The Baddest Villainess Is Back
Chapter 69
“……Ah.”
So that was why he had followed her in after dinner and lingered around.
She recalled her earlier thought that since she had returned to her childhood, she might as well do everything she hadn’t been able to do before—which included asking to sleep while holding hands.
Roselyn nodded.
“Please put me to sleep like this often.”
She added those words quietly, hoping that even if the original Roselyn returned instead of her, he would continue to do this.
“Otherwise, I might grow up thinking Father hates me my whole life, then run away and die.”
“……What kind of child says such things to their parent?”
“Because no matter how I look at it, it seems like you’ll just hide away in that gloomy basement again. Please stop with the self-pity. There are plenty of people more pitiful than you, Father…….”
Roselyn let out a small yawn and closed her heavy eyes. Whether it was because her body was in worse condition than when she was an adult, or simply because she was a child again, she felt a distinct increase in her need for sleep.
Before long, Roselyn Bellion’s breathing grew even.
Cherti watched the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest for a long while before carefully placing his hand over the child’s heart.
Thump, thump, thump.
He could feel the small but vigorous heartbeat against his palm.
‘She’s alive.’
His child was alive. She hadn’t died yet. She didn’t die even when he touched her, even when he held her hand.
“……Did you ever regret my birth?”
“……What?”
“It’s nothing, I’ve just always wanted to ask. If I weren’t here, you might have been able to live happily with Mother.”
Cherti Bellion was no fool. He knew exactly what kind of answer the child was looking for.
“There is no way I could regret……”
In the first place, her death was his fault, not the child’s. Perhaps the fact that the child was born so weak was also his fault.
Roselyn’s mother had refused to take medicine even after being poisoned by Cherti Bellion’s toxin. It was because the antidote contained ingredients that were harmful to a fetus.
Cherti Bellion had researched an alternative, but time had run out.
She had chosen the child.
Because of that antidote delayed by a day or two, Roselyn was born and she died.
Cherti Bellion had tried his best to slow the progression of the poison, but it was impossible with his immature control.
Thus, Roselyn might have already been poisoned while still in the womb.
This meant it might be entirely his fault that Roselyn was born so frail and suffered from such fevers.
“There is no way I could regret it. Your arrival alone was a blessing to me……”
Cherti Bellion whispered in a tiny voice, as if he were being drawn into a vacuum.
When he first heard the news that a child was coming, he had been so happy and worried that he couldn’t sleep at night.
“Do you…… find it acceptable that I am your father? Have you ever resented the fact that I am the one who sired you……”
He clamped his trembling lips shut.
The sleeping Roselyn wouldn't be able to hear him anyway.
He knew that, yet he couldn't take back the words that had leaked out.
Only after darkness had fully settled was Cherti Bellion able to be a little more honest.
With no one listening, he gave voice to his inner thoughts.
His life was one where he couldn't speak honestly even if he wanted to, and he had never complained about it.
Nevertheless, Cherti Bellion liked the affection the child gave him.
He never dreamed he would hear words like 'I love you' or 'I like you' from the child's mouth.
And for good reason—he had never truly given her a decent amount of love.
In his desperate single-mindedness to ensure this child did not die, he had left her lonely.
“……I love you too, my child.”
He finally conveyed his honest feelings, however belatedly.
He brushed back a stray lock of Roselyn’s hair and was about to quietly stand up to leave the room.
Roselyn’s eyes snapped open.
“…….”
“…….”
Two wide-awake eyes met his in the air.
Cherti Bellion’s indifferent face began to flush deep red. Roselyn let out a long sigh.
“I didn’t know it would be this hard to hear Father’s true feelings.”
“……Can you not use a cute tone of voice more appropriate for your age?”
‘How demanding.’
Roselyn narrowed her eyes as if to ask what he expected.
“Daddyyy.”
Cherti Bellion, who had been rubbing his embarrassed, reddened face, froze and looked at Roselyn.
“……What?”
However, seeing her indifferent, dry eyes—so contrary to her cute tone—he faltered.
It was as if a doll made of wood were speaking.
“I have resented you beforeee.”
Silence fell.
“I’ve also thought how nice it would be if someone humorous like that was my dad-yyy……”
Cherti Bellion lowered his head, his eyes trembling.
“I’ve also thought it would be nice if my dad was family-oriented and took me on picnics often-nnn……”
As Roselyn’s words continued, Cherti Bellion’s fingertips shook slightly.
