The Youngest Daughter of the Swordsmanship Family Turned Great Mage - Chapter 52

Joshua didn’t say anything more, as if it was just a casual remark. Rosette looked at him for a moment before starting to read her book again.

Joshua, who had been silently watching her, spoke up as if in passing.

“Come to think of it, I don’t think I ever thanked you properly.”

“…Pardon?”

Rosette, trying to figure out what he meant, shook her head even more vigorously than before.

“No, you already did! Back then, in the forest.”

“I know. I’m talking about something else.”

“…Something else?”

“About you turning back time.”

Joshua continued in a calm voice.

“What you did changed a lot for me. If it wasn’t for you, I would have been living miserably in a world where I lost everyone I loved. Perhaps I would have gone astray too. That’s what everyone wanted, after all.”

“That’s…”

As she was about to deny it, Joshua raised his hand to stop her.

“I still don’t know exactly what was in your heart when you turned back time. Whether it was to set everything right as you said, or simply to save yourself, I’m not sure.”

“…”

“But you succeeded in turning back time, and you gave me another chance. Just for that, I’m grateful to you.”

Rosette wiggled her toes inside her shoes, feeling embarrassed.

Her life had always been tainted with blame. Though she tried to be loved, her magic only earned her resentment from many people.

Even her family turned their backs on her.

Even though she succeeded in turning back time and saved many people who had died in the past, she didn’t expect to receive thanks. Because she thought she had only done what was natural.

There was no one to say such things anyway, since no one else remembered the past.

But now, the man who had said he resented her was thanking her.

It felt strange. She thought she had learned many emotions while staying with the Adrian family, but apparently, there were still unfamiliar feelings left.

She felt shy. Her throat tickled. Rosette absently scratched her neck with her nails and mumbled.

“I don’t think it’s something to be thanked for, but I’m glad I could be of help to Your Highness.”

Then suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

‘But how does His Highness remember the past?’

If he hadn’t remembered the past, she wouldn’t have heard these words.

Was there a flaw in the magic? What if there were others who remembered the past besides Joshua?

And what if it was someone from Duke Dallas or Duke Lilith’s side?

Rosette asked, turning pale.

“By the way, why do you have memories, Your Highness? If it’s because the magic went wrong, couldn’t there be others who remember the past?”

“Ah, that.”

Unlike the worried Rosette, Joshua was calm.

“You don’t need to worry too much. There probably isn’t anyone else who remembers besides me.”

“How can Your Highness be so sure? I thought I was the only one.”

“Well…”

Joshua hesitated before speaking again.

“There’s a reason. I can’t tell you why, but anyway, you don’t need to worry.”

“I… see.”

Rosette was about to press him further but decided against it. He probably wouldn’t tell her anyway.

“Anyway, the conversation is over, so go back to reading your book.”

“Yes!”

Rosette started reading the plant encyclopedia with Pipi as he said.

How much time had passed? When she looked up again, she found Joshua deep in thought about something.

“Is something troubling you?”

“Ah.”

Joshua was about to say something but shook his head.

“It’s not something to discuss with a little kid like you.”

He was referring to Lucas calling Rosette a ‘little kid’. Rosette bristled unconsciously.

“I’m not a little kid.”

It was fine when Lucas treated her like a child, but for some reason, it bothered her when Joshua did it.

“I was twenty years old before I turned back time.”

“You didn’t particularly look it.”

Joshua whispered very quietly. Rosette didn’t catch it and asked, “Pardon?” He waved his hand dismissively.

“It’s nothing. And I was twenty-four.”

“…So?”

“Do you know how big a four-year age difference is?”

“Well…”

She wanted to argue that it wasn’t much, but Rosette couldn’t refute it. From what she could see, Joshua was indeed quite different in build from her.

She looked at Joshua anew. He was as tall and broad-shouldered as the large-framed people of the Adrian family.

Although he wasn’t muscular since he focused more on magic lessons than swordsmanship, his body looked sufficiently firm. Looking at Joshua reminded Rosette of the jaguar she had once read about in an encyclopedia.

He was also a full head taller than Rosette, so it was natural for her to look like a little kid to him.

‘The difference in physique must have been even greater before turning back time.’

So instead of insisting she wasn’t a little kid, Rosette tried to persuade him with different words.

“But I might be able to help. After all, I’ve come back in time too. Wouldn’t it be better if we put our heads together?”

Rosette thought Joshua wouldn’t tell her anyway. But after a moment’s consideration, he opened his mouth.

“I’m wondering who to appoint as Her Majesty’s personal physician. We need to bring in someone trustworthy this time. It’s something that didn’t happen in the past, so there’s nothing to reference.”

“Hmm.”

Rosette thought about it but couldn’t think of anyone right away. Joshua clicked his tongue as if he had expected this.

