Several weeks have passed since the explosion.
The medical doctor who examined Rose finally gave her permission. She has regained her strength, but she is waiting for a meeting with Dalgodas.
He was going to get mad at her.
Dalgodas is busy with work, so she can't meet him easily. Even though he lives in the same mansion, that doesn't mean she gets to see him every day. Even she wasn't able to meet her mother, Frey, easily. She has to do it through her maid and asks for an opportunity to meet her. Of course, unless there is an emergency, it is bad manners to make a surprise visit without first confirming the situation. As with the other sisters, the same rule applied. This must be done even if the person is in the next room. And every time you visit, be sure to take her maid with you. The more Rose thought about it, the more she realized it was a very troublesome system.
The only place she can easily visit is the living room inside the mansion. It's spacious and comfortable, and what's more, it's also home to Rinka, the black cat. Rose loves a black cat named Rinka. The coat is silky, very smooth, and feels very pleasant to the touch. Even though she is bigger than Rose, she is very gentle. Rose has never been bitten by Rinka. On the contrary, Rinka always kisses her on her nose with her cold nose.
However, since the explosion, Rose has been locked in her room. She can't meet her cat Rinka and can't meet Yanagi either. After Yanagi was sure that Rose was okay, he left the mansion. Rose knew from Moi that he returned to her regular duty. The mansion is also being repaired, and she can hear the voices of people working outside.
According to Moi, the room Rose is in now is in a separate mansion. This room is mainly for VIP guests and is very nice and clean. The metalwork on the walls and lighthouses is beautiful throughout. The bed also has a ceiling and is wrapped in the finest silk and blankets, making it the most comfortable place to sleep. The water area is also clean. The bathtub is made of sparkling stones, with a black stone floor, and the surrounding area is decorated with gold and silver. It was so beautiful that it was almost a waste to use it.
But no matter how beautiful the place is, being trapped here won't make it feel good, Rose thought as she looked around. But as the person responsible for the explosion, she has no qualification to claim her significance. All she can do is wait quietly in her room until Dalgodas calls her.
There was a knock on the door. Moi opened the door, and a maid delivered a message and handed something to Moi. Moi brought the luggage given to him.
"It's a gift from Mr. Yanagi."
She said as she handed the package to Rose. Rose took and unwrapped it. It's a book called Magic Control. However, this is a new book.
"Moi, what is this?"
"It seems that Mr. Yanagi gave this to Miss Rose. He gave it to the guard in front of the mansion, saying you were no need to return it."
"Huh?"
Rose tilted her head.
"You returned the previous book, right? I think this one is new. See? The quality of the paper is different."
When Rose said that, Moi looked apologetic.
"Yes, I found Mr. Yanagi's book after that explosion..."
Moi paused, unsure whether to say anything or not.
"But?"
"It wasn't in the form of a book anymore. What can I say..."
"Is it broken?"
"Yes, unfortunately."
Oh, no. I broke it, Rose lamented. Not just that, he bought her a new book and presented it to her...
"Moi, are books like this expensive?"
"I don't know the details, but it's probably expensive. I think a book with this kind of specialized knowledge would cost about two to three months' worth of my salary."
"Oh..."
Rose was staring at the book, thinking he was doing it for his little sister who couldn't afford such an expensive book. Rose felt great guilt, thinking he had spent the precious money he earned through his life-threatening work.
A week has passed since then.
Today is the long-awaited meeting with Dalgodas. She went outside for the first time in a while, and the sun had just set. She had dinner in her room, so it was quiet. There may have been some people still eating in the dining room, but she could only hear the sounds of dishes crashing and people talking.
Rose and Moi walked down the hallway on the other side of the dining room and headed for the office where Dalgodas was. On the way, she saw a maid cleaning up a vase, and she seemed busy.
"Get in!"
She heard a voice from inside. That was Dalgodas's voice, she knew. Moi is waiting near the door. Rose enters the office alone and is about to receive Dalgodas' thunder. After she entered, the guard closed the door.
"You stupid girl!"
A loud voice suddenly rang out.
She heard something cracking from outside. She thinks that perhaps a maid who was holding a vase near this room got surprised and dropped it.
"I-I'm sorry..."
Rose was surprised and apologized to Dalgodas in a trembling voice.
"Have you reflected on it?"
Rose was surprised when Dalgodas suddenly changed his voice to a gentle one.
"Yes, I do."
Rose looked down and she nodded.
"Yanagi explained the magic spell you had cast. He said you were not guilty since you knew nothing about magic. You were just copying it. He explained you were doing it for fun."
Dalgodas said something like that with a grim look on his face.
"He requested that if I was to punish you, I should also punish him for showing you that magic. What do you think?"
Yanagi was trying to make her fault on him. Rose thought and shook her head.
"No, even though it was just for fun, I still did what I did. I am the one who will be punished. It is not Brother Yanagi's fault. So, please do not punish him."
"Is that all?"
"I indeed destroyed the mansion, and I indeed put others in danger. It's also true that I caused worry and trouble to many people, and I destroyed Brother Yanagi's precious books. I did something so terrible that I can't express my remorse. Therefore, I am the only one who will receive any punishment."
