TCL 49

Chapter 49

“Rose. Where have you been? Did someone call for you?”

“No, I just went to the stables to see the horses.”

“Then make sure to wash your hands before eating your snack, okay?”

Hinde passed by me, putting on a deliberately kind face.

If I had been returning from the Duke’s office, she might’ve tried to continue the conversation. But since I was just fluttering around with nothing to do…

‘It’s kind of funny how she secretly hopes I might slip up and spill something.’

└ [Is this one of those petty revenges? lol]
└ [This is a gentle kind of grudge]

It makes people more desperate if you act like you might give them something.

I snorted through my nose and walked in the opposite direction from where Hinde had gone.

It was fine to decide to keep an eye on her, but before that, I needed to confirm one thing:

‘Is Hinde really a spy from the Torto family right now?’

In the past timeline, I first met her when I was sixteen.

But I have no idea what she did before she became the head maid. I don’t even know how long she worked under the Count.

For all I know, she could be working for someone else now and only later become one of Count Torto’s subordinates.

└ [Can’t we just investigate her background and kick her out like with the village chief?]

We only caught the village chief because he was sloppy.

‘But Hinde won’t be like that.’

She’s someone who took on the serious task of infiltrating a ducal household. There’s no way she’d be careless.

If I want to find out who hired her, I need to see who moves based on the information she gathers.

More specifically—whether Count Torto reacts.

‘The best case would be for Hinde to get false information from me and then pass it on, causing Count Torto to act accordingly.’

He wouldn’t believe everything a child says without doubt. He’d definitely cross-reference it with other sources.

However, there’s information only I can provide—things the other maids wouldn’t know.

One is about the Noil Academy.

The other is about me.

‘But Noil Academy isn’t a profit-making venture, and I’d rather not leak any information about it.’

So I’ve decided: I’ll let her hear more about me.

That’s also why I’ve been playing the part of the Duke’s favorite child.

└ [Wait, doesn’t that mean Torto now knows Rose is here??]
└ [What if he comes back for her again? T_T]

At this point, ever since Hinde entered the household, I’ve basically been exposed.

There’s no way they’d overlook the fact that Hestina’s ward is staying here.

Rather than avoiding clumsily, I’m going to face it head-on.

‘So I started thinking more seriously about how to avoid adoption if I do end up facing Count Torto.’

First: Avoid drawing the Count’s attention as much as possible.

Second: Delay the adoption by claiming I have memories of my birth parents.

Third: Hestina, as my guardian, objects to it.

That was the original plan.

‘And fourth—’

If avoiding it reaches its limit… I’ll enter the temple.

└ [Here comes the saintess arc]
└ [Can’t escape the saintess trope in romance fantasy lol]
└ [Let’s go take over the temple!]
└ [The current god is weak, let’s take that seat]
└ [Honestly I welcome this type of plot twist]

I’m not going in to dominate the temple like the fairies joked.

‘But once I enter, I’ll be given the status of a probationary priest.’

Faith knows no discrimination, so the temple is open to all.

If divine power is confirmed through testing, one can become an official priest, but before that, you go through a period as a trainee to absorb the sacred energy.

During that time, I’ll be officially under the temple’s jurisdiction—not the family, not the orphanage—so the adoption process will be put on hold.

└ [Looking forward to that explosive divine power arc]
└ [Love overpowered protagonists]

Even if that strange voice from before was the real god, the fact that it only half-appeared makes me think my divine power is probably pretty minimal…

But if things reach the fourth stage, I’ll find out then.

And then, my final resort:

If I still end up being adopted—

‘I’ll act like a complete brat until the moment my hair turns orange and then aim for disownment.’

By the time I’ve gone through all the above steps, a fair amount of time will have passed, and my orange hair should begin to grow out.

If the adopted child has a bad personality and isn’t even a blood relative, there’s no reason to keep her, right?

└ [Rose always has a plan]
└ [I’m curious about her being a brat lololol]
└ [She’s petty enough to be really good at it]

Don’t be too curious. That’s my absolute last resort!

