NOVEL WEB Chapter 43
Chapter: 43
Just talking to Rize, just like Rosalyn said, resolved the issue.
I honestly didn’t expect things to turn out this well. But anyway, it was a relief.
“Rize, ah~”
“…Yes.”
Rize and I got along again like we used to, and we even went out of the mansion together just like before.
No, it actually felt like we were closer than before?
Anyway, today I came to hang out with Rize at a dessert cafe in the city.
Originally, I had other things to do, but the weather was hot, and today I felt lazy, so I just went with the flow.
I just came to hang out like this.
“Next week, the academy will be on break, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Ms. Karen mentioned it in her letter not long ago.”
“So she should be coming soon.”
“Yes.”
Karen’s visit was already a planned thing.
Last winter, she came to visit our mansion shortly after the break started.
In fact, she even mentioned in her letter that she would come to visit again in the summer, so she would definitely visit.
“I think Ella will be visiting soon too. It might be nice for us all to take a trip somewhere nearby.”
Rize and I were chatting while eating ice cream.
It was still summer, and with the hot weather, eating ice cream was the only option.
Honestly, it would probably be worse to come to a dessert cafe and eat something like muffins instead of ice cream.
Of course, I did catch a cold after eating shaved ice not long ago…
“Hehe…”
“…Young Lady.”
“What? Didn’t you say you liked this stuff too?”
“……..”
Honestly, ice cream was delicious, but watching Rize’s reactions while continuing to feed her ice cream was also fun.
After reconciling with Rize, I could see her reactions more than before.
“Rize, how’s this?”
“It’s delicious.”
“Really? Then, want another bite?”
“…Yes.”
Rize was definitely avoiding me less than before.
Yup, I was glad I followed Rosalyn’s advice.
Honestly, if I hadn’t listened to Rosalyn and just waited around, things with Rize might have remained ambiguous.
Of course, things might have eventually smoothed over someday, but it wouldn’t have felt as comfortable or close as it did now.
“Just looking at documents all the time while taking it easy feels so nice.”
“You should rest a bit more, Young Lady…”
“Well, I’m tired, but I’m doing this because I want to, okay?”
“…Young Lady.”
It felt way more comfortable than when I usually looked at documents while resting in my room.
I could just play with Rize while eating ice cream or scoop it up with a spoon.
Isn’t this the right way to spend daily life?
“Ha… Rize.”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
“How about we just take a break from business matters and hang out with Karen and Ella?”
Feeling this relaxed made me want to entertain that thought.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been spending more time taking it easy since reconciling with Rize, but resting was surprisingly comfortable.
“You’ve already finished the important business recently, so… taking this opportunity for a vacation is also recommended.”
“What do you think we should do, Rize?”
“I… personally think you should rest. You caught a cold recently… and since other guests will be visiting…”
“You want me to rest?”
“…Yes.”
If Rize wanted that, then I should take a break.
After all, the important tasks were done anyway.
I thought it would be nice to spend some vacation time relaxing with friends, including Rize.
Honestly, I was also somewhat inclined to take a break.
“Rize, ah~”
“…Young Lady.”
“What? You like this kind of thing, right?”
“……..”
Rize couldn’t answer.
It’s really amusing.
*
“I’m glad it worked out.”
“Indeed. It’s all thanks to Mother.”
It really was thanks to Rosalyn.
So here I was, visiting Rosalyn’s room again to express my gratitude.
Even though my visits to Rosalyn’s room had decreased significantly compared to before, I was truly thankful for this.
Of course, the way it happened… felt a bit odd, but whatever, the issue got resolved, so that’s what matters.
Honestly, aside from seeing Rize in her birthday suit, I had nothing to be embarrassed about.
After all, Rize had seen me in my birthday suit plenty of times during baths and when changing clothes.
“Thank you so much.”
“When my daughter asks for help, of course, I should assist her.”
“Still.”
Rosalyn said it was no big deal, but I couldn’t help but feel really grateful.
After all, it was Rosalyn who brought Rize and me closer again.
“I’ll repay you next time, somehow. For now… I can’t really do anything substantial.”
