[Chapter Thirty-eight]
[Anri]: "H-Hello.....Roselia-sama......."
I was talking with Lou about a book we were reading in the library when a noble girl walked over to us.
[Rose]: "Um, you were......."
[Anri]: "Ah, I-I'm sorry. I am Anri Marcus."
[Rose]: "Right, from Earl Marcus's house. So what can I do for you?"
[Anri]: "U-Um.....I was hoping I could consult with you......please........"
Anri Marcus is the second daughter to Earl Marcus, a sweet girl with a lovely face who isn't gaudy in the slightest and really carries the air of a refined noble girl. She's in the next class over, so we've never talked before now though. I'm a little worried whether or not I can give a good answer even if she does want to consult with me, but there's no harm in at least hearing her out.
[Anri]: ".....the other day, I worked up my resolve to give Erina-sama a warning......but she isn't listening to me......."
[Rose]: "A warning? By yourself?"
[Anri]: ".....yes. I have a fiancee, and Erina-sama is always flirting and attaching herself to him.....and I think he probably likes her too. He and I would often go shopping together or exchange letters, but after Erina-sama came by, he stopped talking to me....... The same thing is happening with a lot of other girls and their fiancees too....... So I tried warning Erina-sama about her behavior........ But she ignored my words.......and then said I was just being narrow-minded........"
She told me everything while desperately holding back her tears.
(Haa, Erina.......you're just going to create even more problems like this.......)
[Anri]: "She won't listen to anything I say, but, but maybe if the warning comes from the higher ranked Roselia-sama and Sophia-sama, Erina-sama might understand and be a little more careful........I'm sorry for forcing this extremely selfish story on you........"
[Rose]: "Have you tried talking to your fiancee directly?"
[Anri]: "Y-Yes..... I made sure to talk to him first. I thought I could manage if he said he was just on good terms with her........instead he replied, "How can you not see Miss Erina's magnificence?" and I ended up getting angry......."
[Rose]: "Haa, Erina-sama shouldn't be doing what she is, but I have to wonder about that fiancee of yours."
[Anri]: "Yes......he wasn't like this before though"
(Is it because she's the heroine? Jeez, that would be bothersome.)
[Rose]: "Well, I don't have a fiancee, so I'm not really in a position to talk to her. But I can pass on what you've told me to Sophia-sama. She has quite a few thoughts about this when it comes to Prince William."
[Anri]: "T-Thank you very much......"
(This is really worrisome. Even though it was a political marriage, it looks like this girl really liked her fiancee. My troubles just keep increasing........ For now I'll just tell Sophia-sama and figure out what to do later.)
[Rose]: "And that's the story. What do you think Sophia-sama?"
[Sophia]: ".....so they've been coming to you too. I've been run ragged with all the girls coming to me asking for my help with their fiancees."
[Rose]: "Thanks for your hard work Sophia-sama."
[Sophia]: "Yeah, thanks. That girl doesn't care no matter how many girls come up to tell her off, so the girls end up coming to me with tears in their eyes. ........one by one, with the same problem every time........."
[Rose]: "You have your schoolwork to manage, and there's still your queen education that you have to take care of. I know you can't solve every problem a girl brings to you, but when somebody walks up to me with tears in their eyes........I can't help but want to help......"
[Sophia]: "Fufufu, raise your head Rose-chan. Erina-sama has been sticking to Will-sama lately as well.......and there's no way I can allow her to keep sticking and clinging and hanging off of him like this. Clearly I need to take a moment to keep her in check."
[Rose]: ".......Right"
(I doubt that Erina will be scared off simply by a check. If it's her, she might just welcome the event and play at being the victim.......)
[Chapter Thirty-nine]
[Rudolph]: "Can I have a moment of your time Miss Roselia?"
