Chapter 30
***
*[tn– still in flashback (ch16-17) first person pov here is Simad]
“That’s a relief.”
With a shy smile, he continued the conversation.
“Have you read my book? The [Psychology of Human Relations] I mean.”
“No, not yet. That book was written by Young Master Vanitas?”
The doubtful eyes were very pleasant. He slightly lowered his eyes and said.
“It’s a little hobby.”
The Princess’ expression strangely changed.
“More than that, You may call me Simad.”
The princess’ chilly gaze and Simad’s calm eyes briefly met.
“I like Young Master Vanitas.”
At that moment, Simad was almost startled.
‘It’s like a confession.’
Shimad’s eyes gleamed playfully.
“You like me?”
“…Young Master Vanitas?”
Then, the 1st Prince appeared. He held a glass of drink in both hands for himself and the Princess.
Despite the eyes of the 1st Prince being filled with hostility, Simad greeted him with a smile.
A cold silence sank.
“Who likes who?”
At his words, the princess quickly began to explain. Simad felt intrigued with the eyes of the prince, who was filled with affection whenever he looked at the princess.
I noticed it ever since I saw the emperor earlier, but the bond between the royal family deepened due to the princess.
When that ice-like emperor smiled softly at the princess, there was no one in the hall who couldn’t not stop breathing.
“Young Master Vanitas, Let’s have a talk.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After the story (Rosie’s explanation), the prince called Simad. The two headed to the corner of the garden.
“What are you thinking?”
Nanuk was well aware of Simad’s personality. Simad wasn’t someone who would act randomly.
Everything went according to his plan, to his principles, and in that sense, it was something that was similar to Nanuk.
That kind of person approached Rosiane? The answer directly linked to one. Nanuk was extremely displeased with it.
“It’s not a bad thought. Your Highness.”
Simad smiled with a bright face. Then, Nanuk warned with a chilly voice.
“You’ll have to stop thinking about anything. Young Master should better value his life.”
It was also accompanied by a threat. Simad then replied “yes” with a polite smile.
* * *
It was only a few days before the founding festival when I met the princess again.
She wanted to find out the name of a white flower that looked similar to a lily but had round petals.
In the end, she wasn’t able to find it, the back view of her leaving the library lingered in front of my eyes.
The next day, Simad, who visited the library, had other thoughts for the first time while reading.
I wonder how the Princess would look at this book. I want to read a book and have a discussion with her. Someday, when we get to know each other, I’ll be able to *get a word in edgewise with her.
[tn– *i think it means, having a lot of long discussions and sharing of their opinions about books and such]
In the end, while thinking of her, he gave up reading books and was putting them back in place when suddenly a plant encyclopedia came to mind.
“… Should I look for it?”
I can’t even focus anyway. Not realizing that for the first time in his life, he had been thinking about something else while reading, he opened up a plant encyclopedia.
While reading the third book, Simad’s eyes suddenly came upon a cover of a plant encyclopedia written in a foreign language.
Come to think of it, the flower that the Princess mentioned may not necessarily come from the Empire. Simad opened up the particularly thick plant encyclopedia and began to read it.
Just like the title, as expected, the text was also in a foreign language. It was a moment when he felt fortunate to have studied the languages of each country.
Halfway through, he stopped reading. I’m sure this flower is the right one according to her explanation, but what is the reason the princess is looking for a flower like this?
A white flower that looks like a lily, but the petals are round, Nadan. The meaning of the name is a gift.
….It meant the gift of a secret and quiet death.
[tn– the gift itself is a secret and quiet death]
* * *
[tn– back to Rosie’s pov]
I blankly stared at the shattered teacup, and then quickly came to my senses.
“Eryte, your hand!”
It may have been hurt because it touched the sharp pieces. When I quickly reached out my hand, Eryte hurriedly hid his hand behind his back.
“Are you not hurt? Are you okay?”
“This older brother is stronger than this!”
He brushed his hands off and showed it to me. As he said, his hands were fine, but I couldn’t believe it, so I fiddled and looked at it for a while.
The hands that held the sword had a firm callus, but there were no other wounds.
I breathed a sigh of relief because it looked like there wasn’t a big problem.
“By the way, why did the teacup suddenly break?”
Eryte’s body flinched greatly at my murmur. When I looked at Eryte with a curious gaze, he grinned while showing his teeth.
“I’m not sure? Why indeed?”
Hwii— Whistling, Eryte turned his head. I narrowed my eyes while looking at Eryte but then I heard Sir Boyd’s voice.
“What should the servant do?”
Ah. Only then did I remember the visit of the servant who had been forgotten. I wonder why Young Master Vanitas came here.
To be honest, if I wasn’t with Eryte, I think I would have just met with him even if it was bothersome, however, the situation was not good at all.
“There’s nothing to hear of course! Get los- No, tell him to go!”
Eryte shouted before I could answer. At those words, the servant said goodbye and immediately left the room.
Before the door even closed, Eryte was restless like a dog that had to go, and then he jumped up and shouted.
“Oh, Rosiane. Something urgent has come up so I’ll be going!”
Eryte kissed me on the cheek and rushed out. I stood up from my seat staring at his back.
“It looks like I have to follow him.”
From what I could see, Eryte’s eyes were burning, it definitely looked like he was going to hit Young Master Vanitas.
