TSIMG 06

Chapter 06

The morning after the graduation ceremony, Rodia began her day at the Roart family mansion, located at 26-1 Grandel Street, with its white exterior walls.

“Wow…….”

Rodia, who had woken up early out of habit, was mesmerized by the garden visible through the window.

The snow that had fallen overnight lay thickly, sparkling in the sunlight. Wearing a cardigan over her pajamas, she stepped out onto the terrace of her bedroom.

The wind brushing past her nose was chillingly cold, raising goosebumps.

*’How expensive must a mansion like this be?’*

Rodia smacked her lips and went back inside the room.

She was staying in one of the mansion’s guest rooms—a large room divided by a light partition wall into a sitting room and a bedroom.

Last night, when the mansion’s butler had shown her this room, Rodia had been shocked. It was simply too large. Unable to properly look around the room at that late hour, she now wore indoor slippers, explored every corner of the room, washed up briefly, and then went outside.

The mansion in the morning light looked different from how it had appeared at night. As Rodia walked down the corridor, marveling at her surroundings, she nearly ran straight into someone.

“Oh.”

“Ah, you must be the boss’s guest. Good morning. I am Herrey Graham, the butler of this mansion.”

“Oh, good morning! I’m Rodia Proxhate!”

The elderly butler looked at Rodia and smiled warmly.

“The boss had an early schedule and left already. He instructed me to provide you with anything you need. Would you like to start with breakfast?”

“Oh, yes, please. I’d appreciate that.”

The man who introduced himself as the butler carried himself as if etiquette was ingrained in his very being.

Rodia, flustered by the formal courtly manners she hadn’t encountered in a while, replied with a slightly awkward voice.

The first breakfast she had at the Roart mansion was fantastic.

A fluffy soufflé omelet, winter strawberries, blueberries, and plain yogurt filled her stomach pleasantly.

And to top it off, a lightly brewed, savory and slightly bitter coffee! Everything was perfect from start to finish.

*’Is this the satisfaction a well-fed lion feels?’*

Returning to her room, Rodia chuckled to herself and threw herself onto the sofa.

She had graduated, still hadn’t found a job, and had no immediate plans for job hunting.

She wiggled her feet, which were sticking out over the edge of the sofa, and stretched lazily.

“I don’t want to do anything……. I’m already not doing anything, but I want to do even more nothing…….”

Her voice was muffled by the cushion.

If her friends saw her, they’d probably scold her, asking what kind of nonsensical talk that was. Fortunately, there was no one around.

And so, Rodia lay there doing absolutely nothing for about thirty minutes, until the butler came to find her.

The butler, who found her, politely pretended not to notice the cushion mark imprinted on her right cheek. For a man who had once served the head of the Roart family, who held the title of Count Gärten, it wasn’t particularly difficult.

“A tour of the mansion?”

“Yes. I understand you’ll be staying here until the repairs on Miss Proxhate’s mansion are complete. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Since you don’t seem to have any other appointments for the rest of the day, I thought I might show you around the mansion.”

There was no way she had any appointments. Rodia smoothed down her slightly wrinkled blouse and nodded.

And so, Rodia’s exploration of the Roart mansion began.

The mansion was originally the Roart family’s townhouse in Pagny. It became the family’s main residence when the previous generation sold off the castle of the Gärten County estate.

In Haint, there were many castles that were either sold off or fell into ruin. Rodia recalled the day the Proxhate family castle was sold and shook her head.

“This is the gallery displaying the portraits of the direct line of the Roart family.”

“Wow……. Are all of them hanging here, from the very first generation to the present?”

The Roart family was a prestigious noble family that had existed in Haint for a very long time. As befitting such a family, the number of portraits was considerable. Rodia gasped in admiration at the sight of so many framed pictures.

“Yes. Some portraits were lost over time, so there are a few empty frames as well. And this one here is…… the late head of the family, Lord Chellion Roart.”

Chellion Roart.

A hero of the Fleur Civil Revolution.

A close associate of the first Consul, Ryan Reint.

The first Chairman of the Cabinet.

Thick golden hair, emerald-green eyes, large, monolid eyes.

Chellion Roart was the spitting image of the Hystein Roart she knew.

“Father and son look exactly alike.”

“That is often the case.”

The butler replied with a low chuckle. Rodia gazed at the portrait of the late family head.

“He must have been greatly respected by the people. The frame is so…….”

Rodia’s fingers traced the smooth, worn edges of the frame.

“The mansion’s servants are particularly diligent when it comes to cleaning this one. Everyone was very fond of Lord Chellion.”

His eyes, as he answered, were also misty with sorrow.

The death of a hero loved and cherished by countless people in Haint—it had occurred years ago, caused by a Royalist terrorist attack.

After that incident, the chairmanship of the Cabinet passed to another, and Hystein lost his father. Many newspapers covered his death, and Rodia, who had been a student at the time, had also read those articles.

“Mr. Roart must have had a very difficult time.”

“The boss was incredibly busy back then, just as he is now, so…….”

The butler’s words were true.

At the time, Hystein wasn’t the head of the family, but he was a promising businessman in the western part of the southern continent.

There wasn’t a Magnificent Hotel to be found on the famous scenic beaches or near the mountains. There was even a joke that no one in Haint was busier than him.

