NOVEL WEB Chapter 11
Chapter: 11
“I will never… gamble again…!”
“Do it again.”
“N-no! I will never! Gamble! Again!!!”
I shouted this at the top of my lungs in Rosalyn’s Room. I felt if I didn’t, I’d definitely be in for more trouble.
I had already received quite a beating since stepping into the room. Starting with how much I spent on gambling today and how much I won—though I did notice a hint of surprise when they heard the amount I had won.
In any case… I got scolded a lot. I don’t think I’ve been scolded like this in any lifetime, to be honest.
Luckily, I wasn’t punished physically or violently.
“I really… won’t do it again…”
“Really?”
“Yes……..”
As much as I could.
I put in my utmost effort to act innocent. My current acting skills could definitely earn me a Best Actress or Best Actor award, easily. I raised my gaze slightly, creating eyes that looked extremely sorry.
I didn’t know what it was, but I thought this might make me look pitiful.
“I… didn’t plan on going to the casino frequently. No… it was just that I heard you could earn a lot of money…”
“…”
Did it work?
“Mother, I promise… I won’t go again.”
“…Alright. That’s acceptable. Uhm…”
What was certain was that my acting got through to her. No matter what, quitting the casino was a bit too much for me. After all, most of my funds were there.
I understood Rosalyn’s worries and why she scolded me, but in reality… the choice of not going was… nearly nonexistent, wasn’t it?
Of course, if I were a true child, that wouldn’t be the case, but I’ve lived as an adult too, you know…?
“Ha… I’m sorry. Camelia, hearing from the butler that you suddenly went to the casino surprised me so much…”
“N-no…! It’s my fault… right?”
“Still, I’m sorry. I feel like I got too angry.”
“It’s okay…”
Honestly… it didn’t feel like she was extremely angry. Sure, she scolded me, but it definitely didn’t mix with any rage.
Rather… she looked apologetic.
Was it because she scolded me? I wasn’t sure, but I felt relieved that Rosalyn didn’t seem too angry.
“I wasn’t trying to get angry… I was just worried. I had thought about coming to find you but… since the butler and everyone else said you were fine… I was just waiting.”
I had no idea that had happened. Rosalyn explained while gently patting my head.
In fact, aside from Rosalyn, who had recently entered the mansion, no one else really meddled in my personal life.
Not even William. Perhaps it was because everyone prioritized money over anything else. This trend extended to both the head of the family and the mansion’s staff.
As long as the money kept flowing, there was no need to fuss over things not commanded by us.
And that kind of thing.
“I’m really sorry.”
“It’s okay. And besides, it’s also my fault for not telling Mother when I went out, separate from going there.”
“…You’re really mature.”
“I won’t go to those places again. I’ll definitely let Mother know when I go out next time.”
With a smile instead of the gloomy face from before.
Looking like an adorably cute little girl, I said this to Rosalyn. For now, the priority was to reassure Rosalyn.
After all, I’d be sneaking out next time too, and I’d go to the casino again to replenish my funds. But right now, calming Rosalyn’s worries and anxieties was what mattered most.
“Rosalyn, um… did you eat lunch?”
“I didn’t. Mother… oh.”
She probably couldn’t eat because of me.
Since she said she was waiting… of course. I felt guilty in many ways toward Rosalyn.
Thus, we ended up having lunch together. Although it felt a bit strange how it came about, considering we both had skipped our meals, it felt right.
Moreover, after previously scolding and being scolded, we needed to lighten the mood.
Now, this meal was one I had gotten used to. I could even say that I had grown accustomed to sharing meals with Rosalyn more than eating alone.
In the past, I always ate alone and felt a void.
“Hehe…”
“Is it delicious?”
“Yes, it’s really delicious.”
Though a bit shy, it was probably because being with Rosalyn made it so.
Every time I sat at the large dining table alone, I would devour the huge spread all by myself. I had tried to get Rize to join, but she refused, saying she’d rather eat with the other maids and servants.
Every time William wasn’t around, I would end up wandering alone among the lavish dishes spread across the table, but now, I didn’t have to do that.
“Camelia? Eat this too. I know you like meat, but you have to eat your veggies, too.”
“Yes.”
Rosalyn offered the food to me.
No, rather than saying she was feeding me, it was more accurate to say she was encouraging me to eat.
At least she didn’t scoop it onto my fork and put it in my mouth. Yes, that makes more sense.
“You have classes tomorrow, right?”
“Yes. There are no classes today.”
We chatted about this and that while having lunch together. We talked about whether I had done my homework and what kind of homework it was, just typical conversations a mother and daughter would have. We even delved into some culturally deep topics that nobles might discuss.
I didn’t have enough cultural knowledge to answer well, but it seemed like Rosalyn enjoyed it, so I thought it was fine.
“I heard that the circus performances in the capital… well, in the central area are really lively these days. Doesn’t that seem a bit tricky as a business idea?”
“Ah… I’ve heard about that too. Since it’s somewhat like magic, you have to gather people who’ve reached a certain level beforehand… so it seems a bit difficult. I’d probably invest more in theater-related projects instead.”
“You’re really smart, Camelia.”
“That’s too much praise.”
Really.
