Chapter 79
“…….”
Rose fell silent at Heaven’s words. It was a continuation of the conversation they had just had. When he noticed her tensing up as if waiting for his decision, he let out a small chuckle.
“Plita really likes you a lot, Rose. I’m sure you’ve already noticed.”
“…….”
“Ever since you became her personal maid, the child has become so much brighter. Neither I nor anyone else had been able to make her smile like this.”
Heaven watched Rose’s expression, which was hard to describe in response to his words. Her eyes were moist, as if moved. And it wasn’t as if he had said anything extraordinary.
He added, as if putting a final stamp on his words:
“Who would be foolish enough to fire someone who makes their child smile?”
It would also be hard to find someone as devoted to Plita as Rose. So the decision not to fire her was purely his desire as a father.
‘……Is that really all?’
At that moment, a voice rose from deep within his chest. His own voice.
‘Is that the only reason you won’t fire her?’
‘……Then, what else could there be?’
Heaven clenched his fists tightly and denied the voice that had spoken from his heart.
“……Thank you.”
At that moment, Rose greeted him with a slightly touched voice, as if moved. Then, searching for a topic to erase the awkwardness, she looked around and suddenly spotted something, letting out a small exclamation:
“Your Highness, over there!”
“……!”
Rose grabbed Heaven and pulled him forward as if she had never hesitated. Surprised, Heaven looked at his sleeve, which she had held onto.
But Rose seemed unaware of his glance and pulled him along again, speaking quickly.
“Don’t you think the clothes hanging in that store would suit the princess well? Let’s go take a closer look.”
Us.
The casual word she had uttered struck his heart like a drum. Heaven, unable to control the pounding of his heart, had no choice but to follow her across the street.
It wasn’t necessarily bad. Normally, he would have been upset, even furious. After all, a servant dragging her master along without asking for his consent—anyone would be shocked. Especially if that person were Heaven Gaunters, someone even nobles dared not confront.
Yet Heaven walked along without objection.
Was he crazy? he asked himself. Yet the voice that had questioned him earlier was silent.
It was reckless.
The voice that had suddenly appeared from within his heart, spoken a word, and then hidden again. The heart that started beating madly at a single word, “us.”
…All of it was absurd, bewildering, and yet not unpleasant. On the contrary, it filled him with such unexpected joy that he almost wanted to laugh.
“That dress! Your Highness, up close it looks even more lovely.”
Rose had suddenly become assertive because of Plita. She had found a dress that seemed perfect for the child and was so excited she hadn’t realized how boldly she was acting toward Heaven.
Heaven had no intention of pointing that out. So he naturally turned his gaze to the dress Rose had indicated. A small smile spread unconsciously across his lips.
Indeed, as Rose had said, it was a child’s dress that would suit Plita perfectly.
It was a dress with tulip-shaped sleeves, unique in design. It was adorned with ribbons and frills, making it look cute and charming.
“……Hmm, I think Plita would like this.”
Heaven remembered the day Plita had worn so many ribbons in her hair and nodded. Then he realized anew that the change that day had come from Rose.
She must have been making small changes gradually. And those small changes had accumulated into the current transformation.
Even he had been the same. His old self would never have wandered the streets or browsed shops just to buy a gift for a child.
“Right? The princess would like it……”
Rose smiled and responded without knowing what Heaven was thinking. At that moment, a middle-aged woman, presumably the shop owner, came out and approached them.
“You’re here to look at children’s clothes, I see. Come inside and have a proper look. We have even more beautiful dresses.”
The shop owner quickly scanned the two from head to toe. The man’s outfit immediately marked him as high-class. The woman’s outfit, on the other hand, was quite plain—tidy, but somehow… it gave the impression of a country girl who had just come to the city.
‘What’s their relationship? Are they married? Or not?’
The shop owner tried to guess. But it was impossible to tell.
Just then, Heaven spoke, interrupting her thoughts.
“Shall we go inside, Rose?”
“Yes, I’d like that.”
Rose nodded obediently. Heaven then stepped inside the shop as if in understanding. The owner suppressed her curiosity about their relationship and quickly led them in.
“So, you’re here to buy a child’s gift? Is it for your daughter?”
The owner glanced at them and asked tentatively. Heaven looked around the store and lightly nodded.
“I see. How old is she?”
“She’s five.”
The owner turned to Rose for confirmation. Rose naturally answered and then walked toward another display, her gaze tender as she examined the children’s clothes. It was a gaze that could only belong to someone choosing for a child, not their own.
‘They’re married.’
The owner concluded from Rose’s gaze and then glanced at Heaven, who had moved closer to her, naturally looking at the dresses together. Their closeness was effortless and affectionate.
‘Definitely married.’
The owner confirmed her assumption, nodding slightly. She approached them and spoke cheerfully.
“It’s wonderful for a daughter to have parents who come shopping together. She’s lucky to have such caring parents.”
“Eh? Ah, um……”
Rose, startled by the assumption that they were a married couple while choosing Plita’s dress, stammered.
“Um, it’s not like that. This gentleman is……”
“You should look at the clothes too.”
But Heaven interrupted her mid-sentence and spoke casually. Rose, startled by his words, looked at him wide-eyed.
“I, I……”
“Rose, you shouldn’t just look at Plita’s clothes. You should look at your own too.”
“Oh, please do! Your husband is going to buy you a dress, so hurry and choose. I have a few dresses that I’ve been wanting to recommend since I first saw you. Just a moment!”
Seizing the opportunity, the owner quickly led Rose further inside to show her the dresses. Left alone with Heaven, Rose whispered hurriedly:
“Your Highness, you don’t have to buy my dress. And besides, the owner already mistakes us for a married couple……”
“Being mistaken for a couple isn’t new, is it? It happened at the festival in Middlepion too.”
“That time was for the princess. She didn’t want anyone to notice she had no mother,” Rose replied softly. Heaven let out a quiet chuckle.
“Then this time, you can do it for me.”
“Eh? I……”
Rose widened her eyes in surprise, about to call out to him, but the owner returned with several dresses, making it impossible to get his attention.
“Oh, why are you whispering so much? Someone might think you just started dating. The way you two look at each other is so sweet, it practically reeks of romance. I thought someone spilled a whole lot of sugar somewhere!”
“That’s… not true……”
Rose’s face flushed red at the owner’s joking, and she bowed her head slightly. Heaven, calm as ever, nodded lightly and spoke to the owner.
“Show us the dresses.”
“Ah, yes! Let me start with this one.”
The owner, smiling softly at Rose’s flushed face, presented the first dress.
“I thought this purple would suit your fair skin. The shoulders are modestly exposed, and the chest area is slightly open……”
“That’s enough.”
“No, wait.”
As the owner confidently explained, Heaven and Rose both spoke at the same time, causing her to pause and blink. She pointed to the front of the dress and continued carefully.
“It’s not too revealing. Just enough for the husband to find satisfactory……”
“Hmph, I’d prefer it not to be too revealing.”
Heaven interrupted the owner’s attempt to persuade him. Then, without realizing it, he glanced at Rose. Her face had become even redder, as if touching her lightly would leave a mark.
“……Young couples can be surprisingly conservative.”
The owner looked between the two, who avoided eye contact out of embarrassment, muttering to herself. Nodding in self-satisfaction, she lightly gestured as if to pat Rose’s back.
“But the clothes you’re wearing now are really not good! How could someone so pretty always pick dull colors? Seeing the husband’s fashion sense, it’s not like you lack taste. This is largely his fault!”
