Chapter 95
“There’s no helping it. It’s already this late.”
It was true—by now, it was long past the children’s usual bedtime. Even if they tried to hide it, I’d already seen them yawn several times. They had been running around since the afternoon and had played all the way into the night. By tomorrow, they were bound to be exhausted.
Still, perhaps because they didn’t want the night to end, the children lingered.
“I want to stay just a little longer…”
“Lady Laila, can’t we stay just a bit more?”
“Please?”
As they each clung to me one by one, I barely had time to react. But the more they did, the more troubled our escort knights looked. The later it got, the more dangerous it became for the children. I opened my mouth to persuade them.
But before I could speak, Asil spoke first.
“I suppose it can’t be helped. Every meeting comes with a farewell.”
Saying that, Asil loosened something hanging around his neck and handed it to Rubiana.
“…What’s this?”
Rubiana blinked in surprise at the object in her hands.
It was a small flute, carved out of wood.
“I’m sure we’ll meet again someday.”
That was all Asil said before falling silent.
Rubiana looked up at both Asil and the flute in her hands, alternating between the two.
Come to think of it, they hadn’t even seen each other’s real faces. Both had kept their identities hidden behind masks—neither knew the other’s name, family, or status.
Yet despite that, they had somehow become true friends.
Rubiana smiled softly.
“I hope the day comes when we can meet again.”
Asil’s lips curved into a gentle smile.
Eventually, we parted ways with Asil and Bergo and boarded the carriage bound for the royal palace. Thankfully, one of the escort knights had gone ahead to prepare the carriage, so we didn’t have to wait long. We really couldn’t afford to delay any further.
Inside the carriage, I sat close together with Eladin, Rubiana, and Laltz. Laltz would be staying at the palace tonight, and since I already lived in Prince Ray’s palace, it was only natural that we all shared the same destination.
“Today was so much fun!”
Eladin said excitedly.
“I agree.”
Laltz nodded vigorously. Though he usually preferred quiet indoor games over going out, even he seemed to have truly enjoyed today’s festival.
“….”
But strangely, Rubiana, who should have joined in, stayed silent this time. Was she feeling down because she’d parted from Asil? I turned to look at her—and was startled.
“Cough!”
Rubiana suddenly coughed.
“R-Ruby, are you all right?”
Eladin’s eyes widened in shock.
“Did you catch a chill in the night air?”
Laltz asked worriedly.
Though it was nighttime, the spring weather was mild and pleasant. Still, Rubiana was the youngest and frailest among us—it was only natural to be concerned.
Without hesitation, Laltz took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.
“I’m fine…”
Rubiana tried to refuse at first, but when Laltz insisted, she reluctantly accepted and pulled it tightly around herself—it was a bit big on her small frame.
“Feeling better now?”
I asked.
“I think I just feel a little off from running around all day,” she replied lightly.
But Eladin’s worried expression didn’t fade.
“Ruby, you’ve always been weak since you were little. I thought you’d gotten stronger, but maybe your body’s still more sensitive than others.”
He looked genuinely concerned.
I hadn’t known that Rubiana had been sickly as a child. Eladin immediately ordered the coachman to drive faster.
“I’m really fine. You’re all making too big a fuss,” Rubiana said with a small, playful smile.
I reached out and gently touched her forehead.
“…Doesn’t seem like you have a fever. Not yet, anyway.”
“Even so,” Eladin said, “we should hurry back to the palace, just in case.”
I nodded in agreement.
Following his command, the coachman sped up. Soon, the city faded into the distance, and the royal palace came into view ahead.
I glanced at Rubiana again. She sat quietly, her expression calm. She didn’t seem seriously ill—still, it would be best for her to rest tomorrow.
Hopefully it’s not a cold…
Without thinking, I reached over and gently stroked her hair. Rubiana looked up at me with her round eyes and then smiled sweetly.
Why do bad premonitions never prove wrong?
That night, before dawn, Rubiana’s fever began to burn uncontrollably.
Every physician and apothecary in the palace was summoned in a panic to tend to her, but her condition showed no sign of improving.
By the next day, she had grown rapidly worse. The rosy color of her cheeks had vanished, leaving her face pale and sickly. Her once-bright lips turned white, and the shine in her eyes dulled to a lifeless gray. It was as if the shadow of death itself had settled over her.
