Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 21: The Return of Rosanne
Ever since the day after the council meeting, Tobias had been busily scouring the city—searching for skilled alchemists and glassworkers while also beginning the process of selecting children to train as future alchemists. His energy was relentless, his focus razor-sharp.
Meanwhile, the rest of us—together with Eldros—worked on renovation plans for the workshop. Every wall, every corridor was carefully discussed, ensuring that it would be secure against espionage yet still convenient for our work. The planning sessions were meticulous, down to where each partition would stand.
Two days after that initial meeting, we gathered once again to report on our progress. The meeting ended smoothly enough—until Tobias, with a casualness that did not match the impact of his words, mentioned something unexpected.
“Rose is coming back.”
Rose… meaning Rosanne-sama.
I had heard that she was away leading a force to defeat the monstrous horde that had destroyed Furnendorp.
“Isn’t that rather soon for her to return?” I asked, surprised.
“Only Rose is returning ahead of the others,” Tobias explained. “Her duty was the extermination of the monsters.”
“…So, you mean she fought, accomplished her task, and then simply returned?”
Mother smiled sweetly, but there was an unmistakable edge to it—a kind of gentle intimidation that made Tobias stiffen like a soldier before his superior.
“Ah—n-no, it’s not like that!” he said quickly, raising both hands. “The damage assessment and reconstruction have been left to my brother, Heilt. Rose went ahead to rescue the captured women. Now that her mission is complete, she’s returning with them safely.”
Rosanne, despite her small stature, was a formidable fighter. She was said to be a master of body-strengthening magic, and on the battlefield she wielded her massive sword with such ferocity that she earned the chilling title of ‘The Little Princess of Slaughter.’
Heilt, Tobias’s younger brother, was someone I’d never met. When we first came to the Merlot territory, he’d still been working in the royal capital. From what I’d heard, Heilt was no warrior—just like his brother. His strengths lay in governance and administration, and he was expected to manage the family’s political affairs as the head of a cadet branch.
“I see,” Mother said calmly. “So, she hasn’t forgotten her role. I apologize for misunderstanding.”
“I’m just glad you understand,” Tobias replied with a faint, nervous smile. “After giving birth to Marnix, Rose has become much more aware of her responsibilities as a mother. Still, this time was an emergency, and considering the situation of those women, she was the best person to send.”
The barony’s military strength wasn’t particularly large: three knights served as personal guards, ten men handled general security, three hundred soldiers formed the standing force, and a hundred town guards maintained public order. Out of all of them, only thirty of the soldiers and twenty of the guards were women.
And among the rescued women—those who had been captured and violated—some had been left so traumatized they lashed out or tried to harm themselves. Female soldiers had to handle such cases, but with so few of them, it was impossible to give everyone proper care.
“When will Rosanne-sama be returning?” Mother asked.
“She’ll arrive late tonight,” Tobias said. “The rescued women will be taken directly to the church.”
Returning at night was meant to avoid public attention. The church would take them in to provide both medical treatment and emotional care.
I didn’t know the full story of what had happened in Furnendorp, but I could only hope the women would find peace and healing in time.
“I see,” Mother said softly. “We’ll be at the workshop again tomorrow. Please tell Rosanne-sama we’ll pay her our respects once she’s rested.”
“I’ll let her know,” Tobias replied.
— [Meluestat – Baron Merlot’s Mansion, Guest Room] —
After returning to our quarters, we had dinner and retired early.
The guest suite of the private manor included a small kitchen, a cozy living room, and two bedrooms—the main and the secondary. I slept in the main bedroom with Mother.
It was summer, and lately, she hadn’t been clinging to me as tightly while we slept… but that night, her arms were firmly wrapped around me, almost suffocatingly so. The heat and the closeness made it impossible to stay asleep.
When I finally stirred and cracked open my eyes—
“…Good morning, Al,” a gentle voice whispered.
“Wha—?!”
The woman before me wasn’t my mother.
Instead, it was a lady dressed in a sheer crimson negligee, her smile soft and teasing. I recognized her immediately, and my voice caught in my throat.
“W–Why are you here?!” I blurted out.
“…Rose,” Mother’s cold, low voice came from behind me. “What do you think you’re doing?”
Apparently, my outburst had woken her up—and judging by the sound of rushing footsteps, it had woken others as well.
Moments later, Stefana and Rugena burst into the room, weapons drawn.
“Are you all right, Martine-sama?!”
“Wait—Rosanne-sama?!”
Both froze the instant they saw her.
“Oh, Oneesan, don’t be so cold,” Rosanne pouted dramatically. “Rose gets lonely, you know.”
“I see. Rosanne-sama, good morning,” Mother replied curtly.
“O–Oneesan! Don’t be so formal with me! We are bound by sisterhood, are we not?!”
“We are not. Now, give Al back.”
“Y–Yes, Oneesan…”
…What was this ridiculous exchange?
Freed from Rosanne’s arms, I found myself promptly pulled into Mother’s lap. It was already faintly bright outside—around five in the morning, I guessed.
