[Beep! Beep!]

Rosette, who understood Pipi’s words, now laughed out loud.

“You keep laughing?”

“Pipi… spoke.”

Pipi had already said that its name was Pipi.

Unable to speak, it abbreviated the words, which Lucas interpreted brilliantly.

“You already told me your name is Pipi? Wait, can you understand chick, no, Pipi talk?”

When Rosette nodded, Lucas’s face became surprised.

“All it can say is ‘peep’ and ‘peeep’, though?”

Rosette pondered how to explain this.

Since familiars and magicians are mentally connected, they could exchange emotions and thoughts, and naturally understand each other’s speech.

However, in her voiceless state, she couldn’t explain these long words. She wanted to write it down, but the current ‘Rosette’ hadn’t learned to write yet.

After a brief consideration, she tapped Pipi’s head. Rosette’s mana flowed into Pipi.

Simultaneously, Pipi opened its mouth. Instead of bird sounds, a childish lisp typical of a three-year-old came from the small beak.

[Familiars exchange emotions with their masters. Of course, we can understand each other’s speech!]

“Whoa!”

Lucas fell back in surprise. Pipi laughed at him as he landed on his bottom.

“Y-y-y-you, how can you talk?”

[Rosette breathed mana into me, so I can talk! Just for a moment though!]

“Then…!”

[More importantly, Rosette has something she wants to ask!]

Lucas adapted to the talking Pipi quicker than expected. The child got up and sat on the edge of the bed, asking:

“What is it?”

[What happened to Joseph Oster?]

“Joseph Oster…”

Lucas gritted his teeth.

“Why are you looking for that bastard?”

Pipi flew and perched on Lucas’s shoulder, chirping:

[Bad word, bad word! Children shouldn’t use bad words!]

Lucas covered his ears and grumbled.

“Alright, I won’t use it. So why Joseph Oster? He’s the reason you ended up like this.”

Rosette shook her head. Pipi explained on her behalf:

[Joseph Oster helped Rosette save the Duke!]

“But he tried to betray Father.”

“That’s…!”

Rosette unconsciously tried to argue out loud but winced at the pain in her throat.

Lucas handed her some warm water, then tapped Pipi’s head.

“Tell Piyaki to speak for you.”

[My name is Pipi, I tell you!]

“Piyaki just stuck in my mouth, what can I do?”

[Peep!]

“No, I get it! Ouch, don’t pull my hair!”

Pipi, having plucked another three strands of Lucas’s hair, puffed up its chest in satisfaction.

[Joseph Oster had no choice because his younger sister was held hostage. But in the end, he didn’t betray and saved the Duke.]

“But…”

[Rosette promised Joseph Oster that she would definitely save his sister!]

“What?”

[Children who don’t keep promises are bad. Rosette is a good child. She must keep her promise. That’s why… Peep!]

“Huh?”

[Peep, peep!]

With those words, Pipi started making bird sounds again.

Making a familiar speak human language required more concentration than expected. It was difficult for the eight-year-old Rosette who had just woken from a coma.

Rosette, breathing heavily, pointed at the door. She meant to go see Joseph Oster. Lucas, who somehow understood this, looked worried.

“Joseph Oster is locked up in the underground prison now. The underground prison is not a place for you to go.”

Still, when Rosette persistently pointed at the door, Lucas sighed.

“If we’re caught, we’ll both be scolded by Father.”

“It’s… okay.”

“Sigh.”

Lucas raised both hands and ruffled Rosette’s hair.

“Alright. Let’s go together with your big brother. We’ll just get scolded if we’re caught, right!”

[This is the timeline separator]

So the two children and one bird secretly headed to the underground prison.

It wasn’t smooth sailing. There were many employees in the mansion, and it was impossible for the two children to completely avoid their eyes.

Still, thanks to Lucas’s improvised answers along the way, the two children were able to safely reach the entrance of the underground prison.

However, that’s where the problems began.

“Who goes there!”

The knight guarding the entrance asked, sensing their presence. Lucas, who had hopped down the stairs, grinned.

“It’s me.”

“Young master? What brings you here?”

“Came to see Joseph Oster.”

“Joseph Oster… you say?”

A complex expression flashed across the knight’s face.

“Young master, Joseph is…”

“I know. He tried to betray Father. That’s why I came to see him. To ask for details.”

“His Lordship has already interrogated Joseph. There’s no need for you to meet him…”

“…It’s necessary.”

Rosette, who had slowly come down the stairs, interrupted the knight. The knight put his hand to his forehead upon seeing her.

“Even the young lady? Goodness. If His Lordship finds out…”

“I know. We’ll get scolded if Father finds out. But I still need to see him.”

“But…”

“If you’re that worried, report it to Father.”

The knight made a groaning sound, then signaled to another knight standing guard with him. The other knight hesitated, then hurriedly left the underground prison.

“For now, please wait until His Lordship arrives… Wait, young master!”