“I’ve also thought I wanted a dad who hugged me often and told me he loved me-eee……”
“…….”
“I’ve also thought I wanted a dad who sometimes read me fairy tales-sss…….”
Cherti Bellion was now shivering with his head down, unable to even part his lips properly.
“I……”
“I’m not finished yet-ttt.”
Roselyn grabbed the hem of Cherti’s clothes as he tried to turn away.
“And……”
“Still more……?”
Cherti Bellion bit his lip hard.
“Yesss. I wanted someone who knew how to groom himself a bit more, someone not so gloomy…… at least someone like Marquis Geron Wilbrid-ddd…….”
“You might as well just say you hate me.”
Cherti Bellion muttered softly, looking ready to bolt out of the room at any moment.
“But what can I dooo? You’re my dad.”
Roselyn smiled innocently.
“So please hold my hand often from now on, come visit me like this, and come out of the basement-ttt. It’s lonely-yyy.”
Roselyn reached out both arms and spread them wide. After a moment of hesitation, Cherti Bellion took the child into his arms and replied.
“……Fine, I shall do so.”
“Anyway, the one I like is you, Dad-dyyy.”
“……Yes, thank you. But why have you been speaking like that for a while now?”
“You said you wanted me to use a cute tone appropriate for my age-eee.”
He hadn't meant for her to just round off her endings with that parched, dry expression.
“That is not it.”
“Yes.”
Thinking he was quite difficult to please, Roselyn gave a faint smile.
\* \* \*
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Bellion. I am Arma Dianitas.”
“I am Roselyn Bellion, Your Highness the 3rd Prince.”
On this day, likely the last day in this world, Roselyn had come to the Imperial Palace.
“I heard your health is quite fragile. Are you feeling alright today?”
“As you can see.”
It was a pleasant autumn day.
However, Roselyn’s appearance was a bit ridiculous.
Over a winter dress, she wore a thick cloak and shawl, and on top of that, earmuffs that were said to have come from some distant country.
From afar, one might wonder if a snowman was walking around.
Roselyn gave Arma high marks for not laughing the moment he saw her.
“I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you are quite cute.”
“Yes.”
Roselyn nodded listlessly.
‘In the past, perhaps because I was out of it for over a month, we met after the new year.’
Because she had woken up immediately this time, the meeting schedule had moved up faster than expected.
‘Now that I think about it, according to the 2nd Prince, he was supposed to be attacked by assassins around this time.’
Roselyn looked at the boy, who was much smaller, younger, and cuter than in her memory.
The boy, likely around nine years old now, was not as timid as she remembered and was looking her straight in the eye more than she expected.
‘Ah, since I received a compliment, should I give one back?’
Roselyn scanned Arma from head to toe.
“You are cute too, Your Highness the 3rd Prince-eee.”
“……Pardon?”
“I said you’re cute. More importantly, this is stifling, so can we take a walk-kkk?”
“Ah, of course\! Please, come this way.”
Despite his young age, the boy’s eyes were quite sharp as he escorted her with nearly perfect etiquette.
“I’m glad you aren’t gloomy-yyy.”
“Pardon……?”
“My father is gloomy, so I wanted the person who will be my husband to be a bit less gloomy-yyy.”
“Hu-hu-hus-hus……”
Roselyn faltered at the sight of Arma staggering significantly, his lips flapping soundlessly.
‘Oh right, we aren’t engaged yet.’
Roselyn hurried to speak to fix the situation.
“Ah, I wasn’t talking about you, Prince. I was talking about my ideal type. My future husband.”
“……Ah. Your future, husband.”
At Roselyn’s words, Arma Dianitas paused, then slowly nodded with a somewhat disgruntled look.
“First, I will guide you to the glasshouse garden. It’s warm in there because it’s a greenhouse, so you might be able to take off some of those clothes.”
“Thank you.”
Roselyn followed Arma toward the glasshouse garden.
‘Come to think of it, I always had to go out in outfits like this when I was young.’
Roselyn always had to wear such excessive clothing whenever she went out.
Looking back, all of that must have been a form of care.
‘Is today the last day?’
According to her calculations, she might be able to return to her original state tonight.
Because tomorrow was the day she had originally regained consciousness after a month.
“Arma Dianitas?”
It was the moment they stepped into the garden.
Thwack—\!
At the same time a bizarre, mechanical-sounding voice rang out, her body was thrown backward.