Father, I Won’t Do Anything

* * *

Some time had passed since the gathering commenced when an attendant announced a visitor’s arrival.

A strikingly distinctive appearance, recognizable even from afar.

“My apologies for the delay, I was held up with swordsmanship practice.”

It was Rosian, who had originally escorted Jaina here.

His labored breathing suggested his claim of coming from practice was no lie, garbed in a simple shirt rather than his formal uniform. Not that his casual attire dimmed his presence in any way.

For his sudden appearance had sent ripples of excitement through the crowd, unable to conceal their flustered countenances as they exchanged glances.

“Don’t worry about me.”

“When I personally brought this young miss here, how can I not acknowledge you?”

While Chloe Newin had witnessed Rosian escorting Jaina, the other ladies remained unaware, their eyes widening in surprise.

“You brought Jaina here yourself?”

“Could it be you were her escort?”

A child who seemed acquainted with Rosian besides Elia.

‘Concealing her background, is there something more to her?’

The attendees covertly exchanged looks. Regardless of her true identity, Elia’s firm stance left no doubts – provoking her would prove unwise.

“I shall escort you back once the party concludes.”

With eyes brimming with curiosity, one of the young ladies remarked:

“Where does Jaina reside?”

After a momentary pause, Jaina smiled, judging it harmless to disclose this much.

“I live in the Magic Tower.”

“The Magic Tower, you say…?”

Another girl’s voice rose as if recalling something.

“Ah, now that you mention it, weren’t you the one accompanying the Lord of the Magic Tower at that concert performance?”

“You’re right, I did attend the concert with him previously.”

Murmurs of commotion arose once more. Amidst the din, Rosian’s teasing glance in Jaina’s direction didn’t escape her notice.

‘So the Prince intended this deliberately.’

“It’s amazing that you attended a concert with the Tower Lord.”

“I saw you using magic earlier, so you must be a magician of the Magic Tower!”

“Please tell us about the Tower Lord. Is he really as powerful as the rumors say?”

“Are there really monsters living in the Magic Tower?”

Jaina felt awkward at the barrage of questions, but didn’t rush to answer them.

‘I can’t reveal my relationship with the Tower Lord, so instead of going into details, I’ll just say I’m acquainted as a Magic Tower’s magician.’

Jaina slowly organized in her mind what she could and couldn’t say.

As she hesitated, one by one the attendees of the tea party began to grow impatient.

Just as one of the daughters, lips twitching, was about to ask Jaina again unable to contain her curiosity, Jaina spoke up.

“First, let me respond to the question about monsters living in the Magic Tower…”

Everyone turned their ears to Jaina.

Contrary to everyone’s concerns, Jaina’s high society debut was a success.

* * *

After the tea time ended, Rosian joined Jaina in the carriage, saying he would escort her.

“Aren’t you busy? You didn’t have to go this far.”

“It’s not just an escort, I’m happy to see you after so long.”

Riding together in the carriage brought them remarkably close despite its spaciousness.

Jaina looked up at Rosian with an unfamiliar feeling.

While she had turned thirteen, he was now two years older at fifteen.

‘It’s only a two-year gap, and don’t girls grow faster during this period?’

Yet Rosian’s shoulders were already as broad as an adult’s, and his height seemed over twice her own.

As Jaina stared intently, Rosian scratched his head awkwardly.

“Do I smell sweaty or something?”

He mumbled that he had bathed, but the tips of his hair were damp.

He seemed to have come in a rush, with a couple buttons on his white shirt undone, exposing his protruding adam’s apple. Jaina blushed and bowed her head.

‘He’s almost shed his boyish appearance completely.’

“Your Highness, you’ve grown up a lot in the meantime.”

“Is that something our little miss should say to me?”

Rosian looked at Jaina and smiled innocently.

Completely different from the expressionless face she had glimpsed earlier.

‘For a moment he really seemed like an adult. He shot up, and his voice deepened…’

Though it seemed his voice had finished changing, Rosian said it would still deepen further.

So it would become even deeper later? Jaina couldn’t help but wonder what he would look like as a full-grown adult.

“I want to show you how much my swordsmanship skills have improved, Jaina… But there’s no good way. Putting on a training display seems lacking, and telling you to watch a duel is just weird…”

Rosian’s eyes sparkled.

‘This is the first time His Highness has spoken so confidently.’

