Chapter 78

Chapter 78

Daniel’s hand gingerly covered Alicia’s wound.

Soon, as his eyes turned downward, white light appeared at the same time as he murmured. The wound on the back of Alicia’s hand began to fade away.

Only a small amount of divine power was enough because it was just a slight wound.

“Whoa…”

Alicia looked at her hand with wonder.

It was her first time personally seeing and experiencing divine power, so she was amazed by it.

The only indication that there had been a wound there before was a faint drop of blood.

“How is it? It doesn’t hurt anymore, right?”

With a smile, Daniel asked. At this, Alicia replied with a slight red tinge on her cheeks.

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

Her fear towards the stranger had disappeared along with the wound, and now, all that’s left were her diminished shyness and red cheeks to indicate this.

Her pale cheeks bloomed with color, making them look like ripe peaches.

However, on the other hand.

Unlike Alicia’s countenance, which had become as lively as a peach, Rosetta’s face started turning pale.

The cold, sinking look in her eyes was as deep as an immeasurable abyss.

If gossipers were by chance nearby, this kind of reaction was perfect for them to misunderstand.

As soon as her half-sister’s wound got healed, they would question how she could possibly make such a stiff expression…

And then they would say, ‘Ah, it’s only natural for the fake to get jealous of the real daughter.’

Rosetta also knew that this was what’s going to happen, so she bit the inside of her cheek.

Daniel was the only one here who could be under that kind of misunderstanding, but it was of no use to be misunderstood by even one person.

‘Let’s not act like a fool who can’t control her reactions.’

Rosetta closed her eyes for a moment and smoothed her brows.

When she let out a light exhale, her blood, which she felt had started getting cold, seemed to regain its original temperature.

Then, someone approached her.

“What’s wrong, Milady? Are you alright?”

The person who noticed was Cassion.

Rosetta’s previously closed eyes slowly opened once more. The low glance of those two golden eyes was directed towards him.

As the white veil was hung close to her face, her features could be seen through the thin cloth.

The corners of her lips tugged up into, then she shook her head.

“I’m fine.”

Right, it’s not that she wasn’t alright.

She wasn’t hurt, she wasn’t sick.

It’s just— She despised the power that had emitted that white light.

To the extent that her blood would run cold just by seeing it.

The reason she detested divine power was, needless to say, due to Urien.

She had entered an entirely new world, but the sensation of divine power was similar everywhere she went. As soon as she saw the illumination of that white light, the afterimage of Urien struck her mind like a lightning bolt.

Divine power was used to save and heal people, but to Rosetta, it gave her nothing but a disgusting, repulsive sensation.

It was thanks to this power that Alicia’s wound was healed, but she couldn’t do anything to stop herself from feeling this way.

And it seemed like this was all the more the case because it’s the first time she’s seeing divine power in this world.

She schooled her features, but she couldn’t do anything about her pale complexion.

“Thank you for helping Alicia.”

Rosetta wrapped an arm around Alicia’s shoulders. Alicia still had those rosy cheeks as she fiddled with the back of her hand.

Alicia raised her head and glanced up at Rosetta.

Daniel’s eyes, too, turned towards Rosetta.

That smile on his face looked thoughtless.

“You helped me first, so I was only returning the favor.”

“Right. Then I believe this makes things even.”

In turn, Rosetta replied with a gentle smile.

Reading between the lines, this meant that they should have nothing to do with each other anymore since it’s been settled.

She was going to use this matter as a debt on House Freesia’s part, but the moment she witnessed the young duke’s divine power, she changed her mind.

She wouldn’t mesh well with the household known for their divine power.

Rather than forcing herself to meet people she was uncomfortable with, she thought that it would just be better to go their separate ways and never meet again, regardless of any debts.

“Why, that sounds a bit upsetting, but that’s probably just me, right?”

Rosetta smiled without a word and shrugged. She didn’t bother to answer him.

