The Duty Of An Academy Student Should Be To Study - Side Story 3

Side Story 3

Rose decided to stay with her family in the suburbs until after the wedding ceremony and before moving into her new home. 

The next morning, the butler of the mansion personally came to escort Rose to the front of the house. While Jasper was working at the palace, Rose had to inspect various pamphlets for items for their new home, such as furniture, curtains, and tableware.

Why does a wedding require so many things? Not just the wedding dress, but veils, hair accessories, wedding cake, wedding tea, and so on…

The butler asked Rose about everything, making an effort to reflect the bride’s preferences. Although his efforts were appreciated, Rose began to feel a headache in the middle of the process.

‘I’d rather be stuck in the lab…’

Of course, Rose wanted to have a splendid wedding, a once-in-a-lifetime event. The problem was that Rose was ignorant of current trends and aristocratic tastes. Especially in the past few months, she had been immersed in her research. 

She worried that she might ruin the wedding by choosing things without knowing the current trends or aristocratic preferences.

When the butler asked about Rose’s preference for the invitation’s handwriting, Rose sat there numbly, thinking about wanting to escape.

At that moment, a knock on the door accompanied a familiar voice from outside.

“Miss Rose, are you here?”

It was Charlotte Atwood Conway. 

When Charlotte entered the reception room, the butler seemed somewhat flustered. Rose, who thought Charlotte wasn’t at home, was surprised and stood up from her chair.

Charlotte spoke to Rose as she approached with the support of a maid.

“It’s been a while.”

“Lady Conway.”

Rose slightly bent her knees and then straightened up, showing courtesy to Charlotte.

“As the hostess, I should have welcomed the guest myself…”

Charlotte, with a slight frown, muttered something and then looked towards the butler.

“You should have told me when Miss Rose comes; it’s a given.”

The butler, glancing nervously at Charlotte, spoke.

“It was a specific request from Lord Ethan. He insisted that you should have absolute rest… and not be burdened with any task.”

Charlotte sighed softly, accepted the support of the maid, and sat down. 

Rose, still bewildered, alternately looked at Charlotte and the butler, then awkwardly perched on the edge of the chair.

‘I’ve never heard of Charlotte being unwell…’

Upon closer inspection, Rose noticed that Charlotte’s complexion seemed worse than when she had seen her last. With a concerned voice, Rose cautiously asked Charlotte.

“Um, are you not feeling well, ma’am?”

“Oh, no. It’s nothing. It’s just that he’s making a fuss. I had a brief dizziness the day before yesterday, but I was just being dramatic.”

“Dizziness?”

“It’s early in the pregnancy, so I need to be cautious. But morning sickness isn’t that severe yet.”

“What?”

“Oh, perhaps Jasper didn’t tell you.”

Rose was surprised, her eyes widened. 

Pregnancy. It was news she hadn’t heard before. 

‘No, why didn’t Jasper tell me?’ 

If it was the Jasper she knew, there was a good chance he simply forgot. He was generally indifferent to matters not directly involving him. 

‘But still, it’s the birth of our first niece or nephew!’ 

Suppressing a sigh, Rose spoke.

“I’m sorry. If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have come empty-handed.”

“Don’t worry about it. Jasper is probably preoccupied with the wedding these days. Since it’s still early, not many people know.”

“Still… Oh, I forgot to congratulate you. Congratulations, Lady.”

Rose genuinely felt happy for Charlotte as if Charlotte’s pregnancy was her affair. 

She knew well that Charlotte’s married life had not been smooth. 

Three years ago, Charlotte returned to the capital with Ethan. She didn’t completely give up on divorce; she intended to have a few months of cooling-off period.

Ethan didn’t miss the last chance given to him. Nevertheless, it took quite a long time for the divorce to be fully resolved and for their relationship to become stable.

Exactly how Ethan changed Charlotte’s mind, Rose didn’t know. Jasper asked him several times, but Ethan never opened his mouth about it.

“Judging by that guy’s reaction, it seemed like he kneeled and begged or something. He’s stubborn enough to die without speaking.”

Ethan must have put a lot of effort into it, enough for his pride to be hurt. 

It wasn’t easy to imagine the always proud and self-respecting Ethan kneeling, but he was different from before. Charlotte’s expression, which used to be stern, had softened more and more. 

Charlotte sitting in front of her now looked very comfortable.

With an intrigued expression, Charlotte asked Rose.

“By the way, have you chosen a dress?”

“Not yet. I just came back from measurements today.”

Charlotte’s gaze turned towards the various pamphlets piled on the table.

“There’s more to do than I thought, isn’t there?”

“Yes, I should have taken a longer vacation.”

