One week later.
Clarice returned home from school to find her mother packing luggage.
"Mother, what's this...?"
"Packing things. Finding time to prepare for our return home. Yesterday when I had you invite Dr. Rrakavasha over as a guest, that was actually to say goodbye." Mrs. Durand folded clothes as she spoke.
"..." Clarice's expression froze.
No wonder Mother had been extraordinarily enthusiastic yesterday, practically the highest standard of hospitality the Durands offered guests.
Mrs. Durand didn't notice her daughter's expression and continued: "I've already asked your aunt to handle the transfer procedures. They should be completed soon."
"If you have close classmates, remember to say proper goodbyes these next few days. Separated by a whole planet, meeting up will always become more troublesome."
After a while, Mrs. Durand noticed her daughter's silence and turned around in confusion.
She saw her daughter standing there blankly, her face full of inner conflict.
"What's wrong, my child?"
"Mother... I... I don't want to go back!" Clarice raised her head, meeting Mrs. Durand's gaze.
From her daughter's eyes, Mrs. Durand saw extremely obvious determination, even stubbornness.
"...Is it because of Dr. Rrakavasha?"
"How did you know..."
"Silly child, your mother has lived through these things; how could I not see my daughter has someone she loves?"
Mrs. Durand stepped forward, extending her arms to gently embrace Clarice.
"Don't be afraid. Mother won't interfere with your choice; on the contrary, I fully support you pursuing freedom and love."
"If not for differences in status and class, someone like Dr. Rrakavasha would have countless noble young ladies eagerly pursuing him."
"Whether in how he conducts himself or external conditions like appearance and temperament, one couldn't find a single flaw."
"Unfortunately, noble young ladies' romantic futures are rarely their own to decide."
"Though us Durands have some renown at court, we're ultimately just a small family."
"Precisely because of this, you don't bear the shackles of family constraints. Go bravely and express your feelings, my daughter..."
Mrs. Durand gently stroked Clarice's smooth, long hair, showing an encouraging smile.
"Life is fleeting. If you don't seize the opportunity to fight for certain things, they'll slip through your fingers in the blink of an eye."
"Mother..."
Clarice's nose tingled as mist rose in her eyes. She couldn't help burying herself in Mrs. Durand's embrace.
"Hehe... you've long since grown up. You're no longer that little girl who needs constant worry. Go do what you want to do. Your mother will always be behind you."
"Mm!" Clarice nodded forcefully, her embrace of her mother tightening considerably.
Not all children can forever feel and enjoy peace within the safe harbor of their mother's arms.
She was undoubtedly fortunate.
That night, after dinner and bathing, Clarice returned to her room and opened her wardrobe.
Inside hung countless hand-knitted sweaters and scarves.
From the early crooked, messy works to gradually refined finished products, the young woman's progress was clearly visible.
At least several dozen had reached exquisite craftsmanship standards, yet Clarice still felt it wasn't enough.
She grabbed her knitting needles and yarn, a touch of tenderness appearing in her eyes as she looked toward the glass lamp placed on her bedside table.
That was one of the gifts Rrakavasha had brought when visiting her home.
Actually, it was specifically meant for her.
Thanks to its miraculous folded space technology, it could not only illuminate but also store tarot cards, cosmetics, phones, and other personal items.
Beyond that, it could shrink in size for easy portability.
She'd seen similar miraculous items before; their prices were never low.
A sweet curve lifted the young woman's lips as she sat leaning against the headboard, continuing to knit this gift for the person in her heart.
When the day of Dahan arrived, she'd bring this gift to Rrakavasha and confess her feelings to him.
For this, she must knit the most perfect piece.
...
Some time had passed since Mrs. Durand's amnesia was cured.
Heavy snow had sealed the mountain paths. Those unfamiliar with the route could easily lose themselves in the white-coloured deep mountains.
The young woman, Clarice, was not among them.
Aside from Rrakavasha, no one knew the mountain paths better than her.
Having walked them for years, the accumulated snow could at most slow her speed in seeing him.
But this didn't matter.
For Clarice, each moment her steps slowed meant one more moment of anticipation.
Especially after her mother's amnesia was cured, she remained perpetually optimistic.
Though Rrakavasha had no romantic experience, he wasn't completely ignorant of the young woman's frequent visits and their underlying meaning.
He could vaguely sense that Clarice harbored considerable feelings for him.
She'd even been subtly testing the waters these past few days.
But deeply aware of his own condition, Rrakavasha could only pretend not to understand.
If time could rewind a hundred-some years, he probably wouldn't refuse such a memorable young woman.
Unfortunately, there were no "ifs."
He was dying soon.
[Remaining Lifespan: 9 days, 4 hours, 44 minutes, 35 seconds]
When this life ended, the chance for a second life awaited; who knew what it would be like?
He only hoped his childhood wouldn't involve family destruction and death, becoming mere grass beneath the grinding wheels of war...
After taking the medication to maintain his youthful appearance, Rrakavasha had just prepared to enter the hidden, folded space when he suddenly detected slight movement outside.
A small mechanical device resembling a drone flickered into view from the horizon.
In less than two breaths, it stopped steadily before Rrakavasha, who'd just stepped out of the bamboo house.
Seeing the unique marking on the device, he recognized it at a glance as Yu Qingtu's property.
The drone's belly bracket deformed and reorganized, extending a mechanical arm that retrieved an emerald green serum from its internal storage.
Simultaneously, it projected a light screen forward. Yu Qingtu's face appeared within.
"Young fellow, I have urgent matters I must handle and won't make it for your birthday."
"This trip will be short if a year or so, long if several decades. Time is pressing, so I'll use this serum as a gift."
"Drink it, and you'll preserve your youth; you won't need other life-extension methods for at least a thousand years."
"Also, happy birthday. Remember to miss me."
"As for that teacher of yours who's even more eccentric than me, let her do as she pleases."
"Alright, time to depart. When I return to find you, I expect to taste even more delicious pastries. That definitely won't be a problem for you, right?"
As her words fell, Yu Qingtu in the light screen blinked gently, and the image disappeared.
After Rrakavasha retrieved the serum, the drone retracted its mechanical arm and vanished into the sky in an instant.
His expression complex, he returned to the folded space and carefully stored the serum.
Looking toward the figure in the assembly area, Rrakavasha placed both hands on the central console and began extracting specific memory backups, inputting them into that figure's core.
"...I'm sorry, Miss-... Yu."
"I won't be able to present you with the pastries you love personally..."