Chapter 13 Part 7

“You’re here, Rosie?”

“Yes, Father. I heard you called for me.”

Expecting nothing more than a casual tea time, I entered the office without any sense of apprehension. However, my father’s expression carried an air of seriousness. The atmosphere felt heavy, almost as if something significant was about to unfold.

No matter how bad his mood was, Father rarely showed it in front of the family. Seeing him like this felt unfamiliar. As I stood frozen by the doorway, still taken aback, Father softened his expression slightly and dismissed his aides.

“I’ve asked Garnet to prepare the tea.”

“Then I’ll just review some documents until she arrives. Feel free to sit wherever you’re comfortable.”

Though I had initially approached this meeting casually, I instinctively felt that whatever Father was about to say carried significant weight. The bigger problem, however, was that I had absolutely no idea what this could be about.

“Did I mishandle any documents recently?”

After taking that sleep-inducing potion disguised as poison, no important paperwork had been passed to me. Garnet and Father must have conspired to ensure I got proper rest, or so I assumed. But perhaps there had been an issue with something I’d processed before collapsing.

As I desperately tried to recall any relevant documents, the sound of someone knocking on the door broke the silence in the study. It had been only a short while since Father dismissed his aides, so it had to be Garnet returning with the tea and refreshments. I cleared my throat and invited her in.

“Come in.”

“Pardon the intrusion.”

Garnet gracefully set the teacups and pastries before placing the teapot filled with freshly brewed tea on the table. Much like me, she seemed unsettled by the tense atmosphere in the study, though she tried her best not to show it.

“You may leave now,” Father ordered.

Though having Garnet nearby might have eased the tension, Father, as always, had no intention of allowing anyone else to remain. With a polite bow, Garnet exited the study, leaving me behind. For a fleeting moment, I envied her freedom, wishing I could trade places. In contrast, the atmosphere in the room grew heavier, suffocatingly so.

“Well, the tea is ready, so let’s begin.”

Father poured tea into both cups, his movements calm and measured. I, on the other hand, couldn’t even bring myself to touch the elegant pastries in front of me. My mouth felt dry from the tension, making me unable to think about eating. Father, seemingly unaffected, sipped his tea and casually praised Garnet’s skill in brewing it.

“…Rosie.”

Perhaps my stiff reaction made him abandon his attempts to lighten the mood. Instead, he moved straight to the point, as though the already heavy atmosphere grew even colder.

“The reason I called you here so suddenly today is…”

“…”

“Because of Harten… the prince of Endeavor.”

I couldn’t stop my eyes from widening in shock at the unexpected topic. Even in such a tense atmosphere, my surprise betrayed my attempt to maintain composure. Harthen—Ten—why would his name be brought up now? Judging by Father’s uneasy expression, it seemed he was just as uncomfortable with the subject as I was.

“The truth is, on the day rumors spread about your poisoning, the prince visited the estate.”

It wasn’t poison, of course, but a sleeping draught, and I hadn’t been poisoned and collapsed—I had simply caught up on the sleep I had been missing during the hectic party preparations. By the next morning, I woke up feeling perfectly refreshed and without issue.

“He rushed here as soon as he heard you had been poisoned. He was frantic, babbling nonsense, begging to see you.”

“…….”

Now that I thought about it, Ten had been entirely excluded from this plan. Unaware of the intricacies of what was happening, he must have been at the palace when news of my ‘poisoning’ reached him. How shaken he must have been.

At that moment, no doubt, the opinions of others were the furthest thing from his mind. Surely, he knew how much attention would be focused on the Knight family’s estate at such a time. And yet, as soon as he heard I had been poisoned, he came rushing over.

That alone revealed the depth of his sincerity. The realization washed over me, an inexplicable wave of emotion crashing through my mind, leaving it momentarily disoriented.

“…But I refused his request and sent him away.”

“What?”

I knew that Harten had once stayed at our home and that he and Father had exchanged correspondence multiple times since. I was also aware that their relationship was closer than most people might expect.

Yet, Harten was still the Prince of Endeavor. Even if he was a prince of another empire, as a member of the delegation, he was to be treated with the respect and courtesy afforded to royalty of Rohan. And yet, Father had rejected him outright?

“Why…?”

“I couldn’t ignore the thought that being involved with the prince would only put you in danger.”

“…….”

“From the moment you brought the prince in from the outskirts of the capital, to the night you took the sleeping draught to accuse Daisy Queenie, your decisions have always revolved around him, haven’t they?”

It was an undeniable truth. Choosing Harten had been my first act of defiance. He had been my first rebellion, my first understanding soul. …And because of that, he was special to me.

“If I were to stand by and do nothing, I felt you might keep throwing yourself into dangerous situations for that prince. I’m not trying to overprotect you, but neither did I wish for you to tread such a perilous path, Rosie….”

However, Father’s expression, as he spoke those words, was filled with profound anguish and sorrow. The depth of his worry, which had clearly weighed on him for a long time, was something I could barely fathom—deep and vast, beyond what I could comprehend.

“…Father.”

“He hasn’t even been recognized by Endeavor yet. Despite being the only blood relative of the current emperor, he still hasn’t been granted the position of crown prince, which tells you a lot, doesn’t it?”

“……”

“I may not know how you truly feel about him. But what I do know is that the path you wish to take won’t be easy. And because of that, I know there’s a chance you’ll get hurt.”

My throat tightened, and no words would come. What could I possibly say to Father, who was so genuinely worried for me? He didn’t know nothing—far from it. He understood too much, and it was because of that understanding that he was so deeply concerned.

“I want to prevent the pain you might face, Rosie. I want to respect your choices, but I can’t bring myself to support a choice that might end up wounding you.”

Father’s face, as he said those words, looked heartbreakingly sorrowful, as if he might burst into tears at any moment. I knew his words came from the heart, born from the love of family. And because of that, I couldn’t help but empathize with his worries. I noticed the wet gleam in his eyes, the unshed tears that refused to dry. A sharp pain throbbed in my chest, echoing his emotions.

“So, it was him, wasn’t it?”

“…!”

The door to the study creaked open, and Mother stepped in with a composed expression. Her impeccable timing, coupled with an appropriately dramatic entrance, suggested she had been listening to the entirety of my conversation with Father.

The study’s soundproofing was nothing to scoff at, but Mother, once the commander of the imperial knights, possessed senses sharper than anyone else in our household. For someone like her, the room’s soundproofing was hardly an obstacle.

“The suitor your father casually mentioned before… is the prince of Endeavor, isn’t he?”

“……”