The Youngest Daughter Of The Great Wizard Of The Famous Swordsmanship [EN]: Chapter 39

39. Encounter (2)

2023.12.09.

‘He probably thinks the worst of me.’

‘Should I tell my family everything? Or will they disown me?’

Every assumption felt like a punch to the gut. Just when I thought I’d found happiness, the past is dragging me down.

Tears welled up. At first, I didn’t want to be near Duke Adrian, but now I can’t imagine life without my family.

I wouldn’t mind if I had nothing to begin with, but the thought of having something and then losing it is unbearable.

‘What should I do? What does the future hold…?’

Rosette remained in her room, trembling with fear all day. She huddled under her blanket on the bed, shivering.

When she refused dinner, everyone grew worried.

“Miss, you really should eat something,” Joan said.

Joan placed a tray with a warm meal on the table. Rosette shook her head, pulling the blanket further over her head.

“I’ll leave it here. Please have some if you change your mind.”

“Okay.”

After Joan left, Lucas came to check on her.

“Hey, kid! You sick or something?”

He burst in noisily and went straight to the bed. Rosette shook her head again from under the blanket.

“Not sick? Then what’s with this? Come out for a second.”

Shake, shake.

When Rosette shook her head again, Lucas tried to pull the blanket off her, but she held onto it tightly.

Instead, he wriggled his way under the blanket.

Rosette was startled to see Lucas’s face suddenly appear right in front of her.

“Why, why…”

“I’m worried, kid. If someone who’s always eating, saying they’re going to get chubby, suddenly skips dinner, wouldn’t I be worried?”

“…I guess so.”

“You’re not sick, so why aren’t you eating?”

“I’m just not hungry…”

“Why aren’t you hungry? You didn’t even have a snack today!”

“I just don’t have an appetite…”

“Then should I ask them to make your favorite egg sandwich?”

The sandwich with mashed potatoes and eggs mixed with mayonnaise was Rosette’s favorite snack.

Whenever Rosette and Lucas secretly snuck into the kitchen because they were hungry before mealtime, the chef, John, would make it for them.

Rosette’s mouth watered a little, but she refused this time as well.

“It’s okay.”

Lucas was so surprised by the rejection of her favorite snack that he jumped.

“Why aren’t you eating? Why? Are you really sick? Should I call a doctor?”

He touched Rosette’s forehead and tilted his head.

“That’s strange, you don’t have a fever.”

Rosette weakly pushed his hand away.

“I’m really just not hungry.”

“Hmm.”

Lucas, who had been lying on his side looking at Rosette, lay flat on his back.

“Then I won’t eat either.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve lost my appetite because the kid isn’t eating.”

“But…”

“Well, I guess I can skip a meal or so.”

Lucas patted his stomach.

He really didn’t have any ulterior motives. He was just thinking, ‘I should starve with the kid since she’s starving.’

Rosette knew that, but she still felt uneasy.

Eventually, she peeked out from under the blanket.

“Joan brought me a meal. Let’s eat together.”

“Really? Are you really going to eat?”

“Yes.”

So the two children sat side by side at the table and ate.

Joan, who came to check if the meal was cold, discovered them and brought more food for Lucas.

After finishing the meal, Rosette played card games with Lucas. Other family members who were worried about her also stopped by the room and joined in at the children’s urging.

Spending time with her family helped Rosette shake off her anxiety a little.

“Okay, sweet dreams.”

“Yeah. Good night, Joan.”

But when everyone left and she was alone, Rosette went back under the blanket and writhed in agony.

‘I hope they don’t kick me out of the Adrian family.’

Perhaps sensing Rosette’s anxiety, Bbi-Bbi also whispered sadly next to her, ‘Bbi, bbi…’

Rosette sobbed for a long time, and then fell asleep feeling Bbi-Bbi rubbing her face against her cheek.

* * *

Rosette, who had been dozing off, woke up because of the noisy Bbi-Bbi.

[Bbiit! Bbit! Bbit!]

Bbi-Bbi, who was sleeping next to Rosette’s pillow, desperately flapped her wings and pulled at her pink hair.

Rosette, who opened her eyes at the stinging sensation, carefully grabbed Bbi-Bbi with both hands.

“Bbi-Bbi, you can’t cry in the middle of the night. Everyone’s sleeping.”

[Bbit! Bbiik!]

“Rosette, look over there! There’s an intruder!”

“Intruder?”

Rosette inadvertently looked in the direction Bbi-Bbi was pointing with her beak and froze.

In the dark room, where even moonlight barely penetrated, a pair of heterochromatic [different colored] eyes shone.

“… !”

Those are the eyes of a predator.

Rosette instinctively hugged Bbi-Bbi and became wary. Bbi-Bbi trembled and hid in the sleeve of Rosette’s pajamas.

Looking closely, the beast standing a little away from the bed was a wolf with silver fur. To put it mildly, it was as big as Rosette.

‘Don’t be afraid, Rosette. Think carefully.’

There was no way a real wolf could have broken through the strict security and entered the mansion.

Besides, isn’t this the 3rd floor? It wasn’t a height that a physically ‘ordinary’ wolf could jump up to.

