The Youngest Daughter Of The Great Wizard Of The Famous Swordsmanship [EN]: Chapter 41

41. The Deal

2023.12.11.

“For now, I’ll have my familiar take you back to your room. Get up quickly.”

However, Rosette couldn’t bring herself to stand. Her mind was a mess.

‘Is he really leaving?’

It had only been about four months since she started living with her family at the Adrian ducal residence. Compared to the 13 years she spent at the Dallas barony in the past, it was a negligible amount of time.

But during those four months, Rosette received more affection than she had in those 13 years. In fact, it would be accurate to say that she received almost no love at the Dallas estate.

Rosette had also given her whole heart to her family. She felt sorry for Jane, but she loved them even more than Jane, perhaps.

And now she was being asked to leave them. Moreover, could they be safe without her?

Rosette muttered, grasping at straws.

“It will be easier to deal with the Dallas barony if I’m here. I know everything about the future.”

“I know the future too. I can handle the Dallas barony on my own. Besides, you’re not even at the Dallas anymore.”

Rosette had nothing to say.

‘Of course. I also believed that everything would be resolved if only I disappeared.’

She hadn’t realized it in the past, but Rosette had done so much for the Dallas barony. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it was thanks to her that the Dallas baron gained Duke Lilith’s trust.

What would happen if she disappeared?

The Dallas barony wouldn’t be able to exert its power properly, and the Adrian family wouldn’t collapse so easily.

Knowing this, Rosette thought the Adrian dukedom would be safe when she first went back in time.

‘Besides, the Prince knows the future just like me. He’ll be able to notice any variables that arise.’

In other words, knowing the future was not a bargaining chip. She needed another condition to persuade Joshua.

Despairing, Rosette suddenly remembered something and shouted urgently.

“I!”

Thinking that this might be her last chance.

“If I can save the Empress, will you leave me alone?”

Joshua paused and turned around.

“You? Save Mother?”

“Yes!”

Joshua’s expression hardened as he looked at the confident Rosette.

In fact, before meeting Rosette in person, he had intended to get information about the poisoning from her. As the daughter of the Dallas baron, he thought she might know something.

But after seeing her in person, his mind changed. The Rosette he saw was very naive.

Her magical skills were outstanding, but she seemed to have been used as a chess piece by the Dallas baron without knowing any information.

Would there be anyone foolish enough to tell a chess piece important information? At least the Dallas baron wasn’t that stupid.

‘So, of course, I thought she wouldn’t know any important information, like clues about the poisoning.’

But what did she just say? That she could save Mother?

Interpreting the meaning of those words in his own way, Joshua was filled with anger.

“How can you save Mother? Don’t tell me you were involved in that too?”

“No!”

Rosette quickly denied, realizing what misunderstanding he had.

“I was only eight years old at the time, and it hadn’t been long since I was adopted into the Dallas family. How could I have done such a thing? I hadn’t even learned magic back then.”

Joshua’s momentum subsided slightly.

“Then how are you going to stop it? Does that mean you know what illness Mother is suffering from? The cause of death hasn’t even been properly announced to the public.”

The Empress had died mysteriously in the Empress’s Palace, of all places. Moreover, the imperial doctor had not been able to properly identify the cause.

The Emperor, thinking that the imperial authority would be diminished the moment this was known to the outside world, announced to the public that the Empress had died of an infectious disease.

Even to her home country, the Kingdom of Ivelyn.

Everyone believed it because Ophelia was usually very weak.

Joshua vehemently opposed it, but he was only twelve years old at the time and could not go against the Emperor’s will.

So Rosette should also know that the Empress had died of illness.

But Rosette answered without a hint of doubt.

“The Empress didn’t die of illness, she was poisoned. But the poison used for the poisoning hasn’t been properly identified.”

“…How do you know that?”

“Although I didn’t know it at the time, I learned about it later while studying on my own. I remember seeing it in the Dallas baron’s documents that I secretly stole.”

Rosette jumped up from her seat and approached Joshua.

“You’ve been trying to find a way to identify the poison since you went back in time, right? But you probably failed.”

Joshua neither affirmed nor denied it. But Rosette, convinced that her assumption was correct from his silence, continued to speak.

“That’s inevitable. The poison that targeted the Empress is a special poison.”

“A special poison?”

“Yes. It’s used as medicine when used alone, but it becomes poison when combined with other substances.”

“Is there such a thing?”

“Yes.”

“But even the imperial doctor couldn’t figure it out.”

“Because it’s not a commonly known herb in the Empire. I can also tell you what poison was used. So, if I save the Empress safely, will you leave me alone?”

Joshua thought for a moment before asking.

“If I refuse, are you not going to save Mother? Are you threatening me now?”

“No.”

Rosette shook her head without hesitation.

