"Thank you for your help, okay?" said the gatekeeper who saw me exhausted from carrying so many boxes.
Why could he say that? The reason was quite simple.
When I was tired earlier and wanted to rest somewhere, I chose to lean against the wall of the guard post.
It was the closest and most comfortable place because it was shaded.
"Thanks..." I said quietly.
——
After feeling better, I went back inside the castle building, heading to the kitchen.
I wanted to drink something before taking a bath. Well, just because I was thirsty.
Gulp
Ah... drinking cold water after doing physical work is really the best. There's nothing better than cold water in a situation like this.
I left the kitchen right after my thirst was satisfied.
On the way to the bathroom, I happened to think... I already had the skills Vision and Boost, right?
Originally, I planned to use both of those skills earlier. But for some reason, there were no such skills written on my status screen.
Of course, that surprised me. Cyve said that she had already given me that magic.
Logically, those skills should belong to me alone, right?
She also didn't tell me that something like this could happen or how to fix it.
If you asked for my opinion... maybe those skills only activate in dangerous situations.
But... that doesn't sound right either.
The more I thought about it, the more confusing it became... better to just get ready to accompany Rosa-chan later.
——
Even though she looked normal today, I still couldn't forget what happened last night.
It seemed that everything she said had already been engraved in my memory.
And this memory felt like something very difficult to erase. So I would definitely keep thinking about what happened last night.
It wasn't the first time I had received such a confession.
But this time, it felt completely different. Maybe because I didn't end up with her.
Or maybe there was something else — like the person and the place were different... perhaps?
In short, I knew that everything Rosa-chan said came directly from her heart.
Because her expression at that time, everything she said, was perfectly in sync.
Even though... I thought of her only as a tool to complete my mission...
Why did she do something like that... how unfair.
——
Today was a special day — the day Rosa-chan would leave the castle.
Because of that, all the servants and maids were given a day off for her departure.
They could enjoy their personal time... but not a single one of them stayed in their rooms.
Every one of them was already waiting at the guard post, wearing their casual clothes.
It was as if they were about to lose something precious; for them, this was an emotional moment.
No one ran away, no one acted indifferent... everyone seemed to share the same feeling.
I could also see Vern-san among the crowd. Wow, judging from his expression, he looked really sad.
I had to go there quickly.
A plain white shirt, gray pants, and a cloak — that's what I wore to join the crowd.
I knew... this outfit was very familiar to both me and Rosa-chan.
The clothes I wore today were almost the same as the ones I wore when we went on a date.
And this cloak — the one she gave me. I could never forget that.
If possible... I wanted to keep wearing this cloak wherever and whenever I went outside.
It felt so comforting when I wore it, as if someone was watching over me from afar.
——
I stood among them, right beside Vern-san. I purposely took this spot.
Because I thought, it'd be better to stand next to Vern-san so I could help him if anything happened.
"Lotte, are you sure you still want to wait here? If you're uncomfortable, it's better if you stay in your room..." said Vern-san.
I was sure Vern-san didn't want to force me to be here.
Because he already knew my goal of marrying Rosa-chan, and he didn't want me to see her leaving today.
Well, it was only natural for him to say that. I myself initially didn't want to be here either.
I... felt like I wasn't worthy to be here, to see her off.
I felt guilty, because I couldn't complete the mission that had been given to me.
"Calm down... I just want to see her one last time," I replied.
Yeah, after this, maybe I would return to my original world. This game would end in a few hours.
"One last time? You don't plan to visit her again later?" asked Vern-san, confused by what I said.
He was right... how could I visit her if our worlds were different?
Would I beg Weinz to send me back into this world again? I couldn't possibly lower myself that far.
I... would only beg if there was truly nothing else I could do.
As long as I could endure, I would keep going until the very end.
"My plan is... I'll quit being a servant at this castle," I answered.
Hearing that, Vern-san's eyes widened in disbelief.
"H-hey, there's a time for jokes, you know..." said Vern-san, trying to deny my words.
"No, I'm serious. After this, I'm thinking of living somewhere else."
"There's nothing left for me to do here... my purpose is gone," I continued.
I wasn't lying. My purpose really was gone, right?