The voice that called out to me belonged to one of Prince Eric's delightful friends, the son of the current knight commander. He has short, light cream colored hair and a sharp look in his eye that makes him look like he's always grumpy. But according to Julius-sama, he is still relatively popular among the girls, many of whom are just looking for an opportunity to talk to him.
[Rose]: "Oh, you must be the son of our knight commander......."
[Rudolph]: "My name is Rudolph. I know this is the first time we have ever spoken to one another. Do you have a moment to talk right now?"
[Rose]: "Yes, has something happened Rudolph-sama?"
[Rudolph]: "......actually, I was hoping to consult with you about Miss Erina and Alex."
(Another consultation.......and once again about Erina too.)
[Rose]: "Alex-sama is the next prime minister correct?"
[Rudolph]: "Yes, and Alex is enamored with Miss Erina. So much so that he is willing to listen to whatever request she makes of him and often acts immediately on those requests.......and just the other day, Miss Erina informed Alex about another girl who had issued to her a warning. She also claims that the main culprits behind this incident are Roselia-sama and Sophia-sama."
[Rose]: "Eh?"
[Rudolph]: "......she told Alex that the girl had issued a warning to her on Roselia-sama and Sophia-sama's orders. That is why Alex will most likely try to make contact with you and Sophia-sama soon. I doubt Alex would try anything, but I still wanted to warn Roselia-sama all the same."
[Rose]: "Yes.....neither Sophia-sama nor I have done anything of the sort. Although there have been several girls who have come to consult with us."
[Rudolph]: "Oh no, I never meant to imply that you and Sophia-sama had. I told them both as much, but they refused to listen to me. That is why I was hoping you and Sophia-sama would talk to your guards........."
[Rose]: "Oh yeah, you're Prince Eric's guard aren't you?"
[Rudolph]: "Yes, His Majesty and Prince William asked me to......so I am sorry I cannot be of more use to you."
[Rose]: "Huh? T-There's no need to apologize!! Sophia-sama is Prince William's fiancee, so she'll have her own guards, and I'll be just fine.......probably."
[Rudolph]: "Be careful not to be on your own as much as possible."
[Rose]: "Yes, I understand. Thank you for worrying about me."
[Rudolph]: "No! It is vexing that I am unable to protect you directly.......and as selfish as it may sound, I am glad I was able to speak with Roselia-sama like this."
Rudolph-sama's eyes were swimming around a bit. And looking closely, his face seemed faintly reddish.
[Rose]: "Speaking with me? If you're happy with that, I don't mind talking with you whenever you want?"
(Does Rudolph-sama not have any friends? And that's why he's happy that I'll talk to him? I mean if he's this happy that somebody would talk to him, I don't mind talking to him whenever he wants.)
[Rudolph]: "T-Truly!? With someone like me......you are truly compassionate."
[Rose]: "You're exaggerating. And it's fine to call me just Rose if you want."
[Rudolph]: "T-That would be too disrespectful....so please allow me to at least call you Rose-sama. And you may refer to me as just Rudolph without any honorifics."
[Rose]: "Are you sure? Then I will call you Rudolph then. Thank you Rudolph. I'll be sure to spend as little time alone as I can."
I thanked Rudolph one more time before turning around and heading to the lounge where Sophia-sama should be waiting for me.
[Rose]: "Sorry to have kept you waiting Sophia-sama."
[Sophia]: "It's okay. I had Julius-sama to talk to."
[Julius]: "It's my honor to be able to help you Sophia-sama."
That little matter about becoming Julius-sama's fiancee has been put on hold. Mostly because I've always had Sophia-sama with me whenever he comes to see me, and he hasn't brought it up since.
(I doubt he's forgotten about it.......maybe Julius-sama........)
[Rose]: "Thank you Julius-sama. And Sophia-sama, there's something I have to tell you."
[Sophia]: "Oh? Who was it this time?"
[Rose]: "Actually, this time it wasn't a girl who stopped me."
[Julius]: "Hey, should I leave for this?"