However, just because a person is busy doesn’t mean they don’t feel sorrow. Rodia, who had lost her father not long ago, knew that well.

Only Hystein himself knew how much he had grieved over his father’s death.

Rodia gathered her scattered thoughts.

As she continued looking at the portraits in reverse chronological order, something caught her eye.

The portrait in the frame was of Hystein’s grandfather.

“Wow…….”

Rodia mentally retracted her earlier statement about Hystein and his father looking alike. The grandfather and grandson looked as if they had been stamped from the same mold.

“Mr. Roart will definitely look exactly like this when he gets old.”

Chellion Roart had a slightly softer appearance, giving him a different aura from Hystein. But his grandfather’s facial features, bearing, and even his gaze were remarkably similar to Hystein’s. Truly admirable, the strength of their bloodline!

“……?”

Then, she noticed that the space next to the portrait of Chellion, the previous generation, was empty.

Normally, that spot should have held the portrait of Hystein’s mother, the ‘Dowager Lady Roart.’ But nothing hung there.

Rodia’s eyes moved to another portrait.

Even in the previous generation, Hystein’s grandfather, the portrait next to him had his wife’s portrait and nameplate.

The butler, who had been guiding her through the gallery, passed by that spot, either unaware or ignoring the question marks written all over Rodia’s face.

There was no way that a capable butler, who displayed perfect courtly etiquette, wouldn’t notice Rodia’s reaction.

What his actions conveyed was clear.

Don’t ask about that frame. It’s an unspoken rule of this family.

Instead of pressing her lips together, Rodia turned her gaze to the portraits of other direct-line members. Most of the men and women in the numerous portraits had bright blonde hair and emerald-green eyes.

“……Do all the direct-line members of the Roart family have blonde hair and emerald-green eyes?”

“Yes. Aside from the rare occasions when a son-in-law married into the family, most are born with blonde hair and emerald-green eyes.”

Bright, rich honey-blonde hair.

Emerald-green eyes.

Rodia knew two people with these characteristics.

One was her legal guardian, Hystein Roart. The other was a boy she had met in the Central Garden when she was young.

Typically, such distinctive features of a prestigious noble family are passed down through generations. Just looking at Hystein’s grandfather, Chellion Roart, and his son Hystein, that was clear.

The boy in her memory also had faded blonde hair, as seen by the scant light in the dark of night. It might have been a stretch to call it honey-blonde, but there were few noble families in Haint that possessed both blonde hair and emerald-green eyes.

Naturally, Rodia reached one conclusion.

Could it be that the boy was also a member of the Roart family?

Rodia’s eyes darted between the many portraits. But with so much time having passed, it was impossible for her to recognize that boy just by looking at the paintings.

Rodia knew that too. She hesitated for a moment, then chuckled softly and resumed walking.

—

* * *

That evening.

Hystein appeared at dinner time.

Having a guest in the house, he had hurried home, thinking he should at least have dinner together.

“……Is it good?”

“…….”

However, Rodia was already in the middle of her meal.

Her posture, fork mid-air with food on it, froze, and her eyes met Hystein’s.

“Ahem! You’re early. I heard you were incredibly busy, so I thought you might even skip meals.”

“People have to eat, you know.”

“…….”

“……’You know.'”

Hystein quickly tacked on the honorific at the end. Rodia’s fiercely raised eyebrows slowly lowered.

As he pulled out a chair and sat down, the attendant who had been watching went inside to bring Hystein’s portion. He watched this, then turned his gaze to Rodia.

“Now that you’ve graduated, what are you planning to do? Immediate job preparation? Or perhaps, are you considering further study? I’m curious.”

He asked while unfolding his napkin.

If Rodia planned to get a job right away, he intended to immediately place her at Magnificent.

It wasn’t a formal hire, but he thought it was well within his rights as a guardian to suggest she learn the ropes.

Rodia thoroughly chewed and swallowed her food before answering.

“I’m going to play.”

“……Excuse me?”

Flustered by her bold declaration, Hystein dropped the formal speech. Her eyes immediately turned sharp. He flinched involuntarily.

“How can you say something like ‘I’m going to play’ with such confidence?”

“Why shouldn’t I be confident? I’ve spent the last ten years, including at the Academy, just studying without properly playing.”

At her retort, Hystein’s brow furrowed.

“Haven’t you made any plans for after graduation? Things like whether to look for a job, or study further and take the bar exam for the legal profession.”

“I haven’t.”

Rodia answered with a shrug. At her gesture, Hystein’s eyes trembled roughly, as if stirred by a ripple.

“Didn’t you say you had something you wanted to do after graduation?”

“This is it, though?”

Rodia said, bringing a small piece of veal steak to her mouth.

Is there such a thing as a life with not even a spoonful of planning in this world!

Hystein was appalled. He simply could not understand Rodia. He had made a life plan for himself the moment he graduated from the Academy. Of course, he knew well that life doesn’t always go as planned.

But since the plan would be his own guideline, he had proudly shown it to his father. It was also a message to his father to trust him.

There was someone who, upon seeing his past self like that, had sneered that life should flow naturally, like water.

It was another person he knew who lived a life without plans.

“……Like brother, like sister.”