DON’T REMEMBER ME

~ 3.23 ~

Translator: Lioness

“Yes? The work of the maids is entirely up to the head maid, but…”

It was such a random question. No, in fact, it was the first type of question that even the butler who had served the Grand Duke for a long time, could not comprehend.

The division of duties among the maids?

The Grand Duke was a ruthless yet indifferent master. He never showed the slightest interest in his employees at all. After all, the same goes to other nobles, and not only the Grand Duke.

“Uhm, suddenly why…”

“No, nothing. It’s nothing, you don’t have to worry about it.”

Looking at the butler’s puzzled expression was Haven was awakened of his mistake. He asked something that was unlike of him. He waved his hand and took the papers he had thrown away for the second time.

Then the butler stopped questioning and quietly waited beside the desk. Haven thought it was a relief, but somehow, he felt his chest tightened and let out a helpless sigh.

For some reason, he was a little annoyed.

* * *

“Oh my, what to do about this?! Everything I did was soaked in the rain!”

The red-haired maid took out one of the washed clothes from the basket that Rosé was carrying, and she waved it in front of her eyes.

“Did you wash this, huh? Rosé, do you think this looks washed?”

“It rained suddenly….”

Rosé tried to explain herself to the maid even when her arms were trembling from the heavy basket. But contrary, the maid got mad and responded coldly to her. She threw put the clothes back into her basket, as if she had no intention of listening to Rosé.

“You call that an excuse now? If it looked like it was about to rain, ten you should have walked earlier. Why are people so foolish?”

“She is really lucky. She doesn’t know how to do anything, and yet she’s the princess’s exclusive maid.”

The other maid who was watching the scene sarcastically voiced out. Instead of protesting or getting angry at the sarcastic remarks directed at her, Rosé kept her mouth shut.

“Anyway, do the laundry properly again. Before the head maid knows of this.”

(TN: Let me just…

Little opera: The maids are beaten by someone named Lioness.)

The red-haired maid gave directions to Rosé as if she was her superior and went out with the other maids. Rosé put the basket she was holding down on the floor only after they went outside.

It was not that she doesn’t know that what they were doing was unfair. Originally, the laundry was shared among the maids and not something she had to do. So, if being honest, it was the maid’s fault for abandoning their task.

However…

“It should be done before class is over.”

Rosé sighed while talking to herself and looked at the basket. The basket, which was heavy with loads of laundry, became even heavier because rainwater had soaked through it. However, her bigger concern was whether she would be able to finish the laundry before Flitta’s class was over.

‘Anyway, I have to do my best.’

Rather than worrying about her own self, she moved her body, and picked up the basket again. Rosé’s face was stained with fatigue.

In the past few days since entering the residence of the Grand Duke, such incidents have been commonplace. It could have been the territorial behavior of the other maids, or it could have been a kind of bullying stemming from their jealousy of Rosé, who suddenly appeared and became the princess’ exclusive maid.

But for Rosé, the behavior of the maids did not matter. She could have fought back the injustice or complained about their actions, but she chose to endure it all in silence.

… I don’t have that much time left to waste.

Rosé hurried to the laundry room with her basket in hand. The child would have to return from her lessons with the tutor before she could find her.

* * *

“Rosé, where have you been!”

Flitta said to Rosé that she should hurry, but she was late. Therefore, as soon as she entered the Princess’s room, she hugged the small child who jumped into her arms. Flitta grabbed her skirt and raised her head. But seeing Flitta’s puffed up cheeks, she must have been mad at her.

“I’m sorry, Princess. I’m doing other things…”

“Rosé is my maid.”

Chii, Flitta pouted even more at Rosé’s words. When Rosé saw her like that, a smile appeared on her lips. Then the child laughed cutely, as if asking when she was mad, and pulled her hand.

“Come here, Rosé!”

“Yes?”

“Hurry!”

Flitta glanced toward her bedroom door, and she hurriedly stomped her feet and pulled Rose’s hand again. Suddenly, Rosé thought how strong Flitta was that she was able to pull her hand, but she had no choice so she followed behind.

“I was waiting to eat with you!”

When Flitta reached the table placed inside her room, she let go of Rosé’s hand and shouted. Rosé’s gaze turned to the table. All kinds of desserts that Flitta likes were set on the small table.

Chocolate biscuits topped with fruit jelly. Marzipan served with raspberry jam. A dainty-shaped puff pastry.