Marrying Rosa-chan had been my goal, and now I couldn't do anything about it.
Vern-san went silent for a moment, then placed his hand on my head. His height wasn't much different from mine.
Well, even though I was a little taller, maybe only by two or three centimeters.
So of course, he could reach my head easily. I never knew his exact age, but how could he be so bold doing this?!
It had been a long time since anyone had touched my head, so his hand felt warm and strangely comforting.
Judging by what he just did, he must be older than me.
Maybe around twenty or older, maybe even older than I imagined.
I... wouldn't be fooled by appearances anymore. Sometimes I walked straight into a trap that was right in front of me.
And stupidly, even when I knew it was a trap, I still fell for it.
——
Not long after that, we all heard the sound of horse carriages from outside the gate.
When it opened, several carriages entered and stopped in front of the castle. If I counted, there were about five of them.
Luis and his guards got down from the frontmost carriage.
Maybe the other four would be used to carry Rosa-chan's belongings.
Just looking at the amount of stuff she had... it seemed the number of carriages was just right.
From afar, Luis ordered his guards to load the items into the carriages.
And some of us were told to help as well. I joined in again this time.
I placed one of the boxes in front of the carriage, waiting for it to be loaded.
And once again, Luis approached me. It seemed he still remembered me.
"We meet again, huh? How are you feeling today?" asked Luis.
I wiped the sweat off my forehead and answered him.
"Very good... I've never been this exhausted before," I said, panting slightly.
Luis only responded with a light laugh after seeing my reaction.
Honestly, I still couldn't figure out what Luis really wanted.
But as for whether he truly loved Rosa-chan or not, I had no doubt anymore.
——
Everything had been loaded, and now we just had to wait for Rosa-chan to come out of the castle.
While waiting, Luis came over again and stood beside me.
The maids and other servants slowly stepped back from us, thinking it would be improper to stand too close to a noble.
In the end, the only ones standing close to me were Vern-san and Luis.
Vern-san didn't look scared or nervous, judging by how he looked at Luis.
If the two of them ever had a conversation, they'd probably never get along because their opinions were so different.
So, I might as well just deal with Luis myself.
—
Rosa-chan finally came out and walked toward us. Well... toward Luis, right?
"How is it...?" asked Rosa-chan.
Huh? How is what? And why did she suddenly ask something so vague—
"You look so beautiful, Rosalia," said Luis.
Ah... so that's what she meant. Alright... I admit, I was still a bit dense.
Even though she was complimented, I didn't see her cheeks or ears turn red in embarrassment.
She actually looked quite flat, like she didn't want to do this at all.
"I'll go ahead... you can say your goodbyes first," said Luis as he began walking back toward his carriage.
Rosa-chan then stood before me and lowered her head. I didn't know why she did that.
Meanwhile, Vern-san stayed behind me, not trying to hug or cry in front of her.
Rosa-chan looked at me and gestured for me to come closer to her face.
Not knowing what to do, I simply followed her direction and leaned closer.
Suddenly, she moved closer to my ear and whispered something.
"Yukito-san... I will give you a farewell gift," said Rosa-chan softly near my ear.
"What do you mean—" I said.
She pulled her lips away from my ear and moved closer to my cheek.
Suddenly, I felt her lips touch my cheek. They were so soft, as if made to deliver that warmth.
Rosa-chan kissed my cheek.
It was so quick, and then she immediately stepped back.
I, surprised and in disbelief, could only hold my cheek in confusion.
My face must've been red; of course, I never expected her to suddenly kiss me.
I could see her eyes glistening with a few tears, yet she waved at us.
"Vern-san, Yukito-san... see you later," she said with a smile.
She immediately turned around and ran slightly toward the carriage where Luis was waiting.
I looked back, and Vern-san... I didn't know what expression he had.
But he turned his back and lowered his head, as if not wanting anyone to see his face right now.
——
The carriages began to move, and I saw Rosa-chan from the open window.
This was it — the end of the game.
Of course, that kiss was shocking, but it wasn't enough to make me feel like my usual self.
All around me, the atmosphere was filled with sorrow. There wasn't a single person who wasn't affected by her departure.
Everyone felt that Rosa-chan's leaving would leave a deep wound in their hearts.