Chapter — 44
The two adults could not say a single word in front of Rosebell’s tears. Perhaps it was because they knew that no words could comfort someone who was quietly crying before the portrait of a precious person.
Because of their silent consideration, Rosebell felt even sadder. She had thought she could not feel this way since she had no clear memories, but that had been a mistake.
It felt as if something she had been desperately avoiding deep in her heart was bursting out all at once.
Is this feeling really mine?
She doubted it for a moment, then thought that perhaps the spirits were sad too. But even so, she felt that emotions belonging only to the spirits would not make her cry this painfully.
Had she not experienced something similar in her previous life as well? The moment she became an orphan came back to her mind, and that memory may have made her sorrow overflow even more.
“Rosebell… don’t cry too much. Please, have some tea…”
The marchioness, no longer able to endure it, offered her tea. Rosebell took the teacup with trembling hands.
Tears rolled down and dropped into the tea with a soft plop. As small ripples spread, her throat tightened again.
“I think… I didn’t want to know. I thought that if I turned away, everything would be fine.”
At her honest words, the marchioness sympathized to some extent. Rosebell was still young to face such deep sorrow. And as someone who knew Ariel’s final moments, the marchioness understood her feelings even more.
Rosebell had believed that once was enough for such emotions. They were what she most wanted to avoid after regaining her memories of her previous life.
She had also been careless. Because she had not seen it herself, she thought she would be fine even if she heard stories about her mother.
“It’s okay… You’ve lived well until now, and you just need to keep living well from now on.”
“Thank you…”
Ophelia noticed that Rosebell was not really accepting the comfort. But there were no more words she could give.
Wasn’t it true that a great sorrow beyond words could not be comforted by anything in this world? She herself had experienced that before.
To calm Rosebell, who could not easily stop crying, the three of them moved to the garden.
The brightly blooming flowers were perfect for refreshing her mood. Looking at the young girl, Ophelia recalled Ariel, who used to smile so brightly.
“Do you like flowers too?”
“Of course! I like farming, flowers, and trees—everything! The garden is so beautiful!”
Seeing how much better Rosebell looked than before, the marchioness let out a quiet sigh of relief.
People naturally feel happiness when they see beautiful things. It differs from person to person, of course, but Ariel had especially loved plants.
Because of that, Ophelia and Ariel had grown close very quickly. When everyone said it was ridiculous for a woman to become the head of a family, Ariel had told her it was admirable.
—
“I think you’ll lead the marquis family better than anyone! Stay strong!”
—
Ophelia had believed that the smile cheering her on would last a long time, even if not forever.
But strange, unknowable events had occurred in the Empire. Ariel died while resisting the ominous energy that crept closer to her territory.
Only a very few people knew that truth. Ophelia was one of them.
If Rosebell truly resembled Ariel, she might end up walking the same path.
“Rosebell, do you want to know a lot about your mother?”
“I do want to know about my mother, but I also want to know about your situation, Marchioness.”
At those unexpected words, Ophelia’s eyes widened.
Wanting to know about her situation—what did that mean? Duke Efrian had only spoken about Ariel.
That meant this question came purely from Rosebell’s own curiosity. Ophelia’s heart suddenly began to race.
“My situation…? Is there really anything to be curious about?”
“You became the first woman in the Empire to become the head of a family! I want to hear about your experiences!”
Her bright purple eyes sparkled with expectation for the future. For the first time in a long while, Ophelia felt her heart beat quickly.
She felt genuine curiosity, not just toward Ariel’s daughter, but toward Rosebell herself.
She wondered how this young child had come to dream of becoming a family head—and who had influenced her to think that way.
Sometimes, the world felt truly cruel. Rosebell ended up meeting the female protagonist in the most unexpected place.
“Marchioness, they say someone brought ink from Ritten. What should we do?”
“Ink… I need to check it…”
“I’m fine, so please check the goods first. It’s a long distance between here and Ritten, so it’s better to make sure.”
The Marchioness felt sorry toward Rosebell, but Rosebell was thinking of something else.
She was curious about who would walk through that door. Would it be the old woman from before, or someone else? She felt tense.
As always, anxiety turned into reality.
“Ah…”
Rosebell had not expected to see those same eyes she saw in Ritten again—here of all places.
The difference was that this time, the person was a young woman. Or perhaps not that young.
She had an appearance that felt strangely familiar to Rosebell.
“The female protagonist…”
She muttered without realizing it, biting her thumbnail. Why was she meeting the protagonist here? If this was fate, did that mean her ending would never change?
This fear was completely different from the fear she had felt when purification was needed. This was a fear that told her, instinctively, that her future itself was disappearing.
With abundant blonde hair, amber-colored eyes, and gently curved lips, the girl looked mysterious and beautiful to anyone.
“Rosebell?”
“Huh?”
“Are you okay?”
“…No. I’m not okay.”
Her voice trembled.
“Are you feeling sick?”
“No, it’s not that… Back in Ritten…”
“Ah!”
Aren’s gaze changed in an instant. He watched as the Marchioness warmly welcomed the woman.
When she visited here, she seemed to be showing her real appearance. Then why had she looked like that in Ritten?
It made no sense. People did not hide their appearance without a reason.
Especially not by deliberately disguising themselves as an old woman. That clearly meant there was a purpose.
“Do you want to step away?”
“Then it would look strange. And I need to see her myself… You should stay alert too and observe carefully.”
At Rosebell’s unusually sharp tone, Aren swallowed dryly. Things seemed more serious than he had thought.
Just who was that woman, for Rosebell to be this cautious?
Objectively speaking, wasn’t she just a commoner? Someone who could not possibly threaten a duke’s estate.
Still, Aren also felt uneasy.
The necklace and the bracelet.
Necklaces and bracelets were common accessories for women. But the reason they caught Aren’s eye was simple.
The pendant was too large for a commoner, and the bracelet was not metal, but a braided band made of threads of many colors.
He once heard in passing that shamans wove bracelets from many threads, infusing them with strong wishes.
At the time, he had dismissed it as impossible. But the fact that the memory resurfaced now did not feel like a coincidence.
Seeing how anxious Rosebell was, he felt that—even if uncertain—this woman needed to be investigated.
The amount of ink she had brought was enormous.
Rosebell tried to steady herself and looked at the Marchioness.
“Are you going to use all of this?”
“Not all of it. She always brings things she thinks I might like too. What about you, Rosebell? If there’s something you like, I’ll buy it for you.”
“Really? But I also brought ink to give you, Marchioness… I bought it at this shop.”
At Rosebell’s words, the girl flinched slightly, then spoke as if nothing was wrong.
“It seems you came when my grandmother was here.”
“Oh… is that so?”
“Yes. I usually travel far away like this.”
“What’s your name?”
“Melania.”
“Melania… That’s a lovely name.”
At that moment, Aren lightly nudged Rosebell’s foot.
Rosebell swallowed and turned her gaze to the Marchioness.
She almost laughed in disbelief. The look in the Marchioness’s eyes was very familiar. She could clearly tell—this damned female protagonist was not a kind person.
“Rosebell, choose anything you want! I’ll buy it all for you.”
“Not everything. I think this blue ink will be enough. It’s blue with a silver shine—kind of like Aren.”
“Our Rosebell really cherishes Aren.”
“Of course. He’s the one who protects me.”
As she finished speaking, Rosebell looked straight at Melania, who was sitting across from her. For just a moment, she caught Melania’s expression twisting.
It seemed there would be a lot to do from now on.
