The Youngest Daughter Of The Great Wizard Of The Famous Swordsmanship [EN]: Chapter 196

196. While Rosette Slept (3)

2024.05.14.

The Duke stroked Rosette’s hair, a gesture filled with understanding. “It’s alright, Rose.”

“Yes?”

“His Highness is doing well. I, as your father, am also worried, but this is ultimately a matter for the Imperial Family and His Highness’s own battle.”

“…….”

“So, don’t worry about anything. Just wait for everything to resolve itself. His Highness promised to return when things are settled.”

Rosette moved her lips slightly, then nodded. “I understand, Father.”

“Then let’s eat. Going to the dining room might be too much right now, so I’ll have them bring the meal here. How about we all eat together in this room?”

“I’d like that, Father!”

“It’ll be nice to have some family time after so long.”

“It would be better to go to the dining room if possible, but it can’t be helped. I’ll go and tell them to bring the food,” said Eleanor.

Rosette smiled gently, watching her three siblings, who were as familiar and comforting as ever, just as they had been in childhood.

Twelve years. It had taken a long time for the happiness she had so painstakingly achieved to truly settle and stabilize.

Now, the memories of her time in the Dallas barony before she turned back time were growing faint.

Rosette watched her family preparing for the meal and gazed out the window.

Winter arrived earlier in the North than in the capital. In the capital, autumn would just be reaching its peak, but here, the colorful maple leaves that had adorned the forest were almost gone, and the land was preparing for winter’s embrace.

Rosette knew how cold and harsh the winter in the Adrian territory could be. But with her beloved family by her side, she felt neither cold nor scared.

Because she knew that her family would always protect her, standing firm against any threat.

As always, this winter would pass safely. Or perhaps, she would spend an even warmer and more precious time than ever before.

And when spring came again, new green shoots would sprout on these barren branches, and a warm breeze would blow.

Rosette always hoped for spring during the winter, but this time she would wait for spring more eagerly than ever.

Next spring, her beloved brother Daniel’s wedding would take place, and she would be able to live the life she wanted without constantly worrying about the uncertain future.

Perhaps Rosette and Joshua’s relationship would also be very different from before.

‘If I meet Joshua again, I will definitely tell him.’

It doesn’t matter if you are a prince or a crown prince. Or even if you lose all your positions.

‘I just want to be by your side forever,’ she wanted to confess her true feelings like that.

“Hey, what are you looking at so intently? Come on, you must be hungry!” Daniel called out.

“Okay!” Rosette replied.

Rosette carefully got out of bed and walked towards her family, who looked like a scene from a beautiful painting.

It was the first day she wasn’t gripped by fear of the uncertain future.

* * *

Joshua Ernhardt, accompanied by the Imperial Knights, headed towards the Lillies Duchy. It was the day that his long-cherished wish of twelve years, or even longer, was finally coming true.

“Make sure to thoroughly surround the estate so that not a single one escapes,” he commanded.

“Yes, I understand!” the knight responded.

He watched the knights scatter quickly, then fell into thought.

A week ago, Joshua Ernhardt had experienced a living hell.

What had he been thinking when he saw Rosette’s back as she stopped him and the others, running alone to save Duke Adrian?

At the time, her face was filled with unwavering determination. As soon as Joshua saw that face, he understood with chilling certainty.

If he let Rosette go like that, he would never see her again, he felt it in his bones.

It was obvious that she would follow Michael to protect the Duke, or even lose her life fighting him.

He knew rationally that he had to go to the capital, but he couldn’t bring himself to move. So, with Celine and Becky’s help, he nullified Rosette’s magic and chased after her.

He was impatient and anxious because it took longer than he thought to catch up.

When Joshua finally found Rosette, he felt his blood run cold.

He lost his mind as soon as he saw his lover being strangled by Michael. He aimed for Michael’s heart, intending to end it swiftly by taking advantage of the moment Michael was focused on Rosette.

He finally killed Michael, but Rosette collapsed as she was. Joshua and the Adrian ducal family rushed her to the mansion in the territory without a moment to spare for relief.

The attending physician and Celine, after checking Rosette’s condition, reassured everyone that there was no immediate danger, but Joshua couldn’t relax at all.

But he still had things to do. He desperately wanted to stay by Rosette’s side until she woke up, but he had to return to the capital.

He had to go and confirm whether Louis Ernhardt had joined forces with Michael, and take action accordingly.

If Louis had really made a deal with Michael, even the emperor, who cherished him, would not be able to condone such treason.

So, he left Rosette, who was sleeping as if dead, and headed to the Imperial Palace with heavy steps.

What happened after that was easier than he had anticipated. Considering how helplessly he had lost Ophelia in the past and had been unilaterally victimized, it was surprisingly straightforward.

