Following Rudolph’s interrogation, the air in the study seemed to grow even heavier.
Rudolph slowly paced behind the desk and sat in the chair. Roseliel walked obediently to the front of the desk.
“Speak,” he began, his voice neither high nor low, but hitting exactly the pitch that was impossible to ignore. “What have you been doing out there?”
“Don't play dumb,” he added, his intent now unmistakably clear.
Roseliel’s fingers tightened around the fabric of her skirt.
To be honest, she was currently incredibly conflicted.
Her current progress was, frankly, very optimistic. Lucia—the one who had been most hostile toward her and against whom her own power was useless—had already been won over. Thoroughly clearing her name should only be a matter of time.
If she just said these things, she believed the Grand Duke’s anger would be significantly mitigated.
But the problem was, could she say them?
The person in front of her was different from everyone she had met before. Lucia and Mona were classmates and friends; Luna was a servant. There was a certain boundary between them and the original Roseliel.
But the Grand Duke was different. He and the original host were actual relatives—he was her biological father.
Her various actions could be described as diametrically opposed to the original Roseliel’s. Could she really speak of her recent conduct? Would the Grand Duke not directly question her identity to her face?
The silence made the atmosphere in the room increasingly suffocating. Rudolph didn't press her; he simply stood there, his gaze resting steadily upon her with a heavy weight.
“Father.” Roseliel suddenly raised her head slightly, meeting the Grand Duke’s gaze directly without flinching.
Screw it, I’m going for it!
Paper cannot wrap fire; even if she could fake it today, what about tomorrow? What about the day after? It was impossible for her to imitate the behavior of that piece of trash, the original Roseliel. There would eventually come a time when she’d be suspected.
In that case, it was better to just take the gamble!
“Regarding this matter, I already have my own solution, and I’ve already achieved very good results.”
She pressed her palm against her chest, confidently straightening her back. “You only need to believe in three things. First, I am absolutely not directly involved in this attack. Second, I have the ability to overcome this crisis!”
“Third, I will absolutely never disgrace the name of Rosenwal!”
In truth, although she appeared confident, Roseliel had already mentally drafted how she would live after being placed under house arrest by the Grand Duke or even being directly exiled abroad.
Rudolph’s eyes met hers. Only then did she notice that his eyes were actually a very pale grayish-blue, much like her own now, only they were filled with the traces of time.
“You say you have a solution.” Rudolph’s voice was lower than before, but he didn't relax. “Then tell me, what do you have in your hands?”
Roseliel quickly ran through her gains over the past few days in her mind, rapidly sorting through what could be said, what couldn't, and what might lead to more questions.
“I have reached a preliminary consensus with the Holy See. They have allowed me to participate in the investigation to a certain extent. I discovered a batch of Snake Cult letters containing several moles with vague codenames. Based on the contents of the letters, it's a preliminary judgment that these are communications between the Snake Cult and their planted agents. We are preparing to find and root these moles out.”
“‘We’? Who else is involved?”
“Currently, it’s myself, Miss Mona, and that Saintess candidate, Miss Lucia.”
“Saintess candidate...” the Grand Duke repeated the phrase, falling into thought.
Silence once again descended upon the room.
After a moment, he finally spoke, “You’ve done more than I imagined.”
Roseliel did not respond.
“You said you reached a consensus with the Holy See? Who did you communicate with?”
“It was Bishop Seraphin, the head of the capital diocese.”
Hearing this name, a flicker of light shone in the Grand Duke’s eyes, as if he had grasped a certain clue.
“Have you been with Lucia these past few days?” Rudolph continued to ask.
“Huh?” Roseliel couldn't quite react; why had the conversation suddenly veered here? “Um, yes.”
She nodded subconsciously.
The Grand Duke’s tone suddenly relaxed slightly, and he asked another question that left Roseliel somewhat puzzled:
“What do you think of her?”
Is this some kind of matchmaking interview?!
“Miss Lucia seemed to have some prejudice against me, and we haven’t been getting along very pleasantly. However, I am working hard to eliminate the gap between us.”
She replied in a businesslike manner.
After hearing her answer, the Grand Duke didn't offer a reply. He simply shifted his posture and was no longer as tense as he had been.
Did I pass? Noticing this, Roseliel quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
“You’ve changed recently,” he said.
Roseliel’s heart skipped a beat.
Here it comes!
“I can’t imagine the old you ever saying these words,” Rudolph said. “The old you would cry, throw tantrums, and wait for me to clean up after you. You would never say ‘leave it to me to handle.’”
There was no blame in his voice; it was more like he was stating a fact he had observed for a long time. Roseliel didn't know how to respond, and silence stretched like a taut wire between them.
Then Rudolph looked away, walked past the desk to the window, and turned his back to her. His hands were clasped behind him, his knuckles turning slightly white. “Perhaps you really have grown up.”
His head turned slightly, offering Roseliel a profile of his face. “Since you say you have a solution, I’ll give you a chance to prove it.”
“Give me a conclusion within two months.”
“Yes!” Roseliel’s hanging heart finally settled.
No house arrest, no exile abroad—this counted as a good ending for now.
“Also,” Rudolph finally turned around, “clean up your mess. Don’t let anyone get anything on you.”
Roseliel’s heart gave a thump. As expected, the original host's little tricks couldn't be hidden from her strict father.
It made sense when she thought about it. Many of the original host’s actions, including human trafficking and the like, had been done in the Rosenwal domain.
If the Grand Duke wasn't aware of what his daughter was doing in his own territory, he might as well stop being both a father and a lord.
“Furthermore, be careful of those from the Ramazi side. They seem to be making a move.”
“I understand.” She performed a solemn bow. “Father.”
Rudolph said nothing more. He walked back to the desk and sat down, pulling a stack of letter paper from a drawer and taking a quill from the pen holder.
Roseliel knew it was time to leave. She turned and pushed the door open. Before the door closed, she heard Rudolph’s voice from behind her, as faint as if he were talking to himself: “...You’ve certainly become capable.”
Standing in the hallway, Roseliel leaned against the wall and slowly let out a breath.
Her palms were drenched in sweat.
She glanced down at her slightly trembling fingers, then clenched her hand into a fist.
Two months. She only had two months.
Rate on N.U.