Anyway, now that I’ve decided on my final contingency plan, I was finally able to make up my mind.

‘I have to meet him once.’

Count Torto.

And see how he reacts to me.

That will change how I respond moving forward.

└ [That’s too head-on;;;]
└ [Wasn’t the whole point to avoid him until now??]

It was.

But now I have a guardian, a place to stay, and things I want to do.

I have more options now, which is why I can make this choice.

└ [Finally time for the assassination arc..]
└ [The time has come (grabbing gear)]
└ [What are you even preparing]
└ [My heart… preparation of the heart…]
└ [So when are we raiding Torto’s place?]

I’m not going to raid his house.

We’ll naturally run into each other.

‘During Academy Parent Observation Day.’

Count Torto will attend as Gerold’s guardian.

Until then, I should practice sticking close to the Duke.

I was glad that Kin and I were on the same page.

“The Duke is planning to go to the shopping district today anyway. You should go with him,” he said after hearing that Hestina had assigned me the task of “dessert research.”

Clearly, this wasn’t something the Duke had agreed to.

“Will the Duke be eating cake too?”

“No. I’m just going for inspections and a meeting with the bank manager.”

“But you could eat cake after work…”

Sage seemed happy to slack off just a little!

As I pushed the matter, Kin leaned down and whispered,

“If he refuses, just go with Sir Benjamin. He enjoys his tea.”

“Okay~”

Since Sir Benjamin, the coachman, would be with us anyway, I wouldn’t be alone even if the Duke was uncooperative. So Hestina’s assignment was safe.

And thus, by mutual agreement between Kin and me, I headed to the shopping district with the Duke.

When the carriage stopped, I stood by the door and called out to him as he got off first.

“Your Grace?”

“What is it?”

“Would you mind carrying me down?”

I remembered my first day at the Duke’s mansion.

Back then, Duke Valent had just walked off without even looking back.

At least today, he was waiting for me…

“Are your legs hurting?”

“No.”

“Can’t you get off by yourself?”

“I can…”

“You said it yourself, didn’t you? That you wanted the chance to succeed on your own.”

└ [Keyring Rose: mission failed]
└ [It’s nice that he remembers what she said but… yeah]

Luberie had picked me up right away—he clearly liked kids.

But Duke Valent… had outright said he wasn’t comfortable with children. So I guess it’s only natural.

Unable to argue with logic, I gave up and stepped down on my own.

‘Disembarking now!’

└ [lolololol]
└ [This one’s good at getting off~]
└ [Main character keeps disembarking lol]
└ [What a weird habit to develop]

Even if I failed to persuade the Duke, the comment section fairies cheered me on—so I’ll take that win.

I hurried to keep pace with him as he walked ahead.

He had coldly refused to carry me earlier, and yet…

‘He’s actually matching my stride?’

└ [Sweet, but a bit salty too]
└ [Sweet and salty is the best flavor]
└ [Almost lost faith in Dad, but I’ll keep watching now]

Maybe he really was trying to give me space to do things on my own.

I always thought Damian grew up so bold and independent thanks to Hestina—but perhaps Duke Valent played a bigger role than I gave him credit for.

“Your Grace, after the bank, where are you going next?”

“The manager wants to consult about opening a new branch…”

I asked casually to look like part of his entourage. But then—

“Eek!”

A shrill scream rang out behind us, and we both stopped in our tracks.

When we turned, past the crowd, I saw something white—

“Woof! Woof!”

“Ah! Watch out!”

“Ugh! What kind of dog is that?!”

A stray dog was charging straight at me, darting between panicked pedestrians.

No—this wasn’t just a stray.

Before I could fully grasp the situation, the Duke’s eyes flashed, and he dropped into a combat stance—

“No! Wait!”

There was no time to think.

I threw myself forward, and suddenly, the chaos went still.

The dog—the same mother dog I’d met before—stopped right in front of me instead of attacking.

And Duke Valent… froze in place too.

└ [Rose: Wait! / Duke: Yes!]
└ [Are you some kind of dog whisperer? lol]