Duke Adrian recalled the Rosette he had seen earlier in the square.
While heading to the orphanage, he had sensed a strong flow of mana and followed it. It was an unusual occurrence for such a quiet, small village, and he wanted to understand the situation.
There, he encountered the pink-haired girl.
Rosette, a name that suited her well, possessed the greatest potential he had ever seen in anyone. Even to someone like him, who was unfamiliar with magic, her talent was undeniable.
As an adult, it was only natural to want to nurture such potential in a child.
But for Duke Adrian, there was another reason as well.
“And for some reason, I feel compelled to protect her.”
The image of her trembling and crying kept haunting him. He couldn’t leave her behind, knowing she would linger in his thoughts.
In his heart, he wanted to take her to the Adrian estate immediately. If Rosette agreed, he was seriously considering it.
It was strange. These were the same feelings he had only ever felt for his own three children.
“If it’s the Adrian family, we can trust them to take care of the child. Oh, here comes Rose.”
The head priest cautiously welcomed Rosette as she entered the room. But Rosette’s expression was odd.
The moment she saw Duke Adrian sitting across from the head priest, her already pale face turned ghostly white.
Seeing Duke Adrian after Rosette, the head priest fully understood her feelings.
‘It’s natural for her to be afraid of nobles.’
Duke Adrian, true to his reputation as a Sword Master, had an imposing physique. He was taller than most knights and had a sturdy build.
Though his demeanor was gentle, to a child who was naturally fearful of nobles, he might appear intimidating.
Rosette was one of the most delicate and sensitive children in the orphanage. Given the unfortunate incident in the village, it was no wonder she was frightened.
The head priest gently took Rosette’s arm and tried to comfort her.
“Rosette, you’ve already seen him, but let me introduce you again. This is Duke Adrian. He’s a good person, so there’s no need to be afraid.”
Still, Rosette couldn’t relax. She was struggling to breathe properly, gasping for air. Noticing this, Duke Adrian slowly approached and knelt on one knee in front of her.
“Your name is Rosette, right? Don’t worry. I’m here to protect you.”
“I… I…”
Stammering, Rosette tried to say something, but when Duke Adrian reached out to take her hand, she reflexively jerked it away.
“Ah…”
She then rolled her eyes nervously, glancing around before bolting out of the head priest’s office.
Her unexpected behavior left the head priest pale as well.
“That child isn’t usually like this. I’m so sorry.”
“I understand. She’s been through a lot today, and children are naturally afraid of nobles.”
Duke Adrian stood up without showing any sign of being offended.
“It was impolite of me to summon her so suddenly. She seems quite shaken today, so I’ll return tomorrow.”
After politely bowing, Duke Adrian left the office. Watching his retreating figure, the head priest felt reassured.
With a family like that, he could entrust Rosette to them with peace of mind.
* * *
As soon as Rosette returned to her room, she leaned against the door and slid to the floor. She wanted to lock the door, but the room shared by over ten children had no lock.
Instead, she pressed her ear against the door, listening intently for any sounds outside.
She was worried that the head priest or Duke Adrian might come after her, but there was no sound outside. Only the faint chatter of children in the distance could be heard.
After about five minutes, Rosette finally relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. Only then could she reflect on what had just happened.
‘Why did Duke Adrian want to see me?’
When Rosette had unexpectedly encountered Duke Adrian in the village, she had been utterly shocked. She had never imagined meeting Duke Adrian here, of all people, instead of the Marquis of Dallas.
When he personally brought her and Jane back to the orphanage, she had nearly fainted but tried to calm herself.
From the rumors she had heard before turning back time, Duke Adrian was a kind and warm-hearted man.
Especially, there were many heartwarming stories about him and children. Being the father of three children, it was speculated that he was particularly affectionate toward kids.
So, it was only natural that he couldn’t just stand by and watch as she and Jane were being bullied by the villagers.
‘That’s why he brought us back to the orphanage.’
She tried to convince herself of that—until she saw Duke Adrian in the head priest’s office earlier.
But why was he looking for her? Could it be that he, being a mage, knew she had turned back time? Was he holding a grudge against Rosette, who had killed him in her previous life, and now seeking revenge?
‘That can’t be.’
Rosette shook her head.
The ancient book on time magic clearly stated that no one except the caster could remember the past. So, even if it were Duke Adrian, he couldn’t possibly remember.
Even if, by some slim chance, he did remember the past, he wouldn’t recognize Rosette.
In her previous life, Rosette had the appearance of a noble lady, thanks to the Marquis of Dallas’s generous material support.
But now? She was scruffy and scrawny. Aside from her pink hair, there was nothing to connect the Rosette of the past with the Rosette of now.
So, he couldn’t know. He absolutely couldn’t know.
