Chapter 145: The One Thing That Won’t Fade Even in Infinite Time
Rosalinde had experienced a few minor incidents, like being surprised when she met Maybach, but overall, her days were passing peacefully.
Other than her regular exercise, she mostly stayed indoors, citing concerns for her health, often busying herself with her embroidery hobby in her room.
Or perhaps she was in the living room, playing Board Games with the family.
Either way, she seemed to be living calmly, free from major stress.
Meanwhile, I finished writing ‘Dragon Quest II’ and started working on ‘Final Fantasy’.
Since the most time-consuming parts of writing a story—the “concept” and “plot”—were completely plagiarized, all I had to do was grab passages from masterpieces I’d read sometime in the past that were floating around in my head, patch them together, and voilà, a readable work was complete.
Besides, there aren’t many people writing entertainment books in this era anyway. Even if there are some rough spots, everyone overlooks them.
Speaking of which, didn’t old novels have quite a few rough spots too? I won’t name names, though!
In other words, in a world where the very culture of “novels” is barely in its infancy, perhaps not even existing, even a book written by an amateur like me can become a hit!
It might sound bad, but in modern times, the Odyssey, the Iliad, Beowulf—they aren’t that interesting, are they, when viewed purely as entertainment?
Modern entertainment products, battered nearly to death by the harsh waves of commerce, should inherently be more interesting.
Well, of course, people’s perceptions differ because the times are different, that’s certain, but the sheer volume shouldn’t be underestimated, right?
It’s like research; fields with many papers are usually refined. Conversely, minor fields often struggle… That much should be obvious even to a layman.
So, there I was, playing at being overpowered by dabbling in an undeveloped field, while Rosalinde lived quietly.
Somehow… we haven’t really been doing anything particularly couple-like, have we?
If I don’t pay enough attention to the family, it’ll be disadvantageous during divorce mediation, so I need to properly care for her… Not that I’m planning to get divorced.
No, really… it’s still a trauma, you know.
I was aware I was careless with women, but after getting married, I didn’t really do anything… I was too busy with work to even think about it. But the attitude was like, “You did it in the past, so you must still be doing it now, right?”
Anyway, I need to take care of things.
I have to look after her.
“Rosalinde.”
“What is it, dear?”
Rosalinde’s face was gradually becoming less like that of a woman and more like that of a mother.
“Is everything alright?”
“Yes, nothing’s wrong?”
“If anything comes up, tell me right away!”
“Yes, I know.”
Rosalinde and I exchanged smiles.
Yes, yes, we’re being a ‘married couple’!
Just then, Rosalinde, still smiling that same smile, asked me this.
“…Am I properly fulfilling the image of the married couple you desire?”
Hmm?
“Ah, of course, you are.”
“Fufu, you’re a liar, aren’t you?”
Hmm…
“Why do you say that?”
“You know? When you lie, you always smile?”
Is that so?
I don’t feel like I do…
No, is she trying to trick me here?
“Is that right…?”
I put on a puzzled expression and stroked my cheek.
“…You’re amazing, dear. Even Father was fooled by that just now.”
Ah, so that’s it, she was trying to trick me.
Alright, should I pretend to be angry?
If you just grin foolishly when you’re deceived, you’ll get cut down by the One-Eyed Dragon. The type of vessel that can pour both poison and sake…!
“That’s cruel, Rosalinde. Trying to trick me out of the blue like that…”
“Fufu, sorry? …But, I can tell, you know? You… you don’t need me, do you?”
“That’s not true. You’re precious to me…”
“More than yourself?”
That’s…
“You always act like you’re ready to cut someone, something, off at any time, right? You don’t depend on anyone…”
“That’s…”
“You see, Dru. I can’t live without you anymore. That’s how much I like you, how much I love you. …But you can live happily even without me. Am I wrong?”
Ah…
Give me a break, why do I have to engage in political battles within my own home?
Let’s be clear.
“That’s right. If you were gone, I’d be very sad. It would be painful. …But that’s all. If that happened, I’d probably find somewhere else and live loving someone else.”
Yes, this.
Perhaps because of the trauma from my previous life, even if I come to love someone, I make sure not to become dependent.
I cultivate many hobbies, find purpose in life beyond “living for others,” and try not to entrust my heart to people.
I’m already too old to love someone with my life on the line.
I can believe what they say, but I cannot truly trust them. Not anyone, not anything.
“Ah… That’s, that’s not it. I’m not angry, saying it’s wrong. It’s just, I… I just wanted you to tell me the truth. Not a lie to please me, but your true feelings…”
“Rosa. Rosalinde. It’s better not to know other people’s true feelings. You can’t know them anyway. …Focus on how you feel. Thinking that way is more constructive.”
“You’re right, Dru. People’s hearts are fickle things, aren’t they? …But, Dru? I love you right now, okay? Please remember me, the me who loved you at this very moment?”
Ah… yeah.
That’s right.
No matter how terrible a life is, memories…
“Yes, Rosalinde. I’ll remember. Even after a hundred years, even after a thousand…”