Mad Rosetta - Chapter 22

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

Episode 22

Even When Watering a Sprout, One Must Be Careful (5)

Marmint looked up in surprise.

Her face, seen up close, looked so young that it was enough to make me feel uncomfortable.

‘…This really was a senile old man. Exploiting such a young child?’

As soon as I thought that, the child looked at me with eyes full of distrust.

Since she was practically my savior, I spoke to her gently once more.

“You must have been startled by my sudden greeting.”

This was the best I could do, having neither experience being around young children nor having bothered to learn how to get along well with them.

“I was an acquaintance of the late Dr. Beaumont. My name is Rosetta Coco.”

“…Oh, I see.”

…This insolent little brat.

Did she see the vein bulging out near my ear?

Penny fidgeted and asked if we should perhaps move to a different location.

Sing giggled, saying that since the opponent was a child, I wouldn’t even break even if I fought her.

I endured once more, took a couple of deep breaths, then folded my eyes in half again and smiled like an idiot.

“May I ask what you’re doing here instead of attending the ceremony? Today will be the last day to send off the Doctor.”

“What business is it of yours? Just go on your way.”

“…”

I’ve been patient enough, haven’t I? Right?

I’m a pitiful patient whose patience could run out at any moment due to poison, aren’t I?

I decided that being gentle and soft wouldn’t work against Marmint’s sharp retorts.

Straightening my body that I had lowered to the child’s eye level, I looked down at her.

“You’re the one who researched the Panilnia flower.”

Marmint’s eyes widened.

At the same time, she showed even greater wariness than before, but I had no intention of backing down.

“Let me introduce myself properly. I’m Rosetta Coco of the Benatra Ducal House. I came to find Miss Marmint because I have business to discuss.”

“…”

“I’d like to go somewhere secluded to talk.”

【You mean quiet, darling…】

Same thing.

When I urged her with a completely different expression and tone than before, unfiltered confusion appeared in Marmint’s eyes.

A child was still a child.

I looked over Marmint, who appeared thin compared to other children her age, and sighed quietly.

“It would be good to fill your stomach as well. Do you know a nearby restaurant?”

Having no intention of lowering her guard, the child pointed to a shabby restaurant closest to the monastery, and I readily agreed.

Perhaps because I had experienced rolling around on dirt floors while vomiting bile and had spent time in a dusty room, I didn’t feel much resistance.

Fortunately, the corner seat in the restaurant was in the form of a room where curtains could be drawn.

For a more honest interview, I told Penny to wait outside and stood with the child in front of the menu display.

A gulping sound came from Marmint’s throat.

“I don’t know much about this place, so choose what you want to eat.”

“…”

“Owner! Give us everything on your best-selling menu!”

How could she keep her mouth shut so tightly?

Even after we sat down, even as dishes filled the table one by one, Marmint didn’t open her mouth.

After all the food came out, she looked down at it with a face that suspected I had poisoned it, so I had to speak in an exasperated tone.

“I said I had a request to make. If you don’t want to eat, don’t eat.”

“…I don’t have money.”

“Ha! Didn’t you see me pay earlier?”

I never dreamed I would look like someone who would ask a child ‘how about we split the cost?’

I was on the verge of feeling shame.

‘…To think the moment would come when I’d have to explain my financial situation.’

If I had known this would happen, I should have read a few books like 【You Want to Increase Your Intimacy with Children! Open This Book!】, I regretted a little.

Marmint, who had been reading the situation for a while, fortunately picked up her fork.

The child who had been sharp like a sensitive cat just moments before took a few bites of food, then began mercilessly emptying her plate.

She looked exactly like someone who had starved for days in wartime, making it easy for anyone to guess the child’s circumstances.

“Hey, I’m not going to steal it, so eat slowly.”

I pushed my water glass toward the child as well.

When the child licked her lips over the quickly emptied plate, I asked if she wanted more, but she said no and gulped down water, which looked quite innocent.

A child was still a child.

* * *

“Now that we’ve finished eating, shall we have a conversation?”

Marmint looked at Rosetta, who sat upright in front of her.

At first glance, anyone could tell she was from a wealthy family.

