The Youngest Daughter Of The Great Wizard Of The Famous Swordsmanship [EN]: Chapter 144

144. Isabel’s Consultation

2024.03.23.

The Duke tossed and turned, losing sleep as the exact same dream repeated without a single change. Each time he woke, he struggled to distinguish reality from the dream, leaving his mind in turmoil.

Why was he having such dreams? What was Asella, the Goddess, trying to show him through them?

But he couldn’t bring himself to tell anyone, so he worried alone.

Daniel, observing the Duke’s face, spoke cautiously.

“If anything is troubling you, please tell me anytime, Father.”

“Yes, thank you for your concern.”

Adrian dealt with the urgent documents he hadn’t been able to finish due to Joshua’s birthday party, then left his office. Daniel had returned to his room a little earlier.

As the Duke was about to return to his own room, he suddenly changed direction and headed towards Rosette’s room. He hesitated briefly in front of the tightly closed door before carefully opening it and entering.

When Rosette was young, especially shortly after being adopted into the Adrian family, he would often secretly peek in on her like this at night.

He worried that his youngest daughter, living in an unfamiliar place overnight, might be tossing and turning, crying in her sleep.

However, after Rosette entered adolescence, he avoided entering as much as possible, out of consideration for her. Since Rosette became an adult and returned from the Academy, he had never suddenly visited her.

But strangely, today he wanted to see Rosette sleeping peacefully.

It was already late, so Rosette was indeed asleep.

[Bwee?]

As the Duke approached the bed, Bwee sensed his presence and opened its eyes.

Bwee, about to cry out sharply to signal an emergency, recognized the Duke and firmly closed its beak. Instead, it fluttered onto the Duke’s shoulder.

“Yes, Bwee. You’ve been guarding Rose well.”

[Bwee!]

The Duke couldn’t understand Bwee’s words, but he could sense Bwee’s pride.

“Yes. Please continue to protect Rose.”

From the first time he saw it, the Duke was pleased with the existence of this little bird.

The Duke, being a knight, didn’t know much about familiars [magical animal companions], but he had heard that familiars share their master’s emotions and cherish them more than anyone else.

This little bird would protect Rosette no matter what. It might not have strong abilities like Silver, Joshua’s familiar wolf, but its heart for Rosette was more sincere than anyone else’s.

[Bwee-bweet.]

The Duke, unaware that Bwee was saying, ‘Now that you know my worth, you should reward me with biscuits,’ chuckled and went to Rosette’s side.

She still had a hint of youthfulness, but she was an adult nonetheless. Yet, in the Duke’s eyes, she looked like the small, fragile child he had first met.

A child he had to protect no matter what.

But someday, Rosette would leave his side. Thinking about something that hadn’t even happened yet made the tip of his nose tingle slightly.

It was a different feeling than when he thought about sending Daniel and Lucas away, or even Isabel, who was also his daughter.

The Duke carefully stroked Rosette’s hair.

“Just always be happy.”

As always, this father will bear the heavy burdens of the world.

You just need to be happy without any worries, like you were when you were young.

You don’t need to strive or try to become something.

You can just stay as you are, doing what you want. I’ll take care of everything else.

Adrian placed Bwee back on the pillow and quietly left the room.

The nightmare that had been tormenting him before meeting Rosette was completely forgotten.

* * *

After hearing Joshua’s confession, Rosette pondered and pondered. But she couldn’t come to a definite conclusion.

Even when she tried to separate Joshua from his position as a prince, she couldn’t.

Nor could she confide her worries to anyone and seek advice. She cautiously broached the subject with Bwee, whom she could trust unconditionally, but it wasn’t much help.

Bwee, being a familiar, didn’t know much about human society.

It didn’t know what kind of influence the Adrian family, to which Rosette belonged, had among people, or how precious Joshua, as a prince, was.

To Bwee, its master Rosette was simply the best and greatest person in the world, and Joshua was just the master of its friend’s familiar, Silver.

So it didn’t understand Rosette’s worry: ‘Even if I like the Prince, I don’t want to be an Empress.’

For reference, Bwee’s answer to that worry was, ‘What’s there to worry about? Just become an Empress too! Isn’t Ophelia an Empress? Then you can eat lots of delicious things!’

Rosette always relied on Bwee, but at times like these, the little bird was of no help.

“Are you worried about something?”

Rosette, who was sitting on a swing in the garden, lost in thought with a book open in her lap, suddenly looked up at the voice from above.

