Mad Rosetta - Chapter 4

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

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Rosetta Gone Mad

Episode 4

Rosetta Coco Benitra (4)

The acrid scent emanating from me felt as though that wretched creature had laced my perfume with vinegar instead.

“Tell me, you. How long have you been working here?”

“Well… just over a year, ma’am.”

The Servant I had struck answered with such composure, even releasing a sigh, that it seemed my blow had lacked sufficient force.

“Just over a year, then. That should be more than enough time for you to know your mistress’s preferences as intimately as breathing.”

The way she looked at me—as though I were the servant and she the mistress—infuriated me beyond measure, you insufferable wretch.

I maintained an outward calm, but the fury blazing within me was nearly unbearable, so I clawed at my thigh with my nails once more.

I had gouged at it so relentlessly that scars now covered it like a patchwork.

“What is your name?”

“…Temari, ma’am.”

“Very well, Temari. Go fetch the Head Maid for me.”

“The Head Maid is on leave at present and has not yet returned to her post.”

On leave?

I could scarcely believe the audacity—that she dared speak with such confidence.

Without a supervisor present to answer for her conduct, she likely believed the matter would be dismissed as merely another tantrum on my part, as it always was.

“When does she return?”

“I… believe she returns sometime this morning, though I cannot say precisely when.”

“Is that so? Then there’s no help for it. I’ll have to summon the Butler at once.”

If the person in charge is absent, then simply bringing another person in charge would suffice, wouldn’t it?

At my command to summon the Butler, Temari’s eyes widened considerably.

“…Right now, my Lady?”

“Are you questioning me?”

“The Butler is quite busy at the moment-“

I cut off her words and slapped both her left and right cheeks with impartial precision.

Whether it was indignation that flushed her face crimson or the impact of the blows themselves, Temari glared at me with a scarlet visage.

“This is my final command. Bring me the Butler.”

Within mere minutes, I heard a knock at the door from outside.

I nodded once to the remaining Servant and instructed her to open the door.

The Butler’s rigid countenance, which had been offering a courteous morning greeting, became quite amusing when he caught sight of me wearing nothing but a gown, his composure visibly crumbling.

Temari, standing behind the Butler, wore the confident expression of a concubine who had just secured a powerful backer.

It appeared she had spoken freely in her favor during the time it took to bring him here.

“I heard you were looking for me.”

“Is it true that this Servant standing behind you—the one lifting her eyes so insolently—has worked in this household for over a year?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Then tell me, Butler. Do you know what fragrance I use?”

“…I believe you primarily favor Romeo’s Garden in Orphedom.”

“You know well. Then I ask again: is there any reason to keep such a fool in the Duke’s Estate—one who has failed to learn even a single fragrance her mistress enjoys over more than a year?”

Was it thanks to burning all the Panilnia in my room?

Until my death, I had been poisoned by Panilnia for far too long, making it difficult to think or act properly.

But now, my tongue felt as though it could fly.

‘From today onward, I’ll settle everything.’

I waited for the Butler’s response with a triumphant expression, and he cast a peculiar gaze upon me.

Well, ordinarily my young mistress would have vented her fury by shrieking at an attendant and kicking them out of the room, but today she was admonishing them with perfectly sound reasoning—it must have seemed quite extraordinary.

“…If I may be so bold, I shall take her away and educate her thoroughly. Would it not be wise to forgive this matter with magnanimity, Lady?”

The Butler replied that I must surely be quite displeased, casting a disapproving look toward Temari.

Hmm, so the Butler thinks I’ve grown soft as well. He’s setting conditions.

I sighed as though troubled and replied.

“A year of thorough education yielded nothing, so I doubt a few more days will make any difference. If you will not comply, I shall go directly to Father and report this matter myself.”

As I turned toward the Bathroom to leave, Temari cried out as though deeply wronged.

“The disposition of attendants falls under the Duchess’s authority!”

When she dared not only to contradict her mistress but to huff indignantly, the Butler quickly rebuked her for raising her voice.

No, don’t be too harsh.

I was grateful to that wretched creature for knowing how to speak sense.

“Did you just say the Duchess’s authority?”

“…Ah! That is not what I meant. I misspoke.”

“Your words came out wrong? Then you mean it is not the Duchess’s authority.”

“….”

“Tsk, how reckless.”

Temari, the Servant, eventually clasped her hands tightly together and bowed her head, her face a portrait of helplessness.

I shook my head with a look of dismay, pressing my fingers to my forehead.

“Your Attendants’ negligence is proof that the Mistress of this Household has neglected her duties. Therefore, I must rush to Father at once and report the Duchess’s dereliction in full detail, stripping her of her position and imposing a far more fitting punishment upon you.”

Temari’s face drained of all color as her eyes darted between the Butler and me.

Tears welled up in her eyes—she clearly had never anticipated that her single careless remark would escalate to questioning the very qualifications of Lianna, the current Duchess.

The Butler, too, seemed to realize the situation was spiraling beyond control, and he hastily bowed his head, his voice desperate as he appealed to me.

“Lady. It is my incompetence that led to this poor judgment. I shall inform the Duchess of all that transpired today and administer Temari’s punishment myself.”

“…If even you, the Butler, are incompetent, this is most troubling.”

“I humbly apologize. I shall implement sweeping measures to ensure such incidents do not occur again.”

