Chapter 5: The Beginning of a Full-Blown Disaster (1)

I made one last, pitiful attempt to salvage the situation.

“Oh, I must’ve gotten confused. That was this month… Right, last month I read a novel called <Gardens and Romance> in the study. It really left an impression on me.”

Judging by the title, you’d think it was a book about Rococo-style garden design, but in reality, it was a melodramatic love triangle romance novel.

The doctor nodded thoughtfully, and my mother, who was standing beside him, called for a servant to fetch the book.

Whew, did that work this time?

“This book… was published in the middle of this month.”

“…”

Can’t you hear that crashing noise? That’s the sound of my credibility plummeting. Yep. That’s the sound of my excuse stock collapsing.

Hey, give me back my peak value!

After that, the doctor tossed a few more questions my way, and I, fully resigned to my fate, gave increasingly incoherent answers. The atmosphere in the room grew more and more somber by the second. 

Eventually, the doctor fell silent. 

After some time, he looked between me and my body’s mother, then cautiously said, “I’ll step outside to speak with Madame Zauer regarding the treatment schedule. Miss Aubert, please wait here for a moment.”

“Okay, sure.”

Yes, that’s the unmistakable behavior of a doctor who wants to speak to the guardian alone so as not to shock the patient.

My mother, who had been biting her lip, gave me a reassuring smile and told me not to worry before exiting the room with the doctor. I flopped back into bed, overwhelmed with regret, wishing I’d just said from the start that I didn’t remember anything. What a disaster.

A moment later, my mother returned, opening the door ahead of her.

“Dr. Burt is preparing the medication now. Don’t worry, my sweet Rose. With some rest and stress relief, you’ll start feeling better soon.”

“Y-yes, ma’am.”

Cold sweat trickled down my back. How am I supposed to handle this guilt and this heavy atmosphere?

Unable to bear the prolonged silence that followed, I blurted out a desperate attempt to change the mood.

“Well, actually, it’s not like I’m having trouble functioning or anything, so you don’t have to worry so–”

“Oh, that’s simply impossible, impossible…!”

Just then, the doctor reentered the room.

“…Madame?”

He was holding what looked like a pouch of medicine, and appeared startled by my mother’s reaction. But instead of answering, she abruptly bowed her head and ran out through the open door.

Wha… what was that about?! I barely managed not to exclaim aloud in shock. The doctor looked a bit surprised too, but quickly composed himself and offered a quiet explanation.

“You might think Madame’s reaction was a bit extreme, but I ask for your understanding. Ever since Lord Aubert’s passing, she’s been especially sensitive to mental health concerns.”

Wait a second… my name is Rose Aubert, so this ‘Lord Aubert’ must’ve been my father? The air was thick with ‘tragic backstory alert!’ vibes, and I couldn’t stop myself from asking.

“Um, how… did he pass away? It’s possible I’m misremembering again, so I just thought I’d ask…”

“Well… from what I know, he suffered severe depression and emotional instability in his final years. And then, on the day before the ceremony… the accident happened. It was truly heartbreaking.”

What do you mean ‘the accident happened’!? What accident!?

But the doctor clearly didn’t want to elaborate, trailing off awkwardly. Then he rushed into a litany of generic wellness advice such as get plenty of rest, avoid stress, take care of your health, as if desperate to change the subject. It couldn’t have been more obvious he didn’t want to talk about it.

Which, naturally, left me dying of curiosity. What kind of accident happens the day before a ‘ceremony’? Given how wealthy this family seems, it could’ve been any kind: funeral, commemoration, celebration, wedding… There are too many “ceremonies” to even begin guessing.

It was like watching a drama where the final clue to the murderer’s identity is about to be revealed, only for the episode to cut off with a shocked face and a banner ad for next week’s sponsor. Agh!

I racked my brain trying to think of a way to bring the topic back up, but it was no use. The doctor showed me the medication, explained its effects, and said he’d leave it with Mrs. Perkins, the housekeeper. Then he promptly fled the room.

And I? I was left completely drained. The unresolved mystery, the endless trail of half-hints, the cringe of my failed cover story, everything had sapped me.

“Aaaaaagh!”

That’s how I spent the afternoon, completely mentally derailed.

Then, the moment I regained my composure, I had a thought: if everything’s already a mess, might as well go all in.

Whatever! I’ve officially been labeled a severely delusional amnesiac, so from now on, I’m going to ask everyone everything, no filter. I’m going to barrage every person I meet with so many questions they’ll be left speechless.

…And if someday the original owner of this body comes back, I sincerely apologize. Please know I really did try my best to make this look natural. Anyway, I’m a free elf now. I can do whatever I want!

I jumped up and threw open the window. Something about the view made me feel like I needed to scream into the abyss like I was on a mountaintop.

Of course, it had to be sunset again.

Ugh. The scene with the doctor flashed back into my mind. I hurried to close the window again, only to spot something dark beyond the garden trees.

“What the…?”

In a garden ablaze with autumn hues, that shadowy figure stood out starkly. What was that? I completely forgot my earlier despair and squinted hard at it. The figure was tall and slender… It looked like a person. A tall man, maybe?

I leaned farther out the window, resting both arms on the ledge. As the angle shifted, the shadowed figure came into full view.

“Lord Moore?”

It was my fiancé. Whoa. I blinked several times, thinking maybe I’d imagined it, but that ridiculously handsome face was unmistakable. And wow, he had a great physique too. Even from a distance, his solid build and sculpted T-zone looked like something carved from a fountain statue… No, focus! That’s not the point. What was he doing here?

Having just achieved emotional liberation five minutes ago, I thought nothing of it and shouted,

“Lord Moore!! What are you doing here!?”

He looked startled for a moment, but turned toward me right away. That handsome man gave me a soft nod and walked over without hesitation. As he stepped out of the shadows, the sunset lit up his cheeks, making him look almost bashfully radiant. Honestly, this guy was unfairly attractive.

“I was taking a walk in the garden. I didn’t expect to see you today, but I’m glad we could exchange greetings like this.”

He spoke as if we’d just bumped into each other at a neighborhood park. What was this surreal situation? I blinked rapidly and asked,

“But how are you taking a walk in this garden at this hour? You even sent a letter…”

“Oh, I wrote that after I arrived at the estate.”

“What?”

Looking sheepish, he explained. He had rushed over with the medicine this morning, but my mother had refused to let him see me due to my condition. Since he had other engagements the next day and couldn’t return, he decided to wait at the estate on the off chance he might get to see me if my condition improved. As for the letter, he had sent it ahead via the staff just in case we couldn’t meet.

“I waited until just now, but when I didn’t hear anything from Madame Zauer, I got a little restless and came out for a walk.”

Most likely, my body’s mother had been too rattled after storming out earlier to inform him.

“I… I see.”

What was this pure-hearted devotion? I started blinking in disbelief for a whole new reason. That face, paired with a personality like some protected cultural asset… Is this even real? If I looked like that, I’d have lived recklessly. I was stunned into silence. But then his next words snapped me back to reality. 

“Did the checkup go okay, Rose?”

“…”

No, it didn’t.

I barely held myself back from blurting that out and chose to sidestep instead.

“I didn’t remember as much as I expected. So I just got a prescription for now. But it’s nothing serious. I’m not in pain or struggling to function or anything!”