Mad Rosetta - Chapter 79

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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 79

All Roads Lead to the Same Destination (1)

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“…What’s this.”

“….”

“Your maid is one thing. But why is a familiar knight also getting out of the carriage with you?”

“….”

“Hmm? Darling. Please help me understand.”

What good does it do to smile with eyes narrowed like that? It only feels intimidating.

When we got off in front of the square to visit the guild, Sing, who had arrived first and was waiting, said this upon seeing Knight Demish appear together with me.

“…Father said to bring several guards if I was going out. But that would draw attention, so I had no choice.”

“Ah….”

What’s this? Why do I feel like I’m making excuses?

There actually was Father’s order to bring several guards even for unofficial outings.

But if I went around trailing a line of Benitra’s knights, it would be obvious that my identity under the robe was that of a duke’s daughter.

So I had no choice but to get permission to use a carriage without the family crest, on the condition that I ride with the trustworthy Knight Demish.

It’s not common for a guard knight to ride in the same carriage as their master…. I couldn’t say I didn’t understand his reaction.

“Lady, it’s almost time for your scheduled visit.”

Perhaps reading his uncomfortable expression, Penny quickly came to my side and asked in a flat voice.

‘Your displeasure is showing plainly, child….’

Even though he saved me at the hunting festival, the fact that he’s trash who had secret meetings with Odette seems to remain firm in Penny’s mind.

Even after hearing the unfamiliar pet name Cessia called me, she had such a resolute expression.

As I nodded and followed her striding toward the guild building, Sing also seemed to notice Penny’s wariness and whispered close beside me.

“I’m being hated, aren’t I.”

“That’s right.”

“Well, this is…. Even though we’ve known each other for over a year, do I have so little credibility? I’m somewhat hurt.”

That’s only you who’s been watching…

If Penny knew that a ghost had been observing her actions all this time, she’d probably be horrified.

Lost in such thoughts, we quickly arrived at 【Ar-Cel】.

“By the way, things worked out well with Duke Benitra, so that’s how you could come out here, right?”

“Hm? Oh, that….”

As before, while sitting in the waiting room for a moment, Sing asked with a worried tone.

I had told Penny and Knight Demish to wait at a tea house near the building.

“It was easier than I worried it would be. Though I think it’s because he heard even worse news.”

“Worse news?”

“Well, you see. We probably won’t be able to meet for a while.”

“…? What do you mean.”

“I’m planning to visit Terkikan soon.”

The guy looked ready to say something immediately, as if wondering whether “easy” meant breaking off the engagement, but he firmly closed his lips in surprise at my following response.

Postponing the engagement with Cessia went more smoothly than expected.

The very situation of being entangled in marriage talks with another family became justification for not sending me to Terkikan, so Father also reacted with understanding.

Still, if he had opposed it, I was prepared to reveal that Cessia was the Empress Dowager’s illegitimate child and show him the letter I had received from him….

But without needing to do that, the conversation ended relatively smoothly.

– “But don’t think of being swayed by old feelings. This is strictly just postponing it for later.”

He did pour out harsh curses, saying he never knew that damn bastard wouldn’t even fulfill his duties as a man, and how dare he pull such stunts while having you as his fiancée.

Though he did roll his eyes back while doing so.

“His Majesty the King sent a letter telling me to entrust you to Terkikan. Well, I can’t say I completely don’t understand their circumstances either….”

But taking away a living daughter after already taking the mother’s remains seems too cruel to Father, doesn’t it.

As I trailed off with that meaning, the guy who had been listening quietly suddenly lit up.

“I want to go too.”

“…Huh?”

“I’m going with you. Even if you were alone, they wouldn’t keep an imperial citizen from returning indefinitely.”

The guy explaining that accompanying as a fiancé would help persuade the king seemed somewhat urgent.

Maybe he was scared that something else might happen if he sent me alone.

I had also thought that they might detain me for a long time under the pretext of ‘inviting their granddaughter.’

So I was about to say I’d give it a try since it wouldn’t be bad.

“I’ll escort you to the interview room.”

…Goodness.

Just like when I visited last time, the guide appeared and spoke without any presence.

Thinking it would be a bit uncomfortable if this happened every visit, I calmed my startled heart and stood up.

“The message was late, so I thought you weren’t coming.”

“…I had quite a lot of business to handle.”

At his rather cold first greeting for asking after my well-being, I also replied nonchalantly as I sat on the sofa.

