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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Birthday Party (3)
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After breakfast, Rosette began preparing for the party.
Once she had washed up and come out on her own, the maids started to dress her up. They put her in a pure white dress and tucked flowers into her loosely braided hair.
“You look so beautiful!”
“Oh my, how lovely you are.”
Encouraged by the maids’ effusive praise, Rosette looked in the mirror. She was astonished.
*I look like a princess.*
The flowing dress and ornate accessories sparkled even more brightly than what Elisha Dallas had worn for her birthday.
She still thought her face was plain, but she supposed she looked presentable enough.
The maids took Rosette’s hand, who was blushing shyly, and led her to the greenhouse situated in the garden.
Though it was winter, all sorts of flowers were in bloom inside the greenhouse. In the center stood three large, round tables. The number of cutlery sets placed upon them looked to be at least fifteen, by a rough count.
Rosette turned to Jane with a puzzled look and asked.
“Are we having guests?”
“We’ll see.”
Jane smiled knowingly. Just then, the members of the Adrian family, all dressed impeccably, entered.
Lucas spotted Rosette and rubbed his eyes hard.
“Whoa! Kiddo! You look amazing!”
“Really?”
“Yeah! I think you’re even prettier than my sister Isabelle!”
Rosette didn’t believe him. Isabelle Adrian was the most beautiful person she had ever seen in her life. In fact, before she had turned back time, Isabelle was renowned as the greatest beauty in high society.
To be prettier than someone like Isabelle was simply absurd.
Feeling awkward, Rosette changed the subject.
“So, who else is coming?”
“Hmm, I wonder who could be coming?”
Lucas grinned playfully and looked toward the greenhouse entrance. It was then.
“Rose!”
A familiar voice, one that had no reason to be here, called out. At the same time, someone came running toward the greenhouse.
Rosette’s eyes widened as she recognized the person.
“Jane Unni?”
For a moment, Rosette thought she was seeing things. After all, Jane looked completely different from the last time she had seen her.
It wasn't that her features had changed. But she was neatly dressed from head to toe.
The clothes she wore were not as fine as Rosette’s, but they were clean and looked to be of good quality. Her hair, which was always disheveled, was neatly combed and braided into two pigtails. Her face, once grimy from infrequent washing, was now clean.
Perhaps that was why. Rosette even had the absurd thought that the Jane before her was not the real Jane, but a figment of her own imagination.
As Rosette hesitated, unable to approach the unfamiliar sight of Jane, Duke Adrian gently nudged her back.
“Go on. You wanted to see her, didn't you?”
Pushed forward by him, Rosette took a step, then broke into a run toward Jane.
“Unni!”
Jane pulled her into a tight hug.
“Rose, I missed you!”
“Is it really you, Jane Unni?”
Rosette’s voice was wet with tears as she asked.
“Of course it’s me!”
Jane cupped Rosette’s cheeks with both hands and looked her over.
“Wow, our Rose looks like a different person. You’re so pretty.”
Jane’s voice was also thick with emotion.
“Have you been well, my little sister?”
“Yes. And you, Unni?”
“I’ve been great. After you left, Duke Adrian gave a lot of support to the orphanage, so we have plenty to eat, and everyone is doing well.”
“But how did you get here?”
“The Duke invited all of us for your birthday!”
“Us?”
“Yes, us!”
Jane turned and gestured, and the children who had been waiting outside the greenhouse came rushing in.
“Rose Noona!”
“Unni!”
“Rosette!”
Rosette was instantly surrounded by the children she had lived with at the orphanage. As she looked at each of their faces, one by one, she finally burst into tears again.
“I missed you all.”
A few of the mischievous children laughed at her, while the more soft-hearted ones cried along with Rosette.
As she hugged the children and cried, Rosette looked at Duke Adrian standing a few paces away and murmured silently.
*Thank you, Your Grace.*
She could swear, this was the best birthday present she had ever received in her entire life.
***
Rosette had a wonderful time with the children. They ate the food painstakingly prepared by the Adrian estate’s chef, ran around playing in the garden, and returned to the orphanage in the evening.
“Take care.”
“You too, Unni. You have to take care.”
After the now-familiar farewell, Rosette headed to her room.
She was about to get into bed after changing into her pajamas with the maids’ help when a knock sounded and Duke Adrian entered.
“Oh, Your Grace.”
As Rosette scurried over to him, the Duke caressed her cheek.
“Did you have a good birthday?”
Rosette found herself chattering in an excited voice.
“Yes! It was so much fun! It was truly the best present ever. Thank you.”
“Actually, there’s another present.”
“Another one?”
Duke Adrian handed the document he was holding to Rosette. At the very top, it read , and below that were details about Rosette.
“Do you know what this is?”
Thanks to her past memories, she could read, but Rosette feigned ignorance and shook her head. After all, the person she was supposed to be wouldn't know how to read.
Duke Adrian explained.
“This is a document that proves you have been adopted into our Adrian family.”
“Then…”
“From now on, you are officially Rosette Adrian, Rose.”
“Ah…”
Rosette Adrian. Mouthing the name silently, Rosette murmured.
“I… I’ll do even better from now on, Your Grace.”
“You don’t need to. Just stay as you are now.”
