5. Rosa Wants to Take Down Yuri (2)
…Since then, my uncle is enamored with His Highness Chris. Moreover, His Highness also seems to trust him. Ah, I wonder if I’ve made the wrong choice…
As a result, every day was a life-or-death battle.
Every day, her spirit would be weathered down from their covert showdown.
Nevertheless, it’d only be for a few days. But yesterday, Anton asked Chris to extend his stay by a week.
Upon being asked for his true intentions—
“—Well, when I look at you and His Highness Chris, my lily inspirations blossomed one after another. It’s only been three days, isn’t it?”
—was what he said.
In fact, he’d even showed his notebook, which was filled with dream situations. However, it was also written in a language that not even Rosa could decipher.
“What language is this…?”
“—Born from three different languages, I present thee, Antonian. In the past, the lily novel I’ve written with all my heart was burned by the arch priest, so I’ve been encrypting it since then.”
“To write it, you even invented your own language!?”
“Yes, I’m proud that it has become a language that is truly suitable for writing lily, which is characterized by abundance of onomatopoeia and fancy idioms…”
Rosa was overwhelmed by Anton, who smiled as if he’d reached an epiphany.
—Just to make his dream comes true, he remained in Berg despite his controversial background. Furthermore, he even invented a language just to unleash his desires. What an absolute madman!
Considering that she herself postponed her ordination and even attempted to protect the seven-and-five-syllable meter performer arena to fulfill her own desires, the two greatly resembled each other. But of course, Rosa didn’t realize how dangerous she truly was.
My enemy is a man who has devoted his entire life to Yuri. If I don’t think of a way to drown him into the swamp once and for all, it’ll be my defeat…
With such a ruthless determination, Rosa stared intently at Anton.
At that moment, the door opened, accompanied by light footsteps.
Chris was the only person who could enter that room without knocking.
“I’m home, Rosa, Father Anthony.”
“Welcome back, Your Highness. It’s cold outside, isn’t it? I’ll prepare some hot tea for you soon.”
Today as well, Rosa’s mood suddenly improved at the appearance of her very gallant master.
Rosa cheerfully approached her, before receiving her cloak and other belongings. In response, Chris averted her gaze in slight bashfulness.
“There’s no need for you to assume the role of a maid. At the risk of repeating myself, you, you are… my f-friend… As such, you should just take it easy instead of waiting for me.”
Yes—! There it is—! My daily dose of Dere—!
However, Rosa’s excitement didn’t end with just that.
She began to wonder if Chris had gotten involved with the prince and the others at the main palace.
“N-no way, I…”
At the same time, she couldn’t let her guard down, lest Chris found out about the moe theatre in her head.
In order to contain her rising excitement and breathing, Rosa had to lower her gaze and place both hands at her chest.
On the other hand, Chris was deeply moved by Rosa’s words and actions, which made her seem like a shy maiden.
Chris didn’t expect Rosa to be so happy over such an awkward friend declaration. Looking at how adorable Rosa was, Chris found it difficult to believe that Rosa was older.
Inviting Father Anthony was the right choice.
While glancing at Anton, who was smiling from the other end of the room, such was Chris’ thought.
He was none other than a priest of the Church of St. Julia, known for his strict precepts and doctrines, who earned people’s trusts through his moral conducts.
Even his mother’s priest—a Berg Orthodox priest—was callous, so Chris fully expected Anton to be old-fashioned. But in reality, he wasn’t only openminded, but also well-versed in various books from all over the world—be it ancient, or modern. To top it off, he was also a person of great intellect.
He’d listen to others with a gentle smile, and would take kindly to them—
—in a way, he was akin to Rosa.
Chris, who was usually withdrawn, was able to be honest in front of Anton.
…Somehow, it’s as if Rosa has changed.
To Chris, Rosa was strong-willed, yet was also delicate and exuded sorrow from her heart.
No matter how gentle she usually smiled, whenever Rosa looked up from her book, she’d cast a look full of grief into the distance.
Looking at such Rosa, Chris felt a sharp pang in her chest, for she was reminded of her fragility and past traumas.
However, since Anton came, Rosa became slightly different.
Her cheeks were rosier, while her gaze was more determined—not only that, she had become more expressive.
Surely, the priest’s tolerance and calm demeanor gave Rosa a sense of security, which in turn, brought out her honest feelings.
The other day, she was bickering with Anton over trivial things like whether the flowers in the vases should be lilies or roses. Chris never saw the humble girl arguing with anyone before.
