Mad Rosetta - Chapter 43

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

Mad Rosetta

 

Episode 43

 

The Villainess, Roses, and Ghosts (9)

 

* * *

 

“D-Duke! Lady! I was wrong, just once! Lady!”

 

“Tsk, drag them away! Next!”

 

Is this what they call a greeting storm?

 

With such thoughts, Rosetta crossed out the name of the attendant being dragged away on the Duke’s orders from the pile of documents.

 

Last winter. This was the one who made Rosetta’s winter pajamas with short sleeves and didn’t even alter them.

 

‘Because of that, I caught a cold sleeping in front of a tiny fire and nearly dislocated my jaw. Haha, good riddance.’

 

Rosetta smiled awkwardly at the Duke’s appearance as he muttered about how there could be so many insane people.

 

As a result, Vicky was handed over to trial.

 

Whatever method was used to persuade her, she never once mentioned being ordered by Odette, so Rosetta had no reason to show her any mercy.

 

‘Even Stilling got involved in the case… The sentence will probably be quite heavy.’

 

After that, the Duke kept his word by seating Rosetta in his study and calling in the attendants one by one.

 

Day after day, those who were driven out without even receiving severance pay at Rosetta’s single pointing of a finger continued to pile up.

 

Due to the scandal of betraying their master in a prestigious household, they were essentially permanently stripped of their qualifications to work in other noble houses.

 

Moreover, for another household to accept an attendant expelled by Duke Benatra’s direct authority would be tantamount to making an enemy of the Duke’s house.

 

– “I really didn’t know. Father! If I had known, would I have just stood by and watched?”

 

Furthermore, while Rosetta was weeding out those who had wronged her, numerous maids belonging to Odette’s Lili Hall were also cut.

 

In response, Odette was busy protecting herself in front of the Duke.

 

Watching her pathetic behavior, Rosetta could smile with quiet satisfaction.

 

“A-are you saying all this came from those investigated today?”

 

“…I had this too.”

 

The Duke looked at the knights with desperate eyes, as if asking them to say it wasn’t true, but they avoided their master’s gaze.

 

Some of them even felt sorry for Rosetta, who was examining her lost luxury items with interest.

 

This was because countless gold items belonging to Rosetta had poured out when they searched the rooms of the identified attendants.

 

“…There’s no choice but to dig up everything, Coco.”

 

“But don’t forget you promised to exclude Marahan and our children.”

 

“Haah…”

 

Eventually, the Duke ordered a search of all attendants’ rooms working in the household, and the results were truly a sight to behold.

 

When they found gems torn from Rosetta’s dresses, dresses, and even parasols she had used as a child.

 

The Duke, beyond anger and fallen into self-loathing, went so far as to suspend other duties.

 

Literally, a merciless purge was carried out.

 

* * *

 

“Now, all this time… you’ve been suffering such humiliation, Coco?”

 

A gloomily sunken atmosphere.

 

The Duke wept with exhausted eyes, his hands trembling.

 

Each page densely filled with attendants’ names and job categories was covered with crossed-out names.

 

“How could such a thing happen. How…”

 

Artemis’s voice trembled without filter in his grief.

 

It had been a mistake from the start to think it was simple hypersensitivity.

 

After losing his precious wife, his daughter had gradually changed, so he judged that she was probably acting out because she too was suffering.

 

But as the true culprits who had made her into a ‘tyrannical princess’ were revealed one by one, Artemis felt he couldn’t endure it without truly collapsing from his own ignorance.

 

To be precise, the main cause was the poison of Panilnia that had been encountered since Lianna and Odette entered the household, but Artemis had no way of knowing this.

 

Well, it was certain that the surrounding contempt toward Rosetta had fueled her hypersensitivity, so it wasn’t entirely wrong speculation either.

 

“…I, I was wrong. This father drove you into a corner.”

 

“I don’t consider it Father’s fault.”

 

The Duke, who had been staring only at his own miserable face reflected in the table because he couldn’t bear to lift his face in front of his daughter, finally raised his head.

 

Rosetta had her hands calmly placed on her knees with a resolute look in her eyes.

 

“If we must assign blame… Father was ashamed of his broken daughter and abandoned her, and the servants concluded they didn’t need to serve a child who had fallen from the head of house’s favor. That’s how this happened.”

 

“…No, no. There’s no way I bear no responsibility. As a parent, I neglected you, Coco.”

 

“But I’ve never resented Father.”

 

“…”

 

“That’s probably because I know that Father loves me more than anyone else.”

 

Rosetta spoke in a playful voice, as if she would forgive him since he had given his child absolute trust.

 

Unlike Artemis’s eyes shadowed with sadness, Rosetta’s lips curved in a beautiful arc.

