"Another letter?" The white haired man scoffed in annoyance. His girlfriend stood in front of him holding piles of letters he's received.

"Sadly..." she replied creating 2 piles with the letters. Discarding any letter that had some form of wealthy family seal.

"God I wish they would stop, what part of 'I have a fiancée right now stop asking for my hand in marriage' do they not understand?!" Joseph snapped the pen he was holding and started to curse to himself. Deep down, ________ knew why wealthy families were constantly sending letters. After the break off from Marie, she immediately told her friends and family to make Joseph look bad. Everything got even worst for the 2 when he announced their marriage, and people were furious that it was with a peasant girl. The reactions weren't very nice but the 2 simply enjoyed their time together in the short time they had during the day when Joseph is swarmed with paperwork.

"Mon Cherie, stop thinking about that, it's not your fault." Joseph stood behind the maid and held her in his arms kissing her cheek.

"Sorry, I just, it's hard you know..?" The girl said quietly as Joseph tried his best to comfort her. He held her gently as he embraced her warmth as they stood in his office. Joseph didn't care much of the public's opinion, he just wanted to enjoy his life as much as he can with the people he loved. He knew time was a cruel thing, it took his brother when they were younger, and it took his mother away not long ago. Joseph knew that it's better to cherish life before it disappears before your own eyes.

"Do you want to do it right now..?" The white haired man asked as he kissed her neck.

"In the office..? What if someone comes in-"

"The door is locked. And if they're persistent I'll just make them leave alright?" Joseph turned his fiancées body around to have her chest pressed up against him. She caved in and gave him a timid nod, allowing Joseph to absolutely ravage her fragile body.

꧁ꕥ꧂

It was past midnight, the 2 was absolutely passed out on the massive bed that sat in Joseph's also massive room. Joseph stirred in his sleep, a nightmare running through his mind. Due to the discomfort, _______ slowly woke up from her slumber. Holding her head up, the female turned around to see the mop of blond hair trembling slightly. Despite being sore from her bottom down, the female crawled over towards her fiancé to hold him. She laid down in front of him, holding his face with her hand grazing the soft porcelain skin. Joseph's quick response was to hold whatever was in front of him, resulting with the female pressing her face against his chest. His heartbeat was racing, and over time it began to slow down. Joseph was muttering in his sleep as he began to clutch onto the frail body more.

For the longest time, it was peaceful, just 2 people laying there, until a cough came out of _______. She began to hold her hand over her mouth to try and calm it down, but the soft jerking caused the other to wake up. Joseph quickly sat up to prop up her body next to him.

"Are you okay..?" He asks once the coughing finally settled. He gently held his large hand over her cheek, _______ nodded slightly taking in small breaths.

"Go back to sleep joseph...." the female patted his chest wear his heart was. The blonde couldn't sleep. He was wide awake after hearing her coughing fits. Joseph held a hand up to her forehead feeling a slight fever.

"I'm calling a doctor tomorrow." The blond said quietly laying his fiancée back down on the bed, pulling the covers over the 2. "Sleep tight ________..." Joseph wrapped his arms around her body.

꧁ꕥ꧂

Joseph stood there waiting, he called a doctor over not long ago. He paced back and fourth in his room, obvious that his fiancée was still asleep which concerned him more. She was always a morning person, he was so used to waking up to kisses in the morning that it didn't feel right at all for her to stay this long in bed.

"Sir Joseph? The doctor is here. Do you want me to escort him in here?" A maid knocked on his door, Joseph quickly said yes and waited for the man to come in.

"Joseph...? What are you doing up before me..?" The noble quickly whipped his head around to see her body sitting up on their bed, rubbing her eye from sleep and yawning.

"Sweetie...it's half past 11. You've been asleep and after last night I had to call a doctor for you." Joseph sat down beside her as she got into another coughing fit.

"It's just a cough like I told you...stop being such a worry wart." _______ smiles as she leaned into the touch of her fiancé.

"Lord Joseph?" A man called out from the door, Joseph turned his head around to greet him. The doctor walked over placing his medical bag on the night stand. He touched around ________'s body, asking wether if certain parts hurts, and checking her eyes. Joseph stood on the side hitting his nails in worry, he was scared of the one thing that he didn't want to happen. He felt chills in his spine as the doctor finished his examination, writing down in his book.

"It's too early to say anything, I'd say for now, make sure she rests and I can provide some painkillers. I'll be back in a week if her condition worsens." Joseph sighed heavily thanking the doctor as he left.

"You, Mademoiselle. Are staying in bed for the next few days." Joseph demanded as he sat back down next to ________ holding both of her hands. "I don't want you to get sicker alright..?" He pushed her back under the blankets pulling out another heavy cover.

"Joseph I'll be fine...At least let me walk around..."

"No." The baguette man said dropping the other later on top of her. "Now you stay here while I go get you some soup alright? Is there anything you want in particular?"

