First, I understand that he finds me terrible.

Should I tell everything to the family? Or will he chase me out?

Any assumption was horrible. I thought I had finally found happiness, but to be held back by the past like this.

Tears came. At first, I didn’t want to follow Duke Adrian, but now I couldn’t imagine a life without family.

If I never had anything to begin with, it might have been different, but thinking about having something and then losing it was so sad.

‘What should I do? What should I do from now on…’

Rosette spent the whole day trembling in fear, stuck in her room. She shivered, wrapping herself tightly in blankets on the bed.

When she said she wouldn’t eat dinner either, everyone worried about her.

“Young lady, you should at least have dinner.”

Joan put a tray with warm food on the table. Rosette shook her head, pulling the blanket over her head.

“I’ll leave it here, so eat a little if you change your mind.”

“Mmm.”

After Joan left, Lucas came to visit.

“Squirt! Are you sick?”

He appeared noisily and immediately approached the bed. Rosette shook her head again from under the blanket.

“You’re not sick? Then why are you like this? Come out for a moment.”

Shake shake.

When Rosette shook her head again, Lucas tried to lift her blanket. But he couldn’t because Rosette was gripping it tightly.

Instead, he wriggled his way into the blanket.

Rosette was startled to see Lucas’s face suddenly appear right in front of her.

“Why, why…”

“I’m worried, squirt. An kid who was eating diligently every day saying she’d get chubby suddenly not eating dinner, wouldn’t I be worried?”

“…You are.”

“If you’re not sick, why aren’t you eating?”

“Just not hungry…”

“Why aren’t you hungry? You didn’t even have snacks today!”

“Just don’t have an appetite…”

“Should I ask them to make your favorite egg sandwich?”

The sandwich with potato and egg mashed with mayonnaise was a snack Rosette ate well.

Whenever Rosette and Lucas snuck into the kitchen before mealtime saying they were hungry, Chef John would make it for them.

Rosette’s mouth watered slightly, but she refused again.

“It’s okay.”

Lucas was shocked when even his trump card was rejected.

“Why won’t you eat? Why? Are you really not sick? Should I call a doctor?”

He felt her forehead and tilted his head.

“Strange, no fever.”

Rosette weakly removed his hand.

“I’m really just not hungry.”

“Hmm.”

Lucas, who had been lying on his side looking at Rosette, flopped down.

“Then I won’t eat either.”

“What?”

“Since the squirt isn’t coming, I lost my appetite too.”

“But…”

“Well, it’s okay to skip one meal, I guess.”

Lucas patted his belly.

He really had no other intention. He was just thinking, ‘If the squirt is fasting, I should fast too.’

Rosette knew this, but she was still restless.

Finally, she peeked out from under the blanket.

“Joan brought food, let’s eat together.”

“Really? You’ll really eat?”

“Yes.”

So the two children sat side by side at the table and ate.

Joan, who came to check if the meal had gotten cold, discovered this and brought more food for Lucas’s portion.

After the meal, Rosette played card games with Lucas. Other family members who were worried about her dropped by and joined at the urging of the two children.

While spending time with her family, Rosette was able to shake off her anxiety a little.

“Well, sweet dreams.”

“Mm. You sleep well too, Joan.”

However, when everyone left and she was alone, Rosette went back under the blanket and writhed in agony.

‘I hope they don’t kick me out of the Adrian family.’

Sensing Rosette’s anxiety, Pipi also whispered sadly next to her, “Pii, pii…”

Rosette sniffled for a long time before falling asleep, feeling Pipi’s movements as he rubbed his face against her cheek.

[This is the timeline separator]

Rosette, who had been in a light sleep, was awakened by the noisy Pipi.

[Piiit! Pit! Pit!]

Pipi, who had been sleeping next to Rosette’s pillow, frantically flapped his wings and pulled at her pink hair.

Rosette, who opened her eyes at the stinging sensation, carefully took Pipi in both hands.

“Pipi, don’t cry in the middle of the night. Everyone’s sleeping.”

[Pit! Piiiik!]

Rosette, look over there! There’s an intruder!

“Intruder?”

Rosette, who had carelessly looked in the direction Pipi was pointing with his beak, froze.

In the dark room where even moonlight barely entered, there was a pair of eyes glowing unnaturally.

“…!”

Those are predator’s eyes.

Rosette instinctively hugged Pipi to her chest and remained alert. Pipi trembled and hid in the sleeve of Rosette’s nightgown.

Looking closely, the beast standing a little away from the bed was a silver-furred wolf. With a bit of exaggeration, it was almost as big as Rosette.

‘Don’t be scared, Rosette. Think carefully.’

There was no way a real wolf could have invaded the mansion through the strict security.

Besides, wasn’t this the third floor? It wasn’t a height that a ‘normal’ wolf could physically jump to.

