NOVEL WEB Chapter 18
Chapter: 18
“Wow…”
I arrived in the city of Melnick in the east.
Unlike the west and south, it borders the sea, making it quite famous as a tourist and leisure destination within the Empire. The Roseaki Family that governs Melnick is well-known too.
Anyway, it didn’t take a full week to get here, but it certainly felt like it on my end. Maybe it was because I sat still in the carriage for so long. The moment I got off in Melnick, I was in awe.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Right? The sea of Melnick is really famous.”
“Of course… it must be. It’s so pretty…”
“Hehe.”
We stopped right in front of the sea, not even at the beach.
We just happened to halt on a decent road, but since the view of the ocean was unobstructed, it was stunning. I couldn’t understand how famous the sea was just by hearing about it; now, it was clear why.
I even thought about that.
“Young Lady, it would be best to drop our bags at the accommodation we reserved first. After parking the carriage, I recommend exploring Melnick.”
“Oh, okay. Mother, shall we head back into the carriage?”
“Yes, since we can see the sea that Camelia loves so much a bit later. Let’s come out after a while to see it.”
“…I wouldn’t say I love it that much.”
True, I didn’t love it that much. It was just… pretty enough to keep staring at it.
Sure, I really liked beautiful things, but still, it wasn’t at that “I’m head over heels” level.
So we got back into the carriage and moved towards the inn that William had reserved. We kept looking at the city’s scenery along the way.
In contrast to the south, where the Leonhardt Mansion is, this city was undeniably beautiful.
All the houses in the city had lovely orange rooftops and white facades reflecting the strong sunlight. It was truly a beautiful city; I couldn’t help but think that way.
“Isn’t it prettier than you expected?”
“…It’s super pretty.”
“Is this your first time in Melnick, Camelia?”
“Yes, to be precise, it’s my first time excluding the southern region where we currently reside.”
Neither William nor I were the traveling types. William often had to go out for business, but I usually just stayed at the mansion.
Well, that might be why the scenery of Melnick looked so gorgeous to me now.
I really thought it was a good idea to come.
“Um… Mother?”
While I was still looking outside, I called out to Rosalyn.
Actually, Rosalyn was also looking out with wide eyes next to me.
“What is it? Do you have something to say?”
“Um…”
Rosalyn’s playful smirk made it a bit awkward for me to speak up. It wasn’t hard, though.
“Would you like to go out and take a look together?”
“Oh, so you liked it after all?”
“……. Yeah.”
I spoke honestly.
Truthfully… I did like it. It felt a bit awkward to wander around alone.
Plus, since Rosalyn was my stepmother, I figured it wouldn’t be an issue.
It wouldn’t be a problem at all to walk with a mother-like figure.
“Is that okay…?”
“You suggested it first, so how could it not be okay? Once the knights and servants finish organizing, let’s head out right away.”
“…Okay.”
William mentioned the inn just as a casual accommodation, but it was actually quite grand.
Honestly, compared to the Leonhardt Mansion, I thought there wouldn’t be much of a difference in its grandeur, aside from size. When you look past the external appearance and size… the interior was at least on a similar level.
Considering William’s personality, he probably wouldn’t have bought such a mansion straight away, even if he had the money. He might have just rented it for a short while.
As a result, everyone from our family could use the place. Even the knights and some servants were with us. Thanks to that, everyone was bustling around, cheerfully unpacking their things.
“Young Lady, all the luggage has been organized.”
“Oh really? Hm… then Rize, you rest for a bit. Mother and I will go out.”
“…Yes.”
It was surprisingly quick to finish the unpacking, and soon I was outside with Rosalyn.
The place wasn’t unsafe, so I felt it was fine for just the two of us to wander around together.
“Where should we go first?”
“I’m not sure what’s around…”
“Then, should we get something to eat? Thinking about it, we haven’t had lunch yet.”
“Oh… that’s true.”
Maybe I had been too caught up in the sights of the city. As Rosalyn pointed out, I really hadn’t eaten anything.
I normally didn’t eat much and didn’t care too much about food, but I was definitely feeling hungry. Rosalyn must have felt the same.
“Then let’s get something to eat first. Shall we head into a store? There seem to be many restaurants.”
“It doesn’t seem like Camelia is too hungry, though. How about we just grab some snacks from the market?”
“Is that okay with you? Is… eating from the market alright?”
I was fine with it, but I wasn’t so sure about Rosalyn.
After all, being nobility, I figured she might not be comfortable eating lower-quality food from the market.
