Chapter 313
Chapter 313
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Reminiscing with Grace
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When I first met Grace at the academy, she had quite a prickly personality.
She's become very docile now, but back then, Grace was truly something else.
She was incredibly displeased that I was close with Karen, and whenever she was bored, she was even more... than young Ella ever was.
"Why?"
"Nothing."
"...?"
Thinking back on that, I couldn't help but find her current demure posture, sitting quietly beside me, utterly adorable.
The way she tilted her head and asked while noticing my gaze.
Back in our academy days, she wouldn't have just asked—she'd have snapped irritably about why I was staring.
At some point, she'd become relatively gentle, and it felt so different from before.
"But you're taking over the Rose Family... right? So you'll become a count?"
"Probably someday. There's a lot to do right now, though. Once I send the documents to the palace and Aunt, who's temporarily acting as family head, officially hands it over, it should go smoothly."
"...Well, we've already outgrown being just a viscount family for a while now."
"Doesn't having a lot of money automatically raise your title?"
"It's not about the money—it's the people around you. It's not an official marriage or anything, but among your close friends, there are dukes, counts, and even decent ones from the south like Niesista. You have so many powerful connections."
"Hmm..."
"And for the past few years, your name has been coming up quite a bit in high society. People are saying it's dangerous for someone from just a viscount family to be rising so fast."
I'd never heard those rumors.
For the last few years, I'd been buried in business, so I hardly attended any social gatherings.
If I met people, it was almost always business-related.
If I had time for social events, I'd have spent it with my lovers.
Of course, they weren't my lovers back then?
"Maybe the capital will even award you something? You're doing so well these days. I doubt they'll leave you as just a viscount."
"Hmm..."
I wasn't entirely sure myself, all things considered.
But probably, just as Grace said.
Even to my eyes, we'd long surpassed viscount level, and honestly, Leonhardt wasn't your average viscount family anymore.
Back when William received his viscount title, it was basically... just a nameplate nobility.
He was a viscount, but without real territory or noble privileges.
But things had changed a lot since then, and now the family even had a count's daughter.
"If I say I'm taking over as head of the Rose Family, they'll probably approve it easily, right?"
"Yeah, I think so. The count families near the capital are supposed to guard the palace and the central city, but Rose hasn't been fulfilling that role."
Right, just as Grace said.
The Rose Family hadn't properly performed its duties all this time.
So surely, I could easily become head of a count family.
It was a position I couldn't have dreamed of before, but with Rozalin coming to Leonhardt, me being her daughter, and the previous Rose Count's signed documents ready...
Of course, those documents endorsed Alexandra becoming head, not me.
"Well, it'd be weird seeing you as a count... It just doesn't suit you."
"Really?"
"...We met when you were from a viscount family, and now suddenly you're a count. How could it not be surprising?"
"Hehe, I suppose. Back then, Grace brought up my status pretty often."
"...Yeah, I did."
"Grace was always picking fights back then, remember?"
We'd talked a lot about work, and since it had been a while since I'd spent time alone with Grace...
I brought it up on purpose.
It was true, after all, and Grace was pretty embarrassed about her wild younger days?
"...I remember."
"Hehe, back then you were so..."
"...What? I was young."
"Pfft... What was I about to say?"
"...What, you think I don't know...?"
Even without me saying it, Grace anticipated my words right to the end.
Her younger self was... yeah, definitely prickly.
I thought our Grace was adorable back then too, but during our academy days, her personality was way more... yeah.
She'd really mellowed out.
"Still, I sometimes miss that Grace from back then. She was a bit noisy, but cute in her own way. She'd yell loudly whenever she was bored, but the moment I did something, she'd back down whimpering...?"
"...What am I, a puppy?"
"Pffft, more like 'dog' suited her better?"
"...Hmph."
Anyway, we passed the time chatting casually like that.
We'd been reminiscing about childhood a lot lately, but since I didn't see my lovers super often—at least a month apart—it actually felt nice.
It wasn't just me; Grace kept smiling as we talked too.
*
"Miss Grace, here. This is the item the Young Lady prepared for you."
"...Suddenly?"
"The Young Lady said to give it to you as soon as you entered."
"...She was coming in with me, so why prepare this? I thought something weird was up for a second."
"Pffft, really?"
We'd wandered around outside a bit before entering the annex of the Rose mansion.
I was busy handling territory matters with Alexandra lately, but I was still staying in the annex.
The reason? Just... habit?
"It's been a while, so it's just a little gift I had ready. Come on in."
"Okay."
"Young Lady, let me carry your luggage."
"I can handle it. Lize, just relax with us?"
"Yes."
Besides, the main Rose mansion wasn't fully staffed with my people yet.
I was just preferring the annex on purpose.
"What’s Mother doing?"
"Reading on the terrace."
"Hmm... Then tell her I stopped by a bit later."
"Yes, understood."
Chatting like that, we slowly made our way to the annex rooms.
I'd prepared a room and moved her luggage for Grace, who was staying at Rose for at least a week.
Of course, separately from that, the odds of her sharing my bedroom were very high?
"The Rose mansion is pretty lacking compared to Rosaki, huh?"
"Yeah."
"At first, I wanted to demolish this place starting with the mansion, but Rose was so broke. It seemed impossible to rebuild, so I figured developing the territory would be better use of time."
"When you come to my house, the mansion and gardens are both gorgeous... Why not just come stay at mine?"
"Pffft, are you asking me to marry you?"
"...What, can't I? We're dating anyway."
"Pffft..."
Grace had really changed from the old days.
The Grace from our wild academy days never would have said something like that.
The difference was huge.
I'd just told her I missed her old self a bit, but honestly, I preferred her now.
I could really feel how living with me had softened her personality.
"But if you think that way, shouldn't it be the opposite? It's not just Grace—there's Karen too, Ella, Ivana, and the rest. Starting with you, they should all come live at Rose where I'll be staying?"
"...I'd like that."
Grace said she'd like it, but she couldn't actually live here.
Because of Karen?
Grace wouldn't just leave her sister—her older sister—behind to live freely here.
"But Grace, between you two in the Rosaki Family, who's going to be family head? Back when we were kids, it seemed like you, but lately Karen's been studying family matters too."
"Family head? Probably my sister."
"Is that the direction things are heading?"
It was something I'd been curious about for months.
Way back, like I'd told Grace, it seemed she'd take over.
But at some point, Karen started learning more family duties and preparing, so I'd wondered.
"No, our family hasn't decided yet. But sister's been preparing hard for years now. The family head role isn't that huge, but... if she wants it, I think it's fine for her to do it."
"Hmm..."
"When we were kids, she had zero interest in that stuff."
"True, she was super quiet and introverted back then. Way more than now."
"Yeah, so personally, I'm thrilled she's working so hard."
Grace looked genuinely happy as we talked.
She'd always adored her big sister Karen since childhood, so she must be pleased with her growth.
Seeing Grace so happy made me happy too.
She kept going on about Karen, praising her nonstop.
And then, with a subtly meaningful glint in her eyes...
"If sister becomes head, I can keep staying by your side, right?"
"...Is that your reason?"
She said it.
Honestly, she'd seemed like such a sweet little sister doting on Karen the whole time, but one line like that made me realize... our Grace had grown up.
...Well, since it was because of me, I was kinda glad?