The topics of conversation with Rosalyn turned out to be more diverse than I expected. Even though she was the youngest of the Rose Family, she was still from a count family and seemed to fit in well with business discussions too.
To be precise, she was the one asking the questions, and I was just providing suitable answers. But still, the conversation flowed continuously.
And that made it all the better.
I was used to sitting quietly alone while eating, with only the sound of forks and knives clinking against plates as I picked at my food, so comparing that with now… it was definitely better now. Yes, I felt that way.
“Yawn…”
After finishing lunch, Rosalyn and I were casually strolling around the garden.
I really needed to digest a bit.
After walking a bit like this, we could probably enjoy a cup of tea and comfortably pass the time again.
That’s how aristocratic life goes.
Unlike William, who was focused intensely on business matters, the children or spouses usually didn’t have much to do.
Moreover, Leonhardt didn’t interact much with other families.
“Camelia, are you sleepy?”
“Yes?”
“I’ve noticed you seem to be yawning a lot. I was just wondering if you’re really sleepy.”
“Ah…….”
I had yawned, but did I do that many times?
I wasn’t sure.
“I might be a bit… sleepy.”
“What time did you go to bed last night?”
“At twelve…?”
“………”
“…Why do you ask?”
Rosalyn started looking at me with slightly cold eyes again.
It felt a bit similar to when I was getting scolded for the casino incident. Could it be… because I stayed up too late?
“Isn’t it… a bit too late to go to bed?”
“That’s true, but… I sort of tossed and turned last night…?”
I tried to come up with an excuse.
If I told the truth… I was actually up doing other things, but if I said that, I felt Rosalyn would really get mad.
So I just tried to brush it off with a light excuse. After all, I’d already been scolded once today. I didn’t want to be scolded more…
“So I think I slept less than usual… haha…”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes, so I might have let out a yawn.”
Just nonchalantly as if that were the only reason I’d done so. I was trying not to worry Rosalyn or get scolded again.
“…You don’t have any classes later today, right? There are no other schedules?”
“Yes? That’s right?”
Rosalyn suddenly asked me again. I wasn’t sure why she was asking again. Did she have something planned?
“Then, do you want to come to my room for a bit?”
“…Huh?”
Rosalyn’s sudden suggestion left me momentarily confused, and I couldn’t help but ask again out of pure curiosity.
Why did she want to go to her room all of a sudden? Did she have some business there? I asked such questions while Rosalyn led me by the hand to her room from the garden.
“Um……..”
Since Rosalyn came to the mansion, I hadn’t been in her room very often.
Aside from the time when she first arrived and she introduced me to her room, I hadn’t been in at all since it was Rosalyn’s room.
I also had my own room and a normal sleeping area, so there wasn’t really a reason to visit. But… now it was getting to the point where I’d entered Rosalyn’s room without much of a reason.
And it was practically under the name of Rosalyn’s invitation, which felt more like a command.
“Just sit there for a moment.”
“Y-yes…?”
“I need to tidy up a bit. Since it’s still a bit small, it’s dangerous if it’s too high.”
“…?”
Saying that, she entered deeper into the room, towards the bed.
There was a curtain around Rosalyn’s bed, so I couldn’t see what she was doing on the other side. Was she going to fetch something?
As I heard some rustling noises, I stayed still. By the way, why does this room smell so nice?
It was like… roses. I didn’t often smell or like floral scents, but this was definitely a rose scent.
“…Interesting.”
It was surprising to find that, despite being in the same mansion, the fragrance could differ like this. At least, my room didn’t have a rose scent.
“Camelia? Come over here.”
“…Huh?”
Thinking for a moment, I followed Rosalyn’s instructions and walked to her bed, and then…
“I think you can sleep like this, okay?”
“S-sleep here?”
“There’s nothing else to do, plus you’re sleepy, and you’ve already eaten lunch, right? So… I’m just helping you take a short nap.”
As she pulled back the curtain, Rosalyn’s bed came into view, looking like a slightly larger cradle.
There were pillows on both sides, and at the head, there was a low pillow.
“…You want me to sleep here?”
“Yes. Is that… too much for you?”
“Um, not at all…”
In response to my question, Rosalyn looked really apologetic, as if she felt she had done something unnecessary, so I involuntarily reassured her that it wasn’t like that at all. Of course, it wasn’t.
I understood Rosalyn’s intentions for inviting me here, and I realized it came from a rational concern.
But the issue was… sleeping in another girl’s room like this felt a bit…
“Maybe I pulled you too much when you weren’t even sleepy…?”
“…No.”
But I couldn’t exactly say that here. Rosalyn was genuinely trying to care for me, which was why she took the initiative to provide a place for me to rest when she realized I didn’t sleep enough.
“…Okay. I’ll… just take a quick nap. If I sleep too long… it’ll be tough tomorrow, right?”
We ended up in Rosalyn’s room together, and then I laid down on her bed. I felt shy and a bit embarrassed, but I didn’t show it.
I was good at acting, after all.
“Hehe, just go to sleep. When I think it’s been enough time, I’ll make sure to wake you up.”
“…Okay?”
And then suddenly… Rosalyn laid down next to me on the bed as I was lying there.
“Suddenly…”
W-why…?