[Rose]: "No, I'd like it if Julius-sama were to hear about this as well, so please stay. I'm thinking I'll tell this to Lou as well later."
[Julius]: "What is this about? ......although I can guess this has something to do with Erina-sama again."
[Rose]: "......yeah, it's Erina-sama again. The other day, Anri-sama consulted with me about how she gave Erina-sama a warning about how she was acting. Well, it seems that Erina-sama went around and told Alex-sama that Sophia-sama and I were the ones who put her up to it. And apparently......Alex-sama is so madly in love with Erina-sama that Rudolph-sama was worried he might do something to the two of us in response."
[Julius]: "......Hey Roselia-chan, would this Anri happen to be Anri Marcus?"
[Rose]: "Yeah, that's right. Just what I'd expect from you Julius-sama. But how did you know?"
[Julius]: "No, how could I not. Miss Anri is Alex's fiancee. I wonder if Miss Erina included that particular piece of information. If Alex did know, the first thing he should have done was check up on his own fiancee before trying to pick a fight with Roselia-chan or Sophia-sama."
[Sophia]: "It's just as Julius-sama says. Did Rudolph-sama mention anything about that?"
[Rose]: "No, he just told me to be careful. I'll try asking him though next time I see him. He did say he didn't think anything would actually happen, but please be careful just to be safe Sophia-sama."
[Sophia]: "I will. I'll be sure to let Will-sama know about this as well. Thanks Rose-chan."
[Chapter Fourty]
Sophia-sama left in order to inform Will-sama about what was going on as soon as possible. I stood up to leave as well, but for some reason Julius-sama remained seated.
(There's something awkward about this.......)
[Julius]: "....Hey Roselia-chan, about before"
[Rose]: "Before.....you mean when you asked me to be your fiancee?"
[Julius]: "Yeah, that. You know, if you become my fiancee, people will no longer think of you as the top contender for Prince Eric's fiancee right? And since Miss Erina would no longer have a reason to pick a fight with you, wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone? Not a bad deal if I say so myself."
(Except Erina is looking to get herself a reverse harem, so even if I did become your fiancee, she'd still end up picking a fight with me.)
[Rose]: "It certainly does sound like it is full of merits for me, but I cannot find where such a deal would benefit you. What do you get out of this?"
He is already the son of a duke, so marrying me won't benefit him much. And with Julius-sama's handsome face, he's popular with all the girls and could probably marry whoever he wanted. As a matter of fact, he's so popular with the girls that there is no end to the rumors circulating around about him. I can't think of any reason why he would actually benefit from an engagement with me.
[Julius]: "There are loads of benefits for me too. Your beauty is like that of a goddess, so everyone will see us as the ultimate couple. Plus we're both from a duke household, so nobody should have any issues with our statuses either. Full of merits right?"
[Rose]: "Perhaps that's true, but couldn't you say the same thing of numerous other girls as well?"
[Julius]: "And yet if Roselia-chan says the word, I promise not to look at any other girl."
Julius-sama stood up from his chair as well. He brushed his hand against my hair, trying to entice me with a sweet smile and sweet words that could make just about anyone fall in love with him.
[Rose]: "Hah! What kind of joke is that? Or do you think that doesn't count as a lie so long as you only think about the woman you really love while only looking at me?"
[Julius]: "......!?"
That sweet smile he had been showing me until now suddenly twisted into a frown.
[Rose]: "Did you think I wouldn't notice? I suppose with your social status, most girls' cheeks are dyed red just from seeing your handsome face, and you have them falling in love with you after stringing together a beautiful melody of sweet words."
[Julius]: "......I figured you'd be the same way."
[Rose]: "I have more than just a field of fresh flowers for a brain. Even Julius-sama who enjoys his time with all sorts of different girls can be wrong every once in a while."
[Julius]: "Well I didn't think that far ahead. But, there's no way......"
