Chapter 75
Chapter 75
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Whiskey Confessions
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"Indeed... alcohol is a wonderful thing..."
"...Mother, you're drinking it too quickly..."
"Oh, this much is fine."
Rozalin was knocking back whiskey all by herself.
I was a little worried, but she didn't seem to care at all.
It was only two glasses so far... but I couldn't help feeling concerned.
"Hehe... Camellia. Want to try a sip?"
"...Mother."
"I'm kidding, kidding. I wouldn't just give alcohol to my daughter who's not even an adult yet."
"That's a relief..."
Was she a bit drunk already?
All I could do was watch her with worry, as her energy seemed higher than usual.
Truth be told, I rarely saw people around me drinking alcohol, and Rozalin even less so.
Whenever we drank something at the mansion, it was usually tea or juice.
Cases like this, where she was drinking liquor, were truly rare.
"Hoo... Back in the day, I sometimes drank with friends at the Academy."
"...Pardon?"
"Even back then, when I could barely use magic, I'd freeze the glasses solid so no one could pick them up."
"Uh..."
Why bring that up out of nowhere?
Rozalin wasn't one to talk much about her Academy days.
"Hehe, when you go to the Academy, Camellia... you'll have a great time for sure."
"...I suppose so?"
"In the meantime, what should I do alone in the mansion... It's really worrying me."
"........"
Well... that's true.
Just as Rozalin said... when I went to the Academy, she'd be left alone in the mansion.
I'd worried about it occasionally before, but I'd forgotten about it for a while.
"Hehe, why are you reacting so seriously? I was just saying it offhand."
"Ah..."
"There's no way I'd hate my daughter going to the Academy, right? It's just that the mansion without you will be so boring."
...Was it because she was a little drunk?
Her expression and tone were more serious than usual, making it hard to just brush off her words.
We'd talked about this before, but today she seemed even more earnest.
"Camellia, you know what?"
"...What?"
I wondered what she'd say this time.
She was bringing up things I'd never heard from the usual Rozalin, so I had no idea what was coming next.
"Hmm... You've seen the Rose Family these past few days, right?"
"Yes, I have. Not just the buildings, but a lot of other things too."
"Right, you did. After a few days, you've probably seen most of it. Even the people of the Rose Family."
"...Right?"
Why was she asking these questions?
What story was she leading up to?
"You saw my sisters too, and Mother and Father."
"Yes."
"What did it feel like?"
"...Pardon?"
"You can just say it honestly. What did you think of the Rose Family people?"
"Ah..."
...It was certainly a sudden question.
How should I answer this?
Honestly, the thoughts that came to mind weren't all that positive.
Was it okay to say them straight to Rozalin?
"........"
"You can really be honest. I mean it."
"...Okay."
Since she was the one who brought it up...?
I figured it would be fine.
"...Honestly, it felt strange. I can't quite put my finger on it exactly, but it just felt off."
...Truth be told, it was hard for me to badmouth the Rose Family to Rozalin, who was born into it.
But since she said it was okay.
Thinking it probably was, I continued.
"For starters, it was weird that they assigned us such a guest building even though they knew Mother was coming."
"...You're right."
"I could understand the level of furniture and decor, but that initial state when we first saw it... it was way too neglected. No matter how I think about it."
"...Yeah."
Rozalin didn't deny my words; she just nodded in agreement.
Well... it was in such a bad state that it was hard to argue otherwise.
"And... the way they treated us guests... honestly, it was pretty awful? They sent the invitation themselves, but they didn't even visit us until dinner with the Family Head and his wife..."
I started voicing my complaints about how they hadn't called us until the dinner with the Rose Count and Countess.
Honestly, how could it not bother me...?
"...You're right about that. I'm really sorry."
"It's not Mother's fault."
"...Still."
"And... suddenly Christina... or should I say Ms. Christina?"
I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to call her Aunt in front of Rozalin.
She was an aunt, technically... but I hadn't gotten permission or anything.
I'd called Alexandra "Aunt" once before, but that was just to tease.
"...Yeah."
"The way she talked about Leonhardt, and bringing up our father... it didn't feel comfortable. It came across as looking down on us in various ways."
They were stories with more negatives than positives, naturally.
It wasn't just about William; it felt like she was disdainful of the South as a whole.
For me, they were all things I couldn't listen to pleasantly.
"......."
"And to top it off, Mother was right there. In that situation, she kept saying things that grated on the nerves."
"........"
"I don't know how Mother felt hearing it, but it wasn't pleasant for me."
"...Yeah, I can understand that."
"Well... the clear takeaway is that the Rose Family doesn't think much of Leonhardt."
