Chapter 81
Chapter 81
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Smooth Ride Home
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The ride was worlds apart from the trip to the Rose Family's territory.
It really was... on another level.
Even I had to admit it was a stroke of luck that I'd deliberately arranged for the roads to be fixed up separately.
"Hee hee hee..."
"You're loving this, aren't you?"
"The first time we went to the Rose Family, it was so rough."
"That's true. Honestly, even I was shocked at first... the roads were so poorly maintained."
"Even so, letting the roads get that bad was just too much."
"Well... Father never really cared much about the territory."
Even so, it did seem like they managed the territory in such a bizarre way.
I had those thoughts, but I didn't voice them.
Rozalin was just enjoying the smooth carriage ride right now, after all.
We should have been rattling along on the same poorly maintained roads as our trip there, but not anymore.
Before we left... I'd spent money to have the roads completely smoothed out.
It had only taken three days, but the way back was so much more comfortable than the way there.
"Hmm... On the way to the territory, I couldn't even sleep properly in the carriage. Now it's so much better."
"I think so too."
"And the weather's cooler too, isn't it?"
Rozalin kept smiling as she said that.
Completely different from her expression on the way to the Rose Territory.
She looked so happy on this return journey.
Seeing her so delighted and pleased naturally put me in a good mood too.
"By the way, Camellia, why did you bring those rose tea petals?"
Rozalin, who had been gazing at the scenery and roads outside the carriage, turned to me and brought it up.
I'd bought quite a bit of the rose tea petals they mainly sell in the Rose Territory before we left.
She usually drank desserts or milk instead of tea, so of course she'd be curious why I suddenly bought so much rose tea.
"It's a type we don't have at the mansion, and they're dried anyway. The rose tea from the Rose Territory has the best quality, so that's why."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. And when you drank the rose tea, Mother, you smiled a little, like it had been a while."
"Hm?"
"You've drunk it often since you were young, right?"
The taste and aroma of rose tea were good in themselves.
But separately from that, the main reason I'd bought so much rose tea was because of Rozalin.
"You seemed to like it a bit every time you drank it."
"...So you bought a lot on purpose?"
"Yes. Honestly... I don't plan on visiting the Rose Family much... so I bought extra, especially."
Well... I did buy a lot, really.
"You can drink it back at the mansion whenever you feel like it."
"Should I...?"
"Yes. You might hate the Rose Family, but the rose tea they sell in the Rose Territory is delicious, right?"
"That's true. I haven't drunk it like I used to since coming to the Leonhardt Family... but the taste is good."
"You don't plan on going back to the Rose Family for a while anyway, right?"
As long as those people were still there, Rozalin and I had no reason to meet them again.
From the start, Rozalin was more a member of the Leonhardt Family than the Rose Family now.
We could just stay at the mansion.
"Shall we have some tea together when we get back?"
"Yes, let's do that."
Next year, we'd have less time for that anyway.
I wanted to spend as much quality time with Rozalin as possible before enrolling in the academy.
*
"Hmm... It has gotten darker. Good call stopping in this city."
"Yeah. The weather turned bad earlier than expected tonight."
We stopped a bit earlier than planned in a suitable city.
We'd originally intended to go a little farther... stay overnight in a village, and set off again, but the sky had darkened.
We just got off in the city we happened to pass by.
There were several good inns in a row, so we rented all the rooms.
"There was heavy rain not long ago, so maybe it'll just be a light drizzle?"
"I hope so. If it pours, the roads tomorrow could get rough."
"Camellia, try this. It's delicious."
"Okay."
Anyway, after renting all the inn rooms, Rozalin and I went out alone.
Because... we're nobles.
I was fine with it to some extent, but plain inn food clearly wouldn't suit Rozalin's tastes.
So we'd deliberately found a decent restaurant for just the two of us.
"The salad smells good."
"Mmm..."
"You prefer meat over veggies, huh?"