‘But what if he does?’
As Rosette anxiously bit her nails without realizing it, Jane’s voice came from outside the door.
“Rose? Are you in there? Can I come in?”
“Y-yeah.”
As Rosette stepped away from the door, Jane entered. Seeing Rosette biting her nails, Jane furrowed her brow.
“You’re biting your nails again. How many times have I told you it’ll hurt if they get too short?”
Jane carefully took Rosette’s hand and examined it, checking for any signs of bleeding. Watching her, Rosette felt tears welling up in her eyes.
‘I’m so glad unnie is safe.’
Even during her time at the Dallas household, Rosette had been scolded for her nail-biting habit.
Her tutor would smack her hand with a ruler every time she bit her nails, and even the Marquis of Dallas, who rarely spoke to her, had criticized her for being unladylike.
But no one had ever worried about her like Jane did. The warmth of Jane’s hand made Rosette truly feel that she was alive, unlike in the past.
She had really changed the past. That gave her hope.
‘This time, I can avoid killing people.’
The many lives lost to her magic, especially Duke Adrian and Daniel Adrian. And Joshua Ernhardt, who had suffered because of their deaths.
She could save them all.
Even if Duke Adrian had discovered her identity because of the healing magic she used today, she would accept the consequences without regret.
“Huh? Rose, are you crying?”
Unable to hold back her tears, Rosette buried her face in Jane’s embrace and cried. Jane patted her back and comforted her for a while before murmuring as if she understood.
“It’s sad, isn’t it? I’m sad too. But Rose, if you’re adopted by a noble family, you’ll have so much more than you do now.”
What is she talking about? Adoption? It’s not yet time for the Marquis of Dallas to come looking for me.
Rosette blinked, unable to understand Jane’s words, but Jane continued.
“From what I saw earlier, Duke Adrian seems like a really good person. I’m sure he’ll treat you well…”
Rosette couldn’t stay silent any longer. She immediately reacted to the name “Adrian.”
“Why would Duke Adrian…?”
“Huh? Weren’t you crying because you knew?”
“No, I didn’t know.”
Jane tilted her head in confusion before explaining.
“Duke Adrian said he wants to adopt you.”
Rosette couldn’t respond right away. Even though she knew Jane wasn’t the type to joke about something like this, the words sounded like a cruel prank.
‘Why would he adopt me?’
If it were the Marquis of Dallas, maybe, but there was no reason for Duke Adrian to adopt her. Sensing her confusion, Jane answered for her.
“He said you healed me with magic. The head priest said you have the potential to become a great mage. That’s why Duke Adrian wants to adopt you. He’s a great swordsman, after all.”
There had to be another motive. There was no way he would adopt her just for that reason.
Rosette shot up from her seat and ran to the head priest’s office.
“Rose? Where are you going?”
Jane’s voice called after her, but thankfully, she didn’t follow.
When Rosette arrived at the head priest’s office, she burst in without knocking, breathing heavily. The head priest greeted her as if he had been expecting her.
“Ah, there you are. Rose, come in.”
Rosette stood at the doorway and shouted.
“I don’t want to be adopted!”
“Did Jane tell you?”
“Yes! Head Priest, I…!”
“Rose, calm down and sit for a moment.”
The head priest spoke calmly, but Rosette stubbornly shook her head, still standing.
“No! I like it here! I want to stay with Jane unnie!”
The head priest briefly looked troubled before smiling and standing up. He walked over slowly and knelt in front of her. His hands, gently holding hers, were warm and careful.
“If you don’t want to go, I won’t force you. But first, why don’t you tell me why you don’t want to?”
Guided by his words, Rosette plopped down on the sofa. She had so much she wanted to say. That she couldn’t be adopted by someone she had killed, that she had no right to call him “father.”
But those were secrets she couldn’t share with anyone. All she could say now were the words of a seven-year-old child.
She fidgeted with her fingers and mumbled.
“I don’t want to be separated from Jane unnie.”
“You can visit often. Duke Adrian said he would invite Jane and the other children to the estate from time to time for your sake.”
“And… and…”
Struggling to find another excuse, Rosette hesitated. The head priest waited patiently.
“I’m scared.”
This was the truth. Rosette was terrified of Duke Adrian, whose intentions she couldn’t understand.
“I understand that nobles can be intimidating. But Duke Adrian is a good person. He will cherish you as family and help you become a great mage.”
“But still…”
Rosette couldn’t continue.
Her body had been aching as if she had muscle pain, and her head felt dizzy. Suddenly, her body swayed.
She hadn’t realized it, but her back was already drenched in cold sweat.
“Rose? Good heavens, Rose! You’re burning up!”
As the head priest placed his hand on her forehead and panicked, Rosette fainted.
