Chapter 16
Roselia was momentarily left speechless. Memories from before the regression flashed through her mind like a passing scene.
“D-did I do something wrong…?”
Since Roselia stood frozen without speaking, Daisy asked hesitantly.
Coming back to her senses, Roselia broke into a bright smile.
“Oh, no. Not at all. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Roselia Hylen. And this is my maid, Mary.”
After exchanging greetings, she handed over the gifts she had brought.
“Oh my! The rose pot is so pretty! And whipped cream cake too. Thank you so much, Lady Roselia.”
Thankfully, Daisy seemed to genuinely like the gifts. All the time Roselia had spent worrying over choosing something not too expensive or burdensome had paid off.
“Shall we go eat now?”
Cardian, who had been watching quietly from the side, stepped in.
Led by Mark and Daisy, they went further inside, where neatly prepared dishes were laid out on the dining table.
“Please sit here.”
By chance, Roselia ended up sitting in the seat of honor and smiled awkwardly.
“There isn’t much, but please enjoy the food. My daughter prepared it with care.”
On the table were a well-simmered chicken tomato soup, steaming buttered potatoes, and a pork dish glistening with juices.
With a forest berry salad added, the table looked full and generous.
“What do you mean ‘not much’? You’re being too modest.”
Smiling, Roselia picked up her spoon and took a sip of the chicken tomato soup.
“Mmm.”
The rich flavor of chicken and tomatoes blended perfectly and filled her mouth. Her eyes widened without her noticing.
Seeing her reaction, Mark looked very pleased.
“I’m not saying this just because she’s my daughter, but Daisy’s cooking is truly excellent.”
“I agree. I almost want to invite her to work as a cook for the count’s household.”
“Is that so? Hahaha. Thank you. Please try this as well.”
Laughing heartily at the praise, Mark personally served her buttered potatoes and pork.
“I’ll serve you two as well.”
Soon, Daisy’s and Cardian’s plates were piled high with food.
“Father~. If you give us this much, Cardian and I will gain weight right away.”
Daisy scolded him lightly with a smile.
“Hahaha. You take after your mother, so you won’t gain weight. And Cardian is learning swordsmanship now, so he needs to put on some weight.”
“Haah…”
Cardian let out a small sigh and shook his head at Mark.
“This kid, sighing at his father!”
Mark playfully ruffled Cardian’s neat black hair.
“Father!”
Cardian protested, but there was no sign of dislike in his red eyes. Mark and Daisy smiled brightly at him, as if even that reaction was adorable.
Cardian really… grew up surrounded by a lot of love.
Watching them, Roselia suddenly thought of her own childhood.
Her mother had passed away shortly after giving birth to her, so she had only ever seen her face in a portrait.
Her father always put the family first, so unless it was a special occasion, it was difficult to even eat together.
Recently, she had eaten with her father, but it was nothing more than brief, dry exchanges. She had never experienced a warm and lively family meal like this, neither before nor after the regression.
As Roselia stared at them blankly, she felt a strange emptiness in her chest.
She lowered her gaze to her plate. There was still half of the buttered potatoes and pork left, but her appetite no longer returned like before.
She quietly set down her fork and knife and let out a small sigh.
Cardian was silently watching her.
Sensing his gaze, Roselia lifted her head slightly. The owner of that gaze was Cardian, sitting across from her.
W-what? Why is he staring at me like that?
His eyes moved from her face to her plate. Soon, his brows drew together.
Ah—don’t tell me he’s upset because I left his sister’s food?
Roselia quickly picked up her fork, stabbed a piece of potato and meat, and put it into her mouth. His furrowed brows seemed to relax slightly.
Phew. I guess I was right.
She sighed in relief inside.
Even if she had no appetite, she had to finish the food. If she left it, Cardian might get upset again.
Roselia moved her hands busily, eating the buttered potatoes and pork, chewing and swallowing.
In no time, her plate was empty.
“Ugh.”
She lightly patted her chest. Maybe because she ate too quickly, her chest felt tight.
“I’ll pour you some water.”
Mary, who had been watching from the side, was just about to pour water—
Tap.
Before Mary could move, Cardian placed a cup of water in front of Roselia. After hesitating for a moment, she squeezed her eyes shut, picked up the cup, and drank.
As the water went down her throat, the tight feeling in her chest disappeared.
When Roselia put the cup down, wiped her mouth, and looked up, Cardian was staring at her with a stiff expression.
Why… why is he looking at me like that? I finished all the food his sister made.
Just as she was wondering if it meant she should go home now, Cardian lowered his gaze and drank his own water.
Phew. Maybe he was just checking if I was eating his sister’s food properly.
Roselia decided that she should get closer to Cardian’s sister from now on.
Before she knew it, the meal was over. On the table were the whipped cream cake Roselia had brought, forest berry honey preserves Daisy had made herself, and herbal tea.
“I heard you readily gave us expensive medicinal herbs when I had a fever. And although it’s late, thank you so much for giving my younger brother the opportunity to study and supporting him. If there’s anything I can help you with, please tell me.”
Daisy spoke to her with sincere gratitude shining in her gentle eyes.
“I did it because I wanted to. Please don’t feel burdened.”
“Still, as his older sister, I can’t help feeling that way.”
Looking into Daisy’s kind eyes, Roselia felt a stab of guilt, since she was using Cardian for survival. But she couldn’t step back now.
After a moment of thought, she spoke.
“Then… please grant me one request.”
“What kind of request?”
“When I come here, could we all eat together like this?”
“What? Eat together? We’re commoners, so how could we repeatedly share meals with Lady Roselia, a count’s daughter…?”
Daisy widened her eyes and trailed off.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I make you uncomfortable? Actually… my mother passed away when I was young, and I have no siblings. My only family is my father, but he’s always busy, so it’s hard to even see his face, let alone eat together. So seeing a family eating together like this today looked so nice that I couldn’t help myself.”
Roselia lowered her gaze and wore a lonely expression. Since her situation wasn’t a lie, her tone and expression came out naturally.
For a moment, the room fell quiet.
“Ah… how sad.”
“Ahem… hmm.”
She heard Daisy’s soft exclamation of sympathy and Mark’s awkward cough, but Roselia didn’t lift her head.
Daisy looked flustered and glanced at her father, Mark, who nodded with wide eyes.
“Then please come and eat with us anytime.”
Hearing the answer she had been hoping for, Roselia slowly raised her head.
“Thank you… truly. But if it ever feels uncomfortable, you can refuse.”
“No, not at all. It’s not uncomfortable. It can’t compare to the count’s household meals, but I’ll make them with care.”
At Daisy’s warm words, Roselia felt a tickling sensation in her chest. Somehow, she felt she could understand Cardian’s deep affection for his commoner family before the regression.
After Roselia returned to the count’s estate with her maid Mary, Cardian stayed behind to help Daisy clean up.
Their father, Mark, said he was tired and had already gone to his room.
“I’ll take care of the dishes. You should rest, sis.”
As Daisy moved toward the shelf to clean up, Cardian stopped her. Daisy smiled softly and patted his shoulder.
“Thank you. What a kind younger brother, worrying about his sister.”
“Who’s kind.”
Embarrassed, Cardian replied bluntly.
“Still, after meeting Lady Roselia today, she doesn’t seem like an ordinary noble lady. She’s thoughtful and kind. And she’s cute and very pretty too. What do you think?”
At Daisy’s question, Cardian’s hand, which had been wiping the table, slowly slowed down—then stopped.
“I… don’t know.”
