Father, I Won’t Do Anything

“With time passing, I get to see Jaina with long hair too. You had short hair when we first met.”

“Long hair has various uses for magicians…”

“I’ve been thinking, your hair has a lovely scent. It suits you well.”

So, when conversing while riding a horse, it felt like he was whispering right into her ear, making it ticklish…

Though she wanted to avoid it, since they were practically embracing on the horse, she couldn’t escape it.

‘Ah… If I were still a child, I wouldn’t need to be so self-conscious.’

Being eighteen, Rosian found himself in rather awkward situations.

‘But if he were still twelve years old, we couldn’t have ridden around the lake like this together.’

Rosian dismounted first before helping Jaina down from below.

It was the same when they boarded the boat.

Rosian got on the boat first and then extended his hand to Jaina.

Jaina was newly struck by how well-mannered Rosian was, showing small courtesies without showmanship.

“Not a single breeze on a day like this.”

Seated across from her, Rosian took the oars and began rowing across the lake.

Gentle ripples continuously traced the clear waters. And beyond that, the setting sun dyed the lake a vivid red.

Intoxicated by the beautiful nature around them, the two remained silent for a while.

It was Rosian who first broke the silence.

“Miss Jaina, it’s time to make a wish now.”

Following Professor Harun’s words, Rosian closed his eyes and began murmuring something.

Jaina watched Rosian for a moment before closing her own eyes as well.

Since she wouldn’t live much longer anyway, making a wish seemed rather pointless.

So instead, she…

‘Please let Rosian’s wish come true.’

…passed her wish onto the man seated across from her.

* * *

Near the lake, there was a quaint cafe.

The moment she entered, Jaina’s gaze was drawn to the massive instrument placed in one corner.

‘A harpsichord. I’d love to play it.’

And it was while Rosian had gone to place their order.

“The harpsichord player didn’t show up?”

“To suddenly cancel without any notice, while customers are waiting.”

After observing for a bit, Jaina spoke up.

“Then, may I perhaps give it a try?”

Spending time with Rosian, she realized there were moments that couldn’t be conveyed through letters alone.

‘If the sword is to Your Highness, then the harpsichord and magic are to me…’

After witnessing Rosian’s four years, she found herself reflecting on her own four years as well.

What she had practiced the most were the compositions of her mother, Bezrice.

Jaina placed her hands on the harpsichord. Soon, a beautiful melody began flowing from her fingertips.

‘Poignant and melancholic, yet also seemed to take a step back at times.’

Even without a score, Jaina’s hands moved freely across the keys.

At the very least, she could proudly claim to be the world’s best interpreter of this piece, performing it with the utmost fluidity.

‘It’s a composition tailored specifically for the harpsichord.’

It seemed to highlight the unique tones of the harpsichord, distinct from the piano.

It was also Jaina’s favorite piece.

Even if Diamid hadn’t instructed her to play it, this would have been the piece she was most familiar with.

Before long, Jaina became fully immersed in her performance.

It wasn’t a piece she played for the other patrons at the cafe. She played for herself alone.

And at some point, when she lifted her gaze-

“…?”

Jaina was met with Rosian’s dazed expression fixed on her.

“Uh, I really enjoyed your performance.”

“But I’ve never seen you here before, Miss…”

As she stepped away from the harpsichord, people around her began approaching to speak with her.

Jaina tilted her head in bewilderment.

However, the moment Rosian drew near, the men beside her started sneaking glances before slowly dispersing.

“What, did you have a boyfriend?”

“Damn, he’s ridiculously handsome.”

His eyes seemed glazed over, his expression slightly unhinged.

His unfocused gaze gave the impression his mind had wandered elsewhere.

“Your Highness?”

Concerned, Jaina cautiously called out to Rosian.

“You…”

It seemed Rosian had been intently watching Jaina’s harpsichord performance the entire time.

‘Perhaps he’s enraptured by the lingering resonance?’

If so, she would be delighted.

Just as she expected him to pay her a vibrant compliment using elaborate words, as was his usual manner…

“You’re beautiful.”

For some reason, those words made her feel shy.

As if the redness on Rosian’s face had transferred onto her own.

On their way back, using a teleportation glyph after leaving the cafe, they walked side by side, shoulders touching. It was Rosian who spoke up first.

“That was my first time seeing you play the harpsichord, Miss Jaina.”

“Is that so?”

“I had no idea you played so well.”

Rosian looked down at Jaina with warm eyes.

“I also realized there’s so much about you that letters cannot convey.”

“I had the same thought.”

“It feels like there are still so many unseen sides of you, Miss Jaina. I wish you could show me everything.”

Rosian’s earnest tone. His cheeks still flushed from the earlier fervor.

