The Youngest Daughter Of The Great Wizard Of The Famous Swordsmanship [EN]: Chapter 206

206. Side Story 1: Permission to Marry (2)

May 24, 2024

“It’s so nice to see you two together like this. Isn’t it, Father?”

Breaking the awkward silence, Daniel smiled and began to speak.

“I’m a little sorry to say this to His Highness the Crown Prince, but don’t you think they make a good couple?”

“No need to be sorry. It’s nice to hear.”

Joshua put down his teacup and chuckled. But soon, he erased his smile and wore a serious expression.

“We’ve enjoyed the refreshments enough, so I’d like to get down to business now.”

The expressions of the Adrian family members gathered around the table also became serious.

Rosette neatly placed her hands on her lap and swallowed hard. Joshua’s large hand wrapped around her tightly clenched fist.

“As you may already know, Rose and I have been in love for quite some time. To be honest, I didn’t seriously think about the future at first.”

Seeing Duke Adrian’s eyes twitch, Joshua quickly explained.

“That’s not to say my feelings for Rose were light. I have sincerely loved Rose ever since I became aware of my feelings.”

“…….”

“I just didn’t want Rose to become Empress. It’s not easy to leave precious Adrian and live in the Imperial Palace.”

Joshua smiled bitterly.

“I also know better than anyone how my mother lived in the Imperial Palace, so I couldn’t force Rose to choose. Rationally, I knew I had to give up my feelings for Rose, but it wasn’t easy to do so.”

The hand holding Rosette’s tightened. Rosette turned her hand over and held his hand back.

“At first, it was enough just to be by Rose’s side. I was grateful to be able to watch Rose smile happily. But after experiencing the events in the North, my mind changed.”

Joshua’s voice trembled slightly. Rosette intertwined her fingers with his.

Feeling the warmth from where their hands touched, Joshua smiled slightly at her. Rosette nodded slightly to reassure him, and he continued.

“I regretted not expressing my feelings more, and I thanked the Goddess for allowing me to see Rose again. I felt like I would live in despair for the rest of my life if I let Rose go like this.”

“…….”

“Fortunately, Rose also took courage. She willingly agreed to become the Crown Princess, to be by my side despite my many shortcomings. It doesn’t matter what kind of life Rose has lived.”

This was something only Duke Adrian and Rosette could understand.

It meant that even knowing everything she had done as a member of the Dallas family before she turned back time, he still wanted to be with her.

“So, Duke Adrian.”

Joshua’s golden eyes shone more brightly than ever.

“Please, allow Rose and me to marry.”

Only after those words were spoken did Duke Adrian and Daniel, who had been holding their breath without realizing it, breathe again.

Isabelle looked at Rosette with a strange expression, and Lucas was still holding his forehead with his fingers, as if he didn’t want to admit it.

Rosette swallowed hard and waited for Duke Adrian’s answer.

She didn’t think he would oppose the marriage now. But the longer the silence lasted, the more anxious she became.

Joshua seemed to feel the same way, as he repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fingers.

Finally, breaking the silence, Duke Adrian opened his mouth.

“You two have always been special to me. Although Rose didn’t inherit the blood of Adrian, she grew up more like an Adrian than anyone else. And Joshua, you are…….”

He abandoned the honorifics and polite language he had always used and expressed his feelings honestly.

“You are not an Adrian, but I have regarded you as no different from my own child. It’s not an expression a subject should use to the lord he will serve in the future, but…”

“No, I’m happy to hear you say that. I also have His Majesty who gave me life, but I respected and followed my teacher as much as His Majesty.”

“I’m glad to hear that. It seems my life hasn’t been in vain.”

Duke Adrian gave a kind smile.

“My beloved children are moving forward together vigorously, so as a father and a teacher, I should naturally support them.”

He stood up from his seat and wrapped his hands around the hands of the two children holding each other.

“Please take good care of Rose in the future, Joshua.”

“Don’t worry, Teacher. I will protect Rose no matter what.”

The Duke chuckled softly.

“To be honest, I’m not worried because Rose can protect herself. You don’t need to be anxious and protect her.”

“That’s true, but…….”

“Instead, please make Rose happy. There should be no tears in her eyes.”

“Yes, I will keep that in mind.”

Daniel, who had been watching quietly, interjected.

