Re:Zero EX "Confusing Life in Another World from Zero Ⅱ"
This will be an annual April Fool's Day project, a bad joke.
Please think of it as an extra chapter unrelated to the main story and enjoy it with a broad mind.
"The pillow feels different......"
Subaru muttered softly as she checked the soft feeling behind her head.
The unusual feeling of waking up was not limited to the pillow. Subaru's body, which is just slightly larger than the average height of a Japanese woman, the bed that was receiving her, the smooth sheets, everything was so different from usual.
"Boring, Continuing Life in Another World......"
Gasping, Subaru woke up from her sleep and confirmed this fact, annoyed by the feel of her slicked-back hair spreading to the nape of her neck.
Subaru woke up to a huge room with a very large bed and plenty of space for it, which was out of the ordinary for someone from a middle-class family.
Since it is addressed to Subaru, an uninvited gentile, she assumes that it is probably a guest room and not one or two rooms of this size.
"There's nooo wound in my stomach. I can't even find any stitches, and the doctors in the other world are very good. If they give me a scar, I won't be able to get a bride."
Subaru, who got off the bed with such light talk and checked the white skin of her flopped stomach, bent her head and nodded her head, savoring the inconvenience of not having an elastic to put her hair together.
This means--,
"Well, I guess that means I'm not 'returning by death' this time."
And, at the end of the attack on the stolen warehouse, she received the news with relief that she seemed to have her life saved from a tremendous amount of blood loss.
△▼△▼△▼△
Natsuki Subaru, a flowery high school girl, is suddenly summoned to another world.
Subaru was thrown into another world without any special skills of her own, but she had special powers that had been promised to her in many otherworldly objects since ancient times.
The name is "Return by Death" --a superb power that allows one to go back in time by losing one's life, to avoid the tragedy that has befallen them, and to try and bring about the future that they desire.
"Well, it's a cheat ability that I would never use again if I could because I suffer so much when I try to activate it......"
"You've got a lot of nerve talking to yourself in a man's castle, as a matter of fact, little girl."
"Ohh, the first villager spoke to me."
If one could choose one's abilities when summoned to another world, there wouldn't be so many things as bad a draw as this, a voice said in the back of Subaru's head as she lamented.
In front of Subaru's eyes as she turns around, a small figure sits on a stepladder in the middle of a large storeroom, staring at her with eyes fixed on the floor.
--He was a short boy around ten years old with curly short cream-colored hair and a reddish-purple overall tailcoat.
His round, bluish eyes have a distinctive pattern, and a slightly cocky expression is clinging to his lovely, well-formed face. A large book is open on the knee of his short pants, and he seems to be annoyed at being interrupted in his reading.
Nevertheless--,
"That cute little face won't work on a high school girl who can usually get away with saying 'cuuuuutteee' to any mammal smaller than herself."
"......Not only did you ruin Vicha's elaborate labyrinth, but you also lacked respect by saying and doing things that made no sense at all, as a matter of fact."
"By 'labyrinth', do you mean that seemingly endless looping hallway? I'm sorry, I drew the right answer the first time. I'm not only bad at that, but I'm also bad at reading my intuition. I'm sorry."
Raising one hand and winking, Subaru talks about the hallway outside the storeroom - the room where she first woke up and was involved in some unusual phenomenon.
By passing the decorated pictures, vases, and uninterrupted carpeting and the door with the same lowered plate several times, Subaru decided that it was a hallway that kept repeating itself endlessly. So, without hesitation, Subaru chose the first bedroom door.
When she opened it, sure enough, the connection was not to the first room, but to the curly-haired shorty that probably created that hallway.
"What are you going to do? What do you say I go out and surprise you again? If it makes you feel good about yourself, I'll give you the performance of your life."
"......Good grief, as a matter of fact. Get a grip, Vicha is running out of patience."
"Ara?"
As she says this, the young child with a book folded up gets off the stepladder and walks toward Subaru.
The atmosphere was somehow intimidating, and Subaru was unable to move her legs to back away, and was forced to close the distance with a stick. Then, an outstretched hand gently touches Subaru's stomach.
"No."
"If that's all you have left to say, then you're a joke to the end of the line, as a matter of fact."
"Gyah--?!"
Instantly, Subaru's entire body is struck by the impact, starting with the child's palm against her stomach.
Unable to even think of holding on, Subaru collapsed on the spot helplessly. Although she was the underling, the young child did not even support Subaru's body.
Thanks to this, she hit her head on the floor. The carpet was soft and plush, though, so it didn't hurt.
"But, I'm not a gentleman, I'm a boy...... in two ways in this case."
"I'm surprised you can still speak. You are not wrong in your assessment. --Do not measure such a precious being as Vicha by your own yardstick, as a matter of fact, human."
With that very cold and thirsty pronouncement as the last word, Subaru's consciousness fades away.
Anyway, I have been losing consciousness too often since I was summoned to another world, and I was worried that I might get cold from sleeping on the ground too much even though I was a young and envious maiden.
△▼△▼△▼△
"Oh, she's awake, bro."
"Yes, she's awake, Reu."
Again, a soft and uncomfortable feeling in the back of her head, same below.
What brought Subaru back to reality, after her consciousness had been rudely interrupted, was the sound of two young men's voices coming from behind closed eyelids, from tomorrow, when she would be visiting.
"Not only did she wake up, but she was seen sleeping, and her maiden index plummeted with a noise......"
It's not such a big deal, but thank goodness the Constitution guarantees minimum rights even to faces that aren't that big of a deal.
A constitution is like the opposite of a schoolgirl fad, but perhaps it should also state there that one should not take a maiden's sleeping and waking face lightly.
It would be strange if it were not so. If it is not protected by the Constitution, how do the maidens, who are also ashamed of other flowers, endure this shame and humiliation?
"I will continue to fight resolutely with the Constitution......! I will continue to fight with the Constitution until the world is rid of the man who peeks into a maiden's bed and wakes up disillusioned and utters unnecessary words......!"
"Oh, I sense a great deal of unnecessary enthusiasm, bro."
"Ah, a woman who has also wasted her life with useless talk and useless thoughts, Reu."
I'm so mad, you two, get out of the front door! I'm so mad, both of you come outside! I'll fix it!"
Subaru finally jumps up after a series of harsh words and shatters the shame of waking up from sleep.
In front of Subaru, who had repelled the sheets at that rate, looking at them from the foot side of the bed on which Subaru was sleeping, were two slender, slender silhouettes.
They had different hair colors, peach and blue, but their faces and eyes were identical, as were their butler's uniforms.
Upon seeing the two, Subaru's momentum of leaping up stops - or is swept away in the other direction.
"I-I-I-It's the handsome twin butlers......!!"
The twins, each with bob-cut hair and slightly longer bangs that hide one eye, are symmetrical, except for their hair color, which makes Subaru's heart flutter.
However, the response from the two to Subaru's high praise was not positive.
The blue-haired young man scowled slightly, and the peach-haired young man gave him a blatantly contemptuous look.
"Guh...... hold it together, me......! The net result is that when they were sleeping in the mansion, they must have thought of the possibility of a good-looking butler. If this had been a good-looking guy, I would have lost my mind."
"Bro, this visitor, is there something wrong with her?"
"Reu, I don't have to tell you, it's too late for her bad head."
"I mean, the way your brother said it was really terrible!"
Subaru bites at the rather strong tongue, but the twin butlers' attitude is cool.
In the meantime, if they are to be treated as guests, they should be treated more like princesses, like butterflies and flowers.
"On that note, I'm sure Emilio-kyun will be much kinder to me......"
"--Is the Emilio-kyun you're talking about, me?"
"Oh."
And as her lips twitched at the twin butler's brusque attitude, she unexpectedly heard a third person's voice, a voice that gently shook Subaru's eardrums and sweetly trembled her chest.
Turning around, she sees the half-open door to the room and a figure peeking out of it - a beautiful figure with dark blue eyes and silver hair, a beauty that captivates Subaru's soul at first glance.
"I'm glad to hear that, Subaru. You woke up safely."
"Emilio-kyun has come!!"
The appearance of Emilio - a young man who smiles softly and is sincerely happy for Subaru's safety - makes Subaru open his bad eyes and his much-cursed eyes and exclaim.
Emilio was surprised at Subaru's excitement, and then his lips relaxed and asked,
"What is this 'kyun' you speak of? Where did that come from?"
What a simple and difficult question to answer.
△▼△▼△▼△
"Nice to meet you, Natsuki Subaru. I am Roswaal L. Mathers, the oooowner of this mansion."
Subaru was invited to the breakfast table and was introduced to Roswaal L. Mathers, a presumably beautiful woman with indigo hair who claimed to be the owner of the mansion.
Why do you call them presumably beautiful women--,
"Why the mask......"
"Of course, it's part of my hobby. It's more curious when it's mysterious, isn't it?"
Roswaal shrugs ger shoulders without offense, the left half of ger face covered by a white mask. The mask looks like half of a clown's mask, with a clownish smile on its face. The visible right half of her face, combined with her yellow eyes, makes her look like a beautiful woman, though perhaps the mask is the result of facial injuries or other reasons.
"I don't see any sadness in her past, from what I've read."
"It's annoying to agree, but it's not a bad look, as a matter of fact. It's more ridiculous to ask for a reason for every single thing Roswaal does, as a matter of fact."
"And, with the blessing of a cheeky shota."
She snaps her fingers and point in that direction, and at the end of the long white cloth-covered table, a young child also seated there makes a disgusted face.
It seems that the little boy she encountered when she first woke up in the mansion was not just an existence in a dream Subaru had, but a real-life shota.
At this exchange between Subaru and the young child, Roswaal raised her eyebrows and said, "Heh",
"I was wondering if you and Victor are already getting along. I thought you didn't talk to me very often these days, have you gotten over your shyyyyness?"
"It's a superfluous and misguided understanding, Roswaal."
"Look, I can't hang on as yoooou can see."
Roswaal shows her raised hands and shows the value of her relationship with Victor - a pinched little boy.
She is not quite sure of Victor's position in the mansion. From the looks of it, he does not seem to be the son of Roswaal, but should she suspect a complicated family environment?
Even in a different world, the ties and troublesome affairs of noble families are likely to lie dormant in noble families' homes.
At any rate--,
"I can't believe Emilio is a candidate for king...... I mean, he's a prince."
"I'm not a prince. I don't have a deep relationship with the Royal Castle or the Royal Capital. I was just added as one of the candidates for the next king's election, in accordance with the pact of the 'Divine Dragon'."
"I don't know much about the Divine Dragon or the pact, but the proof of the candidate is called......"
"It's the insignia that Subaru was trying to get back for me in the Royal Capital~"
A glance was given to Tink, who was properly provided with a small set of dishes for herself at the table, and she took over the last of Subaru and Emilio's conversation.
A spirit who contracts with Emilio and calls herself his mother substitute, she holds the insignia as if she were holding it in her short hands and shows it off.
That is the insignia that Subaru struggled to regain, and that is the very McGuffin, the McGuffin that had to lose its life three times in the royal capital--.
"But I'm standing here like this. I'm also standing here with my stomach wound unharmed! Oh, and thanks for fixing this for me, Emilio."
"Oh, it wasn't me who healed you, it was Victor. Victor is very knowledgeable in all kinds of magic."
"What, that cheeky pants?!"
"I am now regretting having cured her, as a matter of fact. If I had known she was such a rude and noisy girl, I would not have helped her, as a matter of fact."
"No, sorry, sorry, I'm just embarrassed. Thanks for saving my life, Fat Vic. I'm sure I'll repay you for this favor one of these days."
"Before that, what did you call Vicha, as a matter of fact?!"
Subaru throws a kiss at Victor, who rolls his eyes and yells in a cute voice.
Then she looks again at Emilio and Tink, who is lying down with the insignia in front of her.
"If I hadn't helped him, he would have lost his emblem and Emilio would have been in big trouble! And so on."
"--. Yeah, that's right. I owe Subaru a very big debt. A debt that can't be repaid by anything more than healing my stomach wound."
"The family also knew that if Emilio, who had backed her, were to drop out before the start of the Royal Election, it would be a seeeerious blow. I think we must repay Subaru-kun in any way we can for preventing that from haaaaappening."
"If it's the way I want it to be, then my wish is the ONLY ONE! If so, my wish is the only one! The only one!"
Subaru vigorously slammed down her demands, pointing the fingers of both hands at both Emilio and Roswaal, who were probably the two most powerful people in the room.
