The manor owned by Marquess Sertfell was one of the most prestigious and grand residences in the capital. The garden was marvelous and elegant and the white exterior of the mansion reflects the character of those who reside in it. Although it was less decorated, it still gives out an elegant and dignified appearance.
In the manor, the sun lounge room, Marquess Sertfell, and his granddaughter sat opposite each other. There they sat on a velvet colored sofa in front of a low glossy center table. On top of it were two white porcelain tea cups and a silver cake stand with fine lace patterns, the dessert stand was replenished with bite-sized madeleines and cupcakes.
Looking at her grandfather, who brought a dessert into his mouth. Rozalia Sertfell sighed, "Dear Grandfather, just because you like sweets, there should be a limit to it.”
Of the three tiers in the stand, two are already empty. Her grandfather had a thing for sweets. The amount of food he ate at home was tremendous because he’s worried about his image that he doesn’t enjoy them outside.
Grandfather said he’s always using his brain every day, so he couldn’t be helped it, but it’s bad for his body. She knew that he wouldn’t listen anyway, but she still reprimands him.
“You don’t seem to gain any weight even when you eat too much, but I’ve heard that it’s dangerous to not be able to see the weight you'd gain.”
“The reason I’m not fat is that I always use my head.”
“That again? There seems to be foie gras in the west country. Whatever it is, it’s an enlarged liver of a fattened bird. I wonder what it tastes like, Grandfather?”
Rizik Sertfell immediately turned pale, “…Rose, you’re very mean.”
“Oh! I’m just worried about my grandfather. You're the only one I have. I want Grandfather to live a long life.”
“Even so, I can’t change the fact that I'll die before you.” Rizik leaned heavily against the couch and dejectedly sipped his tea.
“Only the servants in our home are considered as my family besides Grandfather.”
“There’s your brother, and eventually you’ll be married to Folse.”
“Come to think of it, that child’s attitude seems different recently, and it seems that his fiancee doesn’t seem to love him anymore.”
As Rozalia’s cup was empty, Miria, her maid, took the cup. She and another attendant, Gredior, have been together since childhood.
“Yes Dear Grandfather. I have fallen in love with someone else.“
At her sudden announcement, Miria, the young and capable maid, suddenly spilled the tea, “Oh, I made a blunder. Forgive me, Master and Miss!”
“It’s alright Miria. It's not your fault.”
Gredior quickly helped clean up the table as Rozalia’s gaze moved to her grandfather. During that time, Rizik remained rigid in an uncertain posture.
“Dear Grandfather, I don’t recommend exhausting yourself with a posture that’d drain your physical strength.”
“I don’t think you mean any harm, and plus you can't make money with it. So, what is it, Rozalia?” He asked again once he relaxed.
Rozalia smiled like a flower blooms, “I am in love therefore I’d like to immediately annul my engagement with Folse. Also, I ask permission to attend the Academy."
“You must lay your jokes to rest. In addition to what you just said, are there any more serious demands?”
So his answer was no, but Rozalia’s iron-clad smile didn’t fade.
“I am afraid that you will resist, so I said it all in one breath.”
“You're worried about me resisting but not my state of mind? I can see through your true intentions that the story doesn't just stop there.”
“It’s just my fancy. Dear Grandfather, who is still at the forefront of politics, at last, has become a mere Lord.”
“Don’t treat me like an old man. I’m still active and working.”
Despite being a grandfather, Rizik is only fifty years old yet his appearance looked quite youthful. He has no gray hair on his silver-blonde head and his greyish blue eyes were like that of a lone wolf. When seen alongside Rozalia, they can be mistaken as parent and child.
“Let’s hear what you have to say. What kind of man is this person?”
“I had someone check into his background. Cade Grant, age twenty-five, he is the eldest son of Baron Grant, who’s an emerging aristocrat.”
She had no intention of giving up without her grandfather’s permission, if possible a boost may be of help.