Then, she breathed in lightly and soon gave him a nod as a goodbye.

“We’ll be on our way now. My head hurts quite a bit, so we’ll have to leave.”

As Rosetta touched the side of her forehead, Alicia’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s.

“Ah, yes. Right! Sister, let’s go back so you can rest.”

In her surprise, Alicia seemed to be feeling apologetic because, for a moment, she forgot that her older sister wasn’t feeling well.

She urgently took Rosetta’s hand and stomped her feet, looking as if she was ready to rush away at any given moment.

Rosetta calmed Alicia for a moment with a gentle touch, then she looked at Daniel.

It was a meaningful look that said how they should part ways now.

“Goodness, I’ve been holding you up without knowing you’re sick. Ah, then perhaps I could also use my divine power to heal Your Ladyship…”

“No. It’s alright.”

Daniel just grinned awkwardly as he was cut off in the middle of his sentence.

He was about to step forward and come closer as well, but he was stopped there.

Even the way he touched the bridge of his nose exuded awkwardness.

“…I only need to return home and lie down. Thank you for your kindness, Young Duke, but I’m fine.”

Rosetta wanted to leave right now.

They had gone through the motions of courtesy and she was showing him that they were about to leave now, so he shouldn’t make a fuss and hold her back.

However, the man was far more tactless than she had thought.

Those curved blue eyes, as he awkwardly smiled, were glistening. Then, he asked.

“Did you cry?”

There was not even a single shred of prudence in that question.

Rosetta laughed.

She was so dumbfounded that she let out a laugh. And as her expression was left with only a smile now, she asked in return.

“Isn’t it rude to ask such a question to someone you’ve just met for the first time?”

“Ah, I apologize if it was rude. It’s just, your eyes are red.”

It was as if he meant no harm at all, and so an apology was promptly made.

Seeing Daniel flustered made it seem like he wasn’t lying.

Rosetta shrugged.

“It’s quite alright. However, it’s a bit difficult to answer because it’s embarrassing. Now, may we leave?”

“Yes, yes. Of course. Goodness me, I just… I keep showing only foolish sides of me.”

“Still, we received your help as well. Right, Alicia?”

“…Yes, that’s right. Thank you very much for your help, Young Duke.”

After Alicia conveyed her gratitude, Rosetta smiled lightly and soon turned around.

If she were to continue facing him, she had a hunch that he would catch her by surprise yet again.

In the end, however, Rosetta still could not leave.

The moment she turned around, she saw a group of men approaching them.

There were a total of three men crossing the distance.

Two of them were nobles who she hadn’t seen before, while the one standing in the middle was a familiar face.

Rosetta shifted Alicia and made her stand behind her.

Alicia was hidden only half a step behind her, but if Rosetta could hide her even just that much, she wanted to do it.

“Ah, so you were here, Princess Valentine.”

A deep voice greeted her languidly.

His vivid red eyes flashed.

His red hair, as it was under the sun’s illumination, was like a burning flame.

Rosetta smiled.

Beneath the veil of loose mesh fabric, bright red lips were drawn into a curve.

Ah, this. God damn it.

“It’s you, Young Duke Carter.”

Even as her mind was filled with curses, her gentle tone did not reveal this at all.

With their intentions hidden beneath, the gazes of those two people met in the air.

“Duke and Young Duke Valentine are still here. Perhaps, were you about to go back first?”

“They noticed that I wasn’t feeling very well, so Father and Brother told me to go back home first and rest.”

At this, Leo said, ‘Ah… Is that so.’

He spoke under his breath, though it sounded like a response.

“Indeed, you may have gotten a headache. You had shed so many tears, did you not?”

As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on Rosetta.

The two men standing at either side of Leo were obviously curious.

And apart from them, Daniel, who was behind, also seemed to be watching with interest.

“Yes, it was an embarrassing sight for me to have shown.”