Subaru's hope, it is simple.
"Please hire me at this place!"
--The plan was to live together with a boy of her choice under one roof, in order to launch a thorough offensive, a scheme reminiscent of the old days.
△▼△▼△▼△
"I'm worried that you're too greedy, Subaru. I'd be...... worried if all you wanted in return was my name or a job at the mansion."
This was Emilio's response to Subaru's request for employment opportunities.
Emilio's chest was turned into a needle mouse with a heart arrow by the beautiful young man's lowered eyebrows and sincerely concerned attitude toward her, but that's about it.
Fortunately, Subaru's request to be hired was easily granted, and with Roswaal's permission, Natsuki Subaru was safely welcomed as a member of the Roswaal family.
To build a solid foundation for life in a different world with no one to rely on.
Subaru was relieved to have secured it, although she did not think too much about how big an advantage it was.
But on the other hand, if there is one thing she thinks they may have done a little too soon,
"This maid outfit is very revealing! Isn't this too awe-inspiring for me to wear?!"
A maid at the Roswaal mansion, in the sleeves of her formal uniform, Subaru half-cries and complains about the shortness of her skirt and the soothing sensation of cool air passing through her back.
Naturally, as a hired hand, she intended to follow the rules of the mansion, but the baptism of another world that disregarded functional beauty was merciless, and it was determined to destroy Subaru's self-esteem.
"These outfits are only good for beautiful girls to wear, and for a wide-eyed, bony, muscular woman like me to wear them, I'd be cursed by my inner self to know my place......!"
"Bro, there seems to be some kind of conflict for Subaru-san."
"Reu, you're just getting in on the act. Don't give too much thought to Barusu."
"You twins are twins, and you have a certain reaction to a young maiden, don't you? You twins have to react to young maidens a little more than usual! Make me offset my sense of shame with comments like, 'You look good together,' or, 'The horse has a costume too' or, 'You're not tall enough,' and so on!"
The two twins--named Rau and Reu, were not so friendly to Subaru, who barked at them.
It seems that the twins don't show much emotion on their faces, but if the ladies have changed their attire, isn't it a universal courtesy to make comments accordingly?
"I think that's why Ros doesn't have a good education."
"Don't be so cavalier in your criticisms of Master Roswaal. Don't you spare your life, Barusu?"
"Stop glaring at me in a serious tone all of a sudden! Also, your name has become a spell of blindness since a while ago! I'm going to monopolize the trend!"
"Bro, I think she'll only tire herself out if she takes it too seriously."
"......That's right. Hey, don't bother Rau too much, Barusu."
"Geez, my coworkers are cold and the winds of the world are hard on me......"
Rau and Reu, the twins, have an air of intruding on others, but even so, their loyalty to their master, Roswaal, is evident.
Although she has the impression that they are about the same, she feels that Reu is probably easier to talk to than Rau, both about work-related and personal matters.
"I saw Rau as the type of person who is hard to approach, who will be salty until he's ready to let his heart go."
"What's with that unflattering assessment? Did you not hear what Rau said?"
"Bro, leave this to Reu. You have more important things to do than instructing newcomers."
"--. That's right, you got it."
Irritated by Subaru's personal view, Rau pulls his chin at Reu's suggestion.
However, he said he would give her one last look at Subaru before leaving the place as it was,
"I say to you, don't swing at Rau's healthy little brother. If you interfere with Rau's work, even if you are Master Emilio's benefactor, I'll kick you out of the place."
"Oh, you are very intimidating. But I won't be defeated. I have my own ambitions that I need to accomplish......"
"Ha."
Subaru's lips twitches and Rau walks away, leaving Subaru to laugh through her nose in a very loud voice.
She looked away from her back, and suddenly Reu was standing next to Subaru,
"Don't be too offended. My brother is just being true to himself and always embracing a dignity that does not disguise his words."
"It's a matter of opinion! From the sound of it, you seem to have a strong attachment to your brother."
"You are good enough to be fascinated."
"I see. By the way, what did Rau go to work on?"
"Perhaps he was headed for a quick nap to get ready for lunch......"
"What a definition of an important job!!"
Immediately, all of Rau's previous pompous words and actions are replaced by the ones for skipping work and going to take a nap, and her impression of him is also replaced as it is.
If he's so arrogant and irreverent, he should at least be able to do his job well.
"Maybe the work he does is amazing? An expert in cleaning, laundry, and cooking?"
"My brother is good at cleaning, but I am better at that, and it's a little difficult to ask him to do the laundry and the dishes."
"Your brother lost his raison d'etre!"
Whether it is Reu's lack of follow-up or purely Rau's lack of ability, in any case, we can say that the only reason for his existence is that he is beautiful, but the reason why he can be so great has disappeared.
Or, if you think about it, why should Subaru be treated like that?
"God, what is with that guy......!"
She sounded like a heroine who blushes when dealing with a man who lives freely outside her norm, but Subaru's heart is set on Emilio.
She wants to be kind to those who are kind to her, and that is Subaru's honest maiden heart.
"I'll show you how to do your job. Please follow me."
"Ugh...... Reu's kindness is wearing on me. I-I like you, you're kind to me."
"It is at the behest of Master Roswaal that I am not going to let my brother and mine's workload increase without a fight. I don't have any feelings for Subaru-san. Please don't misunderstand me."
"Damn! You siblings are all salty! I'm not going to let you beat me!"
Subaru vows to the sky that she will not be discouraged and will stand up to them, despite the frankness of the older brother and the condescension of the younger one, whichever way they respond.
If she keeps up the good work here, Emilio will surely come to pick her up astride his white horse.
"I mean, it was one roof, so that stage was cleared. Huh? But how do I proceed from there? My knowledge of Otome Games are that it's almost the ending when the relationship starts......"
"I'll take my leave."
"Oh, I'll follow you, I'll follow you......ah, my feet is hurting! You're so inconsiderate!"
"To avoid embarrassing Master Roswaal, Subaru-san, please be a little more careful with your language."
With such grateful advice from her seniors, Subaru boldly took on the challenge of experiencing work in another world, hurrying and worrying about the length of her skirt.
△▼△▼△▼△
Over the next few days, her first Maid Days were a series of many hardships.
To be honest, what was surprising was that Rau and Reu were rather accommodating in taking care of Subaru. Of course, if Subaru messed up, the burden would fall on them, so you could say that it was a natural attitude.
But Rau's cold, sharp tongue and Rem's soft, punching bluntness helped Subaru improve in both cases.
"No, Rau's just seriously meddling."
"I see. I'm sorry, I didn't really look at the details of Rau and Reu's work. I just thought you guys always did a great job."
"Emilio is busy with his studies. But you mustn't get too rooted. There is an academic theory that says that people's concentration doesn't last long, or that's just something I'm saying to myself."
"Oh, yeah...... huh? Subaru just says that on her own?"
The facts are vague as to what actually happened, as theories are turned upside down rather frequently.
For example, opinions differ on when to sprinkle salt and pepper on meat, whether to sprinkle it before grilling or during the grilling process.
Perhaps we have been roasting meat since mankind began using fire, but we don't even conclude such elementary talks, that's what academic theories are all about.
"And I, who don't know much about it, am just saying..."
With a messy summary, Subaru scratches a hunch on the grass and makes a sore throat.
Don't worry, it's not in the short skirted state of a maid's uniform. Subaru's style is loungewear jerseys, as she has already finished her work during the day and all she needs to do is sleep.
The last blow from the dreaded Eins, the assassin she encountered in the Royal Capital, cut her stomach, and it looked as if her jersey would be lost, but fortunately, thanks to the fact that she saved her jersey, which was on the verge of being torn to shreds, she was able to mend it and put it up her sleeves.
"It's nice to have these sewing skills, because I'm not as good with things as I am without them."
"I remember that Reu also praised your mending skills. Your mending skills are like a craftsman's."
"I have a tendency to develop my skill tree in an irregular way, and I tend to take skills on a feeling basis. I am the type of person who forgets to take skills that are passively enhanced."
"I'm sorry, I just don't know what you're talking about."
Perhaps there was too much jargon, but the growth policy is quickly swept under the rug by Emilio, who chuckles.
However, it is Subaru's fault for not speaking in a way that he can understand, and it is perfectly fine if Emilio does not understand. Subaru is happy just to be able to talk with him like this.
Emilio goes about his daily routine of conversing with the lower spirits in the courtyard of the Roswaal mansion at night.
After hearing that he was spending such time, Subaru thought she might be intruding, but her desire to be close to him won out and he sat like this at the edge of her field of vision.
Of course, if he rejects her, she will suffer a lot of damage that she will not be able to recover from, but for now, Emilio has not ordered her to leave, so it is a safe decision.
"----"
Fluffy, faint spirits fly through the night with a faint glow.
Surrounded by these lower spirits, Emilio's figure stroking his mysterious silver hair was terribly fragile, and there was a fantastic atmosphere as if he would shatter if he tried to touch it with his fingers.
Subaru's feelings gradually heat up as she gazes at this unrealistic beauty up close.
"The moon is beautiful."
"It's just out of reach."
"Gahhh!"
"What's wrong?!"
Subaru's love for him almost causes a heart attack as she is doused with cold water for the heat she has been exposed to.
Emilio, who took no offense, rushed to her in concern, and Subaru raised her hand and said, "I'm fine, I'm finem" and responded to Emilio's concern in a sturdy manner.
Then, seeing Subaru's outstretched palm, Emilio let out an "Oh......".
Looking up to see what was going on, Subaru also understood the meaning of Emilio's muttering.
He was not surprised because the fingers of Subaru's outstretched hand were covered with many adhesive plasters.
"Nah, it's embarrassing. It's not very girly to have hands covered in scars."
"I don't think so. --Should I cast some healing music? I'm not very good at it, but that's about all I can do."
"Mm~, I'm glad Emilio feels the same way, but I think I'll wait."
"Why?"
The proposal is rejected, and Emilio lowers his eyebrows anxiously.
She could sense in his appearance that he was hurt that Subaru had rejected him, and in her haste to say otherwise, Subaru shook her head and said, "No, no,"
"I'm not talking about you, Emilio, this is my problem. I'm not sure if it's Emilio or not, but it's my problem. ......This kind of scar is proof that I'm doing my best here. I thought I'd leave it here just in case."
"Proof you're doing your best......."
"This one is from cooking, this one is from using an unfamiliar cleaning tool, and this one is from poking my hand while cleaning the window. One by one, they are proof of my growth."
For Subaru, who has never had a part-time job, her Maid Days at the mansion is her first and only work experience.
She was confident that she was a rather handy person, but her baselessness was shattered one after another before her first job, and her fingers were in such a state of disarray.
But that's not a bad thing.
"When there is a tangible proof of your efforts, you can trust your footprints...... Sorry, I may be saying something strange."
"--. No, it's not like that. I understood reaaaally well."
"Emilio-kyun......"
Emilio, with a serious face, does not laugh at Subaru's silly obsession.
While being touched by his words, Subaru at the same time felt her heart racing with heat that was truly pouring in, and not lightly.
And, being pressured by such a feeling, she decides to play a little game.
"Um, Emilia-kyun...... I'm going to go shopping in the village tomorrow, if you want to go on a date with me...... D-do you want to go out with me?"
"In the village......"
"I-Is that not okay?! Did I misread the atmosphere?! Am I a bitch?!"
"I don't think that awful thing at all?!"
Subaru steps in too deep and sees a vision of her head being chopped off by the returning sword. Emilio waves his hand hurriedly at the momentum, and this time he does his best to say, "No, it's not like that."
Emilio was unsure what to say,
"I'm not sure if this is about Subaru or not, it's more about me. It's a village, but if you go with me, Subaru might have a bad feeling about it......"
"That's not true! With Emilio, there are rosy effects everywhere!"
"But I thought it might not look too good around......"
"I'll be fine! No matter what the people around me look like, I'll be right next to them with the best smile of the century on my face, hanging on to them the whole time, and that annoyance will become a habit!"
"......Haha."
Emilio finally laughed at Subaru's luring words, which made her forget about out-boxing and become all about in-fighting, with a face like she had lost her patience.
Subaru waited with bated breath for his next words in response--,
"I'll go to the village with you, Subaru. You and I will go to the village together."
Emilio's beaming face, which looked as if he had no choice but to smile, already made Subaru sing three Hail Marys with the biggest smirk of this century.
"So, tomorrow I have a date with Emilio! Heh heh heh, I must say that the relationship is about to develop! Isn't it great? Isn't it great?"