"A baguette." Joseph deadpanned at her joke, it was always a thing between them for her to insult the man about being French for fun. Joseph gave a laughter like sigh before leaving and locking his door to make sure she doesn't leave. Even after no longer being a maid after his proposal ________ still preferred to work as one since the schedules been engraved into her body.

Joseph continued down to the kitchen, greeting every servant that crossed his path. Upon reaching the kitchen, he smelled the delicious food steaming out.

"Oui it's Joseph! What can I get cha?" Sebastian smiled at the taller man.

"Do you guys have any soup and bread available? My mandy has fallen sick and I don't want her to consume solids." Joseph asked.

"But of course! We have potato soup and some baguettes we can slice for you, just give us a minute!" Sebastian disappeared behind the doors as Joseph stood there waiting. The worry started to eat at him again. What if she wasn't just having a small sickness? What if it was something deadly? What if she ends up dying?-

"Joseph! Here ya go!" Sebastian dropped a tray full of food in front of him. 2 bowls of soup and many slices of bread sitting on the side. Joseph thanked him and continued with his way.

꧁ꕥ꧂

2 weeks have gone by. ________ got a bit better in the first week, but by the second one rolled in, everything turned upside down. Blood and vomit started to emerge every other day, scaring Joseph half to death.

Today was no better.

"What do you mean there is no cure?!" Joseph yelled at the doctor holding him up by his collar in anger.

"I-I'm Sorry! But your fiancée has yellow fever! We currently don't have a vaccine developed for it-" Joseph let go of the man as he scrambled to get himself up together.

"Get out." Joseph huffed out. The doctor quickly left after not wanting to face the scary man again. This was the 14th doctor joseph asked to find a cure for ________. His world was falling apart once again and he wasn't ready to accept it, not after losing so many people already. Joseph sighed, leaving the hallway once again into his room of his ill fiancée, bedridden for days. A bucket next to her side to catch any vomit and blood that wanted to come out. The noble stood at her bedside caressing her cheek, ________'s skin has become as white as snow and it was frightening.

"Joseph...?" The maiden say quietly opening her eyes. Joseph frowned at the sight in front of him, her eyes were red from bleeding ever so often.

"I'm here ______..." he said quietly sitting down. "I'll never leave your side...."

"I'm going to die aren't I...? There's no cure for what I have...." ________ breathed out, Joseph can tell she was straining her voice just to simply talk now.

"I'm going to find a cure for you...please....I'm not ready for you to leave yet...we haven't even had our wedding yet..." Joseph helped the girl sit up, against his inner wishes as she gave him puppy eyes to be sat up. _______ pressed her head into the neck of the blond as she held one hand over his chest where his heart raced.

"Joseph...promise me something..."

"What is it..?" He asks holding the hand on his chest, tears starting to strain out of his eyes.

"Promise me...you'll move on, I know it's hard...losing so many people in such a short time...but please, I know I won't be there this time...." Joseph's tears couldn't be held in anymore, tears ran down his face as he slowly accepted the reality. The love of his life is dying.

"Can you take a picture..?" The girl requested, Joseph was confused at her words as she pointed at his camera in the corner of the room. "You should do a test run right?" She smiles before coughing once again, Joseph quickly held her up by the bucket as more blood spilled out of her mouth.

"You should rest...." the noble said quietly.

"Not until you take a picture." Despite being ill, ______ still had the fight to argue. Joseph sighed and stood up to grab his camera, fumbling with the machine as he placed it down by the bed. He set a countdown from 15 seconds to give him time to get back on the bed. Joseph sat back down as ________ pressed herself up against him kissing his lips as the light shuddered. "I pronounce us, husband and wife..." ________ said quietly after the camera flash, Joseph was confused as her head dropped onto his shoulder.

The time had come.

Joseph began to tap her face with his hand trying to wake her up, but to no avail. Realization hit him hard once he noticed her not breathing anymore. He knew why she wanted a picture so badly now, to cherish their last moment together forever in a single frame. Tears streamed down the side of his face as he held her body closer to him, praying over and over again in his mind that this was just a dream and she's still healthy. Maybe tethering the garden or making him breakfast, anything that meant she was alive and well. Joseph cried harder then anytime he did that day. He didn't move at all in the next few hours, just sitting there comatose, with the body of his now deceased wife.

"I promise you, I'll see you again, and if I don't, I'll chase you to the ends of the earth to find you again..." Joseph said quietly, laying down her body on their bed. Even after death, her face was in peace smiling.

꧁ꕥ꧂

Joseph woke up in a cold sweat. He looked around where he was, a small room with basic bedroom items placed around. He pressed his hand up on his forehead to wipe away the sweat. Breathing heavily, he stood up from his bed making his way to his dresser. He frowned upon seeing the picture he had sitting on the top. It was the same picture he took when his wife died in his arms, tears started to swell up again in his eyes as he let it fall onto the glass pane he was holding. Joseph moves his fingers to caress the small face of his wife, quietly saying to himself...

"I love you ________ desaulnier."

꧁ꕥ꧂