Mad Rosetta - Chapter 47

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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 47

 

The Second Spring (4)

 

– “Ahaha! You foolish person. Even a three-year-old in our kingdom would know that what you just told me is tantamount to a confession. So why don’t you stop making that dry face?”

 

The heroine on stage continued her lines with her characteristic lively tone.

 

Sing seemed quite focused on it.

 

How strange, right? Normally I would have smacked him on the head telling him not to startle me.

 

But I could neither push the guy’s head away, nor could I caress his soft hair.

 

– “Oh, Duke. Please do not give that feeling in your heart a name. You and the Princess can never be together!”

 

Why the lines of a character who wasn’t even the protagonist sounded so vivid, I didn’t bother to find a reason for that either.

 

I simply remained frozen until the opera curtain fell, at Sing’s behavior as he protested as if telling me not to forget his existence.

 

I was shaken the entire time.

 

* * *

 

“Take my hand, Rosetta.”

 

Cessia, who got out of the carriage, smiled and extended his hand.

 

The scent of flowers.

 

As soon as I got out of the carriage leaning on the guy’s hand without any emotion, flower fragrance vibrated through the air.

 

Trees embroidered with peach blossoms densely decorated the streets, and signboards of various pastel colors welcomed lovers.

 

‘Half of them are flower shops…’

 

I looked at the numerous flower shops that seemed to deserve being called a date spot.

 

‘They look like they’ll quickly change to other stores… Should I tell Father to purchase a building or so.’

 

I simply had impressions like it being an overheated market so sales probably wouldn’t be very good.

 

【Honey, do you want to receive flowers?】

 

“Should we take a quick look at the flower shop too?”

 

…What, what.

 

At Sing and Cessia’s simultaneous questions, I looked back and forth between the two, then quickly fixed my gaze on Cessia.

 

Perhaps because I had been observing only the flower shops, he seemed to think I wanted flowers.

 

However, since I didn’t want to go as far as pretending to be a ‘happy person who receives flowers from her lover’ while carrying a bouquet like others, I answered somewhat indifferently.

 

“The manor is full of flowers, so… We don’t need to go.”

 

【…A woman without even a speck of romance.】

 

“…Rosetta really pursues practicality.”

 

These men?

 

Cessia aside, I don’t know why that bastard Sing is grumbling when he can’t even buy me any.

 

More importantly, since I had come out with Cessia anyway, I had something to do today.

 

“Rather than that, I’d like to stop by a shop that deals in jewelry or accessories. Do you know any places?”

 

“I’ve heard of a few famous places around here. Why? Is there something you’re looking for?”

 

“Well… I haven’t chosen Bonita’s birthday present yet. Fordicus, if you haven’t prepared anything either, how about giving a gift together with me?”

 

When I asked somewhat dejectedly, Cessia made a perplexed expression.

 

‘Seeing him look troubled, he must have prepared something long ago. Well, it’s natural since her birthday is right around the corner.’

 

With that thought, I continued speaking pitifully again.

 

“Ah, I must have said something unnecessary. Fordicus, you would have prepared diligently.”

 

“…Ah, it wasn’t like that. I just thought it seemed like a good idea, haha.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes, of course. I was just pondering what to give Miss Bonita to make her happy. She’ll probably like it more if we prepare it together.”

 

At Cessia’s appearance of awkwardly but quickly suggesting we go look at accessories and making me link arms with him, I smiled as if relieved that it was fortunate.

 

I wanted to subtly, no, blatantly pull my arm away, but I endured it.

 

Yes, today’s task was very clear. The so-called 【Casually buy Odette a present and take credit for it!】

 

Next week, Odette’s birthday banquet was scheduled to be held at the manor.

 

Last year, due to Odette’s confinement period for intercepting letters and the Spring Stage being right around the corner, they couldn’t hold a banquet, but this year was different.

 

‘Especially since my birthday banquet was held a month ago, it’s obvious she’ll be compared, so she’ll be grinding her teeth preparing.’

 

My birthday is in early spring. Moreover, since this year it also served as my coming-of-age ceremony, this year’s birthday banquet was held very expensively and grandly with Father’s support.

 

That Lianna, who had regained her authority as the lady of the house, was putting her heart and soul into Odette’s birthday banquet could be known just by entering the main manor.

 

Moreover, Odette, who had attended the coming-of-age ceremony recently, had a record of giving me a embroidered handkerchief as a gift, packaged in the name of sincerity.