If it were just me or if Rize had accompanied me… I would have just eaten whatever.
“What? Food that’s not fancy can still be delicious at a market! Plus, often, the less fancy food is more flavorful.”
“And so…”
“Shall we go?”
“…Okay.”
So, Rosalyn and I began to walk leisurely through the market, even holding hands.
I felt a bit shy, but I was gradually getting used to this kind of situation. Holding hands with someone of the same gender wasn’t uncommon anymore. Right?
Though, it still felt a bit weird and odd.
“How about that? Chicken skewers?”
“I’m okay with anything. You choose whatever you’re comfortable with…”
“But I want to eat something that matches Camelia’s taste!”
“Hmm… then…”
Honestly, I’d be fine with eating anything at all.
I pretty much ate most things, so everything was good for me. But the way Rosalyn insisted on me choosing what I wanted made it hard to decide.
…So reluctantly, I continued to wander through the market until I found a suitable…
“How about cotton candy?”
“Uh, is that okay…?”
“Huh? Oh, no! Just…”
“…Just?”
Even I thought it was a childish choice. Cotton candy in a hungry situation? That seemed a little too much.
Sure, I liked sweets, so I picked it, but choosing this in front of Rosalyn felt… really lacking for some reason. No matter how I thought about it.
“It’s cute…?”
“…?”
“Hehe… Isn’t it just so cute? Selecting cotton candy, of all things, isn’t that sweet?”
“Isn’t it too childish…?”
“No way! I mean, I suggested that we eat what Camelia likes, and that’s why I picked that, right? Why would I dislike it?”
“But… cotton candy is just… too…”
“But it’s so tasty, no?”
“………”
Rosalyn stuck her eyes on me as she smiled while saying that.
Really… she had such a bright aura that it made her reaction feel even more awkward. I felt like I hadn’t met anyone as sweet and wonderful as Rosalyn in my entire life.
Even though we had only known each other for about a month, it was apparent to both of us.
Rosalyn was exceptionally kind to me, so much so that it felt beyond my comprehension. I expected that a noble lady from a count family would feel frustrated being around families like ours and might dislike me.
In contrast to all my assumptions, imaginations, and delusions, Rosalyn was warm, cheerful, and gentle.
It felt like she was shining a light through the darker facets of our family.
Perhaps it was just that she was so different from the cold, hard, money-driven atmosphere of our family.
“Thank you…”
That just kind of slipped out.
“You don’t need to thank me that much. We’re family, right?”
“Family…”
“It’s not wrong to say what a daughter wants is what a good mother should want… But did I seem bad to you, Camelia?”
“N-no, not at all! Really… not at all…”
I truly hadn’t thought of Rosalyn that way. I had known for a while that she was a good person.
It was just… I wasn’t used to Rosalyn yet.
“Shall we go see the sea now?”
“…Yes!”
I grabbed Rosalyn’s hand, which I had momentarily let go, and began walking with her. It was my first visit to this city, and it felt unfamiliar… but holding Rosalyn’s hand made me feel reassured.
“What do you think? Getting to see the most famous sight in Melnick?”
“It’s really… really beautiful…”
I was gazing at the seaside, still holding Rosalyn’s hand.
Since the clothes I was wearing shouldn’t get wet, we were just strolling along the surrounding promenade.
Honestly, even though it was warm out, if I kept holding hands like this, I would probably start sweating… but I loved holding Rosalyn’s hand too much.
“I’m glad to hear you think that. Honestly, I haven’t been to Melnick often either. So I was worried about what I could do to make it enjoyable for you, where to go that would make you happy.”
“…Thank you.”
“Today, I feel like I’ve heard Camelia say thank you so many times already?”
“…But I really mean it, genuinely.”
“Hehe, you don’t need to be too thankful for just enjoying the view of the sea together.”
“Mother… um, do you like the sea?”
“The sea?”
“Yes.”
I just wasn’t too familiar with what Rosalyn liked.
Here I was, despite having Rize along, on a sort of journey with Rosalyn. I wanted to get even closer to her.
Even though we had spent one-on-one time at the mansion and had shared many conversations, I still wanted to grow closer and bond with her.
“I’m just… curious. I want to know more.”
“I didn’t expect Camelia to be this interested in me. It feels really happy.”
“Is that so…?”
Regardless, Rosalyn’s smile was truly beautiful. I couldn’t help but think that again. To be honest… it was totally my type.
No joke, I could watch her smile forever. It was that stunning.