/
“Rose.”
A friendly voice called out to the girl crouching in the corner.
The girl slowly raised her head.
Rose was young. But she had a gloomy face, not like a child of her age.
“Why are you depressed again?”
The woman felt sorry for Rose.
My child who had changed from one moment to another.
Rose, that woman knew, was just an ordinary child who struggled, murmured, and cried.
“Rose, won’t you answer your mother’s question?”
“Don’t talk to me.”
“… You shouldn’t say that to your mother. It hurt your mom.”
“… What do you know?”
Rose squatted down in the corner and turned her head.
It meant a break in conversation. The woman couldn’t stand it and it broke her heart.
“Why are you pouting again, my daughter? huh? Tell me.”
“… My daughter?”
At that moment, Rose’s lips twisted.
The woman was startled by the look on her face, which did not match the daughter she knew, but soon drew a friendly smile.
Her daughter had a lot to hide from a certain moment. She is sometimes like a different person, my child…
Yes. At this age, children often go through puberty and become rebellious.
So it’s not weird.
“Do you hate being mother’s daughter?”
“… I think it’s the opposite.”
“The opposite?”
“You hate that I’m your daughter.”
It was something that woman could never understand.
Seeing the woman’s puzzled expression, Rose hid her feelings.
I’m not your real daughter. If anything, she should hate me, not herself.
“It can’t be. Mom is so happy that Rose is my daughter. Oh yes, Rose. Do you want me to get you a present?”
“… Present?”
The child’s eyes, which normally would have lit up at the mention of a gift, withered.
The woman forced a smile to hide her sad face and held out the item in front of her daughter.
“Here it is. It’s sparkly, isn’t it?”
The round shape with a string shimmered in a splendid decoration.
“… It’s a pendant.”
“My daughter is smart. How do you know it’s a pendant?”
“You think I’m stupid?”
“Yes I know. My daughter is smart.”
Rose made a disinterested look and accepted the item she had given her.
The woman was overjoyed about it.
“It’s not an ordinary pendant. Mother placed an order.”
“… Order?”
“If Rose wishes so earnestly, it may come true.”
“…….”
Rose was dumbfounded.
Do you think I’ll believe it?
‘How old am I?’
Rose clicked her tongue and opened the pendant.
“It’s empty.”
“Let’s put what Rose wants in there later.”
I don’t know. I wonder if I’ll ever get what I want.
Rose thought so, but when she saw the pretty smiling woman, she didn’t say anything out of her mouth.
*****
‘… Another strange dream.’
When I woke up, I grabbed my hair and muttered.
After meeting with Countess, it became more and more frequent to peek into Rose’s memories.
‘It seems that the Countess has broken the magic that binds her memories…’
If not, Rose’s memories that she hadn’t dreamed of for years could not come crashing down.
“Are you awake?”
“… Marquis.”
Argen, who had been nursing me all night at my bedside, put his hand on my forehead as if worried.
It has been three days since I returned from meeting with Countess Millard.
During those three days, I had to suffer from a high fever.
“I’m fine now.”
I responded by removing Argen’s hand on my forehead.
Shortly after I returned to Marquis, the Countess Millard was declared missing.
The day she disappeared, a suspicious gaze fell on me because I had visited the Countess.
But soon Richard became the last witness to prove it, and I was barely able to come down from the guillotine.
‘Is this okay?’
“You look bad, but what happened that day?”
“… Nothing.”
Argen didn’t seem to believe me.
But when I didn’t open my mouth, he sighed and declared giving up.
“While you were ill, Her Majesty the Crown Princess returned. She made an appointment right away.”
“Really?”
“I’m going to talk to her today to meet the savior.”
“…….”
With those words, I managed to clear my mind that had been distracted.
Only when I meet the savior before I can decide what to do next.
“I’ll be back, get some rest.”
“Bye.”
After Argen left the room, I was immersed in my thoughts again.
Before forgetting the contents of the already hazy dream, I looked back at Rose’s memories.
The pendant that Rose received in her dream.
It certainly looked familiar.
‘Looks like the pendant that they used to feel the energy of a demon worshiper…’
I ran away three years ago and threw it into the sea.
It’s an object I’ve seen briefly a long time ago, but for some reason I can’t forget it like an object I’ve seen for the rest of my life.
What does that pendant have to do with the demon worshiper’s energy?
I saw it in my dream…
<It’s not an ordinary pendant. Mother placed an order.>
And if that wasn’t just talk…
Maybe Rose’s mother was a demon worshiper?
‘She seems too nice for that.’
It wasn’t like a horde of demons like the demon worshipers.
Of course, you can’t judge a person by their looks.
‘I don’t have enough information yet.’
So I was planning to return to Herthas when I met the savior.
There seemed to be no choice but to collect information about Rose directly.
Unraveling all these secrets may reveal why I was wearing shackles on my ankles in Korea.
I had a strong feeling that maybe I could find a solution.
I had been thinking about it for a while. There was a knock at the door.
“Lady, I have a letter and an item that have arrived right now, would it be okay if I delivered it to you?”
“Come in.”
When my permission was granted, the maid entered the room right away.
The maid handed me two letters.
Did anyone write me a letter?
I opened the letter puzzled, and as soon as I saw the sender, my expression hardened.
[Hello, Rosie.
I heard you were sick.
I’m worried about you, and I’d love to come visit you right now, but I’m afraid you won’t like it, so I’ll be patient.
Instead, I send flowers and gifts.
I picked them while thinking of you, and it’s very fragrant.
I hope you get well soon….]
I crumpled up the letter without finishing reading it.
The maid made a surprised face, but I ignored her and said.
“Did you get any presents?”
“Ah yes! A gift has arrived….”
“Throw it all away. I don’t need it.”
“Pardon?”
“Throw it away. All of it.”
The maid muttered it was a waste, but I ignored it and took out another letter.
Who is this from?
Again, I checked the sender and gasped in surprise.
‘Michelle?’
I hurriedly opened the letter and checked the contents.
[To my dear Lina.
Lina, how are you? It’s been a long time since you left for the capital.]
As I read the letter with a happy heart, I hardened my face when I saw what followed.
[I didn’t want to give you any trouble for fear of causing you unnecessary anxiety, but one day you’ll find out, so I’m leaving you this letter.]
The content of the letter was truly shocking.
Until just a few months ago, the company had fallen into debt.
But the reason was strange. Suddenly, major customers had stopped doing business with us.
The reason was unknown. Even when we asked to explain why, everyone kept their mouths shut.
The company lost a lot of money and was drowning in debt when the Ascent family showed up…
“You borrowed money from the Ascent family…?”
The content of the letter was horrifying.
I had heard of the Ascent family before and knew them well.
It was a loan sharking business run by a blonde brother and sister.
Michelle wrote in the letter that she would pay the money back, but it wasn’t too bad.
The Ascent family appeared at the moment when the transaction was suddenly cut off and the company was in debt.
Obviously, it was highly likely that they were the cause.