Don’t Remember Me

Flitta reached out her hand towards Rosé which she raised the corner of her mouth, smiling then held her hand.

“Of course. His Highness and I will be by your side….”

Rosé, who continued her words to appease her child, slurred. It was a promise that could not be kept. It has always been like that.

“…?”

Haven felt her hesitation, narrowing his brows yet he didn’t fine strange anything at all. Then, realizing, he opened his mouth to Flitta.

“Come to think of it, they say the festival will be held from the day after tomorrow.”

“…?”

Flitta and Rosé looked at him. Both of them looked puzzled at the sudden change of topic. After Haven cleared his throat awkwardly, he continued.

“I heard that Middlepion’s festival is quite famous.”

“…?”

The more Haven spoke, the more the two looked at him, baffled.

“So, I heard that there are many things to see. Rosé, have you seen the festival?”

“Pardon? O, no. That kind of thing…”

Rosé was taken aback by the sudden question directed at her and shook her head. Haven looked at Flitta this time, but, of course, she never went to the Festival as she rarely go out.

Maybe that’s why neither of them noticed why Haven was talking about this. He scratched his brow with an embarrassed expression, sighed, and then openly spoke out.

“The day after tomorrow, let’s go see the festival together.”

“…!”

“Re, really?”

At the same time as Rosé’s eyes widened, Flitta asked in surprise. And just after Haven nodded his head in response to the question, an exclamation of delight erupted from the child’s mouth.

* * *

“You know, when you go to a festival, there are many candies, along with people wearing doll masks. Moreover, there is also a fireworks display at night, as if the sky was embroidered with twinkling light… Rosé, what’s wrong? Are you unwell?”

Flitta excitedly talked about the festival she had only seen in picture books over and over again.

“Why? Are you sick?”

“… No. I am very all right.”

“Does it sound like you are not sick?! Your face has turned white!”

Flitta was teary eyes, putting her small hand of Rosé’s forehead.

“Hng? It’s not fever… Rather, your forehead is very cold…”

“Look at me, Princess. I am all right.”

Rosé forced a smile and reassured her, then Flitta looked at her confusedly and asked cautiously.

“Are you really okay?”

“Yes.”

“Then why were you crouching?”

“Hmm… I ate lunch but I couldn’t seem to digest it well.”

Rosé hesitated for a moment at Flitta’s question, but then moderated it. Believing her words, Flitta jumped to her feet, grabbed her, and whimpered.

“Then you should take your medicine. I’ll call the doctor and ask for medicine.”

“No, I’ll go myself. That way, he can see the symptoms and give me better medicine.”

“Um…”

Flitta blinked her eyes as she pondered for a moment, wondering if Rosé was right. Rosé continued, holding back the pain in her chest.

“Now that I’ve said it, for a while… may I leave you, Princess?”

“Are you going to get treatment?”

“Yes.”

Rosé nodded, looking at Flitta who was looking at her worriedly.

“Alright. Go quickly so you can take your medicine sooner.”

“Can you be alone? Or do you want another maid to accompany you?”

“I prefer to be alone! I don’t need anyone else; I am fine alone. So, within that time, I’ll think about what to do at the festival tomorrow.”

Flitta replied to her, pointing to her sketchbook. Her sketchbook was filled with various things- most of which are three people holding hands side by side and was watching something. Rosé curved her lips turning to Flitta’s sketchbook, opening her mouth again.

“Then, I’ll be back soon.”

“Hmm, hmm! Hurry up and return.”

Flitta pushed Rosé again, as if telling her not to delay any longer. It seemed that she was very worried about Rosé being sick. In the end, Rosé was pushed out of the room by Flitta and looked back.

“Hurry!”

As Flitta closed the door, Rosé looked at her through the gap of, who was urging her. She greeted the Princess with a light smile, turning her body around. Right after, her face hardened.

‘No, this can’t be. Not yet…’

She doesn’t know if Flitta was watching her from behind but she suppressed the pain she was feeling, and stepped forward, acting as if nothing had happened.

One step, then another step.

Every step she took seemed to turn her inside out. She did, but she barely held out and swerved through the hallway and toward the stairway.

“Ugh!”

After Rosé reached a place where she could not be seen from the side of Flitta’s room, she collapsed with one hand on the wall. Cold sweat trickled down from her cheeks, down to her chin.

