Chapter 55: Can I Have a Word With You?

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Can I Have a Word With You?

Chapter 55: Can I Have a Word With You?

Since the time frame was affecting him as a whole, Osborne had to step out of the sub-space. He returned to the manor to take a bath first, and only after that did he have some servants bring him a meal in the garden.

’If I keep going back and forth like this, the household is bound to get suspicious eventually...’ Osborne thought.

The last thing he wanted was that wench snooping around him again.

He realised he needed to figure out a way to use the sub-space to his advantage without any of them knowing.

Just as he took another bite of the grilled steak in front of him, an idea suddenly came to mind.

---

Knock~ Knock~

"You may enter..." A voice came from within.

Osborne then proceeded to enter Roseline’s study.

Roseline raised a brow when she saw him. "If you’re here to beg me to teach you, my answer remains the same," she said calmly.

"That’s not why I’m here," Osborne said.

Roseline looked at Osborne in silence for a moment.

"Then what is it?" She asked.

"I’d like for you to grant me permission to leave the estate."

A look of confusion crossed her features for a moment. "Didn’t I already promise to allow you to venture out as you wish?"

"Yes, but this time I came to ask that you allow me to go without a chaperone," Osborne revealed his true intentions.

Her gaze squinted slightly.

"And might I know where you’re planning on heading to?" She said.

"There’s been recent news that some bandits have begun emerging all over the kingdom after the war efforts with the demon folk. I wish to use them to further my studies."

"You... You say such arrogant words when you haven’t even engraved your first star yet."

"You wish for me to allow you to handle them on your own? You’re aware that some of them aren’t average people."

"While that may be the case, it’s already known that most of them are simply discontent civilians. I’m sure I can manage on my own."

"I don’t care if you could or couldn’t. I refuse." Roseline scoffed. "I’m not letting you throw away your life for such a foolish endeavour."

"Did you really think framing it like this would make me more inclined to teach you?" Roseline flashed him a displeased look.

"You’ve made it more than clear that you won’t teach me. Like I said before, I didn’t come here to ask for your help... I just came to ask that you please refrain from lending me your aid in this endeavour," Osborne said, his expression calm even now.

Roseline frowned a bit. "You speak as if I’d let you leave in the first place."

"You now want to revoke the promise you made?" Osborne let out a quiet laugh.

"Since it’s come to my attention that you’re far more reckless than I expected, then that’s what I’ll do."

"This is priceless. You’re the one who said she wouldn’t interfere so long as my actions didn’t harm the household or break its laws, yet now you refuse to stand aside, even when all I seek is for you not to."

"Is your intent to watch me fail just so you won’t have to watch your sister get what she deserves..."

Roseline’s frown grew deeper. She found it absurd that someone like him actually dared to ridicule her like this to her face.

"One more word out of you, and I’ll make sure you regret it..." She said in an annoyed tone.

Her pressure unconsciously bore down.

Feeling that same familiar feeling of superiority bearing down on him, Osborne was forced to his knees in an instant, and yet, the calm look on his face didn’t falter.

Roseline became even more annoyed, as if he was mocking her, saying no matter what she did, there was no way she would indeed kill him.

"Let’s all calm down, shall we?" Silvester’s voice was suddenly heard within the room.

The next moment, Osborne felt the pressure on him vanish completely. He didn’t even detect the moment he entered the room at all.

’He’s finally here.’ Osborne inwardly let out a sigh of relief.

"Roseline, I don’t think there’s a reason to go this far, whatever he might have done," Silvester said.

"Umm... What did he do exactly?" The clueless man leaned next to Roseline and asked, his actions rather comical.

Roseline clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. "It doesn’t matter."

"Get out," Roseline said to Osborne.

"W-Wait a moment, what exactly happened?" Silvester asked.

"Mr. Silvester, like she said, it’s nothing you should concern yourself with..." Osborne turned a bit and said with a self-mocking smile.

"No..." Silvester grabbed Osborne by the shoulder before turning to face Roseline.

"What did you do this time?"

Roseline frowned but said nothing.

"She’s obviously not going to tell me," Silvester said, looking at Osborne. "So why don’t you?"

Osborne looked at Roseline as if conflicted as to whether to tell the truth or not.

"Don’t worry, young man. You don’t have to worry about her. Just tell me," Silvester said with a smile.

Osborne then let out a sigh before recounting their earlier argument to him.

After hearing everything, Silvester was taken aback.

"Why would you suggest something so dangerous in the first place?"

"Silvester, please pay that man no heed..." Roseline said before looking at Osborne.

"I believed I told you to leave a moment ago, didn’t I?" She said to Osborne, but Osborne feigned deafness.

Seeing this, Roseline’s eyes twitched a bit.

"I’m afraid I’ll have to side with Roseline on this one. It’s simply too dangerous of a task to bear all on your own."

"Then please help me," Osborne suddenly said.

"You want me to do it?" Silvester asked.

Osborne shook his head. "I’ll show you I can handle it. You can watch over me while I complete it. If ever it looks like I’m in mortal danger, you’re free to interfere and bring me back. I won’t struggle if that’s the case."

"Huh? If that’s all, then why make such a fuss about her sending someone along with you?" Silvester asked, confused.

Osborne turned to look Roseline in the eye, biting his lower lip in frustration. "It’s because I don’t trust her at all. You’ve seen what she’s like, even breaking her own promise without hesitation."

"If I were to trust her to pick my escort, who knows what she would have had them do."

Roseline’s silent stare became even more annoyed. The way he spoke was as if she actually cared about what happened to him in the first place. The only reason she refused to begin with was because she refused to let him die that way. If that were to happen, her enemies would surely use that piece of news to dirty her reputation, about how incompetent she was to allow her own husband to venture to his own death alone. Even when it was his fault, the media always had a way with words.

"Then I’ll accompany you, young lord," Silvester said with a smile.

"Not even asking for my permission?" Roseline sneered.

"Oh, come on. He already went this far. Couldn’t you allow him just this once?" Silvester turned to her and said in a soft tone.

"Besides, it’s your fault he did this in the first place. You and that scary mug of yours—" Silvester whispered, only to receive a punch to the face that sent him flying out of the room.

Roseline then glared at Osborne. "Get out, now!" She said.

Osborne frowned but stepped outside as well.

"Don’t worry, kid. That just means she’s okay with it." Silvester, who was upside down in the hallway, smiled while giving Osborne a thumbs up.

"...." Osborne paused for a moment after seeing such a sight.

"Thank you for helping me, Sir Silvester." He offered the man a polite bow.

"Think nothing of it." Silvester wrapped an arm around his shoulder without Osborne even realising when. "I’m your sword, young lord. Next time, feel free to ask me directly. I’ll make sure that fur brain doesn’t sink her fangs into you, alright."

Osborne let out a quiet laugh but said nothing.

As for why he didn’t simply ask Silvester from the beginning to persuade her to let him accompany him—Osborne felt it was too much of a risk. Why immediately ask someone as powerful as him to perform such a simple task when there were several others available? But by causing this debacle, no one would find anything suspicious and simply believe he was a wronged man seeking help.

"I hope I didn’t keep you waiting," Osborne said as he arrived.

"Not at all, my lord," Julie replied, slightly nervous.

He nodded, saying nothing else.

Their current location was a training facility built just for magical practice. While the household was deeply a swordsmanship family, Roseline had built this place to help her two younger siblings further their magical talent.

Nevertheless, the both of them were rather lazy in such regards, so Osborne figured it wasn’t bad to make use of it since it was basically not being used.