The garden, at the beginning of summer, felt so clear it hurt my eyes. Even the reservoir behind the mansion was a deep blue.
White flowers are blooming on the hawthorn trees, and the delicious mulberries we planted when we moved in have ripened to a bright black color.
“Is this enough?”
Molly asked me, showing me a basketful of mulberries she had picked. She was going to preserve them in sugar and make jam.
“Yes, that should be enough. We’ll give everyone a bottle.”
Molly and the maids, who had been picking mulberries for a long time, had their fingertips stained purple. I was no exception. I hadn't been picking them with my bare hands.
“It’s good for your health, I’m looking forward to it. You said it’s also good for anti-aging.”
A middle-aged maid put a mulberry in her mouth and tasted it, saying, "I like it." I nodded, adjusting my wide-brimmed straw hat.
“Yes, in many ways. I thought it might help with his illness, too.”
Lately, Dr. Rugen hasn't been eating well and has been feeling quite lethargic. I'm worried that he's not feeling well. Unlike before, when Daniel would come to visit, he'd jump up and greet him, but now he just stares blankly.
As I was about to head to the dining room with a basket full of black mulberries, Boaz limped over, barked, and bit the hem of my skirt.
“Oh my! Then Madam can’t use it, Boaz.”
A maid tried to stop him, pulling at him, but Boaz groaned and refused to let go of my skirt. Seeing him exerting himself so forcefully, even though he wasn't fully recovered, it seemed he had something to say.
“I wonder what’s going on. I see you acting like you don’t normally do things.”
As soon as we put down the basket and talked to Molly, Boaz barked at us and headed off somewhere.
Dr. Rugen's wooden staff was lying alone in the garden leading to the back door of the mansion we had followed.
Boaz stopped and looked back at us.
A few steps later, I found Dr. Rugen lying flat in the bushes. Hawthorn petals had fallen on his pale face.
“Dr. Rugen.”
I called out to him, trying to wake him, but there was no answer. The weather was nice and warm, but his wrinkled, skinny hands felt chilled. The air around him felt like it was sinking into a chill. I'd sworn I'd never let anyone else hold me in my heart again, but the realization that he, too, had taken up a part of me, without my knowledge, was immediately overtaken by a crushing fear.
“Molly!”
At the sound of a single, shrieking call, Molly rushed over to check on Dr. Rugen. After feeling his pulse, she grabbed his arm and slid to his feet.
"It looks like he's collapsed. I'll move him inside and then call a doctor."
Several maids helped us carry Dr. Rugen to his room and place him on the bed. I gazed at the withered old man's graying hair, his wrinkled skin, wrinkled with age, like tree bark. I felt a sense of emptiness. I didn't want to experience another unexpected separation.
“Doctor, you said you wanted to see your grandson.”
His parents, younger sister, and son have all passed away, but his only blood relative might still be alive somewhere.
“Benedict.”
A voice, like a candle on the verge of going out, simmered with phlegm. Tears welled up in wrinkled eyes. The doctor who visited the mansion simply shook his head.
I asked the doctor.
“He was healthy until recently. What’s wrong?”
"His bodily functions have deteriorated significantly. They call it old age. The prognosis has been in the past few months. Please be mindful of his diet and absolutely refrain from alcohol."
What prognosis could he possibly give? I sat quietly and took Dr. Rugen's hard, wrinkled hand.
“His granddaughter was the one he looked for the most.”
I remembered what the hospital nurse had told me before my grandfather's death. He'd missed me so much, despite the constant bickering and squabbling. She'd also seen my grandfather, once fiery and energetic, like a tiger, so frail he couldn't even move a finger.
“I did that because I was afraid that if I died, there would be no one to take your ill-tempered side.”
Those were my grandfather's words.
Perhaps that was why they forced me to attend gatherings and play horseback riding and golf, telling me to meet lots of people and build connections. Perhaps they were the last people on my side in that world.
The doctor, having gathered his medical bag, left the room. I sat next to Dr. Rugen and looked out the window at the overcast sky.
“Doctor, you know how it feels to be alone, right?”
I asked him while he was asleep, but I didn't hear an answer.
After Dr. Rugen collapsed, his condition worsened, and he became bedridden, unable to move. I visited his room several times a day to feed him and check on his condition. He mostly remained in the past, occasionally returning to reality.