Lucas walked in without listening to the knight. Rosette followed behind Lucas.

The knight, unable to lay a hand on their precious bodies, couldn’t do anything and just followed behind.

Lucas, who had been walking confidently, jerked his chin towards the knight.

“Since you followed us anyway, guide us.”

“If His Lordship finds out, I’m dead, young master.”

“Tell him I barged in forcefully.”

“But that’s actually true, isn’t it?”

The knight started leading the way while saying all he had to say.

Soon, the three arrived at the prison where Joseph Oster was confined.

“This is the place.”

“You step back a bit.”

“But…”

“His limbs are bound. Joseph won’t be able to do anything to us. We have something to talk about.”

“Still, I can’t allow that.”

The knight was firm this time.

Lucas clicked his tongue once, but knowing it was an unreasonable request, he didn’t push further. Instead, he approached the prison cell with his hands in his pockets and kicked the bars lightly.

“Hey, Joseph Oster. Wake up. Are you sleepy now?”

Joseph Oster, who had been dozing with his limbs bound, raised his head in response to the sound.

He looked at Lucas with drowsy eyes, then recognized who it was and his body trembled.

“Y-young master?”

Then, seeing Rosette standing behind Lucas, his eyes widened.

“Young lady!”

He crawled on his knees towards Rosette. However, due to the chains binding his arms and legs, he couldn’t get close. Even so, he moved his body until the chains were taut.

It was the first time in ten days that Rosette had seen Joseph. In just ten days, Joseph had become much thinner. Judging by the worry on his face, he must have been concerned about his sister, Melody.

“My sister, Melody…”

Tears dropped from Joseph’s eyes. He barely spoke with his severely chapped lips.

“Please save Melody.”

Over the past ten days, Duke Adrian had thoroughly searched the mansion and found another spy besides Joseph.

The culprit was a servant who helped with kitchen chores.

However, despite continuous interrogation, the servant didn’t open his mouth. Thanks to investigating everyone in the mansion, they found out that it was this servant who sprayed the drug on the carriage.

But they still didn’t know who was behind it, or where Joseph’s sister Melody was being held.

Duke Adrian had promised Joseph that he would save Melody in return for changing his mind at the last moment and helping him.

However, as time passed, Joseph was losing hope. He thought there was no way the kidnappers would leave Melody alone.

Moreover, even Rosette, who had assured him that Melody would be alive, was still unconscious.

There was not even a glimmer of hope. Joseph felt like he had been in hell alive for the past ten days.

But today, Rosette appeared before him.

Joseph rubbed his hands towards Rosette.

“I’ll beg like this. Please find Melody. If she’s dead, at least let me hold a funeral.”

Lucas, while pitying him, shouted while keeping an eye on Rosette.

“Hey, why are you telling her that?”

“You said Melody would be alive, right? You know something, don’t you, young lady?”

In fact, Rosette didn’t know anything special.

She could only guess that Melody might still be alive until then, considering that Joseph Oster was still held by the Dallas Marquis family in her previous life.

If his sister had died, there would be no reason for Joseph to be there.

To be honest, although Joseph showed talent in swordsmanship, he wasn’t someone worth keeping as a hostage.

So what did that mean?

‘There must be something about Melody.’

Therefore, she concluded that the Dallas Marquis wouldn’t have killed Melody even now that this plan had gone awry.

‘If we find Melody quickly even now…’

It was while Rosette was organizing her thoughts.

“Lucas, Rosette.”

Duke Adrian’s voice, seemingly gentle yet stern, was heard.

“Why on earth are you here?”

“Father!”

Lucas’s shoulders tensed for a moment in surprise, but he soon grinned.

“We came because we had something to ask Joseph Oster.”

Duke Adrian’s aura became slightly fiercer.

“That’s not for you to do, but for this father to do.”

“But…!”

“So you two go and rest. And to bring sick Rose along…”

Duke Adrian signaled to the knight who had brought them.

The knight tried to take the two children away, but before that, Lucas shook off the knight’s hands and hurriedly shouted to Rosette.

“Hey, youngest! Do that thing you did earlier again!”

“…?”

“What Piyak… no, what Pipi was saying!”

Rosette immediately understood Lucas’s words and breathed mana into Pipi, who had scurried after her.

But having already consumed a large amount of mana earlier, Pipi could only spit out fragmentary words.

[Joseph Oster! Sister! Danger! Save! Quickly!]

Joseph’s eyes flew open.

“Is, is my sister in danger?”

This time, Rosette spoke out loud.

“I don’t… know well.”

“But just now…!”

“But if we leave it like this…”

That child will be used by Marquis Dallas. Just like I was. Her emotions will be worn down, and she’ll be used solely as a tool to kill people.

I don’t know what kind of child she is, but I don’t like that.

Having organized her thoughts, Rosette spoke resolutely to Duke Adrian, not even minding her throat.

“We must save Joseph Oster’s sister!”