"Why bother coming all the way to Vicha to report it, as a matter of fact......?"
"I mean, Rau and Reu have to work early tomorrow morning, and the only person I can talk to is Fat Vic, who is wandering around the mansion doing nothing in particular."
"I'm saying I don't understand the logic of you breaking through the 'Door Crossing' so easily at that rate, as a matter of fact!"
With great vigor, Victor yells with a red face.
It's already late at night, and loud noises are annoying to those around them, but Subaru doesn't blame them. It is partly because she is in a good mood, but also because of the special power of this library--or rather, the Forbidden Library.
Apparently, this little boy named Victor is a powerful being, and he is good at twisting and attaching spaces.
The magic of "Door Crossing" is an amazing technique that can connect the doors of this Forbidden Library to all the doors of the mansion.
It's just that Subaru is able to get through the "Door Crossing", which is supposed to exhibit a randomness that is hard to reach, with some intuition.
"Hah, it's all a reward for my hard work...... then, if that's the case, can I be a little more greedy? What do you think?"
"I don't really care, as a matter of fact."
"Like hands! Wouldn't it seem immodest if I went to hold your hand?"
"Listen to me, as a matter of fact! If you're going to talk, at least listen, as a matter of fact!"
"BOMBARDEEEE!"
She don't think it's a good idea to give love advice to a young child, but it's also not a good idea to answer an older woman's sincere concern with an unfamiliar, invisible shockwave.
In the end, without getting a satisfactory answer, Subaru is blown away by a fierce wind and has her meeting with Victor ended by being kicked out of the Forbidden Library.
"You have a pretty face, but you're not pretty enough. Someday, I'm going to treat you like a cat."
Spilling out her resentment at being rolled down the hallway, Subaru patted himself down, then regained her composure and headed for her room, skipping along on her bouncy feet.
After kicking Subaru out of the room, Victor, who was behind the closed door in the Forbidden Library--,
"It's not about Vicha, as a matter of fact."
And she did not know that he had muttered so.
△▼△▼△▼△
"Oh, goodness! A new day and a remarkable breakthrough! Natsuki Subaru, as of today, I will graduate from being a woman who just waits!"
Subaru jumps out of her skin the moment she pays a handout to sleepiness and buys an awakening of consciousness.
Subaru's brain, which is a very good sleeper, had been constructing the best route to last night's appointment - that is, her first date with Emilio - from the moment she woke up.
First, she would verbally lead Rau to assign Subaru as many easy jobs as possible. Then, she would pass off Rau's sarcasm with a mature smile and accept the job of going to the village to buy things, and in the future, she and Emilio would make a goal.
"I'm not going to wait around for that to happen. I'm going to transform into my Victory Form right now--waahh?!"
"----"
"----"
She finished formulating her plan as she swiveled her hips on the bed, and when she turned around, a not-so-cute scream came from Subaru's throat.
The reason for this was simple and obvious: there was a figure other than Subaru standing in the room. Two of them.
And if there were two sets of figures standing side by side in the Roswaal mansion, there could only be one option for their identity.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute! You were relatively considerate except for the first day, but suddenly it's taboo to break into a maiden's room in the morning, isn't it? You saw my face when I woke up from sleep again! Don't look at me!"
Covering her face with her hands, Subaru tries to cover up the shame that is rising in her heart.
She would want to die if anyone saw her blushing seriously, and if she covered her face, the feeling of drool on the edges of her mouth would make her want to die even more.
Even if it were not against Emilio, he is not such a tough boy that he can get away with no damage from being seen sleeping badly by a boy. She's not a boy to begin with.
However, their attitude toward Subaru's reaction was puzzling.
"Bro, you've been accosted in a very friendly manner by our guest."
"Reu, you've been greeted by our guest who somehow mis-measured your distance."
Subaru is trying to cover up the situation, but Rau and Reu's reactions are curt, as if they can't read the atmosphere.
No matter what the reason, no matter how well you know each other, there is always courtesy even when you are close to each other.
"Or I was woken up? So it took two seniors to wake me up......"
"Senior? What on earth are you talking about, miss?"
"Senior? That's a horrible idea to be called that, miss."
"Huh......"
Their eyebrows furrowed and their attitude was seriously suspicious. That was indeed no joking matter, and Subaru dropped the hand she was holding to her face and shook the roots of her teeth.
Frankly, she was beginning to understand that Rau's strength of speech was part of his character, but for Reu to take offense to it in this way was a bit much.
She said that in order for the relationship between servants to go smoothly, she had to make sure to teach them both how much Subaru would be offended by what they did to her.
She wanted to believe that if she did so, the problem would be solved.
But--,
"--huh?"
Before she can firmly scold them both, she sees her own hands, which she put down.
Last night, she held out her hand to Emilio, and it was so disheveled and covered in wounds that he suggested that he cast a healing spell on it.
Hands that had been battered by unaccustomed cooking, water work, and cleaning with unfamiliar tools - but they were clean, as if they had never known the hardships of working.
"No way."
She shook her fingers and turned her hand over backwards and forwards, but she could not find the wound where it should have been.
She can't believe that her mind could be so turned upside down at the sight of her own, pristine fingers. No, it is the situation in front of her that is unbelievable.
"Miss?"
"Miss?"
Twisting their heads, Rau and Reu move in a breathless motion, and they worry about the state of Natsuki Subaru, whom she has "never met before". Looking into the twin eyes of these twins, who had no ill intentions, Subaru was convinced.
And with conviction came despair.
"Why...... why am I back?!"
She learned to work, she learned how to socialize, and she learned about each other's personalities.
She thought she would be able to make it work, envisioned a future of fun, and welcomed the day with her chest heaving, but she found herself at a cul-de-sac.
The unreasonable fate will never allow Natsuki Subaru to have peace of mind.
--The second first day, begins.
△▼△▼△▼△
Frankly, the second time they met was terribly satisfying for Subaru.
When she first experienced the "Return by Death" and was struck by the shock of impending "death", she also suffered an unusual heartache.
Still, that was only a few hours away.
For less than half a day, the bond they built up was large but not deep. So she was able to reconsider the idea of being treated as a stranger, and that is how it is.
But this one is different.
This time, she had the opportunity to spend a few days with them and get to know them deeply, not just their faces and names, but their personalities.
The situation where it was all turned upside down, as if the whole board game had never happened, was not only a sense of futility and loss, but also a feeling of being trampled all over.
It was hard. It really was.
How much effort did it take for her to get excited about getting that time back again?
Subaru's desire to overcome this anguish and move on should be commended. She should receive an award for her very stouthearted and well-done effort.
It is wrong to let them suffer worse and more horribly.
Even if it's a mistake--,
"Are you associated with the Witch?"
It must be wrong to have to be tortured with an iron ball in one's hand by an angry and hostile Reu in such a dimly lit forest at dusk.
"Uh, agh......"
Panting and clearing her throat, Subaru reached a trembling hand to her right leg.
From the knee down, she had been cut by something sharp and had lost a lot of blood. However, the bleeding had already been stopped. Reu, who had followed her, did it.
Not to save them, but because he didn't want her to die before he could get anything out of her.
--This is the third time Subaru has tried since she woke up in the Roswaal mansion.
The last time she was sent back to the first day, Subaru, determined to overcome this situation, attempted to trace the first days of her life so that she could create the same situation as much as possible.
It is doubtful that the challenge worked, but the end result was the same. --No, it was worse.
The first time, Subaru did not know what made her return on the first day, but the second time, she clearly had gone through "Return by Death" in the form of having her head crushed by someone.
As a result, the third action was aimed at finding out who was most likely targeting Subaru and the people in the mansion.
And she succeeded in luring out the lackey who had crushed Subaru's head, but--,
"......Re, u"
"Don't call me that. If you smell of miasma all over your body and tell me you have nothing to do with the witch, you are not worthy of my trust."
"What, the hell, that's......"
If you are asked a word you don't recognize, or something you don't know, you can't answer.
The cold, dismissive tone of Reu's voice, unlike the condescending one Subaru knew, was tinged with a much deeper, blacker hatred.
She thought they got along.
He is a brotherly man, excellent even if he is not sure of himself, and one that is gradually coming to terms through work and through small talk, and one that is closing the distance between their hearts.
That was a mistake.
He was vigilantly watching for an opportunity to kill Subaru, and he did it. No, he had already done it many times. Each time, Subaru returned to the first day.
And this time again--,
"Why did he have to kill me? What did I do? What did he do to me, why did Reu......"
"You--"
"I love you guys, and everyone--"
The wind that blew through the house did not allow her to say the last word.
Just a hot feeling escapes her throat, and Natsuki Subaru collapses in place, motionless. Her limbs trembled, and in the distance, beyond her bleaching vision, she heard a voice.
"My brother is too kind."
Subaru had no idea what those words meant.
△▼△▼△▼△
"--I'm going to 'Return by',"
Just as she is about to say, "Death", time stops for Emilio in front of her, and Natsuki Subaru realizes that sound, color, and the passage of time have been lost from the world.
Unable to move even her own body, her consciousness is caught up in the fear of the coming stillness of the world.
If she were to be stranded in a world where nothing moves, even though the flow of time has been lost, my spirit would be eroded in a matter of minutes.
The fear of being afraid of it tried to fill the only brain that was still working in a body that was not moving, but the fear did not materialize.
--The fear is even greater than that, for it is an unshakable fear that is slowly closing in on her.
The voice of someone unseen whispers in her ear, and the only thing excluded from its reason in a world where nothing is supposed to move comes at Subaru.
It approaches Subaru silently but eloquently and slips in front of her, horrified.
What came was a black shadow, a pure black shadow that you could not see the other side of, that you could intuit that it would not be lost in the light.
From its jet-black shadow, a slim arm reaches out slimily.
His arms, thin but somehow strong and firm, slide slowly, slowly into Subaru's chest.
And then--,
While claiming love, an unbelievably intense pain painted Natsuki Subaru's consciousness and made her understand it with unimaginable agony.
No one can share the despair that Subaru experiences. She must not confide in them.
Natsuki Subaru, alone, had no choice but to continue to resist.
--Yes, that's what she thought.
"It's a provisional agreement with Vicha, as a matter of fact, little girl."
"--ah"
Even Emilio's hand of salvation was repelled, but it was Victor, a young boy who was thought to be outside of the target group, who offered his hand of salvation to Subaru.
Haggard and burned out, Subaru asked for help, and Victor, looking terribly annoyed, but still with a lotus attitude that could not hide his caring nature, took Subaru's self-inflicted hand and promised to be by her side.
Saved by this promise, Subaru laughs at her own cheapness.
But it had been a very, very long time since she could laugh like that, and Subaru shed tears. Victor never laughed at such cheap tears flowing from Subaru's eyes.
He said that his blunt kindness would save Natsuki Subaru--.
△▼△▼△▼△
"I am going to get you out, as a matter of fact. I am going to send you out where neither Roswaal's hands nor the older brother's hands can reach you, and you won't die, as a matter of fact."
"----"
On top of a cliff at sunset, Victor, who has come this far in search of Subaru, who has fled, offers a helping hand to Subaru, who is no longer where she belongs.
It was half a day ago that she signed a temporary contract with Victor and reached the time limit in his Forbidden Library - a fifth morning that, until now, she never got to.
After all the hard work and toil, he still could not reach the time when he was stunned, and while he was happy with the beat of his heart, the cruelty of fate did not let Subaru off the hook.
--Rau wailed over Reu's death, and the sight of him shattered Subaru's joy in dismay.
Subaru, who had always thought that it was Reu who triggered the tragedy at the mansion, was stunned to find him cold in bed, never to wake up.
She feels like shed been thrown into the middle of the ocean with no compass, as if all of her previous assumptions have collapsed and everything she'd picked up has been for nothing.
No matter where she looks, she can't see land.
The stormy winds are not advancing Subaru even in the direction it wants to go.
Moreover, the waves were raging relentlessly, trying to drown the tossing Subaru raft at the bottom of the water, without regard for their feelings.
"Rau is......"
"Regardless of your involvement, his older brother will never forgive you, as a matter of fact. Those two should never have lacked each other, as a matter of fact. Now that they are missing, there is nothing you can do about it, as a matter of fact."
"----"
With his emotions laid bare, Rau turned his anger toward Subaru.
He wants answers. He wonders why his dear brother, Reu, had to die.
If Subaru had the answer to that question, she wanted to answer Rau's question.
But she can't. Subaru doesn't have the answers.
