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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: The Calm Before the Storm
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Daniel muttered bitterly.
“I told Father I’d take good care of you. I’m so ashamed. I’m sorry, Rose.”
“No, it’s not your fault, Daniel. I had a really great time. It’s just…”
“Just?”
“My body is the problem…”
Daniel reached down and pinched her soft cheek. There was a hint of emotion behind it, and it stung a little.
“Ow.”
“Don’t say that. You didn’t do anything wrong. All children grow up like this.”
Daniel spoke as if he weren't a child himself.
“We must have walked around too much. I should have paced us better. You should have told me if you were tired, Rose.”
“I wasn’t tired. I had a really great time.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I’ll be more careful next time.”
“Okay.”
Just as Rosette was resting, surrounded by the three concerned siblings, the door opened and Duke Adrian rushed in.
“Rose, are you all right?”
“Papa.”
The Duke placed a large hand on Rosette’s forehead and neck.
“You have a slight fever.”
“It’s my fault, Father.”
“It’s not your fault, Daniel. It’s mine. I should have gone with you instead of sending you all alone.”
Rosette gently tugged on the Duke’s sleeve.
“I’m really okay. It was fun. I think it’s just because I haven’t built up my stamina yet.”
“Oh, Rose.”
Duke Adrian sat on the edge of the bed, his expression filled with worry.
“It’s all right. This happens with children. So you don’t need to feel like you have to train harder from now on.”
“Okay.”
His tense expression softened into a smile.
“So, did you have a good outing?”
“Yes. It was so much fun! Really.”
“Was it?”
“My brother and sister bought me lots and lots of pretty presents. Oh, I have to open them.”
“Let’s open them all together once you’ve settled down a bit.”
“Okay.”
Rosette pulled the blanket up to just below her eyes and smiled.
The memory of meeting Marquis Dallas and Elisha was already fading.
Family was a strange thing. Just looking at them made her smile, and simply being together, doing nothing in particular, brought her happiness.
*Is this what a ‘real’ family is like?*
Rosette looked around at her four family members, her eyes smiling. She made another promise to herself.
*I will protect them no matter what. I won’t let Marquis Dallas destroy them.*
She closed her eyes, organizing the events to come in her mind.
And so, the small, happy moments continued to pass.
* * *
“Those children we saw on the street earlier, they were from the Adrian family, right?”
Elisha muttered, hugging the new teddy bear she had bought. Marquis Dallas, who had been lost in thought, lifted his head to look at his daughter.
“But there were four of them, not three. Was that little girl with the pink hair their youngest daughter?”
“It would seem so.”
“That…”
Elisha puffed out her cheeks as she chose her words.
“She wasn’t as impressive as I thought.”
“…”
“She looks plain and she’s so small… She seems timid, too. She doesn’t belong among nobles. Why would Duke Adrian adopt such an ordinary child?”
Ordinary. Marquis Dallas chuckled at the word.
“Well, I’m sure he has his reasons.”
The Marquis felt he knew exactly what those reasons were.
*She’s a child with immense potential.*
The moment his eyes met the pink-haired girl’s blue ones, Marquis Dallas had been quite surprised.
The young lady was so naturally gifted in magic that her talent could be felt even from a distance. If nurtured properly, she could become one of the most renowned mages in the empire.
With that level of talent, Duke Adrian, a knight, would have surely recognized her potential. That was likely why he brought her in.
*Could she be the one who stopped the carriage accident?*
Marquis Dallas had been preparing to harm Duke Adrian for a long time. He had planted a spy in the Duke’s residence through Viscount Chanel and had procured a magic potion.
Everything was supposed to have ended perfectly.
But then things started to go awry. Daniel Adrian had suddenly begun to inspect the carriage meticulously.
In the end, he had to move the plan forward before the boy discovered everything.
Fortunately, Duke Adrian had unsuspectingly taken the potion-laced carriage on his outing, and it was confirmed that the carriage had indeed caught fire.
But Duke Adrian, who was supposed to die, returned alive. Not only that, he had even captured Viscount Chanel, the mastermind behind the plot.
He had been furious that his ambitious plan had gone wrong. To make matters worse, Marquis Dallas had to endure the wrath of Duke Lilith.
What was strange, however, was that while Duke Adrian spoke of the accident, he remained silent about the person who had resolved it.
*If it was the Witch of Fire, there would be no reason to hide it.*
He had found it odd, and it was then that he saw the young Adrian lady.
According to a subordinate of Viscount Chanel, Duke Adrian had returned from the accident with a pink-haired child.
Though it was a brief, passing encounter, Marquis Dallas was certain that the child had thwarted his assassination attempt.
If she remained with the Adrian family, she would undoubtedly become an obstacle to his future plans.
*I’ll have to find a chance to get rid of her.*
With that thought, the Marquis casually spoke to Elisha.
“Eli, I hear the young lady is eight years old. She’s the same age as you.”
“So?”
“Isabelle Adrian is a bit older than you, so you two couldn’t quite get along. How about you try to associate with the younger lady?”
