NOVEL WEB Chapter 190
Chapter: 190
“Oh my, Camelia. Look at this.”
“It looks super warm, doesn’t it?”
“It seems like it’s made from beast skin and fur… so incredibly white.”
Ivana had given me warm clothes to wear while roaming the North.
But even so, we found ourselves searching for a clothing store.
The reason, of course, was because we were women, right?
There was this unexplainable atmosphere of visiting a clothing store that a man like me couldn’t quite understand.
Honestly, it did seem like we often did this, but it was hard to cut down on it.
After going to the clothing store with Karen, it wasn’t even a week later that I went to one with Ivana, and shortly after, I went to a lingerie store with Rize.
It felt like whenever I was hanging out with girls, a clothing store was a given.
“Hehe, instead of crying, don’t you think it’d be nice to get something like this instead?”
“Crying is nice, but it’s cold, you know?”
“Aren’t I right?”
At that moment, Rosalyn, who was also seeing clothes from the North for the first time, looked even more delighted than usual.
Looking at Rize, who was quietly following behind and showing interest as she wandered around, it was clear.
“What animal’s fur is this made from?”
“The one you’re holding is made from Northern fox fur. It’s pure white, and the leather is thick while the fur is quite soft, so it’s popular.”
“Hmm… do you have other types besides this?”
“Of course. From mink to wolf and marten… there are many kinds. Most Northern folks have at least one.”
“Ah, I see.”
Indeed, most Northern people wore fur scarves.
It seemed more convenient to wear a scarf that could be easily put on and taken off, rather than one attached to clothing, and it looked pretty warm too…
“Mother, how about buying one?”
“Should I?”
“Yes. You always get cold when you go out, right? It’s best to keep your neck warm. I think it’d be nice to buy one here while we’re out.”
Ever since we arrived in the North, I had definitely noticed.
Rosalyn felt the cold a lot.
While she didn’t show it while wandering outside the castle with me, I could see her shivering a little.
It seemed she was trying to hide that from me on purpose… but she wasn’t foolish enough to not realize.
“Shall we pick one out for Mother first?”
I would still buy one for Rize, but it’s only right to take care of Rosalyn first.
Rosalyn treating Rize and me so comfortably was true.
But choosing Rize first wouldn’t sit well with Rosalyn.
At first, I wondered if a fur scarf could really be that warm, but… it turned out to be warmer than I expected.
Moreover, the unique feel of the fur made it quite fun to choose from.
“It’s definitely much warmer, isn’t it?”
“Hehe… I guess so.”
In any case, having chosen the scarf and picked out a few more clothes, we stepped outside.
Though it wasn’t anything special, I felt relatively good since Rosalyn seemed to shiver less in the cold.
To be honest, I could just say it straightforwardly.
In this regard, Rosalyn was surprisingly quiet.
It couldn’t be helped.
Even though she was my stepmother, Rosalyn treated me like a daughter, and because of that, I guessed she didn’t want to show her weak side to me.
“As long as we’re walking like this, isn’t it nice?”
“Of course, it is.”
“It’s been ages since I’ve been to the North. Just wandering around like this feels so good.”
“It’s really different from the South, so it definitely feels that way.”
After we left the clothing store, we just strolled slowly.
It was still cold, but it was better than before.
And since the Northern scenery was so beautiful, I really couldn’t help but walk around.
Honestly, we hadn’t strolled around comfortably as a trio since we arrived in the North.
I had been running around giving advice about Ivana’s business… thus the time spent with Rosalyn and Rize had surely been minimal.
“Hehe, even in winter, it doesn’t snow at all in the South.”
“I guess in that sense, it really was fortunate that we came here.”
“This trip wouldn’t have happened without Camelia.”
“That’s true.”
I didn’t deny it.
If I hadn’t come to the North to help Ivana, Rosalyn would never have come here.
There wasn’t really a reason beyond money or such, was there?
Staying in the warm South during winter was definitely much better, and coming all the way to the North was troublesome in many ways.
“I guess I should thank Camelia?”
“You don’t need to.”
I replied with a smile to Rosalyn’s words.
It really wasn’t necessary.
I was glad just being here in the North with Rosalyn, and honestly, I had secretly done some bad things to her.