The old man, in reality, looked at his wrinkled hands and said.
"A philosopher once said that physical well-being should come before mental reform. He said to take a walk every day and focus on your health first."
“Yes. Because when you’re sick, you get depressed.”
“The same goes for youth. It's a gift given equally to everyone.”
Dr. Rugen smiled kindly at me.
“So, don’t be sick, Diana. And don’t be sad for too long.”
As soon as I heard those words, I felt a strange, melancholic feeling. A vague sense of unease rose within me. When lunchtime arrived, and I returned to his room with his meal, he had returned to the past. Dr. Rugen, lying on the bed, held my hand as I fed him some soup and called out to me about his long-dead sister.
“Solar.”
"Yes."
I answered.
"There's a research presentation coming up soon. If the research is recognized by the academic society, I'll receive a lot of research funding. Don't worry, Solar, I can pay for your wedding."
A young man with an old man's appearance spoke with a warm and affectionate voice. I nodded. Lying in bed, he gazed out the window, his face puffed with dreams, then a sad expression.
“And, I’m sorry I couldn’t go to the graduation ceremony, Solar.”
"It's okay."
"That drawing of a black-haired girl you showed me a while ago was really beautiful. Her sky-blue eyes were beautiful. Don't worry about getting into art school, I'll help you become a good artist."
“Did that girl look like she had black hair?”
“Yeah. It’s black. The Medeas’ hair color varies slightly, but to my eyes, they’re all the same black.”
Dr. Rugen often enjoyed looking at my drawings. He even said that the portraits I drew reminded him of his grandfather. Of course, he didn't know it was him.
I kept my eyes downcast. I don't know for sure if the woman named Solar ever achieved her dream of becoming a painter. All I know is that she died.
"It's the tiny things that make up the world that change it. This will be a new resource that will greatly benefit humanity."
“I see. You’ll do well.”
I offered simple encouragement, as I have no particular knowledge of this field. However, even with zero scientific knowledge, I am a modern person. I understand human history to some extent. He was talking about the atomic nucleus.
"They say a painting begins with a small dot and is formed from lines and planes. The picture you draw might have the power to change the world."
"That's right."
I took out something that had always been on my mind and asked him.
“Did you happen to be the one who discovered nuclear fission?”
Dr. Rugen's eyes widened as he lay flat on the bed. He struggled to raise his upper body, his expression a confused one. Instead of the excited voice of a young man, he asked in a weighty, composed tone.
“Solar, how do you know? Did you hear it from my son and daughter-in-law?”
I tilted my head and smiled faintly at his answer, which made me feel middle-aged in a short time.
"It's too early for humanity today. We won't be able to handle it."
"This is the beginning of human progress. I trust my son and daughter-in-law, who will inherit my research. They will contribute to the world with new resources."
Dr. Rugen lay down on the bed, muttering weakly.
I already understood why Noah was cooperating with Queen Medea. Why does he keep Dr. Rugen here to care for him, when he saw the massive bomber in Cynthia? Why was he searching for his grandson, Benedict? I understood everything about Noah's promise to give me the world.
The horrific atomic bomb that could wipe out humanity is being developed decades ahead of schedule. What currently fuels humanity is the war that will ultimately determine the size of a nation's territory. With a society so rife with disregard for life and a sense of superiority, the world could end up spiraling into tragedy.
Dr. Rugen likely didn't intend to do that. A scientist's discoveries bring a sense of accomplishment and joy, but their use has been murder and war. The research he hoped would benefit humanity ended up leading to the development of the atomic bomb, thanks to his son. So a family was struck by tragedy, and Dr. Rugen must have fled Frogen. I sighed.
"That's right. It will help build power plants in the future, save lives, and contribute greatly to medicine, resources, and industry."
“It seemed like you didn’t know anything about that.”
Dr. Rugen smiled faintly. I said nothing else.
Before I knew it, the sun had set, and it was dusk.
I welcomed Noah back to the mansion and had dinner with him. After dinner, Noah smiled as he saw me entering the bedroom and changing into my pajamas.
"I found Dr. Rugen's grandson. It was the man in Cynthia. I told him he was in critical condition, and only then did he say he would come to Loganfield."
