After that, Rosette began to fall ill again. It was the aftereffects of using magic.

Magicians start creating a mana core inside their bodies from the moment they begin learning magic. This mana core makes it easier to use magic and also reduces the aftereffects of using magic.

Without such a mana core, using high-level recovery magic with a body that had never used magic before was too much for a seven-year-old child to endure.

Jane anxiously stayed by Rosette’s side. She wiped Rosette’s forehead and neck, damp with cold sweat, with a cool wet cloth, and used a spoon to trickle water into Rosette’s mouth.

Rosette was grateful for Jane’s care, but she didn’t have the strength to say thank you. She just groaned and slept almost all day.

The priests were also worried and infused her body with divine power, but it was of no use. If it had been a normal fever, divine power would have been enough to bring it down, but Rosette’s case was special.

There were two ways to bring down Rosette’s fever, who currently had no mana core.

One, wait quietly until the mana subsides on its own. Two, have a more skilled magician artificially suppress the mana.

So naturally, the priest’s divine power had no effect.

The priests were flustered and called for a doctor, but there wasn’t much a doctor could do either. They did give her fever medicine, but even after taking it, there was no sign of the fever breaking.

Neither medicine nor divine power worked. All they could do was lie down and wait for time to pass.

‘I thought it would subside quickly.’

Rosette drank the water Jane offered her with a hazy mind. Although she didn’t have a mana core, she knew how to manipulate the mana in her body.

She thought that if she could move the mana and create even a small core while resting, her body would recover immediately.

The variable was that her body was even weaker than she had thought. Because her body couldn’t withstand it, she couldn’t create a mana core, and without a mana core, her body didn’t recover.

Still, after a full day’s rest, her fever had dropped somewhat compared to yesterday. She regained enough consciousness to thank Jane for her devoted care.

“Sister, thank y-”

But Rosette couldn’t finish her sentence. It was because of the person in front of her. She had assumed it would be Jane, but someone else was sitting there.

Platinum blonde hair that stood out even in the dark room. It was Duke Adrien.

Startled for a moment, Rosette took a deep breath and ended up choking.

Unable to breathe properly and coughing, Duke Adrien gently patted her back. Perhaps it was because he had three children of his own.

His handling of Rosette seemed quite familiar.

“Are you alright?”

“I, cough, that is…”

“I’m sorry if I startled you.”

Rosette shook her head vigorously while trying to catch her breath. An apology from a noble. It was unthinkable.

But she couldn’t even say not to apologize. Rosette just rolled her eyes, hoping Duke Adrien would leave quickly.

“May I hold your hand for a moment?”

Duke Adrien, who had been observing her, suddenly asked. Rosette, startled, held out her hand without even knowing why he made such a request.

Duke Adrien carefully took her hand. His hand was easily twice the size of Rosette’s and warm.

Soon, a warm energy flowed from the Duke’s hand and enveloped Rosette’s body. It was his mana.

“I’m not a magician, so I’m not sure if this is the right way to do it.”

Sword masters were exceptionally able to manipulate mana. His mana gently wrapped around the mana that was running wild inside Rosette’s body.

Eventually, Rosette’s mana settled quietly near her navel. Even the nausea she had felt just moments ago subsided.

“Do you feel better now?”

Rosette, who had laid back down on the bed, desperately pulled the blanket up to her nose and nodded. Duke Adrien smiled freshly.

“Do you dislike me that much?”

Rosette shook her head. It wasn’t that she disliked him. She didn’t even have the right to dislike him in the first place.

“Then?”

“…”

“Are you afraid?”

Nod, nod.

“Because I’m a noble?”

Shake, shake.

“Then why are you afraid?”

“…”

Duke Adrien let out a small sigh.

“If you don’t want it, I’ll give up on the adoption.”

Rosette’s eyes grew round.

“Instead, I was thinking of sponsoring you so you can pursue your dreams. What do you think?”

“Sponsor…?”

“Yes. With the sponsorship of the Adrien family, you could go to the academy and learn magic.”

“…”

It was an attractive offer. However, she couldn’t readily answer.

As Rosette just blinked silently, Duke Adrien rose from his seat.

“Of course, you’re welcome to come to the Adrien family anytime if you’d like. Now, sleep well.”

With those final words, he left the room. At the same time, Rosette suddenly felt drowsy and fell asleep.

* * *

Thanks to Duke Adrien, Rosette woke up after a nap feeling perfectly fine as if she had never been sick.

She ate breakfast and sat under the shade of a large tree, watching the children play ball.

Although it was dusty and noisy, she didn’t want to go inside. In fact, Rosette rather missed this boisterous scene.

Paradoxically, Rosette felt comfortable in the midst of the commotion.

“Hello?”

It was then. An unfamiliar voice was heard from above her head. Slowly raising her head, she saw a boy standing in front of her.

A boy with light platinum blonde hair and purple eyes. Unlike the scruffy orphanage children, he exuded nobility from head to toe. Anyone could tell he was a noble.

It wasn’t just because of his appearance. The boy’s expression oozed with the confidence typical of nobles.