If I had to sum it up definitively, that was it.
It was the answer to what Rozalin had asked: what I felt about the Rose Family people.
"I see."
"Yes."
"...Well, my sisters are like that, and my parents too..."
Rozalin, who had been sipping her drink while listening to my answer, now had even redder cheeks than before.
Her eyes were slightly glazed too.
"Sigh..."
"...Mother."
It felt awkward, somehow different from the usual Rozalin.
She kept giving these self-deprecating smiles, especially whenever I mentioned the Rose Family.
"That's probably... not just because of you, Camellia."
"Pardon?"
"It's not only because of the Leonhardt Family and you... some of it is because of me, how the family treats me."
"...Pardon?"
Even after hearing it, I couldn't process it right away.
I couldn't understand how it could be because of Rozalin.
She was a member of the Rose Family herself; how could she be the cause?
Even if her marriage to William was a contract one, and even though she now used the Leonhardt name...
"What do you mean...?"
It really didn't make sense.
"Why blame yourself, Mother...?"
"........"
What was she thinking to bring this up?
I tried to think it through, but no matter how I looked at it... it didn't add up.
"Mother?"
"Hehe... I've never told this story to anyone else. Who would've thought I'd tell you, Camellia."
"...Mother?"
"No one from other families knows either. If you can help it... don't tell anyone, okay? It's a secret."
"...Yes."
...What on earth was she about to say?
Rozalin finished off the remaining liquor in her glass.
I was worried about her downing strong alcohol so fast... but I stayed silent, just waiting.
Letting her speak at her own pace.
"I'm actually... not Mother's biological daughter."
"...Pardon?"
"...You know how it goes? A noble gets drunk, sleeps with a commoner girl as pretty as a noble, and she gets pregnant."
"......."
"After the baby's born, he gives her some money, tells her never to come back or connect it to his family."
She was the only one drinking.
I hadn't touched any alcohol, hadn't even smelled it, just sitting there quietly.
Yet what I clearly heard with my own ears didn't register.
I'd heard the story, but it felt like I hadn't.
"So... Mother is... an illegitimate child of the Rose Family?"
"...That's right. Yeah, bluntly put, I'm a bastard. No one outside the family knows."
"......."
It was information I'd never heard before.
Not when I'd looked into Rozalin before she arrived at the mansion, nor when I'd researched the Rose Family.
Just as she said, other families had no idea.
"...Hehe. Of course you'd be shocked."
"...Yes."
"I've never told anyone else until now. But telling you, Camellia... it feels a bit relieving."
"Is Mother... really okay telling me this...?"
Separate from my shock, I was worried for her.
It wasn't just any story; it was hugely important.
Sharing such a crucial, secret tale about her own birth... was that alright?
"Hm? Okay?"
"Yes."
"What's not okay about it? You're not the type to go blabbing to others."
"Still..."
"Well, in over twenty years of living, I've barely ever spoken this out loud."
Her voice was louder than usual.
"The family never really acknowledged me as a proper member, just left me to my own devices."
Even with her eyes a bit unfocused from the alcohol and her face flushed, she wore a serious expression.
"When people from other families visited, they'd deliberately keep me out of sight, locking me in my room during dinner."
"...Mother."
"And you know... at first, I really hated being sold off to the Leonhardt Family? I was just a stand-in for Christina since she didn't want to go."
"........"
"But after hearing that, a few days later, I started packing with a happy heart."
"...Yes."
"At least there, no one would reject or shun me for being a bastard."
"........"
These were stories from Rozalin I'd never heard before.
I had no idea she had such experiences, and until now, I'd assumed she'd had an easy childhood in a count's family.
It was completely different from what I'd thought.
I'd never imagined anything like this.
I'd only planned to ask if it was right that Rozalin came instead of Christina, but I never thought the conversation would go this far...
"...Sorry."
"...No."
"No, I think... I've had a bit too much to drink."
Rozalin stood up a little unsteadily.
She put the liquor bottle back in the display cabinet on the table, then turned her head toward me, still sitting.
"...Sorry. I didn't mean to bring the mood down this much; it just slipped out..."
"........"
"...Keep today's stories secret from others, okay?"
"Yes, I know."
That was my answer to her question.
No, it was impossible to answer otherwise.
Rozalin's expression was just... too sad.
"........"
After that, she said she wanted to sleep, and I returned to my room.
I hadn't expected this at all.
Somehow, I'd ended up hearing something huge.
I knew the count's family was declining, but Rozalin being a bastard born to a commoner... that was really...
"...Ha."
Maybe it would've been better to stay quiet?
I regretted suddenly asking that weird question on the terrace.