The Youngest Daughter Of The Great Wizard Of The Famous Swordsmanship [EN]: Chapter 209

209. Preparing for the Wedding (3)

“Wouldn’t you like to be my first lady-in-waiting, Joan?”

Joan’s face turned as white as a sheet as she listened intently. After a moment of silence, she exclaimed,

“Me, me, me? You want me to be your lady-in-waiting, Miss?”

Rosette raised both hands to calm her down.

“Joan, calm down. You’ll startle the baby.”

Joan, mimicking Rosette, took a deep breath and said in a trembling voice.

“But how can I not be surprised? Me, becoming your lady-in-waiting? Is this what you’ve been thinking about?”

“Yes, that’s right. I was thinking, you’ve been my personal maid for over 10 years. Shouldn’t my first lady-in-waiting naturally be you?”

“It’s different from being a maid!”

Joan rubbed her round belly again, trying to calm down.

“He’ll be healthy like Chris. He won’t be startled by this, so don’t worry too much.”

“That’s a relief then. But what’s different from being a maid? What’s the difference?”

“You’re going to be the Crown Princess soon, Miss. I’ve heard that ladies-in-waiting in the Imperial Family must have noble titles.”

“Chris has a knight title, though.”

“That’s not enough.”

Joan held Rosette’s hands tightly.

“Instead of someone like me, bring in a kind-hearted noble young lady of your age as your lady-in-waiting. I’m sure there will be many who volunteer!”

“Someone like you? Why do you say it like that?”

Rosette felt a surge of emotion and hugged Joan tightly. Well, she wanted to hug her tightly, but she couldn’t properly embrace her because of her round belly.

“Joan is like family to me.”

Rosette knew that she was being a bit stubborn. As Joan said, most Crown Princesses’ or Empresses’ ladies-in-waiting were nobles.

Moreover, the title and reputation of the lady-in-waiting’s family added to the Crown Princess’s influence. The higher the title, the more advantageous it was.

When the late Duchess Adrian was unmarried, she briefly served as Ophelia’s lady-in-waiting and became a source of strength for her, who had no standing.

So, ideally, Rosette should have a lady-in-waiting from a family no less prestigious than the Adrian family.

“There aren’t any noble young ladies my age among the high-ranking nobles who could be my lady-in-waiting anyway. Joan, you know that’s why His Majesty the Emperor took notice of me as Joshua’s match in the first place.”

“W, well, that’s true.”

“If I had to find someone, it would be Isabel, but she can’t be my lady-in-waiting, can she? No, of course, it’s possible, but she’s more 멋지고 빛나는 [meotjigo bitnaneun – cool and radiant] when she’s a knight.”

“……”

“Besides, I’m honestly a little worried about going to a strange place alone. I think I’ll feel relieved if you’re by my side.”

Rosette added as if making excuses.

“I’m not saying you have to work right away. I hope you can come after the baby grows up and is stable to some extent. Being the first lady-in-waiting is symbolic.”

“……”

“And you said you’d be a nanny when I had a child.”

“If you wish, Miss, I’m willing to be a nanny. I haven’t changed my mind about that. But a nanny and a lady-in-waiting are different. And even if I live in the Imperial Palace as a nanny, I can still be by your side.”

“Uh-huh, that’s true.”

Rosette nodded glumly.

Joan was so against it that she couldn’t force her anymore.

* * *

“What are you worrying about so seriously?”

Joshua, who had been sitting across from her until a moment ago, had already moved to sit next to her.

He flicked Rosette’s nose, who was blankly lost in thought.

“To be thinking about something else when I’m here. That’s too much. I’ve only just seen your face.”

Today, Rosette entered the Imperial Palace to learn Imperial etiquette directly from Ophelia.

Then, Joshua, hearing the news, suddenly came to visit. Of course, Lord Roten wailed that he had a lot of work, but Joshua didn’t even listen.

Anyway, thanks to Ophelia, who smiled happily and left the seat, they were able to have some time alone.

But Rosette ended up thinking about other things. She should be focusing only on Joshua.

‘But I’ve been worried about Joan since yesterday.’

Rosette sighed deeply.

“I’m sorry. I’m just a little troubled.”

Joshua’s eyes narrowed.

“Troubled? Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind about marrying me now?”

“……Pardon?”

“My mother said that when you’re about to get married, you feel restless about whether your choice is really right. My mother also cherished the Ivelyn Kingdom and her family very much, so it must have been hard for her to come all the way to the Empire.”

