NOVEL WEB Chapter 2
Chapter: 2
After Rosalyn entered the Mansion, nothing much happened. Just… a brief self-introduction?
I finally found out her age.
Rosalyn is 16 years old; still a minor, but… it wasn’t a huge issue.
After all, it was surprisingly common for a young girl to marry a middle-aged man in this era, and I didn’t have any specific feelings about it. Of course, I personally felt… a bit sorry for her.
I mean, there’s only an 8-year difference.
When I was 8 years old, she was 16, so it’s not like it was an enormous gap. It wasn’t even the usual mother-daughter age difference I was accustomed to.
“So, does Miss Camelia usually spend time alone?”
“Um… yes. My father is often busy with work, traveling a lot. Besides that, he’s hardly around during the day. I feel like I’ve been alone most of the week.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay. It’s the truth, right? It wasn’t all that difficult anyway.”
If anything, it could be considered a good thing. Honestly, I didn’t like William; he wasn’t handsome and was overweight.
With his eating habits, there’s no doubt he’d end up with diabetes or high blood pressure later.
In contrast, Rosalyn… was truly beautiful. So beautiful that my gaze would unintentionally wander to her neck and wrists.
Of course, Rosalyn didn’t notice those kinds of looks.
“…But how should I address you?”
“Why?”
“Well… you’re my father’s wife, right? So… that makes you… mother…?”
It was always awkward when a stepmother came around. Compared to last time, Rosalyn had a nice personality, and since I liked her, I was making an effort to keep the conversation light and friendly.
But in the end, she was still a stranger.
Today was the first time we met.
Suddenly getting close felt a bit awkward. Just… being casual felt strange, and being formal was uncomfortable too.
New family members always felt like this.
Especially… since she was my mother now.
“…Of course, you can call me mother. I am now the mistress of the Leonhardt family… Saying it myself is a bit embarrassing, but isn’t that how it is? So I should be your mother, Camelia.”
“I see…”
How should I put it… she was a different type of person than anyone I usually met, so it felt a little awkward.
William, my father, was always off chasing other women. And he was constantly busy running around trying to earn money for business. In the end, my last mother… just left.
Maybe that’s why, as I met Rosalyn’s gentle smile and looked into her eyes, it stirred up something strange within me.
“So… mother…?”
“That sounds nice. It feels like we’re already family.”
“Oh… okay…”
Was it because she was pretty? I felt a bit… shy.
To be honest, it was a little embarrassing to call a girl around my age ‘mother.’
My last mother was at least in her 20s, and having someone this young… it felt weird in its own way.
My heart raced a bit faster than usual…
“Miss Camelia. Are you alright?”
“…You can just call me Camelia. No need to be so formal.”
“Really?”
“And… you can speak casually with me. After all, you call me mother… right?”
I hadn’t planned to go this far.
I just wanted to let Rosalyn know that our family was okay, that it wasn’t bad, and that she was welcome. What I truly wanted was for Rosalyn to be long-term in the role of mother.
“…Oh, I have a gift for you.”
Was it because Rosalyn was too beautiful or maybe it was her overly kind tone that made it happen? Without even realizing it, I found myself looking at her neck and suddenly remembered.
I wasn’t the type to forget things like this.
“Steward.”
“Yes?”
“Bring it here.”
“Understood.”
I had actually planned to give it to her right away. But the conversation was more interesting than I expected, and I got carried away.
This necklace was crafted by a local artisan. I had seen the real thing once already.
A pretty necklace adorned with a red jewel. It was probably a ruby.
Since Rosalyn belonged to the Rose Family and the symbol of the Rose Family is a red rose, I deliberately chose a red gemstone.
Well, her hair was black after all. But in the end, all gifts change according to the giver’s intentions.
“Mother. This is… just a little gift from me. It’s to welcome you to our family.”
“Oh my…”
“It’s a necklace made to order from an artisan in the capital. Do you think you’ll like it?”
William, though a terrible father, did teach one thing: expensive gifts are good, but what’s better is something expensive.
“Please accept it.”
“It’s so… beautiful.”
“Right? I made sure it wasn’t too extravagant. I’m really glad if you liked it.”
Really. To be honest, I had debated going overly flashy, but… I specifically chose a simpler style.
Giving something too extravagant might backfire.
This was a gift from an 8-year-old kid. I mean, sure, 8 years old is pretty young, but making it too flashy might come off as trying too hard, which could be off-putting.
My goal was to endear myself to Rosalyn and ensure she would stay in the Mansion for a long time.
“Camellia? Could you put it on?”
“Me?”
“It’s a necklace. The person giving the gift usually helps put it on.”
