Without realizing it, two days had passed so quickly.
There were no significant changes in our relationship.
No quarrels, nor anything that made us grow closer to each other.
And tomorrow is the day when Rosa-chan will hold her wedding with Luis.
This is my last day, and I have no plan whatsoever to cancel this wedding.
In truth, I've wasted both time and opportunities that I actually had plenty of.
Although, this mission was indeed quite difficult because the deadline was only a week.
But this mission wasn't impossible — it could've been completed, and yet, I failed.
Some time ago, I suspected that Rosa-chan wanted to confess her feelings to me, but apparently, she didn't.
At that moment, I had truly hoped with all my heart.
But in the end, Rosa-chan only wanted to know my real name. Without being told, what would she even need it for?
If I think about it again, Rosa-chan didn't really need to know my real name.
Because after that incident, she still called me Lotte. So what was the point?
In my opinion, there was no reason for her to ask my name if she was going to keep calling me Lotte.
Well, whatever it is, this might be the last day I can spend together with Rosa-chan for an entire day.
Only a few more hours left… before Rosa-chan experiences the most beautiful moment in a human's life.
For me, marriage is the greatest moment — something I might experience someday as well.
But not now. I don't feel like this is the right time for me to get married.
Besides, I haven't even decided who the girl is that I'd want and be able to live together with.
That's what makes this whole marriage issue even more complicated and messy.
In this place, men at the age of eighteen are already allowed to marry girls aged sixteen.
And, my age in this world is also eighteen. Which means, I could get married right now.
——
As for marriage, there's no need to rush it. There's still plenty of time that I can make use of.
So, even though I failed my mission to marry Rosa-chan, that's okay.
The most important thing is, as long as Rosa-chan feels happy, then I also have the right to feel happy together with her.
——
(Rosalia side)
Since that incident, Yukito-san and I haven't done anything together. Our relationship has returned to that of a mistress and her servant.
There's one thing I still can't understand — every time I want to call Yukito-san, I end up calling him Lotte instead.
Maybe I feel nervous and frightened deep inside my heart.
Maybe, I simply don't have the courage to show my true feelings to him.
And before I realized it, tomorrow is the day when everything will begin.
My wedding will soon be held. And the location will be the main hall of this castle.
It can hold at least two to three hundred people. That's the number of guests who will attend.
Most likely, the invited guests will only consist of nobles or merchants who have connections with the castle.
This wedding can't really be called a commoner's wedding.
But as time goes on, the news that I've gotten married will still spread throughout the entire kingdom.
That's something inevitable.
——
No letters have been sent to me by Luis yet, which means there's no problem.
Tomorrow's wedding may sound beautiful, but it will be very painful for me.
And, perhaps I won't be able to accept what's going to happen to me in the future.
That's why… I want to apologize to myself for not being able to obtain the future I truly wished for.
——
(Yukito side)
Today, my heart feels restless and uneasy, as if it can't stay still.
I want to do something, but no ideas come to my mind.
Everything feels like a dead end — the more I think about it, the less I can find a way out.
It's already noon now… Ah! I have to deliver Rosa-chan's lunch.
I can't forget my primary job.
Even though I've gone on two dates with Rosa-chan, I'm still working as a maid.
Speaking of maids, two days ago, right when Rosa-chan and I arrived at the castle—
—
We arrived right in front of the castle gate, and I could see that all the soldiers who had been searching for Rosa-chan had already gathered there.
They were all sitting on the ground, probably exhausted after searching every corner of the city.
Some of them were sharing drinks to quench their thirst.
Before we could enter the castle grounds, their faces looked like those of people who had lost all hope.
There was no glimmer of determination left in their eyes.
It was as if they had given up entirely, letting all their efforts disappear into nothingness.
But once Rosa-chan and I entered, almost all of them stood up and hurried to surround us.
They all looked excited — some were happy enough to hug each other.
There were even some who looked so relieved that they cried, even though Rosa-chan wasn't part of their family.
Because they surrounded us, we couldn't immediately enter the castle.
I was sure Rosa-chan really wanted to rest by then, but she was being held back here.
"Calm down! Look, the princess wants to rest in her room. Can't you give her some space?" said a girl from behind the crowd.
From the direction of the voice, it seemed she had just come out of the castle.
The crowd in front of me immediately dispersed, as if terrified upon hearing that voice.
Usually, the only person capable of scaring a squad like that is their captain.
But what I saw instead was… a maid?
That maid walked toward me, and as the distance between us closed, I could tell it was Vern-san.
I was shocked to see her left arm bandaged and hanging as if it were broken.
Could it really be broken?
Besides, Vern-san wasn't with us earlier, so maybe she had fought a little with that group.
I turned to Rosa-chan, and she looked very panicked upon seeing Vern-san's condition.
It was only natural for her to react like that — after all, they've lived together for a long time.
—
Rosa-chan immediately ran toward Vern-san to ask what had happened to her.
From a distance, I could only see Vern-san getting scolded by Rosa-chan.
I never thought I'd see Vern-san completely at a loss for words.
After that, the two of them walked together into the castle.
I could've followed them and gone in as well.
But I felt that I didn't deserve to walk alongside them. Besides, maybe I shouldn't disturb their moment together.
——
I thought I could enter the castle after they went inside… but—
I was surrounded by several castle guards, and it seemed they wanted to interrogate me.
Until nightfall, I stayed with them.
Answering all their strange questions, gathering with them,
listening to their stories, and even being invited to play something together.
Although at first I was completely reluctant, it turned out to be quite a nice experience.