As a normal human being, Roseliel naturally had a father.
Rudolph von Rosenwal, known as Grand Duke Rosenwal, was Roseliel’s father, the head of House Rosenwal, a Grand Duke with real power, the Kingdom's Chancellor... There were so many titles that a single page might not be enough to list them all.
For this father, whose titles were longer than his life, Roseliel truly had no sense of reality.
After all, to the current Roseliel, he could genuinely be described as just a "biological father."
She didn't even seem to have inherited the memories of the original Roseliel; she had only confirmed Rudolph’s appearance through the portraits in the estate.
The reason Roseliel had caused such a massive scene without Grand Duke Rosenwal ever showing up was, according to her impressions, because the Grand Duke had already departed for his territory for a vacation. Roseliel's original plan was to return to the Rosenwal domain and reunite with her father after attending the academy ceremony.
Then came the game's plot.
The original host, that little brat, dared to cause such a huge mess largely because her father wasn't around.
Now that he had suddenly changed his plans and returned to the estate, he had likely heard rumors from somewhere.
Roseliel had long ago instructed the servants in the estate not to send letters to her father, fearing he would use his methods to "protect" her directly, depriving her of the right to act freely.
Even though the Grand Duke did have the ability to settle this crisis for her, that probably wouldn't be in the way Roseliel wanted.
Roseliel still hoped to keep the initiative in her own hands.
She was prepared for his arrival, but she truly hadn't expected it to be this fast.
By all counts, it had only been three days since her incident.
Roseliel got out of bed in a hurry. Under the service of a flock of maids, she washed up, had her hair and makeup done, and changed her clothes. After hastily stuffing down a few bites of breakfast, she went to the gate in person to welcome her father.
And then she waited until noon.
“Is he really coming? Could it be a false report...” Roseliel helplessly accepted the maids' service as they wiped her sweat. Although summer had passed, the residual heat of autumn was still not to be underestimated.
At this moment, she was fully armed for the sake of etiquette, wearing a long black dress with a hem that required two maids to help carry. A corset had been specially added to her waist to make her silhouette look even more slender, at the cost of making her breathing quite shallow. She was also wearing all the necessary jewelry and a wide-brimmed hat on her head.
On her lower half, she wore thick black velvet stockings and pointed high-heeled leather shoes.
The entire outfit felt like a steamer at this point; Roseliel felt like she could wring water out of her clothes.
Just as she was about to act spoiled and ask the maids to let her go back inside, someone in the distance suddenly shouted, “The Grand Duke has arrived!”
Everyone immediately held their breath and focused. Even Roseliel couldn't help but stand on her tiptoes.
One look and she was startled by the sheer spectacle.
A long procession wound its way into view at the end of the road. At the very front were four knights riding tall horses, their caparisons embroidered with the House Rosenwal crest.
Following them were eight squires. Since they were on the move, the squires weren't wearing their combat armor; the plates were neatly stacked on the packhorses behind them.
Behind the squires was a massive carriage drawn by six fine horses, with three servants jogging along each side.
At the end of the line were over a hundred guards holding halberds. The blades of the halberds glinted with a cold light under the autumn sun, enough to make one's spine tingle even from across the street.
This scene left Roseliel somewhat dazed. A certain phrase couldn't help but surface in her mind:
That is how a great man should be!
But the pressure brought by the spectacle quickly pulled her back to reality. That majesty swept over everyone present like a tsunami. The servants bowed their heads one after another, not daring to make a sound.
Roseliel, who had been standing on tiptoe and peering, looked particularly conspicuous.
“Miss!” Luna gently tugged at her skirt, whispering a reminder.
Roseliel quickly retracted her gaze and stood properly with her hands hanging at her sides.
Before long, the motorcade arrived in front of the estate. Several servants went up to open the carriage door. A pair of polished black leather shoes stepped out of the door, descended a few steps, and landed firmly on the ground.
When that man stepped out of the carriage and into the sunlight, Roseliel finally saw his face clearly for the first time.
His golden hair was meticulously combed, and he had a high nose bridge, prominent nostrils, thin cheeks, and a refined mustache.
His gaze was sharp and steady, carrying the natural majesty of one in a high position. His back was perfectly straight, as if the entire procession behind him was merely his shadow.
Today he wore white trousers and a navy-blue military coat, which made him appear even more sharp and restrained—like a sword that still emitted a chill even while sheathed.
The surrounding servants bowed in greeting. Roseliel took a deep breath and braced herself to step forward.
“Father, good day.” She performed a slight curtsy, her hands folded over her lower right abdomen. “It must have been an exhausting journey.”
Calling an uncle she had just met "Father" felt incredibly strange.
“Mm.” The Grand Duke’s only response was a faint grunt, his emotions unreadable. Roseliel didn't dare look up, but she could feel that gaze falling upon her head as if weighing something.
“Go to the study and wait for me.” His tone was equally flat, yet it carried an unquestionable power, like a hidden undercurrent beneath a calm lake surface.
I hate aristocratic families!
Roseliel thought to herself.
But she could only obediently reply, “Yes.”
Accompanied by several maids, she headed back into the house toward the study.
Once inside the study and the door was closed, Roseliel immediately lost her composure. She slumped into a chair, bending over to rub her calves, then kicked off the uncomfortable high heels and changed into more comfortable flats.
However, the current situation was still not optimistic. In the game, House Rosenwal mostly existed as background lore. The high-profile family was attacked by many after the incident and soon declined, so there wasn't much information about them. Grand Duke Rosenwal himself existed entirely in settings and character dialogue; he had never actually appeared.
Setting him up to be so powerful was probably just the development team’s way of making it reasonable for Roseliel to bully Lucia. After all, if it were just an ordinary noble family facing a Saintess—even a candidate—they would likely have to think twice.
In other words, she had absolutely no reference material. She could only guess at her father's character, temper, speaking habits, and even the level of closeness between father and daughter.
According to etiquette, Grand Duke Rosenwal should go and change out of his traveling attire first. Reasonably, she should have at least fifteen minutes to prepare.
Bang!
However, things didn't go as planned.
The door was shoved open violently. Grand Duke Rosenwal strode in, then slammed the door shut behind him with enough force to make the frame tremble slightly.
Roseliel sprang from her chair as a reflex, her back instantly snapping straight.
“Fa... Father!” Her voice shook involuntarily.
Grand Duke Rosenwal didn't speak immediately. He simply stood there, his gaze falling heavily upon her. That wordless stare had a weight like a mountain. The gaze didn't last long, but to Roseliel, it felt like an entire century had passed.
“So you still know I'm your father?” he finally spoke.
It's over.
Roseliel's heart sank halfway.
Rate on N.U.