“You don’t need to expect anything in return. It’s fine without you doing anything. That’s how parent-child relationships work.”
“…Is that so?”
Rosalyn always replied that way, but I still found it hard to comprehend her mindset.
Was she too focused on business, so she thought only that way?
Unlike her words, Rosalyn had helped me, so I often felt like I should somehow repay her… that thought frequently crossed my mind.
In fact, I thought it would be unfair to Rosalyn if I didn’t do something.
“Camelia?”
“Yes?”
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
“Um… I was just thinking about what I could do to make Mother happy.”
“Really?”
Rosalyn looked at me with a bright smile.
She really was someone who didn’t fit in with the Leonhardt family.
Years later, William continued to make money for himself outside and lived life casually, while I was running businesses unlike other young ladies…
It felt like she was the only normal and warm person in an odd family.
Of course, I wasn’t someone who was incredibly money-hungry like William, but still… I was somewhat aware that I had those tendencies.
The reason I became friends with Ella and Karen in the first place was largely related to my status as a noble and the business I was running.
Of course, recently, I’ve also been close to them aside from that… but initially, that was indeed the case.
Unlike me, Rosalyn was truly… a good person who couldn’t be seen in any other way.
Even though I was gradually drifting away from her as I grew older, she always treated me warmly and was good to the other servants, including Rize.
“Camelia, a letter arrived regarding your admission to the academy. You should read it. It mostly just mentions things needed for the academy dormitory or things not allowed to bring.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“And since the academy will be on break soon, what did Karen say?”
“She said she’s coming to visit our mansion again this summer. She’ll spend about a week at Melnick and then come after unpacking.”
Since Karen frequently visited our mansion, Rosalyn was also attentive to such matters.
In fact, while William was out and about with business and women, Rosalyn handled the internal affairs of the mansion and the visitors.
She couldn’t help but be interested.
“Is everything alright lately? Aside from the heat, of course.”
“I’m fine. You take care of everything so well.”
“Ahaha, I’m glad to hear that. I do all this because I want Camelia to be well.”
Since Rosalyn took charge of the internal affairs of the mansion, things had become much tidier.
Aside from cleanliness, the interior no longer felt excessively luxurious; it had become more subdued and elegant.
It felt a bit like when I visited the Roseaki family’s mansion back in the day.
Of course, both Rosalyn and I agreed that it still fell short in comparison.
“Mother, when Karen and Ella visit the mansion this time, I was thinking we could take a short trip somewhere nearby.”
I shared the conversation I had with Rize with Rosalyn.
It was hot, and I hadn’t seen Karen in a long while, so I simply mentioned that we could all go for a getaway.
After all, we hadn’t even decided on a location or when we would go yet.
“That sounds nice. Camelia tends to be sensitive to the heat, so a trip somewhere cooler might be a good idea.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. By the way, I heard you’ve been eating ice cream a lot at the dessert cafe, Rize mentioned it to me.”
“Yes?”
“Didn’t I clearly tell you to eat cold treats in moderation?”
“…You did.”
I didn’t expect the topic to shift in this direction.
I was merely going to mention that we were planning a trip, and… I intended to bring that up with Rosalyn…
“Especially since you just had a cold. Are you trying to catch another one?”
“No…”
“Why do you think Rize would bring it up to me?”
“…I’m sorry. But the weather is just so hot…”
“I understand it’s hot, but I think it’s a bit much to eat ice cream or shaved ice every day at the mansion and eat more outside, too.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“So starting now, I’d advise you to limit cold foods like ice cream and shaved ice to a maximum of 5 times a week.”
“Excuse me?”
What does that even mean?
I was certain I heard it wrong.
“Ah, and by the way, it starts today.”
“…Mother? This… saying that during summer is just too much…”
“Isn’t the real problem eating ice cream three times a day?”
“…That is…”
“And this includes buying it outside. I told Rize to count it every time you eat.”
“……..”
Even Rize wasn’t on my side.
This… this is…
This is hell.
I needed to eat ice cream or shaved ice more than twice a day just to cope with the heat.
I never imagined it would turn out like this…
I just wanted to suggest we go on a trip together, but why did it end up like this?
…My heart hurt in so many ways.