The Youngest Daughter Of The Great Wizard Of The Famous Swordsmanship [EN]: Chapter 21

21. The Predicted Accident (3)

November 21, 2023

“What I want to hear isn’t an apology, but why Rosette was there.”

“Hic.”

Joseph, who had been shedding tears incessantly, steeled himself and began to explain the situation.

“I swear, I didn’t join the Adrian Knights as a spy with ulterior motives. I can guarantee that much.”

“If you’re not a spy, then why did you do it?”

“My sister, Melody, was taken hostage.”

He panted, but tried to explain what had happened as calmly as possible.

The people who kidnapped Melody while she was playing in the fields threatened him and told him to sprinkle a magic potion on the Duke’s carriage. He also mentioned that Daniel had noticed something was amiss, so they told him to move the plan forward.

And.

“But I said I couldn’t do it. Really.”

Duke Adrian asked, assuming his words were true for now.

“Then how did you end up following me with Rosette?”

“I suspected there was another spy in the mansion besides me. I thought that person might do something to the carriage as originally planned, so I went to the carriage storage to check, and the young lady found me.”

“Rosette did?”

“Yes. The young lady already knew about the whole plan and was trying to stop me.”

Duke Adrian looked confused and ran a hand over his face.

“How did Rosette know?”

“I don’t know about that. However, the young lady thought the target was the eldest young master.”

“Daniel?”

“Yes. And when she found out the real target was you, Your Grace…….”

“She came to save me.”

“That’s right.”

Joseph Oser hesitated for a moment before asking.

“Is the young lady alright?”

“That’s none of your concern.”

“That…….”

Joseph moved his lips but couldn’t say anything and lowered his head. He couldn’t bring himself to ask the Duke to save his sister, Melody, as Rosette had promised.

As if reading his mind, the Duke asked.

“What happened to your sister?”

“……I don’t know.”

Joseph started crying again.

“They said I wouldn’t see Melody again if I didn’t complete the mission. But Lady Rosette said my sister would be safe.”

“…….”

“I hope she’s safe, but I wonder if we can really save Melody…….”

The Duke’s heart softened. As far as he knew, Joseph’s sister, Melody Oser, was eight years old, the same age as Rosette.

Besides, if Joseph was telling the truth, he was willing to lose his sister to help him.

If all of this was true, he should help Joseph, who had shown him loyalty. He couldn’t keep him in the Adrian family since he had tried to bite his master once, but he had to save the innocent Melody.

However.

“I can’t trust your words yet. But I’ll look into it.”

“Your Grace, really?”

Instead of answering him, Duke Adrian gestured to the knights waiting behind him.

“Take him away.”

“Yes.”

The faces of the knights taking Joseph away, who had once been their comrade, were grim.

After they had completely disappeared, Duke Adrian instructed his informant hiding on the ceiling.

“A rat has infiltrated the mansion. Find it as soon as possible.”

The informant jumped down from the ceiling and prostrated himself before him.

“Understood.”

“And find out who is behind this incident.”

“Yes.”

After the informant disappeared, the Duke sighed.

He had done all he could for now. All that was left was to wait for Rosette to wake up.

* * *

[Beep, beep!]

Bbibbi, who hadn’t been seen since morning, flew over, fluttering its wings. Lucas, who had been secretly looking for Bbibbi, welcomed the bird.

“Hey, Bbyak! Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you.”

Over the past week, he had grown fond of this little bird, who didn’t seem to want to leave Rosette’s side, and had even given it the name ‘Bbyak’. The reason was that its chirping sounded like a chick.

[Bbit!]

He didn’t know that every time he called it that name, Bbibbi would retort, ‘My name is Bbibbi!’

“Yeah, Bbyak. You’re honored that I was worried about you, right?”

[Bbit!]

“But what’s that?”

[Bbit!]

Bbibbi landed on Rosette’s chest and dropped a small white flower it had been holding in its beak.

Unlike the flowers grown in the Adrian mansion’s greenhouse, it was a wildflower that grew in the fields.

Lucas looked at the flower with wonder.

“Oh, it’s already blooming?”

[Bbit!]

It had already been a week since Rosette fell asleep. Rosette hadn’t woken up during that time.

The month had changed to March, and the season was changing from winter to spring.

“I was going to take the kid out to play when spring came.”

Lucas muttered gloomily and picked up the flower Bbibbi had brought and tucked it behind Rosette’s ear.

“You silly kid. Wake up soon. Bbyak even brought you a flower to see.”

[Bbit! Bbit!]

“I have to train with you soon…….”

Lucas couldn’t continue speaking and lowered his head. Tears dripped from the child’s eyes, whose chin was crumpled like a walnut.

“Don’t die, kid.”