Her smooth hands that had never known a blister, the fragrance emanating from her softly combed hair – everything showed this.

Above all, her incomparably gorgeous appearance and the wealth evident in her dress that was obviously tailored stitch by stitch for her personally irritated Marmint.

‘…How annoying.’

Anyone could easily imagine the life after a newborn baby who hadn’t even been weaned was abandoned at the orphanage gate.

Fortunately or unfortunately.

The area around the orphanage located at the edge of the capital was entirely mountainous.

Since daily life at the orphanage was full of boring and tedious things, Marmint played with all kinds of plants.

It started when the orphanage director noticed this.

Not just various plant guides – the director borrowed even difficult academic books through the public library to encourage the child’s interest.

– “My goodness, Marmint! This is a tremendous discovery. You must be a genius.”

When a 4-year-old child at the orphanage was suffering from a skin rash.

Marmint soothed it with plants she had mixed herself. The director spared no praise for this.

So the director immediately went up to the Arcanis Academy in the capital and introduced Marmint to Dr. Dravu Beaumont.

How many times was his request for just one meeting rejected?

Even the stubborn old man’s attitude changed after he saw with his own eyes the efficacy of the mixed plants.

– “Since it’s a treatment method the child discovered by luck, there’s a high possibility people won’t trust it.”

Though he was a somewhat annoying old man in his speech.

The doctor explained that while there was no doubt it was a good treatment for red and inflamed rashes, if it became known that a child had devised the method, many people might be reluctant to use it.

While expressing his intention to file the patent himself but adopt Marmint as his granddaughter.

At the doctor’s persuasion that the child’s talent shouldn’t be wasted, the director left the decision to Marmint.

The child jumped with joy at the fact that she could have both her favorite studies and a family.

– “How dare a little thing like you look down on my son just because you’re a bit smart!”

The new family was more bleak than she had imagined, and the discrimination against the biological children was tremendous.

– “I told you to develop medicines that nobles would take notice of, when did I tell you to find something only commoners would use!”

The grandfather, who had been full of kindness when adopting her, transformed at some point into an old man who would starve her and nag her for lack of results.

Nevertheless, Marmint endured because she didn’t want to feel abandoned again.

The studies that had been enjoyable made her hungry and kept her up all night, losing their fun long ago.

As Marmint lost her light, Dr. Beaumont actually gained brightness.

Recently, well, his face was all brightened up as he asked her to look into any problems that might arise related to the Panilnia flower.

– “If you discover problems in the components, try developing a cure as well. You can do it, can’t you, Marmint?”

He said if this work succeeded, he would even send support funds to the orphanage.

The Panilnia flower was very limited in where it was cultivated, and since it wasn’t commonly used as medicine, it was really difficult to obtain.

With the doctor’s investment, she barely managed to obtain some and pounded, ground, and brewed it.

She had finished identifying that it contained toxins that induced violence…

– “There’s no way to stop the sad feelings of those left behind… the departed soul…”

The Doctor passed away.

They say he hanged himself, which is quite strange.

Just until he left the research lab that day, he was clearly delighted by the rapid research progress and patted my head.

Just a little more time and he could have given funding to the Orphanage Director, and Grandfather would have been satisfied once again with being called a genius of the ages as he stepped onto the podium.

– “Damn Grandfather! Sniff, waahhh… How could you… sob, leave me behind like this…!”

The anxious Marmint ended up crying like a child.

The family members fighting over the suddenly deceased Dr. Beaumont’s inheritance, and their eyes that seemed to constantly evaluate whether there was somewhere else more useful to exploit her.

All of it was terrible – their wariness that some ungrateful child might expose everything and ruin the reputation the Doctor had built up until now.

She no longer wanted to be used by anyone, nor did she want to hand over the lifeline of her existence to others.

“She ate like someone who hadn’t eaten for three days. No, that’s not what’s important here.”

Therefore, Marmint found Rosetta before her uncomfortable.

She disliked that stiffly raised head of hers, which looked like it had never bowed down nor would ever need to.

Most people who possessed what Marmint could never have made her feel unpleasant.

It was obvious that this young lady before her would be no different.

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