Since I had woken up earlier this morning, I had taken the liberty to cuddle with Rosalyn while she was still asleep, so I didn’t need to express any gratitude.
It felt a bit like I was acting like a criminal, but… it was what it was.
“I’m really glad I can stroll around with you, Mother. It’s also so nice to wander with Rize.”
“Hehe, you’ve always been really close with Rize.”
“That’s true.”
While answering, I turned my head slightly toward Rize.
She slightly blushed as soon as I looked at her.
…She’s really cute.
“Honestly, I’ve spent more time with Rize than most maids at a mansion.”
“Rize is really kind, after all. She always helps you out, doesn’t she?”
“That’s true. Besides that, there are so many advantages to being with Rize.”
“……..”
As I shot a glance at Rize while saying that, her face turned slightly red again.
Maybe she was remembering what happened yesterday?
From Rize’s perspective, what happened could definitely be something to be embarrassed about.
If Rosalyn hadn’t walked in, I’m sure I would have taken it further.
“Hehe…”
Of course, I didn’t intend to do anything serious before becoming an adult.
I just wanted to keep it at the level of playful teasing, right?
“But it’s a relief that Mother doesn’t mind coming along because of me.”
“Why would I mind coming along with Camelia?”
“But still. You might not like it, right? You might hate sitting in the carriage bored all the way here, or you might dislike the cold. There could be many reasons you don’t like it.”
To be honest, I had those worries too.
Of course, when Rosalyn first mentioned following me to the North, I didn’t oppose it for that reason.
Back then, I was worried that if I got too close to Rosalyn, I might do something bad like this morning.
In the end, I ended up making that mistake just as I was worried.
I thought it was just unavoidable.
Once I had gone that far, there was no turning back.
“Were you really worried about that? You didn’t have to; she’s stronger than you think.”
“Is that so?”
“Hehe… you know how she was in her childhood, right?”
“Um…”
Hmm.
I hadn’t expected her to bring that up here.
It really caught me off guard.
“She doesn’t usually complain about much, you know?”
“Th-that’s true.”
Hmm.
Yeah… I suppose that’s true.
Since I had already heard of her experiencing discrimination in various ways as a bastard of the Rose Family, it made sense.
Of course, aside from that past, Rosalyn’s personality was still very kind.
“Hehe… was that too heavy of a topic to bring up…?”
“No, not at all. I wouldn’t be offended by those stories, to begin with.”
“Really?”
“Yes, it’s just your past, isn’t it? I don’t mind at all.”
“Hehe…”
Rosalyn’s past.
Among those stories, the ones related to being a bastard of the family didn’t bother me at all.
After all, it didn’t change Rosalyn’s character or her looks.
I was just worried about how Rosalyn felt when she brought it up.
“It really is a relief to hear you say that.”
In the end, it was good that Rosalyn felt better; that’s all that mattered to me.
I didn’t want to see her feeling down.
Just like when we stayed at the Rose Family’s territory…
“Hmm.”
“What’s wrong? Did you find somewhere you want to go?”
“I just… there’s a place I’d like to go with you, Mother, a bit later. It’s not somewhere we need to go right now.”
“Hehe, is that so?”
As I thought about the Rose Family, my mood suddenly soured.
Even though I planned to deal with those idiots once I became an adult… back then, it really felt disgusting.
In my life as Camelia, there had probably been no day as frustrating and angry as that one.
They treated us like trash, especially how they treated Rosalyn was beyond unacceptable.
“Hehe…”
Before I become an adult, I felt like I needed to come up with a way to deal with Christina Rose.
Even though they were still way weaker compared to actual count families, they were slowly recovering.
Well, it wasn’t like those girls wouldn’t have any options since they tended to hang out among themselves.
“…….”
Christina Rose.
I was already coming up with plenty of ways to take down the girl who tormented Rosalyn.
It wasn’t like I’d create some grand scheme to restore the family; she was just a baroness who used the help of baron and viscount family males to elevate her status.
“Young lady, what are you thinking?”
“Huh? Just… some fun thoughts?”
“…?”
In conclusion, it meant I could just take my time and prepare properly.
After all, I had an ally in Alexandra within the Rose Family, and the other members probably had no idea I was thinking this way.