‘Which means…’

Rosette focused on the mana around her. She could feel the alien mana leaking profusely from the silver wolf.

Celine’s familiar was a black cat. She had seen it a few times, so she was sure this wasn’t Celine’s familiar.

There were no other magicians in this mansion who could summon a familiar besides Rosette and Celine. That meant it had come from outside.

Rosette, looking at the somehow familiar silver fur, muttered without realizing:

“Did His Highness send you?”

Although a familiar and its summoner didn’t have to look exactly alike, the wolf’s silver fur resembled Joshua’s silver hair.

Then the necklace around the wolf’s neck glowed and a voice flowed out.

It was indeed Joshua’s voice. Rosette swallowed dryly once and asked.

“How did you…”

Normally, Joshua, being only twelve, shouldn’t have been able to summon a familiar. Yet the fact that this wolf was summoned meant one thing.

“So you do remember, don’t you?”

Despite the vague words, Joshua understood immediately and answered.

“…”

“But how?”

Although what was in front of her was a wolf, she could clearly imagine Joshua frowning.

“I know how to use it. But my mana core is still small, so it’s too much. I can use it, but I’ll probably be sick for days.”

“Yes.”

After a moment of silence, the wolf said.

“What?”

The wolf walked briskly to the bed and lowered its body as if telling her to hurry and get on.

Rosette gulped.

‘I can’t avoid it forever.’

She didn’t know what Joshua would say. But having already encountered him, she couldn’t pretend not to know and run away forever.

If it can’t be avoided, it’s better to talk as soon as possible, right?

As Rosette was thinking this and approaching the wolf, it happened.

[Pit! Piit!]

Pipi, who had been hiding in her sleeve until then, quickly flew to the chair.

Then he started pulling hard with his beak at the robe hanging on the chair back. It was to make her wear an outer garment because the night air was still cold.

However, Pipi’s body was too small to bring the robe to Rosette in a cool way.

[Piii….]

Pipi chirped sadly. Rosette turned around, put on the robe herself, and stroked Pipi’s chin.

“Thank you, Pipi. I understand your feelings well. Thanks to you, I don’t think I’ll be cold.”

[Pit!]

Rosette smiled gently and carefully mounted the wolf’s back. Pipi naturally sat on her shoulder.

Immediately, the wolf leaped up as if dancing and slipped out the window.

From the third floor, no less.

“…!”

[…!]

We’re falling!

Piiiit!

Rosette and Pipi let out silent screams.

Rosette gripped the wolf’s fur tightly in fear, and Pipi desperately clutched her clothes with his claws.

Contrary to their worries, the wolf landed lightly on the ground and then escaped the mansion, avoiding the guards.

Rosette lay flat on the wolf’s back with her eyes tightly shut. She could tell how fast the wolf was running from the knife-like wind brushing her face and body.

How long had they been running like that? A fresh scent touched the tip of her nose. Just then, the wolf also slowed down.

Rosette raised her head and looked around. The place where the wolf had brought her and Pipi was an unfamiliar forest.

It was already dark, and with trees blocking the sky in all directions, even moonlight couldn’t penetrate.

The wolf, now fully slowed down, lowered its head again as if telling her to get off.

Rosette carefully put her feet on the ground and hesitated for a moment before patting the wolf’s head.

“You worked hard carrying me.”

[…..]

It seemed the communication with Joshua had been cut off, as the wolf didn’t say anything. Rosette briefly wondered what the wolf’s howl would sound like, then belatedly asked.

“But where is His Highness?”

The wolf pointed with its nose deeper into the forest.

“Are you going to wait here?”

This time the wolf pointed in the opposite direction. It seemed to mean it would keep watch to see if any intruders were coming.

“I see.”

When Rosette hesitated even after hearing the answer, the wolf tugged at the hem of her skirt.

“Okay, okay. I’ll go quickly.”

Rosette swallowed hard once, took several deep breaths, and only then did she start walking inward. Pipi also followed, sitting on top of her head.

Not long after, a clearing came into view. Silver moonlight was settling around it, and Joshua was standing in the middle.

Although his face and hair color weren’t clearly visible because he was wearing a hood, she knew it was Joshua because he was too short to be an adult.

“You came.”

He took off his hood as he spotted Rosette. His silver hair was more beautiful under moonlight than under sunlight.

But that wasn’t important right now. Rosette clenched her fists and approached him. In fact, her heart was beating fast and she felt like crying, but she barely held it in.

‘If I cry, His Highness will hate me more.’

Tears would only make the situation worse.

Rosette, who had walked over trying to appear composed, remembered the greeting Isabella had given Joshua and curtsied deeply on one knee.

Joshua waved his hand.

“Skip the greeting. I don’t want to receive greetings from you either.”

“…”

“To be honest, I’d like to grab your neck and twist it right now, but…”

Joshua’s eyes flashed in the darkness. They were similar to those of the wolf she had seen earlier.