"Well said."
Dalgodas looked at Rose, who was getting smaller and smaller and heaved a sigh.
"Rose, you are only one year old, and to be honest, it is a heavy burden for me, who is both your father and the lord here. However, even though you are only one year old, you are different than others. You indeed have a great power that ordinary children do not have. Although you are only one year old, you are not a baby. Unlike Sumire, who is the same age as you, you have far more wisdom and ability. Even though you are small, I see you as a big girl. Do you understand?"
Dalgodas said this while looking at Rose. But, Rose thinks it will be a difficult sentence for him.
"Yes, Father."
"Your mother came to blame me, saying that I was also responsible for not telling you to wait quietly in your room. Even though you were not the child she gave birth to in pain, I know that a woman is strong when she becomes a mother. For the sake of her child, no matter who the other person is, she will turn her fangs against anything in front of her."
Dalgodas sighed again. He calms down for a while and then sentences Rose with a stern look.
"Rose Dalgodas, I will punish you."
Dalgodas said this while looking at Rose. Rose nodded, firmly accepting Dalgodas' words.
"Tomorrow, you will leave this mansion and train for one year under the magical master Miraiya on Mt. Ecoria. You can go with one maid, Moi, and one bodyguard, Darga."
"Yes, Father."
"And you'll bring the black cat Rinka with you. It doesn't need to be fed, so there's no need to worry about it. I'm sure it'll be useful."
"Yes, Father."
Even if you question why she has to take the cat with them, you can't say it. Rose just accepted it.
“It’s okay to go out now.”
"Yes. Excuse me."
Rose bowed her head and left the room. Dalgodas' sigh was also heard. When she went outside, Frey was waiting for her. Without saying anything, she hugged Rose.
This moment of silence was Rose's most painful moment.
The morning of departure.
Rose finished the breakfast in her room, and before the sun rose, a carriage was waiting in the side garden of the mansion. It seems that the morning running training is taking a break today. The servants loaded Rose and Moi's luggage, and snacks and drinks to be eaten on the way, into the carriage.
The bodyguard, Darga, seems to be a strong person and is a level 8 Wildcat race. Two swords hang from his waist. Yanagi was also there, talking with Darga. When Rose and Moi approached her carriage, Yanagi hugged her.
"Be careful on the way. I'll miss you, but we'll meet again next year, so stay healthy until then."
"Yes. Brother, too."
"Please send me news from time to time. If I know you are well, I can concentrate on my work in a peaceful mind."
"Yes, I will."
Yanagi said bitterly and stroked Rose's hair.
"I also asked Mr. Darga about you. Don't worry, Mr. Darga is a strong person."
"Yes, Brother."
"If I were strong, I could volunteer as Rose's bodyguard, but since I'm still at a low level, I know I won't be much of a force. I'll become as strong as Rose in a year. Let’s do our best together!"
Yanagi touched Rose's cheek. If he could, Yanagi thought, he wouldn't let her go.
"Yes, please take care of yourself, too."
"Yeah, you too."
He said that and hugged her tightly without saying a word. Afterward, he sat Rose in a chair inside the carriage.
"You can't see Father and Mother when you off here. It's a rule, so I can't help it. As an outsider, I came here to see Mr. Darga off."
Yanagi said as he looked at Rose again and stroked her.
"Yes, Brother."
"Okay."
He said and moved away. Moi entered the carriage and closed the carriage door. Yanagi's eyes were always looking at Rose.
Darga sat down beside the carriage driver. When sunrise sets up, Rose and the others leave the mansion and set off for Mount Ecoria.
She is going on a long journey by horse-drawn carriage for the first time. If it's a normal trip, it's fun. However, she was kicked out of the mansion as punishment, so she honestly couldn't be happy about it.
Come to think of it, she was told to take the black cat Rinka with her, but Rinka was nowhere to be seen in the carriage. Rose looked around and looked for Rinka.
"Hey, Moi. Why Rinka isn't here?"
"I think Miss Rinka is on top of the carriage."
"Miss Rinka..?"
"Ah, I just added Miss on my own. Those who can call her just the names were the head maid and the head chef only."
"I see. So, is it okay for me to call her by just the name?"
"I don't think that's a problem. Miss Rinka is a kind black cat."
Moi smiled and nodded.
"I heard that she sometimes steals the head chef’s food?"
"It's also her hobby, so we can do nothing about it. After all, she is a cat."
"I see. Father said she doesn't need to be fed, is that okay?"
"Yes, it's okay. Miss Rinka can procure food by herself."
"That's amazing."
"Yes, she's a smart cat."
"Is she hunting?"
"It seems like she does that sometimes."
"It seems?"
"I don't know the details. I'm sorry. I don't know the range of movement of cats."
"Well, she's a cat anyway."
"Yes, that's right."
Moi brought a pot with her and made some tea. As Rose watched the sunrise and tasted the warm flower tea, she thought, "I'll take what I'm about to see into my heart.''