IBLC 06

Chapter 6

Are You All Right, Senior

Had Rosbellia ever coughed up blood after using aura?

No matter how much I searched through her memories, there was nothing of the sort.
She’d never shown any physical side effects from aura before.

Then why now?

“Let’s try again.”

I took a long breath and closed my eyes, focusing on the energy flowing through my body.
This restless, surging sensation—so this was aura.
If I pushed this power into my sword…

My heart pounded as I slowly opened my eyes.
A faint white light shimmered around the blade.
When I swung it toward the tree before me, the trunk split cleanly in two, collapsing soundlessly into the brush.

Was that… a success?

“I think I got it right this ti—”

Before I could finish, the familiar burn of nausea climbed up my throat.
I barely managed to cover my mouth as a hot gush of blood spilled into my palm.
The world spun for an instant.

Why was this happening?

Rosbellia had once described her aura as a calm lake.
But mine—mine felt violent, stormy.
Was it because I couldn’t control it properly? Or… was it because I wasn’t truly Rosbellia?

“If I wasn’t meant to use it, why make me feel it at all?”

My muttered complaint echoed faintly through the trees.

As I lifted a trembling hand to push the hair from my face, I froze.
My fingers were quivering uncontrollably.
Blood slicked across my palm, and a sudden wave of fear rooted me to the ground.

“……”

After standing there blankly for who knows how long, I finally lifted my gaze.
The eastern sky was paling—the first breath of dawn.

Startled into motion, I clenched my bleeding hand and pushed through the thicket.
Soon, the misty outline of a lake emerged before me, shrouded in silvery fog.
Birds scattered from the shore as I knelt and dipped my hands into the cold water.

The blood vanished easily. My reflection wavered in the ripples.
I flexed my clean fingers, then cleared my throat.
At least the pain only came when I coughed up blood.

“Is that… something to be thankful for?”

I exhaled softly. When I looked up, dawn had spread across the lake.
Sunlight melted over the rippling surface, scattering into countless diamonds of light.

For a moment, it was beautiful—so breathtakingly serene that I forgot the taste of blood on my tongue.
Then I turned away, quickening my steps back toward the mansion.

By the time I finished preparing for the day and opened my chamber door, something small and warm barreled straight into my arms.

“Vivian?”

“Rosie!”

“What are you doing up so early?”

For a second I feared she’d had another nightmare, but her rosy cheeks showed no sign of distress.

“I tried to wait for you last night, but I fell asleep. So I came to see you early this morning!”

Such an adorably earnest answer.
I bit back a smile—her eyes still heavy with sleep.

“I’ll come home early today.”
“Really? Then can we read together?”
“A book? Of course. Tonight, after dinner.”

Vivian’s eyes sparkled as she let out a delighted “Wow!”

“I’ll ask them to make snacks, too!”
“Not too sweet.”
“Chi—okay.”

Her little pout nearly made me laugh.

“Will you walk me out, then?”
“Mm-hm!”

Her soft fingers slipped into mine. Behind us, the maid bowed and quietly withdrew.
At the stairway, Vivian reached up proudly to grasp the handrail.

“Look, Rosie! I can reach it now!”

In Rosbellia’s memories, Vivian used to strain and stumble to hold the rail. She must have grown.

“You’re right. But remember—always go slowly on the stairs.”
“Okay.”

I gave her head a gentle pat before stepping down—

—and froze.

“You want me to find her a marriage match?”

That was Olivia’s voice.

“Rosie’s already of age, isn’t she?”

Oh, for heaven’s sake. Was Olivia seriously trying to marry me off?

I motioned for Vivian to stay quiet, and she obediently covered her mouth with both hands.

“Rosie’s busy with the knights, isn’t she? There’s no need to rush her.”
“Brother, you know how it is. The longer a woman waits, the harder it gets to find a good match. It’s better to start early.”

