“Rose, you’re too gorgeous to rot in a place like this.”

“Ah, yes······.”

“Are you really going to refuse my offer? Think about it carefully. What’s so good about a guy like Will Osborne?”

“Well, that guy is a good husband.”

”Husband my foot. He’s just a scarecrow you’ve attached to yourself because you’re a single mother!”

Stabbed in the right direction, I flinched unconsciously. Then Baron Camnell sneered at me as he saw my apprehension. With the counter in between, he tilted his upper body then leaned towards me.

“Although you’re a commoner and even have a child since you’re quite pretty, I’m giving you a chance to be one of my mistresses. I’ll build a detached house for you. What do you think? It wasn’t such a bad proposition, right?”

“······.”

Tsk, I want to kick this cretin out······.

No, should I just push this jerk off the coast and feed him to the fish? If not that, then it would also be good to tie him up with a rope and throw him into a pirate ship.

How great would it be if he went across the ocean, all the way to the other side of the continent just like that? This damn bastard!

“I apologize, your excellency. But I like my ordinary life.”

“Humph, stupid. Let’s see how long you can hold out. If you keep turning me down like this, it will only be your loss.”

I nodded my head apathetically. James Camnell clicked his tongue and turned his back. As soon as he was about to open the door, the Osborne father and son returned from the market.

“Your Excellency, Baron Camnell? For what reason are you here again······.”

Asked Sean Osborne, who pretended to be my father-in-law, but Baron Camnell ignored what he said and just passed by. Wretched bastard.

Glowering at the back of Baron Camnell’s head with a loathsome expression, Will Osborne asked as he approached me.

“Lau- No, Rose, are you okay? What did that scumbag say again?

I shook my head and answered.

“It’s no big deal. His remarks never change anyway.”

Will and Sean both wore an anxious expression on their faces.

“No matter what, I guess I’ll have to stay close to you for a while. Wherever you go, make sure you don’t walk around alone, do you understand?”

Will said, putting down his luggage at the counter. I smiled softly and nodded my head.

Will was a very kind and friendly person. And I’m really grateful to him and his father, that’s why I feel guilty because I couldn’t return his feelings for me.

“Anyhow, what did you buy today? What’s for dinner?”

I asked, alternately shifting my gaze between Will and Sean. I wanted to change the mood that had become gloomy because of that bastard, Baron Camnell.

Noticing my intentions, Sean replied with a smile.

“I bought a giant octopus. If you boil this with herbs and serve it with mayonnaise, it will taste great. Ah, by the way······.”

Sean rummaged through the basket and suddenly pulled out a bouquet. It was pink tulips, similar to my original hair color.

“Wow! Thank you!”

I smiled wide and accepted the bouquet. The fresh scent gave off a pleasant feeling.

“I’m glad you liked it.”

“Yes. Thank you for always taking care of me like this all the time. Ah! And the tea that you make every morning! Thanks to that, I feel like my head is clear all day.”

“Then that’s nice······.”

Sean responded with a slightly cloudy voice.

“By the way, Rose·····.”

His expression suddenly became grave. The same was for Will, who was standing next to him.

What’s going on? I tilted my head and looked at them. Then Sean and Will exchanged glances and said in an anxious tone.

“We heard it at the market earlier····· it seems that people from the capital came.”

* * *

Letizia hated hide-and-seek.

Because she wasn’t very talented at hiding.

Even now, it was just like that. She has to hide quickly before the number goes up to 30, but she can’t really figure out where to go.

‘Ah, I don’t know.’

Therefore, she merely just sat down on the street. Her mom told her not only to sit anywhere! But the sun-warmed bricks feel good. Besides, beautiful wildflowers were blooming next to it.

Purple violets and yellow dandelions.

Letizia’s eyes twinkled as she looked at the bunch of wildflowers.

‘I have to pick this and give it to my mom!’

Letizia began picking flowers diligently, forgetting about hide-and-seek. Her head was only full of thoughts of bringing flowers to her mother.

Finally, Letizia, who made a fair bouquet, sprang up from her seat. Then she started running towards the direction of their house. Letizia was a smart child who remembers her way well.

It was barely about three blocks away.

Crash!

“Ouch!”

Letizia, who bumped into a tall mister, raised her head in tears.

The mister she bumped into was very tall, and his shoulders were extremely wide. Her mom feels soft and fluffy, but why does this mister feel like a rock?

Is he made of stone? Letizia had a tearful look.

“······Are you alright?”

The man asked in a very gloomy voice. Leticia flinched unconsciously.

Looking closely, the mister’s eyes were downcast, and his cheeks were hollow. His complexion was also as white as a ghost. Letizia asked with curiosity in her eyes.

“Mister, are you sick?”

“······What?”

“It’s because mister looks very ill! Shall Letty tell you where the hospital is?”

“······.”

The man looked at Leticia with a mysterious expression. His eyebrows seemed to frown slightly, and for an instant, his eyes flashed. As if he suddenly discerned something.

Instinctively threatened, Letizia stepped back.

‘This mister is somehow strange!’

My mom told me not to talk to anyone suspicious! As she thought that she shouldn’t have talked to this mister and was about to run away, the man approached her then suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder.

‘Huh?’

