Episode 120

The mid-term exams for the fall semester were fast approaching. 

Rose had spent late into the evening at the library, pouring over textbooks. After keeping her head down for an extended period, her shoulders felt stiff.

Rose walked while gently rolling her shoulders. Her destination wasn’t the dormitory but rather the annex. As she got closer to the annex, her pace quickened.

Today, she had thoroughly prepared for the upcoming exams, reviewed all her materials, and even jotted down a few ideas for new inventions. She had made the most of her day, but it would have been even better if Jasper were there to finish the day with.

Rose climbed the staircase that led to the clock tower. Since the festival, they had occasionally used the clock tower as if it were a secret hideout.

Being careful not to get caught, she had been even more cautious and ensured a time gap when entering and leaving. On days when it was hard to coordinate their schedules, they would often visit separately and leave notes for each other.

After the main clock tower’s maintenance work had been completed, the annex clock tower had lost its chimes and the sound of people’s footsteps. Now, it began to exude warmth little by little.

‘I wonder if there’s a lot of work in the household today.’

Rose, worried about Jasper, entered the interior of the clock tower. 

She didn’t inquire into the specifics, but it seemed that Ethan had left the capital for a while. It was in this absence that Jasper was often summoned to the Town House.

‘He looked tired when I saw him earlier.’

Preparing for the exam alone would be time-consuming. Rose hoped that Jasper could regain some peace amidst such a busy schedule. 

Even amid this busyness, there were traces of Jasper inside the clock tower. When Rose found a neatly placed letter envelope on a makeshift chair, her face lit up with surprise.

The envelope had only ‘J’ written on it. She quickly pulled out the letter and noticed the familiar handwriting.

[I miss you. Lucky for me, we have the same class tomorrow. 

Keep next weekend free. Let’s go on a date. I’ve made a restaurant reservation. 

P.S. The new ribbon suits you well.]

After reading the brief letter, Rose absentmindedly touched the ribbon-shaped hairband. 

‘He didn’t mention anything before…’

Rose’s cheek blushed slightly. She pondered the contents of the letter for a moment and then folded it neatly before tucking it into her jacket pocket.

‘But a date…’

As she mulled over the word in her mind, Rose realized they hadn’t set aside time for outings since they officially started dating. 

She tried to calm her racing heart as she reached for paper and a pen. It was a short response she wanted to leave for Jasper, even though they would meet in the classroom tomorrow. 

This space was special, and she wanted to leave a message only for him.

Suddenly, memories from a few days ago rushed to the surface, making her cheeks feel hot. 

Tick, tock. The regular ticking of the clock that had been ringing in her ears faded, leaving her senses focused on her lips alone.

Rose shook her head vigorously from side to side. 

Since the festival, she had been constantly reminded of their first kiss and felt a sense of guilt. After all, when she arrived in the city, she had pledged to focus solely on her studies. 

Moreover, she recalled the various advice her mother, Anna, had given her.

‘If my mother finds out about my relationship…’

She knew she would be disappointed or shocked. She pushed Jasper away several times because she knew she might be disappointed, constantly doubting her feelings. 

The news of Jasper getting hurt shattered all her restraint, and now there was no turning back. 

Her heart had grown too big. To avoid having to shut it down, she would try to live as earnestly as possible.

Rose wrote a sentence on the paper with neat handwriting. It was a story she couldn’t express well in words because she was usually too shy.

[I always want to see you too. Take care of your health.]

After leaving the reply on the makeshift chair, Rose quickly left the clock tower with her flushed face.

* * *

A few days had passed since the mid-term exams of the fall semester had ended. 

Rose walked into the classroom with a lighter heart. Since there were no particularly challenging questions, she felt her grades would stay solid even in her graduation semester. 

Now, she had plans to enjoy a relaxed weekend.

‘And… a date!’

She had planned to meet Jasper outside the academy on Sunday. 

She worried about being spotted by others during the date, but Jasper seemed to have considered even that aspect and had meticulously planned.

‘I’ll send a carriage separately, so come straight to the restaurant. It operates on a private reservation basis, so you won’t have to run into other customers.’