On the contrary, Subaru has been repeating this world over and over again with the same question.
With Reu, surely, Rau was also after her.
What Subaru would do for the sake of such a selfish bond between these two people--.
"--Why, can't I say no?"
She lifts her hand from the ground and mocks herself.
As she brushes off her sandy hands, Subaru suddenly recalls the memory of her past, when she had the illusion that someone was holding her unconscious hand - or rather, that she had once held it.
Subaru could intuitively believe that this was what had really happened.
Subaru is a good sleeper. Her brain awakens easily and she notices even the slightest thing. Most of the time, though, it doesn't happen until she is caught in the ambiguous space between waking and sleeping.
"This should not be pretended that it never happened. ......For me to look forward..."
Desperate voices chased Natsuki Subaru, asking why.
On Subaru's back as she ran and ran and ran, the wailing of the one who had been deprived of something precious was such a sad exclamation that one's chest would tighten just by listening to it.
"Victor, please step aside."
"I won't let that happen, as a matter of fact. This man is Vicha's contractor. A contract is a contract, even if it is a provisional contract, and I will not let anyone say that Vicha is disloyal."
Slowly, as Subaru builds her resolve, she is confronted by Rau, who has reached the cliff, and Victor, who has sheltered Subaru behind her.
Both sides, who are getting excited on their own, are ignoring Subaru, the center of the conversation, and it is not amusing that Subaru, the guest of honor, is left alone.
So--,
"Bend the knees!"
"Ugyah?!"
In front of her, she set up a merciless knee-bending to the young child in short pants.
Suddenly off balance and nearly falling, Victor rolls his eyes, then his eyes quickly become angry and he raises his eyebrows at Subaru's outburst behind him.
"W-what are you doing all of a sudden, as a matter of fact! What Vicha was trying to do......"
"It's dangerous, isn't it? I understand that you want to put your body on the line for your older sister, but unfortunately, I am not such a cheap woman. No, to tell you the truth, I was very nervous."
Victor blushed, and it's true that his thoughtfulness impelled his chest tremendously.
Frankly, if Victor had not been there for her, Subaru would have made even more foolish choices, unable to escape the vicious spiral he had created.
But Victor's kindness barely stopped Subaru.
So thus, Subaru's resolve and guts were set.
"Rau, I can't answer you how this happened. If I knew the answer, I would tell you, but I don't. --That's why I'm going to find out."
"--tsk, What's the point of doing that?! Reu is already dead! He's nowhere to be found anymore...... I, Rau, have been left behind!"
"I won't let you be alone. I will never let you feel left behind again. I swear it to myself, not to anyone else."
Subaru looked at Rau, whose expression was distorted and his teeth were gnashing, and thought that it was out of place.
He looks a lot like Reu, who was looking at Subaru in anger in that forest at dusk. They are twins, after all. But she would like to make sure of that with something other than an angry expression.
They stood side by side, smiling, facing Natsuki Subaru.
"What do you know about Rau and Reu?!"
"Nothing. But you don't know either, do you?"
"What do you......"
"--I want to say! That I love! You guys!!"
Natsuki Subaru's confession of love momentarily whitened Rau's thoughts for a moment.
Subaru turns her back on Rau, who stiffens, and Victor, who rolls his eyes, and heads for the cliff.
"Wait--"
The hand of an outstretched child, it cannot catch up with Subaru, who steps out without hesitation.
That Subaru felt guilty about shaking off the hand that held her to protect Subaru and running off like that. But she wouldn't let that be a reason to stop.
She must go forward. --Toward tomorrow, which lies ahead.
To get to that moment, to get to that morning, to get to that moment, to get to that morning, to get there in the true sense of the word.
I'm going to kill you for sure, that's what he told her.
So, Subaru will--,
"--I'll help you, I promise."
Immediately after her lips move like that, her whole body is shattered by an oversized shock.
It would have been nice if it had broken Subaru's consciousness straight away and carried her to a second try where she would have jumped, but--.
--The fact that the strike was so bad that it did not reach the instantaneous "death" was a testament to the poor pull of the woman, Natsuki Subaru.
△▼△▼△▼△
"--Well done, Subaru."
With those words and the feeling of soft thighs for a boy under her head, Natsuki Subaru was overcome by the sensation of her emotions breaking down and pouring out unceasingly.
She tried to stop, but she couldn't. Tear after tear, one after the other, flooded her eyes and flowed out of her corneas.
"W-wait, this is so weird......"
"Is it strange if I cry a lot? If so, it would be strange if a baby cries a lot."
"That's not what I meant, you know...... you know that......!"
Coming down from just above her is Emilio's voice, gently caring for her.
Natsuki Subaru feels herself being comforted by his voice, the warmth of his palm caressing her head, and the touch of his knee supporting her head, and she feels her whole soul being comforted.
She prayed, wished, and resolved to save Rau and Reu, and more broadly, everyone in the mansion, and anything and everything that Natsuki Subaru wanted to like, and so she jumped off the cliff.
She was so determined not to let anything slip through her fingers that she was aware and tense at every corner, ready to protect everything, and yet, she was not.
"Right away, this is kind of pathetic......"
"Is that so? I don't think so."
Subaru's determination and resolve, and the unnatural smile she was trying to achieve without a single failure, were easily detected by Emilio's unclouded gaze.
With no time to mend, Emilio forcefully pulled Subaru into an empty room and lent her his own knee, knocking down the wall of her battered heart.
What those ragged walls somehow managed to hold back.
It is pried open by Emilio's forceful kindness, and the whole thing flows outward.
Even if it is just a matter of time, the face deviation of the Roswaal residence has been significantly lowered because of Subaru, and if they even show their crying faces, it will be the end of the world.
"It's not over. It's not weird at all, Subaru."
"Don't, don't...... do that."
"I won't stop. If Subaru doesn't mean it, never."
It was as if he knew everything about Natsuki Subaru.
Don't be silly. How much does Emilio know about Subaru, unlike Subaru who has been through the last few days over and over again?
You know that Emilio's chance to get to know Subaru is only for a short period of time, only a moment in that stolen warehouse in the Royal Capital and only a few days this time around, about four days.
So don't think you can say that as if you can see through all of Subaru, even though she is a shut-in truant and lacks depth in life experience.
--Oh, but.
"----"
Emilio strokes Subaru's black hair and snuggles up to her as she sobs.
She had little chance to get to know Subaru.
However, this is exactly the opposite of the fact that Subaru had the opportunity to know Emilio as many times as she had repeated days, and that is why she can understand the weight of his words.
Emilio is kind, compassionate, and tries very hard not to hurt others.
This way, he could no longer look at Subaru because of her kindness.
There is absolutely no lie, not even a hint of calculation, in this gentle, soft, and unrelaxing attitude of Subaru.
"It must be hard."
She didn't need to doubt his feelings about her.
--Natsuki Subaru could strongly wish from the bottom of his heart that he would live this love.
"----"
Subaru is sleeping peacefully, breathing like a child.
Emilio's brow lowers at the relieved profile of the girl on his lap, and he gently brushes her bangs away from her forehead.
There--,
"Subaru-san doesn't seem to be of any use today."
"Yes, you're right. She's only been a maid for a short time, but she's so lazy that she skips work like this. You should give her a good scolding later."
"--I'm sure I'll lose my mind about that when I see this sleeping face."
Reu, who surely would have noticed Subaru's overreacting, spills such thoughts when he sees her sleeping face on his lap.
Emilio apologizes to Tink in his mind for pointing out that he shouldn't stare at a girl when she is sleeping from within the magic crystal stone.
But Emilio would not have stepped in so far if Tink had not seen the danger Subaru was in and pushed him back.
Now he is glad he was able to talk to Subaru properly and let her get it out.
"I'm going to go talk to my brother. I have to take care of Subaru-san's business."
Without being harsh, Reu says this and turns his back on Emilio and the others.
Emilio, who had thought that Reu was somewhat reserved toward Subaru, who had recently started working at the mansion, calls out to her behind her back.
"Reu."
"----"
"Subaru is a good girl."
There is no need to doubt it, so Emilio pleads.
There was no answer from Reu to that, only the sound of the door closing.
"Hang in there, hang in there......"
Emilio pats Subaru's head as she falls asleep and offers such words of support.
He said that over and over again, as if he was praying that surely everything would work out in the end, and that Subaru's desire to do so would be fulfilled.
△▼△▼△▼△
--Of all the children in the village of Arlam, Pietro prided himself on being the smartest and best looking.
It's what's called a cuteness awareness, but it can also get around to the extent that it is not obvious to the people and adults around them.
People who have their own strengths and yet antagonize others with them are not good at getting around.
How do you stand firm under your own feet? If you realize early on that this is important, you will have the ability to bend those around you to your will.
This was Pietro's philosophy and his omnipotence due to his childhood.
However--,
"Suba, ru...... that girl, Maolo, in the back......"
He does his best to tell them with his feverish mind that they have been taken away.
Peering into the low meadow, the face of Pietro lying on a hilltop, was a poor-looking housewife with her black hair tied up behind her head, who was subtly unbecoming in maid clothes.
Pietro had mixed feelings about her, as she was the topic of conversation when she was newly hired at the mansion.
First of all, every adult is pampered by Pietro.
Pietro, the most beautiful boy in the village and expected to win over many women in the future, dominates everyone around him with his glimpses of charm and understanding of his talents, even though he is still very young.
Pietro's ultimate tactic for getting around did not work for the woman's wages--Subaru.
It's not that she already has feelings for someone or that her tastes don't match.
A truly beautiful thing transcends personal taste and captivates others. Pietro had it. That is why he had this self-esteem.
And yet, that didn't work for Subaru.
Of course, she turned to him and told him that he had a promising future and that he was cute and cool, but beyond that, there was no envy of his transcendent partner.
Treat Pietro life-size and see him as you would any other child around you.
It was a new sensation for Pietro, and frustrating at the same time.
It just seemed to him that unlike the adults who can be manipulated at will by Pietro, Subaru's way of being, with her certain self, was not driven by anything.
So--,
"Don't worry, Pietro. I'll go look for him with that older brother!"
Subaru, who took his hand, took his words seriously as she appealed to him in a breathless voice.
The strength of her grip seems to prove how sincerely she took Pietro's words, and Pietro is relieved.
"Subaru-san, if the mabeast took the child, then the child is......"
"Wait a minute, Reu. Pietro was desperate to tell you that his friend had been taken away. I'm worried about my friends when I'm in pain too. I want to understand his feelings."
"----"
"If not, I will go alone. Reu, you'll take these children to the village......"
"Don't be silly. --I'm going with you. My brother told me to take care of Subaru-san."
At Subaru's earnest appeal, she saw the blue-haired butler at her side nod.
He is a butler who works at the mansion and often comes to the village to buy things. He looks much more dependable than Subaru, but he wonders if Subaru will be able to handle it with him.
"--! Just in time! This way! Can I trust you with the children?"
Pietro's empty consciousness, and on the other side of it, Subaru is waving to someone.
The sound of shoes coming quickly told her that adults had come running from the village. Leaving Pietro and the others in the hands of these adults, Subaru went deep into the forest with the butler.
They go to save Maolo, who has disappeared deep into the forest with a mabeast.
"Be careful, Subaru......"
"I know, I know. It's a finger-snap joke."
Pietro, held by an adult, intertwined his own little fingers with those of his hand, and shook his fingers while Subaru said something he didn't quite understand.
At the end, the pinky and the pinky are separated, and at the same time a feeling of loneliness arises in Pietro's chest, a strange, relief that it is okay to believe in him.
"I'm coming, Reu! I'm counting on you!"
"I don't need to be told. Subaru-san, please don't step forward. You are in my way."
"Don't say anything to dampen my enthusiasm!"
With such relief from Pietro, Subaru and the butler disappear into the darkness.
Pietro prayed hard, feeling his own consciousness slipping away as well.
If the world really is what you want it to be.
"Please, don't let anything bad happen to me."
Yes, for the first time Pietro prayed hard for someone sincerely.
△▼△▼△▼△
"You will be dead in less than half a day, as a matter of fact."
Yes, Victor told her that head-on, and Subaru was surprised at herself for not being as shocked as she thought he would be.
Of course, she is not at peace with this, because she has been sentenced to death face to face.
"You seemed to take it more calmly than I expected, as a matter of fact."
"I don't know. It's possible that I amjust going through the motions because of all the hard information I am being bombarded with. For my information, may I ask why am I dying?"
"--A curse."
"......I knew it."