As the novel began after Elia’s demise, little was known about Rosian’s earlier persona.

‘Wasn’t he described as possessing smooth, unblemished hands that had scarcely held a sword?’

Jaina’s gaze fell upon the sword hanging from Rosian’s waist.

‘Come to think of it, hasn’t he been carrying that blade ever since starting his swordsmanship training three years ago…?’

In any case, events had clearly diverged from the original novel’s trajectory.

“Ah, Miss Jaina. You mentioned enjoying cotton candy last time, didn’t you?”

She recalled Rosian teasing her fondness for cotton candy, likening her tastes to those of a child.

As Jaina nodded with an amused smile, Rosian grinned before signaling the coachman to halt the carriage. Opening the door first, he extended his hand towards her.

“Here we go.”

Accepting Rosian’s hand, Jaina alighted from the carriage – a customary courtesy he always extended.

Thus, the pair made their way towards the cotton candy stall.

“Miss Jaina, which flavor do you prefer?”

“To be honest, little tastes unpleasant to my palate, so asking me…”

Jaina rarely appeared so perplexed.

Chuckling at her expression, Rosian acknowledged his ill-phrased inquiry, offering an apology instead.

“Someone just mentioned that apart from the colors, the flavors hardly differ. Is that accurate?”

“To my taste buds, each shade carries a subtle distinction.”

Being behind the counter, the menu descriptions were not clearly visible.

As Rosian furrowed his brow, Jaina, having visited before, helpfully explained:

“There are blue, pink, and yellow cotton candies.”

“The pink must be strawberry, and yellow likely banana…”

“Correct. What flavor do you think the blue might be?”

“Who knows?”

As Jaina and Rosian became immersed in selecting cotton candies, a group of rough-looking mercenaries swaggered into the store.

“Why are there so many people here?”

“Where is that brat?”

The mercenaries seemed to be searching for someone in particular.

“Mercenaries at a cotton candy stall? What could this be about?”

“Somehow I doubt they’re here for the cotton candy.”

Jaina was reminded of the confrontation she and Hilvenzia had faced while attempting to purchase cotton candy.

“Meow.”

Trailing behind, Izren too sensed the ominous situation, issuing a warning growl.

Lowering her voice, Jaina murmured reassurances to Izren.

“Perhaps they’ve simply come for cotton candy as well? We can’t assume their rough appearances preclude such tastes.”

However, Jaina’s conjecture proved naively optimistic.

For the burly mercenaries halted directly before her.

“Are you the ‘Jaina’ who provoked the Countess Newin’s daughter and young master?”

‘The Prince deliberately mentioned the Magic Tower to avoid unnecessary conflicts, but Chloe Newin had already departed by then… She likely views me as merely a fortunate commoner. Hence, taking advantage of an opportune moment without guards present.’

Jaina let out a resigned sigh. It seemed she had incurred considerable ire for offending two scions of the same household.

‘Sending mercenaries despite my apparent connection to Princess Elia… They must be confident in resolving this discreetly.’

Moreover, their numbers surpassed the previous encounter, each individual exuding notable prowess. It was a deliberate deployment.

Jaina gazed down at Izren with concern.

He was poised to transform and leap into action at any moment.

‘While sir Izren did defeat that knight Deitan previously, the odds are far more daunting this time…’

Resigning herself to potentially employing magic, Jaina glanced furtively at her own hands.

As she summoned her mana, the winds swiftly responded to her call.

Yet their very swiftness posed a quandary.

‘The winds heed me too readily. Condensing them into an attack could trigger a devastating explosion.’

Jaina surveyed the surrounding crowd warily.

‘Can I repel the oncoming mercenaries without endangering the bystanders?’

Truthfully, she lacked confidence.

Jaina frantically pondered whether obscuring their vision with darkness magic would facilitate an escape.

“Listen up, brat. Come along quietly if you don’t want any broken bones.”

“Heheh, we should at least preserve that pretty face of yours.”

Despite the mercenaries’ menacing taunts, Jaina’s serene countenance remained unperturbed.

Seemingly interpreting her composure as the obliviousness of a mere child, the brutes let out derisive sneers.

“Hey, you clearly don’t comprehend the situation… You could simply vanish without a trace, you know?”

“A commoner daring to provoke Count Newin, utterly oblivious to your station.”

It was then that Rosian, standing beside Jaina, stepped forward with a disarming smile.

“Oblivious to our station, you say?