NOVEL WEB Chapter 196
Chapter: 196
After successfully concluding the business discussion with Ivana, I returned to the South as an ordinary person.
I couldn’t spend time in the North until the vacation ended, and besides, it felt a bit rude to remain there as a guest continuously.
So, I was back in the South.
Was it because I’d just come down from the coldest part of the Empire in the North?
The temperature difference was truly remarkable.
“Isn’t that why so many people visit the South in winter?”
“You should dress warmly, Young Lady. You might catch a cold in the outfit you’re wearing now.”
“Ugh, fine.”
Even after a few days of returning to the South, the uniquely less cold winter felt unfamiliar.
Just a while ago, I had been living in a place that was freezing cold.
“And soon, Madam said to call for you.”
“Why?”
That was sudden.
Why would Rosalyn suddenly call for me?
Unlike in the North, no accidents or incidents had occurred in the South yet.
I had simply been resting comfortably since my return.
“I don’t know either. Just that the Madam mentioned it.”
“Hmm… well, I guess I’ll find out when I go later.”
Of course, I wasn’t planning on skipping it.
Even if Rosalyn started to nag me, I could just enjoy watching her expression different from usual while shrugging it off, right?
Anyway, it felt really awkward just wearing a regular shirt and pants inside the mansion.
I had been bundled up for about a month.
It was definitely different from when I used to walk around in Nordal’s castle with an extra coat over my clothes.
Anyway, after chatting with Rize, I headed to Rosalyn’s Room.
I didn’t know what the reason for being called was, but it couldn’t be anything serious, could it?
After returning to the South, I didn’t have anything to do, after all.
– Knock knock.
“Mother? May I come in?”
I casually knocked and asked Rosalyn inside.
Back in the day, I wouldn’t have knocked but… this felt better, right?
“Yes, come in.”
“Sure~”
I entered Rosalyn’s room, but I still had no idea why she had called for me.
Was there something specific she wanted?
Given that Rosalyn had been dealing with matters concerning the servants since returning, it didn’t seem like anything urgent.
“What did you call me for? Rize said you wanted to see me.”
“Um….”
“What is it?”
She seemed to be thinking about something while looking at me.
What could it be?
Even after thinking again, I couldn’t figure it out, so I could only tilt my head in confusion.
“Don’t you know?”
“Uh… no? I was suddenly called, after all?”
“Sigh….”
“What’s wrong?”
Rosalyn sighed deeply at my response.
What could be the reason for such a reaction?
I began to worry that something serious might have come up.
In this sudden situation where Rosalyn called me to her room, it really felt as if something significant was happening.
“Tomorrow is your birthday, you know?”
“What?”
“…Camelia, tomorrow is your birthday.”
“Uh…. really?”
The conversation that came out was a lot less significant than I expected.
I thought it was some immensely important or serious issue that needed immediate discussion.
But instead, it was just a perfectly ordinary topic.
“Sigh…. How could you forget that…?”
“I’ve been busy lately and just slipped my mind.”
“I was planning to prepare something special for it. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have said a word until tomorrow….”
“Hahaha….”
Hmm.
I understood why Rosalyn was flabbergasted, but I really couldn’t help it.
After all, I had so many things to do recently, right?
It had only been a few days since I returned to the mansion, and this vacation had been quite busy.
On top of that, I planned to go to the Information Guild soon within the week to get some intel related to the Rose Family.
I had really even forgotten that my birthday was happening tomorrow.
“I was thinking of asking you what you wanted to do tomorrow….”
“Haha….”
“What do you want to do?”
“I would be fine just spending it ordinarily.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, I’ve celebrated my birthday pretty normally every year, haven’t I?”
I didn’t need to throw a huge party or anything, anyway.
There weren’t many people to invite for a party.
Plus, I’d much rather spend time with Rosalyn, so I figured I’d have a great time regardless.
“Don’t you want to buy something or go somewhere? Anything like that?”
