Chapter 6
“Maybe she’s some country bumpkin who came to look for a job? Just look at her clothes. And it’s obvious she doesn’t have money.”
“But she doesn’t really seem like she’s trying to find work, does she?”
“Still, she goes out every day without fail.”
“I saw her loitering near the Grand Duke’s residence the day before yesterday.”
“Near the Grand Duke’s? Is she hoping to work as a maid there without knowing her place?”
The employee giggled and sneered at the owner’s words. Hearing their conversation, Roze’s face turned pale. She realized they were talking about her.
Hesitating in embarrassment for a moment, she descended the stairs, deciding she couldn’t waste any more time.
“She has a pretty face. If she cleaned up a bit, she could probably work at a pub or something.”
“Hmm. Now that you mention it, Jacob’s place was looking for women. Maybe I should suggest… Oh! Speak of the devil. Hey, miss!”
The innkeeper, stroking his bearded chin mid-conversation, raised his hand when he spotted Roze coming down the stairs.
Roze fought the urge to ignore him and forced herself to walk over.
“Yes, what is it?”
“Ahem. Are you looking for a job by any chance?”
“No, I’m not—”
Roze began to shake her head, but the innkeeper cut her off before she could finish.
“If you are, I can introduce you to a good place. There’s a shop a little further down this alley. With that pretty face of yours, it’d be a perfect fit. The work isn’t hard—just serve customers some drinks, chat, maybe have a few with them.”
“A bar?”
Roze had already guessed, but she still asked the question with a flat tone. Perhaps thinking she was interested, the innkeeper nodded enthusiastically.
“That’s right. It does good business, so you’ll make decent money. Jacob, the owner, is a good friend of mine and generous too. He won’t touch the money you make from personal tips either…”
“Let’s pretend I didn’t hear any of that.”
Roze interrupted, her tone firm. She wasn’t looking down on any profession or trying to judge the women who worked in bars. But as a woman with a husband and a child, the mere fact that she was being offered such a job made her feel deeply humiliated.
She was already ashamed of herself for aimlessly hanging around the Grand Duke’s residence, unable to even show her face properly. And now, after hearing this from the innkeeper, she felt like garbage—like filth that should never go near them. The pain was unbearable.
She rejected his offer firmly, but the innkeeper seemed offended by her tone. His face flushed red and purple, and he shouted at her angrily.
“Well, if you’re not interested, fine! No need to act so high and mighty! You don’t even have money for another place to stay!”
“Master, please calm down. She’s our only guest right now.”
The employee stepped in to calm the shouting innkeeper, pushing him toward the kitchen. But the man kept hurling insults as he walked away.
Roze fled the inn without looking back. The words he hurled at her were so vile, far worse than she could have imagined.
Her whole body trembled as she collapsed to the ground outside. The vulgarities he had shouted at her had included even sexual slurs.
Shaa—
The rain was coming down even harder now. Roze’s clothes were soon soaked through. She sat there, water dripping from her head to her toes, blankly staring at the ground.
Raindrops slid down her eyelashes. She brushed her wet hair back with both hands, though it did little to help. Still, she kept tidying herself up again and again. She straightened her clothes, soaked and clinging to her skin, then forced herself to stand.
She knew there was no hope. Seeing Haven last time had been a miracle.
Still, what if—just once more—another miracle happened?
What if she met Haven again?
What if she saw the child whose name she’d never even been allowed to give?
Even if she was a pitiful mess, she wanted to face them looking as presentable as she could.
So Roze smoothed her hair again and adjusted her soaked skirt. Then, like she had for the past few days, she began walking toward the Grand Duke’s residence.
* * *
The guard’s gaze was harsh. His expression full of suspicion, he glared at her. Roze awkwardly avoided his eyes and stood a little distance from the mansion’s front gate, simply staring at it.
Just waiting here wouldn’t make Haven or the child appear. She knew that. She wasn’t naive or foolish enough to believe in such nonsense.
Still, maybe the heavens had felt pity for her that day.
Roze smiled bitterly, remembering the lucky day she had spotted Haven on the street. She recalled the cold look in his eyes as he saw her.
Haven, who had erased her from his memory.
Even if she stood here every day, he would never know. Even if one day she simply stopped showing up, he would never realize it.
…Even if she disappeared from this world completely.
Just as Roze’s eyes began to redden, the front gate opened. She instinctively rubbed her eyes and looked up.
“Ah…”
Several women came out, looking like the Grand Duke’s maids. Roze bit her lip in disappointment and lowered her gaze. Then she heard them talking as they passed by.
“By the way, about the young lady’s name. It’s a wildflower, right? I never imagined ‘Flita’ was a flower’s name. How did His Grace choose a name like that for his daughter?”
‘…Flita?’
Roze’s eyes widened. No one had told her, but she instantly knew. The ‘Flita’ they mentioned—was her daughter’s name.
There was no mistaking it. Flita was the name she had chosen for her baby.
‘But… Haven named the baby Flita?’
She clenched her lips to hold back the urge to grab one of the maids and ask again. The memories came flooding back, leaving her dizzy.
“What should we name our baby? Roze, have you thought of any names?”
“You’re trying to name the baby already? We don’t even know if it’s a boy or girl.”
“It’ll be a girl. I’m sure of it.”
“And how exactly do you know that?”
“I saw a daughter who looked just like you in my dream.”
“That’s not proof of anything.”
She remembered laughing brightly at the time. Haven, always warm, sometimes teasing—it all felt like a distant dream now. But the memory of that conversation was still vivid.
“Hmm… if it really is a girl, how about the name Flita?”
“Flita?”
“It’s the name of a flower. It’s not flashy, but it’s strong. It doesn’t wilt easily, even in winter.”
She had picked a small red flower and tucked it into his hair. It had matched his golden hair so well. Even though it felt strange saying it to a man, she had said he looked beautiful.
Roze’s eyes welled with tears. Her face looked like she could cry at any moment.
“…He shouldn’t remember.”
But how had he named the baby Flita?
Roze crumpled to the ground. She buried her face in her knees.
The rain continued to fall.
* * *
—It’s been three days already! Hey, you’re not dead, are you? I hate cleaning up corpses!
Bang! The door slammed open, and the innkeeper’s cranky voice rang through the room. Roze slowly raised her trembling body. The innkeeper shouted again.
“If you’re conscious, get out here, miss. I have something to say.”
“…Yes.”
Her throat was dry, and her answer came late. But before she could speak properly, the hot-tempered innkeeper slammed the door and left.
He shut it so hard the whole room seemed to shake—or maybe it was just Roze’s feverish body that trembled after being bedridden for three days.
She took a deep breath and stepped off the bed. As soon as her feet touched the ground, dizziness hit her. She had caught a cold from being out in the rain near the Grand Duke’s mansion.
Coughing, she barely managed to steady herself and walked out.
The innkeeper was waiting in the hallway with a sour expression and immediately spoke as she appeared.
“Time to pack up and leave.”
“…What?”
Roze was caught off guard and looked at him in surprise. But the innkeeper paid her no mind and repeated himself.
“Pack your things and get out. Sick women staying here scare off other guests.”
“But as far as I know, there aren’t any other—”
“Oh! Let’s say there are! Who owns this place, huh? You? No—it’s me!”