[Rose]: "You think I haven't figured out who you are in love with? You're a lot easier to figure out than you think then. You asked me to be your fiancee, but you've never asked to be alone with me. Whenever you came to see me, I was always with her.......but even then, just comparing how you look at me and how you look at her made it perfectly obvious."
[Julius]: ".....so you've seen through me......because of my eyes........"
The second I pointed it out, Julius-sama hid his eyes with both of his hands and turned his head towards the ground.
[Rose]: "Well I wasn't certain until I saw you alone with her."
The look in his eyes when he is talking to me is the same look he gives every other girl he flirts with in this school, but with her.......it's clear he's trying his best to hide it, but the overflowing passion in his gaze when he's talking to Sophia-sama is impossible to cover up completely. With that being said, I don't think Sophia-sama has realized it herself yet.
[Julius]: ".....I got to meet her several times when we were both small. I don't think she remembers about that though...... Still, she was my first love. By the time I had realized that fact though, she was already engaged to somebody else."
[Rose]: ".....and so you play around with other women?"
[Julius]: "Yes, I'll never be able to have her after all.....I could never compete against that guy, and it's clear to me that she's already fallen in love with him. I'm always looking for someone else.......but I can't find anyone I love more than her. Everyone else looks the same to me. .....I started thinking everything would be fine so long as she is happy. I know it's a bit rude, but with your looks and family pedigree, I figured my parents wouldn't have any complaints. Plus you're her best friend......so"
[Rose]: "So because I'm close to her, you figured you might get a chance to see her even after we had gotten married?"
[Julius]: "Yeah, sorry. Roselia-chan......I'm a terrible man."
The face staring back at me looked like it was about to cry, knowing that his unrequited love was one that would never come to fruition. And then, mixed in there just below the surface, is probably some guilt for what he had tried to pull with me.
[Rose]: "Indeed, you really are a terrible man. But, I believe someone is allowed to think whatever they want. Ordinarily I would think it is the lowest and most idiotic thing for someone to try and steal someone away......but we can't help who we've fallen in love with. And who said you had to forget about her right away? The more you try to forget someone, the more heavily they will be engraved in your memories...... One day I'm sure you will meet someone new and fall in love all over again. So how about moving forward with that thought in mind instead?"
I gently stroked the top of Julius-sama's head as the tears slowly trickled down his cheeks.
[Julius]: ".....Roselia-chan......I......"
I gave Julius-sama a handkerchief inbetween his tattered sobs and stayed with him until he had finished crying.
[Chapter Fourty-one]
Julius-sama looked refreshed after he was finished crying, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He squeezed the handkerchief wet with tears in his hand and gave me one of his own handkerchiefs while thanking me. I accepted it for the time being and returned home.
[Rose]: "Alto~"
My precious puppy dog was sitting at the front door as if he knew exactly when I was going to come home, his fluffy tail excitedly wagging back and forth behind him as he waited for me. I immediately hugged such an Alto, letting his healing properties wash over me.
[Allen]: "Rose-sama, it's bad manners to do that right in front of the door."
[Anna]: "I understand Alto is cute Mistress, but how about we change our clothes first?"
[Rose]: "But......I was lonely. I'm going to waste away if I don't replenish my Alto reserves."
[Anna]: "Summer vacation is coming up Mistress. You can spend as much time with Alto as you want then."
[Rose]: "Oh yeah! Anna! After all this time I'm finally going to get a break. I can stay together with Alto for forever. Look forward to it Alto."
[Alto]: "Woof!"
Whether or not Alto could understand me is a mystery, but the way he is happily wagging his tail back and forth makes me want summer vacation to hurry up and get here all the more.
[Rickert]: "So you're back Rose-chan."
[Rose]: "Huh? What are you doing here Rickert-oniisama?"
My cousin Rickert is already eighteen, five years older than I am. He's a gentle man with glasses gifted with both good looks and brains.
