“You don’t need my care, do you? You’re twelve years older than me...”
“I’ll grow old twelve years earlier, won’t I? When I retire first after aging a lot, push my wheelchair often.”
“What kind of unlucky thing are you saying already, Oppa?!”
“It’s a future that’s bound to come, so what. And now that I think about it, it’s not even unlucky. At least when I retire, I’ll have plenty of time. Ah, I want to eat with my Rosie-Rosie twice a day.”
Julian had always been busy in the past. He would visit me whenever he could, but we had never shared more than two meals together.
Now, after regaining consciousness, we ate together twice a day, just as he had wished.
If it were the old Julian, he would have been so happy he’d be jumping around.
The Julian of today, however, looked like he had no thoughts at all.
“Are you struggling with reading? Take it slow. The teachers say that while you can’t read, you’re incredibly smart otherwise.”
“Well, they’re getting paid, so of course they’ll say anything... And what if I take it slow and grow up into a dumb, clueless adult?”
“Don’t worry. I started studying when I was nineteen.”
“Ah, I can’t wait to read books with my Rosie-Rosie! That’s my second dream in life. The first one... was something I secretly wished for when I was a foolish teenager, so it’s a secret.”
I murmured as I wiped away the tear that had fallen onto my ruby earring.
“I can read now... But you don’t even remember that I couldn’t read before.”
Even when I openly read books in front of him, Julian only looked at me blankly.
It was Shulva who looked surprised before he quickly masked his expression.
“Of course, there’s no need to feel burdened because of reading! Really. No matter what happens, no matter what kind of Rosie-Rosie you are, I’ll always love and cherish you.”
“Even if I’m seventy-two years old and still can’t read?”
“O-Of course! Obviously! But let’s try to learn within sixty years.”
“Ah... So your love has faded, Oppa.”
“I was wrong, Rosie-Rosie. Punish me severely. Even if you’re eighty-two and still illiterate, I’ll still love and cherish you.”
I sniffled as I recalled our old conversation.
“A butcher brat with the mind of a seventeen-year-old—do you really think he’ll ever love you the same way again?”
Roystan’s words from before echoed in my ears.
“He definitely will love me again.”
I muttered as if trying to convince myself.
“No matter the situation, no matter who I become, Oppa will... eventually love me again.”
Even though Julian had changed, and so had I, I had to believe.
“And even if he doesn’t... I’ll just love him even more.”
Taking a deep breath, I placed the ruby earrings back in the drawer. Then, I began picking out tomorrow’s accessories.
“...Ah, seriously...”
My eyes welled up again as I stared at the drawer.
“What am I even supposed to choose tomorrow...”
A sorrowful complaint escaped my lips without me realizing it.
“...There are just too many...”
Not a single one of the accessories filling the drawer was without Julian’s effort and thoughtfulness.
“Really... I told him to buy them in moderation... He made it impossible to choose...”
Annoyed for no reason, I rubbed my eyes roughly with my fists.
“I need to stop crying before Shulva gets here...”
No matter how much I rubbed, the tears wouldn’t stop.
And inside the drawer, there was even a black-and-white photograph of me and Julian together. A photo we had taken with a professional photographer.
The price had been exorbitant, but Julian had insisted on taking it for his birthday.
I sat there for a long time, holding the framed photograph.
Just the fact that he had woken up—I was grateful for that. That was true.
I had thought that as long as I could keep him alive by my side, that would be enough. And I had meant it.
Tears fell continuously, soaking the glass frame.
I didn’t even think to wipe them away as my shoulders trembled in silence. Because Heidi had left the door slightly open without properly closing it, I didn’t even realize someone could be watching.
After receiving a secret message from Heidi, Shulva spoke to Julian.
“I’ll be stepping out to visit Lady Rosie for a moment.”
At that moment, Julian was just starting to practice rolling his wheelchair. After dinner, his attending physician, Peter, had brought it to him.
Peter had praised him endlessly, calling him a patient who gave doctors an immense sense of accomplishment, thanks to his monstrous recovery speed.
“Shulva, but tell me...”
Julian narrowed his eyes and asked.
“Why did Rosie call for you instead of me? Why, exactly?”
Shulva looked at Julian before answering.
“Perhaps because even if she called for you, you wouldn’t be able to come?”
“Ah. That makes sense. Yeah, yeah.”
“He hasn’t seen me sitting in a wheelchair yet.”
A flicker of mischief passed through his green eyes.
“I’ll show him that I can push the wheelchair, too. He always wants to see me, right? So just imagine how happy he’ll be. Now that’s a real surprise.”
Shulva furrowed his brows, looking troubled.
“In noble families, no matter how close siblings are, such sudden visits are not typically—”
Ignoring him completely, seventeen-year-old Julian declared with absolute determination,
“Onward! Onward! The youngest from the forge shall obey the genius of the butcher’s house!”
In the end, as Shulva muttered under his breath, ‘This butcher brat is seriously getting out of hand...’, Julian swiftly rolled his wheelchair forward and left the room.
It was only after crying for a long time that I finally managed to stop my tears.
I put away the framed picture, picked out my accessories for tomorrow, and closed the drawer.
“Lady Rosie, it’s Shulva.”
Something must have delayed him—it was later than expected, which was fortunate. I quickly responded.
Shulva entered alone, his face filled with concern. He kept glancing back, as if someone had come with him.
But there was no one behind him.
‘What’s with that look? Is it because of the monthly meeting?’
The monthly meeting was approaching.
No doubt he was worried since the 1.37 trillion gold was at risk of being taken away.
The so-called monthly meeting was essentially a formality—without Grandfather present, it was just a matter of majority rule. If they all decided to “divide it into three shares,” there would be no way for me to refuse.
“I heard you called for me.”
I sat up straight and answered. Then, pulling today’s newspaper from another drawer, I got straight to the point.
“About Oppa’s fortune. I want you to liquidate all of it starting tomorrow.”
“And the day before the monthly meeting.”
Calmly, I unfolded today’s newspaper and pointed to an article.
The Temple Announces: The Rom Ore Mines Are Bigger Than Expected
Crisis at the Magic Tower – The Endless Decline of Mana Stone Prices
I placed my finger on the words Mana Stones and spoke.
“Invest all of it into mana stones.”
Shulva’s pupils wavered.
He remained silent for a moment before muttering gravely,
His face had taken on a solemn air.
“I understand that you’d rather see that money turned to dust than let those people get a single coin. But if your relatives find out about this, all hell will break loose.”
His voice was deadly serious as he continued,
“Lady Rosie, if you throw away 1.37 trillion gold, they won’t just sit idly by.”
“Gasp! You don’t think they’ll split me into three pieces instead of the gold, do you...?”
“Lady Rosie, this is not a joke.”
“Hm. If that does happen, tell them not to divide me into head, chest, and stomach. That’s how you dissect insects. As a human being, I’d like my dignity preserved.”
Shulva let out a deep sigh. He had caught on to my intentions—I was making light of the situation to avoid discussing the possibility of changing the investment.
In the end, with a deeply concerned expression, Shulva replied, “...I will handle it as you wish.”