She thought it would be easy after knowing what happens in the future, but alas, it still hurt her more than it should. Death was never an easy discussion, to begin with.
The young maiden unconsciously turned her knuckles white as she stared down at the wooden door. Standing outside the small humble house that was once home to one of her closest friends, Mona Giocondo, somehow had her stomach churn. She felt like throwing up. Although things got better for Mona's reincarnation in the 21st century, the fact that she died in this period of time and left her loved ones remained. The memory of Mona kneeling at the gallows under tumultuous rain and blood-soaked clothes flashed in Briar Rosette's mind through haunting cuts. Judging by the quickened heartbeat and the uncontrollably trembling legs—anxiety had hit her stone cold. She took a deep, preparatory breath before finally knocking on the door.
Within a few seconds, the door opened halfway, revealing a middle-aged man with his arm reliant against a stick that supported his limp state. "Who goes there?"
"It is I, Rosette." She bowed and exchanged silent regards with Fernando Giocondo who, in return, was surprised by her unanticipated visit. "May I come in, Mr. Giocondo?"
His smile was of warm welcome, yet his eyes failed to hide his woebegone condition. They were glassy and dull, empty and full all at once. Rosette knew the reason why of course. How could she not? Mona sacrificed so much of herself and her dreams for the freedom of Grand.
The very same Grand that stands victorious and resilient today.
Mona could not even get to dance at the ball that she admired from the shadows her entire life.
Without her successful delivery of the letter, the Kingdom of Duva would have never given assistance during the Revolution right when the Grandees needed the Duvians most. They emerged winners, but was it worth celebrating? Hundreds of pools of blood, sweat, and tears were shed that night of May 5th 1789 and almost half of the Royal Palace was destroyed.
And the incredibly devastating part of that terrible, terrible night was...
His hand holding hers. Them jumping off a cliff. Him going missing.
It was supposed to be her.
Why does she always end up making the worse kind of mistakes in spite of her desperation to be better? Why is the universe being so cruel to her? Why did it have to be her undergoing this predicament?
He should at least be alive out there somewhere, right? Right?
Rosette was almost close to tears when she became aware of her wandering thoughts.
Ah, she looked at the tiny wildflowers blooming from a pile of tiny rocks and damp dirt to conjure some sort of distraction, I'm thinking about him again.
Once she raised her head, she noticed Sephine Giocondo peeking just several steps away from the door. There was a basket of laundry in her arms. Her usual tied hair appeared grayer than it was before.
"Oh my, is that...?" Mona's mother pointed at the young maiden with a gasp as she turned to her husband for confirmation. The man nodded affirmatively.
The basket of laundry fell to the floor.
Rosette panicked. "Mrs. Giocondo, I—"
"You are alive!" The woman cried out, hugging Rosette tightly without any hint of hesitation.
Alive. The word echoed as though it bounced off the walls. I'm alive. She's not. Why is everyone still so kind to me? Why are they happy to see me, the harbinger of the war, alive?
YOU ARE READING
Slowly and Sadly ー BTS
Fanfictie[ON GOING] ❝Did you know that if you play it differently, it becomes a different piece?❞ The Revolution was over. The Kingdom of Grand was spared from the wicked king. A month has passed in the 21st century since Briar Rosette returned to her timeli...