‘That means…’

Rosette focused on the mana [magical energy] around her. Then she could feel the heterogeneous mana leaking from the silver wolf.

Celine’s familiar [magical companion] was a black cat. She had seen it a few times, so it was certain that it wasn’t Celine’s familiar.

There were no other wizards in this mansion besides Rosette and Celine who could summon familiars. That meant it came from outside.

Rosette looked at the somehow familiar silver fur and muttered without realizing it.

“Did His Highness send you, by any chance?”

There was no rule that the familiar and the summoner had to have the same appearance, but the wolf’s silver fur resembled Joshua’s silver hair.

Then the necklace around the wolf’s neck shone and a voice flowed out.

As expected, it was Joshua’s voice. Rosette swallowed hard and asked.

“How did you get here…?”

Originally, there was no way Joshua, who was twelve years old, could summon a familiar. But the fact that this wolf was summoned meant one thing.

“So you remember?”

Even though it was a vague statement, Joshua understood it at once and replied.

“…”

“But how?”

Even though it was a wolf in front of her, she could picture Joshua frowning.

“I know how to use it, but my mana core is still too small, so it’s impossible. I can use it, but I’ll probably be sick for a few days.”

“Yes.”

After a moment of silence, the wolf said,

“Pardon?”

The wolf strode to the bed and lowered its body as if telling her to get on quickly.

Rosette swallowed hard.

‘I can’t avoid it forever.’

She didn’t know what Joshua would say, but now that she had encountered him, she couldn’t pretend not to know and run away forever.

If she couldn’t avoid it, it would be better to talk as soon as possible.

Rosette thought as she approached the wolf.

[Bbit! Bbiit!]

Bbi-Bbi, who had been hiding in her sleeve until then, quickly flew to the chair.

Then she started pulling the gown hanging on the back of the chair with her beak. It was to give her an outer garment because the night air was still cold.

But Bbi-Bbi’s body was too small to bring the gown to Rosette in a cool way.

[Bbi…]

Bbi-Bbi chirped sadly. Rosette turned around, put on her gown herself, and stroked Bbi-Bbi’s chin.

“Thank you, Bbi-Bbi. I know your heart. I don’t think I’ll be cold thanks to you.”

[Bbit!]

Rosette smiled and carefully got on the wolf’s back. Bbi-Bbi also naturally sat on her shoulder.

Soon the wolf jumped up as if dancing and went out the window.

From the 3rd floor.

“… !”

[… !]

‘We’re falling!’

Bbi-Bbiit!

Rosette and Bbi-Bbi screamed silently.

Rosette grabbed the wolf’s fur tightly in fear, and Bbi-Bbi desperately grabbed her clothes with her claws.

Contrary to her worries, the wolf landed lightly on the ground and escaped the mansion, avoiding the guards.

Rosette closed her eyes tightly, lying flat on the wolf’s back. She could tell how fast the wolf was running from the knife-like wind brushing against her face and body.

How long had it been running like that? A refreshing scent brushed the tip of her nose. Just in time, the wolf also slowed down.

Rosette raised her head and looked around. The place where the wolf had brought her and Bbi-Bbi was an unknown forest.

It was already dark, and the surroundings were blocked by trees that were so tall that even moonlight didn’t seep in.

The wolf, which had completely slowed down, lowered its head again as if telling her to get off.

Rosette, who carefully stepped on the ground, hesitated for a moment and patted the wolf’s head.

“Thank you for carrying me on your back.”

[…]

It seemed that the communication with Joshua had been cut off, and the wolf didn’t say anything. Rosette imagined what the wolf’s howl would sound like for a moment, then belatedly asked.

“But where is His Highness?”

The wolf pointed to the inside of the forest with its nose.

“Are you waiting here?”

This time, the wolf pointed in the opposite direction. It seemed to mean that it would keep watch to see if any intruders came.

“I see.”

Even after hearing the answer, Rosette hesitated, and the wolf pulled on her skirt.

“Okay, okay. I’ll go quickly.”

Rosette swallowed hard once, took a few deep breaths, and then moved her steps inside. Bbi-Bbi also sat on her head and followed.

Not long after, an open space appeared. Silver moonlight illuminated the area, and Joshua was standing in the middle.

He was wearing a hood, so she couldn’t see his face or hair color exactly, but she knew it was Joshua because he was short for an adult.

“You’ve come.”

He took off his hood when he found Rosette. His silver hair was more beautiful under the moonlight than under the sunlight.

But that wasn’t important now. Rosette clenched her fists tightly and approached him. In fact, her heart was pounding and she felt like crying, but she barely held back.

‘His Highness will hate me even more if I cry.’

Tears would only make the situation worse.

Rosette, who walked as calmly as possible, recalled the greeting Isabel had given Joshua and deeply bent one knee to greet him.

Joshua waved his hand.

“Greetings are unnecessary. I don’t want to receive greetings from you.”

“…”

“In fact, I want to grab your neck and twist it right now, but…”

Joshua’s eyes flashed in the darkness. It was similar to the one she had seen in the wolf a little while ago.