[Rickert]: "I'm taking lessons from Clifford-sama about territory management."
[Rose]: "Clifford-niisama is taking over the Winsley family right?"
[Rickert]: "Yes, for the moment. I may be found lacking."
[Rose]: "Nonsense. Rickert-oniisama is super smart, and you always have a handle on the situation around you. You also have good business skills, so I'm sure you'll be great at managing the territory! With you taking over, I go off and act as a bride without any worries."
[Rickert]: "I'm awfully happy to here you say all that Rose-chan, but you're going to make me feel lonely if you keep talking about running off to be a bride. It'd be nice if you could stay here from now on."
Rickert-oniisama really did look a little lonely as he patted my head.
(If a handsome guy like him tells me I'm fine to just keep living at home, then maybe I really will just stay here and drop the whole bride thing!!)
[Rose]: "Hahah, I really will be able to stay here forever if I were to get married to Rickert-oniisama."
[Rickert]: "You're right, that's a good idea."
(Hm? I was kidding? He does know I was kidding right? Huh? .......He's joking too right?)
[Rose]: "R-Rickert-oniisama? You're joking right.......?"
[Rickert]: "Huh? I've been thinking quite seriously about taking things in that direction, but is it no good?"
He had a gentle smile on his face, but the look in his eyes were completely serious. After that I frantically informed Rickert-oniisama that at the very least I was joking, and our marriage talks were put on hold.
[Rose]: "Haa, that was exhausting. Allen, tea please."
[Allen]: "Good work out there. It looks like Rickert-sama will be here for the rest of the day. He is nothing if not efficient."
[Rose]: "Huh, you think? Well, I guess it's good to be efficient...... I just have no idea what Rickert-oniisama is thinking. That overprotectiveness of his is alive and well."
[Allen]: "True, but wouldn't you be pleased marrying Rickert-sama and becoming head of the family?"
[Rose]: "It would be nice......but if possible, I think it would be better for him to marry a woman with a social standing who could help the Winsley house flourish. Rickert-oniisama is kind and would make a great husband.....but there are certain places where he can be far too overprotective."
[Allen]: "Well no matter who you decide to marry, I shall always stay by Rose-sama's side as your personal butler."
[Rose]: "Fufu, that's reassuring. Oh, and Anna! Will you come with me too?"
[Anna]: "Of course."
[Rose]: "But, I can't help but be jealous whenever I see Mother and Father's loving marriage. They chose each other, but a political marriage is one born from obligation......."
[Allen]: "Rose-sama......"
[Anna]: "Mistress.....even if it is an arranged marriage, I'm sure you will have a wonderful husband and be able to make a loving family just like your parents! So please don't give up, even if you do have an arranged marriage."
[Rose]: ".....you're right, it's exactly as Anna says! Heheh, thanks."
[Chapter Fourty-two]
It's been a few days since Rudolph gave me that warning, and Alex-sama still hasn't tried to get in contact with me. So everything is as peaceful as ever.
Well even if I say everything is the same, that means Erina-sama is acting the same as she always does too, so can you really call it peaceful? The answer is no, you cannot.
The only thing out of the ordinary is that somebody keeps leaving me flowers in my shoe rack. It's always just a single flower, but the sender never leaves behind any notes.
The flower can vary in type from day to day, but it's usually some variation of a rose. The flowers are always dethorned, so I don't think somebody is doing it out of malice. Still, it's a little creepy since I don't know who is doing it.
[Rose]: "......Haa, I wonder who you are."
[Lou]: "A rose?"
[Rose]: "Yes, there was one here today as well. It's a little eerie since the person doing it isn't giving me their name or leaving any notes."
[Lou]: "I have a bad feeling"
[Rose]: "They've been leaving them here each and every morning. You always get here before I do Lou. Have you seen anything?"
[Lou]: "No"
[Rose]: "I just can't understand what their goal here is by constantly leaving flowers in my shoe rack."