I didn't ask Noah directly about Dr. Rugen and his son's research. Even if Dr. Rugen was delirious, Noah found my knowledge of nuclear energy strange. Furthermore, I had a gnawing feeling that if the doctor found out about me, he might disappear without a trace.
“Really? Are you trying to get him to meet the doctor?”
"Yes."
"Why?"
Dr. Rugen's condition is worsening day by day. To some, this might have been a natural intention, but Noah posed the question because his perspective differs from that of ordinary people. Furthermore, he once told me that Dr. Rugen would despair when he met his grandson.
“Because Benedict Rugen should be here too.”
Noah answered. I looked at him expressionlessly, and he put his arm around my shoulder and whispered.
“There are circumstances that require it.”
To learn the rest of the research knowledge, Dr. Rugen doesn't share? But there's no reason to keep a useless doctor here. Finally, I opened my mouth and asked.
“Is it related to what you were researching?”
"Yes."
“Dr. Libert was called here... so that he could continue his research here?”
“Some of it is true.”
“So that’s why you brought Dr. Rugen with you. To bring him back.”
My expression darkened noticeably. Noah's cloudy blue eyes narrowed.
“I guess you could say that.”
“What happens to Dr. Rugen once we find him?”
I tried to remain calm, but I was growing a bit agitated. Noah rubbed his lips and tilted his head.
“Would he like him to be here?”
"Yes."
Noah's eyes widened at the clear answer.
"Then that'll do. I don't know if it'll be of any use to him, but do you need it for portraits?"
“Because we’re like family.”
“Your family is me.”
“It’s similar.”
I reached out and rubbed my fingers over Noah's smooth cheek.
"I was practically without parents and grandparents. It was nice to have a grandfather for the first time."
He nodded as if he finally understood.
“Did you need something like a stand-in?”
It was a rather blunt statement that might have angered an ordinary person, but its meaning was not much different. I was projecting my own grandfather onto him. Dr. Rugen was also a part of my daily life, one of the people who existed within it.
“Yes, so I would like him to stay at the mansion.”
“Sure. Just let me know if you need anything.”
White flowers are blooming on the hawthorn trees, and the delicious mulberries we planted when we moved in have ripened to a bright black color.
“Is this enough?”
Molly asked me, showing me a basketful of mulberries she had picked. She was going to preserve them in sugar and make jam.
“Yes, that should be enough. We’ll give everyone a bottle.”
Molly and the maids, who had been picking mulberries for a long time, had their fingertips stained purple. I was no exception. I hadn't been picking them with my bare hands.
“It’s good for your health, I’m looking forward to it. You said it’s also good for anti-aging.”
A middle-aged maid put a mulberry in her mouth and tasted it, saying, "I like it." I nodded, adjusting my wide-brimmed straw hat.
“Yes, in many ways. I thought it might help with his illness, too.”
Lately, Dr. Rugen hasn't been eating well and has been feeling quite lethargic. I'm worried that he's not feeling well. Unlike before, when Daniel would come to visit, he'd jump up and greet him, but now he just stares blankly.
As I was about to head to the dining room with a basket full of black mulberries, Boaz limped over, barked, and bit the hem of my skirt.
“Oh my! Then Madam can’t use it, Boaz.”
A maid tried to stop him, pulling at him, but Boaz groaned and refused to let go of my skirt. Seeing him exerting himself so forcefully, even though he wasn't fully recovered, it seemed he had something to say.
“I wonder what’s going on. I see you acting like you don’t normally do things.”
As soon as we put down the basket and talked to Molly, Boaz barked at us and headed off somewhere.
Dr. Rugen's wooden staff was lying alone in the garden leading to the back door of the mansion we had followed.
Boaz stopped and looked back at us.
A few steps later, I found Dr. Rugen lying flat in the bushes. Hawthorn petals had fallen on his pale face.
“Dr. Rugen.”
I called out to him, trying to wake him, but there was no answer. The weather was nice and warm, but his wrinkled, skinny hands felt chilled. The air around him felt like it was sinking into a chill. I'd sworn I'd never let anyone else hold me in my heart again, but the realization that he, too, had taken up a part of me, without my knowledge, was immediately overtaken by a crushing fear.
“Molly!”
