Don't Remember Me - Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Days passed, one after another. Before long, a week had gone by, and Flitta had become accustomed to life in the annex. In fact, she had adapted even better than when she was in the main building.

In the main building, she rarely ventured outside her bedroom, but within just a week in the annex, she had explored every nook and cranny of the building, keeping herself busy each day.

This swift adjustment was largely thanks to her physician’s treatment and the dedicated care from Rosé. To everyone’s surprise, the child’s condition was improving rapidly.

“Haah…”

Flitta sighed as she played with her cloth dolls, spread out across the bed. She picked up a puppy doll and hopped down to the floor.

She made her way to the window, where she could gaze outside. Being small, she had to stand on tiptoe to see properly.

“Ugh.”

After a few struggles, Flitta rested her chin on the windowsill and peered out. The sunlight was so bright it made her squint. Just then, as she was trying to adjust her gaze, she heard a chirp.

A little bird had landed on a branch not far from the window. Flitta’s light green eyes widened in surprise. The bird, seemingly unafraid of humans, fluffed its wings while perched there.

“Wow!”

The puppy doll slipped from Flitta’s grasp and thudded onto the floor. It was a treasured gift from Rosé, but for now, her attention was fully on the bird.

Chirp.

The small creature’s shiny black eyes seemed fascinating, drawing her in.

“Wait! Don’t go, please! Cough! You can’t leave!”

Flitta coughed and dashed back to her bed. Next to it was a snack tray Rosé had left for her while doing laundry. She quickly grabbed a cookie in both hands and turned back to the window.

“Cough! Cough! … Oh, good! You’re still here!”

She smiled brightly at the little bird, which remained in place, exploring the room. Its curious nature seemed to overshadow any fear it might have had.

“Here, little bird! Cough, eat this! It’s a cookie! It’s yummy! Rosé and I made it together!”

Flita spilled the cookies onto the windowsill, a gesture she could never have imagined doing when living in the main building. Yet in just a week, she had embraced the carefree joys of childhood, thanks to Rosé.

“It’s okay to play around. Want me to crumble it for you?”

Balancing on her tiptoes, Flitta started breaking the cookies into smaller pieces, ensuring they were suitable for the little bird, until the windowsill was covered with crumbs.

Chirp.

Perhaps recognizing her effort, the bird tilted its head and flitted closer, landing on the sill. Flitta’s eyes widened in astonishment. The bird, undeterred, pecked at the cookies she had provided.

“Wow… Wow…”

Flitta could only marvel at the sight, rendered speechless by the joy of watching the bird enjoy her gift.

“Oh no! I should’ve told Rosé to come see this!”

Flita fidgeted in disappointment, causing the bird to pause mid-peck and glance her way, as if to ask, “What’s wrong?”

Then, with a flutter, the bird spread its wings and made a few flaps before flying into the room.

“Huh? Huh?”

Flita’s eyes grew wide with excitement. The bird flitted around the room before darting out through the open door.

“Hey! No, little bird!”

Flita panicked and dashed out of the room after it. Fortunately, the bird had not flown far, settling in the hallway and hopping toward the stairs.

“Wait, little bird! Cough! Where are you going?”

Flitta paused to cough before running after the bird. It seemed just as intrigued by the annex as she was, making its way down the stairs. Flitta followed, and the bird glanced back at her, flapping its wings again.

“Huh?”

Flitta’s gaze followed the bird, which had landed near the entrance on the first floor. The door was ajar, perhaps left that way by her physician.

“Are you going out? But I can’t go outside.”

When the bird turned to look at her, Flitta felt a pang of disappointment. Yet the little creature was undeterred, tilting its head again before hopping out the door.

“… Aah.”

Watching the scene unfold, Flitta’s shoulders slumped as she turned away. But just as she was about to head back up the stairs, the bird began chirping again.

Chirp. Chirp.

“Oh?”

Flita turned abruptly. The little bird was chirping right outside the door.

“You’re still here?”

She raced to the entrance, squatting just outside the threshold. The sunlight streaming through the open door felt warm, and the sweet scents of flowers and grass wafted in.

Chirp.

The bird flitted around, inviting her to play. Flitta clenched her fists, excitement bubbling within her.

“If I just step outside for a moment… hmm, when no one is watching, I could dash out and come right back. I haven’t been coughing much lately, and the doctor said I’m greatly improving.”

Talking to the bird as if it could understand, Flitta took a deep breath and stepped out onto the porch.

Thoughts of her father’s warnings against going outside flashed in her mind, but Rosé’s words about having fun in the annex echoed too. At that moment, she was simply too young to resist the call of the playful little bird.

Yet Flitta stopped at the entrance, her feet rooted in place. This was her limit.

Just then, a piercing scream shattered the air.

“Eek!”

Startled, Flitta turned to see a maid passing by, who had spotted her.

“Oh no! The young lady is outside! She’d infect me!”

The maid’s frightened exclamation drained the color from Flitta’s face. The bird, startled by the scream, took off in a flurry and vanished from sight.

As Flitta watched the maid flee in terror, her eyes welled with tears. Without thinking, she spun around and dashed across the hall.

“Ah!”

But before she could get far, she stumbled and fell, creating a loud crash that echoed through the hall.

“What’s that noise…? Your Highness!”

Rosé, who had been doing laundry in the corner, heard the sharp scream followed by the thud and rushed out, her hands still damp from washing.

“Are you okay, Your Highness? Did you fall? Let me see if you’re hurt.”

Rosé hurried to Flitta, who was sprawled in the middle of the hall. But Flitta shook her head vigorously.

“I’m… I’m fine! I’m okay! Cough! Cough!”

Flitta’s cough sounded off, deeper than before. Rosé’s expression turned serious as she assessed the child’s condition.

“Did something happen, young lady? I heard a scream just now.”

It wasn’t Flitta’s voice that had cried out; it was an older woman’s. But it seemed impossible for a maid from the main building to have screamed that loudly.

‘Could it be…’

Rosé noticed the door of the annex slightly ajar and immediately understood the situation. It seemed Flitta had ventured outside and encountered someone important, resulting in a startled scream.

That person must have been shocked to see her.

“Did you go outside?” 

Rosé asked gently, trying to keep her tone calm. Nevertheless, Flitta flinched and lowered her head.

“I… I’m sorry, Rosé. But I just wanted to step out for a moment…”

She had wanted to play with the little bird. Flitta’s voice trembled as she tried to explain but was quickly overwhelmed by tears.

“Waaah!”

Flitta burst into tears, sobbing deeply. The child who had shown such courage and brightness during her illness now cried openly, and Rosé embraced her tightly, patting her back.

Flitta had indeed made a mistake. She wasn’t supposed to go outside, and even stepping out for just a moment was still wrong.

But Rosé didn’t want to scold her. At least, not at that moment.

With someone having screamed so loudly upon seeing Flitta, there was bound to be a response from the main estate about the child’s misstep.

Flitta would be made to feel small and scared, and Rosé wanted to stand by her side.

“Things just happened that way…”

There would be others to reprimand her. Rosé wished to understand and share in Flitta’s feelings of sadness, to show that she could empathize.

“You only wanted to be outside for a moment, but someone was startled to see you.”

“Yeah. The maid saw me and freaked out, screaming and running away.”

Flitta, still sniffling in Rosé’s arms, looked up with tear-filled eyes.

“Am… Am I a bad person?”