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Chapter 13: Rosemary’s Birth Father
Though the proposal hadn’t arrived yet, she had to tell the Marchioness of Blossomweaver.
That she was going to marry Damian.
“…Aunt.”
Edelweiss rolled her eyes nervously.
“Wait. Why do you only make that face when you’ve done something wrong? You haven’t changed a bit since childhood. It reminds me of when you spilled ink on the documents I was reading or jumped into the lake and got soaked head to toe.”
Recalling those terrible memories seemed to give the Marchioness a headache, and she pressed her forehead firmly.
“I’m going to marry Prince Damian. It will be announced at the coming-of-age ceremony—”
Edelweiss tried to gather her courage, but—
“Edelweiss Oberlin Blossomweaver!”
The Marchioness’s sharp voice cut her off.
“A-Aunt…”
“Are you out of your mind? Is there really no one else to marry? What could you possibly be lacking?”
“Prince Damian is a legitimate royal and Admiral of the Navy…”
Even as she tried to list his redeeming qualities, her voice gradually grew smaller.
“Yes, there’s no flaw in his status. But there is a flaw in his character, isn’t there? I bet you fell for him just because of that handsome face.”
The Marchioness struck her chest hard.
“Iris also married purely for looks, and that’s what led to everything that happened. Like mother, like daughter…”
Edelweiss recalled what the Marquis had said just earlier.
“You sound exactly like Uncle.”
Seeing how alike the two were, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“So you’re not even pretending to listen now. You think this is funny?”
She narrowed her eyes and glared.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t laughing at your words, Aunt.”
“They say parents with children suffer every day—have you truly made up your mind to drive me mad?”
As she complained of dizziness, Edelweiss picked up the teapot from the table and poured it into a teacup.
“Please drink and calm down, Aunt.”
“You give me both the illness and the medicine. You’re quite the dutiful child.”
Even though it must have been hot, the Marchioness of Blossomweaver drank the tea in one swift motion without stopping.
“Isn’t it too hot…?”
“Hotter than what I’m feeling inside? You’re not even engaged and you want to announce it during your coming-of-age ceremony? How did it come to this? Do you love Prince Damian that much?”
“It’s just a marriage of convenience. We each have something the other needs. Please don’t worry. We’re planning to divorce in five years.”
“Don’t tell me… you offered him a blue rose?”
Edelweiss fell silent as the Marchioness’s expression turned cold.
“Edelweiss, I told you many times. That power shortens your lifespan when given to others. Even after seeing me with so little time left, you still want to do that?”
“……”
“I won’t allow it. Absolutely not.”
At her aunt’s firm and repeated refusal, Edelweiss couldn’t bring herself to argue and simply clenched her hands.
“Are you thinking that once you come of age, you won’t need parental consent to marry?”
“Aunt. I truly need this marriage. I’ll make sure there’s nothing for you to worry about. Giving him the blue rose—just five years. That much won’t be a serious strain.”
Edelweiss’s calm tone slightly softened the Marchioness’s fury.
“Then let me ask you. If you don’t love the prince, why are you going so far as to marry him?”
Edelweiss debated whether to tell her that she had died and returned to the past.
Not because she didn’t trust her, but because it was too humiliating to admit how foolishly she had been tricked by Rosemary.
More than anything, Aunt wouldn’t believe such nonsense. She only trusts what she sees with her own eyes.
So Edelweiss offered an explanation her aunt could accept.
“Rosemary gave me lily tea that causes infertility, claiming it would help warm my body.”
“……What?”
“She also manipulated my personal maid into betraying me. So, I want to give back exactly what I received.”
The Marchioness appeared deeply shaken by the mention of infertility-inducing lily tea.
She couldn’t speak for a long time and only sighed repeatedly.
“That’s your reason for marrying Prince Damian? So you can use him to get revenge?”
“…..Yes.”
“Edelweiss. You’re gentle, but stubborn. Once you’ve made a decision, you never change your mind. Nothing I say will change it.”
“I’m sorry for causing you worry.”