Isabel, with her hair tied back in a ponytail and a wooden sword slung over her shoulder, was looking down at her.

She had heard it was a holiday today, and she was wearing light practice clothes, as if she had just finished sword practice.

Rosette reflexively replied.

“No, I’m not worried about anything.”

[Bweet!]

Bwee chimed in, pretending not to know anything.

Isabel’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as she looked at Rosette and Bwee.

“You have a face full of worries for someone who says they aren’t worried.”

Isabel casually wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and plopped down next to Rosette.

Rosette tensed up without realizing it. Whether Isabel knew her feelings or not, she reached out towards Rosette and picked up the water bottle that was next to her.

“So, what’s the worry?”

“I told you, I’m not worried about anything.”

“Rose.”

Isabel called her name softly as she quenched her thirst with water.

“Even I think I’m not a very affectionate sister.”

“……?”

“I’m not as kind as Daniel Oppa [term of endearment for older brother], and I haven’t been able to take care of you like that idiot Lucas.”

“No. You’ve been good enough……, well, you’ve been good to me in your own way.”

Isabel raised her eyebrows as if to say, ‘See?’

“Even you don’t say I’m affectionate.”

“But……”

To be honest, like Isabel said, she wasn’t an affectionate sister. Unlike Daniel and Lucas, who welcomed Rosette from the beginning, Isabel didn’t like her adoption.

Unlike Daniel, who praised everything she did, and Lucas, who was eager to take care of her, Isabel didn’t particularly take care of Rosette.

Rather, she had many memories of being scolded by Isabel when she was young.

But Rosette knew that was her affection.

She had taught Rosette to adapt to aristocratic society a little faster.

Rather, it was Isabel who repeatedly reminded her that she was an Adrian, so she was able to gain confidence.

Of course, even if it was a platitude, the words that Isabel was affectionate didn’t come out, but there was something she could say to her now.

“Still, I really liked that kind of sister.”

“What are you saying.”

Isabel retorted gruffly and turned her head away. Rosette chuckled, realizing that she was embarrassed.

“What’s so good that you’re laughing?”

“Just because.”

“Anyway, what I’m saying is, I’m not an affectionate sister, but I can listen to your worries right now.”

“……Yes?”

“Seeing you, who is always attached to Lucas like a single body, not even telling that idiot and agonizing alone, it seems like it’s something you can’t tell Lucas or Daniel Oppa. If so, the worry is obvious. Isn’t it a matter of the opposite sex?”

In a very short time, Isabel had completely grasped the essence of the problem.

She knew she had to deny it in her head. However, Rosette was flustered by Isabel’s sudden words and could only open and close her mouth.

Isabel muttered as if she knew it.

“How did I know? I told you, it’s an obvious problem. So, who is it?”

“No, that……”

“You’ve been agonizing alone like that for several days. If it’s a problem that won’t be solved by worrying alone anyway, then at least pour it out and feel refreshed.”

“No, I mean, Sister.”

“Actually, I might not be that helpful either, but I’m better than two men. Especially Lucas, he won’t be helpful, he’ll just get agitated and get in the way.”

Rosette found Isabel, who was speaking casually, to be very reliable.

She thought that even if she confided her worries to her, even if she knew that the cause of her worries was Joshua, she wouldn’t make a fuss and would give her an objective answer.

Whether she was helpful or not, as Isabel said, was another matter.

‘Of course, I think I’ll feel a little better if I confide in my sister. But is it okay to honestly talk about my conversation with the Prince? Still, it’s the Prince’s words.’

After thinking about it, Rosette decided to consult with Isabel without revealing that the other party was Joshua.

“Sister, you must not tell anyone what I’m about to say. Got it?”

“Where would I go to talk about your story?”

“Anyway, you can’t.”

“Okay, I got it, so tell me.”

Rosette took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

“Actually, I’ve had someone on my mind for a while.”

Once the floodgates were opened, the thoughts that she had been agonizing over alone came out.

“I don’t know when it started. But at some point, I started to care about that person. I don’t even know exactly what this feeling is yet.”

Isabel listened to her seriously instead of chiming in.

“But recently, I found out that that person is interested in me.”

“How did you know they were interested?”

“Actually, I heard a confession.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“I was worried that my choice might harm Adrian.”

Rosette unknowingly looked at Isabel’s face.

Isabel was the one who cherished Adrian the most among her family. So she thought she would be able to understand Rosette’s worries.

But Isabel frowned slightly and asked back.

“What’s the problem with that?”