The Exhausting Reality of Novel Transmigration

concluded.
Then, Rosetta and Alicia left the dining hall first.

So, only Damian and the duke were left at the table now.

The duke took a sip out of his glass of cold liquor.

It had high alcohol content, but it wasn’t enough to phase the only swordmaster of the empire.

“Well, Rosetta’s right anyway.
Even if a ball is arbitrarily held in a situation like this, it’ll just serve as fuel for more rumors to entertain those people.”

“…Are the rumors still rampant amongst the nobles?” Damian asked.

“It’s not possible to cool down boiling water, is it?”

The duke’s sharp answer made Damian shake his head.

He was already sick and tired of all those rumors.

Even if he were to run around and overwork himself in an endeavor to calm those rumors, the only effect there would be the rise of the ‘Valentine’ name.
The rumors would not subside.

As if House Valentine and Rosetta were two separate entities.

Rosetta was also a Valentine, so all of this was just ridiculous.

The two men here were madly frustrated with the outcome, and they said nothing for a while.

At this point, they felt their moods plummet because it felt like it was their actions and lack of results that doomed the once in a lifetime coming-of-age celebrations of both Rosetta and Alicia.

Had they been able to quell the rumors even more, tonight’s discussion would not have concluded in the way that it did.

“Nonetheless, don’t worry,” the duke said.
“I’ll extinguish those rumors somehow or another.”

“Yes, I’ll try harder as well.”

“…I just hope that that child won’t get hurt.”

Damian blinked in a daze, unfamiliar with the gentle tone in which his father was speaking now.

But he soon nodded, a bitter smile on his lips.
And, he asked one more question.

“Do you regret it, Father?”

The pointed question urged the duke to raise one eyebrow.

A lot of things were omitted from the simple question, but much was implied.

The duke turned his gaze and looked out the window.

From his seat at the dining hall, he saw one tree.

It had white flowers blooming here and there.

When the duchess was still amongst the living, she had loved that tree very much.

Is it true that flowers bloom in this tree when it’s cold? she asked.

The duke ordered to have that tree planted there so that she’d be able to see its flowers while they were dining.

But, in the summer of that same year.

The duchess died without ever seeing that tree blossom.

Since then, he only ever felt regretful every year whenever he sat here and caught a glimpse of that tree.
He should have had that tree planted there sooner.

If he did, then she would have been able to see the flowers that she loved, even if it was just within a small window of time.

“Yes.
I do regret it.
That’s why let’s move forward without regretting anything anymore.”

“Yes.
I will do the same.”

This was where the conversation between father and son ended.

No other voice could be heard inside the quiet dining hall.

At the yard outside that hall.

There Rosetta stood alone, eavesdropping as she concentrated her qi at her ears.

She was standing there with her back against the wall.

She felt complicated.

While it’s true that the duke might have defended her during the state conference, she still had some apprehensions.
It’s for this reason that she eavesdropped on them.

After all, the duke had already witnessed her behaving suspiciously before—back in the duchess’ hidden garden, when she used her iron fan to trim those trees.

Besides that, there was also her behavior during the hunting festival.

So many people had seen her ‘suspicious’ behavior, and they weren’t being quiet about it.

She thought that the duke took her side during the state conference only for the sake of preserving the household’s prestige, and that he would eventually speak his honest thoughts once he’s alone with Damian…

But what’s this.

Now, she felt like she only heard something that she shouldn’t have heard.

If she had rather heard that they were actually suspicious of her, she wouldn’t have been this restless now.

She turned her blank gaze towards the white flowers.

Watching those elegantly fluttering blossoms that were uncharacteristic of the current season, she was reminded of her second transmigration.

To be exact, she heard Mog-i Oraboni’s voice.

With long eyelashes, she closed her eyes and listened to the voice in her head.

“Aren’t you going to make a family?”

“…Everyone in this place is my family.”

“You really don’t though.
That’s a lie.”

As his eyes were covered with a white cloth, he saw through her lie right away.
His lips curled up into a smile.

Whenever he gave her that smile, there was a time when she would tremble because it felt like she had become a bad child for no reason.

“Still, I consider you my family, Oraboni.”

“Yes, and I thank you for that.
In return, I’ll tell you your future.”

“My future?”

“…It’s going to be tough.
It’s going to be even more difficult than it is now.
You would become even more averse to the idea of family—rather, you’d be afraid to have people by your side, let alone considering them your family.”

All he spoke of was a future full of bad things.
Unknowingly, she furrowed her brows as she asked back.

“That’s what you’re giving me in return?”

Mog-i Oraboni burst out laughing.
It was a loud guffaw, but despite his mirth, he seemed forlorn.
He soon calmed down.

But there was still a hint of mischief as he spoke again.

“Even so, remember this.
Even when the sky is downcast and full of clouds, the sun breaks through and rises.”

After finally emptying everything, you will be left with a blank slate.
And on top of that white paper, colorful hues will fill it.

Seol, you poor child.

You, who received both heaven’s love and retribution.

With those last words in mind, Rosetta opened her eyes.

‘Eventually, the sun rises…’

In this late autumn, the sky was blue.