Though Rose was tearful with fear, she soon put on a determined face and nodded.

“Wh, where to go?”

Rick grabbed her thin shoulders. Holding them like this, it was an infinitely fragile body. It was amazing how she had endured all this time with such a body. Rick steeled his heart.

“Come with me. I’ll protect you.”

Rick spoke without stuttering for the first time. Rose couldn’t have known that this was something he had practiced dozens, hundreds of times.

“I’ll go… with you.”

At Rose’s answer, Rick was as happy as if he owned the whole world.

“Wa… wait.”

Therefore, he could commit his next act without hesitation. If they ran away, pursuers would chase them. So make it impossible for them to pursue. How?

Burn… everything.

Thus, the organization where Rick had belonged burned brightly. Being in the old back alleys, the fire grew larger as it burned the empty shantytown, and the organization members couldn’t chase the two youngsters.

* * *

“Where is this?”

“Re-relatives’ place.”

There was a small mountain east of the capital.

While wild beasts lived there and herb gatherers would climb it, it was a place with few visitors in this season as winter approached. Before joining the beggar gang, Rick had briefly stayed here with someone he called ‘Uncle’.

After Uncle died, he buried him and entered the capital according to his last wishes, naturally joining a beggar gang. To fill his hungry stomach, to survive.

The small cabin where he had stayed with ‘Uncle’ was unchanged from when Rick left, but it seemed herb gatherers had used it occasionally as there were more household items and tools for warming oneself, plus plenty of dried food.

No herb gatherers would probably use it this season, so they could stay for a while.

“Amazing, there are household items.”

Though Rose must have been raised nobly, she smiled without showing any sign of rejection. When asked about it, she made a face saying ‘wouldn’t it be strange to show dissatisfaction with a new life?’

That evening, they lit the fireplace. For Rick, who had been skilled at chores in the organization, and with dry branches scattered nearby, lighting a fire wasn’t difficult.

“Thank you for helping me.”

Thanks to Rick’s explanation, Rose learned that she had almost been sold to some pervert. Rose stared quietly at the fire and said.

“Is there anything you want from me? If there’s anything I can give you, I’ll give you anything.”

“……”

The heart of the boy approaching puberty beat helplessly fast. At this time, Rick didn’t know why his heart was beating so quickly.

Just looking at Rose smiling prettily in front of the fire, he vaguely thought that anything would be fine if he could just stay by Rose’s side forever.

“I-I want to be together forever.”

“Forever?”

Rose opened her eyes wide. Was it burdensome? Was it creepy? Did she hate me now?

Then he came to his senses at the sound of Rose’s small laugh.

“Do you like me?”

“……”

“What. I like you.”

Rick’s eyes widened.

“Why are you looking at me like that. I know too. You even killed for me.”

Rose’s expression became heavy for a moment. Rose was already more mature and grown-up than her peers. She was old enough to know and understand that helping her must not have been an easy thing for the boy. Though Rose was also scared of the killing, when she thought about what hell her life would have fallen into without that action, she rather thought it fortunate.

She liked the boy. Around the time she got used to his seemingly obsessive gaze toward her, she thought she wanted to have him. To the girl starved for affection after her mother’s death, it was sweet love.

“I want to see your eyes.”

Rose reached out. This time Rick didn’t push her away. Rick’s forehead was revealed. Rose made a surprised expression.

“Wow, you’re handsome? You’re my type…”

To call her savior her type… should she call him prince now…? Rose muttered incomprehensible words.

“And they’re a pretty blue. I like colors I don’t have.”

“Do… do you like them? Want them?”

“How would you give them?”

“I’ll… pull them out…”

“Ahaha, you’re joking right?”

Not joking. But seeing Rose laugh made it feel alright.

“Then let’s stay together forever.”

Since it seemed clear she had been abandoned by her father anyway, it felt like it would be okay to just live as ‘Rose’ now. Though it was youthful impetuousness, Rose thought this way at that time. That she wouldn’t be lonely if she stayed with this boy.

“But… is it okay that I’m willful?”

“Ye…yes!”

“Then you need to scold me sometimes. I don’t know boundaries. I’m greedy too. So if I do something that seems wrong, tell me sharply.”

“M-me?”

“Yes. And you look like a prince. Later, call my name elegantly.”

“Elegantly…”

“Ah, and I like tall and strong men. Since I’m weak, I want someone who can protect me. You’re already tall now so you’ll be even better as an adult.”

This time too, Rick remembered every word Rose said without missing any. In Rick’s heart, a perfect male image was created of someone born into a noble family like Rose.

If I could just become such a person, we could stay together forever, right?

“But… I like how you are now too.”

Rose came close and kissed Rick’s forehead.

“When I like something, I want to have it. That’s how you are now.”

That’s how the boy and girl’s mountain cabin life began.

* * *

“Ah, then did you have a different name when you lived with your uncle?”

Six months passed. Though only half a year had passed, Rick had grown considerably during this time. Now he looked sixteen rather than fifteen. Meanwhile, Rose grew weaker. Having been raised delicately, she wasn’t originally physically strong.

Her thin wrists grew even thinner, distressing Rick, but Rose bravely pretended to be fine.

“What was that name? Why won’t you tell me? You said you didn’t have a name.”

These days Rose begged to know his real name. But he couldn’t tell her. If she knew, Rose would surely call him by the name his uncle used, and he didn’t want that. To Rick, the name Rose gave him was the most precious.

Learning the situation, Rose’s cheeks turned pink.

“Hmph. If that’s the reason, well… I understand.”

They were able to live here for half a year because there was a small village at the foot of the mountain. Rick started hunting, and took an abandoned old gun from the mountain to the village to somehow repair it and practiced countless times. Fortunately, after several trials and errors, he became accustomed to hunting before the dried food ran out.

Because of that, when there was a bang! sound, Rose would say it sounded like where you were, saying she liked it.

And as they grew more accustomed to this life, Rick felt fear watching Rose grow thinner. Shouldn’t Rose live nobly as she was raised? When people in the village talked about nobles living in the capital, he thought of Rose. He thought of the things Rose had given up.

“I’ll definitely tell you later.”

“…Will there be a later for us?”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because you, Rose, might go back.”

Rose blinked her long-lashed eyes.

“And if you go back, you might not remember me.”

“Hmm… Since there’s definitely a possibility I might go back, I can understand why you’d think that.”

The realistic Rose nodded in agreement. Then she took Rick’s hand and pulled him. Looking at Rick’s face tilted toward her, Rose smiled intimately. Without realizing it, Rick’s hand was resting on Rose’s cheek.

“I’ll definitely remember. Don’t worry.”

“……”

“Then you have to tell me too.”

Rose closed her eyes while leaning on his roughened hand.

‘Rick’s hands became rough because of me. So, when I go back, I must take him with me and treat him well.’

Even though her father had given up on her, Rose herself had no intention of giving up on the ducal family.

Somehow after time passed, she would return and inherit the title. When she became the duchess, she would marry Rick. When you’re a duke, it shouldn’t matter who you marry.

“What your name is, and that you like me too.”

It’s okay even if you can’t say it because you’re shy. I want you Rick, and since I don’t think anyone will ever like me as much as you do, I won’t let you go. I’ll keep you by my side. Young Rose’s eyes sparkled with desire.

“Then, you must propose to me first.”

That was the last smile of Rose that Rick saw.

From the next day, Rose fell ill with a fever and became bedridden. Rick did everything to save her. He gathered herbs and bought medicine at a premium. Though he spent all the money he had barely saved, it was okay. The village doctor he called with his last money shook his head at Rose’s condition and said to try the capital.