“Yes.”
“However, Rose.”
“Yes?”
Ahem, Duke Adrian cleared his throat and asked.
“How long are you going to keep calling me ‘Your Grace’?”
Not understanding what he meant, Rosette just blinked. The Duke added.
“We’re a real family now, aren’t we?”
“Family…”
Still not grasping his intention, Rosette’s eyes widened as something dawned on her.
*Could it be…*
After a moment’s hesitation, she murmured a word she had never uttered in her past life or this one.
“Fath…er?”
“Hmm.”
But Duke Adrian’s expression seemed somewhat dissatisfied.
*Was that not it?*
Marquis Dallas had insisted she call him ‘Marquis.’ Even if she had become Duke Adrian’s adopted daughter, perhaps calling him ‘Father’ was overstepping.
Just as Rosette was about to correct herself and go back to ‘Your Grace,’ Duke Adrian spoke first.
“Is there nothing else besides ‘Father’?”
“Pardon?”
“There must be another word with the same meaning as father.”
A word with the same meaning…
Thinking of synonyms for father, Rosette murmured without much feeling.
“Papa…?”
Only then did Duke Adrian smile with satisfaction.
“Yes, Rose.”
“But…”
*Daniel Oppa, Lucas Oppa, and Isabelle Unni all call you Father, don't they?*
Rosette couldn’t bring herself to ask the question. As if sensing her thoughts, Duke Adrian answered.
“I’d like to hear ‘Papa’ from my youngest daughter. Do you not want to?”
“No!”
Rosette spoke before he had even finished his sentence. It was a reaction from her body rather than her mind.
At her uncharacteristically assertive response, Duke Adrian’s eyes widened slightly. Rosette felt a little embarrassed and mumbled.
“Papa… is nice.”
It was an unfamiliar title. But it was just unfamiliar, not unwelcome.
Papa, Papa, Papa.
Rosette silently mouthed the word over and over, like a baby who had just learned it for the first time.
Watching her, Duke Adrian swept Rosette up into his arms. With a surprised yelp, Rosette wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Why don’t you say it out loud for me?”
Rosette lowered her head shyly and murmured.
“Papa.”
“Yes.”
Duke Adrian smiled and laid Rosette down on the bed. Then he pulled the blanket up to her chin.
“Then have sweet dreams, our youngest daughter.”
After Duke Adrian left the room, Rosette pulled the covers up over her head and kicked her feet. Her throat tickled and her toes wiggled.
“Rosette Adrian.”
Rosette whispered the name with a faint smile.
And so, the child who was once Rosette Dallas traveled back in time and became, completely, Rosette Adrian.
***
Rosette stood perfectly still with her arms outstretched, blinking. In front of her, Isabelle sat on a sofa, looking at a catalog and giving various instructions.
“That color is too drab for Rose. Something brighter.”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
At Isabelle’s firm command, the staff from Madame Wide’s salon moved busily. They quickly removed the fabric they were holding against Rosette’s body and draped a bright yellow one over her instead.
Isabelle looked Rosette up and down, her expression unreadable.
*Is it still not good?*
Rosette, who had secretly liked the yellow, fidgeted with her fingers under the fabric.
Come to think of it, she had always worn dark clothes at the Dallas estate. There were times she had envied Elisha’s bright dresses, but she had given up after Elisha told her, ‘Bright clothes will only make your dull face look darker.’
It seemed Elisha was right; bright colors must make her face look even more drab.
Rosette glanced sideways at the mirror.
A month had already passed since she came to the Adrian estate. A lot had changed for Rosette during that time.
First, she had gained weight from eating and sleeping well. Her once hollow cheeks had become slightly round, and her stomach, once so flat that her ribs showed, had filled out.
She wasn't chubby by any means, but it was still a visible improvement.
And that wasn't all. Thanks to the diligent care of Jane and the other maids, day and night, her once rough skin had become moist and smooth.
Her face, which had been merely pale, now had a healthy color. Her hair, once as dry as a broom, now had a healthy shine.
If Jane or the other children saw her now, they would probably ask if she was really Rosette.
But funnily enough, her face was also different from how it had been in the past, when she lived with the Dallases.
Although she had been adopted into the Dallas family, her treatment there was similar to that of the servants.
They provided her with food, clothing, and shelter, but she never received the care of a noble young lady, so apart from gaining a little weight, her rough skin and brittle hair had not improved.
Perhaps that was why. Rosette felt her changed appearance was unfamiliar.
*I thought I’d gotten much better, but I guess not.*
Just as she was thinking this, Isabelle, her face still expressionless, nodded.
“Make a dress for outings with that one. You know the design, right?”
Madame Wide, who had been pointing out things in the catalog, quickly began sketching on a notepad.
“I will create a design that has never been seen before.”
“Don’t make the waist too tight, and make it a design that’s easy to move in.”
“Understood.”
Isabelle ordered several other outfits as well—outdoor clothes, indoor clothes, play clothes, pajamas, and so on. Rosette waved her hands in surprise.
“You don’t have to go that far…”
“Why not?”
“If I eat a lot, I’ll get taller, and, and I’ll get chubbier…”
“That again?”
Isabelle shook her head as if she were tired of hearing it.