Rosette realized what he was misunderstanding and exclaimed.

“It’s not that!”

“Then?”

“Of course, I’m a little restless. I’m also sad that I have to live apart from my family for the rest of my life, and I’m worried about whether I can really fulfill my role as the Crown Princess.”

Joshua pinched Rosette’s cheek playfully.

“If you miss your family, you can call them to the Imperial Palace anytime. If you want, you can visit the Duke’s residence with me.”

“That’s true, but……”

“And I have no doubt that you’ll do well. To be honest, it doesn’t matter if you don’t. I’ll just have to work harder and pay more attention. You just do what you’re good at.”

Joshua’s hand slowly slid down and cupped Rosette’s chin.

“And what if you don’t do anything? You don’t have to feel too pressured. I don’t want to force that on you.”

He gently stroked her lower lip with his thumb, then lowered his head and kissed her.

Because of that, Rosette couldn’t properly protest.

As she naturally opened her lips as Joshua led her, he delved inside.

Joshua relentlessly targeted the places where she reacted sensitively. He explored places where she thought such feelings couldn’t possibly arise.

Sometimes, it seemed like Joshua knew her better than Rosette herself.

As Rosette now responded to the kiss quite skillfully, Joshua’s touch became urgent. He naturally wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and breathed hot breaths into her.

Rosette knew very well what actions would follow.

After tasting her soft lips to his heart’s content, Joshua would move his lips to nibble on her earlobe and press his lips firmly against her neck.

At first, she was embarrassed, but Rosette was now waiting for his obsessive behavior. She liked that he only showed this side of himself to her.

Sometimes, she wondered about the expressions of affection that would follow, but that she had never experienced before.

She wanted to be closer to Joshua. What would that feel like?

If she progressed a little further with him, would this heat that made her body feel like it was about to burn rise even more intensely?

But that wasn’t important now.

Joshua’s kiss was good, but the conversation they had been having before it was interrupted kept bothering her.

Rosette quickly pushed Joshua’s shoulders away with both hands. Joshua, who had stepped back, carefully wiped Rosette’s lips, which were panting.

“Did you not like it?”

“No, it’s not that! I wanted to finish the conversation we were having.”

“The conversation we were having?”

“Yes. I think you’re misunderstanding something. I definitely don’t dislike the idea of getting married. I’m also really looking forward to next spring.”

“Then what’s bothering you so much?”

“It’s not bothering me……”

Rosette hesitated, then sighed and confided her worries.

“Actually, I asked Joan to be my first lady-in-waiting.”

“Joan, ah, you mean your current personal maid.”

“Yes. She’s not doing much work now because she’s heavily pregnant, but anyway, she’s my companion.”

“And?”

“It seems like Joan is feeling burdened. She said that ladies-in-waiting are usually high-ranking nobles, so how could she do it?”

Joshua listened silently.

“Of course, it’ll be hard for her to be my lady-in-waiting when I get married because the baby won’t be that old. But you know, there’s that feeling of reassurance just knowing that I have someone on my side.”

“Am I not on your side?”

“Joshua is different.”

“What’s different? Who else thinks about you as much as I do?”

“That’s true, but Joshua can’t always be by my side. You might be too busy to even see my face properly.”

“Rose.”

Joshua’s expression suddenly turned serious. Rosette also swallowed nervously.

“I know that many women have had unhappy palace lives. You don’t have to go far to see that. My mother also suffered a lot.”

“……”

“It was a marriage without love in the first place, and His Majesty had a lover. When His Majesty visited the Empress’s Palace, it was only when there was a good reason. After I was born, I don’t think he even visited that often.”

Rosette couldn’t rashly interfere in the affairs of the Emperor and Ophelia. She just listened to his words quietly.

“But I’m different, Rose.”

Joshua took Rosette’s right hand and kissed her engagement ring. He also had an engagement ring with a pink diamond on his right hand.

Usually, the men of the Empire didn’t prepare separate engagement rings, but Rosette had strongly insisted on getting one.

“I will never leave you alone and lonely in this Imperial Palace.”

“……”

“I’ll be busy. I won’t deny that. But I’ll make time for you every day. I’ll have meals with you, have tea time, and take walks in the garden where the flowers are blooming beautifully.”

He turned Rosette’s hand over and pressed his lips firmly against the inside of her wrist.

“I’ll always sleep by your side too.”

Joshua smiled playfully.

“Honestly, I don’t want to spend the night alone without you.”