NOVEL WEB Chapter 208
Chapter: 208
After wrapping up the business talk with the Roseaki Sisters, I spent some ordinary time.
It had been a while since we had met, so I had plenty to say, right?
We chatted casually, and before we knew it, we parted ways.
While catching up after so long was important, the reason I sought help from the Roseaki Sisters was ultimately for the Rose Family.
It was quite similar to what I asked Ivana last time.
Of course, I didn’t go into as much detail as back then.
“I think I did well…”
Things concerning business were gradually coming to a close.
The businesses I inherited from William and the ones I set up to undermine the Rose Family were finally…
“Ugh.”
One by one, things were being resolved.
Perhaps after I become the head of the family, getting my long-planned revenge on the Rose Family should proceed without a hitch.
I already heard that the Rose Family’s businesses were struggling to succeed, which made me even more confident in that expectation.
“…There’s not much time left.”
It was just a matter of time before I became the head.
To be honest, I didn’t think I would become the head the moment I turned adult, so I was a bit worried.
“…Sigh.”
After letting Rize enter the mansion first, I slowly wandered the streets alone.
It was chilly since it was winter, but hey, it was still the south.
I was just wasting time strolling around by myself.
“What should I do about Rosalyn…”
For now, Rosalyn had given me the impression that she wanted to stay.
I honestly wasn’t sure what that meant, but in the end, she had said she would remain with the mansion and the family even after William was gone.
“…She said she would stay.”
In the end, it was her choice, right?
I definitely intended to release Rosalyn, but since she voluntarily decided to stay in the mansion, no matter what I did later… it was going to happen because Rosalyn chose it.
“Phew…”
I thought about it and found it a bit crazy.
Rosalyn had definitely said she would stay for me, yet here I was, thinking such terrible things.
“It’s just something that can’t be helped.”
Yeah.
With that sort of thought, I finished thinking about Rosalyn and decided to head back to the mansion.
*
It wasn’t super late, but it was already sufficiently late.
Unlike the lights turned on in the returned mansion, the lobby and hallways were empty.
“Hmm…”
A quiet mansion.
Though it was the same mansion as always, today it felt especially silent and cold.
I figured it must just be winter.
Instead of heading straight to the room on the second floor, I slowly wandered around the mansion.
There wasn’t a specific reason for it.
I was just wandering, that’s all.
“…Should I change the interior a bit more later?”
I frequently changed the garden, but the inside of the mansion hadn’t significantly changed since I was born.
It hadn’t changed at all since I came into this world.
“I think it would be nice.”
Just with that thought in mind, I continued to stroll through the mansion.
Things were finally settling down, so I figured I had a bit of time to spare.
“Hmm…”
The place where my feet stopped wandering was right in front of Rosalyn’s Room.
I really just ended up stopping by chance.
“…Is she awake?”
Since it was late and Rosalyn typically went to bed early, I honestly wasn’t sure.
But I began to slowly open the door to the room.
“Mother…?”
As I opened the door slowly and surveyed the room, most of the lights were off, with just one softly illuminating by the bed.
The one light on seemed to indicate that Rosalyn hadn’t really heard me call out as she lay there.
“…I’ll come in.”
Saying that, I stepped inside without hesitation.
If she didn’t hear me, it would be Rosalyn’s fault for not hearing, not mine.
I had called out before coming in, after all.
That was just natural.
“She’s sleeping.”
As I moved closer to the bed to check, I found Rosalyn peacefully dozing.
I was honestly a bit surprised by how well she was sleeping.
I figured she would be awake since the light was on.
“Hmm…”
Just a normal sleeping face.
“…She’s beautiful.”
Even though it was just a simple sleeping face, I couldn’t help but think she looked pretty.
It seemed odd to not think so while looking at something beautiful.
There was nothing stranger than looking at something beautiful and not feeling that way, and yet despite that, Rosalyn simply looked lovely.
I was well aware that I wasn’t exactly ugly, but personally, I just found Rosalyn to be perfect for me.
