CH 1.07

~ 1.7 ~

The owner strode up and raised her voice, threatening to hit her at any moment. Rosé shook her head, forcibly supporting her body, which seemed to collapse in fear.

“It’s not a disease. Just because of the rain…… That’s why I caught a cold, but I’m all better now. I’m telling you.”

“You’re telling me that it was due to rain that you’re vomiting blood now? Nonsense! Where are you going to lie? I saw you vomit blood with my own two eyes!”

The owner shouted with her eyes wide open. Rosé had nothing to say, so she closed her mouth. The owner opened the door frequently for three days and looked in, and in the meantime, she seemed to have seen her vomiting blood.

She does have fatal diseases, but she was not going to die right now.

She doesn’t have disease that spreads to other people.

The words she wanted to explain to the owner only lingered at the top of her mouth and disappeared in vain. She thought that it would be more of a nuisance if she says more. She would like to stay in this room because it’s cheap, but if it was that unpleasant for the owner, she does not have right to stay.

“I see… I am so sorry to trouble you. I’ll be right out.”

Rosé opened her mouth in a low voice after a silence.

* * *

Bang!

The sound of closing the door of the inn she was staying was harsh. The owner must have done it on purpose. Since she offered her a bar job three days ago, but I rejected his offer, he has been arguing with me and complaining.

Even when I only lay in this bed in pain, she could not have a wink of relaxation because the owner constantly opens the door and screams at her.

“………Phew.”

Rosé paused for a moment because she still wanted to sit down even when she was in this bad condition.

“Don’t be weak.”

She spoke to herself.

‘This is not the reason why I came to the Capital…. Remember that you came here to see ‘them’ before you die. There’s no time for you to waste.’

Rosé murmured to herself as if forcing herself, and then straightened her back again.

All Rosé had in her hands were a few thin clothes and a small bag containing some unnecessary junk. The bag was the only sign of her life.

It was shabby.

The fact that that it was the only trace of her poor life.

The long-lost memory of loving, and the person who loved. No trace was left.

Rosé bitterly smiled and shook her head. Then she muttered another word to calm her heavy heart.

“By the way, I don’t have much money left, which inn should I go to?”

She blurted as she thought of it, however as her mouth voiced it out, she was really at a loss. She has to stay somewhere near ‘them’ before she dies. So that she can hover near Haven and her child, Flitta.

“Should I really look for a job?”

But what can she do for a short period of time? She wouldn’t be able to work for that long since her time is limited. It could affect the person who will hire her. She sighed deeply as her head became filled with complicated things and stepped back.

She doesn’t have a place to stay tonight, but she doesn’t want to think about it for now.

She went to the Grand Duke’s mansion after three days. She was greeted with such scenery that her eyes widened. It was because she saw a carriage that she usually didn’t see standing in front of the main gate.

An antique black carriage with royal designs.

“… Who visited?”

Rosé, holding her bag in her arms, stretched her neck a little longer and looked in front of the mansion.

Just then, the main gate opened, and the knights of the Grand Duke appeared. And they surrounded the front gate and the carriage as if escorting whoever was inside the carriage. Rose’s green eyes grew bigger at the sight.

At the same time, a man came out of the front door. It was Haven, a man with blond hair and cool blue eyes, who was slender and slim, but he never looked fragile. He approached the carriage wearing a long black coat.

‘Where would I go?’

She muttered to herself and inadvertently turned her eyes to the people who followed him.

.

“……!”

One of the people behind Haven was a small child. A child in a black dress who came out holding the hand of a woman she believed to be a nanny.

‘… Flitta.’

No one told her who the child was, but nevertheless, she immediately realized the identity of the child.

It was her child.

A child who had to be away from her mother after being born.

Her own child, who she missed so much that she had to send it away without even embracing it properly.

…… Haven and her own child.

The trace of her life. The result of his and her love.

Tears fell out of Rose’s eyes out of control. And the bag in her hand fell to the floor.

Did she hear that?

The child was walking in front of the carriage while holding the nanny’s hand, suddenly stopped, and turned her head in the direction where Rose was standing. Rose took a step back in surprise at the child’s reaction.

‘No, you wouldn’t have seen me because I am too far away. Even if you’ve seen me, Flitta doesn’t even know who I am.’

