Rose

A large palanquin was being propped up by twelve topless men in shackles. They carried it on their shoulders, six on either side. Upon the platform stood a gaudy couch flanked by two trembling half-naked women.

A man in a white outfit and bubble helmet took up the entire girth of the couch. He was a huge man, but he was wider than he was tall.

He had an ugly face - buckteeth, mostly bald except for a large portion of scraggly blond hair running from the back of his scalp, filling up the space within the large helmet he wore.

The woman to his right held a large wine glass to the man's lips, and the one to his left carefully fed him grapes.

A giant man with a thick black beard and scars over his torso, over five times the height of the others, dragged his heavy chains behind the palanquin, and his every step sent slight tremors across the grove.

"Why's it so noisy here-eh?" The fat man on the couch looked through the muslin curtains adorning his palanquin.

He saw a squad of marines who had just finished firing at a man chained to a wooden stake. The corpse was ridden with bullet holes, and red painted its surroundings. 

Then he looked around at the low-born who began bowing towards him.

He inwardly smiled. Flaunting himself in the lower world always brought him great satisfaction. He was a god, and it was only natural that low-born scum should bow every time they crossed his path.

Just as he was about to tear his gaze away, he saw a head - no, two heads with rose-colored hair.

His eyes widened. There was only one person he knew with that hair color.

"Goddess?"

The rain began to fall as that word cut through the prostrating crowd.

Rose trembled in disgust as her tears were washed by the rainfall.

She hated that title.

—------

Eleven years ago (five years before Lily's birth).

Atop the Red Line. The Holy Land, Mary Geoise.

"Uncle Homing, Uncle Homing, is it true that you're going to renounce your title as a World Noble? Is that even possible?" A beautiful bright-eyed girl ran up the front gate of a large castle-like estate.

The girl looked to be no more than nineteen years old, had pale green colored eyes, and rose-colored hair styled in a fashionable up-do. She was dressed in similar wear as the rest of the inhabitants of Mary Geoise. A long tight-fitting button-down white robe with a wide collar.

Those of the Holy Land knew this girl well, for she was the subject of dreams for many of its youths and even many amongst the older generations. They would compete and scheme against one another in order to gain her affections - something she would pretend to entertain.

She would receive marriage proposals every day from her seventh-line cousins all the way to her first-line cousins. Since the World Nobles could only intermingle between nineteen families for the past eight-hundred years, everyone was related to everyone else. Occasionally, a woman taken from the lower world would bear them a child, but their status was not much better than slaves.

It was a strange thing to her. A female World Noble bearing the child of a lower-born man would be executed, but the male ones could bear as many as they pleased. Something to do with bloodlines. She never understood it.

They called her the Goddess. And she was disgusted every time they did. She couldn't count how many times one of her slimy cousins attempted to try something on her. Of course, they all failed. She was too smart and too self-aware to be taken in by such low-IQ scum.

Her name was Donquixote Rosemarie.

"Ah, Rosemarie, come in. We were just about to have dinner," An older tall man with a bushy mustache and long flowing blonde hair arrived at the gate and smiled upon seeing his niece.

Her uncle, Donquixote Homing, was the only one who treated her without ulterior motives. The one family she could be comfortable around without fear of being taken advantage of or plotted against.

She always had a bright smile on her face when she met him. Rosemarie was one of the few who would listen to Homing's stories and ideals attentively. Though she would usually harshly criticize him as well. 

She was nothing if not blunt.

Rosemarie had experienced too much of the duplicity of the World Nobles to ever think herself to be among them.

"So? Is it true? Or is that just a baseless rumour floating around? Are you going to live in the lower world?" Rosemarie looked into Homing's eyes with curiosity.

Homing hesitated a moment before sighing as he led her into one of the lounging areas where his wife was currently playing with their kids.

"Yes… We do have such plans. We thought it would be better to do it once Roci is a little older," He said as he sat down on one of the couches, requesting a maidservant to bring them some tea.

Rosemarie looked up at her uncle, then at her aunt.

"Aunty? You're okay with that?" She asked with surprise.

Homing's wife looked at the girl and smiled before saying, "Yes, we thought it would be a better place to bring up our kids. Doffy is already beginning to behave like a little scoundrel."