“There are topics about Cade popping up in society. He works for the knights as a Royal Guard, serving the Crown Prince's younger brother at school. He is a man with special abilities and capabilities, and he is constantly rumored to be with different beautiful women.”
“Wait. How in the world did you fall in love with that kind of man?”
“However, for some reason, he has stopped playing around since a few months ago. People say that he changed and became subdued.”
There has been rumors and speculations about him whether it’s him losing his memory, an enlightenment, or being cursed on the lower half of his body, and so on and so forth.
“I’ve only met him once and I think he’s a very nice person.” Rozalia smiled resembling a rose, “Grandfather, this bird will leave the nest in the future. So, please allow me to enter school.”
Now that she has done this, Rizik raised his white flag at once to his granddaughter, who could never bent.
As she returned to her private chamber, Miria instantly opened her mouth, “What love? Honestly, I don’t quite understand it at all.”
The maid with chestnut-colored hair looked grave, “Miss Rose, please explain it to me!”
Even though Miria was only a maidservant, she spoke to her quite carelessly. She grew up with them since childhood and is like an elder sister to Rozalia.
“Why didn’t you let me know when you ordered me to look for information about him! I thought he was a political enemy, someone to be eliminated!”
“Miria, what if other people are listening, it sounds as if I were to bring someone down.”
Miria’s information network is quite wide, which includes also communicating with the maids from other households. No matter how much one orders or coerces them, you can't have them to talk. It seemed quite impossible to conceal so many secrets in such a strict order. However, Miria was able to get information by making full use of her network to answer Rozalia’s absurdity.
“Sir Cade is a well-built man to be escorting His Royal Highness at the age of twenty-five.”
“Remember that there’s a negative element, that he’s a prodigal son.”
Miria shook her head in regret, “Oh if only Miss Rose isn’t the ‘Rose Princess’, you’d be able to know more about the vast world and have an eye to choose the right man…I don’t think you’d have a marriage without love with Lord Folse, but you chose a path that would bear more misfortune than that…”
“Isn’t that quite a disrespectful remark to Cade and Folse?” Rozalia tilted her head as her silver blonde hair slipped over her shoulder.
Her icy blue eyes, which she inherited from her father, glanced at Gredior. However, he remained silent as if he wasn’t interested in their conversation. It was a wise choice that he did not speak out.
It is a wise choice for him not to speak out as he is a man. While Miria lamented over Rozalia’s sake, sometimes she’d run out of control like this.
Rozalia doesn’t know how much she has been saved by her kindness.―But this time, just like her grandfather, if she isn’t able to convince her, she’ll never get anywhere.
It’s not that he was convinced. Rizik just gave up on the idea rather than being satisfied with it. Nothing could really happen since she didn’t care to tell him about some details.
“Ah! Why a heathen man who lives like that?! It was a mistake in itself that you two met…! If you can do it again, I want for you to start over!”
“Then let me learn from that mistake.” Rozalia took Miria’s hand, who impulsively was stifled with discontentment.
“I like Cade more than anyone else.” Rozalia gave a sincere smile and Miria fell in silence.
It would indeed be better to have a loving relationship with a man who has no faults and shortcomings. But there’s no use crying over it. Even if she’d have a do-over, she’ll choose the same path again.
“No matter who he may be, I will love him for life.”
“Miss Rose…”
“I have made up my mind.”
Miria’s expression changed as she broke out, “―Oh! You’ve been carrying it on your own for a long time! No matter who you want to marry, I will never leave your side, so please rely on me!”
In the end, Miria seems to have given priority to her master’s feelings, whom she cherishes like a sister.
Rozalia smiled radiantly, “Of course I trust you, Miria.” She glanced at Gredior, who bowed his head respectfully to her, “Gredior, you too.”
With his unchanging manner, Rozalia and Miria laughed.
At this point, no one has yet noticed that Cade’s intentions have not been taken into account at all.
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