Rosette could easily tell that he was from the Adrien family from his familiar appearance.

It was because his looks closely resembled Duke Adrien’s. In addition, from his appearance that was closer to a young man than a child, she deduced that he was Daniel Adrien, the eldest son.

Daniel Adrien. Along with Duke Adrien, the man who had died from her magic.

Rosette stiffened and looked for a place to escape. Running away wouldn’t erase the past, but she wanted to avoid everything even if it meant doing so.

However, before she could even stand up, Daniel asked first.

“May I sit next to you?”

“Um…”

No, you can’t. She just needed to say that one sentence, but strangely, her lips wouldn’t part.

Rosette looked up at Daniel with a face that seemed about to cry, then lowered her head. Unable to either accept or refuse, she chose silence instead.

Perhaps taking it as a sign of agreement, Daniel sat down next to her. Rosette jumped in surprise and moved a little to the side. Daniel was surprised for a moment but then moved a bit away from her.

“I’m sorry. I thought it was okay to sit since you didn’t say no.”

“…”

“Do you dislike me being here?”

Rosette shook her head. While she couldn’t answer the question about sitting, she could quickly answer whether she disliked it.

She didn’t dislike it. It was just burdensome.

“I’m glad you don’t dislike it.”

“…”

“What were you doing here alone?”

I wonder why he’s doing this to me. While curious about his intentions, Rosette mumbled quietly.

“I was just watching.”

“Watching what?”

“The children playing.”

“Why are you just watching instead of playing with them?”

“Because I prefer watching.”

The conversation was clearly flowing, but there was an undeniable sense of superficiality.

‘Is there something else he really wants to say?’

Rosette hesitated, then gathered her courage to ask.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Why don’t you want to come to our family?”

“What?”

“No, usually when people are adopted, they’re happy about having a family…”

It would have been the case if it were any family other than the Adrien family.

Rosette kept her mouth shut, neither affirming nor denying. Despite the possibility that he might find it rude, he didn’t look displeased at all.

Perhaps it was because Daniel was closer to her age. Rosette felt a little more comfortable opening up.

“Did the Duke send you?”

“Huh?”

“To persuade me?”

“No. I came on my own.”

Daniel shrugged.

“I heard I might have a new sister, so I came to see your face.”

“But don’t you dislike it, young master?”

“Dislike what?”

“Usually, when there’s an adoption, children don’t like it.”

Rosette recalled when she was adopted by the Dallas family in the past. Her stepbrother, Derrick Dallas, and stepsister, Elisha Dallas, didn’t welcome Rosette.

At least Derrick just ignored Rosette, so it wasn’t much of a problem. The issue was her younger stepsister, Elisha. She tormented Rosette in very subtle ways.

Once, she hid her own necklace in Rosette’s room and claimed Rosette had stolen it. Rosette was punished by being locked in the attic.

‘There were many other incidents if I were to list them…’

Anyway, was it because of her past memories? Rosette naturally thought that the Adrien family’s children would not welcome her presence.

Moreover, Daniel already had a younger sister. There was no reason for him to welcome Rosette. Yet, he answered like this:

“I like it.”

“…”

“Bell and Lucas will like it too.”

“But…”

As Rosette was answering, her gaze suddenly turned to Daniel’s legs.

‘They’re fine.’

In the past, Daniel had been in an accident and limped on one leg. He always had to walk with a cane and couldn’t use a sword.

That’s why there were voices opposing him succeeding the Adrien family, known for their swordsmanship.

‘That accident was caused by the Dallas family.’

The Adrien family never found out, but Rosette, who had been part of the Dallas family, knew.

At that moment, a realization struck her like lightning.

‘Even without me, the same future will repeat itself.’

Daniel would have the same accident and lose the use of his leg, and Duke Dallas would plan to kill Duke Adrien and Daniel, looking for a substitute for Rosette.

In the worst case, they might die again.

Was it okay for her to just run away from that chaos?

Is it enough to just live with a feeling of atonement to end everything?

Rosette tightly gripped her worn skirt with both hands.

What if she went to the Adrien family? She could change the entire future.

But that required courage. She couldn’t readily agree to do so.

But could she turn a blind eye? Would she be able to not go mad with guilt if she heard the news of Duke Adrien’s death in the distant future?

Having thought that far, Rosette unconsciously stood up abruptly.

“Where is the Duke?”

“Father? Father is meeting with the director.”

“I want to see the Duke.”

“Okay? Let’s go together.”

Daniel, who had risen from his seat, held out his hand. Rosette hesitated for a moment before taking his hand. As befitting a child learning swordsmanship, Daniel’s hand was rough but very warm.

Rosette tried to calm her pounding heart as she headed to the director’s office with Daniel. When the two appeared together, Duke Adrien and the director inside stood up simultaneously.

While the director was surprised, Duke Adrien smiled kindly.

“Rosette, it seems you’ve met Daniel. So, what brings you here?”

Rosette took a deep breath and declared:

“I’ll go.”

“Hm?”

“I’ll go with you, Duke.”

And I will change the fate of the Adrien family.

Rosette swallowed the last words.