Mad Rosetta - Chapter 1

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Mad Rosetta

Episode 1

Rosetta Coco Benitra (1)

A noble lady must always keep her back straight and maintain proper posture, even if her toes are twisted in the tips of her shoes.

Even if there are those who displease her, she must not openly speak ill of them, and like going around the Priscian Mountains in circles, she must also know well how to elegantly give them hell.

“That damn Odette! That fucking Cessia…!”

My name is Rosetta Coco Benitra.

Known as the mad villainess of high society, I was currently busy hurling endless curses at my only younger sister and husband.

While simultaneously crawling frantically through the back garden using my elbows.

If someone were to ask how the only direct heir of the Benitra Ducal House came to suffer such humiliation…

I could answer that it’s because my younger sister Odette and my husband Cessia, who would inherit the marquis title, not only committed adultery but also poured poison down my throat.

Right now, I’m using my wits to escape through the back gate of the marquis estate.

“Cough, urgh…!”

My heart was beating like crazy.

A hot, twisting pain started from my solar plexus, as if someone had poured magma inside me.

Unable to hold back, I retched violently, and blood clots mixed with bile came out, soaking the grass.

It was infuriating.

Unlike me, who had been called a delinquent lady from some point on, my younger sister Bonita Odette was praised as a compassionate and beautiful lady.

Until yesterday, I too thought this was only natural, as she was as lovely as a bright spring flower that I couldn’t even feel envious of.

Though she was a stepsister connected through our parents’ remarriage, how could I leave behind someone who pleaded to take care of her only older sister?

Moved by Odette’s tearful and earnest request, I brought her to the Montague Marquis Estate as soon as I got married.

– “If I don’t take care of you, sister, who will?”

She was adorable.

She would have remained adorable if only I hadn’t seen her naked, playing disgustingly with my husband.

“Those filthy things, how dare they. Once I get out of here…”

I planned to visit the Security Bureau immediately after leaving this manor.

I crawled earnestly with my elbows, determined to expose their true nature completely.

But somehow, the back gate seemed to be getting farther away.

Gradually, my head felt tight and my jaw trembled.

I couldn’t tell if what was dripping from my mouth was saliva or blood, but I hoped it was blood.

For a nineteen-year-old adult to be crawling around drooling – isn’t that quite an embarrassing sight?

【What will you do once you get out?】

“Of course I’ll tell father and have them beheaded…”

Oh right, father passed away recently.

But who are you?

I forced myself to regulate my ragged breathing and barely managed to turn my head toward where the voice came from.

In the Arcanis Empire, there are only a handful of people this body should look up to. Thinking this was truly a rude person, the moment I looked up, I had to shut my mouth.

【Ah! Beheading is good. I’ve seen it often too.】

There was no… face.

No, there really was no face.

Only the face area was white as if powdered, with no eyes, nose, or mouth visible.

The figure of a man spoke to me again in an excited voice, as if pleased.

【But honey, you look like you’ll die before you even get out. Should I help you a bit?】

“Are you, are you, are you a ghost?”

【Yeah. First time seeing a ghost?】

“It’s my first time, but, ugh! Bleh…!”

I vomited again.

The blood clots were smaller than before but there were more pieces.

My stomach didn’t even hurt anymore, but somehow I had a premonition that I would die soon.

Well, of course – now I’m even seeing ghosts, aren’t I?

I pondered the ghost’s (?) words while clutching grass mixed with blood.

I didn’t understand how a mere creature with such an unclear form could help me, but one thing was certain.

‘I want revenge!’

I want to bring down the honor of those bastards who dared do unforgivable things to me yet remained shameless, torture them thoroughly, then beep-beep them to death!

Having quickly clarified what I wanted, I lay down completely as even holding my head up was too difficult, and asked.

“What’s your reason for wanting to help me?”

【Your speech is informal.】

“Ghost-nim’s speech is also informal… sir.”

I’m not being petty.

I just went easy on him because in the current situation, I seemed to be in the weaker position.

At my question that cut to the essence, the ghost nodded while crossing his arms.

It was still eerie since no facial features were visible at all.

【Good question. I didn’t expect much since you’re Duke Benitra’s daughter, but you have some sharp aspects.】

“Don’t insult my father. That’s disrespecting the dead.”

Being a ghost who can roam around everywhere, he probably knows about my father too.

I didn’t like this guy’s attitude, bringing up my father who passed away just days ago, but what mattered now wasn’t such trivial things.

The ghost kept his arms crossed and tapped the grass with his toes, then crouched down to look at me.

Facing him up close, I somehow felt like this faceless being was smiling.

【You want revenge on them, right? I can help you. On the condition that you also help with my revenge.】

“…Do you have lingering resentment?”

