chapter 22
Come to think of it, unlike Caroline, who had a twisted mindset, Daisy was fairly straightforward and honest.
Of course, you could say that in a good way, but in a bad way, it made her simple-minded and ignorant.
If she wanted something, she wouldn’t care about the means; and if things didn’t go her way, she would cry, wail, and throw a tantrum for ten days and nights.
“If there’s a method, I could rush in without looking back. Maybe taming the second eldest sister, who might be the most troublesome in the family, won’t be as hard as I thought.”
If this method worked, half of Serena’s worries and troubles would be gone.
Watching Daisy’s annoying gaze quietly, Serena slowly spoke.
“If you don’t say a single word until we get home, I’ll buy it for you.”
“Really?!”
Though the condition was unreasonable, Daisy’s face lit up brighter than ever.
“This starts now. Until we reach home, don’t move your lips at all. Got it?”
Daisy nodded vigorously. She dashed to the sofa, burying herself in it. Even though they hadn’t left yet, she seemed already excited, wriggling in place.
“No humming or whistling. Don’t dance. Don’t make any noise at all.”
Serena added this just in case, and Daisy’s shoulders twitched as she froze in place.
How could something so simple work on that wild child?
“I wish I had realized this a little earlier.”
No, thinking back, even if past Serena had known, she didn’t have anything to manipulate Daisy with back then.
Bitterly, it was thanks to something no one in the family had in the previous life—money—that this was now possible.
“It’s fine that I realized it now. I’ll make sure no one ever blocks my path again.”
Since Daisy was more beast than human, if Serena repeated her method like training an animal, she would gradually improve.
As Serena made this firm resolve, she met Caroline’s eyes.
Serena narrowed her own.
“If you stay quiet, I’ll buy it for you too.”
“Are you crazy? Who are you ordering around?”
Of course. Caroline, who always thought she was the smartest in the world, wouldn’t follow Serena’s words just to get a new outfit.
“Fine, forget it then.”
Serena turned her head sharply, showing no hesitation. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ashbel and Rianna exchange awkward smiles.
You acted all bossy before, and now you’re embarrassed, huh?
Even when Daisy fell or got hurt, they never cared—so why now expect anything from me?
Ignoring her parents’ gaze, Serena turned to Jeremy.
“Sorry for the delayed greeting. I heard you were looking for me.”
“No need to worry about it.”
Jeremy had also seen Daisy’s crazy antics firsthand. Greetings? Just surviving that chaos without screaming was already a relief.
“First, take these documents.”
Serena quickly accepted the papers Jeremy handed her. Though only a few sheets, the text was dense.
“There’s more content than you might expect. If any part is difficult to understand, feel free to ask. Once you submit it to the capital, it can’t be undone, so you need to review it carefully first.”
“Come to think of it, you can’t read yet, right? I’ll read it to you.”
Before Serena could reply, Ashbel’s large, clumsy hand reached for the papers.
Startled from a previous experience, Serena instinctively dodged. Ashbel, embarrassed, scratched his head awkwardly.
“No… why are you overreacting? I just wanted to read it.”
“That’s not necessary. I can read it fine myself.”
Under the wary gazes of her family, Serena read aloud fluently.
“October 5th, 1045 Imperial Year. According to the will of Julia Roselantis found in the library of the Roselantis Estate, the domain ‘Rosegold,’ property, and the title of Baroness are transferred to Serena Roselantis. Any related taxes should have been paid by Julia Roselantis, the original owner, but as she is deceased, her son and current head of the Roselantis family, Morte Roselantis, will bear them.”
Her family’s eyes went wide.
Although she had claimed she could read yesterday, they hadn’t even listened. Ignored as usual, it didn’t surprise her; it just added to the constant disappointment.
“However, regarding the title, Ashbel Roselantis will act as her proxy until Serena Roselantis reaches adulthood.”
At that, Ashbel’s mouth twitched. Spotting Rianna glaring at him, he quickly cleared his throat and pretended nothing happened.
“The transfer is complete upon signing. Afterward, starting with Ashbel Roselantis, all family members—Rianna, Caroline, Daisy, and Serena—will have their affiliation and surname changed to Rosegold.”
Turning the first page, the next detailed exactly which properties were transferred—land sizes, boundaries, artworks, their value, and more.
Most of it was beyond Serena’s understanding.
Not expecting any change from asking, Serena read on with unfocused eyes until a number caught her attention.
“100,000 gold…? Wait, did I misread 10,000?”
Even 1,000 gold would be surprising, but 100,000?
It had to be an optical illusion. Rubbing her eyes, Serena counted slowly.
“One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand…!”
No matter how many times she recounted, it was the same.
While Serena froze, Caroline grabbed Rianna’s arm, eyes wide.
“What does this mean? From today, I become Caroline Rosegold?!”
“Yes. It’s under proxy, but your father received the title of Baron Rosegold.”
Rianna was puzzled at Caroline’s shock.
Caroline was speechless, shouting loudly unlike her usual self.
“Baroness…! Why should I go from Countess’s daughter to Baroness’s daughter?! I don’t want it! I refuse! I’ll remain a Roselantis Countess’s daughter!”
Rianna clicked her tongue at her daughter’s ignorance.
Daisy, confused, alternated her gaze between Caroline and Rianna, clearly frustrated she couldn’t ask what was happening.
“Hey!”
Caroline stormed over and shoved Serena’s back hard.
Serena reflexively grabbed Jeremy’s desk and barely avoided falling forward, her heart pounding.
“What are you doing?!”
As Serena yelled, Caroline, clearly thinking she was right, yelled even louder.
“What are you doing? You’re the reason I have to become a ridiculous Baroness’s daughter!”
Frowning in confusion, Serena listened as Caroline ranted:
“Rosegold or Goldrose, do it yourself if you want! I won’t! I’ll stay a Roselantis Countess’s daughter!”
Now understanding the situation, Serena brushed her disheveled hair back.
Ah… so that’s it.
This was the second time Caroline had gotten angry over a title. The first was when Ashbel died in the previous life.
“Why can’t we use our family name just because our father died?! Even if he couldn’t inherit the title, he was the Count’s eldest son! I am the eldest daughter!”
After being told she couldn’t use the Roselantis name anymore, Caroline raged, veins popping in her neck. Naturally, Ashbel’s funeral was chaos. Even his life had been nothing to brag about, and the final farewell ended amidst whispers and murmurs.
It wasn’t really ours from the start.
In truth, after Ashbel married and left the family, using the Roselantis name was never appropriate.
There was a designated heir—and it was his younger sibling. Ashbel Roselantis as the eldest son’s title was absurd.
Of course, there were circumstances. Usually, when someone lost in an inheritance dispute, they received a lesser title. But the Count gave Ashbel nothing. He had been constantly causing trouble since childhood and had earned the family’s disdain.
Still, he couldn’t live like a commoner without a surname, so he continued to use Roselantis.
But that was while Ashbel, the eldest son, was alive. With his death, the Roselantis family wouldn’t allow relatives who tarnished the family to keep the name.
But I never told her she couldn’t use it.
Since that day, Caroline had tormented Serena almost to death. With everything she had taken gone, it was no wonder she couldn’t contain her rage—but it wasn’t acceptable to vent on others.
If left unchecked, the harassment would continue. It needed to be settled.
Serena returned the documents to Jeremy.
“Alright. Let her do as she wants. Uncle, please remove Caroline’s name from the documents.”