“Take her away.”

Perhaps pitying her own predicament, Temari finally shed tears.

As the Butler led her from the Room, silence fell between the crimson-haired Servant and me.

Witnessing the sudden downfall of her colleague announced before her very eyes, the young Servant merely pressed her lips together and waited for her own judgment.

“What is your name?”

“…Penny Haffner, Lady.”

“Very well, Penny Haffner. What would you like to do now?”

“The…the bathwater has grown cold, so I wish to reheat it and prepare fragrances suited to your preference, Lady.”

Though trembling like a frightened rabbit, she spoke with crisp precision—evidence of at least some perceptiveness.

I entrusted Penny with my bathing preparations and grooming for the time being.

Whether Penny’s promise to serve me diligently held truth or falsehood, the accumulated grime that washed away during her ministrations was so profuse that I had to change the bathwater twice more.

It was a refreshing sensation I hadn’t felt in ages—the clean scent of my own skin.

* * *

As I made my way toward the Main Manor, I found myself intoxicated by this newfound freshness.

That Penny—she possessed considerable skill with her hands.

Ordinarily, three or four Maids would be required to assist with my grooming. That Penny managed alone meant the process took considerably longer, and I had overlooked a rather critical detail: my prolonged seclusion had left me without a single presentable indoor dress.

Yet the thought of donning an hopelessly outdated gown made my skin crawl—I could already envision Odette’s sanctimonious performance, and the mere image of it soured my mood entirely.

– “Oh, dear Sister Rosetta. If there is anything among my dresses that catches your fancy, please feel free to take it.”

Absolutely not! Never!

I would sooner go naked than endure the sight of Odette playing the pitiful benefactor, winning the affection of the household staff. The very thought made the back of my neck tighten.

I was on the verge of fabricating an excuse—claiming I had woken too early and fallen back asleep, consequences be damned—when Penny emerged from the Wardrobe.

Her face was flushed with determination as she produced a single dress.

It was an exquisitely beautiful Tiffany blue gown.

“It appears to be a gift, my Lady. It was still in its wrapping, completely untouched. Not a speck of dust has settled upon it—it’s pristine.”

Was she truly exposing her colleagues’ negligence in such a manner?

Penny moved with practiced efficiency, selecting several accessories that complemented the dress and arranging them before the mirror. She appeared genuinely delighted.

She had every right to be. Attendants who serve Ladies ought to find some joy in witnessing beauty and elegance, yet….

All I had shown her was a room in absolute disarray and a yellowed nightgown stained with filth and decay.

“Did the gift not come with the name of its sender?”

“No, my Lady. There was no accompanying note.”

There was only one person in this world who could send me a gift without a sender’s name, so I decided not to ask any further questions.

How much time had passed since I entrusted my appearance to Penny?

At Penny’s word that I could now open my eyes, I was able to see my reflection in the mirror.

【Oh, you look beautiful.】

Those weren’t my words.

It was Sing’s compliment—he who had somehow crept behind me and was standing there like a lecher, asking, “Hey, what’s the name of that passing Lady? What’s your mailing address?”

I hadn’t denied it, not because I wanted to avoid becoming the sort of person who screams at empty air in front of Penny.

‘Just moments ago, I looked positively skeletal.’

With a faint blush applied over my hollow cheeks and protruding collarbone, my face appeared to have filled out quite beautifully.

My parched skin now possessed a luminescence that hadn’t existed before.

And that wasn’t all. To conceal my unsightly thinness, Penny had retrieved a thick shawl from the corner of the Wardrobe and draped it across my shoulders.

Thanks to her efforts, I had nearly achieved the appearance of my former self—weeping and wailing as I begged the spirits for clemency—and I let out a low laugh.

“Your skill is quite impressive.”

“Ah… th-thank you, Lady.”

What’s with her? Why is her face growing redder by the moment?

Just as Penny’s cheeks suddenly flushed crimson like a Young Girl experiencing her first love, she hurriedly finished fastening the pearl necklace studded with densely packed gems around my neck.

It was neither too ostentatious nor too plain—radiant yet subtle, perfectly befitting the occasion. I rose from my seat, praising her generously and instructing her to handle all my grooming in the future.

Even as I did, Sing’s relentless stare was so intense it felt like it might bore through my skull, so I shot him a glare. He responded by resting his chin on his hand and muttering seriously.

【After all, you should become my darling…】

What is this madman muttering about?

I couldn’t bring myself to become the sort of delusional Lady who cursed at empty air, so I pressed my lips shut.

Afterward, I made my way to the Main Manor with Penny and Sing trailing behind me, and we arrived at the entrance to the Dining Hall.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Lady.”

The Butler, who had already endured quite the commotion earlier, spotted me and bowed his head respectfully.

The Dining Hall doors seemed to open with agonizing slowness.

Was it because of my own reluctance to enter? Or perhaps the gatekeeper’s disapproving gaze was grating on my nerves—I couldn’t quite tell.

“You’re late, Rosetta. Are you still unwell? You could have taken your meal in your room…”

“I should have come with you. Sister, please sit down quickly. Everyone’s been waiting.”

But what truly mattered now was that my heart began to race violently at the sight of them before me.

Lianna and Odette.

Those viperous creatures who had dared to slither into Benitra like rats, bringing ruin upon my Father and me.

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

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