I closed my mouth in shock at Rose's impudence and the way she spoke rudely to me.
It seems that one more word and I will be slapped! It's better to stay calm.
She furrowed her eyebrows as she bit her lower lip violently.
Firm words came out of her angry mouth:
“I consider you a true friend of mine.”
“What…? Huh?”
I doubted my hearing.
Her facial expressions don't match her words at all!
Rose seemed to resent having to speak out in her own voice.
She hung her head arrogantly.
“After I came to the capital and entered society, I met many young ladies, but I did not find a friend with whose soul I was in harmony with like you.”
Despite her disapproving tone, I felt the warmth of her true feelings, and my lips opened into a wide smile.
“Thank you… Madam Rose… No, Rose. Thank you for thinking so.”
She seemed to want that, so I left the speech reserved as well.
Rose looked at me with serious eyes.
"I'm sincerely happy for your promotion, my friend. So, this isn't something you should feel sorry for, understand?"
I was grateful for her care.
My heart became warm like a soft, sunny blanket exposed to the sun's rays.
I just nodded diligently.
Rose smiled like a lively girl.
“Every person has his own talent that he excels at. I love observing people. Being the eldest daughter in a business family, the first thing I learned was how to judge people and distinguish between friend and foe. Business is, at its core, relationships between people, so I deliberately chose the mentorship team.”
So, that's why she's both in charge of the magical books and head of the guidance team.
I thought all along it was a matter of secrecy about the workings of magic books.
I was grateful for her straightforward personality and broad tolerance.
“Rose, thank you very much indeed. If you had not taken care of me, and Lady Marian had not taken care of me, and the library people had not encouraged me, I would not have become the head librarian when I am so ignorant.”
Rose listened silently to my words, then crossed her arms and smiled contentedly.
“اممم، لا تنسي أنّ وصولكِ إلى منصب النجاح كان بفضل توجيه أمينة المكتبة المُخْتَرَمَة.”
“Yes. I will never forget this favor, my experienced lady. I will invite you at my expense on the occasion of your promotion.”
“Erica, shouldn’t you be prepared to honor your family if you forget this?”
Our eyes crossed.
We burst into laughter together without one of us starting before the other.
A colleague and friend who trusts me and encourages me.
My heart became reassured and warm.
“Okay, time to get to work now. I'll go.”
When Rose walked out the door, she turned as if she remembered something.
“By the way, Erica.”
"Yes?"
“I love watching you work.”
"truly…?"
“You have a power that attracts people. The people around you seem happy and cheerful and seeing that makes me cheerful too.”
Her words made me blush for some reason, and I couldn't find anything to say.
All I did was smile at her shyly, as if I was responding to her.
***
Rose returned to the counseling team, and I continued to tidy up the office.
I packed up, filled the bookshelves, vacuumed the rug, and suddenly it was lunchtime.
I went down to the dining hall and ate a simple sandwich, and upon leaving, I met Nella at the entrance. The girl ran towards me like a little squirrel.
“Nella, have you had lunch? Thank you for congratulating me earlier.”
Nella with the two braids kindly.
"Yes. Congratulations on the promotion, Madam Librarian! I placed the baskets of flowers that arrived in your name at the work desk. They were quite a lot, weren't they?"
“Oh, you're tired of going up to the third floor. Wait a minute.”
I gave her the bag of cookies I kept in my pocket.
“This is a reward for your hard work. Share it with your brother.”
“Wow, Tommy will love it. Thank you.”
Nella took the bag of cookies, smiling like a blooming flower.
“By the way, the work desk is amazing. It looked just like the princess’s room.”
Nella said with big, round, shining eyes as if she were dreaming.
The sight of her was so cute and beautiful that a smile broke out on my own.
In the eyes of a little girl, the luxurious furniture filling the room may truly look like a princess's room.
“Come and visit me anytime. I will offer you biscuits and tea.”
"Really? Wouldn't I be annoying?"
Her voice was cheerful but hesitant.
I smiled as I stroked the girl's round head.
“Troublesome? Nella, you’re welcome anytime. Come and have some tea and read some books, then go.”
Nella smiled brightly upon hearing that. It was a pure, pure smile.
***
When I returned to the office, I found more than ten flower baskets lined up in front of the door.
“Oh my God, I'm going to choke on the perfume. Isn't that too much even if it is?”
After moving all the flower baskets into the office, I examined all the greeting cards placed in the baskets.
“Who sent it? I didn’t know I was so famous.”
There were wreaths from Duke Reinhardt, Crown Prince Ludwig, Director William, and Miss Frisia, as well as young ladies from families I had never seen before.
Judging by the wording on the card that says, “Congratulations to the beautiful, towering lady of war,” I suspect it is from an ardent fan.
There was also a wreath sent by Noble Zeke.
This is a bit surprising.
I didn't expect that.
“Hmm, what did that bastard write? It must not be a challenge...”
I opened Zeke's greeting card.
In the next match, I will definitely beat you. And after my victory, I will formally confess to you the sincerity of my feelings, Miss Dale...
I quickly closed the card as if I were looking at a credit card delinquency notice.
What did I just see?
I can't understand Zeke's way of thinking.
A boy who was struggling to defeat me suddenly confesses his love? Why? His change of heart is very fast.
Plus, how does everyone know I'm promoted? Did the Crown Prince leak my information again to an additional newspaper?
I picked up the card in the last flower basket.
Sender: Franz Spern.