Subaru scratched her head with her hair down at Victor's squinty-eyed answer.
The direct bludgeoning of Reu, the factor that led to Subaru's "death", except for that, was the curse, and the underlings were the mabeasts that inhabit the area around the village of Arlam.
Whenever Subaru went shopping in the village after "Returning by Death", she was always bitten by a puppy that was playing with the village children.
In the loop in which Reu lost his life, Reu was cursed by a magical beast instead of Subaru.
However, unlike Subaru, who was not so careless, it was hard to believe that Reu could easily get his hand bitten by a mabeast, although she would have suspected some kind of artifice.
"In fact, when neither Reu or I were bitten by dogs in the village, the children were dragged into the forest this time. ......And went into the forest to help them."
"You were bitten by an Ulgarm, as a matter of fact. That will be the cause of your death, as a matter of fact."
"......can't you do something about that, Fat Vic?"
"If it were a normal curse, it would not take much for Vicha to break it, as a matter of fact. But the curses on you from multiple mabeasts are so complicated that they are consuming you, as a matter of fact."
"I'm like a video game controller with a crazy tangled up cord. Well, yeah, that's definitely not solvable."
Subaru shook her head in disappointment at the added malice that had befallen her.
Raising his eyebrows at Subaru's attitude, Victor continued, "You,"
"Are you telling me you're not afraid to die, I wonder?"
"I don't think so. I'm super scared of dying. My knees are shaking. I'm about to pee my pants right now, but I'm trying really hard to hold it in. You have to understand my girlish heart."
"----"
"But I have to say goodbye to my habit of giving up too soon. I've avoided making our relationship worse this time, so I can't give up now--"
And she had just answered Victor's question that way.
"----"
Such an appeal, unknown to Subaru, struck its eardrums.
These experiences had happened to Subaru in the past. Memories of conversations that she was not supposed to know, but somehow remembered as if she did.
It is the same warmth of the twins' palms that inspired Subaru to jump off the cliff herself in order to regain everything.
It was proof that Subaru's brain, which is unusually sleepy, remembered, shallowly but broadly, the events that took place at her bedside as she fell asleep--.
"--Victor, where did Reu go?"
"----"
"Answer me! What happened to Reu, where did he go!"
Reu's voice, released in her sleep, in the shallow depths of her memory, which seems to be scraping away right now, Subaru asks Victor.
In response to Subaru's question, Victor hesitated for a while,
"--She went into the forest to hunt for the mabeast that will consume your life."
"Wha--......"
"It is the simplest way to break a spell. If you kill the magicuser behind it, the possibility of the curse being activated disappears. This rule does not change even if you are dealing with a mabeast."
"But! The mabeast that put the curse on me is piling up in that forest......!"
Defeating all of them and saving Subaru is a pipe dream.
Not a single one would escape. Since there is no way to confirm this, Reu cannot stop until he has hunted down every possible candidate.
But that is not realistic.
"--What do you mean now, Master Victor?"
"--, Rau."
Subaru and Victor had chosen a corner of the village, an unpopular place, to talk. There, Rau stepped in as the uninvited third person.
He gazes single-mindedly at Victor with complex color in his pale red eyes.
He doesn't know where they were getting their stories from.
However, Rau, whose servant skills notwithstanding, his wits are more than human, immediately realized what was going on from Victor's reaction when he looked away slightly.
He said that something had happened to his own brother, to Reu.
"Wait! Don't be quick!"
"Let go of me! Rau is in danger. Even if you stop him, Rau will still go."
"I understand! I won't stop you! Just listen to me for one second!"
He turns around and stops Rau, who is about to run off into the woods with his body.
If he didn't do this, he would easily be swept away by the difference in power between man and woman. Subaru, however, tried to cut down her reckless energy with the force of biting the hem of Rau's butler's uniform.
That woman-dumping tactic was worth it, though, and Rau stopped in his tracks.
"First of all, I am against searching for Reu in the dark. I can only imagine a future in which the mummies become mummies, or secondary damage."
"I has 'Clairvoyance'. With this, it is possible to locate Reu over time. Now, I've broken the argument, get out of my way."
"If you have such a useful power, it would be more profitable to take me with you! That way, no one will be missing!"
"What?"
Rau's hand stops as he pushes Subaru away, and his light red eyes narrow in question.
At Rau's reaction, Subaru rubbed her own nose with her thumb,
"I'd rather we were all here on the fifth morning. I'm greedy and stingy, and I don't want to give up my hard work this time."
"......What do you mean?"
"I have a tendency to attract mabeasts. Reu is trying to annihilate all the monsters in the forest, the Ulgarms. If I go into the forest, I will naturally get closer to Reu. What do you think?"
"----"
"I'm telling you, I would never tell you a lie that makes no sense. If you think I'm lying, you can leave me in the forest without mercy."
"I can't report such a thing to either Roswaal or Emilio. --First of all, if we let Barusu die without a second thought, Reu's efforts will have been in vain."
With his hand over his mouth, Rau ponders for a moment.
However, it seems that he could not come up with a good idea to silence Subaru, who looked at him with determined eyes, and make her back down. Or perhaps he thought there was merit in Subaru's argument.
"If you slow me down, I'll break your knees and dump you in the village."
"Is that what you say to girls?"
Ha!"
He snickered triumphantly, but Subaru felt as if Rau was back on track.
Subaru then turned back to Victor, who had been watching the proceedings.
"So, Rau and I will go into the forest to look for Reu. If Emilio, who is sleeping because he is tired from treating everyone, wakes up, please make a good fool of yourself."
"......Seriously, are you going to do it, I wonder?"
"Of course, it would be in worse taste to make a joke about all of this, wouldn't it?"
To bring Reu back, for fear of his own safety, would be to leave a bomb, a curse, inside Subaru's body.
It is no exaggeration to say that Subaru has already learned many times - or rather, it has learned in her soul - that if it explodes, she will have no life.
However, it never develops the way Victor suggests.
Subaru is not going to die, but to live.
"Now, let's do this so that I, the greedy one, can have everything I want! --Fate, I'm ready!"
The great adventure of Natsuki Subaru, who was summoned to another world.
On the fourth day of Stage 2, "The Roswaal Mansion", the challenge begins for the fifth time--.
△▼△▼△▼△
--To be honest, Reu did not know himself why he was risking so much of his body and his life.
Focusing his attention on his forehead, he feels a surge of heat there, causing his skull to creak and the Oni horns that had been stored inside his head to slowly protrude outward.
The horns, clad in light, devour mana in search of power as soon as they come into contact with the open air, and the heat they emit induces a surge of power throughout Reu's body that would be unthinkable in normal times.
This is the source of the power of the "Oni", the strongest of the subhuman race.
Although Reu is a demon who should have two horns, he has only one horn.
But the number of horns had nothing to do with why Reu was a failure.
This is because Rau, who, like himself, had only one horn, was so powerful that he was said to be the second coming of the "Onigami", a legendary being passed down from generation to generation among the demon tribe.
From an early age, Rau was blessed with such a talent that it was ridiculous to compare him with those around him.
Although Reu was born at the same time as Rau, his strength was significantly inferior to Rau's, and he was constantly accumulating self-loathing as a disgrace to the demon tribe.
When the village was attacked by the Witch Cult, when his parents and compatriots were killed, and when his brother, who fought to protect his own limping body, had his horn broken while reaching out to Reu.
--Oh, it finally broke.
It was the worst, thinking of the fulfillment of such a sense of my own inferiority before worrying about my brother's life.
"Ah, aaahhhh--!!"
With his whole body filled with the power of a demon, Reu surrounds himself and strikes violence at the four-legged demonic mabeast that pounces on him.
He blasts the heads of the mabeast that open their big mouths to bite him with his fists, then swings the morningstar in his other hand with a mighty swing, and cleaves the bodies of the magical beasts that foolishly leap up into the air.
The demon beasts spraying blood and entrails and scattering their lives.
He had not counted them, but he is sure that he had already killed thirty or forty of them. However, no matter how many of their comrades were killed, the monsters would not lower the point of their murderous intent toward humans.
There is no higher priority than to kill off different lives.
This was the twisted instinct of the mabeast, an outlier way of being that took precedence over its own survival.
"Die! Die! Dieeeee--!!"
He crushes one creature after another in its horrifyingly misguided way of being.
He swung the iron ball again and again, with anger, hatred, and some pity and sympathy.
The wrong being, the Mabeast.
And in that sense, Reu is no different from a mabeast.
He made a mistake. The choice has also been made, maybe even crossed off from the very first moment.
He made a mistake when he was born with his brother's, Rau's horns on the side.
A mabeast born as a mabeast and Reu born as a dropout.
How much of a difference is there?
If there is not enough difference to be found there, the iron ball being wielded was a mercy and a tantrum at the same time.
At least--,
"Aaahhh--!!"
If all of this anger that paints red in front of his eyes could at least help someone's future, if it could help save the girl with the bad eyes who tried to help his pathetic self.
There is surely nothing more than that that Reu should want, because it doesn't exist--.
"----"
Drunk with blood, Reu's world will one day turn red and his mind will slow down to the utmost.
In a situation where one's life is in danger, the explosion of survival instinct that occurs in the body of a demon tribe - it was a tremendous dynamic that eliminated all factors that slowed down the body's movement, such as calm judgment of the battle situation, fear and anxiety, and poured all the work of Reu's body into the spirit of survival.
Nothing, yes nothing, distinguishes.
Everything that moved around them was a crushing presence for Reu.
So--,
"Ohhhh, esu!"
"--Huh?"
Thrown in with that kind of half-hearted voice, it's really just another obstacle for Reu to intercept.
No distinction is made.
If, at this moment, the demon instincts could summon up in Reu any possibility other than destruction and killing, there is only one in the whole wide world.
--Thrown in was one of those miraculous things.
"----"
A body flew by with a low trajectory, not so much a parabolic movement, and Reu reached out to catch it.
Hold the slender body firmly in place and take a look at what it is right up close.
It is unmistakably the image of his brother, who is more important than Reu's life.
"Geh! I couldn't throw him as high as I thought I could!"
Just after Rau was held tightly in Reu's arms, a figure jumped into the room.
He could reach her if he reached out, but the key is that he doesn't have any arms to reach out. Both arms are holding his brother's body, which is hard to let go of, and he can't reach out.
However--,
"Ahem."
The sword swung by the figure who jumped in--the sword which was broken in mid-stroke, was aimed at the corner of Reu's forehead, but he struck out a few centimeters, not in time.
As it is, the person who released the sword runs next to Reu with great momentum and exits behind him.
"I did it! One more step short of guts and--UWAHHHH?!"
"--?!"
The next moment, the feet of the dark-haired figure that had run past exploded into a ridge, sending its slender body high, high into the sky.
It was done by one of the mabeasts that had been carefully overlooking the attack and defense, ambushing the moment of reaping the life of Reu--the magic released by it, which appeared to be small, launched the woman's body.
And then--,
"Laugh it up, Reu. --I'm more like a demon than a demon today!"
A full-bodied blow released by a figure that spins around and around and around and around, falling down.
This time, there was no way for Reu to prevent it, as he held his brother's body tightly in his embrace--,
"----"
The impact of the meeting had thrown a numbing blow into the corner of Reu's forehead.
△▼△▼△▼△
"The forest's Ulgarms have been swept away. Now you and Subaru don't have to worry about it. While I was away, you also took care of the problems in Arlam village. You did a greeeeat job."
With her overwhelming magical firepower, Roswaal wiped out the hordes of the Ulgarms that were spreading in the forest.
For his actions, which are her own master, but with substandard ability and execution, Reu has no choice but to bow deeply and show both gratitude and acknowledgement.
--The story of a herd of mabeasts that inhabited the vicinity of the village and the cursed commotion brought about by them.
The hordes of Ulgarms, which curse people and hunt for their life force, were the result of Reu's reckless actions, Rau and Subaru's struggle in the process of bringing back the reckless Reu, and finally, the overwhelming fire of the returning Roswaal, which burned every single one of them.
The overall herd clearance rate was 30% for Reu alone, 10% for Rau and Subaru, and the remaining 60% for Roswaal, who hunted alone.
In this light, you can see how reckless and senseless Reu's actions were.
Even if Reu had not done such a foolish thing with no regard for his surroundings, the returning Roswaal would have been able to clean up the herd in time, and Subaru's curse would not have been triggered.
Or perhaps Roswaal would have known how to break the spell, which Victor did not know.
