Chapter 89
Lillian.
According to Rosetta’s memories, ‘Lillian’ was the name of the late d.u.c.h.ess.
And the Duke loved Lillian dearly.
‘Of course, it seems like he still loves her until now.’
Anyway, this garden was a place that his wife had loved very much while she was still alive, and yet the daughter of the sinner who killed his wife was here right now.
Right now, well, it definitely looked like she was picking a fight.
Rosetta bit her chapped lips and carefully picked her words.
“I apologize, Father. I didn’t know. If I knew that this was a special place, I wouldn’t have come. I really do apologize.”
In essence, the sooner you say sorry, the better.
It’s better to apologize right away rather than aggravating your sin by making futile excuses here and there.
At least, that’s the best method when faced with Duke Valentine.
He listened to Rosetta’s apology without interrupting her, then after she was done, he finally opened his lips.
“Since you…”
His lips opened only a fraction, then closed again after saying only the start.
Since you were the one who maintained it, you can just come whenever you want.
The words that he couldn’t utter vanished from his mouth.
These words almost left his lips without him realizing it, and it was obvious that he would have regretted saying it if he really did say it.
He couldn’t believe he almost allowed someone to come and go freely in a place where he and Lillian’s memories remained.
And it was this child, no less.
Did that even make any sense?
As the duke was in a dilemma over what to say, Rosetta’s brows knitted together as she was confused.
But that was all.
She didn’t even want to know what kind of answer he was going to give her.
Now that she knew this wasn’t just some other ordinary place, the only goal she had in mind now was this—she needed to get out of here immediately.
At this time, she knew that the conversation was over.
‘I’m a bit fl.u.s.tered though that you talked to me this much.’
Since the conversation was now over, it wouldn’t be rude for her to ask permission to go first.
Rosetta gently picked up the sword that was on the ground.
Snapping out of his reverie, the duke’s gaze silently followed Rosetta’s movements.
Their eyes met for a quick second, but she lowered her head.
“Father, I’ll be off first. Please take your time and look around as you please.”
And just as she predicted, the duke didn’t stop Rosetta from leaving.
He just stared at her without saying anything, only nodding once to give his permission.
Rosetta quietly headed towards the path.
She was already at the border between the path and the entrance of the garden, but she halted in place.
“Ah.”
It’s because there’s something that suddenly came to her mind when she realized that the duke talked to her a lot here.
The face that popped into her mind was Alicia’s.
It was that somewhat affectionate and somewhat sorrowful expression on her face as they were taking a stroll in the garden before.
This was what she said.
‘I do see Brother often when he’s at home, but it’s difficult to see Father even when he’s back from work. We don’t talk a lot either… It’s a shame.’
“Father.”
Rosetta, who was far away now, turned around to face her father again, calling him briefly.
The duke blinked dazedly from behind her.
This seemed to be enough of an answer, silent as it might be. So, Rosetta continued speaking without waiting for him to do so first.
“If you show this place to Alicia, I think she’ll be very happy.”
“To Alicia?”
The way he asked back was reminiscent of a child who didn’t understand anything.
If he’d show this place to Alicia, she’d be happy?
Why?
At his question, which genuinely sounded like he’s seeking an answer he didn’t know, Rosetta shrugged once and replied.
“Alicia is always so happy whenever you talk to her, Father. So if you tell her stories about Mother… I mean, Her Grace the d.u.c.h.ess, then I believe that she’ll be very happy.”
Rosetta smiled ambiguously as Alicia came to mind.
Already, she could imagine Alicia jumping for joy.
This could only be possible if the duke would a.s.sent to it, of course.
However, the duke just stared blankly at Rosetta.
Somehow, as a gentle breeze blew past, Lillian’s voice overlapped.
‘Please be a kind figure to the children. See them often, laugh together, show them good places, tell them stories, and listen to them, too. That will make you a great father.’
You have nothing to worry about.
Towards him, who was afraid that he couldn’t be a proper father to their children, these were Lillian’s comforting whispers.
Today was the first time he realized that Alicia would be happy if he would have a conversation with her.
He thought that she would be uncomfortable with him because he was stern even when she greeted him occasionally.
That’s why he didn’t say much on purpose…
“You.”
“Yes?”
Rosetta was surprised to hear an abrupt call like this instead of an answer.
At first, the duke seemed to be hesitating over what he was about to say, but he then spoke coldly.
“What do you like.”
For a moment, Rosetta thought that she might be hearing an auditory hallucination.
If not that, then she felt a bit compelled to ask the duke if he was sick or something.
It was the first ever time that he was asking such a question.
She wasn’t just talking about after she possessed this body. Even if she scanned all of the original Rosetta’s memories, there was never a time that he ever asked a question like that.
