Chapter 14
She spoke as if she knew exactly what Rosie was thinking.
“My family business is intelligence gathering, but what I really wanted to do was design. The dress you’re wearing now? I made that myself.”
“…I see. That’s nice and all, but why are you telling me this?”
Rosie looked down at the dress she was wearing. Even if Daisy’s words were completely true, there was no reason at all for her to share this with Rosie.
“That’s because… you appreciated my design.”
“…This?”
“Yes, this one.”
Daisy said this while blushing slightly, her eyes fixed on Rosie.
When Rosie first entered the dress shop, Daisy had thought the same: it wasn’t just that she was beautiful—there was something about her that drew the eye, even in a simple, worn dress.
It was the kind of charm someone would have if they had always dreamed of dressing her in their own creations.
And now, seeing Rosie properly wearing her dress, any designer would be thrilled beyond words.
But, in truth, that wasn’t the entire reason.
“And you helped me yesterday.”
“….”
“You didn’t have to step in, but you did. I noticed you subtly drew attention without making it obvious, and I know that.”
“That’s not what happened. That nobleman was the one who told me to respond first anyway.”
Rosie’s heart softened a little as she noticed the sparkle in Daisy’s eyes, so she looked away.
But Daisy wasn’t about to let it slide. She raised her voice and stepped closer.
“No! I know, Rosie. Do you think I haven’t been through this before? People who aren’t that impressive have treated me rudely like that before—but every single time, it wasn’t like I was completely alone.
But I swear, you’re the only one who stepped in to help me like that! And especially without making a show of it!”
Daisy stood upright and firmly held Rosie’s hands.
“So please, listen to me seriously, Rosie. If this involves the Portei Marquess family, it could be serious. You may not know in the capital, but in the East, the Portei family is practically like emperors. One wrong move, and it’s over!”
“…Even if you say that, I really have no connection to the Portei family.”
“Really? Think about it. There’s no way the Portei family would send someone to investigate a random person’s personal information without reason.”
Rosie frowned and pondered Daisy’s words for a while. Eventually, she came up with one plausible theory.
“Uh… could it be…?”
“Do you have a guess?”
Daisy’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Rosie.
‘Could it be that Cliden is somehow affiliated with the Portei family?’
That actually made some sense. In the East, the family was practically like an emperor. Renting out a room at the Vine Rose would be no trouble at all. It also explained why Miss Lily didn’t recognize him. Perhaps he sent someone just to check on her well-being.
‘He was kind enough to do something like that.’
Rosie couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Cliden. In her otherwise uneventful life, he had been one of the few kind presences.
‘I wonder if I could ever meet him again. I really want to thank him.’
She thought this while looking at Daisy, who was eagerly waiting for her to speak.
“Um, Daisy, if someone comes looking for me later, could you let me know?”
“What? That would be dangerous! It’s the Portei family…”
“I think I know this person. He’s not dangerous. He’s someone I owe a great deal to.”
“…Really?”
“Yes.”
Strangely, the atmosphere wasn’t as soft as it seemed. But Daisy nodded in response to Rosie’s words.
“Alright then. I’ll do that. But…”
“Yes?”
“…When can I stop calling you ‘miss’?”
Daisy hesitated but asked, her eyes shining.
“I promise I won’t sell any information about you. Can I just call you by your name?”
“…?”
“So, we look about the same age, and I was asking if we could be friends!”
Rosie was taken aback by the sudden turn in the conversation, staring at Daisy. Her face was full of a fluttering, hopeful smile.
‘Friends…?’
Rosie had not formed deep emotional connections with anyone since her childhood fallout with Lily. This was a completely new experience.
Is this how friends are made?
She pondered as she spoke.
“Um, Daisy. I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think that will work.”
“Eh? Why?”
Daisy’s eyes widened, as if she had never considered being rejected.
“We don’t know each other well enough to be that close. And I won’t be staying here long, so there’s no point in investing emotions. And most importantly, I don’t have much time left. There are many things I need to do while I’m here.”
“I never thought there could be so many reasons for not being friends. I’m usually quite well connected in this area and have many friends!”
Of course. Intelligence work relied on connections. But Rosie only smiled faintly, looking at her. She had no desire to make a friend at the very end of her life.
Giving her heart to someone who might soon lose her would be cruel. She had agonized over this when making the “passionate love” entry in her list.
But Daisy was a formidable opponent.
“Then… we’ll just slowly get to know each other!”
Even if she wouldn’t stay long, they could get along while she was here. Daisy kept pointing out, without pause, why Rosie could still benefit from having her nearby: she knew all the best food and entertainment in Beidos.
“So, Rosie. Let’s be friends, okay?”
Daisy extended her hand.
Rosie, overwhelmed by the flood of words, was taken aback. Daisy had even remembered her name without her saying it.
“See? I told you—I’m an intelligence agent.”
“Ah…”
“Don’t be afraid. I only know your name.”
Rosie hesitated, then nodded slightly. Daisy grabbed her hand firmly and said:
“It’s a cute name, like a beautiful May rose.”
Rosie blushed quietly. She had never heard such a compliment in her life as a servant.
“So… will you be friends with me?”
Daisy asked again, her eyes pleading. How could she refuse? Rosie smiled softly and nodded.
“Yay!”
Overjoyed, Daisy threw her arms into the air and shouted. Then, as if remembering something, she turned to Rosie and whispered seriously:
“Since we’re friends now, I’ll share a top-secret tip with you. Be careful of Ainar, the hotel manager.”