Rose stood there, comforting herself. She could feel the child looking at her closely. She couldn’t see the child’s face clearly because she was standing far away, but she could see curious light green eyes and plump cheeks.

‘Flitta.’

“…… Baby.”

As soon as Rosé unknowingly reached out and opened her mouth, Flitta took her eyes off Rosé and turned away, perhaps because the nanny urged her. And she walked towards Haven, who was waiting in front of the carriage. Rosé’s eyes naturally followed the child and touched her in her shadows.

“…….”

She thought Flitta and her eyes met. Like last time, but Haven turned away and took Flitta, who was right in front of her, into the carriage. And all the employees of the Grand Duke, including the nanny, bowed to the carriage.

“Keeeeiiggghhhhh.”

The carriage set off with the cry of a horse. Then the drivers escorting the carriage started, too.

Rose covered her mouth with her hand, looking at the moving carriage. Tears welled up in her eyes. She lowered her closed hand and staggered to the front door.

In the meantime, a few nanny, and employees left with another carriage, following the carriage that departed with Haven and Flitta. And the remaining employees went into the mansion and only guards remained in front of the main gate.

“Th, that…. Where did the wagon go? Where did your Highness go?”

Rosé’s sudden questioning of the whereabouts of the Grand Duke made the guards think that she was a crazy woman. Otherwise, the guard’s expression was harsh because she continued to hover around the Grand Duke and thought she was a suspicious woman.

But the guard didn’t ignore the woman who asked him. Because he was proud that he is the face of the Grand Duke, as he guards the main gate.

“Hasn’t it been six years since His Majesty’s death? So, of course, he went to the royal cemetery ahead of the 6th anniversary memorial service. As a royal citizen, you don’t even know the basics?”

Of course, the words of the guard did not come out nicely. But Rose asked again and again, despite his curt remarks.

“It’s a memorial service? Then when will he be back? Is he coming back this evening?”

“What do you mean returning this evening……. There’s a week of memorial service! No matter how ignorant you are, you don’t even know that.”

The guard clicked his tongue as if she was such a pathetic human. Then he looked away from her. Rose stood for a while with a blank look on her face, greeted the guard in a small voice, thanking him belatedly, and turned around.

The bag she dropped was lying on the floor in the distance. Rosé tried to move over to get her bag. But she looked back at the guard again, thinking suddenly.

“…… We, well, where is the royal cemetery?”

The guard pathetically looked at her again. Rosé waited for his answer, blushing with embarrassment.

After seeing her child, her mind moved at will. She wanted to see her child up close who grew up more lovely than she imagined.

No, even if she couldn’t see it, she thought it would be good to just breathe together near the child’s place.

Then… the three of us are together.

Just like the old days that are gone.

“That’s basic common sense. Don’t go anywhere and ask like you did, but remember it in your head.”

The guard gave a detailed answer to the location of the royal cemetery, even though he clicked his tongue again.

“Thank you.”

Rosé bowed to him and turned around. And she began to walk recklessly in the direction the guards told her.

* * *

The official residence located in the royal cemetery was crowded with people for the first time in a long time. It was because of the royalty and nobles who visited ahead of the memorial ceremony and stayed there for about a week.

And among them, the annex where Haven stayed was even worse. It was none other than the nobles who came to him and urged him to marry Queen Seon. It was natural that the Marquis Warren Porekin was at the center.

“It’s already been six years, Your Highness.”

The Marquis spoke to Haven in a stiff voice.

“This is the first time in the kingdom’s history that the throne has been empty for so long. No more, Your Grace. Please marry Queen Seon and ascend the throne…….”

“I’ve already said ‘No’ many times. Something’s wrong with the marquis’ ears.”

Haven replied coldly while listening to the Marquis of Porekin. It was an answer with a firm refusal. However, the Marquis repeatedly said, regardless of his cold treatment.

“You can’t reject this issue because you don’t like it. It’s also a matter of the existence of the Guinters Kingdom, but how can you just say no because of your personal feelings?”

“Personal feelings…”

Haven stretched his words and soon smirked. Then he stared at the marquis with a cold gaze.

“It’s the second time the Marquis told me that. Do you remember saying back ‘then’ similarly to now?