【Something like that. It won’t be a losing deal, darling.】

I couldn’t understand why he called himself informal or darling, addressing me like some loose man who frequents taverns.

But I decided to put this aside too.

Don’t all deals have proper procedures?

It was priority to hear his story in detail – whether there was one target for revenge, what specific methods he had for helping, etc.

Unfortunately, I heard the knights’ voices saying things like “search around the manor” and “she couldn’t have gone far”…

I spotted lantern light flickering and had to answer quickly.

“Fine, let’s do it! Revenge is best done by two!”

【Don’t you want to think about it more?】

“Right now, immediately, quickly, help!”

The cry “Found her!” from some unknown knight bastard spread through the air.

In the midst of that, I vomited once more.

Seeing the peridot color that came out, it seemed to mean there was nothing left to vomit.

【Wow, this is my first time seeing bile.】

The ghost, who made a comment as if he’d seen something fascinating, covered both my eyes with his large hands.

A blindingly bright light blocked my vision, then instantly became pitch black.

As expected, I shouldn’t hope for miracles – I lamented that a ghost spouting bile-like nonsense couldn’t possibly help properly.

Father, your cute Coco is coming to meet you now.

I thought this was how Rosetta Coco Benitra’s life would end.

It was the futile final moment of my nineteen years.

* * *

【 Benitra Eldest Daughter Observation Journal 】

Irritable.

Merciless.

Vicious.

All of these are adjectives describing Lady Rosetta, the eldest daughter of the Benitra Ducal House whom I serve.

These might seem too harsh as descriptions for a young lady who just turned sixteen, but our lady was truly the epitome of unreasonableness.

– “Do you think I wouldn’t know you tried to stab me with the broken teacup pieces?”

She cruelly expelled from the household a maid who had served by her side for years, just for breaking one teacup.

– “I see. Looking at how the loose thread is sticking out like this, you intended to embarrass me!”

She would often receive perfectly tailored dresses only to tear them apart, claiming they weren’t to her liking.

Day after day, servants would emerge from the Lady’s room in tears… While I was standing guard, I comforted one pitiful-looking servant and even caught her eye.

I won’t bother thanking her for helping me find a sweet girlfriend.

Of course, Lady Rosetta hadn’t always been so tyrannical from the beginning.

If I remember correctly, she was about fourteen… It started after the Duke remarried his current Duchess and began living with Lady Bonita.

The two seemed to get along well, but whenever I looked away for a moment, Lady Bonita would be apologizing tearfully.

Then Lady Rosetta would show her fury, grinding her teeth and screaming for her to get lost since she was sick of the sight of her.

They weren’t blood-related, so differences were inevitable… but they truly were contrasting sisters.

– “Rosetta shall remain confined to her room until her body recovers.”

Lady Rosetta’s tantrums grew worse by the day, causing widespread resentment among the servants, so it wasn’t unreasonable for the Duke to order her confinement.

He even stationed a knight in front of her doorway.

Thus, the young duchess who was considered the most noble in the Empire found herself locked in her room at the mere age of fourteen.

“Yawn, so quiet…”

It had been a year and a half since this prolonged neglect of the Lady began.

I was standing dawn guard as usual, yawning incessantly while crouched in front of her doorway.

With so many people being negligent, I had honestly become lazy too.

Deep down, I thought the Lady who had only acted spitefully didn’t deserve proper treatment.

I would have continued thinking that way if the door hadn’t suddenly opened, revealing the Lady’s distinctive deep crimson hair.

“Hey.”

I forcibly covered my mouth to suppress the scream that was about to burst out like I’d seen a ghost in the moonlight.

While hastily straightening my sitting posture, I only thought about my damn bad luck.

Since there was no excuse for my negligent duty, I was debating whether to offer my left cheek or my right shin.

The Lady’s appearance came into view.

It was truly the first time I’d seen her in person in ages.

Her long-unwashed hair was matted and tangled messily. Her body, gaunt from skipping meals, was no different from slum children.

“Where is Father?”

I was thinking it would probably be better to offer my left cheek.

But the Lady asked an unexpected question without any preparation to strike me.

“He’s probably… in his study, I believe.”

“I see. Understood.”

The confinement order was still in effect, so I should have blocked the Lady’s path, but I couldn’t.

Her sunken, drooping eyes looked the same as usual, but her gaze was completely different.

– “You’re unfamiliar. Are you newly assigned?”

The Lady’s brightly shining violet eyes reminded me of the day I first faced her as her guard.

Young Lady Rosetta’s eyes had sparkled like amethysts when she playfully said I should protect her well from now on, and the gaze I met after so long held that same quality.

In the quiet dawn, the Lady stepped out of her doorway without even properly wearing a dress.

It was truly a shameful appearance for a noble lady.

– Excerpt from the journal of Knight A, affiliated with Benatra

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————