But now, as if he was about to accept Rosetta, with a question like this…
Rosetta briefly considered what to answer, but her contemplation ended soon.
Instead of responding to that question, she shook her head.
“There’s no need for you to ask me that.”
At first glance, it looked like the smile on her lips was tinged by a sneer.
Of course, any hint of it was so faint that anyone looking at her wouldn’t have noticed it.
Rosetta was exceptionally uncomfortable with the duke’s attention.
She thought that it would be comfortable and pleasant if they could just maintain the kind of relationship, or lack thereof, that strangers had.
Just give what you want to give, receive what you want to receive.
Besides that, it’s laughable that he was asking this question for the first time towards someone who was now nearly an adult.
It’s not as if they should start pretending to be a parent and his child now.
It could be said that she was exaggerating a bit here, but anything that might cause her anxiety later should just be nipped at the bud.
She wasn’t even the real Rosetta.
Any attention from him would just be unnecessary and troublesome to deal with.
‘Of course, I do still want you to start paying more attention to Alicia and act like her father now.’
But still, not with her.
His changed behavior was like Damian’s.
As if something—perhaps a thorn—was lodged at his throat.
One such person was enough.
“I am thankful enough that you have graciously brought me up until now. I know my place.”
Don’t worry. I won’t try to steal even a minuscule fraction of Alicia’s share.
Curtsying once more, Rosetta bowed her head towards him with a smile on her lips.
How she looked now was even more formal and distant compared to the way she regarded him earlier.
And without saying anything more, Rosetta turned around.
She was very impatient to leave that secret garden and trudge down the trail once more.
To the extent that she looked as if she was running away.
The duke could only stand there, motionless, as he watched Rosetta’s retreating figure.
Yet again, the voice whispered from behind him.
‘You’re not allowed to raise Rosetta to become a person who constantly walks on eggsh.e.l.ls. Okay?’
And here, he realized that there had been not a single promise that he kept.
He closed his eyes.
Standing there for a long time, it felt as if he was back in the past.
The wind swept past the leaves, rustling them every so often. It felt like the sound of Lillian rebuking him for his actions.
* * *
“What is… this?”
“Your sword.”
“My sword?”
Holding the long sword in his hands, Ca.s.sion asked back in surprise.
When told that this was his sword, he just blinked as though he couldn’t believe it.
I’m very pleased.
Right, since it’s a surprise gift, this much of a reaction should come up.
I had to go through something like that incident two days ago while testing the sword, but it didn’t feel unfair anymore since Ca.s.sion’s reaction was good.
A couple of days ago, after meeting the duke unexpectedly in that place, I escaped from there as though I was running away. I went straight to my room.
It’s been a while since I pushed myself like that, even if all I did was cut some gra.s.s in that garden, but my tiredness was more of a byproduct of the incident with the duke rather than my physical exertion.
‘Let’s just rest.’
And so, after I made up her mind, I really did just rest.
The next day, I talked to Blanca again through the crystal ball.
After I told her that the sword was excellent, Blanca nodded.
Though, instead of being happy with the feedback, she seemed to have taken it as a natural evaluation.
Then, on the evening of the same day, I promised to have dinner with Alicia, so I had to postpone giving the sword to Ca.s.sion for another time.
And that’s today.
Finally, Ca.s.sion’s whip sword found its way to its master.
“My sword…”
After I gave the sword over to him, Ca.s.sion carefully swept one hand over it.
His dark eyes were emotional.
He wasn’t a knight but a mage, but he seemed to be very happy to receive this sword. After all, he’s been living as a knight for months now.
“You have a sword now, Sir Maxwell. Congratulations.”
“Lady Rosetta invented that sword herself.”
Facing the emotional Ca.s.sion, Diana and Logan each said one thing.
Ca.s.sion smiled in grat.i.tude after hearing Diana’s words first, then after hearing what Logan said next, he turned to me in amazement.
“You did?”
He stared back at me as though he couldn’t quite believe it. At his question, I nodded.
‘It’s not completely my own personal invention though.’
Still, I would be the first person in this world to have come up with the design of a whip sword, so it’s not completely wrong to say I invented it.
Unnecessary humility isn’t my style.
“Yes, and that’s why this is the only sword of its kind in the world. It’s a sword that no one else can try to imitate.”
The only one in the world.
And it’s all yours.
After I added those last two things quietly, Ca.s.sion just looked at me in a daze.
His silent lips seemed to be murmuring the words ‘only one’ and ‘mine’.
“Thank you. It’s a truly special sword.”
“Right? Try it out once.”
At my suggestion, Ca.s.sion nodded. As he took a deep breath, his tense fingers gripped the hilt and pulled it out of its scabbard.
Shiiing.
And as he unsheathed it, the sword’s unique sound greeted him.