Chapter 12
The next morning, Rosie awoke in the luxurious Rose Room and muttered to herself.
“Wow… that was a failure.”
She had stayed up quite late the previous night. After visiting the dress shop, it had already been late evening. Soaking in the warm bath had quickly passed the time, and before she knew it, the night sky was filled with countless stars.
Rosie had spent a long time sitting on the balcony, listening to the waves, humming softly as she watched the stars.
Only when dawn was nearly breaking did she finally lie down. The bed she had laid on for the first time in her life was unbelievably soft, and the blankets rustled with a warm sunlight-like scent.
She felt confident that she could sleep deeply enough that no one could wake her even if they carried her away.
But her body, long accustomed to a strict routine, inevitably woke her in the cold early morning. Rosie pulled the blankets over her head and murmured:
“Alright, alright… let’s go back to sleep.”
But once her eyes were open, falling back asleep wasn’t so easy.
Moreover, the dull throb in one side of her head suggested that she might have woken not from habit, but from pain.
After a short while, Rosie threw back the blankets and sat up.
“Ah, really!”
She had always thought that, given the chance, she could sleep longer than anyone else—but she never had the opportunity. Now, that opportunity had come, and she was still awake!
Feeling frustrated, she swallowed her medicine dry and stared out at the still-dark sky. Although it was dark, the faintly pale sky suggested it was just before dawn.
“…Should I go out?”
Even if she hadn’t fully woken, doing something was better than doing nothing while alert. Rosie grabbed the outfit she had purchased yesterday and boldly stepped out of her room.
“Wow…!”
The wind outside was stronger than she expected. She brushed her arms a few times as she walked toward the sea.
The sand was so soft that each step made her body wobble slightly.
But the hardship didn’t last long. Seeing the waves crash and froth right before her, all thoughts of effort and cold disappeared.
“…Cold.”
She crouched by the shoreline, letting the seawater lap at her hands as she murmured.
It reminded her of autumn days when she had to wash mountains of laundry, dipping her hands into the cold well water.
As the cold water touched her fingertips, the dull throb in her head gradually faded until it was gone.
‘If it’s just my feet, I can probably manage.’
Noble ladies who had grown up like greenhouse flowers might jump in horror at such cold water, but for Rosie, who had experience stomping laundry into submission every day, it was nothing.
She stood up, taking off one shoe carefully, preparing to step into the water.
“Step back.”
A voice from behind made Rosie spin around.
Before she knew it, Ainar, the hotel manager, was quietly watching her.
“Entering the sea at this hour is practically suicidal.”
“Uh… Manager?”
Rosie muttered, a little dazed. She knew that servants started their day earlier than others, but she hadn’t expected to see someone of Ainar’s position here at this hour.
“It’s best to value your life.”
“Huh? Wha—what do you mean…?”
She turned fully toward him in confusion. He smiled as he spoke:
“Just kidding. I apologize if that upset you.”
“….”
Rosie stared quietly at him, noting something strangely cold beneath his otherwise kind demeanor.
“May I ask why you’re here?”
Ainar approached her naturally.
“Um… I just woke up a bit early,” she muttered.
“I see.”
He nodded once but said nothing more. Feeling awkward, Rosie added words she didn’t really need to say.
“There’s so much I want to do. Trying the sea is just one thing on the list.”
“Ah, that’s what you mean,” Ainar said, acknowledging her. Rosie frowned slightly, suspicious of his casual familiarity. He continued calmly:
“Didn’t you make this list yesterday?”
“…Yesterday?”
“Yes—the one with ‘learn to swim’ on it.”
Rosie gasped, finally remembering. Sure enough, yesterday he had approached her, casually peeking at the list she’d written.
And of course, that was hardly polite behavior.
“…You’re awfully confident for someone who just peeked at another’s list.”
“If that bothered you, I apologize as well.”
Rosie sighed deeply at his half-hearted apologies. Getting truly angry at someone insincere achieved nothing. She swallowed her frustration and changed the topic.
“So, what brings you here, Manager?”
“This? Oh…”
Ainar’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected question before he answered.
“I came because it would be problematic if someone got hurt at our hotel.”
“Someone… getting hurt?”
“Yes. People occasionally dive into the sea and have accidents.”
Rosie studied his face, unsure if he was joking. But there was no hint of amusement. He seemed entirely serious, making Rosie exclaim:
“So you mean you actually followed me because you think I might jump in?”
Good grief! She wasn’t planning to plunge into the sea without preparation—she just wanted to dip her feet when no one was around!
Her voice carried a hint of indignation, twisting as she spoke, and her gaze sharpened—though she didn’t realize it.
Ainar chuckled softly.
“Just joking.”
“…Jok… what?”
Rosie frowned completely, glaring at him. Then he shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
“It’s still early morning.”
“….”
“It’s cold outside, and you’re wearing a mini dress that leaves your arms and shoulders bare.”
“…What are you saying?”
“I’m just saying I was concerned, so I followed you.”
Ainar was handsome.
More precisely, he was the kind of man who could have been born a commoner and still caught a noble lady and turned his life around.
Cliden had been the ideal first-love type: gentle, elegant, and beautiful. Ainar, on the other hand, had a slightly mature, almost provocative charm, better suited for enchanting older women.
Which meant…
“…Good thing I’m not some naïve little girl.”
Had she been even younger, she might have swooned at this attitude and started a ridiculous first love. In fact, her list had included “have a passionate romance with a handsome man.”
“Excuse me?”
“Nothing. Anyway, thank you for this.”
Rosie touched the jacket draped over her shoulders. Her impression of him had improved slightly; maybe he wasn’t a completely arrogant noble after all.
“You’re welcome. The wind’s cold. Let’s head inside.”
She smiled lightly at his gesture, which was almost like an escort.
“I was planning to stay out here longer, but I guess I can’t.”
“There will still be plenty of time.”
Rosie swallowed the words she had been about to say and followed him back into the hotel.
