On that day, Rose received a marriage proposal from Russell and proposed to him in return. Wells was late getting off work, and so she had to finish dinner alone.
After leaving the dining hall and returning to the bedroom, Anne, who was tidying up the place, called out to her master.
"Lady Rose, is this by any chance yours?"
"What is it?"
Rose looked at what Anne had placed on the table.
A shopping bag?
There was a box inside. Rose frowned as she remembered its identity.
She took out the box and opened the lid.
"It's a mirror?"
Inside the box was a mirror.
It was an ordinary mirror, but when Rose picked it up, it turned to ash and disappeared.
"Oh my God! W-what is happening?!"
Rose wasn't surprised.
This was a gift Ilya gave her, and since it was a mirror, it must have been related to Abaddon. Rose took a deep breath before shaking off the ashes from her hands and heading to the bathroom.
"Throw that away. Now... Now I should completely forget about it."
"What do you mean, miss?"
Anne was taken aback, but Rose didn't answer and went to the bathroom to wash her hands.
After washing and scrubbing away any leftover residue, Rose came out of the bathroom.
"Brother?"
Sometime after work, Wells finally returned and was sitting at the table in her room.
He, who had not yet changed his clothes, placed a seemingly thick pile of documents on the table and made Rose sit in front of him.
"Rose, these are the things I briefly summarized today."
Wells was informed of the wedding preparations.
From the dress, bouquet, Imperial Palace wedding hall, guests, etc.
He and the nobles would make all the preparations.
Rose had been aware of the situation, and so she quietly listened to her brother.
"So, the wedding will be held before summer ends."
"That's quite early."
"Indeed, but we can't change it as it was a very eager person's order."
Wells lets out a long sigh.
Rose seemed to know who that "person" was, but she pretended not to know.
As Wells organized the documents for wedding preparations, he smiled as if something had occurred to him.
"Seeing it like this, it's amazing."
"What is?"
"The relationship between you and His Majesty."
"What are you talking about?"
After finishing stacking and lining up the documents neatly, Wells put them down and looked into space, thinking.
"I also found it in my office a while ago. It was a letter written in my father's handwriting, probably something he left when he was alive. It detailed the day our family of four went out to enjoy Foundation Day. It was when you were six years old."
Six-year-old.
It was a day that Rose remembered.
"On that day, father wrote about his embarrassment over the news that he had lost you and the overwhelming fear that he might not be able to find you, as well as about the boy who brought you back then."
Rose waited for Wells to speak, forgetting to breathe.
"I also found out after reading our father's letter that the person who found you and brought you back didn't want to be mentioned."
"But... That person must be... He had blue hair..."
Wells' eyes widened.
"That's right. That's what it said in the letter too. The crown prince wearing a blue wig showed up carrying you. Now that I think about it, even now, when he goes out to the capital, he wears a wig to avoid revealing his status due to his hair color."
"Ah! Blue wig...!"
Russell's blue wig.
Rose had seen that look once.
That day, when she was reading fortune-telling from Kate with Anne and Barry.
Seeing his sister lost in thought, Wells stood up with his papers.
"Then, I'll go back to my room."
"...Yes. Sleep well, brother."
"Have a nice dream, sister."
Wells left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.
In the silence, Rose got up from her chair and approached the desk in a daze.
When she opened the bottom drawer of the desk, an album easily caught her eye.
Rose sat in front of the desk and opened it. She wanted to see the sea depicted on the postcard, but her vision kept getting blurry as tears flooded her eyes.
In the end, she covered her mouth with her hand.
"Your Majesty... The boy at that time... It was you..."
Clearly, the emotion that overwhelmed Rose was joy, but tears kept flowing.
I can't even tell if I'm crying or laughing.
There's so much joy, to the point that my body is shaking.
Sitting in front of her desk with tears in her eyes, she suddenly turned her head and noticed something shining under the bed.
"Did Anne not see this while she was cleaning?"
Rose wiped away her tears, bent down in front of the bed, and stretched out her hand. Something small caught on her fingertips, and she was able to pull it out without difficulty.
"This...?"
Rose found a ring with a ruby in it.
This was also the engagement ring that Elliot gave.
She laughed as she saw it.
"It's the mirror that Ilya gave me earlier, and now it's you this time."
Rose placed the ring on her palm.
It was a ring that she once resented, but now she didn't have any feelings about it.
Looking at the ring to and fro, Rose grabbed it, stood up, and made her way to the fireplace.
As there was no fire since it was not winter, Rose lit a firewood herself.
The temperature in the room instantly rose, and it became hot enough that sweat ran down her cheeks, but Rose didn't turn off the fire or open the window.
"Elliot, I will be happy. You, Ilya, and my past---I will forget everything. I will live happily for the rest of my life."
Rose threw the ring into the burning log.
No matter how high the temperature of the fireplace is, it will not melt this ring.
However, if it is buried in the ashes, it will be thrown away with it and leave her side forever.
Rose opened the window.
When she felt the cool summer breeze, it felt like she could breathe freely.
After standing against the wind, she headed to the window where the flower pot was placed.
It hasn't been that long; there was still no sign of sprouts growing.
Rose tapped the flower pot with her finger.