 

‘She obviously sent it early in the morning through a maid to avoid getting scolded. Really petty…’

 

It was a very modest gift for something given by the second daughter who lived a privileged life in Benatra, and it was obvious there would be gossip.

 

In fact, my children who received the gift made sad faces saying “Miss Bonita, isn’t that going too far?”

 

But I was fine with it.

 

I didn’t want to receive gifts from Odette anyway, and the fact that I received such a shabby thing had high utility value.

 

So a few days later, when I attended a gathering with other young ladies, I proudly showed off the embroidered handkerchief Odette had given me, acting very pleased.

 

– “Look at this rose embroidery. Isn’t this really a gift full of sincerity? I’m very happy just to have received a present from Bonita.”

 

The expressions of the young ladies who were disturbed by that, haha!

 

I remember their faces as they said that if Her Highness was satisfied, then it became a good gift, while looking at me pitifully.

 

Similarly, thanks to continuously exposing Odette’s apparent mistreatment of me as her older sister, it was true that recently there were fewer people who looked up to Odette unconditionally.

 

But Odette’s birthday banquet is being held? It was an opportunity I couldn’t resist using.

 

‘A gift prepared together with the man she covets… I hope it’s as miserable as I expect, little sister.’

 

A child who has almost everything. For such an Odette, I had to give a moderately expensive and pretty gift.

 

And I would present it confidently in front of people.

 

But I had no intention whatsoever of giving Odette a gift she would truly like.

 

Then it was important to give something that looked good to others, but would be infinitely unpleasant from her perspective.

 

Naturally, by actively utilizing Cessia.

 

‘If I say it’s a gift chosen together with Cessia, she won’t be able to easily refuse it. Most importantly, it would be perfect for showing that I’m a sister who thinks of her younger sister even while being with my fiancé.’

 

With that thought, I deliberately moved my steps as if I didn’t mind Cessia’s arm linking.

 

【He’s more spineless than a child in front of toys. To think such a person is the next marquis.】

 

It was somewhat noisy because there was someone beside me who found it disagreeable, not just me.

 

Meanwhile, Sing criticized Cessia accusingly, telling him to look at how he was sneakily linking arms.

 

I pulled at the guy’s sleeve, meaning he should moderate himself and follow along.

 

【…I’ll take that as you asking me to hold your hand, darling.】

 

I can’t help it, I let go.

 

He’s not a child, he’ll follow along fine.

 

Then Sing whined again, asking me to hold him, saying where was there such a thing as letting go so coldly.

 

When I glared at the guy behind me secretly, I saw a face smiling mischievously while extending his arm.

 

…He’s happy without knowing others’ troubled hearts.

 

I pretended to be unable to resist and grasped the guy’s sleeve again, and ended up becoming a woman strutting through a date spot with two men attached to both arms.

 

No one would have known, but anyway, that’s what happened.

 

* * *

 

“You really cherish Miss Bonita.”

 

This was what Cessia said when we had just entered a new shop, having left two jewelry stores behind because there were no appealing items.

 

Since he had a somewhat uncomfortable expression, I replied nonchalantly as if he was asking something obvious.

 

“She’s my only younger sister. Fordicus, who says that, also cherishes our Bonita, don’t you?”

 

“…Yes. When I see Miss Bonita, it’s enjoyable as if I’ve gained a younger sister.”

 

So enjoyable that you kissed and slept with her, I suppose.

 

Separate from the momentary surge of anger. I concluded that Cessia’s expression of having said something he didn’t really want to say was probably because he had somewhat noticed Odette’s feelings toward him.

 

Until the letter incident broke out, he had consistently exchanged letters with Odette, and had several meetings with her under the pretext of visiting the sick… It wasn’t unreasonable.

 

‘When did you despise me so much. Your attitude that changed like covering a crab’s eyes is rather more unpleasant, bastard.’

 

If he truly felt something like excitement seeing the changed me, his past of having improper relations with his former fiancée’s younger sister would naturally be bothersome.

 

Moreover, that younger sister who had shown interest in him would naturally feel creepy to him now.

 

A man in love is this cunning.

 

Every time I faced the changed Cessia, I couldn’t help but feel that way.

 

【This looks good, darling.】

 

At the moment we were having small talk in front of the shop’s display case, Sing suddenly stuck his head over my shoulder.

 

As always, I had only a moment to calm my startled heart.

 

I quickly brightened up when I saw the object he was pointing at.

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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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