“Uh…”
I hadn’t expected to be asked this.
But… it didn’t seem wrong, so I moved behind Rosalyn.
Although I was short, I could still manage to put the necklace on her while sitting in front of her. It was a bit of a stretch, but doable.
“………”
As I was trying to fasten the necklace from behind, I caught sight of Rosalyn’s fair neck.
Being so close, I could faintly smell the sweet scent of roses.
As I was fastening the necklace, I found myself staring at her neck without even realizing it.
So smooth and white… it looked like something I could lick…
“Camellia? Is something wrong?”
“Ah, um… it’s nothing.”
…What was I even thinking.
Anyway… I continued the conversation with Rosalyn.
After chatting for a bit, I showed her around the Mansion and pointed out her own bedroom.
If she rang the bell, the maids would come, and for baths or cleaning, she could just ask them to help out.
Since she came from nobility, she probably knew all this without my help. But Rosalyn nodded her pretty head in response to everything I said.
…Honestly, it was pretty.
“…She really was beautiful. Truly.”
I mumbled to myself while staring at the ceiling in my room.
After all, there was no one in the room except for me—no Rosalyn, no steward, no maids, and no William.
“…At 16, of course, she’s at the peak of her beauty.”
I turned my gaze to the mirror. It was a full-length mirror, so I could see my face even while lying on the bed.
The image of a cute little blonde girl resting on the bed was reflected back at me.
Compared to Rosalyn, it was definitely the stature of a little girl.
“…Mother.”
To be honest, Rosalyn didn’t really feel like a mother.
Of course, she was kind and nice… those things felt mature. Even though she was just 16, as a noble, she must have learned plenty of etiquette.
That was to be expected… yet, despite all that, I couldn’t help but not see her as a mother in the typical sense.
Sure, now she was indeed officially my mother, but…
Still… it felt more like an older sister rather than a mother. After all, having a mother at 16 is kind of strange…?
“…I guess that’s just how it is.”
When it came to my last mother, the age gap allowed for a somewhat maternal feel, but that was because there was more of a gap.
“Maybe after some time, it’ll feel alright. Yeah.”
I made that promise to myself.
And at the same time, I recalled Rosalyn, whom I had just met today.
Though she was 16, if you counted her past life, she’d be 18. Basically, she was practically an adult.
But despite that, there was still a childlike charm to her face. She truly was like a rose.
I understood why the Rose Family had named her Rosalyn.
“…But this feels good.”
At least this time, I didn’t feel like she would suddenly escape in the middle of the night.
My last mother… seemed like she might finally grow attached near the end. Yet, she ran away without leaving anything behind, just a letter.
“……..”
I hugged a pillow almost as big as my torso tightly.
It felt fluffy and cozy.
Hugging a pillow bigger than me always seemed to calm my nerves.
Was it because it felt soft?
More so, I wondered if Rosalyn found her room comfortable. I had decorated it alone to some extent… but honestly, I didn’t know her preferences.
Even though I was reborn as a girl, my room was incredibly plain for experimenting.
A big bed, a vanity, a full-length mirror, a desk, and a bookshelf.
Honestly, no one would think this was the room of an 8-year-old girl. William didn’t care much for that stuff, and I wasn’t into frilly, bright designs either.
“…For now, I just did what the steward and maids suggested…”
I really didn’t know.
In the end, all I could do was embrace this oversized pillow.
Tomorrow… maybe I’ll take Rosalyn for a walk around the Mansion. There’s the exterior too, not just inside. Or, I could take her out shopping for some clothes.
Whatever it is… it should be something she’ll like.
Yeah. That sounds good.
Even though I had just met her today, I could tell Rosalyn… definitely didn’t seem to dislike me at all.
“…Oh, I still have homework.”
…I was someone who graduated from college.
Of course, not from an incredibly prestigious one.
But still, even a college graduate like me found homework to be a hassle.
Not because it was hard, but because it was too easy.
The occasional visits from the tutor were honestly incredibly dull.
They were far more tedious than the finance or economics classes William had assigned last time, which were actually interesting.
I felt like those classes suited me well…
“…But I shouldn’t show any interest there.”
William thought I had a knack for business. The reality is that I was just a grown-up with a little common sense.
Thanks to that, I ended up with one more house tutor and an increased pile of homework.
Suddenly, I felt an urge to see Rosalyn again. Rather than doing homework, talking and relaxing with Rosalyn sounded far better…
Hmm. Maybe it truly feels like she’s my mom.
I might need to take back what I said about her not feeling like a mother just a bit ago.
Given that I had such thoughts of wanting to see her in such a short span of meeting, it couldn’t entirely be dismissed.