In fact, even the way Rosa glared at the man was unfamiliar, and Chris could only smile.
Moreover…
“Hey, Your Highness Chris, I’ve prepared a special cup of tea for you. Would you like to enjoy my black tea?”
When Rosa clung tightly to her and offered her a cup of tea, Chris was puzzled.
Since Anton appeared, Rosa had been actively taking care of Chris like never before.
For some reason, she seemed to have a rivalry against him, who’d attained Chris’ trust in one fell swoop.
Could it be, she’s jealous? What a cute girl.
Recently, to compete with Anton, Rosa had been busy offering sweets and reading her books.
Rosa’s attitude was a far cry from back then, when Chris dismissed all her attendants except for Rosa, and all she had to say was, “I see, me too? Have a nice day.”
For Chris, who wanted to be doted on, of course it was in her favor.
As she gleefully accepted the cup Rosa had offered her, Chris smiled.
I’d be very happy if Rosa becomes Leon’s wife and my sister-in-law…
Thus, as a stepping stone for such a future, Chris endured her smile as she snapped her fingers at the direction of the door.
“You may enter.”
“Excuse me.”
Prompted by her signal, Bernardo—clad in a knight uniform, entered the room.
While men were basically forbidden from entering the detached palace, if it was a priest, a doctor, a knight, or a messenger who was officially dispatched from the main palace, they could enter with Chris’ permission.
Leon and Chris took advantage of that, turning Bernardo into an errand boy so that they could introduce Leon to Rosa.
Oblivious to that, Rosa thanked Chris as she smiled happily at the appearance of her brother.
As she gave a curt reply, Chris lightly waved her hand.
Actually, it’s not so much for Rosa’s sake as it is for me and my brother…
With a smile, Chris called out to Bernardo.
“Did you bring what I asked for?”
“Yes, it’s here.”
Respectfully, Bernardo presented a high-quality sealing wax and an envelope that was painted in gold.
The emblem on the wax was crossed swords and a lion—it was a royal notice.
In front of Rosa, who stared curiously, Chris deftly opened the letter and showed the invitation inside.
“Rosa, I received an invitation to tea party from Moth—Her Majesty the Queen.”
“Huh? Me…?”
“Yes, for tea party is inherently Her Majesty’s favorite pastime. She said that she’d like to sit with the friend of her children, to whom she was indebted to for having cured her illness.”
However, the official statement said, ‘Invite the friends of my daughter, Chris’ Therefore, not only Rosa, but several ladies who’d visited the detached palace would also be there.
“This will also serve as an apology for the fact that I abused my authority to forcefully dismiss them in the past. Since it’s a great honor to be invited to a tea party hosted by Her Majesty the Queen, I’ll take this opportunity to apologize. Of course, your honor will be strengthened even further.”
Chris explained fluently, but Rosa lowered her gaze in embarrassment.
“Well, if the purpose of the tea party is to cater to the young ladies, it’d be unbecoming for me—a fallen aristocrat, to attend… Her Majesty owed her recovery not to me, but Sir Ladu. If anything, I believe it’s because of the efforts of everyone in the medical staff.”
Unbeknownst to Rosa, the queen had long suffered at the hands of Kamil’s healing power.
Since those around her worried about her delicate feelings, they didn’t inform Rosa of Kamil’s vile conspiracy.
Thus, Rosa only knew that Kamil was detained over a serious incident, and was sent to a monastery. In truth, it was because he tried to retaliate against Rosa, who almost foiled his plan, and even roped the Apt Village into it. As a result, Rosa was oblivious to the fact that she had cured the queen, and instead believed that it was thanks to Ladu and the medical staff.
Hence, when Rosa unequivocally stated that, she seemed like the epitome of a humble and modest girl.
“Also, I’m ashamed to admit that I haven’t even completed my debutante. Due to my inexperience, I’m reluctant to attend Her Majesty’s tea party, since I might inconvenience others…”
“On the contrary, Rosa.”
“Eh?”
Rosa didn’t only politely declined, but gave various reasons—only to be met with rebuttal.
“I’ll also attend the tea party, with my brother and Ladu serving as her Majesty’s personal physicians. Isn’t that rather reassuring? In addition, we can also arrange for your debut at the tea party. We’ll fully support your debut.”
“Support…? Your Highness and the others…?”
“That’s right. When the topic of the tea party came up earlier, I consulted with my older brother. We decided to prepare a dress for you. Don’t think about the budget. My brother also said to make sure that you drown in frills and lace. It’s only three days, but I’ll make sure to prepare a wonderful dress for you.”