[Lou]: "....stalker?"
[Rose]: "There's no way. For me? But it doesn't feel like someone is trying to harass me either....."
[Rudolph]: "Has something happened Rose-sama?"
Rudolph called out to me while I was talking with Lou about the flowers that show up in my shoe rack every day. Prince Eric is having a harmonious little chat with Erina-sama a short distance away, so Rudolph decided to come over here and talk with me while they're at it.
(Anybody would want to escape if a couple was shamelessly flirting right in front of you. This is especially true for somebody who has no friends like Rudolph!)
[Rose]: "Why would you ask if something's happened?"
[Rudolph]: "Because if something's happened, I want to be involved."
[Rose]: "Really? Even though it's just a flower being left in my shoe rack?"
[Rudolph]: "A flower, in your, shoe rack?"
[Rose]: "Yeah, that's right. Recently somebody has been leaving me a flower every day in my shoe rack. It's usually a rose, but it's always beautifully wrapped and dethorned. Strange right?"
[Rudolph]: ".......Rose-sama, isn't that a stalker!?"
[Lou]: "Agreed."
[Rose]: "You're both so dramatic. Why would anyone want to stalk me when there are so many other cuter girls around?"
[Rudolph and Lou]: ""Blind""
Both of their voices came together, their voices echoing off one another, but I'm not exactly sure what they're saying that I'm not seeing. I'm the villainess of an otome game, so if you were to ask me if I thought I was ugly or pretty, I would have to say I am pretty even with how naturally sharp my eyes are. But with how intense my features are, I think it's a stretch to think that somebody would be interested enough in me to go as far as stalking me.
If I was a stalker, I would definitely aim for a cute girl. If I was to go off just their face, I'd probably aim for the heroine Erina-sama. She's a cute noble girl who gives off that aura that makes you want to protect her. Well, that's completely ignoring the personality though.......
(Could a stalker possibly have developed an interest in me? Yeah, there's no way. .......probably.)
[Rudolph]: ".....at least try to be careful for now. There's also that matter to consider......."
[Rose]: "Right, thanks Rudolph. I'll be careful."
(This is so bothersome~ I already have to watch out for Alex because of that Erina, and now I have to be vigilant because some stranger keeps leaving me flowers. I'm becoming mentally exhausted!!! Summer break needs to hurry up and get here so I can spend all of my time with Alto!)
[Rose]: "Oh right, are you still coming over to see Alto during summer vacation Lou?"
[Lou]: "Yes"
[Rudolph]: ".....Rose-sama.....who is, Alto?"
[Rose]: "My most lovely and adorable pet. Do you want to come see him too?"
[Rudolph]: "I-Is that really okay!?"
[Rose]: "Yeah, so long as you're okay with it. It's not like you're always on guard duty right? So how about coming when you have a day off? Lou has come to see Alto before, and I know Sophia-sama plans to come as well sometime. Will-sama might end up coming with Sophia-sama to see him too....... I was also thinking about inviting Anri-sama....."
[Rudolph]: ".......so long as it's not an annoyance to Rose-sama, I'll definitely come!"
[Rose]: "Fufu, then it's a promise."
While making plans for the upcoming summer vacation with Lou and Rudolph, the matter of Alex and those flowers were driven to the corner of my mind.
[Chapter Fourty-three]
It is the morning before summer vacation starts, and there is a flower in my shoe rack just like always. This time however there was a small piece of paper that came with the flower as well.
I'm always watching you.
That was all that was written on it. The sender hadn't even written down their name, making the creepiness increase that much more.
[Rose]: "Lou......there was some paper with it this time......"
[Lou]: "Paper.....what?"
[Rose]: "They wrote down here, 'I'm always watching you'. I wonder if this is supposed to be like a love letter from a romance novel? Or maybe this really is some sort of harassment? I can't even ask since I don't know who is sending these."
[Lou]: "Either way it's bad."