Even court magicians were called to heal her, but a disease with no known cause could not be cured by magic. In the end, all they could do was use vitality spells to help her body heal itself—but nothing changed.
The following day was no different. Rubiana could not even rise from her bed.
Eladin and Laltz were the most shaken by it.
“She was perfectly fine when we left the palace that day!”
Laltz shouted in disbelief.
“…”
Eladin’s face had turned ashen. He looked like he was blaming himself.
“This is my fault. I was the one who invited Ruby to the festival.”
Tears welled up in the young prince’s eyes.
“If she hadn’t gone out, she wouldn’t have gotten sick…”
Seeing him sink into guilt, I spoke firmly.
“This isn’t your fault, Your Highness. If Princess Rubiana knew how sad you were, she would be heartbroken.”
“But—!”
“Didn’t she look so happy that day? Do you think she’d ever regret going, or blame anyone for it?”
“…That’s…”
“Please, Your Highness, both of you—get some rest. You look pale.”
I gently patted Eladin’s head and hugged him tightly. After a long while in my arms, he finally returned to his quarters.
Perhaps from the stress and worry, Eladin himself fell ill that night, vomiting everything he ate.
Thankfully, his fever subsided the next day—but Rubiana showed no sign of recovery.
Her condition only continued to deteriorate, and so the royal physicians began monitoring her every hour, every minute. Still, she only worsened.
And then—when I went to visit her one day, something even more dreadful happened.
As I approached her room, the court physician stopped me abruptly.
“You cannot go in.”
“…Why not? I just want to see how she’s doing.”
He hesitated for a long time before letting out a heavy sigh and finally spoke.
“It seems that Princess Rubiana may have contracted… a contagious disease.”
“……!”
My eyes trembled at his words.
It felt like thunder striking my head.
“A… contagious disease?”
“She did attend a crowded festival just days ago—it’s not an impossible conclusion. The symptoms align with what we know of the Rugimi disease.”
He then explained what that meant.
It began like an ordinary cold or fever, but soon red blotches spread across the body, and within two or three weeks, the patient would die.
A terrifying epidemic that appeared across the continent without warning, its cause still unknown.
“…”
My voice shook as I asked,
“…But we can still treat it, can’t we? Now that we know what it is?”
The doctor slowly shook his head.
“No cure has ever been discovered.”
Then he added that because the illness was contagious, Rubiana must be isolated from everyone—especially from Eladin and Laltz.
I instinctively covered my mouth. My heart ached so badly I could barely breathe.
“But… she’s only ten years old,” I whispered.
Only just old enough to count all ten fingers.
How could this happen?
The doctor bowed his head.
“We’ll do everything we can. But Her Highness has always been frail… it’s possible the worst may come sooner than we expect.”
I took leave from my palace duties.
I couldn’t focus on anything else.
I didn’t know whether the physicians had told Eladin and Laltz the truth, but from how strictly they were being kept away, it was clear they were under close supervision. They told me with tearful faces that they weren’t allowed to see Rubiana anymore.
The royal family sent for doctors from all across the land and even announced a grand reward for anyone who could cure Rugimi disease—regardless of age, gender, status, or nation.
But no one came forward with a cure.
I sat in my room, staring blankly out the window.
From the balcony of my chamber—one gifted by Prince Ray—the royal garden spread out below me in full view. It was filled with blooming flowers, a sea of spring colors.
When summer came, the lotus flowers would bloom across the lake, just as Eladin had said.
We’d planned to have a tea party there together—Rubiana, Eladin, and I.
I could still hear her lively voice in my ears, promising that when that day came, she’d make sure to invite her brother Ray no matter what.
Rubiana…
Her round, ruby-red eyes, her black hair like polished ebony—so bright, so confident, so full of life.
Remembering her smile, I buried my face in my hands.
“……”
We hadn’t even spent a full year together.
Barely one season.
From early spring until now—that was all.
And yet, she had grown so dear to me.
I never imagined we’d have to say goodbye so soon.
No… no. She’ll get better. She has to.
But even as I tried to believe it, tears fell, one after another.