The voices came from the corridor below—the main hall, heading toward the study.
If she called him “Brother,” that meant Dylan Riley—the illegitimate son of House Riley.
He used to dote on Rosbellia quite a bit.

“All right, I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you, brother. Come on, Herman’s waiting in the study.”

Their footsteps faded. I exhaled slowly and turned back to Vivian.

“You can talk now.”
“Vivian didn’t hear anything!”

Good. It had been quiet enough that she couldn’t have caught much anyway.

Still… what was Olivia thinking, rushing my marriage like that?
Was she really that eager to get me out of the way?

Just the thought of it made my head ache. I looked down at Vivian’s innocent smile to steady myself.

“You’ll come home early, right?”

“I will.”

“Ed, you didn’t forget about tomorrow’s trip to the plaza, did you?”
“How many times do I have to tell you I cleared my schedule?”

Right. And how many times have you not shown up after saying that?
Rosbellia’s memories didn’t exactly paint you as reliable, Ed.

I swallowed the retort and forced a polite smile.

“Really, Ed? Would you trust you?”
“Not a chance.”

Edwin chuckled as he brushed his hair back.
Well, at least he’s honest.

“Just make sure you show up tomorrow.”

You have to. Tomorrow’s the turning point—your fate and Daisy’s both hinge on it!

He shrugged lightly.

“All right, all right. It’s the first time you’ve ever been this insistent anyway.”

Maybe the real Rosbellia wouldn’t have nagged like this.
Did he notice something strange about me?

“Hey… don’t you think I’ve changed a bit since I got sick?”
“You? Changed?”

Edwin’s eyes narrowed as he gave me a once-over.
A chill ran down my spine.

“Well?”
“Nope.”
“Think again. My tone, my attitude—something.”

He rubbed his chin, then snapped his fingers.

“You did change. Somehow, you’re even more annoying.”
“Excuse me?”

I frowned, but he burst out laughing.

“No, wait. You were always annoying. Never mind.”

“Be serious—do you notice anything else?”

This time, his smile faded slightly.

“Why? You feel strange or something?”
“Not exactly…”

“I’ve known you for years, Rosie. But I don’t think what I’ve seen is all there is to you.”

“Huh?”

“We all have sides we don’t show, right? Maybe you’re just showing me a different one now.”

I blinked, speechless.

“R-right…”
“So you’re still you, Rosie.”

Something stung sharply at the back of my neck.
Was it the body rejecting me again? Or just the weight of his words?

Either way, he was right.
Different or not, I was Rosbellia now—and nothing had changed that fact.

“Don’t beat yourself up over missing a day of memory. Lucas and I forget entire nights when we drink.”
“Impressive.”
“Proud of it.”

His easy laughter made the pressure in my chest ease, just a little.

“Anyway, tomorrow—”
“Rosbellia, please. Enough about tomorrow.”

Before I could protest, a sharp shout split the air.
The noise came from the annex where the training hall was.

I gestured in that direction, and Edwin nodded, taking the lead.

The courtyard in front of the annex was chaos.
I spotted Lucas standing awkwardly nearby and hurried over.

“Lucas, what’s going on?”
“Looks like an argument. Two rookies—Jace and Derrick.”

A ring of new recruits had formed, blocking the view.
At a distance stood Ian, alone and expressionless.

“So they’re fighting?”
“Not yet. But give it a minute.”

Edwin clicked his tongue.

“There’s a quick way to fix this.”
“Which is?”

“Vice Captain!”

The name boomed through the air like thunder.
Instant panic erupted among the recruits.

“Vice Captain?”
“Where?!”
“Scatter! Hurry!”

Gabriel, the Knight Commander, was kind and forgiving.
But Fabian—the vice captain—was a whole other story.
He lived to find faults and punish everyone involved.

Edwin, you clever bastard.

I was about to give him a thumbs-up when something slammed into my shoulder.
Caught off guard, I staggered—but a firm hand steadied me.