Rosemarie glanced at the young boy who had perked up at his mention. He pouted, "I'm no scoundrel-eh! Isn't that right Roci?" He carefully picked up his younger three-year-old brother and placed him in his arms with a doting smile.

Their mother chuckled, and said, "Yes, yes, you're not a scoundrel, okay? But how many times have I told you to stop speaking like that?"

Rosemarie could only look at the family with envy. It was true. The only way the Celestial Dragons had become the absolute worst scum she knew them as, was that they simply did not, or perhaps could not, educate their children.

She wondered what it would be like. Raising a child. She smiled at the thought.

She too wished to have a family like Homing's. Unfortunately, they didn't exist within the Holy Land. Homing's family were the outliers and were already being treated like outcasts.

Not to mention, she would rather jump off the edge of the Red Line than start a family with anyone in Mary Goeise.

"How nice…" She let her thoughts escape her tongue.

"Why? Are you thinking of going to the lower world too?" Homing asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course! It's too stifling here. Everyday is hell. I'd rather be eaten by the D. clan than stay up here!" Rosemarie shouted in agitation, and then lost her vigor slightly, "but… I don't really know anything about the lower world. It might be even worse, y'know?"

"Well, I won't sway you either way. It's your life and decision after all. All I'll say is, maybe you'll be able to live more like a human in the lower world. The people here are severely delusional," Homing spoke calmly as he received a cup of tea from the coffee table the maidservant had set.

Rosemarie scoffed as she crossed her legs and arms arrogantly, "You can say that again. Those imbeciles still think they can bed a beauty like me. Simply delusional."

Homing smiled and closed his eyes as he savored the tea, "Yes, how delusional."

—-----

Nine years ago (three years before Lily's birth).

"Are you sane, Saint Homing?"

"That someone like you would do such a thing!"

"To think you would give up your position as a god, and reduce yourself to a human!"

"I've always been a human, ever since I was born," Homing faced their ridicule with a calm smile.

"Are you saying we are too-eh?"

"Blasphemy! Who do you think we Celestial Dragons are?!"

"Traitor! You've always been a heretic!"

"He's right, you traitor!"

Homing maintained his calm demeanor, seemingly unfazed at all the aggression directed his way.

Rosemarie concealed herself behind a wall not too far away, observing the commotion.

'So he finally decided to do it, huh?' She thought. She stood there for a while, seeing the family of four off with her eyes.

She hesitated. She had stayed in her thoughts long enough. It was time for her to make her own decision. The advances made towards her by her cousins and suitors were becoming more aggressive, and she wasn't sure how much more of it she could take.

She was also a young maiden, only in her early twenties, and their predatory eyes every time they met frightened her.

She needed to leave.

—-------

Eight years ago (two years before Lily's birth).

Rosemarie's figure could be seen stealthily weaving about the docks of the Red Port. She wore a loose robe and a face mask to prevent anyone from recognizing her.

She found a simple ship that didn't seem to be heavily guarded, or bear the flag of any country, or insignia of any noble. She sneaked below the deck, and made her way into one of its cabins. It seemed to be full of tools so she figured it wouldn't be visited very often. She really hoped she could stow away successfully.

She had simply left a letter in her room stating that she would be following in Homing's footsteps and that she would leave The Holy Land. She also mentioned in the letter not to look for her, though she doubted that would keep any persistent pursuers away.

She just needed to get as far away as possible, and hide herself from their scrutiny.

Creak. Tap. Tap.

She heard footsteps above her on the deck, then faint voices seeped through the wood.

"Hey Michael, have you finished fixing the Bondola yet?"

"Almost! Just have to tweak a few things with the suspension. Shouldn't take much longer!"

A man's voice called out as it approached the cabin Rosemarie was hiding in. Her heartbeat rose as panic began to set in. She couldn't be found here, not so close to home.

Creak.

The door to the cabin opened, revealing a handsome young man with black hair and eyes, and Rosemarie did the only thing she could think of doing.

Wrapping her cloak around her body, crouching in a corner, trying to make herself seem as small as possible.

Michael was almost finished with his commission by The World Government to repair a faulty Bondola at the Red Port. He had been working extremely hard to increase his reputation ever since his migration to Sabaody, and it seemed to be paying off.

He entered his ship's cabin to retrieve some tools he needed to complete the finishing touches, and as he did so, he spotted a large conspicuous bundle of fabric shivering in a corner.

