Chapter 22 : Look What I Brought You

In the spacious room, Rosily was curiously looking around when the door was pushed open and several attendants carrying bamboo baskets walked in.

The young girl stared blankly as they began filling the large round table beside her.

The plates were filled with colorful treats that dazzled Rosily’s eyes.

From the moment they opened the door, Rosily had already smelled the sweet aroma.

Her beautiful orange-red eyes narrowed slightly, fixating on the exquisitely boxed pastries being taken out of the baskets.

Gurgle~.

Rosily swallowed a mouthful of saliva and turned to ask the attendants:

“Are these for me?”

The attendants looked at each other, unsure how to respond.

They had only been told to deliver the pastries to this room.

Seeing only the pretty girl holding a rabbit, it seemed logical that the treats were for her.

One of the slightly older women stepped forward with a smile and replied:

“Yes.”

“That’s good.”

With the confirmation, Rosily didn’t hesitate any longer and began grabbing the pastries and stuffing them into her mouth.

While eating, she asked:

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

Once again, the attendants exchanged glances.

The woman who had spoken waved the others to leave and explained to Rosily:

“We’re just staff at this shop. These pastries and fruits were ordered by a distinguished guest. Miss, if you need anything else, please let us know. I won’t disturb you further.”

After saying this, she exited.

Rosily let out a long sigh of relief.

Honestly, she had been a little worried they’d stay.

If five or six people shared this table’s contents, there’d be far less for her to eat.

Happily, the girl indulged in the pastries without pause.

Her stomach seemed like a bottomless pit.

Still, Rosily didn’t finish the entire spread—just about half the table.

Her earlier chase and escape had worn her out, making her feel drowsy.

Now that she had refueled, she felt much better.

She bit into half a piece of rice cake, and held the other half out to the gray rabbit by her side.

The rabbit tried to nip her fingers along with the cake.

But Rosily reacted swiftly and pulled back just in time.

Watching the rabbit bounce around on her hand, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Trying to bite my fingers when I’m feeding you something tasty? No more treats for you.”

With that, she popped the rest of the rice cake into her mouth.

With her snack break over, she finally had time to sip from a beautifully flower-shaped cup—the first drink she’d had all day.

The light tea washed away the sweetness lingering in her mouth, and Rosily sampled a few more items.

Feeling full, she wiped her fingers on the rabbit’s fur, then sat back in the chair in a daze.

Henna had told her to wait here until she was done, then she’d personally escort her home.

Rosily wondered if the knight lady knew her mama.

Originally, someone else was supposed to take her home, but now the knight had offered to do it herself.

“What kind of relationship does the knight lady have with Mama?”

Maybe… they were just friends?

There was no information to prove anything, so it was all just speculation.

What she really should be worrying about now was how to explain everything to Mama when she got home—how she ran into the forest and encountered that scary stranger.

If Rosily weren’t so special…

Any other child might have already died in there.

“Should I ask the knight lady to help me cover it up?”

The idea didn’t last long—Rosily quickly rejected it.

If she were caught, that would mean an extra sin on top of what she already did.

Two offenses might make her punishment even worse.

For a child, facing their parents after doing something wrong was always one of the most nerve-wracking things in the world.

Better not to dwell on such painful thoughts.

“I’ll just throw myself into Mama’s arms and act all cute. That should work, right?”

Thinking of this, Rosily let out a silly giggle, her mood lifting noticeably.

Time slipped by unnoticed, and the door opened again.

Rosily looked up—it was Henna, now dressed in a different outfit.

She wore a tight-fitting white top that hugged her curves and a dark blue corset.

Her legs were clad in vertically striped mustard-yellow stockings, paired with black riding boots.

Henna’s wine-red hair was tied into a high ponytail.

The whole ensemble gave her a competent, agile air.

After putting in some effort into her appearance, the lady of Redpine looked much younger and more striking than usual.

Truthfully, Henna wasn’t very old—she just didn’t normally dress up.

Exposure to the elements had weathered her appearance somewhat, unlike pampered noblewomen.

“Knight lady!”

Rosily got up from her chair.

The two walked toward each other.

Henna’s eyes landed on the table, and she was clearly startled.

“Little Rosily… you ate all that?”

“Umm…”

Rosily nodded, admitting it was all her doing.

Then she quickly added:

“The sisters said it was for me… so… so I just ate a little more than usual.”

“……”

A little more?

Henna took a deep breath and smiled helplessly.

Her hand started to rise but barely lifted a few centimeters before she let it drop again.

At her age, eating a bit more during a growth spurt was perfectly normal.

She raised her hand again, clenched it into a fist, and pressed it lightly against her nose, clearing her throat with two soft coughs.

“It’s almost dark. I’ll take little Rosily home.”

“Okay—but can I take the leftovers with me?”

Henna paused for a moment, then nodded.

She watched as Rosily happily ran over to the table and began packing up all the uneaten treats.

Before long, the girl returned with a basket in one hand and her rabbit in the other, standing once again at Henna’s side.

In Henna’s heart, she felt that this child was truly thoughtful.

But Rosily’s real thought was simple: If I bring something tasty back, maybe Mama won’t scold me so much.

…

After confirming that Rosily was safe, Enya had returned home early.

And then, she got to work.

First, she fertilized a few plots of land in the yard.

She had used the hair she’d cut from Rosily to create a kind of magical potion—one that would slowly release nutrients into the soil.

Next came the planting of seeds.

Without using magic, she relied only on her hands.

It took quite a bit of time, and when she finally finished the last plot, she wiped her forehead—though there was hardly any sweat.

Enya fetched a small stool and sat under the eaves in the backyard, quietly gazing at the patch of barren yellow earth for a long, long time.

A unique sense of peace washed over her.

Weeding, sowing, fertilizing, waiting for sprouts to take root—nurturing them bit by bit until they bloomed into beautiful fruit.

Enya let out a long sigh.

It felt like she had found something meaningful to do again, and the emptiness within her was no longer so consuming.

“…How nice.”

She murmured to herself, then smiled.

Standing up, Enya walked toward the front gate—just as the carriage came to a gentle stop.

A young girl leapt off eagerly, running toward her while shouting excitedly:

“Mama, look what I brought you!”