“I also feel I haven’t seen all of you, Your Highness. Like at the martial arts tournament… You looked so amazing then. People seem most beautiful when they’re fully immersed in something.”

“…”

“Why are you staying silent?”

Rosian, who had been silently watching Jaina ramble on, curved his eyes in a gentle smile.

“That’s why I called you beautiful, didn’t I?”

Ah, he hadn’t simply referred to her appearance. If that were the case, he would have said so at the debutante ball where she was more glamorously adorned.

Clearly, it had been on their way back after Jaina had placed their order and done her share.

“Miss Jaina? Where did you go?”

When he had returned after parting with the staff, Jaina had disappeared, leaving only her modest belongings behind.

And she was found in front of the cafe’s harpsichord.

“…”

Undoubtedly, even as considerable time passed and countless patrons came and went within the cafe, Rosian’s gaze never left Jaina. He seemed rooted to that spot, transfixed.

“Excuse me, did you come alone?”

Even when addressed from the side, he didn’t seem to hear.

“Well, you could at least respond when spoken to…”

The sunset sky dyed in brilliant hues, the cafe’s orange lighting, Jaina’s blue eyes. Everything seemed frozen in time.

‘This moment is the reason I’m here.’

He could feel the heat rising to his face. His heart began pounding wildly.

* * *

In his youth, Rosian was only known as the handsome Prince and someone who got along well with young ladies. After going to the academy, he was merely a character mentioned intermittently when Elia was brought up.

However, following the martial arts tournament, people frequently discussed him, mostly in a positive light.

“I never expected Prince Rosian to mature so well since his childhood.”

“As expected of Princess Elia’s son.”

His reappearance in the capital after years of absence while attending the academy seemed to generate even greater buzz.

It was as if people only then realized what an exceptional prospective groom Rosian was.

Though aware Elia was the heir to the throne, those who had only perceived Rosian as a young prince were now awakened to his true worth.

“But who is the lady who received the flower crown from Prince Rosian?”

And simultaneously, much attention was also focused on Jaina, the recipient of those flowers.

“Could it be he’s already chosen his prospective bride and is acting as her chaperon?”

“But everyone only mentions the name Jaina. Which household is she from?”

“I’ve never heard of her either.”

“Surely she can’t be a commoner?”

While Elia didn’t frequent high society circles much, none of the nobles dared visit her palace to inquire about Jaina.

Thus, they reached a conclusion.

“We should just invite this Lady Jaina and ask her directly.”

The debutante season had begun, a time when many social gatherings were held in the capital.

Jaina had expected to receive few invitations due to her status, and her expectations were proven correct.

-I’m sorry. I wanted to invite you, but I’m still too young…

-When I get married, I’ll definitely invite you, Jaina!

Her friends were unable to invite her to the soirees held by their households.

Hosting a soiree required immense costs and meticulous effort, something not just anyone could undertake.

The hostess overseeing the soiree couldn’t afford even the slightest flaw.

‘After all, the purpose of hosting a soiree is to present one’s daughter in the marriage market.’

[I’m already worried about my daughter associating with a girl of unknown lineage. If I were to bring you to my household’s soiree and have you mingle with her under the guise of friendship, how would that reflect on us in the eyes of potential grooms and their families?]

These were the words her etiquette tutor had spoken to Jaina with a sympathetic gaze.

Of course, the tutor wasn’t so inconsiderate as to be that blunt. She had tried her best to soften the blow, but Jaina understood her meaning clearly.

Jaina was far too perceptive and intelligent to miss such implications.

She had spent nearly twenty years, spanning multiple lifetimes, enduring hardships and learning to read between the lines to avoid being trampled upon.

[Take me to a soiree too. I’m tired of having to choose which ones to go to.]

Jaina let out a chuckle as she read one of the letters she had received.

There was one lady who stubbornly insisted on doing as she pleased, regardless of her parents’ opinions.

‘In the end, she’s just inviting me to attend the soirees she goes to.’

While Elia had acted as her chaperon at the debutante ball, she was far too busy to accompany Jaina to every soiree.

Knowing Jaina’s circumstances, Marilyn had considerately pretended not to notice.

‘Not the most straightforward approach.’

So, which soiree should she attend?

Unlike before, Jaina calmly surveyed the invitations that had poured in for her.

It was truly the ‘Rosian effect,’ one could say.

‘If His Highness hadn’t bestowed the Lady of May title upon me, I wouldn’t have received any of these.’

Jaina flipped through the invitations one by one.

There were soirees featuring famous singers, charity bazaars, and events where much effort had been made to attract attendees, but nothing caught Jaina’s eye.

“…!”

However, one particular invitation captured her attention.

[Delizen, who will delight your ears, will be joining us on this occasion.]