When Conway mentioned hosting the wedding, Rose thought it would be easier than it seemed. Typically, mothers or female siblings would assist with wedding preparations, but Anna, who had to manage the estate, was busy with ranch work. She couldn’t afford to focus solely on her daughter’s wedding like other ladies.

“Shall I help you a bit?”

Charlotte’s warm voice resonated in Rose’s ears, and surprised, she asked.

“You, Lady?”

“I have many reasons to be grateful to you, Rose. If it weren’t for you, Jasper wouldn’t have helped me. I might not have had the courage to throw in the divorce papers and leave.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That’s an old story.”

Charlotte smiled slyly.

“I’ll tell you more later. For now, let’s focus on wedding preparations. Shall we start by confirming things one by one? How about choosing the invitation envelopes first?”

As Charlotte took an active role, the butler standing neatly beside them seemed startled. 

In a hesitant voice, he said.

“Lady, you should rest…”

“If it’s too difficult, I can take a break on my own. He seems to be making a fuss. I can’t just lie quietly in bed for ten months.”

The butler couldn’t intervene any further against Charlotte’s gentle yet firm voice.

As Charlotte began to assist, many things related to the wedding progressed rapidly. 

Rose listened attentively to Charlotte’s advice, feeling somewhat dazed. Charlotte’s insight, honed in the capital’s social circles, was exceptional. As they conversed, Rose’s vision of the wedding became clearer, and she could express her opinions.

She hoped the veil and headpieces wouldn’t be too flashy, and she discussed the flowers and color scheme for the bouquet. The most actively voiced opinion was regarding the evening dress for the reception.

“I have the dress Jasper first bought for me. Originally, I planned to wear it to the Berkley graduation ball…”

“Oh, that day had some events, didn’t it?”

“Yes. Somehow, after that, I couldn’t bear to wear that dress. It holds so much meaning… I want to alter it a bit and wear it for the reception.”

Rose suddenly recalled an old memory that had been tucked away in a corner of her mind.

The time she escaped from the basement felt like a distant past. 

It had been a while since she stopped seeing the name “Retro wave” in the newspapers. Edwin received a prison sentence, and the influence naturally dwindled.

Ultimately, Edwin’s existence became advantageous to the emperor. After revealing Edwin’s identity to everyone during the trial, the emperor, considering Edwin’s royal blood, chose to exile him to a deserted island instead of imprisoning him.

It was done to uphold the authority of the imperial family, even if Edwin was a nephew who betrayed her. 

People praised the emperor’s mercy. It was all part of the emperor’s plan.

Rose observed the shifting public opinion from the sidelines. The conclusion she reached was that turning against the emperor was a foolish move and that she preferred not to get involved in the political world if possible.

However, Rose had already become too well-known, and the name Rose Bell was repeatedly caught up in the whirlwind of political struggle.

‘After marriage, people will probably pay even more attention to me.’

Despite having no desire for power, she found herself at the center of it. 

It was a burden, but if she had chosen Jasper, she had to handle it. If she became part of Conway, it meant not only honor but also various responsibilities.

Even though Rose didn’t say anything, Charlotte, perhaps reading a sense of burden on Rose’s face, spoke in a somewhat calm voice.

“Getting married, makes you quite nervous, doesn’t it?”

“Yes? Oh, yes. A bit…”

Rose awkwardly chuckled and scratched her cheek. Charlotte lightly held Rose’s hand.

“No matter how much you like your partner, when marriage is right in front of you, various thoughts come to mind. Try not to feel too burdened.”

“Thank you for your concern. I guess not everyone will see our marriage in a positive light… Meeting the Duke again is also making me nervous…”

Rose unintentionally shared various worries with Charlotte.

Duke Conway’s health was deteriorating, and he confined himself to the grand mansion on the estate. Rose had met the Duke only once, before exchanging engagement vows when she visited the Conway estate.

She expected him to dislike her, just as Ethan did initially, but the Duke didn’t say much. No, the problem was that he didn’t say anything at all.

“Do as you wish. Whether it’s engagement or marriage.”

It might have been less uncomfortable if he had vehemently opposed, like Ethan did. The Duke just responded indifferently to Jasper.

‘He doesn’t seem to care much… Maybe he completely gave up on Jasper’s marriage.’

That thought bothered Rose throughout.

Charlotte, observing Rose’s worried expression, spoke.

“Are you worried about meeting the Duke? Why?”

“He doesn’t seem to like me. It can’t be helped, but…”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Charlotte made a peculiar expression before continuing.

“The Duke will be staying here a few days before the wedding. Let’s meet him then and have a chat.”

“Yes…”

“On a personal note, Rose, you don’t need to feel so down…”

Just as Charlotte was about to say more, the door abruptly swung open. 

Instead of one, two people burst in, the Conway brothers.