Louis Ernhardt was an even more pathetic brother than Joshua had imagined. He was so blinded by the prospect of seizing the throne that he had meticulously documented the details of his deal with Michael.

Perhaps he had been so confident that Michael would not fail that he felt secure, but it was still an incredibly foolish act.

Joshua secured Louis’s custody with the knights and reported everything in detail to the emperor, who was furious about what he had done.

He informed him about Michael Loucher, the former Archmage [a powerful and influential mage], and Louis Ernhardt, who was in collusion with him, as well as the fact that the monsters that had appeared in the North were all Michael’s doing.

He also revealed that Louis had condoned these actions while fully aware of them, and had even urged Michael on to further his own ambitions.

The emperor seemed utterly bewildered after hearing all the reports. It was natural, as even Joshua, who had experienced these events firsthand, found it hard to believe.

-I need more time to grasp the situation.

He first detained Louis and the Lillies princess, who happened to be in the Imperial Palace, and then retreated to consider the matter. He must have been weighing Joshua and Louis in his mind, assessing their worth and loyalty.

But everything unfolded as Joshua had expected.

The emperor could not forgive Louis and Michael, who had dared to challenge his authority and disrupt the empire that he cherished above all else.

Perhaps the judgment was delivered more swiftly because Joshua was more capable than the emperor had previously recognized, and because Rosette and the Adrian family stood firmly behind him.

-Ernhardt’s authority has been dragged through the mud. I will not let this matter go unpunished. I will deal with all the remnants of the Magic Tower who dared to target the empire without knowing their place, and those who sympathized with them will also pay the price for their sins.

Thus, a bloody storm raged in the capital.

Naturally, the Lillies ducal family did not remain idle. Duke Lillies seized this opportunity to plot a rebellion.

He harbored a grand ambition to kill the emperor and Joshua and crown Louis Ernhardt as the new emperor.

After a week of tense confrontation, Joshua and the Knights seized the Lillies Duchy.

Ironically, the Lillies ducal family, without Rosette Dallas’s strategic brilliance, did not possess the same power as before.

“Your Highness, we found Duke Lillies! We found him trying to escape through a secret passage!” a knight announced.

At the knight’s voice, Joshua snapped out of his thoughts and raised his head.

“I will go myself.”

“It’s dangerous, we’ll subdue him and bring him here.”

“No, I’ll go myself.”

Joshua adjusted his sword and followed the knight. A highly alert Silver [Joshua’s wolf companion] guarded the surroundings and followed Joshua.

Soon after, they found the Duke and his escort knights on the forest path leading to the back of the Lillies ducal mansion.

Joshua looked coldly at the Duke surrounded by his escorts and said, “Stop now and come with me.”

“Joshua Ernhardt!”

“You’re not very skilled at swordsmanship anyway.”

“Do you think I’ll be defeated by you so easily! How dare you falsely accuse His Highness Louis and disturb His Majesty the Emperor’s mind!”

There was ample evidence that Louis had colluded with Michael. But there was no need to waste time explaining it.

Joshua stared at the Duke with cold eyes and was about to raise his hand. He hadn’t expected the Duke to surrender in the first place, so he was prepared to subdue him by force.

At that moment, Duke Lillies said desperately, “You must be very proud of yourself for getting your hands on Lady Adrian? But how long do you think that arrogance will last? Without that bitch, you and Adrian are nothing!”

It was deeply unpleasant to hear Rosette’s name from the mouth of Duke Lillies, of all people. Silver, sensing Joshua’s anger, leaped forward before he could even give the order.

The silver wolf broke through the escort knights’ formation and bit the Duke’s thigh with its sharp teeth.

“Subdue him!” Joshua commanded.

The Imperial Knights rushed in without missing the opportunity.

The deafening sound of swords clashing against each other filled the air. Joshua slowly and gracefully moved his steps and approached Duke Lillies, who was struggling to get Silver off.

“Damn it! This wolf……!”

Joshua raised the Duke’s chin with his sword. The sharp tip of the blade dug into the bottom of his chin, and blood flowed down the sword.

“Duke, you don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this day. I was more hungry for this than you thought.”

“……!”

“Don’t think I’ll kill you easily. There will be no mercy for you, Duke.”

It wasn’t just a bluff to scare him; Joshua genuinely had no intention of letting Duke Lillies die peacefully.

Thinking about what the Duke had done to Joshua’s people so far, he still ground his teeth in fury. It didn’t seem like his anger would be relieved even if he returned the suffering in kind.

It was at that moment, as Duke Lillies opened his mouth wide to say something, that the magic Joshua cast severed the Duke’s tongue like a razor-sharp blade.

“And don’t you dare utter Rose’s name with that mouth. What do you even know to dare to babble about her?”