"Please grow well. Please help me erase my memories, because I can only be happy with His Majesty if I don't have that memory."
The roaring flames in the fireplace died out in an instant.
She closed the window, locked the latch, and climbed into bed.
"If I meet His Majesty, I should ask him if he remembers me from back then."
Rose laughed softly and fell into a deep sleep.
That night, she had a dream.
It was a dream that felt familiar, as if she had had it once before.
She was left alone in the dark, and a warm and cozy light appeared in front of her.
Rose wanted to run towards it, but her body wouldn't listen.
At that moment in time, something unknown pushed Rose toward the light.
The force pushing her back was strong and insistent, but it still didn't feel threatening.
She surrendered herself to it, and as soon as she entered the light, she woke up.
"Is it already morning...?"
Rose lifted her arms and stretched.
It's a morning like any other, but strangely, her head was clear, and she felt refreshed.
"It looks like I slept really well last night."
Stretching her hands, Rose turned her gaze to the window.
"Huh?!"
She yelped and jumped down from the bed, running to the window.
"A flower has bloomed!"
A red rose was in full bloom in a flower pot.
"Ah! The last time I saw it last night, it hadn't grown a single sprout."
Kneeling down, Rose put her arms around the window to get a closer look at the roses.
"So pretty."
Touching the leaves with her fingers, she tilted her head in a sudden sense of wonder.
"However... Why did I wait for this flower to bloom?"
No matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn't think of a reason, but soon, after seeing the rose shining in the sunlight, she shook off her thoughts.
"Well, what about it? I guess I've just been waiting to see this pretty thing."
Rose was confident that every day from now on would be very happy.
Temple of Gloria.
It was the time of day when all priests would worship.
Kate was in her private room.
She prayed with her hands clasped together and opened her eyes, smiling as she looked at the sun outside the window.
"Oh God, look. The rose that you took pity on and gave a chance has finally bloomed in hopes of happiness."
A breeze blew through the window. Kate felt the wind and prayed that the rose would be happy this time.
The Founding Day celebrations had come to an end.
People could not hide their disappointment over the lingering festival, but there was good news for them.
It was news that their emperor was finally getting a companion.
The person who would become the Empress of Tristan was none other than Rose Honeywell.
Everyone looked surprised at the sudden turn of events but soon toasted the event, declaring it a joyous occasion.
Congratulatory gifts and letters of praise flooded in from all corners of Honeywell Manor.
Rose yearned to meet Russell and discuss the album he gave her, but the relentless pace of wedding preparations left her no time for private moments.
Concerned that she might not have a chance to see him before the wedding day, she felt a sense of urgency.
One early morning, amid the hustle and bustle of the busy day, Rose was roused from a deep sleep by a hand shaking her shoulder.
"What is wrong? What happened?"
"Lady Rose, it's me."
"Uhm...? Anne?"
"Yes. Lady Rose, come on."
"What...?"
While still half asleep, Rose was pulled along by Anne and another maid, who efficiently prepared her for the day.
Leaving her attire and hairstyle in their capable hands, she opened her eyes and glanced out the window.
Despite the shorter nights of the summer season, darkness still enveloped the surroundings.
"Anne, what is happening this early in the morning?"
Now that she's more awake, Rose inquired curiously.
However, instead of an answer, Anne responded with a meaningful smile.
"It's done."
"Yes? Thank you, Anne. Where am I going?"
Observing Anne's more elaborate outfit, makeup, and hairstyle, Rose deduced that she wasn't just going out for a routine errand.
While she contemplated the situation, there was a knock on the door, and Wells appeared.
"Rose, are you ready?"
"Yes. I've prepared everything... Brother, what is going on? Anne doesn't answer when I ask her. You're not dressed for going out, are you?"
As mentioned, Wells was still in his dressing gown.
Taking Rose's bag, prepared by Anne, he led her, holding her hand.
Despite her persistent questions, Rose received no answers.
A luxurious carriage awaited outside the manor, devoid of any family emblem on its exterior.
The door swung open, revealing a tall man.
Captivated by his presence, Rose quickly identified him.
"Your Majesty?!"
"Hello, my Rose. This is my first time seeing you this early."
"Huh? Wait!"
Rose pointed to the brooch on Russell's left chest---a diamond-carved brooch.
He acknowledged it with a tap of his fingertip.
"I guess I remember."
The brooch, a gift from Rose at last year's year-end celebration, adorned Russell's attire.
Stepping in front of Rose, he took her hand.
"They say there will be a honeymoon after getting married, but now is the best time to be alone."
Guided by Russell, Rose entered the carriage.
Wells approached the door to bid farewell.
"Have fun, Rose."
The carriage set off, and Rose peered out the window. Though early, Wells, the butler, and Anne were there to see her off.
"Where are we going?"
Rose inquired, and Russell shrugged playfully.
"I'll let you know when we get there."
Failing to purse her lips, Rose unintentionally yawned.
Alarmed, she covered her mouth.
"If you feel sleepy, take a nap. I'll wake you up when we arrive."
"But..."
The idea of sleeping in front of Russell felt awkward, yet overcome by drowsiness, Rose opted to rest her face against the carriage wall and dozed off.