Then Jasper added one more thing with the most serious tone.

‘Oh, and don’t borrow clothes from Briley. I’ll be gifting you something.’

Rose had been pondering what to wear after hearing Jasper’s words. While she admired Jasper for having all the plans meticulously laid out, she also felt a sense of guilt.

She always felt like she was the one receiving, both before and after they started dating.

‘What can I do for Jasper?’

Realistically, it might be challenging to give back as much as she had received from Jasper immediately. 

The more anxious she felt the more Rose looked forward to the results of the invention contest. 

According to the schedule, the results were supposed to be announced within a fortnight. If she won a prize in the contest, she would also receive prize money, and with that money, she might be able to buy Jasper a thoughtful gift. 

The remaining money could be sent to her family at Quilts…

Rose returned to the dormitory, indulging in happy thoughts.

 She had stayed up late last night studying and needed to catch up on some much-needed sleep. As she was about to lie down for a brief rest, there was a hurried knock on her dorm room door.

Opening the door, she found the dormitory supervisor, Isabelle, standing there.

“Rose, there’s been an urgent message for you.”

“What?” 

“The sender is… um, Anna Bell.”

Rose’s body, which had been tense with anticipation, suddenly went cold.

‘What could be the matter with my mother?’

With a pale face and her hair slightly disheveled from the rushed sprint, Rose hurried to the communication exchange in the academy. Her hair, which had been neatly tied, became increasingly untangled as she ran.

This was the first time Anna had sent an urgent message. 

The message only requested her communication exchange number and for her to communicate as quickly as possible. However, the communication exchange mentioned by Anna wasn’t in Quilts.

Something was wrong. Rose’s tense breathing grew rough, and various unsettling thoughts crossed her mind, primarily related to George.

‘Has Father gotten into some kind of trouble again? Escaped from Redmark…’

She didn’t want to be concerned with that man anymore.

With a bewildered expression, Rose submitted her communication request at the unfamiliar exchange for the first time. After receiving the exchange operator’s matter-of-fact instructions and waiting for a moment, she heard a familiar voice on the other end of the line.

-Rose!

“Mother? What’s going on? Where are you?” 

Rose’s hand trembled as she gripped the receiver tightly.

-First, we’re at Priscilla’s estate. Priscilla brought our whole family here.

“What? Countess Priscilla Bluewood?”

An unexpected name had surfaced. Rose’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I don’t understand the situation at all…”

-I don’t understand the situation either, Rose. I heard you’re involved with Conway’s son. Is that true?

Rose froze with her lips slightly parted. She was perplexed about how Anna had found out and why Priscilla was involved in the current situation. 

Everything was incredibly confusing.

The tangled events began with Priscilla investigating George Bell’s activities in the city some time ago. She had gathered information that George was working as a manual laborer in a certain factory and that Conway had recently visited that factory. 

Priscilla had tried to meet Conway to discuss matters, but he had abruptly left his home and headed north, giving no official explanation for his departure. It was undoubtedly an exceptional situation.

Priscilla’s friend, Anna, in the north, had become even more concerned about this. 

She wondered if Conway was plotting something after learning about George’s malicious actions. As far as Priscilla knew, Conway was ruthless and calculating. There was no way to know why he had rushed to the northern region, but it was clear that it was an exceptional event.

After much deliberation, Priscilla decided to keep Anna and her family hidden and protected from Conway, considering that their home address in Quilts was likely known. 

So, she secretly summoned Anna’s family to her estate. It was an emotionally driven choice that Priscilla would not typically make.

However, Priscilla’s heart had been moved by Adela, and the far more dreadful state in which George Bell had deteriorated than expected. It made her think about helping Anna as well. 

She had lived by the beliefs of promoting a moderate stance externally, maintaining friendly relations with powerful families, supporting orphans, and donating to the needy every year, but was it truly noble to ignore a friend in danger?

Priscilla finally found the answer to the question that had long been on her mind.

‘If I remain still and Anna’s family becomes endangered, I will regret it for the rest of my life.’

Choosing without regrets. Perhaps that was the truly aristocratic and elegant way of life.