Please Answer Me - Chapter 138
Rosetta set her fork down, and the nanny sighed. “Princess, please eat more. What will happen if you eat so little?”
“But I can’t eat any more.”
“Shall I have them bring something else?”
Rosetta shook her head. “I’m too full to eat anything else. And as long as it’s not seafood, I’m fine with anything, so there’s no need to worry too much about the food.”
“Then I’ll have them clear the meal and bring you some more fruit. Fruit is alright, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
The nanny had the remaining food taken away and ordered some of Rosetta’s favorite fruits to be brought in. Watching Rosetta enjoy a ripe peach, the nanny finally felt some of her worries ease.
“…Will you tell Lord Iselle?” The nanny carefully broached the subject just as Rosetta finished her last peach.
Rosetta nodded. “Now that it’s certain, I have to tell him.”
“The baby isn’t coming tomorrow, so please don’t rush.”
Seeing the concern on the nanny’s face, Rosetta smiled gently. The sight of the nanny, who had recently developed more wrinkles, filled her with a sense of guilt.
“Alright, I’ll take my time.”
“Will you rest now?”
“Yes, you should go. When Allen returns, tell him he doesn’t need to stop by and can go straight to rest.”
“Yes, Princess.”
After the nanny left, Rosetta lay down on her bed. Staring at the white canopy draped across the ceiling, she finally allowed herself to drift into deep thought.
She hadn’t seen Iselle since that incident. Unless there was something urgent, Rosetta had not left the palace, and Iselle had not come to visit her.
“I’ll be sure to sever his head and present it to you as a gift when I meet him again. I’ll even preserve it in salt so you can keep it beside you forever.”
Remembering his last words, Rosetta let out a soft sigh. As the nanny had said, there was no need to rush. The timing wasn’t right. If she told him about the pregnancy now, it would be like pouring oil on a fire when he was already so filled with rage.
It would be easier if he simply gave up on herâon both her and this child. If he could be like most men, who couldnât accept another manâs child, and simply get angry and reject her, it would be so much better.
Rosetta lowered her eyebrows as she thought.
But Iselle wouldn’t do that. She couldnât even begin to fathom the extent of his possessiveness and obsession. As long as the scars on his back remained, it would be difficult for Rosetta to turn away from him. She had thought that as long as she stayed by his side and fulfilled her roles as his wife and the grand duchess, everything would be fine. But now, with the baby, her mind was in turmoil.
I wonder if Sika made it back safely.
Turning onto her side, Rosetta thought of Sikaâs sparkling eyes. Today was the last day the trading company was delivering goods. By now, the sun had already set, so they must have finished their business and left the palace. Even though she had recognized that the woman representing the trading company was Sika, she had done nothing about it. The child must be deeply disappointed in her for ignoring the message he had conveyed with such difficulty.
Perhaps it would have been better if she hadnât purchased any of the goods from the start. However, for the Quat tribe to profit greatly from the silk, it was necessary for the palace to buy it first. Once it became known that the princess had purchased all the goods, the nobility would naturally start seeking them out. At the very least, she wanted to offer that much help.
At the end of these drifting thoughts, Rosetta, as always, thought of Rashid. Her heart swelled with longing and the desire to see him.
Could he be in Terra right now? If he came here after receiving that letter, what on earth was he thinking? How could he not be angry after reading such a letter?
It was times like this that his unwavering nature felt almost tragic. Just once, he could have misunderstood, given up easily, or even resented her… In the end, he would probably leave without ever knowing about the child she carried.
Rosetta wrapped her hands around her stomach. If Rashid had heard the news about the baby in Edirne, he would have been overjoyed. At first, he would have been so surprised that he would have just blinked, but then, realizing it was true, he would have smiled brightly and embraced her with the happiest expression in the world.
As she continued with these futile thoughts, she heard a knock at the door. Rosetta thought it must be Allen returning. She had told him he didn’t need to stop by, but perhaps he had something to say.
“Come in.”
But the person who entered was not Allenâit was Tanit. Rosetta quickly sat up, her face hardening just at the sight of Tanit.
“Sister…”
“Can we talk for a moment? It won’t take long.”
There was a thud as the door closed behind Tanit.
***
Rashid tilted his chin up and looked above him. The white building, five stories high, gleamed faintly in the moonlight. However, the side with the windows was shrouded in deep shadows, untouched by the moonlight.
His gaze was fixed on a window on the fifth floor. A faint light was spilling out from there.
“Rigaina usually spends this time alone in her bedroom, so unless something unusual happens, today should be no different. Would you like to wear gloves?”
