Chapter : 2
“W-What… what is this…?”
Chrono Delta Fabinyu stared blankly back and forth between the man and the dress, his jaw tightening.
Count Fabinyu gripped Rosetta’s shoulders and whispered urgently into her ear.
“Give him your permission.”
“But…”
“What do you mean, ‘but’? Do you not understand how extraordinary the Iglesia family is?!”
It was common knowledge that the wealth accumulated by the Iglesias was great enough to raise or topple an entire nation.
Newspapers printed stories about them daily, and it was said—half as a joke—that no business enterprise throughout the Empire was free from the influence of Iglesia capital.
To become in-laws with such a powerful house meant Fabinyu’s rise was all but guaranteed.
Face flushed with excitement, Count Fabinyu pressed his daughter.
“Hurry up and accept. Quickly!”
“Ugh…”
Her shoulders hurt under his grip, but Rosetta could not bring herself to answer.
Sol Rique Iglesia.
No one in the Empire knew better than she did what kind of man he was—its most sought-after groom, a top-tier predator.
If she accepted his proposal, the whole nation’s eyes would turn to her.
If that happened, her quiet-life blueprint would be ruined from the start.
If I become Sol Rique’s wife, I’ll inevitably be in the spotlight. And then completely avoiding the Inquisitors will become nearly impossible.
In general, there were three situations in which one became suspected of being a “possessed one.”
One: suddenly claiming to have lost memories and confusing those around them.
Two: someone with no business sense suddenly succeeding spectacularly in every venture they touched.
Three: revealing knowledge that did not exist in this world.
Rosetta fell into none of these categories. Even so, she’d lived her whole life holding her breath.
Because as a child, she realized something unsettling—she sometimes saw visions.
These visions showed brief fragments of events that would happen in the future. An ability impossible unless one were “possessed.”
But she had been “Rosetta Fabinyu” from birth to present—never gaining knowledge of another world, never waking to find years had passed, never achieving feats she had no memory of accomplishing.
So, to avoid any misunderstanding, she had no choice but to speak cautiously and live quietly.
That was why she had resigned herself to marrying an old widower. If she became a widow young, she could spend the rest of her life in peace.
There were ways to flee the country, but escape required passing an Inquisitor’s inspection—because quite a few possessed ones had attempted to flee abroad.
“Rosetta…!”
“That’s enough.”
Sol Rique’s aide intervened, stopping the count from further pressuring his daughter. The count twisted his expression angrily.
“How dare a mere aide—!”
“Count.”
Sol Rique approached, smiling down at the count from close range.
“You should behave yourself. I’ve just proposed to your daughter.”
“…!”
“So then, what does our bride-to-be think?”
Sol Rique smiled at Rosetta, his lips curved pleasantly, though the pale-blue eyes behind them remained cold.
His gaze felt nothing like that of a man who had just proposed. Rosetta bit her lip.
What do I think?
Of course she couldn’t.
Anyone else—fine. But her? Marrying him? Absolutely impossible.
How could I have the nerve to marry him?
She wouldn’t be able to live quietly, and unlike her, he deserved someone perfect—someone far better than herself.
“Rosetta!”
Count Fabinyu glared at her. He’d sensed she was about to refuse.
We can’t miss this chance!
A giant pumpkin hadn’t simply rolled in—an entire diamond mine had landed at their door. Was he supposed to let it go?
“Accept him. If you do, I’ll grant your wish!”
“…Truly?”
“Yes!”
He meant the promise he once made—to move her mother’s coffin to the family cemetery. Yet even at that, Rosetta shook her head.
“Swear it on our family name.”
“What?”
A vow sworn on the family name could not be retracted, not even by the family head. The count glared at her insolently bold request, but Rosetta did not yield.
Meeting her father’s eyes squarely, she demanded:
“Swear it.”
“Tch…!”
Even with her insolent manner, he couldn’t lash out. Sol Rique was watching the scene closely.
At last, Count Fabinyu nodded.
“Fine. I swear it upon the name of Fabinyu.”
“Father! That’s—!”
“Silence, Julieta!”
At the shout, Julieta clenched her fists. Her eyes flicked between Rosetta, Sol Rique, and the soft pink wedding dress.
This isn’t right.
This wasn’t the scene she had envisioned.
The one to walk a blessed wedding aisle under everyone’s admiration—was supposed to be her, not Rosetta.
She should’ve been the bride everyone envied.
No matter if it was merely for the family’s glory—Rosetta must not be the one getting more attention.
This isn’t why I reported him!
She felt a bit sorry toward her father, but she had assumed that if Diergo became a target of the Inquisition, the wedding with Rosetta would be called off.
He couldn’t possibly be possessed, so he’d only suffer briefly before being released, and if that knocked Rosetta’s pride down, Julieta had thought it a fine strategy.
While Julieta bit her lip and glared at her half-sister, Rosetta took a step toward Sol Rique.
“Have you decided?”
Those elegant, sharp eyes looked straight at her. Rosetta nodded.
I don’t know why he suddenly chose me now…
But she needed to overcome the immediate crisis first. Rosetta extended her hand.
“I’ll do it. I’ll marry you.”
Sol Rike took her hand and smiled smoothly.
“First, let’s change you into a proper wedding dress.”
And so, Rosetta Fabinyu—whose groom had abruptly changed—walked the aisle in the Mary Rose dress of Angriage.
“Bride and groom, please face each other.”
The pale-blue eyes curved into crescent shapes as he placed a ring on her slender finger.
A wedding ring of gray spinel and top-grade pink diamond fit her perfectly, without even a hair’s breadth of error.
Come to think of it, even the dress fit perfectly…
How had he prepared all this?
Even when the officiant declared they should proceed to the kiss, Rosetta could not close her eyes.
His face—haloed in dazzling light—was drawing closer. Her mouth felt unbearably dry.
Lowering his head, Sol Rike murmured with a soft, amused smile:
“Close your eyes.”
Only then did she shut her eyelids, and warm, soft heat brushed her lips.
“With this, the marriage vows are complete!”
—Waaaaaah!
Applause, fireworks, and a triumphant march burst out at once, jolting Rosetta back to her senses.
I really… got married.
Sol Rique Iglesia.
A man kind to all, cold to all.
I’ve become the wife of that man.
He had been Rosetta’s first love.
* * *
It happened when she was about seven.
Rosetta awoke in a dark, murky place—and found a boy.
『Hi?』
Like her, the boy’s hands and feet were tied.
『I’m Rosetta. Who are you?』
“…”
『How old are you? Why are you here?』
Even in this strange place, Rosetta found herself admiring him.
『You’re so pretty.』
His clear skin and glass-like eyes were beautiful. But his hair—like sunlight spun into fine threads—was especially lovely.
『Did those people bring you here too?』
“Be quiet.”
『…Huh?』
“I can’t hear.”
He was listening to something. Rosetta mimicked him—and then a conversation she hadn’t noticed before became audible.
『…No, you idiot, you should’ve brought the blond one!』
『But the legitimate heir is that kid!』
『So what? His father said to do as we please! It was a total waste!』
Rosetta quickly understood the situation.
So Father abandoned me.
Meeting the boy’s eyes, she shrugged.
『My dad probably doesn’t even know I’m seven. I even know how to write his name…』
“…”
『The maid Mari was so impressed, she asked how I already knew how to write Daddy’s name?』
“…”
Her innocent smile as she shared the memory was painfully bright. After watching her with an odd expression, the boy finally spoke.
“…Sol.”
『Hm?』
“That’s… my name.”
Hearing it, Rosetta beamed.
『Wow, even your name is pretty!』
End Of Chapter : 02
