Duke Adrian seemed at a loss for words for a moment. He stood up, then sat down beside Rosette and pulled her into a tight embrace.
It was different from Jane’s soft, gentle hugs. This wasn’t warm in the same way—it was firmer, sturdier, like it could shield her from any storm the world might throw at her.
Instinctively, Rosette buried her face in the Duke’s chest.
“There’s a difference between refusing to eat and being unable to eat, Rose.”
“……”
“You must never force yourself to eat something that harms you.”
“Will I be punished then?”
“From now on, you will be if you do.”
“Okay.”
The Duke carefully patted her back.
“And what’s wrong with being a little picky? It’s fine not to eat things you dislike. That’s what being a child is.”
“……”
“So, is there anything you don’t like?”
“……Carrots.”
“Carrots? Anything else?”
“No. I eat everything else. Really.”
“Good.”
After letting her go, the Duke examined the scratches on her arms.
“You’ve clawed your arms up this badly? You really might scar.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t do it again.”
“Okay.”
“I was planning to introduce you later, but it can’t be helped now. Today, I’ll introduce you to the person who will be your teacher.”
Rosette’s eyes widened.
“My teacher?”
The Duke grinned and lightly pinched her nose.
“That’s right.”
He tugged the bell pull and instructed Sebastian to summon someone. Moments later, a woman with fiery red hair entered.
Rosette recognized her instantly.
The Witch of Flames.
Celinné, the Witch of Flames.
In her past life, this mage had been desperate to take Rosette as her apprentice.
“Why not come with me? You’d learn far more from me than that stuffy Marquis Dallas.”
What had Rosette said to her back then?
“I’m not interested in mages weaker than me.”
Looking back now, it had been an unbearably arrogant answer. But it was the only warning she could give.
Don’t come near me. If you covet me, Marquis Dallas might kill you.
Truthfully, Rosette had liked Celinné quite a bit. That was precisely why she’d said it.
But Celinné had stubbornly pursued her anyway.
“Kid, wouldn’t I be better than that old man? Come with me. Hmm? This big sister will treat you right.”
In the end, she had died in a mysterious accident. The cause was never uncovered, but Rosette had guessed it was Marquis Dallas’s doing.
It hadn’t just been because of her. Celinné was an exceptionally skilled mage, and her presence made it difficult to attack House Adrian. She had likely died due to a complex web of political interests.
So Rosette didn’t feel guilty about her death. But she did feel a little hollow.
To be honest, when coming to House Adrian, she had secretly hoped to meet Celinné again. And now, here she was—already meeting her!
Rosette stared up at Celinné with wide-eyed curiosity as the woman offered a casual greeting.
“It’s an honor to see you again, Your Grace.”
“Likewise.”
“And who might this lovely young lady be? Her mana is practically shimmering off her.”
Just as expected, Celinné was already showing interest in Rosette.
“Let me introduce her. My youngest daughter.”
“Oh my, did you have a hidden princess all this time, Your Grace?”
The Duke’s expression darkened slightly, prompting Celinné to correct herself.
“Just joking. This must be the young lady the whole estate has been whispering about. Hello, little one. My name is Celinné.”
“Hello, sister.”
Rosette used the same term Celinné had affectionately called her in her past life. The witch threw her head back with a hearty laugh.
“Good heavens, Your Grace! Did you hear that? She called me ‘sister’!”
“Is… is that not okay?”
“Not okay? Of course it’s okay! Do you want to learn magic? This sister will teach you everything.”
“Before that, take a look at her wounds.”
“Wounds?”
Only then noticing Rosette’s arms, Celinné gasped dramatically.
“Who did this? Such pretty arms, all scratched up.”
“She scratched herself because of an allergic reaction.”
“If left alone, these will scar. Just a moment.”
Celinné crouched in front of Rosette and channeled her mana. Light shimmered at her fingertips before seeping into Rosette’s wounds. In moments, her arms were flawless, as if never injured.
Rosette wasn’t surprised. She had seen this magic countless times in her past life—what was there to be amazed about? But Celinné found her reaction odd.
“Huh? Aren’t you impressed, little one?”
Oh no. Was I supposed to act amazed? Rosette wondered if she should gasp dramatically now, but the Duke intervened.
“Rosette has already used healing magic herself before.”
Celinné’s eyes widened to the size of lanterns.
“Excuse me? Healing magic? Explain. Now.”
The Duke recounted how Rosette had healed Jane. Celinné listened with growing astonishment before dragging her hands down her face.
“That’s impossible. How could—wait, she really did that?”
“Is it really that unbelievable?”
“Theoretically, it’s possible, but for a child this young to—no, she actually did it? You’re sure?”
“Yes. I confirmed it myself.”
“But how…?”
Celinné kept muttering “how” like she’d forgotten all other words.
Her shock was understandable. The Duke, unfamiliar with magic, assumed Rosette had acted on instinct—but wielding magic instinctively wasn’t something just anyone could do.
In truth, Rosette had used a formula she already knew, making “instinctive healing magic” impossible.
But what could she do? She couldn’t exactly say, “Actually, I learned magic in my past life, so of course I could use it.”
