"No, Grandma, I won't leave. If I leave, no one will take care of you."

Upon hearing this, the old lady repeated her previous words somewhat helplessly.

"Indeed, Clair is such a gentle child."

After a slight pause, the old lady spoke again.

"As Grandma said, Grandma won't be able to be with Clair anymore in the future, so Clair doesn't need to worry about Grandma. It's okay to pursue your own happiness."

Upon hearing this, the little girl finally understood.

"So, Grandma is doing this because of that..."

The little girl didn't finish her sentence. The immense feelings of self-blame and guilt made it hard for her to breathe.

It was her own fault for Grandma's current state. If it wasn't for her, Grandma might have lived a better life. Yes, it's all her fault. Thinking this way, her body started to tremble.

As if sensing the girl's thoughts, the old lady gently comforted her.

"Clair, you don't need to blame yourself. It's all Grandma's fault, and besides, even if it wasn't like this, Grandma doesn't have much time left."

"Oh?"

This answer left the girl speechless with surprise.

"In fact, Grandma has been hiding something from Clair. The truth is, Grandma only has a few months left to live."

"How is that possible?"

"Grandma's illness is incurable, and the recent attacks have been increasing in frequency."

"Why didn't I know about this?"

Though her tone seemed to question why the old lady kept it from her, in reality...

The girl was questioning herself, asking why she hadn't noticed all this time, even though she was the closest person to Grandma.

"I'm sorry, Grandma deliberately kept it from you because she didn't want you to worry. Grandma also really wanted to be with you. So, even though she doesn't have much time left, Grandma cherishes every day she spends with you."

"I really like Grandma, but if that's the case, why would Grandma..."

Every time she tried to say more, the girl couldn't continue.

Facing the tearful girl who couldn't speak, the old lady just smiled faintly.

"It's because Grandma realized."

"Oh?"

"Grandma realized that she will eventually leave you, Clair, and that she has been holding you back."

"Holding me back? I never thought that."

The girl exclaimed loudly as if to show her determination.

"I know that, Clair."

The old lady nodded slightly and then spoke again with a tone full of guilt.

"Though Grandma has always felt sorry for you, but this thought only happened this morning."

"Today morning?"

"Yes, when I heard that a wealthy person was willing to adopt you as their daughter, Grandma had this thought because Grandma knew you would refuse due to worrying about her, and Grandma also knew it was a rare opportunity that would not come again. So, Grandma had to do this because she didn't want to hold you back."

"No, that's not true. I'm happy being with Grandma, and I also rejected that person's request."

"As expected... But, Clair, you need to understand."

At this point, the old lady struggled to raise her left hand and gently caressed the girl's left cheek.

"You are a kind child, always thinking of others at all times. I think that is Clair's greatest strength, but at the same time, it is also Clair's greatest weakness."