“Enough. If you won’t take it back, then don’t apologize. Don’t burden me with guilt for your decision.”
She waved her hand slightly as she firmly responded.
“But you’ll have to endure Cesare’s wrath. I won’t shield you from that. You may not know, but Cesare hates Prince Damian even more than I do.”
“…..”
“He might be so shocked he throws himself in front of you and insists the wedding can’t happen. You’ll have to handle it.”
Edelweiss imagined the scene and gave an awkward smile.
“By the way, if you’re not even holding an engagement, when are you planning the wedding?”
“We haven’t picked a date yet.”
“Then do it within three months—have the ceremony in spring.”
Even though she still opposed the marriage, why was she pushing for such a rushed timeline?
“While I’m still alive. Shouldn’t I be the one to congratulate your marriage while I can?”
“…..”
Edelweiss soon understood and felt a wave of sorrow. Her aunt already knew how little time she had left.
“In the Rejenoel Empire’s weddings, the father escorts the bride and the mother places the veil. I need to be there to place your veil.”
“……”
“If Cesare walks you down the aisle alone, it’ll be too lonely, won’t it?”
Even though she had already gone through this farewell once, the thought of facing it again was still heartbreaking.
‘I should have visited more often when I was young.’
She had lived her whole life giving up on them, tiptoeing around the Duke of Stern.
“Why are you crying? After doing everything to make me angry? I’m the one who should be crying,”
said the Marchioness of Blossomweaver, reaching out with a rough hand to wipe away her tears.
The tears that wet her cheeks were hot with emotion.
“My only daughter grows up and rebels now, huh.”
She handed over a handkerchief and stood up.
“Stop crying. Let’s go to Blueneum. There’s something I want to show you.”
The Marchioness took out a book from the drawer.
As the drawer slid open, it revealed another hidden door leading outside.
She held the book in her hand and gestured for Edelweiss to follow.
As they exited through the passage, a rich, thick scent of roses filled the air.
In the greenhouse garden, countless white roses bloomed, stealing the eye.
Not a single blue rose was in sight.
“There was one blue rose left from before, but I gave it to Prince Damian earlier.”
“Do white roses also share lifespan like the blue ones?”
“No. Quite the opposite. Blue roses can sustain a dying life if consumed. But white roses—are poison.”
“……”
“Only you and I know of these white roses. They’re deadly, but the poison melts in the body immediately upon consumption, so it can’t be detected. That’s why they’re often used in poisonings.”
Unlike the smooth and serene blue roses, the white ones were lined with sharp thorns.
“They only bloom when my lifespan is nearly gone—when my butterfly turns white. I used the last of my strength to fill this place. Now, it’s your turn to take care of it.”
Edelweiss gently stroked the petals of a white rose, being careful not to prick herself.
“Well, you could always feed them to that girl, Rosemary.”
“…I have a question, Aunt.”
It suddenly struck her as odd. Despite being her niece, the Marchioness showed no affection toward Rosemary.
“Even if she’s an illegitimate child, to you, Aunt, both Rosemary and I are nieces. But why don’t you treat her the same way?”
The Marchioness had never once given Rosemary gifts like she had to Edelweiss.
Was it because she was close to my mother? Edelweiss wondered.
As if reading her thoughts, the Marchioness gave a faint smile.
“It’s not because of Iris. Just like how I don’t just cherish you only because of Iris.”
“…Then what is it?”
“That girl may carry the Stern name, but she’s not truly a Stern.”
Only then did Edelweiss understand.
The Marchioness of Blossomweaver knew. She knew that Rosemary wasn’t truly the Duke of Stern’s biological daughter.
“Do you know who Rosemary’s real father is?”
“She has a peach allergy, doesn’t she?”
“Yes. It’s pretty severe. Even a taste causes hives and can lead to trouble breathing.”
“My half-brother, Count Sandor, also has a peach allergy.”
Count Benjamin Sandor.
Older half-brother to both the Duke of Stern and the Marchioness of Blossomweaver. A bastard son of the previous Duke of Stern.
“…You mean Uncle is Rosemary’s real father?”