“Eh…”
Rather than delighted, Rosa was genuinely confused.
…Are they trying to seal my rottenness with frills and lace? But more importantly, I’d like to supply Bell-tan with more costumes. Shouldn’t the tax be used to further develop Moe…?
After all, when her Bias shone, that moment would equal world peace.
“Uhm, I’d rather you give that courtesy to Bernardo—”
“It’ll be a one-time thing only. By the way, I can’t entrust the escort role to him, since he’s of a lower position in the knights. Moreover, he’d be off duty in three days, so he won’t be able to attend the party.”
Upon hearing that, Rosa knitted her eyebrows even further.
Even though Leon, Chris, and Ladu would be attending, Bernardo’d be missing?
No, the picture of the three of them drinking tea together would be beautiful enough—but even so, such a tea party would be akin to wine without grapes.
Without grapes, one couldn’t brew wine, it was that kind of existential crisis.
When Rosa was reluctant, she received a push from an unexpected direction.
“Dear Sister, don’t worry about me, please join the tea party.”
It was Bernardo.
Today as well, he showed a smile that reminded her of the fairness, goodness, and beauty of this world.
“Even I, who is unfamiliar with society, can understand that participating in Her Majesty’s tea ceremony is of the highest honor. I want to show my beautiful sister to everyone.”
…Somehow, he sounded somewhat reluctant in the middle, but he still cared about Rosa.
Then, Chris pulled Rosa’s ear and whispered mischievously.
“Besides, aren’t there things that are easier for you and my brother to talk about without Bernardo…?”
“Eh…?”
Unable to grasp her implications, Rosa turned around, only to be met with Chris’ quick wink, “It’s a secret.”
After ruminating on Chris’ words, Rosa’s face lit in surprise.
Is it supposed to be a secret from Bell-tan!? Then, does he want me to secretly teach how to approach Bell-tan—in other word, a strategy meeting!?
Upon assuming the rotten way of thinking, she inadvertently arrived to such a conclusion.
—Come to think of it, Leon and the others said that they’d show Rosa the BL kaleidoscope she wanted, but in the end, up until now, they never did.
While Rosa was impatient, they were probably more impatient.
After all, it’d be difficult to imagine that Leon and the others, who were only into women until now, knew how to approach Bernardo.
Therefore, surely, they were looking for advice from her—the Almighty Rotten Supervisor.
Rosa suddenly got nervous and shuddered.
What a serious mission—
—nevertheless, she never failed to live up to expectations.
As she nodded timidly, Chris smiled widely and squeezed Rosa’s hand.
“Amazing! I’m truly glad! I promise. I’ll definitely participate. There’s no way I’ll be absent, after all…”
Did Chris emphasize that because she was truly eager about the strategy meeting?
But in the next moment, Chris muttered under her breath;“—Then, before Rosa changes her mind…” Before bolting through the door—
“—Now that it’s been decided, it’s time to arrange for a seamstress!”
She was probably going to contact people.
Even if she didn’t get Rosa dress, they could still conduct a BL strategy meetings 24/7…
“…Wait.”
A frightening voice came from behind—
—it was Anton, who was completely left out of the conversation.
“U-Uncle-Father, I’m sorry for not involving you. Since Bernardo has arrived, why don’t we have some tea with him—”
“—That’s not the case!”
When Rosa excitedly tried to hold an intimate tea time with Bernardo, she got interrupted.
As if ashamed of breaking his voice, Anton cleared his throat and stared alternately between Rosa and Bernardo.
“You—! Don’t you realize the terrible situation you’re in—!?”
“Eh?”
Rosa and Bernado blinked their eyes at the same time.
“Rosa, from where did you learn the manners of a noble lady!?”
“Well… mainly from books, the old family’s stewards also taught me…”
“I see… Were you missing out because you didn’t learn from women?”
After hearing her answer, Anton exhaled, tiredly rubbing his eyes.
“Listen. A tea party attended by a son of age—and on top of that, hosted by the madam instead of the lord of the family, is usually for an arranged marriage.”
“Huh? Who and whose?”
From her rotten point of view, the first names that came up were Leon and Bernardo.
…The problem was—Bernardo wouldn’t be attending.
Rosa lifted an eyebrow.
“Isn’t it obvious!? It’s an engagement between you and His Highness Leon!”
When he reprimanded her, Rosa was at a loss for words.
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