“Before Nanny comes, let’s eat quickly! Let us hurry!”

Flitta glanced at the door again and pulled on the hem of Rosé’s skirt. Only then did Rosé understand why the child had glanced at the bedroom door.

“Princess, I’m fine.”

Rosé smiled and spoke to Flitta. The heart of the child who was waiting for her to taste the dessert was so pretty. But that kind heart for her should end. The child knows that too, so she must have hurried her because she was afraid the nanny would find out.

“Let’s eat together! This is really good! My nanny is not here. Hmm?”

However, Flitta tugged at the hem of Rosé skirt as if she had no intention of changing her mind unless she will agree. Rosé looked at the child with a puzzled expression. Then Flitta pouted her lips as if she was about to cry.

“… Yes. All right.”

In the end, it was Rosé who raised her hands. She could no longer turn a blind eye to the child’s kind heart. She had waited for her patiently in order to eat dessert with her, so she didn’t want to disappoint her either.

Rosé swallowed her sigh and nodded her head. Flitta laughed at that sight, and she quickly took her hand and walked over to her table.

She put Flitta on the seat and sat in her chair across from her. She wiggled her legs back and forth as Flitta shook her legs back and forth as if excited, and soon took a fork and poked a piece of cream bread.

“This is for Rosé’s.”

Rosé’s gaze was fixed on Flitta’s dainty hand, which she held out to eat the cream puff bread. Her hand, which held the fork, was white and small.

… She remembered the day when those hands were smaller.

The hand of her newborn baby, which were so small.

The happiness of the day she kissed each of those little fingers.

「 “How can these be so small?” 」

Suddenly, the memory of Haven, lying in between their child, muttered to himself, unable to take his eyes off of Flitta in wonder.

The warmth of sunlight that sat down on the bed.

The soft texture of the well-dried bed sheets.

The figure of Flitta, fidgeting with her small hands, yawning with her small mouth with a small voice, in between her mother and father.

“Rosé?”

“… Ah! Yes, I will eat well.”

Being immersed in her memories for a while, she regained her senses by the voice that called her, and hurriedly accepted the fork that was being held for her. She took a bite of the sweet cream puff. Sweet cream leaked out as the thin crust crumbled.

“Wow, this is so delicious. It seems to melt right in my mouth.”

Rosé tried hard to hide the growing cold on the tip of her nose, then opened her eyes wide and exclaimed in admiration. Then Flitta shrugged her shoulders, proud of herself.

“Right? Hehe, eat more of this. These biscuits, too!”

“Yes, Princess, too. Please eat too, Princess.”

The excited child did not think about eating and suggested this and that to Rosé. Rosé tried what had been suggested to her and topped the cupcake with rose petals.

“It’s really good to eat together! Much better than eating alone! We should have eaten together like this a long time ago!”

Flitta moved her hips excitedly as she smeared cream around her mouth. Rosé wiped Flitta’s mouth with a smile on her face but stopped at the child’s words.

“Rosé, why?”

Flitta looked at Rose and tilted her head innocently. After Rosé smiled again, she wiped the child’s mouth as if nothing had happened before opening her mouth.

“Have you always eaten alone like this? Even before I came?”

Thinking of it now, Flitta was always alone. Except during breakfast time with Haven as usual. She was alone at lunch, dinner, even during dessert time.

“Yes? Uh…Yes.”

At Rosé’s question, Flitta nodded her head with a calm expression. However, Rosé did not miss the child’s quick blinking eyes.

“I am not, uhm, a baby. So, I can eat it by myself.”

She clenched her fists and Flitta hesitated, saying her answer briskly. If it was said at a different timeline, she would have been proud of her, but not now. Rosé expression twisted involuntarily.

“I really am. Really… Hnng.”

Watching Rosé acting like that, Flitta frowned at herself. Rosé hurriedly corrected her expression, got up from her seat and approached Flitta. She held her chin and comforted her. But it was far from being calm, and Flitta’s face didn’t light up at all.

She was a child of only five years old. She was at an age where she still needed someone’s kind touch. And someone who needed her parents the most.

However, Flitta was used to doing everything alone. She didn’t know the affection of parents, and she didn’t know the time they spent together.

‘Haven, what the hell are you….’

Rosé suppressed her resentment and bit her lip. No matter how many memories he forgot, she resented his indifference towards his child.

“You’re not mad at me, are you, Rosé?”