“It’s the same for me, Your Highness. I cherish Your Highness, but frankly, my sister is more precious to me. If Rose ever cries, I might even challenge Your Highness to a duel.”

Joshua also laughed heartily.

“I’ll keep that in mind. I’m not confident I can beat you in swordsmanship.”

“It’s the same for me.”

Isabelle also said primly.

“Although I am currently a knight sworn to the Imperial Family, if anything happens to Rose, I will quit immediately and return to Adrian. Of course, with Rose.”

“I have no one on my side.”

Daniel, who burst into laughter, poked Lucas in the ribs with his elbow.

“Lucas, you should say something too.”

Lucas, who had been wearing a strange expression, couldn’t open his mouth easily.

He kept moving his lips and muttered softly.

“……Congratulations.”

“Huh?”

Lucas lowered his head and clenched his fists tightly.

“Congratulations, Your Highness.”

Then, he jumped up from his seat and ran out of the drawing room as if fleeing.

Daniel defended Lucas’s actions.

“It’s rude, but please understand, Your Highness. Lucas cherished Rose the most among us. Lucas was the first to open his heart when Rose first came to the mansion.”

“Of course, I understand.”

Unlike Joshua, who didn’t seem to care, Rosette’s face was dark.

“Rose?”

Joshua noticed and looked at her questioningly. Rosette frowned as if she was about to cry and carefully took her hand out of Joshua’s.

“I’m going to go talk to Lucas.”

“Then I’ll go with you…….”

“No. I can go alone. It’ll be better for Lucas too. Joshua, you can chat here for a while.”

Rosette quickly left the drawing room and headed straight for Lucas’s room. But there was no one in the room.

She looked through the study and the dining room in turn, but Lucas was nowhere to be seen. She stopped a passing maid and asked, but no one had seen him.

“Where did he go?”

Rosette sighed deeply, and a place came to her mind. She immediately ran to the garden.

As expected, Lucas was by the vines he had often sought out whenever he was upset since he was a child.

However, he was now too big to fit inside the vines, so he was sitting slumped in front of them.

“Oppa.”

Rosette ran to him and sat down next to him with a thud. Lucas quickly pulled her up.

“You’re all dressed up, and you’re sitting here like this?”

“You’re sitting on the floor dressed up too, aren’t you?”

“That’s true, but……. Sigh, never mind.”

Even as he said that, he took out the handkerchief he had tucked into his pocket for decoration and spread it on the floor.

Only after Rosette carefully sat down on it did Lucas sit down again with a thud.

“How did you know I was here?”

“You always came here when you had a complaint about me. It’s easy to know.”

“……Is that so?”

“Yes. You hid here even when I said I was going to study abroad in the Ivelin Kingdom. Honestly, the way you curled up completely was a little funny. But now you can’t even get in there?”

“How much bigger do you think I’ve gotten since then…… Hey, kid. Are you making fun of me right now?”

Lucas grabbed Rosette’s nose tightly as she giggled. Only after she said ‘That’s not it. I’m not making fun of you’ several times in a nasal voice did he let go.

“So, why did you come?”

“I wanted to talk to you.”

“What do you want to talk to me about? Nothing changes even if you talk to me anyway.”

“Oppa [Korean term for older brother, used by females]. Do you not want me to marry Joshua?”

“No, well, it’s not that I don’t want you to.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Lucas answered with a sigh.

“Honestly, His Highness cherishes you a lot. It’ll be hard to find another man who cares for you like that.”

“Then why have you been looking so tearful since earlier? Can’t you congratulate me if possible?”

“I want to congratulate you too! But!”

Lucas looked at Rosette with moist eyes and then turned his head away.

“Never mind. It’s just pathetic to say this kind of thing.”

“It’s not pathetic at all. And last time, you said it didn’t matter if I married Joshua, that you weren’t upset.”

“That’s right, I’m not upset.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m telling you clearly, I’m not upset at all. I’m relieved instead.”

“Relieved……?”

Lucas nodded vigorously as Rosette muttered a little awkwardly.

“Yeah! Now that there’s no younger sister to take care of, I’m free! You don’t seem like it, but you know you’re secretly a troublemaker? You’ve had a knack for making people worry since you were young.”

“Not to that extent…….”

Rosette, who was about to refute, just smiled awkwardly.

Looking back, she had caused a lot of trouble.

‘But it was all for Adrian, Joshua, and the Empress…….’

It was true that the watching family members had been worried sick.