Instead, Rosette played along with the Duke’s explanation.
“I just… really wanted to save Sister Jane.”
“……”
“I prayed to the goddess, and then… she lived.”
“By the heavens, it really is possible! Your Grace, this child is a genius!”
“Yes. It seems she is.”
A satisfied smile spread across Duke Adrian’s face as he answered.
“Which brings me to my point! May I have the honor of teaching the young lady?”
“Of course. That’s why I called you here.”
“Then it’s settled! Did you hear that, little one? I’ll be your teacher from now on.”
“Yes, sister.”
“Oh my, you’re absolutely adorable.”
Celinné pulled Rosette into a tight hug. Muffled against her chest, Rosette mumbled,
“When do we start lessons?”
She wanted to form a mana core and use magic as soon as possible. In her current body, however, creating a mana core alone would be difficult—she needed help.
‘Besides, pretending to learn magic will keep them from suspecting me when I actually use it.’
Daniel’s accident wasn’t far off. She intended to prevent it by other means, but she had to be prepared to heal his legs with magic if the worst came to pass.
Unaware of her urgency, Celinné replied calmly,
“Not yet. Your body is still too small to form a mana core.”
“But…”
“Let’s wait until you’ve eaten more and grown a bit bigger.”
“Until I’m… plump?”
Celinné chuckled.
“Yes, until you’re nice and plump.”
She patted Rosette’s sulking head and stood up.
“You must be tired after all this excitement. Get some rest. I’ll take my leave now.”
“She’s right. You should rest. I have matters to attend to as well. Call a maid if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
Left alone, Rosette flopped onto the bed. Sprawling on her back, she recalled how the Duke had scolded her earlier.
She still didn’t fully understand why he’d been so upset.
But she had a feeling she shouldn’t force herself to eat shrimp from now on.
And then—
“Rosette Adrian.”
Remembering the name he’d called her, Rosette giggled.
Even though she’d been scolded, she couldn’t help but laugh.
She wasn’t Rosette Dallas anymore—she was Rosette Adrian.
For the first time, it truly sank in: she was now part of House Adrian.
‘It’s really changed.’
Before her death, she’d wondered if being adopted into a family like the Adrians could alter her life. Could it change things this time?
Not just her life, but his too.
And—
“What crime did my teacher and Daniel commit to deserve death?! Why?!”
“Could his life change too?”
Crown Prince Joshua Ernheart, who had wept like a child before her. Could he find happiness without losing the people he loved?
Rosette tried to picture the man whose face she’d barely seen before closing her eyes.
She didn’t know why he’d crossed her mind. Maybe because he was the last person she’d seen before dying—or because he’d been the reason time rewound.
‘Will I meet him someday?’
As the Duke’s disciple, wouldn’t he visit the estate at least once?
With a flutter in her chest, Rosette closed her eyes.
Perhaps because she’d woken early that morning, she fell asleep almost instantly.
Duke Adrian canceled all his appointments and returned to the orphanage alone.
“What brings you here?”
The director was visibly startled when the Duke arrived with a stern expression just hours after leaving with Rosette. Beads of cold sweat formed on the director’s forehead as he guided the Duke to his office.
It wasn’t uncommon for adoptive parents to return children shortly after taking them in. But the absence of Rosette made this situation unusual.
“Did something happen to Rose?”
“Were you aware that the child has allergies?”
“Allergies…?”
The director thought carefully before shaking his head.
“No, not to my knowledge.”
“She has a shrimp allergy.”
“Is that so? We never fed her shrimp, so we wouldn’t have known.”
The Duke’s eyes sharpened.
“Are you certain you didn’t know?”
For a moment, the director felt like prey cornered by a predator. He understood he was being interrogated—but not why.
Swallowing dryly, he barely managed to reply.
“I truly didn’t know. But… why do you ask?”
“She was aware of her allergy.”
“That can’t be. Rose came to us as an infant. How could she know about an allergy even we weren’t aware of—”
“Not only did she know, she forced herself to eat shrimp despite knowing it would make her ill.”
The director paled.
“Good heavens—is she alright?”
“Fortunately, it wasn’t life-threatening. But I came to understand why she would do such a thing.”
“……”
“Did you pressure her into eating foods against her will?”
The director’s hands trembled slightly.
“N-no! We would never—”
“Then explain this.”
The Duke’s voice remained calm, but the weight behind it was crushing.
“A child who knew she would suffer chose to harm herself. Why?”
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, the director whispered,
“…Perhaps she thought she had no choice.”
“Elaborate.”
“Some children… learn that disobedience leads to punishment. Even if the punishment is just going hungry, they’ll force themselves to eat anything to avoid it.”
The Duke’s expression darkened further.
“You’re suggesting she believed she’d be punished for refusing food.”
“I-I’m only speculating! But Rose was always… compliant. Too compliant, for a child.”
A muscle twitched in the Duke’s jaw.
“I see.”
He turned to leave, then paused at the door.
“If I discover this orphanage has conditioned children to silently endure harm—”
He didn’t finish the sentence.
He didn’t need to.
The director collapsed into his chair as the Duke departed, his unspoken threat lingering like winter frost.