He paused, then audible enough for any within earshot to hear, he said to himself, "Huh, didn't know ship mice had gotten so large nowadays,"

That had gotten a reaction out of it. The bundle froze for a few moments, then it aggressively shot up to reveal the most beautiful woman Michael had ever seen. Rose colored hair, pale green eyes, delicate features that were now somehow contorted in a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

"I'm no mouse! I'm a Dragon!" She shouted, her face red, then, without thinking, she blurted, "A Celestial Dragon!"

Silence.

Michael paused as he looked at the expressive girl.

Then, he erupted into laughter, "Hahahaha! And why is Miss Dragon on my vessel?"

"T-that… I-it's… None of your business!" She stuttered. It was her first time in the lower world and she had no idea how to behave. No idea what to do. Was this even the right decision? No, she wouldn't second-guess herself. She never wanted to go back to that hell.

Michael smiled as he observed the quickly shifting facial expressions on the girl. One second, it was embarrassment, then apprehension and fear, then sadness.

He looked away as he rummaged through his tools, finding what he was looking for.

"Well, right. It's none of my business. So it can't be helped if you're here, right? And, well, since it's none of my business, maybe I shouldn't tell you that you can make yourself comfortable on my ship…" He said, finding what he was looking for, then shifted his gaze back to the girl.

Rosemarie was in the midst of her internal panic before she registered the man's words and she looked up at him.

"... Eh?"

"Well, Miss Dragon, is it my business yet?" Michael said with a smile.

"... Eh?"

Rosemarie was dumbfounded. She hadn't expected to be offered a ride on the ship so easily. No, more than that, she was dumbfounded by the man's casual attitude as he did so, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

She glanced up at his smile. It wasn't the fake, licentious, or predatory smile she would see nearly every day in Mary Geoise. 

It was warm.

She nodded.

"So, does Miss Dragon have a name?" Michael asked.

"Donquixote Rosem-" She started, then hesitated. She wouldn't need that name anymore, nor did she want it.

"... Rose." She said.

—---- 

Seven years ago (One year before Lily's birth).

Rose and Michael had gotten along very well. Rose enjoyed the man's company, and he enjoyed hers.

He was so different. He never expected anything from her, never treated her like a goddess, and spoke to her with patience when met with her ignorance, and as an equal at all times. 

Despite her desire to move far away from the reaches of the World Nobles, she desired to stay with Michael even more.

She would tell him what life was like in The Holy Land, and he would teach her the common sense of the lower world.

For example, the concept of money. The first time she had seen a paper note, she was shocked.

Or food. She never knew where her food came from, or what ingredients were used to make it. She always just thought that food was… food. Needless to say, Rose received many shocks in that discussion. Milk and honey were things she wouldn't be able to see on her dining table for a long time.

Or how hated the Celestial Dragons were in the lower world. This one… didn't surprise her too much.

Needless to say, it was quite a humorous moment when she learned the man's full name; Marshall D. Michael. She had grown up hearing about how savage those of the D. clan were, and yet…

She had learned a lot. But most of all, she learned about the type of man Michael was, and the more she knew about him, the more she fell in love. 

His laugh, his smile, his audacity, his playfulness, his maturity. All of it.

She loved him.

So…

"Rose, if you're not going back to your ivory tower, how about you marry me?" Michael asked on one occasion.

Rose looked at the man incredulously. Was that how proposals worked in the lower world? She couldn't help but smile. After spending time with the man, she realized something. 

There was nonsense. The World Nobles had that in spades.

There was common sense. Something she was learning slowly, and adjusting to.

And then there was Michael's sense. Something that would exasperate her and endear her to no end.

"Well, I think you're the only man worthy of this beautiful one. Bow before my grace, peasant, and I may consider it!" Rose responded as she crossed her arms and legs arrogantly, a natural smile adorning her face.

Michael smiled, and placed a ring he had prepared through Rose's finger, "I hope your grace accepts this humble one's offering."

Rose raised her hand to her eyes, observing the ring. It wasn't as luxurious or lavish as the jewelry she had grown up with. It was nowhere close. But…

"This one is impressed," She smiled a happy smile, her heart jumping in joy.

She couldn't help but think back to her brief conversation with her uncle, and chuckled to herself.

"What's funny?" Michael asked, tilting his head.

"It seems I was eaten by a 'D.' in the end after all…"