The Youngest Daughter of the Swordsmanship Family Turned Great Mage - Chapter 29

The identity of the assassin was surprisingly quickly revealed.

“Rosette Dallas?”

When Joshua asked back in a voice full of anger, the aide began to explain in detail.

“Yes. She is said to be the adopted daughter taken in by Duke Dallas about 10 years ago.”

I had heard of her before.

“You mean that Dallas lady who once caused a stir in high society.”

13 years ago, rumors spread widely that Viscount Dallas had adopted a commoner girl from an orphanage. People were curious about the child, but Viscount Dallas did not introduce her to society.

Not much information about her circulated.

The few known facts were that her name was ‘Rosette Dallas’ and that she had some talent for magic.

Rosette Dallas made her appearance at a debutante ball held in the year she came of age.

Joshua also saw her for the first time that day. Rosette Dallas was not a particularly striking person in terms of appearance.

Like a member of the Dallas viscounty family, she wore a glamorous dress and jewelry, but she was small in stature, her hair and skin were dull, and her movements were unladylike.

Moreover, her face was half-covered by an elaborate mask, so one couldn’t even see her face properly.

People even mocked that a commoner’s origins couldn’t be helped.

However, Joshua paid attention to her. It was because of the enormous amount of mana surrounding her.

‘So that’s why Viscount Dallas adopted Rosette Dallas.’

It was regrettable. If he had discovered her first, he could have raised her to be a good magician. But she had fallen into Viscount Dallas’s hands first.

But that was all. He didn’t particularly want to show more interest in Viscount Dallas’s daughter.

However, when the party was in full swing, Joshua, who had gone out to the garden to avoid people’s eyes, encountered Rosette Dallas again.

−It’s too stuffy in there, Pipi.

−Don’t you think so too?

The voice coming from the empty bushes was soft and clear. A voice as if singing with a small bird.

Joshua walked towards the sound as if enchanted.

There was Rosette Dallas. She had taken off the stuffy-looking mask and put it down beside her.

−I want to go back to my room quickly and talk with you.

−Pipi, I only have you.

She kissed the beak of the small white bird sitting on her two hands.

Joshua blankly watched the scene.

Rosette Dallas was a girl with a strange charm.

Her pink hair, noticeable even in the darkness, though coarse in texture, had a lovely shine, and her skin was as white as if it had never seen sunlight.

Moreover, when she sensed his presence and turned to look at him, he was even more shocked.

The pair of blue eyes staring at him sparkled like jewels. Pure, untainted emotions emanated from those eyes.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Of all the people of various ranks and personalities he had met so far, had there ever been someone so captivating?

What exactly was this unidentifiable feeling?

Joshua, who had been staring at her without even blinking, only came to his senses when the white bird blocked her as if to protect Rosette. He opened his mouth as if to make an excuse.

“I wasn’t trying to peep…”

He was about to say, but Rosette showed an unexpected reaction. She quickly put on her mask, stood up abruptly, and then disappeared as if fleeing in the opposite direction.

Not even greeting a royal properly, but fleeing? It was absurd, but he didn’t feel bad about it.

He just found himself chuckling.

He wanted to follow her and have a conversation, but that wouldn’t be right. After all, she was Viscount Dallas’s daughter.

Joshua looked at the bushes where Rosette had been sitting for a moment, then returned to the party venue.

Joshua had never thought about her since that day. Rosette Dallas also never appeared in high society again, and he didn’t particularly seek her out either.

Only a small but good feeling about her remained.

But now Rosette Dallas did this? That girl with the clear eyes, really?

Joshua clenched his fists so tightly that they trembled.

“Were there any other intruders besides her?”

The aide answered in a tone of disbelief even to himself.

“According to our investigation, there were none.”

“None? Are you saying that Rosette Dallas alone broke through that tight security and killed my master and Daniel?”

“I’m sorry, but that’s correct.”

Joshua, barely restraining himself from grabbing the incompetent aide by the collar and shaking him, asked again.

“Wouldn’t there have been someone from the Dallas family supporting her?”

“Well… The Dallas family is claiming that this was Rosette Dallas’s solo act. Duke Dallas also says he knew nothing about it, cutting ties with her.”

“Ha, solo?”

Joshua slammed his fist on the desk with a loud noise.

“That’s nonsense. Are you telling me to believe such nonsense now?”

“Well…”

The aide hesitated.

“What is it?”

“There are many nobles supporting that claim.”

“For example?”

“The Lillis ducal family is the most active.”

“Ha.”

A scornful laugh escaped him.

The Lillis ducal family. The current Empress’s family. Joshua twisted his lips as he recalled the current Empress, Leonie Ernhardt.