"I don't think you're buying too much into meeeee. There is no big difference in knowledge of magic between me and Victor. If Victor says I can't do something, I can't do it either. --It's a shame."
The last word she added was lonely and did not feel false.
That is why she was able to believe, despite her resistance, that the words in front of her were not a deception to comfort Reu.
In any case--,
"--Reu?"
"Oh......"
As he stood by her bedside, watching her sleeping face, her eyelids suddenly trembled, awakening the sleeping girl's consciousness.
The sequence of events from a small reaction to waking up was too quick for Reu to react quickly. She claimed to be a good sleeper, but she was too good.
Because of that,
"Did you hold my hand?"
"--I'm sorry. I can't think of anything else I can do."
"----"
"When I was going through a tough time, having Reu hold my hand made me feel safe. So I was like a...... child when you did that to me."
Even though he has grown in height and limbs, nothing has changed in the way Reu himself has been since he was a child.
Feeling as if he had proved it by his own actions, Reu was batty.
When he was a child, it was the warmth of his brother's palm, Rau's holding his hand in the same futon, that protected Reu when he was unable to sleep due to anxiety and pettiness.
His older brother, who always walked in front of him and told him not to worry as long as he was with him, was a guide for Reu--and it was the same after he lost his home and was picked up by Roswaal.
"Subaru-san, the curse that has been eating away at your body is no longer in effect. Please rest assured."
"That's good to know...... What's with all the doodles on my bedclothes?!"
"These are by the children of the village. While Subaru-san was sleeping, the children who came to visit you wrote them. They were all very worried."
"Don't any of you guys come casually to see a maiden sleeping......"
Covering her face with both hands, Subaru mutters, her cheeks slightly red.
But she looks at the arm of her nightgown, at the many words of encouragement the children wrote there, and the corners of her eyes are lovingly lowered.
The sight of this made Reu feel tight in his chest.
For some reason, it seemed terribly out of place for him to be here, and Reu felt like running away from the aftermath, "So," he continues.
"Reu must apologize to Subaru-san. --Even though you no longer have to worry about the curse, the scars will remain on your body. Even your heart."
"Oh, I certainly don't want to see the dog's face for a while. As for scars, do you have any on your...... um, face or anything?"
"No, we were very thorough in making sure there were no scratches on the face, neck, or anywhere that could be seen in one way or another."
"If so, you'll be fine for now. The only chance to see more than that is either you or, if not, you know, the person you want to show that much to."
"But......"
"Other than that, are you safe? That's what's important to me."
What a way to be cared for, Reu choked up.
Subaru says she doesn't care, but that can't be true. It is undeniably Reu's fault that she suffered a wound that she should not have had to bear.
"Reu is safe. It's nothing. But it's, it's hard."
"Hard?"
"I am sure that I am responsible for everything that happened. If I had been firm, there would have been no danger for Subaru-san, for my brother, and no damage to the village."
Externally, some people believe that Roswaal, the lord of the house, was responsible for the situation. However, during Roswaal's absence, it was Reu, a family retainer, who was in charge of the mansion.
He had a role to take care of everything and run it straight.
He couldn't do that, so here they are--.
"Therefore, I, Reu, am responsible for all of this--"
"So, you're going to take me back from the wounds?"
"--, If that's what it takes."
"I'm just joking. Don't be silly. First of all, if you say that it is all Reu's responsibility, I am responsible too."
Subaru shrugs in a joking manner.
For a moment, Reu had no idea what she was talking about. She had just been hired and had no idea what was going on in the Mathers territory, right or wrong, and there was no way she could be responsible for it.
But despite Reu's thoughts, Subaru chuckled,
"I do. I have that responsibility."
"----"
"So I took responsibility for what was within my reach. And I arrived at this sunrise, so don't tell me it was wrong."
Subaru with a distant look in his eyes, not understanding the meaning of her words.
And yet, somehow, Reu felt like crying. In the depths of her unusual dark eyes, she caught a glimpse of anguish and conflict that Reu could not have imagined, and a glimpse of a dazzle that had been cleared away.
Compared to what Subaru had gone through, her own worries were tiny,
"I'm not sure I would have made it here without Reu. So, instead of cursing the day that finally arrived, I want to celebrate it."
"......Huh?"
"What? Don't tell me you think it would have been any different without you? I'm sorry, I haven't tried, but I'll say out loud that it didn't work out that way for me."
Subaru, with her arms crossed, says this to shatter Reu's hesitation.
Subaru held up a finger to Reu, who blushed involuntarily, and said, "May I?" and held up a finger,
"I don't know why Reu seems to think that everything he does backfires and that everything bad is his fault and everything good is because of someone else, but it's not true."
"B-but actually, Reu..."
"I don't have any. When I was being chased by the beast in the forest, how long do you think I was running around with my brother on my back? He dropped out very early on, that guy."
"----"
"In other words, under the circumstances, Rau was eliminated early from the battle! So, does that mean that the rest of the results were all thanks to me? Of course not! I don't have that kind of power! Then..."
There, Subaru breaks off her words and looks at Reu. The look in her dark eyes makes Reu want to look away, but he cannot.
It's as if the way out was burned into their gaze and they were deprived of their escape.
"It's a big mistake to think that Reu couldn't do anything. I am here thanks mostly to Reu! So you can be proud of yourself."
"......If my brother were in perfect health, he wouldn't be like that."
"I can't tell you. But Rau told me. The perfect Rau that Reu envisions is nowhere to be found. Or is the hornless Rau worthless to Reu?"
"--, that's not true! My brother has always been Reu's!"
"You know what you're doing."
"Ah--"
Stunned, Reu was guided by Subaru's words to his own inner self.
Born as a twin, Reu has endlessly blamed and tormented himself as the one who took Rau's horns. Subaru, who has known Reu for only a few days, easily sees through him.
Was it because Reu's worries were shallow, fragile, and meaningless?
"I was looking at Reu and the others so hard."
"----"
"Reu, I don't think you can change your mind right away either. It's not as easy as it sounds, and to be reborn, you might have to die at least once, but I don't recommend dying. It's really, really painful."
"......You sound as if you've died before."
The way she says it with so much feeling makes him think that Subaru has really died before.
In fact, Subaru, who saved Emilio in the Royal Capital, nearly died in his place, so she may have experienced something close to death in terms of a near-death experience.
But even before she tasted it, she was able to risk her life for Emilio, and she is still fundamentally different from Reu, or so it seems to him.
However--,
"If you want to change or feel better about yourself tomorrow, I can help you. As long as you don't get in my way."
"Me, change?"
"In my hometown, there is a saying, 'If you talk about next year, the devil will laugh.' That's why."
Subaru smiles at the stunned Reu, his cheeks twisted in a grin.
That smile of hers, which she mocks herself for her eyesight, seems more dazzling to Reu than anything else at this moment--.
"Let's laugh, Reu. A sour face doesn't suit anyone. Let's laugh and talk about the future. Let's smile and talk about the future! For now, let's talk about tomorrow."
"Tomorrow......"
"Yes, anything is fine. Let's talk about what we're going to cook tomorrow, or how we're going to use our new bath salts, or how we're going to show off our new bow ties, or whatever you want to talk about."
Reu exhaled as Subaru made a truly modest proposal, so modest that no one could possibly know what difference it would make to the coming tomorrow.
Instantly, the blurring that had been hanging over his chest and his head cleared up a bit.
When it cleared up, even if only a little, he felt as if his vision had expanded.
"I am much more clumsy than you think. So you may lean back enough that you will regret your words."
"Mhm~, well, I'll do my best. I said so myself. I'm not a superwoman who can do everything by herself either, so let's lean on each other. Don't worry, Emilio, Tink, Fat Vic, Ros, and of course Rau won't mind that."
Raughing in an offensive manner, Subaru gave a thumbs-up and showed her teeth.
She continued the gesture,
"I laughed and talked about the future, about tomorrow. I've always dreamed of talking about the next year while laughing with the demons."
"......Like a demon."
"Right?"
The first time she saw him, she was so excited that she could not help but feel a little bit of passion in her eyes and wet her cheeks.
Thinking back, he wonders when was the last time he shed tears in such a candid manner.
"----"
In the past, when Reu shed tears like this, it was his brother who was always by his side.
Rau has always been there for his brother, who was unsure of how to live in this big world, and was a guide and a role model for him when he was anxious and frightened.
So it was a first for him.
That Rau was not by Reu's side as he wept and held his hand instead.
Soft, small, different from his brother's, another person's hands.
Reu kept leaning on the touch of a hand that wanted a future with him.
He continued to lean on it.
△▼△▼△▼△
--After four "Return by Deaths", Natsuki Subaru has passed through the cul-de-sac.
Although there is only one day in Royal Capital to compare, it was still a multi-day "Return by Death" challenge that grated on Subaru's nerves, battered her spirit, and nearly clouded her soul.
However, Subaru overcame many of these obstacles and finally made it to the fifth day.
Mostly--,
"--I'm angry, Subaru."
"Emilio-kyun......"
"You can't look at me like that! It was really, really close. When I heard about it later on, you have no idea how much blood I had in my veins......"
Emilio is plastered and angry, his hands on his hips and his white cheeks red.
With the beautiful young man of the century, even such gestures of anger numb Subaru's brain, but she can see that he is so angry that she can't help but be remorseful.
As a result of the children of the village of Arlam being targeted by mabeasts, and to top it off, both Subaru and Reu's lives were in danger, Emilio was exhausted and sleeping after his hard healing magic.
It was while that Emilio was sleeping that Subaru entered the forest with Rau to help Reu and fight back against the mabeasts.
Emilio's heart was filled with anger when he learned that other people in the house had been fighting for their lives while he was away, and he had this beautiful angry face.
"Ugh, I feel bad for Emilio-kyun, but he's a sight for sore eyes......"
"You see! That's how you try to fool us again with your shenanigans. And Tink is Tink, too, for what would have happened if Roswaal hadn't come back."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, don't be angry with Tink. I'm the one who asked her to stay with you, Emilio."
In the meantime, considering the possibility that that mabeast had been spurred on by someone else, there was a fear that the next attack would be launched on the village of Arlam while Subaru and the others were away.
Fortunately, the preparation was in vain, but it might be a problem that they could not afford not to prepare for.
It is possible that Tink and Emilio were in the village, so there could have been no next attack on the village.
In any case--,
"I'm glad you're defending Tink, but what's your excuse for Subaru? How about Subaru, who tied me to a chair so that I couldn't follow her?"
"Uh"
"Quit it with the 'uh's. ......I was reaaally worried."
Subaru's guilt is maxed out when Emilio lowers the corners of his eyes and says this to her.
No matter what excuses she made, it would not make up for what Subaru had done to Emilio. It is true that she left Emilio in the village to pack up afterwards, but it is also true that she probably had such a maiden's heart that she did not want to put Emilio in danger.
"Victor must have been worried, too, since he came all the way to the village."
"I would like to thank Fat Vic for everything he has done for me. That shota has been a great help to me in every way......"
The fact that the frequent deaths were found to be caused by the curse of a mabeast, the fact that Subaru's life would have been in danger if she had been left alone after returning from the forest, and the fact that he showed Subaru the path she needed to take to survive, even if in a rather reckless way, are all to Victor's credit.
Before that, he was stumped because it was thanks to him that Subaru once again believed in Rau and Reu and was ready to face the future with everyone in the mansion.
"Maybe next time I'll give you a gentle ear cleaning."
"Is that going to make Victor happy?"
"What? You don't like it? Isn't cleaning a girl's ears every boy's dream?"
"I don't know but......"
Subaru was rather seriously surprised by Emilio's reaction, which did not seem to resonate much.
Is it a mistake in Subaru's values, or is it a cultural difference unique to another world?
"Then there's no way to beat it......"
"I think a simple, honest 'thank you' would do the trick."
"But that's not enough to make me feel better...... how about ten ear cleanings?"
"If you don't have any other options, I'd say thank you first."
Subaru struggles to see if that is all that is needed to present an irreplaceable means.
If possible, Subaru is the type of person who likes to over-wrap anniversaries and events. If she can't go all out there, she would even prefer not to celebrate in the first place.
"So rather than compromise, I'll hold off on thanking you until I can come up with something."
"I'll think of something as soon as I can. I'll think about it with you."
"Wow, that's reassuring. What a joint effort by the two of you, isn't it? First bite!"
"I'm sorry, I just don't know what you're talking about."
Emilio responds to Subaru's excited ramblings with a troubled look on his face.
