Time flowed steadily, though not particularly long.
[Remaining Lifespan: 3 days, 23 hours, 46 minutes, 27 seconds]
The plum blossoms pickled in sugar two days prior had completed the astringency-removal process. They only needed white liquor added and sealing, and after aging for over a year, the jars could be opened for drinking.
The longer the vintage, the better the flavor.
"The plum blossom wine-making process is so simple, and there aren't any special materials I don't recognize added. Why does it taste so good?"
Clarice blinked her large eyes, her face full of confusion.
Speaking of the most laborious step, it was merely personally climbing the mountain to pick plum blossoms.
The subsequent draining and sugar pickling, finally adding white liquor and sealing, even children could remember and learn it.
"Perhaps plum blossom wine is just like that, a simple method, exceptional taste."
"Hmm..."
Though she said this, Clarice still felt there was another mystery.
The plum-pickled soybean cake she'd brought home two days ago, after Mother tasted it, her tears wouldn't stop. She'd held Clarice and cried for half the night.
It seemed the richer one's experiences and the older one got, the more profound the response to that flavor.
If the soybean cake's effect was making people directly face long-settled regrets and sorrow from the past.
Then the plum blossom wine Rrakavasha brewed had precisely the opposite effect; it could let people temporarily cast worries aside.
Could it be...
Clarice suddenly remembered that, in the Academy Dean's office, there was a rather special water dispenser.
Water poured from that dispenser would turn sweet.
A curious student once asked the Dean about the principle. The Dean's explanation was that the dispenser was a Curio.
Additionally, he'd explained the types of Curios.
Strange and varied, everything existed.
A puddle of water could be a Curio, a ball of fire could be too, or objects with solid forms.
Even food could be a type of Curio.
Things with special effects weren't necessarily Curios, but those without special effects definitely weren't, regardless of whether that effect was useful to humans.
Forget it. No point dwelling on this for now.
"Mr. Rrakavasha, when do you depart? I'll see you off."
"...The day after tomorrow, around this time." Rrakavasha's expression remained normal.
"Eh?" Clarice was somewhat surprised.
"What's wrong?"
"Three days from now is Dahan, your birthday. I thought you'd leave after celebrating it."
She thought about it, unconsciously feeling Rrakavasha might celebrate with someone important.
But reconsidering, in the past, he'd always spent it alone.
Every year on that day, Rrakavasha would drink until he was pleasantly tipsy to celebrate.
"Are you celebrating with your teacher this year?" She couldn't help asking.
"No. She won't see me again. The... specific reasons aren't easy to explain."
"I'm sorry, I asked something I shouldn't have..."
"It's fine."
Rrakavasha sealed the final wine jar and moved them all to the wine cellar.
Just as he prepared to stand, his brain suddenly transmitted intense vertigo. His body powerlessly collapsed sideways.
"Mr. Rrakavasha! Mr. Rrakavasha?!"
Before consciousness completely sank into darkness, Clarice's panicked cries faintly reached him.
He didn't know how much time passed before he slowly regained consciousness.
Clarice's familiar features came into view, only that pretty face now hung full of worry and haggardness.
Her eye sockets were red, tear tracks not yet dry. She'd clearly cried for quite some time.
"You finally woke up..."
Clarice's voice was hoarse, completely lacking her usual youthful vitality.
Rrakavasha tried to prop himself up but discovered he was too weak to muster strength.
"I'm fine..."
He froze the moment he opened his mouth.
His voice held not a trace of a young man's clarity, only an elderly person's frailty.
Which meant...
"You suddenly collapsed, then aged in less than ten seconds. How is that 'fine'?!"
Clarice didn't believe Rrakavasha's words at all, her voice carrying an obvious sob.
"...What exactly happened, Mr. Rrakavasha? Please don't hide it from me. Can you do that?"
Rrakavasha sighed deeply but didn't immediately explain.
Surprises always permeate life.
The emergency medication he'd made previously had developed resistance in his life's final days after all.
Or perhaps his deteriorating body could no longer fully absorb the medication's effects.
In any case, the reason no longer mattered.
He'd wanted to die quietly alone, seems that wasn't going to work now.
"Clarice, I'm dying of old age. On the day of Dahan."
"What?!"
Seeing the young woman's incredulous eyes, Rrakavasha confirmed again.
"I'm dying soon."
Clarice's expression instantly froze. Several seconds later, she shook her head desperately. "That can't be! You're playing a prank, right? How could a perfectly fine person suddenly..."
"No prank."
Rrakavasha interrupted, his voice very weak yet severing all her wishful thinking.
"These years, I've been taking medication to maintain a youthful appearance. What you see now is my original state."
The atmosphere suddenly became frighteningly quiet.
Clarice opened her mouth but couldn't produce any sound.
Looking at his calm face, then at his withered hands, she suddenly realized...
The talk about going away on business, short if several years, long if several decades...
All of it was an excuse!
Lies!
"Why... didn't you tell me the truth..." Her tone trembled as tears burst forth uncontrollably.
"It would only add unnecessary sorrow."
Rrakavasha smiled, his expression accepting.
"Being able to die of old age is humanity's blessing, yet people habitually define eternal parting as tragedy."
He looked toward the window. The sky was gradually darkening.
"So, no need for sadness, girl. Not everyone has the fortune of dying naturally. You should be happy for this old man who's nearly 175 years old."
Clarice bit her lip hard.
Rrakavasha was dying of old age...
The divination from three months ago wasn't completely right, but couldn't be called completely wrong either.
Her feelings... the gift and confession she'd prepared so long, how could she possibly give them now?
From the day she met Rrakavasha, today's regret was destined.
He couldn't accept her, but would instead feel guilty, because...
She understood Rrakavasha too well. Even if she confessed everything, he would refuse on the grounds of not wanting to delay her future.
...He wouldn't even say he had no feelings for her. He wouldn't use "I don't like you at all" as his reason for refusal.
Rrakavasha was such a gentle person...
Always liking to take all responsibility and fault upon himself.
But where was he at fault?
Clarice felt powerless throughout her body.
Fate was somewhat cruel to her. The person she loved stood right before her eyes, yet she couldn't speak.
Adding troubles for him in these final moments would be too selfish.