Her beauty was expected, but her unique warm atmosphere and impression were genuinely appealing.
“Mother.”
“Yawn…”
When I called for Rosalyn, there was no response from her.
Confirming that, I slowly approached her.
I knew that Rosalyn wouldn’t wake easily while sleeping.
“…Sigh.”
Honestly, I just wanted Rosalyn for myself.
Not in the sense of dating her or anything, but I wanted to claim her as mine.
I felt a strong sense of guilt for thinking this way about my stepmother, but… I couldn’t help it.
“…….”
What caught my eyes was her delicate white arms and slender wrists resting on the blanket.
Along with Rosalyn’s face, the sight of her neck caught my attention.
She had helped me and showed signs of being a mother, but at the same time, I saw her as very fragile.
Rosalyn was undoubtedly a woman, a thought that crossed my mind again.
It was similar to when I had those thoughts during every massage I gave her recently.
Though I was relatively weak, I felt I could easily overpower someone like Rosalyn.
No, if I used magic, I could probably keep her from going outside at all.
“Sigh…”
So many bad thoughts crossed my mind, but for now, they were just thoughts.
So far, at least.
“I want to act on those thoughts right now… but it’s still not the right time.”
Even without doing anything so intense, it was still alright.
There were still plenty of times and ways for me to grow closer to Rosalyn.
There was no need for any drastic measures right now.
“Sigh…”
So I stood by Rosalyn, quietly watching her for a while.
I didn’t do anything else, just stood there quietly.
“Camelia…?”
“Oh, you’re awake.”
About 20 minutes later of just watching, Rosalyn suddenly woke up from her sleep.
I hadn’t expected that at all.
Of course, I hadn’t expected it, but it really wasn’t a problem, so I didn’t think much of it.
I hadn’t said anything weird or done anything strange during those 20 minutes, so it was fine.
“When did you come in…? I could’ve sworn you weren’t in the mansion before I fell asleep…”
“Oh, I just came in a little while ago. I stayed out late having fun with some friends I hadn’t seen in a while, and time slipped away from me.”
“Ah, I see.”
“I thought maybe if you were awake, I could at least say hi. But since you fell asleep with the light on, I thought I’d come in and turn it off.”
While quite some time had passed since I entered the room, I intentionally uttered that little lie.
After all, Rosalyn had been genuinely asleep until just moments ago.
Even if I said something like this now, ultimately, she could only trust me.
“Did you have fun playing outside? It’s been a while since you met with the Roseaki Sisters, so I hope you had a good time.”
“Hehe, I had an amazing time! Even though it had been a while since we last met, we were super close since before our Academy days, and they both have such great personalities.”
“Well, that’s good to hear…”
Even though she had woken up, Rosalyn still looked like she wasn’t fully awake.
Even while talking to me, she seemed to still bear a sleepy look on her face.
“Mother.”
“Uh…?”
“You must be really sleepy, huh?”
“Yeah…”
“Hehe, I’m sorry for waking you. I was just going to turn off the light, but I ended up waking you.”
“It’s alright… I’m actually happy that Camelia came home.”
She sure knows how to sweet talk.
Every time she speaks like that, it always makes me feel good, but at the same time, I find it a bit frustrating that she talks like this to everyone else.
I would be fine if she spoke so sweetly just to me.
Yet, Rosalyn generally maintained that tone in most of her conversations, and I found it a pity.
“I’ll turn off the light and head back out again, so you can go back to sleep.”
“Hehe… thank you…”
I gently patted Rosalyn’s head as I said that.
It might seem odd for a daughter to casually pet her stepmother’s head so nonchalantly, but Rosalyn didn’t reject my hand.
Not just that, she didn’t seem to mind me touching her head at all.
In fact, she seemed to find some comfort in my hand gently stroking her hair.
Watching her like that made me feel like…
“Sigh…”
My thoughts and feelings toward Rosalyn were growing deeper and becoming strange, and it was becoming a dilemma.