At the sound of a single, shrieking call, Molly rushed over to check on Dr. Rugen. After feeling his pulse, she grabbed his arm and slid to his feet.
"It looks like he's collapsed. I'll move him inside and then call a doctor."
Several maids helped us carry Dr. Rugen to his room and place him on the bed. I gazed at the withered old man's graying hair, his wrinkled skin, wrinkled with age, like tree bark. I felt a sense of emptiness. I didn't want to experience another unexpected separation.
“Doctor, you said you wanted to see your grandson.”
His parents, younger sister, and son have all passed away, but his only blood relative might still be alive somewhere.
“Benedict.”
A voice, like a candle on the verge of going out, simmered with phlegm. Tears welled up in wrinkled eyes. The doctor who visited the mansion simply shook his head.
I asked the doctor.
“He was healthy until recently. What’s wrong?”
"His bodily functions have deteriorated significantly. They call it old age. The prognosis has been in the past few months. Please be mindful of his diet and absolutely refrain from alcohol."
What prognosis could he possibly give? I sat quietly and took Dr. Rugen's hard, wrinkled hand.
“His granddaughter was the one he looked for the most.”
I remembered what the hospital nurse had told me before my grandfather's death. He'd missed me so much, despite the constant bickering and squabbling. She'd also seen my grandfather, once fiery and energetic, like a tiger, so frail he couldn't even move a finger.
“I did that because I was afraid that if I died, there would be no one to take your ill-tempered side.”
Those were my grandfather's words.
Perhaps that was why they forced me to attend gatherings and play horseback riding and golf, telling me to meet lots of people and build connections. Perhaps they were the last people on my side in that world.
The doctor, having gathered his medical bag, left the room. I sat next to Dr. Rugen and looked out the window at the overcast sky.
“Doctor, you know how it feels to be alone, right?”
I asked him while he was asleep, but I didn't hear an answer.
After Dr. Rugen collapsed, his condition worsened, and he became bedridden, unable to move. I visited his room several times a day to feed him and check on his condition. He mostly remained in the past, occasionally returning to reality.
The old man, in reality, looked at his wrinkled hands and said.
"A philosopher once said that physical well-being should come before mental reform. He said to take a walk every day and focus on your health first."
“Yes. Because when you’re sick, you get depressed.”
“The same goes for youth. It's a gift given equally to everyone.”
Dr. Rugen smiled kindly at me.
“So, don’t be sick, Diana. And don’t be sad for too long.”
As soon as I heard those words, I felt a strange, melancholic feeling. A vague sense of unease rose within me. When lunchtime arrived, and I returned to his room with his meal, he had returned to the past. Dr. Rugen, lying on the bed, held my hand as I fed him some soup and called out to me about his long-dead sister.
“Solar.”
"Yes."
I answered.
"There's a research presentation coming up soon. If the research is recognized by the academic society, I'll receive a lot of research funding. Don't worry, Solar, I can pay for your wedding."
A young man with an old man's appearance spoke with a warm and affectionate voice. I nodded. Lying in bed, he gazed out the window, his face puffed with dreams, then a sad expression.
“And, I’m sorry I couldn’t go to the graduation ceremony, Solar.”
"It's okay."
"That drawing of a black-haired girl you showed me a while ago was really beautiful. Her sky-blue eyes were beautiful. Don't worry about getting into art school, I'll help you become a good artist."
“Did that girl look like she had black hair?”
“Yeah. It’s black. The Medeas’ hair color varies slightly, but to my eyes, they’re all the same black.”
Dr. Rugen often enjoyed looking at my drawings. He even said that the portraits I drew reminded him of his grandfather. Of course, he didn't know it was him.
I kept my eyes downcast. I don't know for sure if the woman named Solar ever achieved her dream of becoming a painter. All I know is that she died.
"It's the tiny things that make up the world that change it. This will be a new resource that will greatly benefit humanity."
“I see. You’ll do well.”
I offered simple encouragement, as I have no particular knowledge of this field. However, even with zero scientific knowledge, I am a modern person. I understand human history to some extent. He was talking about the atomic nucleus.
"They say a painting begins with a small dot and is formed from lines and planes. The picture you draw might have the power to change the world."
"That's right."
I took out something that had always been on my mind and asked him.
“Did you happen to be the one who discovered nuclear fission?”
