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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: A Foreseen Accident (1)
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Joseph Oser flinched and spun around.
“Young Lady… Rosette?”
Rosette, who had drawn close to him, glared.
“What are you trying to do to the carriage?”
In the darkness, Joseph’s eyes wavered violently.
“I was…”
“I asked what you are doing here at this hour, Joseph Oser.”
Rosette asked sharply, devoid of her usual timidness. Briefly surprised by the change, Joseph stammered.
“I was just… out for a night walk…”
“Lies. You were about to do something to the carriage.”
“…”
“You’re being blackmailed, aren’t you?”
“!”
Rosette looked Joseph straight in the eye, her own gaze clear.
“Tell me the truth. I’ll help you.”
Joseph ran a hand through his hair, his face a mask of bewilderment.
“How could you possibly…”
He looked as if he needed more of an explanation, but time was of the essence, so Rosette brushed it off.
“That’s not important right now. I’ll help you. Just explain why you were going to do it.”
A moment of silence passed.
“No! I…”
Finally, Joseph knelt before Rosette and wept. His sorrowful tears soaked the ground.
The sight reminded her of Joshua just before he died, and Rosette took a small step back.
Seeing this, Joseph hesitated. Did she really know? Or was she just bluffing?
If she knew, how did she find out, and how much did she know?
Could he really tell her everything?
‘There’s no point in worrying about that now. I was just going to confirm it and then follow my sister to the grave anyway.’
Resigned, he opened his mouth.
“I told them I couldn’t do it.”
It took Rosette a moment to understand his words, then she asked again.
“What?”
“I couldn’t harm people just to save my sister. I even returned the potion I received.”
“But then your sister…”
“I was going to follow her in death if she died.”
He wept with the bitter sorrow of a child. Rosette calmly soothed him.
“Then why did you come here today?”
“There’s another spy in the mansion. I thought someone else might do it if I didn’t, so I came to check if the carriage was alright.”
Rosette pieced the situation together in her head.
It seemed that in the past, it wasn’t Joseph who had sabotaged Daniel’s carriage, but someone else.
Rosette was inwardly relieved that Joseph wasn’t a bad person. And she was grateful that she hadn’t been too late.
“Don’t cry. Your sister will be safe.”
Rosette helped Joseph to his feet, consoling him.
“How can you possibly know that…”
“I have my ways.”
In the past, Joseph had left the Adrian household to work for Marquis Dallas. It was likely because his sister was still being held hostage.
That meant his sister must be alive.
“It’s all right now. Daniel is still asleep, so let’s just check if the carriage is okay and then go.”
“The young lord?”
Joseph repeated the name as if he were hearing ‘Daniel’ for the first time.
He finally understood Rosette’s words and muttered.
“Their target was the Duke…”
Strange. It was definitely Daniel who was in the accident…
Rosette and Joseph stared at each other blankly, then simultaneously entered the carriage house.
Glancing around in the darkness, Rosette murmured.
“It’s gone.”
The carriage Duke Adrian used was nowhere to be seen.
***
“You mean my father?”
The butler, Sebastian, answered dutifully, though he looked at Rosette with surprise, wondering why she was awake at this hour.
“He left just a short while ago.”
“Why, at this hour?”
“I am not entirely certain, but it was regarding a matter concerning you, Young Lady…”
“Where did he go?”
“To a village in the northern part of the capital… But why do you suddenly ask? Do you have something to tell His Grace?”
Joseph spoke instead of Rosette.
“The carriage might be damaged.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Joseph briefly explained what had happened. Hearing this, Sebastian began to move briskly.
“I will summon the men at once.”
After Sebastian left, Joseph tried to calm Rosette.
“Young Lady, you should go inside and…”
“No, that’ll be too late.”
Rosette nervously bit her nails, then asked Joseph.
“Joseph, you know how to ride a horse, right?”
“Yes, I do, but…”
Taking a deep breath, Rosette spoke with determination.
“Let’s go.”
“Pardon?”
“Take me to my father.”
“If that’s the case, I will go alone.”
Rosette shook her head.
“No, I have to go myself.”
That way, she could be prepared if something happened.
“Hurry.”
Unable to dissuade the resolute Rosette, Joseph headed to the stables with her.
Even as he helped Rosette onto the horse, his expression screamed, *Is this really the right thing to do?* But in the end, he spurred the horse on.
Clinging tightly to Joseph’s waist, Rosette thought.
‘Things have changed because of me.’
In the past, it seemed Daniel had taken the Duke’s carriage and gotten into the accident. She didn’t know the reason, but this time, it seemed the Duke himself had taken that carriage because of her.