It was this morning that her body suddenly became ill. Up until yesterday, she was fine, but during the night she had a cold, and in the morning, her condition rapidly deteriorated.

“… I can’t.”

She muttered as she slumped on her cold floor, running her hands over her face.

Since Haven brought up yesterday’s festival, Flitta had been in a state of excitement. She was busy talking about the festival to watch tomorrow with her flushed face, as if she had completely forgotten how she cried over the Countess- Mother-Daughter pair.

“It’s so exciting! The three of us are going to the festival together? Are you also excited of going there too, Rosé?”

Flitta took it for granted that she, Haven, and Rosé will go to the festival together. Therefore, if she can’t be with them, Flitta would be very disappointed in her.

‘I can’t let her down.’

Rosé barely wiped the sweat from her face with her trembling hands, then stood up against the wall again. At that moment, her eyes went dark and she felt dizzy. She waited a moment for her dizziness to subside, then she slowly raised her head.

However, she heard someone’s footsteps came from the bottom of the stairs. Rosé wiped her sweaty face, straightening her clothes. The person who went up from downstairs was the Countess’s maid. When the maid saw her, she slightly bowed at her as greeting.

Rosé also greeted the maid as if reciprocating, then carefully opened her mouth.

“Wait a minute. I have a question for you.”

“Anything.”

The maid said politely to Rosé. Unlike the grand duke’s servants who treated her coldly, the count’s servants treated her with respect and courtesy. She probably thought it was because she was the grand duke’s maid.

It was funny. Despite being in the same position, the attitude of people who treat her like this was exactly different.

But now, she could say that it helped her.

“Is there any good physician in the mansion?”

“Yes? Ah, in the mansion…”

“No, not here, outside.”

Rosé hastily stopped the maid from calling the Count’s doctor. Then she repeated the lie she had just told Flitta.

“I think my lunch is a bit indigestible.”

“Ah, if that’s the case, you don’t have to see the attending physician. There is a separate household medicine for employees.”

The maid kindly responded to Rosé’s words. Rosé was puzzled for a moment, then smiled awkwardly and opened her mouth.

“I want to take a look outside as well. In the name of getting medical treatment, I even got permission from the princess to go out.”

“Ah, in that case, what…”

The maid nodded her head as if she finally understood Rosé.

* * *

“Tsk tsk, how did the young lady get such a terrible disease…”

The therapist clicked his tongue and shook his head as soon as he checked Rosé’s condition. However, Rosé received his sympathetic gaze with a calm expression. She had nothing to be surprised about now, and she had no reason to be sad.

All she needed right now was her medication that could alleviate her symptoms, even for a little while. And not the miracle cure.

“I can relieve the pain, but it is impossible to cure the disease itself.”

“I know. I’m not looking for a cure either. I just need some relief from the pain.”

Instead of being discouraged by his words, Rosé replied with a nod of her head. Her reaction was so calm that the therapist looked away from her and then she opened his mouth again.

“Did you know how much time you left?”

“… Pardon?”

“Your remaining lifetime, my lady.”

Rosé’s green eyes shook at the therapist’s words. She forced a smile on her face, then bit her mouth shut. After a while, a smile escaped from Rosé’s mouth.

“1 year… is what I was informed of. If I was lucky enough, I’ll be able to live longer than that but the physician told me I wouldn’t last more than two years.”

“Hmm… One year.”

The therapist frowned at Rosé’s words, so he evaded her words with a timid expression. Seeing that reaction, Rosé’s expression hardened.

“Why is that? Is the diagnosis wrong in your opinion?”

“That is not true. When the person who first treated the lady saw her, her result was accurate. However, if the rate of progression of her disease has changed since then, the predictions has changed as well.”

The therapist responded by shaking his hand. However, despite his words, Rosé did not loosen her firm expression. The therapist glanced at her, let out a sigh, scratched his head, and spoke in a heavy voice.

“You see, you only have less than a year left.”

“… Less than a year left?”

The blood drained from Rosé’s face. Her face, which had been pale because she was already in poor health, looked blue. The therapist looked at her face and nodded his head.

“The disease seems to be progressing more rapidly than it did at first. At this rate, within half a year…”

(TN: Guys, I think I know what’s the ending. I need to buy tissue sooner, haaay.)