Dr. Rugen's eyes widened as he lay flat on the bed. He struggled to raise his upper body, his expression a confused one. Instead of the excited voice of a young man, he asked in a weighty, composed tone.
“Solar, how do you know? Did you hear it from my son and daughter-in-law?”
I tilted my head and smiled faintly at his answer, which made me feel middle-aged in a short time.
"It's too early for humanity today. We won't be able to handle it."
"This is the beginning of human progress. I trust my son and daughter-in-law, who will inherit my research. They will contribute to the world with new resources."
Dr. Rugen lay down on the bed, muttering weakly.
I already understood why Noah was cooperating with Queen Medea. Why does he keep Dr. Rugen here to care for him, when he saw the massive bomber in Cynthia? Why was he searching for his grandson, Benedict? I understood everything about Noah's promise to give me the world.
The horrific atomic bomb that could wipe out humanity is being developed decades ahead of schedule. What currently fuels humanity is the war that will ultimately determine the size of a nation's territory. With a society so rife with disregard for life and a sense of superiority, the world could end up spiraling into tragedy.
Dr. Rugen likely didn't intend to do that. A scientist's discoveries bring a sense of accomplishment and joy, but their use has been murder and war. The research he hoped would benefit humanity ended up leading to the development of the atomic bomb, thanks to his son. So a family was struck by tragedy, and Dr. Rugen must have fled Frogen. I sighed.
"That's right. It will help build power plants in the future, save lives, and contribute greatly to medicine, resources, and industry."
“It seemed like you didn’t know anything about that.”
Dr. Rugen smiled faintly. I said nothing else.
Before I knew it, the sun had set, and it was dusk.
I welcomed Noah back to the mansion and had dinner with him. After dinner, Noah smiled as he saw me entering the bedroom and changing into my pajamas.
"I found Dr. Rugen's grandson. It was the man in Cynthia. I told him he was in critical condition, and only then did he say he would come to Loganfield."
I didn't ask Noah directly about Dr. Rugen and his son's research. Even if Dr. Rugen was delirious, Noah found my knowledge of nuclear energy strange. Furthermore, I had a gnawing feeling that if the doctor found out about me, he might disappear without a trace.
“Really? Are you trying to get him to meet the doctor?”
"Yes."
"Why?"
Dr. Rugen's condition is worsening day by day. To some, this might have been a natural intention, but Noah posed the question because his perspective differs from that of ordinary people. Furthermore, he once told me that Dr. Rugen would despair when he met his grandson.
“Because Benedict Rugen should be here too.”
Noah answered. I looked at him expressionlessly, and he put his arm around my shoulder and whispered.
“There are circumstances that require it.”
To learn the rest of the research knowledge, Dr. Rugen doesn't share? But there's no reason to keep a useless doctor here. Finally, I opened my mouth and asked.
“Is it related to what you were researching?”
"Yes."
“Dr. Libert was called here... so that he could continue his research here?”
“Some of it is true.”
“So that’s why you brought Dr. Rugen with you. To bring him back.”
My expression darkened noticeably. Noah's cloudy blue eyes narrowed.
“I guess you could say that.”
“What happens to Dr. Rugen once we find him?”
I tried to remain calm, but I was growing a bit agitated. Noah rubbed his lips and tilted his head.
“Would he like him to be here?”
"Yes."
Noah's eyes widened at the clear answer.
"Then that'll do. I don't know if it'll be of any use to him, but do you need it for portraits?"
“Because we’re like family.”
“Your family is me.”
“It’s similar.”
I reached out and rubbed my fingers over Noah's smooth cheek.
"I was practically without parents and grandparents. It was nice to have a grandfather for the first time."
He nodded as if he finally understood.
“Did you need something like a stand-in?”
It was a rather blunt statement that might have angered an ordinary person, but its meaning was not much different. I was projecting my own grandfather onto him. Dr. Rugen was also a part of my daily life, one of the people who existed within it.
“Yes, so I would like him to stay at the mansion.”
“Sure. Just let me know if you need anything.”
“No, it’s okay.”
I tried to smile.
“Noah, I wish you were just an ordinary person.”
Two days later, Molly came knocking busily on the bedroom door, telling me that Dr. Benedict Rugen had arrived at the mansion.
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