Then silence falls for a while as they bask in the breeze in the courtyard of the mansion. Sharing such a small moment is a delightful treat for Subaru.
By nature, Subaru does not like to spend time in silence, but with Emilio, she doesn't mind.
In any case--,
"You helped me out again. I should be the one to thank you."
"Huh? Emilio-kyun, you're going to give me a reward?!"
"It's not a reward, it's a thank you. Would you like your ears cleaned?"
"Cleaning ears is not a reward! Oh! It's true! If I put myself in your shoes, it's not a reward at all!"
Subaru rolls her eyes as she is cut to pieces by the sharpness of the boomerang she threw herself. Chuckling at Subaru's reaction, Emilio asks, "Well, what do you want to do?"
"----"
Subaru's unguarded attitude causes an evil thought to grow inside her.
Emilio, despite his good looks, has very low barriers in interpersonal relationships, which is a favorable condition for Subaru, but also for everyone else.
In other words, if you are stumped, you could be snatched up in a heartbeat.
"This is the time to make the most of your advantage......!"
"Subaru?"
"I-Idon't care what it is. Emilio-kyun is grateful to me, right?"
"That's true, but it's kind of hard to honestly nod yes......"
Emilio's voice unexpectedly becomes hoarse, and Subaru's pervert-like way of listening makes Emilio uneasy. However, Subaru takes a deep breath and succeeds in keeping the evil thoughts that well up in her mind in a magical sealed wave.
With a closed heart rice cooker under her butt, Subaru coughed, and then--,
"Then, will you go on a date with me?"
"Dayte?"
"It means that we go out together, see the same things, eat the same things, do the same things, and share the same memories."
"......Is that what you want?"
"That's what I want."
That was the promise that had already disappeared, the glorious future that Subaru had hoped for after repeating these painful five days over and over again.
At Subaru's suggestion, Emilio put his hand over his mouth and pondered for a while. Subaru thinks it would be picturesque to see him pondering in this way, and Emilia laughs, "Mm,"
"I understand. Then, let's go on a 'dayte', Subaru."
"Yay! Emilio Maji Tenshi!"
"What's that mean?"
"EMT for short!"
"Yeah, but what does it mean?"
Emilio gushed at Subaru's bounciness.
Emilio smiles at her in this way, and Subaru gets more and more excited and shows more playfulness, hoping to bring out her smile.
Finally, finally, a new day that they have finally arrived at.
The sun was rising high in the sky, smiling down on Subaru and Emilio as if to bless their beginning and their future path.
--Natsuki Subaru's life in another world continues to shine on.
《The End?》
That's all! This is a sequel to the April Fool's Day project!
While there are many differences from the main story, I hope that people will think that this is how it develops.
As an aside, it was interesting to look back on my old writing in this way and discover something different than usual.
The biggest discovery is that each character and character is too different from the beginning.
I will also resume updating the main story gradually.
As the story tells us, the current part of the story is the end of the development as Arc 7.
Arc 7, "The Land of the Wolves" is over, and from this point forward, Arc 8, "Vincent Vollachia", will follow.
We are also pleased to report the production of the third anime season, and we look forward to your continued support of Re:Zero!
You do not have permission to view link
Log in or register now.
This will be an annual April Fool's Day project, a bad joke.
Please think of it as an extra chapter unrelated to the main story and enjoy it with a broad mind.
"The pillow feels different......"
Subaru muttered softly as she checked the soft feeling behind her head.
The unusual feeling of waking up was not limited to the pillow. Subaru's body, which is just slightly larger than the average height of a Japanese woman, the bed that was receiving her, the smooth sheets, everything was so different from usual.
"Boring, Continuing Life in Another World......"
Gasping, Subaru woke up from her sleep and confirmed this fact, annoyed by the feel of her slicked-back hair spreading to the nape of her neck.
Subaru woke up to a huge room with a very large bed and plenty of space for it, which was out of the ordinary for someone from a middle-class family.
Since it is addressed to Subaru, an uninvited gentile, she assumes that it is probably a guest room and not one or two rooms of this size.
"There's nooo wound in my stomach. I can't even find any stitches, and the doctors in the other world are very good. If they give me a scar, I won't be able to get a bride."
Subaru, who got off the bed with such light talk and checked the white skin of her flopped stomach, bent her head and nodded her head, savoring the inconvenience of not having an elastic to put her hair together.
This means--,
"Well, I guess that means I'm not 'returning by death' this time."
And, at the end of the attack on the stolen warehouse, she received the news with relief that she seemed to have her life saved from a tremendous amount of blood loss.
△▼△▼△▼△
Natsuki Subaru, a flowery high school girl, is suddenly summoned to another world.
Subaru was thrown into another world without any special skills of her own, but she had special powers that had been promised to her in many otherworldly objects since ancient times.
The name is "Return by Death" --a superb power that allows one to go back in time by losing one's life, to avoid the tragedy that has befallen them, and to try and bring about the future that they desire.
"Well, it's a cheat ability that I would never use again if I could because I suffer so much when I try to activate it......"
"You've got a lot of nerve talking to yourself in a man's castle, as a matter of fact, little girl."
"Ohh, the first villager spoke to me."
If one could choose one's abilities when summoned to another world, there wouldn't be so many things as bad a draw as this, a voice said in the back of Subaru's head as she lamented.
In front of Subaru's eyes as she turns around, a small figure sits on a stepladder in the middle of a large storeroom, staring at her with eyes fixed on the floor.
--He was a short boy around ten years old with curly short cream-colored hair and a reddish-purple overall tailcoat.
His round, bluish eyes have a distinctive pattern, and a slightly cocky expression is clinging to his lovely, well-formed face. A large book is open on the knee of his short pants, and he seems to be annoyed at being interrupted in his reading.
Nevertheless--,
"That cute little face won't work on a high school girl who can usually get away with saying 'cuuuuutteee' to any mammal smaller than herself."
"......Not only did you ruin Vicha's elaborate labyrinth, but you also lacked respect by saying and doing things that made no sense at all, as a matter of fact."
"By 'labyrinth', do you mean that seemingly endless looping hallway? I'm sorry, I drew the right answer the first time. I'm not only bad at that, but I'm also bad at reading my intuition. I'm sorry."
Raising one hand and winking, Subaru talks about the hallway outside the storeroom - the room where she first woke up and was involved in some unusual phenomenon.
By passing the decorated pictures, vases, and uninterrupted carpeting and the door with the same lowered plate several times, Subaru decided that it was a hallway that kept repeating itself endlessly. So, without hesitation, Subaru chose the first bedroom door.
When she opened it, sure enough, the connection was not to the first room, but to the curly-haired shorty that probably created that hallway.
"What are you going to do? What do you say I go out and surprise you again? If it makes you feel good about yourself, I'll give you the performance of your life."
"......Good grief, as a matter of fact. Get a grip, Vicha is running out of patience."
"Ara?"
As she says this, the young child with a book folded up gets off the stepladder and walks toward Subaru.
The atmosphere was somehow intimidating, and Subaru was unable to move her legs to back away, and was forced to close the distance with a stick. Then, an outstretched hand gently touches Subaru's stomach.
"No."
"If that's all you have left to say, then you're a joke to the end of the line, as a matter of fact."
"Gyah--?!"
Instantly, Subaru's entire body is struck by the impact, starting with the child's palm against her stomach.
Unable to even think of holding on, Subaru collapsed on the spot helplessly. Although she was the underling, the young child did not even support Subaru's body.
Thanks to this, she hit her head on the floor. The carpet was soft and plush, though, so it didn't hurt.
"But, I'm not a gentleman, I'm a boy...... in two ways in this case."
"I'm surprised you can still speak. You are not wrong in your assessment. --Do not measure such a precious being as Vicha by your own yardstick, as a matter of fact, human."
With that very cold and thirsty pronouncement as the last word, Subaru's consciousness fades away.
Anyway, I have been losing consciousness too often since I was summoned to another world, and I was worried that I might get cold from sleeping on the ground too much even though I was a young and envious maiden.
△▼△▼△▼△
"Oh, she's awake, bro."
"Yes, she's awake, Reu."
Again, a soft and uncomfortable feeling in the back of her head, same below.
What brought Subaru back to reality, after her consciousness had been rudely interrupted, was the sound of two young men's voices coming from behind closed eyelids, from tomorrow, when she would be visiting.
"Not only did she wake up, but she was seen sleeping, and her maiden index plummeted with a noise......"
It's not such a big deal, but thank goodness the Constitution guarantees minimum rights even to faces that aren't that big of a deal.
A constitution is like the opposite of a schoolgirl fad, but perhaps it should also state there that one should not take a maiden's sleeping and waking face lightly.
It would be strange if it were not so. If it is not protected by the Constitution, how do the maidens, who are also ashamed of other flowers, endure this shame and humiliation?
"I will continue to fight resolutely with the Constitution......! I will continue to fight with the Constitution until the world is rid of the man who peeks into a maiden's bed and wakes up disillusioned and utters unnecessary words......!"
"Oh, I sense a great deal of unnecessary enthusiasm, bro."
"Ah, a woman who has also wasted her life with useless talk and useless thoughts, Reu."
I'm so mad, you two, get out of the front door! I'm so mad, both of you come outside! I'll fix it!"
Subaru finally jumps up after a series of harsh words and shatters the shame of waking up from sleep.
In front of Subaru, who had repelled the sheets at that rate, looking at them from the foot side of the bed on which Subaru was sleeping, were two slender, slender silhouettes.
They had different hair colors, peach and blue, but their faces and eyes were identical, as were their butler's uniforms.
Upon seeing the two, Subaru's momentum of leaping up stops - or is swept away in the other direction.
"I-I-I-It's the handsome twin butlers......!!"
The twins, each with bob-cut hair and slightly longer bangs that hide one eye, are symmetrical, except for their hair color, which makes Subaru's heart flutter.
However, the response from the two to Subaru's high praise was not positive.
The blue-haired young man scowled slightly, and the peach-haired young man gave him a blatantly contemptuous look.
"Guh...... hold it together, me......! The net result is that when they were sleeping in the mansion, they must have thought of the possibility of a good-looking butler. If this had been a good-looking guy, I would have lost my mind."
"Bro, this visitor, is there something wrong with her?"
"Reu, I don't have to tell you, it's too late for her bad head."
"I mean, the way your brother said it was really terrible!"
Subaru bites at the rather strong tongue, but the twin butlers' attitude is cool.
In the meantime, if they are to be treated as guests, they should be treated more like princesses, like butterflies and flowers.
"On that note, I'm sure Emilio-kyun will be much kinder to me......"
"--Is the Emilio-kyun you're talking about, me?"
"Oh."
And as her lips twitched at the twin butler's brusque attitude, she unexpectedly heard a third person's voice, a voice that gently shook Subaru's eardrums and sweetly trembled her chest.
Turning around, she sees the half-open door to the room and a figure peeking out of it - a beautiful figure with dark blue eyes and silver hair, a beauty that captivates Subaru's soul at first glance.
"I'm glad to hear that, Subaru. You woke up safely."
"Emilio-kyun has come!!"
The appearance of Emilio - a young man who smiles softly and is sincerely happy for Subaru's safety - makes Subaru open his bad eyes and his much-cursed eyes and exclaim.
Emilio was surprised at Subaru's excitement, and then his lips relaxed and asked,
"What is this 'kyun' you speak of? Where did that come from?"
What a simple and difficult question to answer.
△▼△▼△▼△
"Nice to meet you, Natsuki Subaru. I am Roswaal L. Mathers, the oooowner of this mansion."
Subaru was invited to the breakfast table and was introduced to Roswaal L. Mathers, a presumably beautiful woman with indigo hair who claimed to be the owner of the mansion.
Why do you call them presumably beautiful women--,
"Why the mask......"
"Of course, it's part of my hobby. It's more curious when it's mysterious, isn't it?"
Roswaal shrugs ger shoulders without offense, the left half of ger face covered by a white mask. The mask looks like half of a clown's mask, with a clownish smile on its face. The visible right half of her face, combined with her yellow eyes, makes her look like a beautiful woman, though perhaps the mask is the result of facial injuries or other reasons.
"I don't see any sadness in her past, from what I've read."
"It's annoying to agree, but it's not a bad look, as a matter of fact. It's more ridiculous to ask for a reason for every single thing Roswaal does, as a matter of fact."
"And, with the blessing of a cheeky shota."
She snaps her fingers and point in that direction, and at the end of the long white cloth-covered table, a young child also seated there makes a disgusted face.
