'No… judging by the atmosphere, some might ignore manners and approach her anyway.'
No sooner had Rin thought that than a young man actually stood up and walked toward them.
He was handsome, with carefully styled hair and a well‑tailored outfit—likely a wealthy merchant.
Approaching Rose, he spoke:
"I am Alex, a merchant dealing in gemstones and fine crafts. May I have the honor of sharing this meal with such a beautiful lady? Of course, I will gladly cover the entire cost of your lunch."
Rose turned to him and replied politely, yet firmly:
"I'm sorry, but I do not wish to dine with anyone else."
Her refusal was clear and decisive.
Still, Alex pressed on:
"I understand, perhaps my invitation was too sudden. But I truly hope for the chance to speak with you. If lunch is inconvenient, then allow me to invite you for a cup of tea afterward instead."
Rose's voice remained gentle, but her words grew cold and sharp:
"I hope you will stop disturbing my meal now."
Listening beside her, Rin could sense the warning hidden in Rose's tone. Yet Alex ignored it, beginning again:
"Even just a few minutes, I—"
Before he could finish, Rin suddenly saw him collapse to the floor, convulsing, foam spilling from his mouth.
'What in the world just happened?'
That was not only Rin's thought, but also the bewildered reaction of everyone nearby.
Several acquaintances of Alex rushed forward to check on him and carried him away.
After such a decisive rejection—and the strange collapse—no one else dared approach Rose again.
Most assumed Alex had suffered a sudden illness. But Rin was fairly certain it was Rose's doing, though she hadn't seen what Rose had done at all.
"A magic, perhaps? Otherwise, it's far too similar."
What Rin was thinking of was the way Rose handled trouble—it was strikingly similar to her own Master, Tris.
When faced with someone causing trouble, both of them would respond with utmost politeness and patience, then issue a warning afterward. If that warning was ignored, what followed would be force—delivered without hesitation or mercy.
Rin whispered:
"What did you do to him?"
Rose answered playfully:
"Why assume I did anything? Couldn't it be that he simply fell ill?"
Rin's face clearly showed disbelief.
Rose, seeing this, offered no further explanation. Instead, she asked:
"So, how did you and Tris meet?"
Rin tensed at the mention of her Master.
"Why do you want to know that?"
Rose smiled:
"Just curious. You two seem very close. I don't have any friends my age, so of course I'd like to hear a little."
Rin shook her head:
"That's Rin's private secret. I don't want to talk about it."
Rose sighed lightly:
"What a pity. If it's a secret, then so be it. But… you used to live in the slums, didn't you?"
Rin froze. "Why would you think that?"
Rose pointed at Rin's plate:
"A person's habits reveal much, like the way they eat. And especially your actions back in the slums. For a child to be so familiar with that place, I can't imagine any other reason."
'She's frighteningly sharp!' Rin thought.
Rose: "For Tris to bring along a child from the slums… he must have helped you, or perhaps hired you to follow him, right?"
Rose continued her deduction. Once again, her guess was exactly correct.
Rin: 'Σ(っ °Д °;)っ That kind of analysis and conclusion… are all intelligent people like this?'
Seeing Rose's deduction hit the mark even though Rin hadn't said a word, the girl felt utterly powerless.
It was as if all her caution had no effect, and she herself was being read as easily as an open book.
Sweating nervously, Rin sped up her eating, though she had already been eating quickly.
Rose seemed satisfied with her deductions and shifted the topic:
"So, are you free this afternoon?"
Rin: "I'm busy studying."
Rose nodded:
"Children should study diligently if they can."
She asked further:
"What are you studying these days?"
Rin: "I read all kinds of books, nothing fixed."
Learning from before, Rin kept her answer vague.
Rose smiled knowingly:
"Reading widely is useful. But since you always carry weapons, I imagine you're also learning to fight, aren't you?"
Rin admitted: "Yes."
Knowing it was obvious and impossible to deny, Rin immediately nodded.
Rose pressed on:
"Tris looks strong—he must be your teacher too, right? What has he taught you?"
Rin: "I'm not allowed to reveal that."
Rose accepted:
"Understandable. A person's techniques are important and should be kept hidden. Still, you could share in general, couldn't you?"
Rin: "..."
Seeing Rin remain silent, Rose continued: "Alright, let me guess. From the way you carry yourself with confidence, it seems you've had real combat experience—not just carrying weapons for show. That means you must have already learned to use spiritual energy to a certain degree of proficiency."
Rin: "..."
Rose: "If you've studied spiritual energy, then given your age—even with talent—you likely haven't begun magic yet, only combat techniques. The first technique must have been physical improvement. Coming from the slums, your body wouldn't have been in good condition. The fact that you look so healthy now means that technique worked very well."
Rin: "..."
Rose: "After that comes the most basic technique—body enhancement. Surely you've learned that, otherwise you couldn't fight."
Rin: "..."
Rose: "Since you carry weapons, perhaps you've also learned equipment enhancement?"
Rin: "..."
Rose: "But once you've mastered enhancement, the next step must be one or two offensive methods to make use of it. Have you learned any?"
Rin: "..."
Rose: "Defensive methods are just as important. If it were me, I'd even prioritize them before offense. Your body doesn't seem suited for techniques that endure blows. Movement, evasion, or escape techniques would be far more fitting."
After each deduction, Rose paused as if watching Rin's reaction to see if she was right.
With every guess, Rin felt herself sweating more—because Rose was listing out, almost perfectly, the entire progression of her training.
Rose: "It seems Rin is very talented." She nodded with an air of understanding.
Rin: 'Σ(っ °Д °;)っ What exactly are you nodding about?!'
Rin panicked, unable to understand what conclusion Rose had drawn from that one‑sided conversation earlier.
Finishing her food quickly, Rin decided not to order dessert and stood up.
"I'm done eating. I need to get back to studying. See you later, Rose."
Rose waved goodbye, then calmly returned to her meal.
As Rin left, she heard Rose calling the waiter to bring her dessert.
With heavy steps and a heart full of frustration, Rin returned to her room.