“So that’s how things have turned out.”

13 years ago, after the death of the former Empress, Ophelia Ernhardt, the nobles clamored as if they had been waiting to welcome a new Empress.

The Emperor, pretending to give in, appointed Leonie Lillis, who was then the Princess of Lillis, as the new Empress. It wasn’t even three months since Ophelia had died.

Joshua was greatly shocked by his father’s attitude. Even if it was a loveless marriage, how could he bring in a new Empress so quickly?

However, what was more shocking was the child named Louis that Leonie brought. The nine-year-old boy who introduced himself as Leonie’s son, Louis Lillis, had blonde hair and golden eyes.

“…!”

Golden eyes were the symbol of the Ernhardt imperial family. This meant that Louis was not just an illegitimate child, but the Emperor’s child.

After a formal paternity test, it was confirmed that the child was born between the Emperor and Leonie. After that, the Emperor quickly gave Louis the Ernhardt surname.

Thus, in the imperial family where there had only been the First Prince Joshua, the Second Prince appeared.

Until he appeared, everyone naturally thought that Joshua would inherit the throne. However, after that, the succession structure became subtly complicated.

Unfortunately, Joshua had no support base. His maternal family, the Kingdom of Ibern, was too weak to interfere in the Empire’s succession structure.

What supported him was his master, Adrian.

In fact, the noble forces were divided between Duke Adrian’s faction and Duke Lillis’s faction.

‘And the Dallas family is a representative force of Duke Lillis’s faction.’

Anyone could see that this was a ploy by Duke Dallas to eliminate the opposing forces.

However, Joshua encountered an unexpected obstacle. The Emperor quickly tried to conclude this incident as Rosette Dallas’s solo act.

“I also regret the deaths of Duke Adrian and his successor. But, Prince, there is no evidence that Duke Dallas instigated this.”

“If we investigate a little more…!”

“Haven’t I said we’ve investigated enough?”

13 years ago, when his wife Ophelia Ernhardt was poisoned to death, the Emperor concluded the case this quickly as well.

Even when Joshua cried and begged that there was no way a mere maid could have plotted this alone, please investigate more, he didn’t even pretend to listen.

Joshua belatedly realized that, like in the past, this was also a well-orchestrated scheme. And that Duke Adrian’s death occurred with the Emperor’s tacit approval.

Unfortunately, there was nothing more Joshua could do. He wanted to meet Rosette Dallas and ask if Duke Dallas had plotted this, but he didn’t. It would be of no use anyway.

“I will definitely uncover the truth about my father’s death later. As Duke Adrian, I won’t overlook this matter.”

He only said this as if making a vow to Isabel, who had become the successor overnight.

“When I ascend to the throne, I will definitely reinvestigate this incident.”

However, he was too furious to just sit still. Joshua finally visited her secretly the night before Rosette Dallas’s execution. He was heavily drunk, though he rarely drank.

“Why did you do it?”

“…”

“What crime did my master and Daniel commit for you to kill them! Why!”

He cried like a child and demanded answers. He didn’t even know himself what kind of reaction he wanted from Rosette Dallas.

But Rosette Dallas showed an unexpected reaction this time too.

She cried with her still small and thin body that was hard to believe was an adult’s. As if she regretted killing the two people.

Regret? How ridiculous. If she was going to regret it so much, she shouldn’t have done such a thing in the first place.

“I…”

Rosette Dallas moved her lips. But she couldn’t continue speaking and just cried.

There was much he wanted to say, but what use would it be now?

“Your execution date has been set.”

“…”

“Even if you die, the two of them won’t come back, but at least their souls can be honored. If you have even a shred of guilt, atone until the moment you die.”

Joshua barely managed to leave those words and returned to his room. But he couldn’t fall asleep all night.

Would everything really be resolved if Rosette Dallas, that child, was executed? She was just a chess piece for Duke Lillis and Duke Dallas after all.

Her death couldn’t honor the souls of Duke Adrian and Daniel.

‘But what can I do?’

Without my master or Daniel here, what exactly…!

Joshua, who had been raging like this, eventually fell asleep as if fainting.

When he woke up again.

“…!”

He had returned to being twelve years old.

“What is this…”

At first, he thought he was dreaming, but all his senses were vivid. He had never heard of a dream this vivid.

His bewildered gaze suddenly turned to the necklace he always wore around his neck. It had a jewel embedded in it that sparkled in various colors like an opal.

It was given to him by his mother, who was the Empress of the Empire and a princess of Ibelyn, and apparently it was an heirloom of the Ibelyn royal family.

At that time, Ophelia had pressed this into his hand and whispered meaningfully.

−This will save you someday.