[Rose]: "Whether it's a love letter or meant to be harassment, it doesn't look like they intend to do anything other than creep me out. Do you think it would be fine if I just ignored them?"
[Lou]: ".....you had better be vigilant. You've told your servants about this, right?"
[Rose]: "Vigilant, huh..... Yes, I've told Allen and Anna. They're with me all the time unless we're in class. Summer vacation starts tomorrow though, so I think everything will be okay."
[Lou]: "......."
Lou seemed to be thinking about something for a moment, but with summer vacation starting tomorrow, even he started to think that everything would be fine. After all, the amount of time he's going to get to spend with Alto is going to increase as well.
The person always sends me flowers, and this time they just so happened to send me a note as well. They're just words. Nothing to worry about.
I'll discuss the flowers and note with Lou, Allen, and Anna, but maybe I should mention it to Rudolph as well. Should I talk about it with Sophia-sama and Will-sama too? No, it'll be okay if I wait until after summer vacation is over.
[Rose]: "Hnng, my vacation starts now."
I stretched out my arms while taking in a big breath of that fresh morning air. Anna helps me get ready after I get out of bed, and the both of us immediately head out into the garden where Alto is waiting for us afterwards. We exercise with Alto in the morning when it's nice and cool, and once the sun rises and it starts to get hotter out, we all go back inside to relax.
[Rose]: "This is bliss."
[Anna]: "Mistress might be the only one thinking that."
[Rose]: "You think so? Ah, now that you mention it, is Mother doing okay?"
Mother's body has had its share of difficulties recently. That's because I'll soon be getting a new younger brother or sister. Mother's morning sickness was severe to the point where she actually started to lose weight. I was beside myself with worry at the time. Since then her morning sickness has died down and her stomach started to get bigger. Now she's facing the opposite problem though in that she's gotten so big it's hard for her to move.
As a loving daughter, I wanted to help my mother, but she told me, "Just the thought is enough," and that was the end of it. It's left me with a really murky feeling in my chest knowing there isn't more I can do.
[Anna]: "Yes, she is apparently feeling good today and ate breakfast in her room."
[Rose]: "Okay, that's good. I'm really looking forward to meeting my new brother or sister. I'd like to have a sister if possible, but I'm fine with either one so long as they're born healthy."
[Anna]: "Indeed. I'm sure they will be very cute no matter what gender they are."
[Rose]: "Just a little longer.......I can't wait."
I was an only child in my previous life, so I was always jealous of my friends who had siblings. My best friend Erika had an older sister and a younger brother, each of them five years apart. I always wished I was her whenever she told me about when she would go out with her sister or get into a fight with her brother. That's why when my parents in this new life of mine told me I was going to have a new sibling, I was literally jumping with joy.
Allen has been with me ever since we were young, but since we're the same age, he's always felt more like a childhood friend. El is a year younger than I am, so I guess you could say he was like a younger brother to me when Father protected him and brought him into this house, but our relationship feels a little different than that. That's why I'm really looking forward to having a brother or sister with a blood relation to me this time.
[Rose]: "Allen, did you deliver that handkerchief to Mother?"
[Allen]: "Yes, the Madam looked very pleased."
Since Mother has been spending almost all her time in her room lately, I've been embroidering flowers from the garden onto a handkerchief which Allen delivered for me.
I really would have preferred to deliver it myself, but it'd be bad if I went in there at the wrong time and accidentally woke her up. Plus Alto is almost always with me, and if he were to jump on Mother while I was visiting her........so I asked Allen to deliver it in my place.
[Rose]: "So she was awake. I'm glad she liked it."
[Allen]: "Also, she wanted me to tell you, 'Don't worry Rose!'"
[Rose]: "Fufufu, oh Mother. Do you think it would be selfish of me to make another and give it to her myself?"
[Allen]: "Please do. I'm certain the Madam will be pleased."
[Rose]: "Thanks Allen."