“Hmmm…. I don’t think so. I’ve just spent so much time in the North, so I think I’m good resting at the mansion.”
“…I see.”
After being on the move for so long, I didn’t feel a strong desire to celebrate my birthday in any special way.
Of course, from Rosalyn’s reaction now, it was clear she wanted to do something for my birthday.
Since the past, Rosalyn had always wanted to do something special for my birthday.
I could tell since she had shown that tendency since our early years together.
She was probably feeling a bit disappointed now because she wanted to celebrate my birthday like before.
Rosalyn often unintentionally revealed her true feelings through her expressions and actions.
“Hmm… then should we go out to eat tomorrow?”
“Should we?”
“Since it’s your birthday, it’d be boring to just relax at the mansion.”
As soon as I said that, Rosalyn’s expression brightened.
Really… her reactions are just adorable.
I always felt that seeing this kind of response really reminded me of Rosalyn’s youth.
Well, considering that Rosalyn is in her early 20s, it makes sense she’s not so old.
She’s even younger than the professors at the Academy, after all.
Thinking about it that way, she was definitely too young to be called my mom.
At least, she felt too young for me to regard her as just a mother.
“Hehe….”
“Where should we go? How about the restaurant we went to last time? I remember having a great meal there. Should we check it out again?”
“I think it’d be better if you decide on that, Mother.”
I didn’t really care if we didn’t go out.
What mattered to me was just spending quality time with Rosalyn.
*
And so, I ended up spending my birthday with Rosalyn.
I had thought it would be just another ordinary day, but Rosalyn seemed quite excited…
And so, I stepped outside with a smile on my face.
“It’s definitely chilly today.”
“True. I think it was a good idea to wear a coat.”
It felt quite enjoyable to head out just the two of us without Rize or any of the other servants.
Sure, going out with Rize is nice too… but when it’s just the two of us, it gives off a slightly date-like vibe, doesn’t it?
In that sense, it was undoubtedly more enjoyable than going out with other people.
“Camellia, you’ve always liked spicy food, right? How about that place that serves spicy pasta we ate before?”
“I think that if the weather’s cold, that might actually be nice.”
As we walked slowly, chatting about what to eat, Rosalyn was constantly discussing food options, but I wasn’t paying much attention to that.
My goal today was just to enjoy this time together.
We soon arrived at an atmospheric restaurant.
We placed our orders and spent time savoring our food in a completely ordinary manner.
Despite being a simple time, Rosalyn seemed to be having more fun than I expected.
Was it really that delightful to just hang out with me on my birthday?
I wasn’t sure.
“It’s my birthday, and I feel like I haven’t done anything special for you. I’m really sorry.”
“For me, just being out with you is enough!”
“If that’s the case… then I’m relieved, but it’s still a bit regretful that I haven’t done much for my daughter’s birthday.”
It was always Rosalyn’s thought.
As always, she had this tendency to want to take care of me, and I appreciated that…
“You always said this, right? Just spending time with you is more than enough.”
“Really…?”
Just by saying that, Rosalyn’s smile widened.
Honestly, I found it fascinating, and after seeing her constantly nagging lately, seeing her like this made me think she was cute.
“By the way, once next month ends, you’ll have to return to the Academy, right?”
“That’s right.”
Considering it was January and I’d need to return to the Academy toward the end of February.
Going back was slightly bothersome, but… I thought the second semester would be a lot more enjoyable than the first, so that thought faded a bit.
“While it’s nice to spend time together like this… it’s something that can’t be helped.”
“Right.”
Personally, I liked hanging out with other girls too.
But somehow, the time spent with Rosalyn felt distinctly different.
I personally preferred being at the mansion rather than going to the Academy.
Just spending time out like today with Rosalyn was genuinely good enough for me.
“…….”
If only Rosalyn wasn’t so young and instead around my age, life would’ve been so much easier.
In so many ways, it felt very regrettable.
Really.