CH 7

This boy’s name was Roystan Noart.

He was my cousin four years older than me.

He was the only son of my first uncle, and from a young age he had no doubt that he would become the successor to Count Noart. Even though everything went to waste with Julian’s appearance.

And I remembered this boy clearly.

“Hey, stop. Are you that ‘apprentice’?”

I had encountered this even before the regression. On this road where I left Julian’s room and headed for the annex.

In the meantime, Roystan was conscious of Julian and didn’t dare to touch me, but when Julian lost his memory, he immediately began to pick a fight.

“The apprentice should go back to the temple. No one here considers you family.”

And even now when we met again, the repertoire did not change.

“The butcher who used to care for you became like that, so shouldn’t you go back to your place too?”

To them, Julian was the ‘butcher’ and I was the ‘apprentice’.

“Even your mother ran out of here on her own feet a long time ago. It was very shameful.”

It seemed the bad feelings that he had piled up against Julian fluttered at this moment.

“Do you think that 17-year-old butcher will love you like before?”

Roystan patted me on the head and said,

“Remember it well. Count Noart hates temples. From the beginning, there was no place for an ‘apprentice’ in this mansion.”

My small body was pushed back by that strong gesture.

“Do you think Grandpa would recognize an ’apprentice’ as a Noart? Do you think you are suitable for this county?”

‘Ah… it hurts.’

I didn’t say anything, just licked my lips with tears in my eyes.

Heidi looked around nervously. Due to her status, she couldn’t say anything to Roystan, so she just looked as if she wanted someone passing by to help out.

Just then, a group of people were coming from far away.

Seeing Heidi’s hopeful face, Roystan smiled.

“It’s no use. Who in this house is going to help you now?”

He sniggered and pushed my forehead harder with his finger.

“Ah!”

Eventually, I stumbled and fell.

Before regression, Roystan often pushed me like this and then kicked me hard.

As I was kicked, in my heart I thought that it was right.

‘I didn’t think it was necessary for my older brother to be responsible for an insignificant and lowly younger sister who he couldn’t even remember.’

So I left the residence of the County of Noart and went back to the temple, and was immediately mobilized for the experiment.

“What? The apprentice who went to the County of Noart has returned? Ah! Didn’t you just say you need a test subject? Put her in the lab right now!”

“That damned Julian Noart was very annoying! Hiding his identity, entering the temple and stealing his sister! If I had known that apprentice had Noart blood mixed in, I wouldn’t have let her go!”

I only knew then, but experiments on apprentices were quite common in the temple. Occasionally, a few apprentices would disappear, but I just didn’t know it until then.

‘Just like that, I was locked up for 10 years.’

And now…

I was on the verge of being kicked by Roystan just like that time.

“Can’t you get out of here right now? You trivial and vulgar subject should come to your senses!”

My body shrank in an instant at the memory of his fierce kick.

“Rosie!”

Heidi let out a shrieking scream and supported me.

The papers fluttered out of my hands.

In the end, Heidi blocked my way and tried to protect me somehow.

It was then.

A group of people spotted us and came running.

“There she is! Lady Rosie!”

“You are still here!”

“Look at me for a minute, Lady Rosie! It’s urgent!”

‘Yes, this is it.’

I grinned inwardly.

It was all for now that I kept enduring this situation.

It wasn’t for no reason that I didn’t say a word and cried. 

For I was determined to never be helpless again. 

“Ahhh…”

I staggered even more, purposely.

People with papers came rushing over.

“Wait a minute! Let’s talk!”

“Lady Rosie, I have something to tell you!”

They rushed to my side. I think they were the ones I saw in Julian’s room earlier.

With surprised eyes, Roystan’s mouth opened wide.

“Ah…”

I collapsed with a pitiful face and gasped for breath.

“Sorry. I… I fell…”

People surrounded me, Roystan, and Heidi.

I sniffed, like I was the most devastated in the world.

“I’m a little confused, so I’ll have the guests in my room… Don’t worry, I’ll meet you all. I’m scared because it’s too much money to have on my own…”

“Money?” Roystan muttered quietly. Then, when he saw the papers at my feet, he was so startled that he fell on his butt.

‘Did you see it?’

I glanced at Roystan and grinned inwardly.

‘You pushed the owner of 137 billion gold, not the apprentice.’

Perhaps thinking if he was very stupid, Roystan’s face was already complicated.

“Originally, since my grandfather is away, I wanted to entrust it to my first uncle, but I think I need to think about it for a while.”

I said in a mournful voice, holding the papers proudly.

“I have already heard the will of my uncle through Roystan.”

Roystan’s widened eyes expressed his thoughts, ‘Me?’ 

His face said he had never heard of such a thing before, but I smiled and looked at him.

“And it is to donate everything to the temple. He told me to return to the temple. Truly, great faith…”

Roystan opened his mouth.

I turned and brushed his collar.

“I didn’t notice it when I saw it from a distance, but when I looked closely, I realized you’re wearing clothes made of Eton fiber. The latest fashion and expensive textiles are a good source of income for the temple, but there is no prejudice against the temple in the first place. I know the sincerity of your will.”

“Eh, eh… what?”

“Eton fiber. You don’t read the newspaper these days because grandfather isn’t here? It’s the front-page article in the newspaper today.”

I explained naturally and shrugged my shoulders at Roystan.

“Um, I guess you don’t really fit the County of Noart either…”

‘Oh, I’m relieved.’

It was a family custom made by my grandfather. To always read the newspaper at breakfast.

Roystan was unable to say anything.

Saying that I didn’t suit the County of Noart. 

That was the accusation he had made earlier.

I was happy to be able to return it like this.

Looking at Roystan’s crumpled face, I continued calmly.

“Anyway, donating seems to be a meaningful thing considering my origin, but… Grandfather hates temples a lot, so I think I should listen to other people’s opinions.”

Then, in a very kind tone, I smiled and struck.

“Ah, so those from my first uncle’s side don’t have to come. You don’t have to do it twice. I will be a bit considerate.”

The expression of the subordinates from the first uncle’s side turned rotten.

“Thanks for the great teaching, Roystan.”

I said sweetly.

“I will never forget your words.”

The eldest uncle, Murloc Noart, would surely be stuck in the words ‘originally intended to leave it to my first uncle’. And he would scold Roystan greatly.

The money that almost came into his hands was the most precious law.

“I know none of your advice is wrong. I’m an apprentice, and my mother is a troublemaker who left the house on her own.”

Looking at Roystan’s still-crumpled face, I whispered in a low voice.

“But…”

When I erased my smile, Roystan bit his lower lip, startled.

“Still, I won’t live thinking I’m insignificant or lowly.”

Yes, I certainly lived thinking that way in my previous life.

“Because…”

I continued to speak clearly, as if I was talking to myself, not to Roystan.

“If I think of myself that way, my older brother, who loved me so much, will be sad. So I have to cherish myself and live.”

Even though Julian had now lost those memories, at least I had to live with those memories.

Anytime, anywhere, without forgetting any moment.

I made a huge mistake in my past life when I forgot that for a second.

‘Because I don’t value myself.’

‘Because I thought that all the love Julian had given me had disappeared.’

‘I will never make that mistake in this life.’

Now I had to protect the precious things that Julian had protected.

“So you can’t hurt me with words like that. No matter where I come from, whether my brother remembers me or not, I will be confident wherever I am.”

I looked Roystan straight in the eyes and slowly uttered.

“Don’t forget my words either.”

Credits goes to Ame for raw providing and translating, and Tassie for proofreading.