Rashid shook his head at Sika’s suggestion. “No, I prefer using my bare hands.”
“The entire wall appears to be covered in smooth marble, but there are protruding sections where the rough surface of granite is exposed. You just need to step on those.”
“I understand.”
Rashid pulled up the black mask over his face. Dressed entirely in black, the only part of him still visible was his blue eyes.
Rashid began climbing the outer wall of the building. Meanwhile, Sika and Mark kept watch below to ensure no one was approaching. Fortunately, their predictions about the situation had been accurate, thanks to their thorough preparation.
“He’s incredible…,” Mark murmured in admiration as he watched Rashid climb the wall like a spider, moving swiftly upward. In no time, Rashid had already reached the third floor.
“This is nothing for him, or for me either. We’ve done this plenty of times. It’s not a difficult task for someone who has scaled castle walls. Heâll reach the fifth floor in no time.”
Mark glanced at Sika with newfound respect. This was the same boy who had been stealing apples for his horse in Edirne, yet here, he seemed to know and do everything. Only now did Mark fully understand why Riga always kept this noisy kid by his side. Sika was capable of doing the work of several people on his own, and if it were him, he would certainly take this boy along as well.
“Uh?”
At that moment, Sika let out a small gasp. The stone Rashid had been standing on broke off and fell. Rashid was left hanging onto the outer wall with only his hands, swaying slightly. Mark opened his mouth to shout in alarm, but Sika quickly clamped his hand over Mark’s mouth.
“Quiet! He’s fine!”
And just as Sika said, Rashid quickly regained his balance, using only his arm strength to move along the wall until he found another foothold.
Finally, Rashid reached the fifth floor. Clinging to the wall, he carefully approached the window and took a moment to observe the situation inside. Then he signaled to the two below. The signal meant that there was a reason he couldn’t go in immediately.
“Ah, we’re short on time. This is bad…”
Sika stomped his feet anxiously. Rashid gestured to them again, signaling them to hide. Sika quickly pulled Mark along, and they took cover beneath the building.
Rashid stood against the wall, carefully peering through the window. He saw the side of Rosetta’s face as she looked at something.
Rashid’s expression softened for a moment. Her vivid green eyes, her high nose, and her lips as red as petals were still as beautiful as ever. However, Rosetta seemed a bit thinner than before she had left him. The curves of her body, exposed by the white nightgown she wore, looked more delicate and fragile than before.
Has she not been eating properly since she came here? Rashid frowned slightly as he noticed a woman standing in front of Rosetta, now fully visible as she stepped closer.
The two women were facing each other, standing about a step apart. The woman resembled Rosetta in some ways, yet looked completely different. Although they both had long blonde hair and green eyes, the shades were subtly different.
Rosettaâs hair was a rich, honeyed gold, while the other womanâs blonde hair was much paler. In contrast, the other womanâs green eyes were a much darker olive shade.
Their faces had even more distinct differences. The cold expression on the other womanâs face was something Rosetta could never wear. Rashid immediately realized that this woman must be Crown Princess Tanit.
Not only did her dazzling attire confirm it, but there was no other young woman who could stand so boldly before Princess Rosetta and look her in the eye.
“What exactly do you mean by that?”
Hearing the familiar voice for the first time in so long, Rashid’s shoulders unconsciously trembled. It was a voice he had longed to hear, a voice he had only heard in his dreams. The clear, melodious tone that resonated in the air was unchanged, but the sharpness in it was so intense it felt like it might tear.
Rashid realized that something was very wrong between the two women.
“If you suddenly show up and ask why the magic stones have become like this, what am I supposed to say? Is there something wrong with the magic stones?”
Magic stones.
Rashid remembered everything Rosetta had told him about the magic stones before she left. Thanks to her, after the fire was put out, he was able to find the mines where the magic stones were being extracted and finally eliminate the entire group involved.
Tanit’s voice rang out next.
“The magic stones are losing their power. And you claim not to know anything about it? You, the owner of that power?”
Owner of the power?
Rashid pressed himself as close to the window as possible, straining to hear the conversation inside. While he knew that Rosetta had some kind of special power, he still didnât know the exact nature of it.
“The magic stones are losing their power? What do you mean?”
“The time we can extract power from the magic stones is getting shorter and shorter. Father even told me we need to prepare for an era without magic stones.”
Rosetta shook her head weakly. “I don’t know anything about that. So even if you ask me…”
“After being pulled out of the basement where you would have spent your whole life, shouldnât you at least repay the favor, Rosetta?”