❅❅❅
THE morning after I sought Reynaldo’s counsel, I stood with him in front of Sir Eva.
“So anyway, can you make sure our stories line up?” Reynaldo asked.
“Of course!” Sir Eva whooped. “Still, having Duke Rose himself aid in Albert’s romantic endeavors? We, knights, couldn’t be more thrilled!”
As an overjoyed Sir Eva thanked Reynaldo, I realized how naïve I’d been. Even the unit captain was there.
I can’t believe we have knights helping us with this deception.
Per the test Reynaldo thought up, I would pretend to have lost all of Rosemary’s memories.
“Suppose Albert is only interested in Rosemary,” Reynaldo whispered into my ear softly enough that the knights wouldn’t overhear. “In that case, he would no longer love you without her memories, correct?”
How could he suggest something so terrifying in such an aloof manner?
According to the plan, I would collapse from some unknown cause, and a worried Sir Eva would carry me to the castle infirmary. Afterward, a knight would report it to Albert. In all likelihood, Albert would race to the infirmary, but before he could visit me, Reynaldo would stop him and lie about me having lost Rosemary’s memories.
“If Albert only sees you as Rosemary, how would this differ from the woman he loves disappearing?” Reynaldo asked, his expression delighted. “This will test his love for you, as Mary.”
He’s probably right, I thought, unable to argue with him.
Though I’d agreed to the plan, I was still a bundle of nerves.
What if Albert loses interest in me when I only have memories of my current life? When I’m no longer Rosemary?
That would be incredibly painful, but I would have to accept it. Until my worries were alleviated, I wouldn’t be able to reciprocate Albert’s feelings.
Even so, I thought, pressing my hands to my chest forlornly, when Albert saved me from being kidnapped, I didn’t care if he only saw me as Rosemary.
Albert was always the first person to come to my rescue. I loved him enough that I didn’t mind being Rosemary’s substitute. Yet, someday, that would destroy me. I would fall deeper in love with Albert, and if I suspected he only saw me as Rosemary, I would hate my own past self.
In that case, I needed to lock away my love for Albert before it turned to despair, like plucking a newly budded leaf from a tree. I still had time to do so.
Listening to Reynaldo, I hung my head. Suddenly, a cold but gentle hand touched my cheek. It was his.
“If Albert doesn’t provide the answer you’re hoping for, forget about him and marry me instead,” Reynaldo said. “After Rosemary, you’re the woman I love the most.”
Despite his jocular smile, I knew he was serious. The fluttering in my heart eased, and I smiled back at him. “Well then, I’ll do just that,” I replied, riposting his quip.
I relaxed, the tension draining from my shoulders. Sir Eva, observing Reynaldo and me, looked as if he’d just seen a monster. “I might have gotten you into a world of trouble, boss…” he muttered.
I pretended not to hear him.
Afterward, everything proceeded smoothly, just as Reynaldo anticipated. Sir Eva carried me from the chivalric order’s headquarters to the palace infirmary. Despite my illness being fake, everyone showed great concern for me, instructing me to rest.
No one else was in the infirmary. Though Reynaldo had been occupying the room next to mine, he left to speak with Albert. Unable to suppress my guilt, I sat on the bed in the dead silent room, waiting for time to pass.
There weren’t any injured people in the infirmary; the palace had quieted since the coup. Likewise, not many people fell ill around this time of year. So, Reynaldo had given me permission to use this room. However, as a mere handmaid, I was reluctant to use a palace medical facility for my personal benefit.
Reynaldo must have intuited my feelings since visitors arrived during my wait. A slew of people claiming to be his servants entered my room, delivering a veritable mountain of items.
“Huh…?” I asked. “What’s going on?”
The items varied from dresses and gems to books. The former two sported somewhat outdated designs, and the books had yellowed with age. More importantly, everything invoked an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
All these things belonged to Rosemary, I realized after a while. Overcome with nostalgia, I gazed at the possessions of my past self from her time in the palace.
“What in the world is going on here?” I asked one of the servants.
“His Grace instructed us to bring you everything retrieved from Tia’s room.”
“From Tia’s room…?”
After Rosemary’s execution, Tia apparently stole all my past self’s belongings. Why would she do such a thing? I wondered, gazing at an old dress that didn’t match Tia’s tastes. Shortly after, Reynaldo visited the room.
“I sent a message to Albert on a swift horse,” he said. “Also, I instructed him to see me as soon as he arrives, so as not to disturb your rest. The message indicated that you might have lost your memories.”
“Thank you very much.” I looked around at the mountain of glittering gems and other old items crammed into the room. “By the way, um, what is all this?”
Reynaldo picked up a bracelet, looking at it nostalgically. “I want you to confirm which items truly belonged to Rosemary by using her memories. Afterward, I’d like to return her possessions to McClain or Rose.”
“Understood. Tia was keeping all these things in her room?”
“That’s right,” Reynaldo answered, his face twisting. “What a vile woman. Still, she kept everything in good condition.”
Certainly, everything had been taken care of quite well. Even the old jewelry had been polished to perfection.
“I’m hiding everything here because I obtained them in secret,” Reynaldo said. “That’s the story anyway.”