“Embarrassing? But for the Young Lady to have shed many tears for someone you don’t know, all I thought is that you must be a very kind-hearted person.”

“I do admit that I’m rather soft-hearted. And I cry a lot, too.”

Ah, damn.

Rather than just words, the answer that flowed out of her lips was closer to breathing.

Soon, silence fell.

The two people stood facing each other without saying a word.

They were a sight to behold, like a painting, but as their eyes met, they constantly gauged each other.

‘…Why the hell.’

Rosetta asked herself inwardly. She couldn’t let her guards down for one second.

It was only natural for her to be vigilant around him, but why was Leo suddenly trying to see through her.

If he had bumped into them because of the hand of fate, then his attention should have been directed straight at Alicia.

He shouldn’t be staring at Rosetta unnecessarily.

Right. If this situation had been caused by some unwritten rule of the original novel.

But, no. Regardless of fate or whichever else, it’s as if she’s being pushed to appear before this man by some force.

If it’s like that, then what’s the point of trying to furtively figure out his motives?

She didn’t want to believe it, but perhaps—as long as it’s a crying woman, this man’s interest would be piqued?

Then certainly enough, Rosetta felt that she made the right choice in diverting that interest from Alicia.

Since Rosetta had rather wailed at that moment beside Alicia, the tears that little by little dripped down Alicia’s eyes went unnoticed back then.

Dimly, quite possibly.

Well, yes. Rosetta did think that his attention would be shifted to her.

And it didn’t matter.

This was a good thing.

Because her ultimate goal was for Alicia to not play the role of the female lead.

However, now that she was facing this very situation, all she could think was that this man was such a strange prick.

And.

‘Crazy bastard.’

“By any chance, is that all you need? If that’s the reason you’ve looked for me, then I would like to excuse myself now. As you mentioned earlier, my head hurts quite a bit.”

Rosetta spoke as though she was having a difficult time.

Leo’s gaze was fixed on Rosetta this whole while, but when the long silence between them was broken, he looked away.

Those red eyes turned one by one towards the people at Rosetta’s side.

Towards Alicia, who was slightly behind her. Then towards Cassion, who was standing there while staring back at Leo.

His red eyes lingered on Cassion.

On his hair, which was the shade of the blue night sky.

As though that gaze was calculating, as though that gaze was trying to pierce through the other man’s veil.

With only a thin piece of cloth between them, the two brothers stared closely at each other.

“Excuse me.”

Yet again, Rosetta broke the silence.

The gaze that was on Cassion returned towards Rosetta.

“Ah, you’re feeling sick, and yet I’m keeping you here. Yes, that’s all. It’s just I felt bad seeing you cry earlier, so I wanted to ask if you’re doing alright.”

“Thank you very much for your concern. Then, with your permission, we’ll be on our way now. Again, my deepest condolences.”

Rosetta replied like so and curtsied towards him.

She had no idea just how many times she’d been forced to bow her head like this today.

Why was it so difficult to get out of this mansion.

As Rosetta grumbled inwardly, she took Alicia’s hand behind her.

Alicia was just hiding quietly, and this was exactly what Rosetta asked her to do before they entered the Carter residence.

Never engage Young Duke Carter in any conversation apart from offering her condolences.

Never make eye contact.

Alicia thought that they were strange requests at first, but when she saw the man’s burning red hair beneath the sunlight, she realized that her older sister’s advice was not for naught.

And so Alicia hurriedly lowered her head and stood by Rosetta. When her wrist was caught, it seemed to be the sign that they were finally leaving.

Leo’s gaze meandered along between the two sisters, but he stepped out of the way as though he had no intention of holding them back.

After she had given a light bow as a goodbye, Rosetta then led Alicia and Cassion away.

However, in the end, that pretense did not even last long.

Once again, the same voice held them back.

“From now on, why don’t you come and visit more often?”

Those words, Rosetta could attest, were the worst words she had ever heard.