"Haha..."
Well, it wasn't bad, but I definitely liked meat more than grass.
The salad served as an appetizer before the main course... wasn't bad.
But I preferred bread or seafood over this.
"Still, try it. It's not just all greens."
"True. Honestly, I'm glad."
"Picky eating is bad. You need to eat your veggies."
"I'm trying. For now."
"Hee hee, but it doesn't taste bad at all, right?"
That was true.
...But I still hate veggies.
After finishing the salad, onion soup topped with a bit of cheese came out.
Probably to whet the appetite before the main dish.
"Hmm... This is pretty good."
"The cheese flavor is nice, and the sauce itself... not bad. Maybe because it's close to the capital?"
"Could be. We picked it just on looks and interior... but it seems pretty good."
"Yeah. Good choice."
Just as Rozalin said.
It was close to the capital, after all.
The capital was already far superior to other regions in cuisine and such, and this city was located near that central area.
That's why even a random restaurant like this could serve food this good.
We were just eating appetizers before the main, but it was definitely the case.
Probably better than most restaurants in the south?
Of course, the prices were a bit higher.
"Hee hee... This place we visited for the first time tastes way better than back home."
"I think so too."
"The buildings back home were bigger, and surely the food quality was better there too..."
"But it was so stuffy."
"Yeah."
Rozalin and I smiled at each other as we chatted.
Over half our time at the Rose Family had honestly been unpleasant, after all.
"Sigh... If they'd just told me about the family from the start, I wouldn't have had to go."
"Haha..."
"Feels like they hid it for no reason. If I'd known you'd tell Camellia everything anyway..."
Normally... I might have said no, but this time, I had to concede a bit.
If Rozalin had told me more about what the Rose Family was really like, I might not have gone.
The reason I'd insisted on going... was partly because of Rozalin in the first place...?
"...It's a bit different from what I first thought."
"Is it...?"
"Yes."
...At first, I didn't like the Rose Family people's attitudes.
But after hearing from Rozalin, their actions became even more distasteful, making me hate them more.
Getting to hate them more... could be called a change, right?
"Hee hee... Suddenly want some wine."
"Drinking alcohol too often isn't great."
"I only had a bit much that one day. Isn't that too harsh?"
"You were definitely drunk that day."
Rozalin couldn't refute that.
She really had gotten drunk that day.
Drinking whiskey alone... well.
Of course, given the conversation topic, it must have been hard for her to say it sober, so I understood.
"Whiskey and wine have different proofs."
"I've never tried, so I wouldn't know."
I knew, but played dumb.
I really hadn't drunk any yet, after all?
At least not as Camellia.
"...True enough. You shouldn't drink that stuff, Camellia."
"...Didn't you just say you wanted some, Mother?"
"That's true, but I'd prefer if you never did."
"Mmm... I probably won't ever."
I'd never been very interested in alcohol to begin with, and there were so many tastier things?
Strawberry milk, the rose tea I'd brought this time... honestly, all better than alcohol.
Anyway, we had a relaxed chat and meal with Rozalin after a long time.
Recently, because of certain people, meals with Rozalin hadn't been very pleasant, but today was fine.
"Hee hee..."
"Why do you keep laughing?"
"Just... being away from the family makes me keep feeling good?"
"...Is that so?"
During the meal, Rozalin kept looking at me and smiling, so I wondered what was up.
Well... her time at the Rose Family must have been really uncomfortable.
I could understand that feeling.
Honestly, even I felt stifled and uncomfortable staying there, and for Rozalin, it must have been worse, if anything.
No less, at least.
"And our Camellia thinks so well of her mom, which makes me happy?"
"Is that so..."
"The rose tea, and bringing up things I couldn't mention first..."
Rozalin seemed happier than I expected, which was nice.
Rozalin suited a smiling, lively expression much more than a gloomy one.
Yeah, this side definitely looks prettier.