Chapter 2.2

‘The convent values purity of soul and body above all. So if I lose my purity…?’

That wouldn’t be a crime, so Rosalyn thought it might work. But with whom?

No matter how much she hated the idea of the convent or how urgent the situation was, she couldn’t just do such a thing with anyone. The person had to be someone she knew and whose safety was assured.

“Is there anyone suitable…”

As she muttered and turned her head, she saw the perfect candidate sitting right there: Elian Rotern.

She’d known him since she was six, and aside from her family, he was the most familiar person to her. Even now, he was empathizing with her problem and helping her think of solutions. In a low, serious voice, she called him.

“Elian.”

“Hmm? What? Did you think of something?”

“Elian, we’re… close, aren’t we?”

“…? What’s with the sudden question? Well, we’ve known each other for over ten years. I guess you could say so.”

Elian was hopeful that Rosalyn had thought of a solution, but was briefly confused by the unrelated topic, though he still answered.

“Then, can you do me a favor?”

“What is it?”

Elian tensed at her lowered voice.

“Spend just one night with me.”

“…What? Whaaaat?!”

Elian answered with a blank look, then belatedly understood and cried out in shock.

“Hey, c-calm down! Why are you so surprised?”

As Elian raised his voice, Rosalyn brought her finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet. She was worried someone might overhear them. Her behavior, glancing around nervously, left Elian speechless.

“How could someone so afraid of being overheard say something like that?”

“Well, it’s just the two of us. So, what will you do?”

“You say no to a proposal but yes to spending the night? I didn’t expect this from you, Rosalyn…”

Elian squinted at her suspiciously.

“N-no, it’s different… That would only be a one-time thing, but what you suggested could go on forever.”

“Aha, so you want to use me, take what you want, and toss me aside without responsibility.”

Elian clapped his hands, interpreting her words. He was smiling, but the content was hardly pleasant. Even Rosalyn, who was usually oblivious, could sense it. She felt a cold sweat down her back, but mustered the courage to speak again.

“That’s not it… Elian, come on. What am I taking from you? I’m just asking you to help me out once. We’re friends, right?”

“That’s not the kind of favor you ask a friend. I’ll have to decline.”

He was still smiling, but rejected her request without hesitation.

“Wait, Elian, don’t be so quick to decide…”

“No, I don’t think there’s anything more to discuss.”

As he got up without hesitation, Rosalyn grew desperate and stood up to plead with him.

“Hey, Elian. Just think about it one more time.”

“I don’t really want to. Try asking another friend.”

“You know you’re the only male friend I have!”

“That’s unfortunate. Well, this method is out. You’d better look for a better idea.”

Elian smiled knowingly at her words. His tone was annoyingly teasing, as if he was trying to rile her up.

“Anna, Rosalyn says she’s leaving. I need to get back to the training ground, so please see her out.”

Walking to the door, he asked Anna, the maid waiting outside, to escort Rosalyn.

“Hey! Elian!”

“Sorry I can’t see you out. I’ll be off first. Come visit again.”

Whether Rosalyn called after him or not, Elian smiled brightly and went out the door. It was an exit without a trace of regret.

“Um, Lady Rosalyn…?”

When Rosalyn didn’t come out, Anna, waiting in the hallway, called her, puzzled.

“Ah, yes…”

Seeing Anna’s awkwardness, Rosalyn got up. Since Elian had left, it wasn’t polite for her as a guest to remain in the drawing room. She had no choice but to leave the Rotern household.

***

“That cold-hearted guy! Did he really have to be so firm?!”

Back home, Rosalyn grumbled, recalling her meeting with Elian at the Rotern estate.

“If your friend is in trouble, you could help out a bit. And come to think of it, why? He even said he’d propose, so why refuse this?”

Rolling around on her bed, she retraced Elian’s baffling words and actions, then suddenly sat up as a thought struck her.

“Wait, was he embarrassed?!”

Rosalyn concluded that her childhood friend Elian was just shy. Considering how flustered he’d been when she brought it up, it seemed entirely possible.

“Come to think of it, Elian really did seem noticeably flustered. Well, I didn’t exactly think before I blurted it out, so it must have been even more sudden for Elian.”

Rosalyn nodded, feeling sure of her thoughts. Having come to a positive conclusion, she lay back down on her bed. Feeling the softness of the mattress against her back, Rosalyn began to think about what she should do next.

“There’s no other way, so maybe I should try persuading Elian a bit more. This time, what if I approached him in a more planned, seductive way…?”

Rosalyn continued to ponder various strategies until she fell asleep.

***

Late into the evening, the sound of swords swinging still echoed in the training grounds of the Rotern Earldom. The owner of that sound was Elian, the eldest son. He was training alone, sweat trickling down his neck from his long exertion.

With his veined forearms, he wiped away the sweat and threw down his wooden sword as if tossing it aside. Then he sat down heavily on the floor.

“Hoo…”

Finishing his arduous training, Elian let out a small sigh. After chasing out his childhood friend who had suddenly suggested sleeping together, Elian couldn’t feel at ease. The image of Rosalyn, asking him so cautiously if he’d spend the night with her, kept swirling in his mind.

“Was I too cold when I sent her away?”

Her voice still seemed to linger in his ears, and he felt a bit of regret. Maybe she’d only said it out of desperation. Even though he’d refused, he wondered if he could have expressed it in a gentler way, and he couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

But to be fair, he hadn’t had time to think about that at the moment. He couldn’t quite pinpoint why, but something in their conversation had hurt his feelings.

He hadn’t often been this firm with her in their relationship. He still didn’t understand why he’d acted that way.

“……”

Sitting on the cold wooden floor, he thought deeply about it. But soon he ruffled his hair and abruptly stood up, unable to reach a conclusion.

“I should just go inside.”

Elian returned to the mansion, bathed, and lay on his bed. Staring blankly at the ceiling, he muttered,

“They said there are three months left…”

and closed his eyes.