Honestly, I didn’t really like him, but it’s too much to hit him because of one visit.
[tn– visit as in asking for an audience]
“Why don’t you just rest?”
“Then Sir Boyd may rest.”
I hurriedly walked after Eryte’s back. Of course, Sir Boyd followed me.
Even before arriving in the drawing room, Eryte’s loud voice resounded through the hallway.
Phew, he’s very upset. At this rate, I thought that he would want to arrest a person, so I walked a little faster.
“Eryte.”
When I wide opened the door of the drawing room and entered, the gazes of Eryte, whose face was red with anger, and Young Master Vanitas, who was standing with an elegant face, fixed on me at once.
Perhaps because he had already been hit, Young Master Vanitas’ lips were torn and bleeding. Oh, my. No matter how strong the Emperor’s power is, can you hit the duke’s son like that?
In the original book, Nanuk was accused of murdering Marquis Melios’ son, as the situation where the Marquis rebelled against them and in which they were destroyed, came to mind, I became a little serious.
Of course, since Esteria is a country maintained by the blood of a god, it is difficult for treason to occur, but it’s not like there has been no history of such thing.
I thought it would be good to write about the things that will happen in the future when I free time after the foundation festival is over. Even though there were already a lot of twists and turns ever since I woke up as Rosiane.
In order to manage the unpredictable situation I gently held Eryte’s hand and said.
“I wanted to play with Eryte, but was there something more urgent with Young Master Vanitas?”
When I purposely spoke as if I was sad, Eryte’s face, which was like a steaming kettle, returned to its original temperature with a push. He smiled and held my hands.
“And, you can’t just hit people.”
Eryte had a long face at my words. I casted a look at him once and handed a handkerchief to Young Master Vanitas.
“What’s the matter?”
[tn– she’s asking the reason for his visit]
I intentionally didn’t ask him if he was okay. Because he obviously didn’t look alright.
“It seems that I have found the flower Your Highness the Princess was looking for.”
“Really?”
I looked at him with my eyes wide open. He gently wiped his mouth with the handkerchief and nodded.
As I followed the direction of his gaze to the table, a very thick book could be seen. The cover was written with something in an unknown language.
“It’s on page 237.”
“Thank you, Young Master. I apologize on behalf of Eryte for his rudeness.”
“Rosiane, why are you apologizing!!”
Eryte’s forehead wrinkled as he yelled.
“….I’m sorry but can you leave now? As you can see, Eryte is in that state so it would be hard to have a conversation.”
His eyebrows bent down sadly. Still, he came to help me, I felt sorry for him who got hit.
“…. Yes, Your Highness the Princess. I’ll leave the book behind.”
“Before you go back, I’ll call a doctor so get some treatment.”
Young Master Vanitas said his farewell softly as usual then followed the servant out of the drawing room. Eryte huffed and yelled at his back.
“Hey! Where are you going, I’m still not done—!”
“Eryte.”
His words were cut off at my call.
“Huh. Yeah?”
Eryte answered, sweating profusely.
“Why did you hit him?”
I just can’t figure it out. Eryte, who puffed up his cheeks at my question, turned his head to the other side.
“I don’t know!”
“Eryte, you mustn’t harass people.”
I reached out to him and grabbed his shoulder and spoke like an adult. I don’t know if he’s a bad guy. Of course, it is true that Young Master Vanitas is
uncomfortable (to be with), but there is still no certainty that he is a bad guy.
“Hm?”
“I don’t know! I hate Rosie!”
Eryte shook off my arm and ran out of the drawing room. I bewilderedly looked at his back then picked up the book that Young Master Vanitas had given me.
I will meet Eryte again at dinner tonight anyway. With his simplicity, he’ll have forgotten what happened.
“He said it was page 237.”
“Sister?”
Just as I was about to open the book, Leav came in, carefully calling me.
“Brother ran out with an unusual expression, did something happen?”
“He had a fight with Young Master Vanitas.”
Hmm–Leav let out a small groan. He didn’t look too good.
“Idiot.”
“Hm, what was that?”
When I asked him what he softly murmured, He shook his said saying “It’s nothing. Sister.”
When I approached Leav with the heavy plant encyclopedia in my arms, he immediately took the book away, saying he would hold it.
“I see it’s in Khun Oh. Can you read it?”
I shook my head at Leav’s words, who took a glance at the cover. I didn’t even know that it was Khun Oh in the first place.
“What’s that? I can’t read it.”
“It’s the language spoken by the Khun people in the southwestern part of the continent.”
I see. We walked towards the room and had a small conversation.
“Does Leav know how to read it?”
“A bit. I started learning this morning in order to talk to the envoys.”
“That’s amazing. Leav.”
Leav smiled shyly at my words. After arriving in the room, we ate the prepared lunch and had tea time.
While sipping herbal tea, I opened page 237 of the plant encyclopedia. It certainly looked exactly like the flower on the side table. Again, I felt that Young Master Vanitas, who found the same flower just by listening to my words, was amazing.
Aside from that, seeing the description included in pages 237 and 238, I stuck out my tongue. I can’t read this.
In the end, I slightly pushed the book and showed it to Leav.
“Can you perhaps read it?”
Leav quietly read it.