Chapter 319
Chapter 319
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Peaceful Days in Bosko
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Life in this quiet rural village was bound to be enjoyable for me—and for Rozalin too.
After all, we'd spent over ten years in the bustling cities of the south.
Everywhere we went was always noisy, never serene.
It was only natural, then, that our time in peaceful Bosko felt so reassuring, so utterly comfortable.
"Mother, if there'd been a village like this nearby, I might have visited often."
"Hehe, you say that, but you never would have, with all your work."
"That's true, but I really like it here. Should we build a little village like this near Rose Territory? Somewhere to retreat to on holidays."
"That's a nice idea, but shouldn't we focus on the tasks at hand first?"
"Of course, after we've wrapped up everything with the territory."
A quiet village would certainly be lovely, but with so much left to do, it wouldn't be right to start now.
We'd get to it later, naturally.
"Hehe, I agree with the idea, though. Camellia seems to like it too. We'll plan it out slowly next time."
"Yes, let's do that."
"More importantly, Camellia, how's the tea? Isn't it a bit bitter compared to what you usually drink?"
"It's fine. The tea is bitter, sure, but the bread we ordered with it is quite sweet, so it balances out nicely."
Day three in Bosko.
Rozalin and I were just sitting in a cozy café, chatting away to pass the time...
And it felt amazing.
Maybe because I'd been working nonstop for the past few months.
It had been so long since I'd relaxed like this... I found myself doing absolutely nothing, my thoughts of work fading away almost entirely.
Even the chores during our stay at the lodging—Rozalin handled most of them herself, so I truly just rested.
I had to pitch in a little with cooking, dishes, laundry, and such, but she accommodated me so much that I ended up with nothing to do.
It even pricked at my conscience a bit.
"Oh, and adding some sugar makes it perfectly fine."
"Then wouldn't it have been better to order something sweeter from the start? Instead of getting something not to your taste?"
"I wanted to order the same as you, Mother, so it's okay."
I sipped the tea—now sweetened with three sugar cubes, the bitterness overwhelmed by sweetness—and leaned back comfortably in my chair.
Back at the family mansion, there were always eyes on me, and as the future family head, I had to maintain a proper image.
Here, there was no need for any of that, which was wonderful.
I could just lounge in the chair, chat with Rozalin, and feel content simply existing. Before I knew it, I was growing drowsy.
It was so incredibly relaxing.
The day was warm, yet the trees shaded us from the sun, adding a cool breeze that made it perfect.
Honestly, none of that mattered—I just loved having a break with zero work.
"Yawn..."
"Tired?"
"Not tired exactly. Just so relaxed that I'm getting sleepy instead."
"That's because you never get enough sleep normally. Didn't you realize how little you actually sleep?"
"Five or six hours... isn't that enough?"
I'd been like that since childhood—always going to bed past midnight, waking around eight.
Lately, with more work, I'd sometimes stay up even later or rise earlier.
But generally, around six hours.
"...That's too little. Camellia, how long do you work each day? Do you really think six hours recovers all that fatigue?"
"Is it?"
"Of course. You eat breakfast in the morning, spend a little time with us, then dive straight into the paperwork that arrived. After lunch, you head out with your sisters to inspect the territory. Even after dinner and our evening chats, you keep working alone in your room, right?"
"...Yeah, that's true."
"With a schedule like that, sleeping only six hours is bound to wear you down. You've done it since you were little, which is why your growth..."
"Ah, is that why?"
I'd never paid much attention until now.
But apparently, more fatigue had built up in my body than I'd thought.
Truth be told, I'd grown so used to that lifestyle since childhood that it never bothered me. But my body wasn't quite as superhuman as I'd assumed.
"...This won't do. Camellia?"
"Yes, Mother."
"Time to head back to the lodging. Let's get you up."
"Already? It's not even evening yet?"
I was surprised when Rozalin suddenly suggested returning to the lodging mid-conversation.
We'd talked about strolling through the village a bit later.
I hadn't expected this at all.
"...Camellia, your eyes look a little glazed. You seem really drowsy."
"...Do they?"
I'd only been sitting in the café, sipping warm tea and relaxing, yet Rozalin commented on my appearance like that.
She'd never lie about something like this.
It must be true.
"...Then we'll do as you say, Mother."
"Yes, the tea's done. We'll take the bread to go."
And just like that, I ended up heading back to the lodging in broad daylight.
I'd planned to stay out until sunset, but her words sent us back much earlier.
I was a little drowsy, but not to the point of needing to go immediately.
Still, Rozalin seemed insistent.
"Yawn..."
We returned to the lodging early.
The sun was still high, closer to noon than evening.
"Camellia, change your clothes first. Don't wander around in your outdoor outfit."
"Yes, Mother."
Once inside, I followed her advice and changed.
Rozalin did the same.
After washing our hands lightly, we slipped off our dresses, draped them over chairs, and donned comfortable indoor clothes from the wardrobe.
"There, lie down."
"Hm?"
"You need a nap, Camellia. You haven't slept deeply lately, have you? You've been drinking tea to stay awake during work and yawning all the time."
"Uh..."
After getting back and fully changed, as I sat on the sofa for a quick rest, Rozalin suddenly pulled me into the bedroom and said this.
It reminded me of our first days at Leonhardt Mansion, when she'd asked to nap together.
I couldn't recall her exact words from back then.
But the gist, the feeling—it lingered in my memory.
"There's no need to work as hard as at the mansion, right? And we came here for our daughter's rest. Come on, hurry up."
"......"
She lay on the bed first, arms slightly open in invitation, gesturing for me to join her.
The sight was so much like my childhood memories that I couldn't help but chuckle.
It had been over ten years since then.
Yet Rozalin remained my ever-gentle mother.
"Yes, Mother."
And so I slipped into her embrace.
Soft, warm, fragrant... I burrowed into Rozalin's arms without thinking.
Face nestled into her soft, ample bosom.
Arms wrapped fully around her waist, holding her tight so she couldn't slip away backward.
Legs entwined with hers, ensuring she couldn't escape that way either.
I'd entered her embrace, but now she couldn't get away from me at all.
We simply lay there, clinging tightly to each other.
We still needed to discuss dinner plans.
"......"
But we both just stayed like that, embracing on the bed.
No words.
No special conversation.
Nothing to say.
Doing absolutely nothing but holding each other's bodies close, we closed our eyes.
With eyes shut, her embrace felt even more vivid than before.
The warm heat, the soft body, her ever-sweet, unique scent—every bit of it was perfect.
Part of me felt a drowsy haze lifting from the sensations, but Rozalin's hand gently stroking my back melted that away too.
And so, snug in her arms, I slowly drifted off to sleep.