Elisha pouted and said sulkily.
“You’re not telling me to be friends with that commoner, are you?”
“She may be a commoner, but she’s an Adrian now. I’m not saying you have to be friends, but how about getting a little closer to her?”
“Hmm.”
“It would be helpful to your father.”
Elisha mulled it over for a moment before reluctantly answering.
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
“It would be good to host a tea party and invite her.”
“Yes, I’ll talk to Mother about it.”
“Good girl.”
Smiling in satisfaction, Marquis Dallas crossed his legs.
And so, without her knowledge, Rosette began to get entangled with Marquis Dallas once more.
* * *
Lately, Joshua had grown increasingly anxious. It had already been a month since he visited the Duchy of Adrian, yet he still hadn’t been able to meet Rosette Adrian.
He had visited several times since first storming the Duke’s residence. Each time, Duke Adrian refused to let him see her, claiming she wasn’t ready.
The only silver lining was that Rosette Adrian hadn’t shown any particularly suspicious behavior during that time.
Even so, there was a reason Joshua felt psychologically cornered.
*I still haven’t found a single clue about the poisoning.*
Despite his investigations, he couldn’t figure out the method of poisoning or the type of poison used.
The problem was that the day of Ophelia’s death was drawing ever closer.
Biting his lip nervously, Joshua slipped out of the Sapphire Palace.
The direct approach wasn’t working. It was time to try something else.
* * *
Before long, spring had fully arrived. The gardens of the Adrian estate were in full bloom.
Sitting on the terrace reading a storybook, Rosette found herself gazing down at the garden, lost in thought.
*Come to think of it, I have to stop the Empress from being poisoned, too.*
Rosette swung her feet back and forth, recalling the past.
Around the time she was adopted by Marquis Dallas, the Empress’s funeral had taken place.
*That happened in early summer.*
It was now mid-May, late spring. To prevent the Empress’s poisoning, she had to start taking action soon.
*I have a rough idea of the method used for the poisoning. But how do I stop it?*
Should she ask Isabelle to arrange a meeting with the Empress so she could warn her?
As she was thinking, Joan suddenly asked.
“My lady, what are you thinking about so deeply?”
“Huh? Oh, I was just looking at the garden. The flowers are pretty.”
“Then why don’t you go out and play instead of just looking?”
“Can I?”
“Of course.”
“But I haven’t finished my homework yet.”
As Rosette muttered dejectedly, Joan patted her on the back.
“I’m sure Mrs. Neuer would be pleased to hear that you went to look at the flowers.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Joan gently took the storybook from Rosette’s hands. After a moment’s hesitation, Rosette hopped down from her chair.
Joan braided the girl’s long, flowing hair into a single braid to make it easier to play, then helped her into comfortable clothes and sneakers.
Once she was ready, Rosette was pattering down the hallway when…
“Huh? Where are you going, kiddo?”
She ran into Lucas, who was coming up to the third floor after his swordsmanship lesson.
“To the garden to see the flowers.”
“I’m coming with you!”
Lucas trotted along behind Rosette. The two children reached the garden and began to enjoy the flowers.
It wasn’t anything special. Rosette wandered around, looking at the flowers, while Lucas stuck close to his sister’s side, reciting the names of the flowers he knew.
“Hey, kiddo, why don’t you call Bbi-bbi, too?”
“Bbi-bbi?”
“Yeah! Bbi-bbi likes flowers, too.”
Come to think of it, Bbi-bbi would often fly around outside on his own and bring back pretty wildflowers for Rosette.
Rosette gathered her mana and summoned Bbi-bbi. With a *pop!* he appeared in mid-air.
[Peep!]
“Yeah, Bbi-bbi! I told her to call you!”
[Peeep!]
Bbi-bbi hopped around on Lucas’s head. Lucas couldn’t tell if the bird was thanking him or just messing with him.
In any case, the two children and the bird began to explore the garden once more.
“Oh, clover!”
Rosette’s face lit up when she spotted a patch of white clover in a corner of the garden. As she crouched in front of it, Lucas sat down beside her.
“Clover? What’s that? I’ve never seen it before. Is it grass that rabbits eat?”
“I don’t know if rabbits eat it. Maybe they do?”
Rosette answered, sounding unsure.
“But is it okay to pick this?”
“Why are you asking? It’s fine, pick it.”
“But the gardener worked so hard to make the garden pretty.”
“This doesn’t look like something he planted. It’s fine. If anyone says anything, tell them I did it.”
When Rosette still hesitated, Lucas picked a few clovers himself and placed them in her hand. He also gave one to Bbi-bbi to hold in his beak.
“But you want this? There are so many other pretty flowers.”
“It’s not that. I’m going to make a flower ring.”
“A ring?”
“Yes. Jane taught me how to make them.”
Rosette skillfully wove a flower ring and slipped it onto the ring finger of Lucas’s right hand. Lucas held his hand up high, marveling at it.
“Whoa! You know how to make stuff like this, kiddo?”