“What did I tell you? I said it would be useless to tell a little kid, didn’t I?”

“You just said it wasn’t something to tell a little kid, not that it would be useless.”

“Are you talking back to me now?”

“…No.”

“Come to think of it, Lucas often said the little kid talks back.”

“It’s not like that.”

Just then, a sound was heard. ‘Pfft.’

‘…?’

Raising her head in confusion, Rosette was quite surprised by the sight before her.

Joshua, who was always cynical and only ever let out a hollow laugh, was laughing out loud.

It wasn’t as bright a smile as Daniel’s, but it was quite pleasant to look at.

Then, belatedly realizing that he was laughing, Rosette stammered.

“Why, why are you laughing?”

Similarly realizing that he was laughing, Joshua wiped the smile off his face.

“Who said I was laughing?”

“No, just now…”

Rosette pulled at the corners of her mouth with her fingers.

“You smiled like this.”

“You must have seen wrong.”

“But…”

“I said you saw wrong.”

Joshua spoke seriously. Rosette wisely kept quiet.

‘But it looked good.’

Most of the expressions Rosette had seen on Joshua so far were negative ones. It was natural since he had disliked Rosette.

Mostly furrowing his eyes or eyebrows, twisting his lips crookedly, or sighing.

In fact, even those expressions suited the atmosphere he had. They suited him so well that it was hard to imagine him smiling.

But his actual smile suited him quite well. It wasn’t like spring sunshine, but it wasn’t like a cold winter wind either.

How could this be described?

‘I think I’d know if I saw him smile once more.’

How could she make Joshua smile again?

Rosette’s desire, which had disappeared for a while during her stay with the Adrian family, sprouted again in her heart. The desire to work hard to hear someone’s praise.

‘I wish he would smile again.’

As she was thinking about what to do, Rosette found herself wearing a faint smile.

“Come visit anytime.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Come often to read books in the library and chat with me about various things.”

“I’d love to!”

Blushing shyly, Rosette left the Empress’s Palace with Lucas.

Joshua stood by the window, quietly watching the two of them walk away. To be precise, his gaze was fixed on the back of Rosette’s head.

Ophelia was surprised by her son’s behavior and opened her eyes wide before smiling gently.

‘Could it be…’

Joshua quite welcomed the visits of the three Adrian siblings to the Imperial Palace. Perhaps because he had grown up as an only child, he seemed to regard the three children as siblings.

However, apart from that, he didn’t show any lingering attachment when they left. It was due to his personality.

Joshua tended to pretend to dislike even things he liked.

So even when he was young, he didn’t look out the window longingly when the three of them returned home.

Today, for the first time, he was looking out the window.

‘Well, that child was quite charming.’

Ophelia recalled Rosette, who was like a rose that had just bloomed in early summer. That child, who made one smile just by looking at her, so fresh and lively.

Although he was supposed to be meeting her for the first time today, could Joshua have fallen for that child at first sight?

Suppressing a smile, Ophelia asked casually.

“What’s the matter, Joshua?”

Lost in thought, Joshua snapped back to reality at her voice.

“It’s nothing, Mother.”

“Well, it doesn’t seem like nothing.”

“It really is nothing.”

Joshua finally moved away from the window and sat opposite Ophelia.

“For nothing, you were looking out the window quite intently.”

“I was just admiring the beautiful roses.”

“Yes, the roses outside the window are quite beautiful.”

Roses were starting to bloom in the garden visible from the reception room window of the Empress’s Palace.

However, both the Empress and Joshua knew that the ‘rose’ she jokingly referred to meant something else.

But Joshua pretended not to understand and kept his mouth shut. Ophelia asked a bit mischievously this time.

“Did you like that child from earlier?”

“No, I didn’t!”

Joshua’s voice denying it was uncharacteristically sharp.

The Empress hadn’t expected such a strong reaction from him. It was surprising to see this kind of response from a child who was usually indifferent to everything.

‘There must be something after all.’

The Empress’s purple eyes sparkled with interest. She laughed, covering her mouth with her fan.

“Then? You don’t like her?”

“Well, I can’t say that exactly…”

Joshua, who had been muttering unconsciously, realized something and trailed off.

Why couldn’t he confidently answer that he didn’t like Rosette when asked if he disliked her? There were so many reasons to dislike her.

‘But…’

He recalled the image of Rosette he had seen and experienced so far.

She had a strange charm. The kind of charm that made you want to keep looking, that you couldn’t take your eyes off.

Of course, she was pretty. But if it was just about looks, Isabel was no less beautiful, yet he didn’t feel this way about her.

As Joshua was trying to figure out what his feelings towards Rosette were, Ophelia spoke softly.

“Come to think of it, His Majesty seems to be considering that child as a potential match for you.”