There we were: Mother in her nightclothes, Rosanne in a translucent crimson negligee, Stefana in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts holding a sword at the door, and Rugena—completely naked except for the warhammer resting on her shoulder.
…Chaos. Pure chaos.
“First of all…” Mother sighed, “Rugena, put some clothes on.”
“Ah—y–yes, Martine-sama!”
Face flaming red, Rugena fled the room.
When I turned back, Rosanne was still lounging on the bed, and—well, her undergarments were practically see-through. Mother said nothing, so I took it upon myself to point it out.
“Rosanne-sama, that’s… a bit indecent, isn’t it?”
“Oh my, Al, are you captivated by me?” she teased, covering her lips with a finger. “I’m flattered, but alas, my heart belongs to my husband alone.”
If that were true, she should have gone to Tobias’s bed instead.
Rosanne was about 160 centimeters tall, with a slender frame, golden semi-long hair, and soft brown eyes. Despite her round face and drooping eyes that gave her a youthful appearance, her personality was… difficult. Carefree, self-centered, and when battle began—she became an unstoppable berserker.
Most people called her adorable. Tobias alone had called her noble. That, apparently, was how their marriage began.
I honestly couldn’t understand it.
“So then,” Mother asked coolly, “why are you here, Rose?”
“Hmm? Oneesan is here, so of course I came to sleep beside you,” Rosanne replied as if it were obvious.
…She’s hopeless.
“You are Tobias’s wife,” Mother said, exasperated. “You can’t share a bed with anyone but your husband.”
“It’s fine! I had his permission. Besides, I am your knight, Oneesan. It’s my duty to guard you as closely as possible!”
Even as she declared this passionately, the effect was ruined by the fact that she was still half-buried in the sheets. I couldn’t help wondering what made her so obsessed with Mother.
Before either of us could respond, a maid’s voice came timidly from the door. “Tine-sama, Rosanne-sama… it’s nearly morning. Should I prepare your things?”
The sun was already rising.
“…Rose,” Mother said softly, “you should rest a little longer.”
She brushed her thumb gently beneath Rosanne’s weary eyes, then guided her back onto the bed. Within moments, Rosanne was asleep again, smiling faintly as Mother stroked her hair.
Defeating a horde of monsters, rescuing women, and then escorting them safely back to the city—it sounded simple in words, but it must have been utterly exhausting.
“Fana, please bring my clothes,” Mother said.
“Yes, Tine-sama,” Stefana replied, fetching a dark navy skirt with a flared hem and a crisp white blouse—Mother’s recent favorite style.
I dressed myself in dark trousers and a light brown shirt. It wasn’t stylish, but it hid dirt well enough. Stefana changed too, and we left Rosanne sleeping soundly behind.
“Let’s take breakfast in the dining hall today,” Mother suggested.
Normally, we ate in our room, but with Rosanne resting in the main bedroom, it made sense to eat elsewhere.
— [Meluestat – Baron Merlot’s Mansion, Dining Hall] —
When eating in the dining hall, the household slaves—including Stefana—took their meals separately. Mother and I sat at one of the long tables and ordered breakfast.
Before long, Tobias appeared, raising a hand casually in greeting. “Good morning. It’s rare to see you two dining here.”
“…Tobias,” Mother said, her tone dangerously mild. “When I woke up earlier, I found Rosanne-sama in our bed. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”
“Ah—! S-sorry! I, uh, have some business to attend to today. Pardon me!”
Without waiting for a reply, he turned on his heel and fled the dining hall. His guilt was almost palpable.
Still, there was one thing I needed to confirm.
“Mother,” I asked, “do you know why Rugena wasn’t wearing any clothes earlier?”
“…Al,” she said warningly.
“I just mean—it’s hard to guard someone if you’re naked, right?”
Mother’s glare felt sharp enough to cut.
It wasn’t that I was interested in Rugena’s nudity—it just seemed impractical. How was she supposed to react in an emergency like that?
“Al,” Mother said, voice cool, “you understand that Rugena is your slave, correct?”
“Of course,” I nodded.
“Then it’s your duty as her master to provide her with proper clothing. Did you buy her any undergarments or sleepwear?”
“…Wait—”
That was when it hit me. I’d bought her armor, weapons, and regular clothes, but not underwear or pajamas. When I purchased her, she’d been wearing a simple dress and undergarments, so I hadn’t thought about it.
Which meant—she’d been wearing the same ones this entire time.
She could have told me, I thought helplessly. But really, this was my mistake.
“…I’m sorry,” I muttered.
No one had complained, but Rugena must have been silently enduring it all along.
“Mother,” I said, “may I go buy her what she needs?”
“Of course,” she replied with a soft smile. “In fact, I think I’ll do a little shopping myself.”
Mother was holding the purse from our last sale of honey gemstones, so all purchases had to go through her. We still had about five gold coins left from that profit—enough to cover what we needed.
And so began another day in Meluestat, under the roof of the eccentric Merlot family—a day that had started in chaos, but promised a quiet, almost tender normalcy as the morning light filled the mansion.