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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Joseph Oser (2)
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How did she, who had never had any contact with the Adrian family's knights in the past, know this man?
After a moment of thought, Rosette let out a gasp.
“Ah…!”
She remembered where she had seen him.
‘This man, he was definitely in the Dallas family’s knighthood…’
Rosette recalled a past that was now somewhat hazy.
She had been in her mid-teens at the time. Under Marquis Dallas’s orders, she had gone to threaten a nobleman, and this man resembled one of the knights who had accompanied her as an escort.
But she couldn’t be certain. She had seen the knight only a handful of times, so his face wasn’t clearly etched in her memory.
Besides, the knight’s appearance was rather plain, and she might have been confusing him with someone similar.
Just then, the knight smiled a little more brightly. Looking closely, she saw a long scar on his chin. That confirmed it.
‘That’s right. He’s a Dallas knight. I’m sure of it.’
But why was a Dallas knight here? That was the question.
Rosette wasn’t a knight, so she knew little of their code. However, she did know that once a person became a knight for a noble house, they did not serve any other family.
That led to only one conclusion.
‘He was originally one of Dallas’s men.’
The man standing before her was a spy for the Dallas family.
When thinking about Daniel’s accident, Rosette had anticipated that the Marquisate of Dallas would have a spy planted in the estate.
However, she had assumed it would be a stable hand or a servant, someone with easy access to the carriages.
She had planned to search for the spy once she had established her position within the Adrian household to prevent the accident.
But for the spy to just waltz right up to her like this!
Unsure whether to be pleased or perplexed, Rosette wore an ambiguous expression as the knight asked.
“Young Lady, didn’t you say you were thirsty?”
“Huh? O-Oh, yes.”
Rosette took the water bottle from the knight and quenched her thirst. The knight smiled warmly once more before running off to rejoin his comrades.
Rosette narrowed her eyes as she watched his retreating back.
‘If my guess is right, he’s the one who tampered with the carriage.’
But she only had a hunch, no proof. Besides, she couldn’t be certain he was a spy. The only basis for her suspicion was that he resembled a man she had seen in the past.
As she was now practically glaring at the knight, Lucas suddenly asked.
“Hey, kiddo. Why are you staring like that?”
Was I that obvious? Though Lucas couldn’t read her mind, Rosette stammered in a fluster.
“No, I was just, grateful…”
Lucas narrowed his eyes, his face full of discontent.
“Don’t tell me you fell for him at first sight?”
“…What?”
When Rosette asked back, not understanding what he meant, Lucas burst out in anger.
“A kid like you shouldn’t be doing that! Is this why you said you wanted to do dawn training?”
The other knights, who had already taken an interest, watched the two children with fond smiles.
Startled, Rosette clamped both hands over Lucas’s mouth.
“Mmph, mmph!”
Lucas struggled to pull her hands away. Rosette shushed him repeatedly, dragging him to a corner away from the knights.
There was no way Lucas would be overpowered by Rosette. Yet, he willingly let himself be dragged away.
After making sure no one was around, Rosette let him go. Lucas took a deep breath and shot back.
“What was that for?”
“Because you were saying strange things, big brother.”
“Me? What did I say?”
Lucas tilted his head as if he had no idea, then exclaimed as if remembering.
“The love at first sight thing?”
“Shh, keep your voice down.”
Rosette tried to cover his mouth again, but Lucas didn’t let her this time. As if to show that letting her catch him before was just a joke, he skillfully dodged her hands.
As Rosette stared at her empty hands, slightly crestfallen, Lucas asked.
“Then why were you staring at him so intently?”
“Ah…”
Rosette furrowed her brow, even wrinkling her nose as she racked her brain.
But when no plausible excuse came to mind, she remained silent, and Lucas muttered.
“I didn’t know that was your type…”
“It’s not like that!”
Rosette shouted before she could stop herself.
“He just looked like someone I know.”
“Really?”
Fortunately, Lucas didn’t seem suspicious. Since it had come to this, Rosette decided to pry some information out of her naive older brother.
“That knight, how long has he been here?”
“Beats me.”
Lucas answered without a hint of suspicion.
“It’s not like I keep track of every single knight.”
“I see.”
“Still, he looked pretty young, so he probably hasn’t been here long. Four or five years at most?”
That wasn’t enough information. As Rosette’s shoulders slumped in disappointment, Lucas started flailing his arms and rambling.
“W-Well, Daniel might know. Should I ask him? Or maybe Father.”
Then he narrowed his eyes.
“You’re really not interested in him, right?”
Rosette shook her head vigorously.
“I told you, I’m not.”
“Good. Your big brother would never approve!”
Having no more courage to deal with Lucas, Rosette slowly started walking toward the mansion.
“Hey, hey! Rose! Wait up! You have to answer me first!”
Lucas trotted after her.
***
Rosette hiked up her skirt to her knees and sat primly on a chair. The family physician examined both her knees with a serious expression.
