TVWD 42

Chapter – 42

“Our estate has discovered a red diamond mine.”

The conversation between the two of them ended immediately. The fork slipped from Father’s hand.

I had made Ted and Mark promise to keep quiet, saying I would tell my parents myself—who knew it would prove this useful?

“The reserves aren’t large, but I’m thinking of making jewelry for the family and selling a portion of it.”

A servant placed a new fork on the table, but Father didn’t seem to notice.

“Of course, if you permit it, Father.”

“Of course, Roa. You discovered it, so it’s yours. Good heavens, finding a blue diamond mine was astonishing enough—now a red diamond too?”

“Thank you for granting permission, Father.”

“I thought you were busy with social engagements lately. When did you find something like that?”

Mother, who had completely forgotten about Lexian, showed interest in the red diamonds instead.

“The formation process of blue and red diamonds is quite similar. Since blue diamonds were found, I wondered if there might be red ones as well. I was lucky.”

Well, Ted did most of the hard work for me.

“As it happens, craftsmen from the East are scheduled to arrive soon.”

“Oh my, from the East?”

Mother’s eyes sparkled.

“I think a necklace, earrings, and bracelet set would suit you well, Mother. What do you think?”

“I’m all for it!”

The entire meal was filled with talk about red diamonds.

I should prepare several red diamond pieces and bring them out whenever I need to divert Mother’s attention.

However, something happened that instantly diminished the effect of the red diamonds—Lexian himself appeared.

All my efforts to redirect my parents’ attention with red diamonds were rendered meaningless when he visited the Levian estate the very next day.

“My apologies for the sudden visit.”

I had just finished training and stepped into the main building when I saw Lexian and froze.

“It’s been a while, Rosia.”

He held out a bouquet. Of all flowers, it had to be lilies—my favorite.

“Oh my, it’s Roa’s favorite flower.”

“Is it? Lilies reminded me of Rosia, so I brought them. I’m glad to hear they’re her favorite.”

Mother’s eyes sparkled as she looked between me and Lexian. If this continued, she might even ask him about his feelings for me…

“The weather is warm. Shall we go to the garden?”

“Gladly.”

“If you go ahead, I’ll prepare and join you.”

After having a maid guide Lexian to the pergola, I quickly wiped off my sweat and changed clothes.

“Cassie, spray some perfume. I don’t want to smell like sweat.”

“You would smell fragrant even from sweat, my lady.”

“Don’t joke.”

Insisting she was serious, Cassie sprayed perfume and brushed my disheveled hair.

Should I let him see me messy and sweaty to make him lose interest?
But even if I dressed extravagantly to repel him, I didn’t want him to see me untidy.

Taking the brooch box I had prepared for Lexian, I left my room, only for Ris to follow me.

“Kyuu!”

“Do you want to come too?”

“Kyuu!”

Since the silver fox was a spirit beast, perhaps it sensed that the one who brought it here had come.

After a brief hesitation, I picked up Ris and headed to the rose-filled garden.

Under the pergola woven with countless climbing roses forming a canopy, Lexian, who had been waiting, turned at the sound of my approach.

Freshly prepared refreshments sat on the table.

“Say hello, Ris. This is the one who saved you.”

“Kyuu?”

The moment I set him down, Ris cautiously approached Lexian—then flinched and hurried back to me.

He doesn’t like magic, does he? Maybe he feels uneasy around someone with as much mana as Lexian.

Fearing I might lose him in the garden, I picked Ris up again and sat down at the table. Lexian took the seat across from me.

As expected, he appeared completely uninjured, and I felt relieved.

“Is the child’s name Ris?”

“Yes.”

Feeling slightly guilty, I answered deliberately confidently.

He studied the innocent silver fox for a moment, as if in thought, then seemed to notice nothing and looked away.

“You probably know better than I do why I came today, Rosia.”

“I’m not sure I do.”

As I feigned ignorance and poured tea, Lexian let out a dry laugh.

“There were mana stones and various potions with special effects among the items you carried. Things difficult to obtain even with money. There wasn’t a single unnecessary item in that cloth pouch.”

“……”

“Are you going to do something like that again?”

He didn’t ask why or how. He was already certain that I knew that place well.

Considering I had known about the secret passage even the knights discovered only later—and had taken only valuable items from that complex location—his suspicion was reasonable.

I simply remained silent.

Instead of answering, I pushed the box in my hand toward him.

“Even bribery won’t make me overlook it.”

“It’s not a bribe.”

A flicker of confusion passed through his blue eyes.

“It’s a gift. I told you before I’d prepare something that would suit you.”

“Ah.”

He stared at the blue velvet box before opening it.

Inside lay a platinum brooch shaped like a lisianthus flower, set with a blue diamond.

“Even if you don’t like it, I won’t take it back.”

“Rosia, you…”

Lexian frowned and sighed several times. It wasn’t anger—more like exasperation.

“Trying to distract me like this won’t work.”

“Have I been caught?”

When I smiled brightly, he ran a hand over his face—a habit of his when he felt embarrassed or unsure how to respond.

In the early days of our acquaintance, he used to do that often whenever I smiled or linked arms with him.

Feeling my composure crumble, I hardened my expression. Being around Lexian made my body act of its own accord.

“No matter how much I question you, it seems you won’t speak.”

The worst-case scenario would be him telling Father.

No matter how you look at it, taking things from a criminal organization is suspicious.

“It seems stopping you would be difficult.”

I waited nervously for his verdict.

“I’ll overlook this incident. But if you’re going to do something like that again, you must go with me.”

An unexpected proposal.

“If you act recklessly alone and get caught again, I won’t stay silent next time.”

“Even if you could get hurt again?”

“That day—if it hadn’t been for me, you would have died!”

His voice was unusually heated.

“You truly…”

I stayed silent. Even if I told him I wouldn’t die—only suffer serious injury—he wouldn’t believe me.

Unwilling to let the tense atmosphere continue, I spoke first.

“You might be busy, Lexian.”

“So you’re not saying you won’t do it,” he muttered, sighing lightly.

“If you contact me, I’ll make time. If I truly cannot, I’ll arrange an alternative. You needn’t worry.”

“Couldn’t you assign someone else instead?”

“What if you encounter a mage like the one at the hunting grounds? Someone of my level is necessary to protect you.”

It sounded reasonable—except Lexian Lisianthus was not the kind of man to say such things lightly.

He clearly harbored feelings for me, even if he didn’t realize it himself.

I can’t get entangled like this again…

But if he told Father, it would be troublesome. So I nodded as though reluctantly agreeing.

Of course, I would move secretly without telling him.

“On one condition—you mustn’t ask me my reasons for whatever I do.”

“…Agreed.”

Though incredulous, Lexian accepted.

My heart, which I thought had turned to steel, gave a painful throb.

Why do your feelings for me keep accumulating? It would be better if you forgot everything.

And yet, when I see you like this, it feels as though even without memories, emotions remain—that my regression wasn’t meaningless.

My mind knows I mustn’t grow close to you, but my body wants to lean on you.

No. I can’t let you die again.

Unfortunately, Mother kept interfering with my resolve.

“Your Grace, would you care to stay for a meal? It would be rude to send you away like this.”

“Thank you for the invitation, Madam. I gladly accept.”

I was about to say Lexian was busy, but he answered before I could. When he glanced at me with a subtle smile, my eyes burned, and I turned my head away.

“Then let us head to the dining room together.”

As Mother led us, the head butler approached.

“Madam, a guest has arrived. It is—”

“Rosia!”

Before the butler could finish, the guest called my name brightly as he approached.

The man in a white robe was none other than the Tower Master.