the family would hardly have been able to bear.
She was left alone.
Alone — with two small children.
Alone — with a vast county requiring management.
Alone — with debts, political intrigues, and noble obligations for which she had never been prepared.
Needless to say, how difficult the family's situation was in those years?
To keep the estate afloat, the Countess had to borrow money. Again and again.
From banks, from nobles, from merchant houses.
Sometimes even from people to whom she would never have wanted to be indebted.
By the time Rose grew up, the House of Rosmund was already up to its ears in debt.
And yet the Countess continued to hold on.
She held on for the sake of her children.
And for the sake of their family's future.
That was precisely why all her hopes were focused on one person.
On the heir.
On Gilbert.
From early childhood, enormous expectations were placed on him.
The best tutors. The best books. The best education they could afford.
Even when there was barely enough money to maintain the estate.
Even when the Countess herself had to economize on her own needs.
Most of the family's resources invariably went towards Gilbert's education.
After all, one day he was to become the new Count Rosmund.
The man who could restore their house's former dignity.
The man who would pay off the debts.
The man who would save their lineage.
…At least, that's what the Countess hoped.
But reality turned out to be far crueler.
Because Gilbert…
simply ran away.
Spitting on years of support. Spitting on his mother's hopes. Spitting on the fate of his own family.
No matter how you looked at it—
her younger brother really was a complete idiot!
And yet…
Rose couldn't say she didn't understand him at all.
After all, she was his older sister.
The person who knew Gilbert's character best of all.
He had always been gentle.
Too gentle.
Too kind.
Too vulnerable for the world of aristocratic politics.
From childhood, he was the kind of person who worried over every little thing.
The kind of person who could apologize for hours for something he wasn't even guilty of.
The kind of person for whom it was difficult to cause pain to others.
And, if you thought about it…
was such a person really suitable for the role of head of the family?
Rose had probably known the answer long ago.
He wasn't.
But fate rarely asks people's opinions.
No one asked Gilbert if he wanted this.
No one asked if he was ready to bear such responsibility.
They simply told him:
"One day you will become the head of the family."
And he grew up trying to live up to those expectations.
But it seemed…
at some point, he simply broke.
Got scared. And ran away.
If you thought about it, Rose could even understand this action.
As an older sister, she could take responsibility for the family.
Even if she had never been prepared for the role of head of the family.
Even if she would have to learn everything from scratch.
She could do it.
For the sake of her family.
For the sake of her mother.
And so that her younger brother could finally live the life he wanted.
Yes.
It really could have ended just like that.
If only…
again…
there wasn't one very serious "but."
The thing was, Gilbert wasn't just the heir to the countly House of Rosmund.
He was also betrothed.
And not to just anyone.
His fiancée was a woman whose single word was enough to destroy their lineage.
The House of Valentino.
The second most powerful family in the entire Cordron Empire.
Second — only because the first place was held by the Imperial family.
Royal blood flowed in the veins of the Valentino family.
And if anything were ever to happen to the Imperial House…
it would be the Valentinos who would take the throne.
And despite all this—
the heiress of the ducal House of Valentino was betrothed to the son of the Rosmund family.
A modest countly house from the northern province.
A house that could boast neither great victories nor loud merits.
Compared to the Valentinos, the House of Rosmund looked almost like… nothing.
So why was this almost impossible marriage arranged?
The answer was simple.
A debt.
Many years ago, Rose and Gilbert's grandfather — the former head of the House of Rosmund — saved the Duke Valentino's life.
During a trip through the northern province, the Duke's carriage was attacked by spies from an enemy empire.
A bloody battle ensued.
It was then that Count Rosmund, accompanying the Duke, shielded him from a fatal blow with his own body.
He survived.
But he paid a high price for it.
After the injury, the Count was in a coma for two months.
When he finally regained consciousness, the Duke Valentino wished to thank his savior.
He offered a huge monetary reward.
But Count Rosmund refused.
He said he was merely fulfilling his duty to the empire.
And then the Duke made an oath.
An oath that one day the heirs of their families would be bound by marriage.
That's how he wanted to repay the debt to the House of Rosmund.
However, the fulfillment of this oath had to be postponed for a whole generation.
Because both the Count and the Duke had sons.
But fate still gave them a chance.
In the next generation, the House of Rosmund had a son.
And the House of Valentino had a daughter.
And the ancient oath could finally be fulfilled.
Could have been…
Ha.
But now—
the groom had disappeared.
What would the House of Valentino do when they found out?
…Rose didn't even want to think about it.
Fortunately, for now, only family members knew about Gilbert's flight.
But this secret couldn't remain a secret forever.
"…..."
Rose looked again at the letter in her hand.
"Sister, forgive me. Please forgive me. But I really cannot marry her. Just not her. I would rather die than do it. I hope you and Mother can understand me… I love you."
Ha…
A heavy sigh escaped her lips.
Without hiding her irritation, Rose crumpled the letter.
And threw it in the basket.
He can't marry?
And so he simply leaves their entire family to be devoured by the House of Valentino?!
No.
She had changed her mind.
She didn't feel sorry for that little idiot one bit!
Rose was a kind-hearted person.
But she was no saint.
Sacrifice her younger brother to save the family?
Yes.
Rose de Rosmund was ready to do it without the slightest hesitation.
Her violet eyes glinted coldly as she looked out the open window.
As if she could see the runaway somewhere out there.
"Just you wait."
Her voice was quiet.
But it rang with cold determination.
"…Gilbert."
The corner of her lip twitched slightly.
"I'll drag you out from under the earth itself."
A pause.
"…But I'll make you marry that woman!"