“Even if you don’t accept my offer, I will try to prevent the Empress’s poisoning. I’ve been thinking about that since I came to the Adrian family.”

“…”

“I was going to ask Isabel to go to the Imperial City soon, but if you help me, it will probably be easier to figure it out.”

“Then?”

“I’m just asking you. Please believe me just once, because I’m different from who I was in the past. Help me change the fate of the Adrian family.”

Joshua was lost in thought as he looked into Rosette’s eyes, which were staring straight at him.

‘She seems like a different person from when I first met her.’

The child who trembled and cried when he pressed her at the Adrian ducal residence during the day was nowhere to be found. She was even different from the Rosette Dallas he had seen in the past.

She had become a completely different person in just a few months. Both externally and internally. It was probably thanks to being loved and raised in the Adrian mansion.

In the meantime, only those clear blue eyes looking at him remained the same. Those eyes were shining just as they had when he first saw her in the garden.

Was that why? Joshua didn’t feel bad about her attitude. Rather, he even gave her advice without realizing it.

“Let me give you a piece of advice. You should threaten me in this situation. You’ve already taken the initiative.”

“But I didn’t want to threaten you with that.”

“Why?”

“The Empress is a precious person to you. I don’t want to be a bad person who threatens you with that.”

He felt strange.

Rosette was clearly the one who had done wrong, but at this moment, Joshua felt like he had become a thug harassing an innocent child.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“First.”

Joshua made an effort to take his eyes off Rosette.

“I’ll postpone kicking you out. You can stay at the Adrian mansion until Mother’s matter is resolved.”

Rosette’s face lit up.

“Really?”

“But remember. If anything happens to Mother, or if you play any tricks, I’ll kick you out myself.”

“Don’t worry! I really have no intention of playing any tricks. And the Empress…”

She clenched her small fist tightly.

“I’ll save her no matter what.”

“…”

Instead of answering, Joshua snapped his fingers. Then, the wolf that was far away ran like an arrow and bowed down in front of Rosette.

“Now go back. Someone might find out that you’re gone.”

“Can I really go back?”

“Did you not hear what I said?”

“I heard it properly, but…”

“If you don’t want to, I can take you somewhere else as you are.”

“No!”

Rosette hurriedly climbed onto the wolf’s back, worried that he might actually send her somewhere else. Bbi Bbi also sat on her shoulder, watching carefully.

“I’m going home. Take me to our house, wolf.”

“Then let’s get in touch again soon.”

At the same time as those words, the wolf started running. It jumped so high that Rosette felt like she was flying. It was only natural that Bbi Bbi screamed in terror.

Rosette was very nervous the whole way. She could finally relax when she saw the familiar mansion in the distance.

‘Thankfully, he really sent me to our house.’

The nameless wolf entered the mansion without being noticed by anyone, just as it had when it came out. Then, it jumped up to the third-floor room in one go.

Rosette, who screamed silently once again, barely got off with trembling legs. Bbi Bbi had already collapsed on the bed.

“Thank you for taking me. By the way, what’s your name?”

The wolf growled something, but Rosette couldn’t understand it.

“It seems like you can only understand your familiar’s words. I can’t understand you. Anyway, wolf, be careful going back.”

The silver wolf, who muttered something again this time, jumped out of the open window.

Rosette, leaning against the window and watching the wolf disappear, collapsed onto the bed.

Bbi Bbi flew over and lay down on the pillow.

“Still, it’s a relief, Bbi Bbi.”

“[Bbi?]”

“I can stay here for now.”

To be honest, she didn’t know what she was thinking when she made a negotiation, not a negotiation, with Joshua earlier. Thinking about the urgent situation earlier, she felt like she was going to fall over even though she was already lying down.

Rosette, recalling her conversation with Joshua, sobbed without realizing it.

“Actually, I was very scared. I was really afraid that the Prince would tell Dad and kick me out.”

“[Bbi.]”

Bbi Bbi gently pecked her cheek where tears were flowing. Rosette, bursting into laughter, lay on her side and looked at Bbi Bbi’s tiny black eyes.

“But someday I’ll have to reveal all the facts to Dad and my family, right? What I’ve done.”

“[Bbi.]”

You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I don’t like what Rosette doesn’t like. That’s what Bbi Bbi said.

That’s why Rosette liked Bbi Bbi. Bbi Bbi always thought of Rosette first. Even if everyone else criticized Rosette, Bbi Bbi was the only one in the world who would unconditionally take her side.

To be precise, it was more of a characteristic of a familiar than Bbi Bbi’s personality, but Rosette didn’t care.

“Thank you, Bbi Bbi. For comforting me. But someday I’ll have to tell you.”

Rosette muttered gloomily.

“There’s no secret you can hide forever.”