This was all the result of Lucas bursting into the mansion and making a scene, shouting, ‘The little one took a huge fall!’
Rosette was a little embarrassed.
‘I’m perfectly fine…’
Her still-bony knees had no scrapes, not even a reddish mark. Yet, Lucas chattered on beside her to the physician.
“It was a really loud thud. Check her carefully. Could a bone be broken? Look at her legs. They look like they could snap so easily!”
The physician, who had even brought out a magnifying glass for the examination, chuckled.
“She is fine, Young Lord.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Still, a bruise might appear later, so I will apply some ointment.”
The physician carefully applied the ointment and then left the room. Lucas sighed in relief and sat down next to Rosette.
“Thank goodness. I’m glad no bones are broken.”
“There’s no way a bone would break from something like that.”
Lucas gently poked Rosette’s forehead with his index finger.
“My little sister knows how to talk back now, does she?”
“…”
Instead of denying it, Rosette swung her legs back and forth. Lucas continued to chatter beside her, but she let his words go in one ear and out the other, lost in thought.
‘How do I expose him as a spy?’
The first thing that came to mind was a confession spell. It was a magic that compelled the truth, used primarily for interrogating criminals, just as its name suggested.
‘But I can’t.’
There were complications with the confession spell.
First, it was a high-level mind control spell. The Rosette of the past might have been able to use it, but the current her, without even a mana core, could not.
Second, it would be a problem even if she could use magic. People would find it strange if she used such a spell. She was, after all, an eight-year-old child who had yet to learn the basics of magic.
Furthermore, if asked why she used a confession spell on that particular knight, she would have no excuse. She couldn’t just say he seemed suspicious.
Third.
‘I don’t want to.’
A confession spell was dangerous, as it forcibly controlled the mind. In severe cases, the person subjected to the spell could suffer mental damage.
In the past, she had been forced to use it a few times because of Marquis Dallas, but she didn’t want to do that now.
Rosette rubbed the spot on her chest where Marquis Dallas had once placed a curse, her brow furrowed.
‘How can I reveal it naturally?’
It was then.
“Rose. Does it hurt a lot?”
Lost in a daze, Rosette looked up at the voice coming from above her. Daniel was looking down at her with a smile, having entered at some point. Lucas was nowhere to be seen, having already left the room.
“What are you doing here?”
“I heard what happened. Lucas’s voice was echoing down the hallway.”
Daniel replied with a hint of laughter in his voice, then sat in front of her and examined her knees.
“Thankfully, it’s not swollen or badly scraped.”
“Lucas was just exaggerating.”
“Was he?”
“Yes. I didn’t even fall that hard.”
“That’s a relief, then.”
Daniel laughed out loud and looked at Rosette’s face again.
“Then why were you frowning so hard?”
“I was just thinking about something…”
“Thinking? About what?”
“It’s just… something.”
Rosette couldn’t tell him the truth, nor could she make up a lie, so she mumbled vaguely. Fortunately, Daniel didn’t press further. Instead, he gently patted her head.
“Father always said children shouldn’t have worries.”
That warm touch made her throat feel ticklish again. Rosette tried to imagine this kind, warm brother of hers unable to use one of his legs, walking with a cane.
The image was even more distressing than she had thought, and her mood soured. It was a different feeling from when she first met Daniel.
Back then, she had merely felt sorry, but now it was a deeper, more heart-wrenching emotion that she couldn’t quite describe.
Rosette patted his head, just as Daniel had done to her. His eyes widened in surprise before crinkling into a smile.
“Is there anything your big brother can help you with?”
“Big brother, you have to be careful whenever you ride in a carriage.”
“I will. I always check it before I get in now.”
Though he could have dismissed it as a child’s baseless fantasy, Daniel listened quite seriously.
But Rosette still wasn’t reassured, so she held out her pinky finger.
“Promise me.”
Daniel, still smiling, linked his finger with hers.
“Alright, I promise.”
***
Back in his room, Joseph Oser checked that no one was around before activating a small communication magic tool. A low voice soon emanated from it.
[I thought I told you not to contact me unless absolutely necessary.]
“Well, this is an emergency.”
[Speak.]
Joseph Oser swallowed dryly before whispering quietly.
“I think Daniel Adrian has caught on.”
[Caught on? What do you mean?]
“Well, Daniel Adrian has repeatedly warned them to manage the horses and carriages well lately.”
Silence followed from the other side of the magic tool. A moment later, a deeper, more subdued voice questioned him.
[How on earth did you handle things for them to notice?]
“I swear, I haven’t done anything. I haven’t even been to the stables or the carriage house once.”
Joseph Oser hastily explained, worried the other party might misunderstand.
There was a reason for his urgency. His only family, his younger sister Melody, was being held hostage.
Joseph Oser muttered as if pleading.
“So please, don’t do anything to my sister.”