 

Pride.

 

She overflowed with pride in the affection her father had given her in the past.

 

Since Rosetta’s situation had been too serious to dismiss with ‘I didn’t know,’ she might have been working harder to protect her father.

 

Others would surely provide harsh criticism, so she decided to give mitigating circumstances to the father who lived looking only at her.

 

“Besides, thanks to Father rolling up his sleeves and helping like this, we’ve weeded out those who treated me badly, haven’t we? Those who witnessed this process won’t dare to humiliate me in front of me anymore.”

 

“…I’m grateful just for you saying that.”

 

“Ugh, I’m feeling gloomy and want to stop this kind of talk. There’s also a letter coming from the atelier, so I’ll be going now.”

 

Rosetta pretended to shudder and rose from her seat.

 

Artemis, still not free from guilt, offered an awkward greeting, and Rosetta left the study.

 

Just then, Stilling, who had come to see the Duke, encountered Rosetta as she was closing the door and coming out, and his shoulders stiffened.

 

The cute smile she had been wearing just moments before had completely disappeared, and she gave Stilling a somewhat indifferent nod before passing by.

 

“…L-Lady!”

 

“Hm?”

 

Stilling called Rosetta to a stop and then spoke as if he was a bit embarrassed to bring this up, hesitating before speaking.

 

“…At, at the banquet.”

 

“…?”

 

“That is, um. At this Spring Stage.”

 

“What, speak up.”

 

“I heard you were absolutely outstanding.”

 

“…”

 

“The, the most magnificent…”

 

Well then.

 

How embarrassing. Due to Stilling fleeing into the study like he was running away, only Rosetta’s giggling laughter echoed in the corridor.

 

* * *

 

“Feeling satisfied?”

 

“…What do you mean, Bonita.”

 

The path back to my room is quite treacherous.

 

I thought this as I quietly replied to Odette in front of me.

 

I had encountered Odette in the Rose Manor corridor, as she seemed to be returning after coming to see me.

 

‘…This is the first time she’s dropped honorifics.’

 

This was the first time I’d seen Odette so openly display her displeasure and discomfort.

 

“Don’t you think sister’s actions were too excessive? Covering for subordinates’ mistakes is also a noble virtue.”

 

Ah, so this is why she’s so furious. She seemed indignant that almost all of her limbs had been cut off.

 

‘How foolish. The person who ordered the attendants to be replaced was clearly Father.’

 

It was tantamount to criticizing the head of house’s command as unbecoming of nobility.

 

She didn’t seem to be in a state to think properly with anger clouding her judgment, but I was pleased with her mistake, so I decided to gladly accept it.

 

“Ahaha! My, Bonita. You should be grateful you said that in front of me.”

 

“What?”

 

“Father was the one who dismissed the attendants, so how heartbroken would he be if he had heard what you just said?”

 

“D-don’t twist my words! If sister hadn’t exaggerated and tattled-”

 

“Odette Epsilon.”

 

At my single word, Odette’s face hardened coldly.

 

Epsilon was the surname she used when she was a baron’s daughter.

 

Dragging up and using an already abandoned surname was itself like my refusal to accept Odette as a member of this household yet.

 

Like someone struck in a vital spot, Odette’s face turned even redder with shame and humiliation.

 

It was truly a delightful sight to behold.

 

“…It was just a joke, so relax your expression, Bonita.”

 

“…”

 

“But you should be careful about letting personal emotions slip into careless words. If someone who doesn’t know how close we are had heard that, you would have said something quite troublesome. For example…, yes.”

 

“…”

 

“An Epsilon, daring to.”

 

Odette’s pupils shook violently.

 

That alone allowed me to smile kindly and offer heartfelt advice to my one and only younger sister.

 

“An Epsilon trying to teach noble virtues to Benatra… Even passing dogs would laugh and gossip about such a thing, wouldn’t they.”

 

“What did you…?”

 

“I don’t want to see you sad, Bonita. Even though you may not be blood-related, you’re already like my precious younger sister.”

 

I didn’t know what expression I was wearing, but I could feel satisfaction as I looked into Odette’s eyes stained with humiliation.

 

When I carefully patted her shoulder, Odette’s trembling was transmitted directly to me, making me feel even more pleased.

 

“So please. Don’t give this older sister reason to be disappointed in you.”

 

With those words, I left the corridor.

 

Since I could hear no footsteps other than my own, she seemed to still be standing motionlessly in that spot.

 

‘Yes, you will continue to be defeated by me like that.’

 

Whether I act like a madwoman, collapse in despair, or even crawl on the ground.

 

In any moment, I alone am sufficient as the Princess of Benatra.

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