The Youngest Daughter Of The Great Wizard Of The Famous Swordsmanship [EN]: Chapter 30

31. Impromptu Visit (1)

2023.12.01.

A prince arrived without prior notice. To be precise, someone from the Crown Prince’s palace did announce his impending arrival, but Joshua himself appeared at the mansion on horseback less than five minutes after the letter was received.

Duke Adrian, who was reviewing documents in his study, and Daniel, who had just changed clothes, rushed out in surprise.

“Your Highness, Crown Prince, what brings you here so suddenly, without any advance warning?”

Duke Adrian asked, striving to maintain his composure. Joshua, dismounting his horse with an easy grace, handed the reins to a servant and smiled.

“Haha, I did send a message, didn’t you receive it?”

This time, Daniel responded.

“We did. Five minutes ago.”

“Well, the message arrived before me, so it’s not as if I came completely unannounced, right?”

Daniel, observing Joshua shrug, found himself at a loss for words.

‘He’s not usually like this.’

Unless something extraordinary occurred, Joshua was a man destined to ascend to the throne. Although he hadn’t yet been formally appointed as the Crown Prince, he had been learning the art of kingship since childhood.

He was also trained to control his emotions. Naturally, he rarely acted impulsively.

But for Joshua to suddenly barge in like this? He brazenly claimed he had given notice, but it was practically the same as giving no notice at all.

More than anything, Daniel had just met with him an hour prior before returning home.

“Did you perhaps have something more you wished to discuss with me?”

“Not particularly, but I came to see with my own eyes if my teacher is doing well. And to see Isabel and Lucas as well.”

Joshua smiled meaningfully.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing the rumored youngest princess.”

Only then did Daniel fully grasp his purpose and sighed softly.

‘So, he came to see Rosé.’

Even though he repeatedly stated that she wasn’t ready to meet royalty yet, he couldn’t resist his curiosity and rushed over.

Actually, that was a bit strange too. Why was Joshua showing such interest in Rosette? He wasn’t the type to be easily swayed by rumors.

“By the way, how long are you going to keep me standing out here?”

At Joshua’s prompting, Daniel snapped out of his thoughts and gestured him inside.

“Please come in. I apologize that the drawing-room isn’t prepared; there wasn’t enough time to arrange refreshments.”

“Tell them to bring something out at their leisure. I’ve already had tea, so it’s fine even without it.”

Seeing the two enter the mansion, Duke Adrian instructed a servant.

“Tell the children to prepare to greet His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“No. I will go to Rose myself.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The Duke headed directly for Rosette’s room.

* * *

At that moment, Rosette was admiring the spring outing dress sent by Madam Wide.

“Wow, Miss! Look at this. It’s so pretty!”

Joan exclaimed, pulling a light pink dress from a large box. Rosette wiggled her fingers and mumbled.

“But Joan, I don’t remember ordering a spring outing dress?”

Of course, Duke Adrian and her three siblings had insisted that she should definitely have an outing dress.

However, Rosette had vehemently opposed it. ‘There’s no need to waste money on an outing dress when I won’t be going out! And I’ll be getting even plumper soon……’ was her reasoning.

Isabel frowned and muttered, ‘That plumpness again……’ and the other three simply laughed.

But soon, the four decided to respect Rosette’s wishes. As she pointed out, Duke Adrian had no immediate plans to publicly present Rosette to society.

But today, Madam Wide had unexpectedly sent a dress that she hadn’t even commissioned.

“Well, could it be a mistake? If someone else ordered it and they find out I opened it, they might get upset.”

Even Rosette’s serious expression looked adorable to Joan. Joan smiled and replied.

“Well, I don’t think it’s a mistake. The box is addressed, ‘To Princess Rosette Adrian.’”

“Still……”

“There’s also a letter here. Would you like me to read it?”

Rosette tore open the ivory-colored letter that Joan handed her. A short message was written on the letter paper in elegant calligraphy.

As she absentmindedly gazed at it, Rosette suddenly realized something.

‘That’s right, I haven’t learned to read here yet!’

Duke Adrian hadn’t yet assigned her a tutor, telling her to relax a little longer for now. If there was something she needed to read, her three siblings or Joan would read it for her.

Perhaps Joan hesitated to open a letter addressed to the young lady she served, so she was waiting for Rosette to open it and hand it back to her.

“Joan, read it for me.”

Handing the letter back, Joan read it aloud as if she had been anticipating the request.

“To the lovely little Princess Adrian. I was worried that you might be surprised by the sudden gift. Perhaps you’re wondering if it was sent by mistake?”

Joan interjected, “Well, wouldn’t anyone?” and chuckled.

“The dress I sent today is a gift from me to my new muse, the princess. I made it in a color that complements your beautiful hair. I hope you like it. From your Madam Wide.”

‘Is my hair beautiful?’

Rosette touched her hair with a doubtful expression, and Joan, who had folded the letter, suggested.