Duke Adrian, who usually didn’t get angry, had even pressed the doctor and Celine the other day, asking why she wasn’t waking up.

Celine replied, ‘The young lady’s internal mana, which she originally possessed, seems to be much greater than I expected, so the recovery is slower.’

Internal mana was a measure of a mage’s ability. The more internal mana, the better the ability.

That meant Rosette had more skill than Duke Adrian thought.

However, no one was happy about that fact. The situation was too bad to be happy.

[Bbit, bbit.]

Bbibbi also cried sadly and rubbed its face against Rosette’s cheek, which had become thinner again in a week.

At that moment, no one saw Rosette’s small hand twitch.

* * *

While she was asleep, Rosette had a nightmare. No, it wasn’t quite a nightmare. Her dream was just showing her what she had done in the past.

Many things flashed by. Mostly the things Rosette had done for the Dallas family.

‘No, no.’

Rosette groaned even in her dream. The dream showed her the last evil deed she had committed.

In the dream, Rosette, with her hood pulled up, sneaked into Adrian’s office.

Her hood, which had already killed several knights, was damp with dark red blood.

-You’re skilled.

Duke Adrian, who sensed her presence, was waiting for her with his sword drawn.

-Did the Marquis of Dallas send you?

-…….

Rosette didn’t answer and approached him. The moonlight streaming in through the window faintly illuminated her face.

Duke Adrian’s face hardened as he saw her young face. He gritted his teeth.

-That damn bastard, sending a kid like this…….

Rosette reflexively replied.

-I’m not a kid. I’m an adult now.

-An adult?

Rosette, who hadn’t eaten properly and had been overworked, was very small. She looked no more than fourteen years old.

In particular, Duke Adrian, who had only seen the Adrian family’s children who were taller than their peers, couldn’t believe her words.

However, what was more shocking than Rosette’s youthful appearance was her emotionless expression.

Duke Adrian easily realized that she was used to this kind of thing.

-How long have you been doing this?

-…….

Duke Adrian lowered the sword he had been pointing at Rosette and asked.

-Aren’t you miserable being used by the Marquis?

-…….

-You remind me of my daughter. It’s not too late now. Go back. You don’t belong in this kind of thing.

Those words stimulated Rosette’s heart.

-I…….

In fact, she didn’t want to kill people.

But every time she hesitated, the Marquis of Dallas controlled her with the magic he had implanted in her.

People shouted at her with anger, filled with rage at her merciless use of magic. They called her a heartless killer. Or they begged for their lives.

But no one asked her if she was miserable. Not a single person.

Rosette looked up and stared into Duke Adrian’s eyes. He had already put his sword back into its scabbard and extended his right hand.

-Or I can help you escape.

-Ah…….

Rosette realized at that moment. That she could never harm this person.

So she turned her back and tried to leave. But the moment she took a step.

-……!

Her body began to move on its own. She turned around and started walking towards Duke Adrian again, and then reached out her hand towards him.

It was the moment Duke Adrian grabbed her hand.

Regardless of her will, her mouth opened and chanted a spell. At the same time, the mana gathered around her became sharp blades and pierced the Duke’s stomach.

Blood flowed from the Duke’s mouth.

No!

But Rosette couldn’t even say that. Instead, the words that came out of her mouth were another magic spell.

The mana blade attacked the Duke once more. The Duke’s body, which had been defenseless and helplessly attacked, collapsed.

He slammed his scabbard on the floor and barely knelt on one knee.

-Ah……, ah…….

Rosette, who was now free, knelt in front of him. She didn’t know why, but tears welled up in her dry eyes.

She wanted to use healing magic, but she couldn’t. The Marquis of Dallas had taken measures to prevent Rosette from using healing magic in preparation for this situation.

-I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I…….

It’s not like I wanted to do this. I didn’t want to live like this.

I just wanted to be happy…….

Duke Adrian, watching her, wiped her tear-stained cheeks with his bloodied hand.

-Don’t cry, child.

There was no sign of resentment in the Duke’s eyes. Wouldn’t it have been less painful if he had hated Rosette like the others?

The tears Rosette shed flowed down the Duke’s fingers.

-Never go back to that man.

But if I don’t go back to the Marquis of Dallas, where should I go? That’s the only place I have to go back to.

How can I escape this hell? No one has given me the answer. All people have given me is curses and accusations.

So won’t you give me the answer? Please open your eyes.

Please.

Rosette knelt in front of the unmoving Duke Adrian and shed tears endlessly.

Then, suddenly, someone reached out to her.

The large, knobby hand was calloused in places. It was clearly the hand of a swordsman.

“It’s time to get up, Rosette.”

A warm and kind voice.

“Your father is waiting for you.”