At that moment, Leticia froze. Rather than being scared of being caught by a suspicious person, it was because she suddenly felt strange.

If you look closely, this mister somehow looks familiar······.

Thump. Thump.

Her heart fluttered. Leticia clenched her fist, raising her hand to the pit of her stomach.

“······You.”

“Yes?”

“······.”

The man’s lips twitched as if he were looking for something to say.

Leticia stared at the mister’s blue eyes, which were shaking violently, and was showing a very sorrowful expression.

‘Mister must be really sick······.’

“How old are you?”

“………?”

The sudden question was bizarre. Why is he suddenly asking about my age? Letizia leaned her head, frowned, and then answered.

“Letty is five years old today and will be six years old tomorrow.”

“What?”

“I said I would be six years old tomorrow!”

“······six years old.”

Letizia tottered her head. No! I’m five years old today!

Then as if suddenly remembering something outrageous, the mister laughed.

“Right. It’s been more than six years.”

“I said I’m not yet six years old! Mister is such an idiot!”

“What?”

The man was astounded as if to have heard such a harsh word for the first time in his life.

Letizia sighed pitifully. Perhaps this mister has never had anyone in his life to tell him the truth! Leticia said in a sad voice.

“My mom said that an adult is stupid if he couldn’t count. Mister is stupid.”

“······.”

The man gaped at Letizia as if he was struck dumbfounded.

“Your mom taught you wrong. There are many people in the world who can’t count.”

“Letty can count from 1 to 1000. I’m quite amazing, right?”

“Yes, you’re very amazing.”

The man threw up empty words and stroked Leticia’s head. Then suddenly stopped. As if what he did was unexpected.

Then the man sighed.

“Do you live around here? Who are your parents?”

In response to the continuously flying questions, Letizia’s eyes narrowed. Letizia met the man’s scrutinizing gaze without backing down.

The man raised his eyebrows as if it was surprising that a little child did not get intimidated in front of him.

Crossing her arms, Letizia said.

“If you want to ask Letty, you have to tell her your name first!”

“Did your mother teach you that, too?”

“My mom told me not to talk to anyone suspicious. And mister is being very suspicious. But you look sick, so Letty wanted to help you.”

“······yes, you’re a very nice kid.”

The man stroked Leticia’s head and said.

“My name is Cal······ Cal Roch.”

“Wow, mister’s name is so weird!”

“······.”

Letizia giggled. The man, who was ridiculed by the little girl, showed a defeated expression.

“So, your name is Letty? Who’s your Mom and Dad?”

Leticia frowned. This suspicious mister is very persistent. Why is he so curious about who her mom and dad were? Leticia glanced at the man with an apprehensive gaze. Then she stepped back and answered.

“My name is Letizia, which means happiness. My mother gave me that name because Letizia is her mother’s happiness. My mom is Rose Osborne, and my dad is William Osborne.”

The man who heard the answer seemed to contemplate something, then, after a while, opened his mouth.

“······How old is your mom?”

“Why do you ask, mister?”

Leticia asked back. The man paused for a moment, then smiled. Somehow, the mister’s smile seemed very unnatural. Letizia’s suspicions deepened.

“I’m just curious, that’s why.”

“Mister, you have a fake smile on your face.”

Letizia declared frankly. In the child’s head, the man is ‘a sick but a very suspicious person.’ Letty thought she should get away from the man immediately.

Before the man could even do anything else, Leticia quickly turned her back. Then ran straight and shouted.

“Letty doesn’t want to speak with mister anymore. The hospital is over there! Bye!”

“Wait······.”

The man raised his hand in an attempt to catch the child, then sighed.

There was a dark shade on his tired face. Dressed only in black from head to toe, his visage was like a corpse that had just been dug out from its grave.

“Should I chase after her?”

A woman approached the man’s side and asked. She was wearing pants and a sword, looking like a wanderer or a traveling district attorney.

“It’s okay, I have a clue anyway.”

The man responded briefly, then passed by the woman. Following after him, the woman added in a low voice.

“······I hope you find her this time.”

“I will.”

He will do whatever it takes just to find her, even if it’s selling his soul to the devil. The dead eyes of the man flashed dangerously as he muttered inside his head.

* * *

‘Don’t worry too much. Everything’s going to be fine.’

Alice said that the guests from the capital were mere tourists and that she didn’t have to worry.

But somehow she feels very anxious. She just can’t calm down. Thanks to that, she broke some mana stones and was told by the Osborne father and son to rest for the day.

I can’t believe I’m causing inconvenience.

“Haa······.”

She sighed quietly. Letty was fast asleep next to her.

Letty, who went to play during the day, passed out as soon as the sun went down. She must have been exhausted—little thing, where’d you run around again.

······Come to think of it, Letty said something strange.

– Earlier, I saw a handsome mister, he’s as handsome as an angel. Though he looked very sick, indeed, I should have taken him to the hospital!

She asked what that meant, but Letty just mumbled and fell quickly asleep.

“It’s just nothing, right?”

She murmured unconsciously, as she fixed the few strands of hair that had flowed down on the child’s small face.

‘What hunch, you just imagine things.’

“······.”

Yeah, it’s probably just her imagination. There’s no way Calix is looking for her.