Joseph rode at full speed. A horse was faster than a carriage, so they should be able to catch up.
Soon, a white carriage came into view in the distance.
“Father!”
Rosette shouted at the top of her lungs, but her voice didn’t reach Duke Adrian. Joseph pushed the horse to go even faster.
It was then.
The carriage began to wobble, and then a wheel came off. The carriage flipped over at the same time, sending sparks flying. Flames instantly engulfed it.
“No!”
A carriage couldn’t catch fire that quickly just from a broken wheel. This had to be a magical fire. The potion must have been enchanted with an ignition spell.
“Ugh!”
Joseph reined in the horse. Rosette jumped off and tried to run toward the carriage, but Joseph caught her from behind, wrapping his arms around her.
“You can’t, Young Lady!”
“Let me go! I have to go! I…”
At that moment, an explosion erupted from the carriage, sending shockwaves in all directions. Joseph curled his body protectively around Rosette as they fell to the ground.
Without a moment to thank him, Rosette scrambled up and ran towards the carriage.
“Father! Father!”
Her vision blurred as tears streamed down her face in an instant. Joseph quickly ran to her side, slinging the stumbling Rosette over his shoulder.
“It’s dangerous, Young Lady!”
“But…”
“His Grace is already…”
Rosette’s tears soaked his shoulder.
‘This is all my fault.’
She had decided to right all the wrongs of the past. She believed it was the only way to repay her debt to the Adrian family.
‘No, the truth is…’
She loved it when Duke Adrian looked her in the eyes and smiled gently. She loved the feel of his hand carefully stroking her hair, and the warmth that spread through her body when he hugged her.
Most of all, she loved the feeling the word “Father” gave her.
The idea of dedicating herself to the Adrian family out of guilt was a thing of the past. Rosette wanted to protect what she had for her own happiness.
She didn’t want Marquis Dallas to steal her happiness again…
Rosette glared at the flame-engulfed carriage through her tear-filled eyes.
Just then, she felt a surge of mana from within the carriage. It was the same as what she had felt when Duke Adrian had controlled her own rampaging mana.
‘He’s alive?’
Duke Adrian was alive. It wasn’t too late. There was still hope.
The only way to extinguish a magical fire was with magic of the same kind.
But Rosette had no way to use a nullification spell right now. Her mana core was too small, far too weak to quell such a powerful spell.
But if she waited for Celine to arrive, it would be too late.
‘There is a way.’
Rosette held out her hand and called for Bbi-bbi.
“Bbi-bbi!”
[Bbiit!]
Bbi-bbi flew onto her palm, and its body began to glow. The surrounding mana started to swirl violently towards her.
This time, shockwaves emanated from Rosette.
Mana Explosion. A method of using magic by amplifying the power of mana in its natural state.
It was a method rarely used because of the great risk to the caster, but right now, it was the only option.
Rosette unleashed the mana she absorbed through Bbi-bbi all at once and chanted the nullification spell.
“…”
At the same instant, the terrifyingly fierce, crimson flames began to subside.
Rosette broke free from Joseph’s hold and walked toward the carriage.
She felt something surge up from the pit of her stomach, but she managed to suppress it and forced her heavy feet forward.
She wrenched open the door of the carriage, where embers still lingered.
“Father!”
She hurriedly scanned the interior. The inside of the carriage was already filled with black smoke.
Rosette coughed, searching for Duke Adrian.
At that moment.
“Rose?”
A voice she had longed to hear came from within, and through the thick smoke, she saw familiar platinum-blond hair.
It was Duke Adrian. A faint barrier surrounded him.
‘He protected himself with mana.’
While Rosette was processing the situation, Duke Adrian emerged and checked on her.
“Rose, how did you get here…”
Rosette looked at him and breathed a sigh of relief.
His arms and legs were singed, but thankfully, his life didn’t seem to be in danger.
As soon as she confirmed this, all the strength drained from her body. It was the aftereffect of the Mana Explosion.
Rosette coughed uncontrollably.
“Rose!”
Duke Adrian caught her as she collapsed. Rosette looked up at him, smiling through her tears.
“Thank goodness…”
With those last words, she lost consciousness.
***
“The physician! Where is the physician! Bring Celine as well! Quickly!”
Duke Adrian, who was rarely ever agitated, shouted frantically the moment he entered the mansion.
“Your Grace, you’re safe…”
Sebastian’s relieved face turned white as a sheet the moment he saw Rosette’s limp form in the Duke’s arms.
“Young Lady! What in the world happened…”
“I’ll explain later. Just bring Celine.”
“Lady Celine has gone out to look for you, Your Grace.”
“Contact her and tell her to return at once. Right now!”