From the man still wrapped tightly in his robe, only his olive-colored eyes shone clearly.

Sing also seemed curious about him, unable to take his eyes off him.

“First…. I’ll start by explaining the investigation results regarding Duchess Benitra and the head butler from your previous request. I’d like to use real names to aid understanding—is that alright?”

“I don’t mind, so go ahead comfortably.”

“Then please look at the materials I’ve given you.”

Checking the stack of documents before me, I could see that the dense writing was well organized by table of contents.

‘…Childhood friends?’

From the first page, there was one disturbing word.

“First, Lianna and Lawrence. Both are from Pranto Village in Epsilon Territory, and they had contact even before joining Duke Benitra’s household.”

“…They were childhood friends.”

“Yes, I confirmed they were close friends from childhood. Since Lianna’s father was one of the few knights of the Badam family, they became acquainted early on.”

…I’m so dumbfounded I can’t speak.

So what? Not only did they know each other from the beginning, but they had been in contact for a long time?

While hiding this fact completely, they lived in our household calling each other Duchess and butler?

I shouldn’t be this shaken already, but they were so detestable that I had to contain my anger throughout the report.

“Being peers of opposite gender, and with their families being acquainted…. There were even marriage talks between them before they came of age. Lianna’s side rejected this. However, their friendship didn’t publicly sour after that.”

“You’re certain.”

“Of course, since they maintained deep contact even after Lianna married Baron Epsilon.”

“….”

“Hmm, upon investigation, the eldest son of the Badam family was working as Baron Epsilon’s butler at that time. I don’t know if this was the reason, but I confirmed that Lawrence also worked at the Epsilon estate for several years starting from the year Lianna became the baron’s wife.”

…What?

I almost blurted out a question.

And for good reason—Lawrence’s application documents only mentioned the special note that he received butler training at the Badam house, with no significant career history.

The reason a prestigious family like Benitra hired such a Lawrence could be attributed to a single recommendation letter from the Badam family, which had traditionally produced butlers.

So much so that there were quite a few people who praised Lawrence’s clean work processing abilities, saying “as expected” of him.

But to think he had lived at a noble house attending to Lianna following his older brother—there’s no deception like this.

“However, it wasn’t formal employment. From what I found, he assisted and was trained by his eldest brother who was the butler.”

“…The documents say he spent 9 years at that estate. How could it be simple assistance?”

“But there were no formal employment documents, and the Epsilon house at that time wasn’t a place that needed multiple butlers.”

“….”

“As the documents show, Lawrence worked at the Epsilon estate for about 9 years…. Well, we can summarize that he was hired by Duke Benitra’s household with a recommendation from the Badam family.”

“Then Odette would have been 7 years old.”

“Pardon? Ah…. Yes, that’s right. I confirmed he left the Epsilon house the year Lianna’s daughter turned 7.”

It’s natural since I was 8 years old when Lawrence joined our household.

Something crept over me.

Something very unsettling and disturbing.

“And… there were testimonies from staff members at the time that Lianna’s daughter followed Lawrence more than her own father, Baron Epsilon.”

“Even so, how can you guarantee that Lianna and Lawrence weren’t lovers?”

“We cannot make definitive statements about that part. However, they said it seemed more like a master-servant relationship rather than lovers. Moreover, Baron Epsilon’s reputation at the time was nothing but notorious.”

Understandable.

Baron Epsilon, who commonly indulged in the trite pursuits that fools typically enjoy—women, alcohol, gambling, and the like.

Since he failed to fulfill his parental duties, Lianna’s reputation for raising Odette admirably despite difficult circumstances must have grown accordingly.

It was natural for a young child to follow someone who cared for them, so I wanted to desperately erase these dirty thoughts, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so.

‘Ah, damn it. Is it because I’ve seen and heard about so many adulterous men and women…?’

I even began to suspect that Odette might be a child born between Lianna and Lawrence.

At that moment, as if oblivious to my feelings, he mercilessly drove another nail into me.

“And, um… it’s said that even after Lawrence was employed by the Duke’s House, the two continued to maintain contact. There were testimonies that they exchanged letters two or three times every other week.”

“…”

I couldn’t have been more grateful for the fact that I was wearing a mask.

Even while flames of rage were wreaking havoc inside me, there probably wasn’t anyone who looked as calm on the surface.

‘These damn bastards… were they playing house in someone else’s household?’

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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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