“Miss, would you like to try it on?”

“N, now?”

“Of course. You should always try on a dress as soon as you receive it.”

Rosette swallowed hard and examined the dress that was partially revealed from the box.

She had heard that Madam Wide primarily designed clothes for the Adrian ducal family. The Duke’s clothes, as well as the clothes of the three siblings, were all her creations.

However, since they were all knights who wielded swords, they disliked cumbersome decorations. So, the four of them wore clothes that were luxurious but simple. Madam Wide was said to be saddened by this.

She had suggested to Isabel several times that they should make the tea party dresses and outing dresses more extravagant, but she was repeatedly turned down.

But then Rosette appeared. She didn’t use a sword, so there was no need to remove the decorations, and Isabel even stepped in to encourage her to decorate them lavishly.

Madam Wide was said to be pouring her artistic spirit, which she had been suppressing, into Rosette’s dresses.

Perhaps that’s why the pink dress was so extravagant, unlike a typical dress for a child. It was even more elaborate than the dress that Elisha Dallas cherished the most.

The jewels attached here and there appeared to be of very high quality, even to Rosette, who didn’t know much about jewels.

‘Can I wear something like this?’

‘Won’t I look ugly?’

For the past two months, Rosette had been lovingly cared for by Joan and the other maids. They knew that Rosette lacked confidence in her appearance and made a point of praising her. It was to boost her self-esteem.

As a result of their efforts, Rosette realized that pink hair wasn’t a bad thing. Looking at her slightly plumper face, she wondered, ‘Can I become pretty too?’

However, she gained more confidence in her actions than in her appearance.

-You’re so pretty because you eat so well.

-How can your smile be so pretty? There’s no one who smiles as well as you, Miss.

-You’re very kind, Miss. Everyone likes you.

Joan was worried that Rosette might become overly focused on her appearance, so she praised her for every positive action she took. The Duke and her three siblings did the same.

It was the opposite of what the people at the Dallas mansion used to do, finding fault with everything Rosette did and gossiping about her.

She was still timid, but now Rosette wasn’t as afraid that people would dislike her actions.

Rosette nodded confidently.

“Yes, I’ll try it on.”

“Then put your hands up…….”

It was the moment when Rosette raised both hands high that Duke Adrian entered, knocking on the door.

“Dad!”

Rosette spotted him and ran to him in an instant. Duke Adrian smiled and lifted his youngest daughter into his arms.

“Yes, Rose. What were you doing?”

“I was looking at the dress! Madam Wide sent me a spring outing dress!”

“A spring outing dress?”

“Yes! It’s a gift!”

Duke Adrian watched Rosette chattering like a sparrow, completely captivated.

It’s always a pleasure to see children grow up. Of course, it was wonderful to see Rosette thriving so much over the past two months.

However, Rosette’s emotional and mental growth outpaced her physical growth. It was heartwarming to see the child, who used to have no expression on her face, now always smiling, and the child, who used to shrink into herself, becoming confident.

“Dad?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. What were we talking about?”

“I asked you what you came for.”

“Do I have to have a reason to come?”

“No, but…”

Rosette hesitated and then plucked up the courage to hug Duke Adrian tightly. Then, just as BbiBbi [Rosette’s pet] did to her, she gently placed her cheek against the Duke’s cheek.

Duke Adrian, who had been patting Rosette’s back, paused for a moment. But he naturally stroked her hair before the child noticed.

“Actually, I did come to talk about something.”

“What is it?”

“His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived.”

This time, Rosette flinched. She raised her head.

“Are you talking about His Highness Joshua Ernhardt……?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

Rosette stammered an explanation.

“Well, there’s only one Crown Prince, and there’s no imperial citizen in this empire who doesn’t know His Highness’s name.”

Of course, that was true. The original eight-year-old Rosette also knew about Joshua. However, the name resonated differently with Rosette now.

Joshua Ernhardt. The last person Rosette saw before she died, and the person who triggered the reversal of time.

‘That person is here?’

Why did he come? I heard that Daniel met Joshua a little while ago. But he came all the way here?

Why?

What for?

As she thought of him, the memories of that night, which she had barely managed to suppress, resurfaced.

-Why did you do that? What did Teacher and Daniel do to deserve to be killed! Why!

The anger that surged through her entire being. The tears that streamed down her pale cheeks, her trembling lips.

The coldness of the desolate prison. The smell of death that brushed the tip of her nose.

The night when everything was agonizing.

‘No, no!’

Rosette squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. She desperately clutched Duke Adrian’s shirt with both hands.

Under her tightly clenched right hand, Duke Adrian’s heart was beating. Slower than others, but a strong, steady heartbeat.

This heart, which had stopped in Rosette’s hands in her previous life, was beating again because she had turned back time.

Rosette lowered her head and pressed her ear to the Duke’s left chest. She was barely able to calm down at the sound of the reassuring heartbeat.