I was about to tear up the card in reaction, but I could hardly control myself.
The phrase written on the card was a standard congratulatory message: “We congratulate Miss Erica Diehl on her promotion.”
“Huh, what do I do with this basket of flowers? It makes me feel bad.”
I spoke over the basket of flowers Franz had sent, and then sighed.
Flowers are not guilty, it is humans who commit sins.
I arranged the flower basket on the floor and finished cleaning.
I finished arranging the desk and bookshelf, and cleaned the sofa and table well.
With the set of teacups and biscuits I received as a gift neatly arranged in a cupboard, the work desk cleaning is finally finished.
I sat on the sofa for a while to catch my breath, when I heard light, cautious knocks.
When I opened the door, Freesia was standing politely with her hands clasped together and a gentle smile on her face.
Her light pink dress, decorated with lace embroideries and tiered ribbons, highlighted her captivating beauty, and her braided platinum blonde hair shone faintly.
Ah, you surprised me.
I thought a princess from a fairy tale had come out.
“Hello, Freesia. How did you know I was here?”
“I asked Miss Rose from Information Services. When I heard the news of your promotion, I wanted to congratulate you... I came without informing you. Did I bother you?”
“No, on the contrary, I am very glad you came. Come inside.”
I quickly took her to the work office. Freesia entered politely and looked around the office carefully.
Her violet eyes sparkled with amazement.
"Oh my gosh, the desk is really nice. It suits you so well, Erica."
Hmm, he suits Freesia, the heroine of the novel, more than he suits me.
Upon entering this room, I feel as if it was hers.
I made her the tea and black tea set I received as a gift.
After tasting the black tea elegantly, I started by complimenting the aroma and taste of the tea first.
I realized again that she was a noble miss who grew up in a sophisticated environment and had a good upbringing.
Every little movement showed that she had grown up in luxury.
“Ah, yes, Freesia, I received the basket of flowers you sent, thank you.”
“I'm glad you like it. But...”
She let the end of her words hang, then quietly put down the teacup.
Then, she bit her soft lips as if she had made a decision.
She looked directly at me with serious eyes.
“سمعتُ قصتكِ عن مواجهة الوحوش بشجاعة. كان الناس يمدحون أداءكِ ويقولون إن سيدة الحرب قد أتت.”
“It happened by chance... and the lady’s story is greatly exaggerated.”
I felt like a student who had made a mistake and started making excuses.
Why do I feel like Freesia is angry with me? What did I do wrong?
Isn't it that I made a lot of mistakes towards the heroine of the novel?
التقيتُ ببطل الرواية أولاً، وأنقذته بدلًا منها، واعطيه منديلي بدلًا منها، واستلمت قسم الفارس بدلًا منها، وقبلته…
Should I confess all my sins now and ask her to hold my hair and pluck it as she pleases?
“Erica.”
Suddenly, Freesia raised her soft white hands.
Do you really want to grab my hair?
How well do you know everything?
But what Freesia caught was my hand.
It was a touch filled with longing.
“Please…don’t become a hero.”
“Freesia…?”
“قد يصفكِ الآخرون بالبطلة، لكنني كنت قلقةً عليكِ من الإصابة فكري في سلامة جسدكِ أولاً أتوسّـــل إليكِ.”
رؤيتها وهي تتوسّل بإلحاح وعيناها تذرفان الدموع جعلتني أشعر كما لو كنتُ مجرمةً عظيمة.
"Okay. I understand. I'll be more careful next time. Not to worry you, Freesia."
I held Freesia's soft hand tightly and gave her an emphatic promise.
Old nostalgia pooled in Freesia's violet eyes.
“رؤيتكِ تذكرني بأمي عندما سمعتُ نبأ قتالكِ لوحشٍ شرس، شعرتُ بالخوف والألم لدرجة أنّني اختنقت.”
Freesia's body stiffened.
Troubled emotions swirled in her violet eyes.
حزن، استياء، غضب… مشاعر غريبة ومؤلمة أشعر بها منها لأول مرة، وهي التي كانت دائمًا حنونة ولطيفة.
“My mother… She was brutally killed by a monster at that time. I was so young and I couldn’t even see her last moment of death. It was too hard for a little girl like me to bear so, I’m so afraid of losing you too… Please...”
Seeing her expression as if the sky was falling made my heart hurt and pity her deeply.
All I could do was hug her shoulders quietly.
Her slender body trembled lightly in my arms.
Freesia leaned her head on my shoulder, breathing hard.
I patted her shoulders gently.
Hoping that this would be a little consolation for Freesia, who was drowning in memories of her deceased mother.
She let out a long breath and her chest rose.
She buried her cheek in my lap like a child searching for her mother's warmth.
“Mom...”
A sad whisper, as if she was swallowing flowing tears, holding in her pain and unable to get rid of it.
I could clearly feel her depressed emotions.
I patted Freesia's back slowly.
I wanted to comfort her and tell her that everything was okay, that everything would be okay, with the warmth of my body rather than a few unskillful words of comfort.
How much time has passed?
As the steaming hot tea turned cold, Freesia carefully moved away from my embrace.
She lowered her head as if she was embarrassed.
The tips of her small, round ears were red.
“For me to show myself like this on a happy day… I upset you. I’m sorry.”
Her little shoulders are trembled.
Again, why would you say that too?
While I was confused, I suddenly came up with a way to calm Freesia down.
“To be continued in the next chapter”
Loving translation