It seems that the little boy she encountered when she first woke up in the mansion was not just an existence in a dream Subaru had, but a real-life shota.
At this exchange between Subaru and the young child, Roswaal raised her eyebrows and said, "Heh",
"I was wondering if you and Victor are already getting along. I thought you didn't talk to me very often these days, have you gotten over your shyyyyness?"
"It's a superfluous and misguided understanding, Roswaal."
"Look, I can't hang on as yoooou can see."
Roswaal shows her raised hands and shows the value of her relationship with Victor - a pinched little boy.
She is not quite sure of Victor's position in the mansion. From the looks of it, he does not seem to be the son of Roswaal, but should she suspect a complicated family environment?
Even in a different world, the ties and troublesome affairs of noble families are likely to lie dormant in noble families' homes.
At any rate--,
"I can't believe Emilio is a candidate for king...... I mean, he's a prince."
"I'm not a prince. I don't have a deep relationship with the Royal Castle or the Royal Capital. I was just added as one of the candidates for the next king's election, in accordance with the pact of the 'Divine Dragon'."
"I don't know much about the Divine Dragon or the pact, but the proof of the candidate is called......"
"It's the insignia that Subaru was trying to get back for me in the Royal Capital~"
A glance was given to Tink, who was properly provided with a small set of dishes for herself at the table, and she took over the last of Subaru and Emilio's conversation.
A spirit who contracts with Emilio and calls herself his mother substitute, she holds the insignia as if she were holding it in her short hands and shows it off.
That is the insignia that Subaru struggled to regain, and that is the very McGuffin, the McGuffin that had to lose its life three times in the royal capital--.
"But I'm standing here like this. I'm also standing here with my stomach wound unharmed! Oh, and thanks for fixing this for me, Emilio."
"Oh, it wasn't me who healed you, it was Victor. Victor is very knowledgeable in all kinds of magic."
"What, that cheeky pants?!"
"I am now regretting having cured her, as a matter of fact. If I had known she was such a rude and noisy girl, I would not have helped her, as a matter of fact."
"No, sorry, sorry, I'm just embarrassed. Thanks for saving my life, Fat Vic. I'm sure I'll repay you for this favor one of these days."
"Before that, what did you call Vicha, as a matter of fact?!"
Subaru throws a kiss at Victor, who rolls his eyes and yells in a cute voice.
Then she looks again at Emilio and Tink, who is lying down with the insignia in front of her.
"If I hadn't helped him, he would have lost his emblem and Emilio would have been in big trouble! And so on."
"--. Yeah, that's right. I owe Subaru a very big debt. A debt that can't be repaid by anything more than healing my stomach wound."
"The family also knew that if Emilio, who had backed her, were to drop out before the start of the Royal Election, it would be a seeeerious blow. I think we must repay Subaru-kun in any way we can for preventing that from haaaaappening."
"If it's the way I want it to be, then my wish is the ONLY ONE! If so, my wish is the only one! The only one!"
Subaru vigorously slammed down her demands, pointing the fingers of both hands at both Emilio and Roswaal, who were probably the two most powerful people in the room.
Subaru's hope, it is simple.
"Please hire me at this place!"
--The plan was to live together with a boy of her choice under one roof, in order to launch a thorough offensive, a scheme reminiscent of the old days.
△▼△▼△▼△
"I'm worried that you're too greedy, Subaru. I'd be...... worried if all you wanted in return was my name or a job at the mansion."
This was Emilio's response to Subaru's request for employment opportunities.
Emilio's chest was turned into a needle mouse with a heart arrow by the beautiful young man's lowered eyebrows and sincerely concerned attitude toward her, but that's about it.
Fortunately, Subaru's request to be hired was easily granted, and with Roswaal's permission, Natsuki Subaru was safely welcomed as a member of the Roswaal family.
To build a solid foundation for life in a different world with no one to rely on.
Subaru was relieved to have secured it, although she did not think too much about how big an advantage it was.
But on the other hand, if there is one thing she thinks they may have done a little too soon,
"This maid outfit is very revealing! Isn't this too awe-inspiring for me to wear?!"
A maid at the Roswaal mansion, in the sleeves of her formal uniform, Subaru half-cries and complains about the shortness of her skirt and the soothing sensation of cool air passing through her back.
Naturally, as a hired hand, she intended to follow the rules of the mansion, but the baptism of another world that disregarded functional beauty was merciless, and it was determined to destroy Subaru's self-esteem.
"These outfits are only good for beautiful girls to wear, and for a wide-eyed, bony, muscular woman like me to wear them, I'd be cursed by my inner self to know my place......!"
"Bro, there seems to be some kind of conflict for Subaru-san."
"Reu, you're just getting in on the act. Don't give too much thought to Barusu."
"You twins are twins, and you have a certain reaction to a young maiden, don't you? You twins have to react to young maidens a little more than usual! Make me offset my sense of shame with comments like, 'You look good together,' or, 'The horse has a costume too' or, 'You're not tall enough,' and so on!"
The two twins--named Rau and Reu, were not so friendly to Subaru, who barked at them.
It seems that the twins don't show much emotion on their faces, but if the ladies have changed their attire, isn't it a universal courtesy to make comments accordingly?
"I think that's why Ros doesn't have a good education."
"Don't be so cavalier in your criticisms of Master Roswaal. Don't you spare your life, Barusu?"
"Stop glaring at me in a serious tone all of a sudden! Also, your name has become a spell of blindness since a while ago! I'm going to monopolize the trend!"
"Bro, I think she'll only tire herself out if she takes it too seriously."
"......That's right. Hey, don't bother Rau too much, Barusu."
"Geez, my coworkers are cold and the winds of the world are hard on me......"
Rau and Reu, the twins, have an air of intruding on others, but even so, their loyalty to their master, Roswaal, is evident.
Although she has the impression that they are about the same, she feels that Reu is probably easier to talk to than Rau, both about work-related and personal matters.
"I saw Rau as the type of person who is hard to approach, who will be salty until he's ready to let his heart go."
"What's with that unflattering assessment? Did you not hear what Rau said?"
"Bro, leave this to Reu. You have more important things to do than instructing newcomers."
"--. That's right, you got it."
Irritated by Subaru's personal view, Rau pulls his chin at Reu's suggestion.
However, he said he would give her one last look at Subaru before leaving the place as it was,
"I say to you, don't swing at Rau's healthy little brother. If you interfere with Rau's work, even if you are Master Emilio's benefactor, I'll kick you out of the place."
"Oh, you are very intimidating. But I won't be defeated. I have my own ambitions that I need to accomplish......"
"Ha."
Subaru's lips twitches and Rau walks away, leaving Subaru to laugh through her nose in a very loud voice.
She looked away from her back, and suddenly Reu was standing next to Subaru,
"Don't be too offended. My brother is just being true to himself and always embracing a dignity that does not disguise his words."
"It's a matter of opinion! From the sound of it, you seem to have a strong attachment to your brother."
"You are good enough to be fascinated."
"I see. By the way, what did Rau go to work on?"
"Perhaps he was headed for a quick nap to get ready for lunch......"
"What a definition of an important job!!"
Immediately, all of Rau's previous pompous words and actions are replaced by the ones for skipping work and going to take a nap, and her impression of him is also replaced as it is.
If he's so arrogant and irreverent, he should at least be able to do his job well.
"Maybe the work he does is amazing? An expert in cleaning, laundry, and cooking?"
"My brother is good at cleaning, but I am better at that, and it's a little difficult to ask him to do the laundry and the dishes."
"Your brother lost his raison d'etre!"
Whether it is Reu's lack of follow-up or purely Rau's lack of ability, in any case, we can say that the only reason for his existence is that he is beautiful, but the reason why he can be so great has disappeared.
Or, if you think about it, why should Subaru be treated like that?
"God, what is with that guy......!"
She sounded like a heroine who blushes when dealing with a man who lives freely outside her norm, but Subaru's heart is set on Emilio.
She wants to be kind to those who are kind to her, and that is Subaru's honest maiden heart.
"I'll show you how to do your job. Please follow me."
"Ugh...... Reu's kindness is wearing on me. I-I like you, you're kind to me."
"It is at the behest of Master Roswaal that I am not going to let my brother and mine's workload increase without a fight. I don't have any feelings for Subaru-san. Please don't misunderstand me."
"Damn! You siblings are all salty! I'm not going to let you beat me!"
Subaru vows to the sky that she will not be discouraged and will stand up to them, despite the frankness of the older brother and the condescension of the younger one, whichever way they respond.
If she keeps up the good work here, Emilio will surely come to pick her up astride his white horse.
"I mean, it was one roof, so that stage was cleared. Huh? But how do I proceed from there? My knowledge of Otome Games are that it's almost the ending when the relationship starts......"
"I'll take my leave."
"Oh, I'll follow you, I'll follow you......ah, my feet is hurting! You're so inconsiderate!"
"To avoid embarrassing Master Roswaal, Subaru-san, please be a little more careful with your language."
With such grateful advice from her seniors, Subaru boldly took on the challenge of experiencing work in another world, hurrying and worrying about the length of her skirt.
△▼△▼△▼△
Over the next few days, her first Maid Days were a series of many hardships.
To be honest, what was surprising was that Rau and Reu were rather accommodating in taking care of Subaru. Of course, if Subaru messed up, the burden would fall on them, so you could say that it was a natural attitude.
But Rau's cold, sharp tongue and Rem's soft, punching bluntness helped Subaru improve in both cases.
"No, Rau's just seriously meddling."
"I see. I'm sorry, I didn't really look at the details of Rau and Reu's work. I just thought you guys always did a great job."
"Emilio is busy with his studies. But you mustn't get too rooted. There is an academic theory that says that people's concentration doesn't last long, or that's just something I'm saying to myself."
"Oh, yeah...... huh? Subaru just says that on her own?"
The facts are vague as to what actually happened, as theories are turned upside down rather frequently.
For example, opinions differ on when to sprinkle salt and pepper on meat, whether to sprinkle it before grilling or during the grilling process.
Perhaps we have been roasting meat since mankind began using fire, but we don't even conclude such elementary talks, that's what academic theories are all about.
"And I, who don't know much about it, am just saying..."
With a messy summary, Subaru scratches a hunch on the grass and makes a sore throat.
Don't worry, it's not in the short skirted state of a maid's uniform. Subaru's style is loungewear jerseys, as she has already finished her work during the day and all she needs to do is sleep.
The last blow from the dreaded Eins, the assassin she encountered in the Royal Capital, cut her stomach, and it looked as if her jersey would be lost, but fortunately, thanks to the fact that she saved her jersey, which was on the verge of being torn to shreds, she was able to mend it and put it up her sleeves.
"It's nice to have these sewing skills, because I'm not as good with things as I am without them."
"I remember that Reu also praised your mending skills. Your mending skills are like a craftsman's."
"I have a tendency to develop my skill tree in an irregular way, and I tend to take skills on a feeling basis. I am the type of person who forgets to take skills that are passively enhanced."
"I'm sorry, I just don't know what you're talking about."
Perhaps there was too much jargon, but the growth policy is quickly swept under the rug by Emilio, who chuckles.
However, it is Subaru's fault for not speaking in a way that he can understand, and it is perfectly fine if Emilio does not understand. Subaru is happy just to be able to talk with him like this.
Emilio goes about his daily routine of conversing with the lower spirits in the courtyard of the Roswaal mansion at night.
After hearing that he was spending such time, Subaru thought she might be intruding, but her desire to be close to him won out and he sat like this at the edge of her field of vision.
Of course, if he rejects her, she will suffer a lot of damage that she will not be able to recover from, but for now, Emilio has not ordered her to leave, so it is a safe decision.
"----"
Fluffy, faint spirits fly through the night with a faint glow.
Surrounded by these lower spirits, Emilio's figure stroking his mysterious silver hair was terribly fragile, and there was a fantastic atmosphere as if he would shatter if he tried to touch it with his fingers.
Subaru's feelings gradually heat up as she gazes at this unrealistic beauty up close.
"The moon is beautiful."
"It's just out of reach."
"Gahhh!"
"What's wrong?!"
Subaru's love for him almost causes a heart attack as she is doused with cold water for the heat she has been exposed to.
Emilio, who took no offense, rushed to her in concern, and Subaru raised her hand and said, "I'm fine, I'm finem" and responded to Emilio's concern in a sturdy manner.
Then, seeing Subaru's outstretched palm, Emilio let out an "Oh......".
Looking up to see what was going on, Subaru also understood the meaning of Emilio's muttering.
He was not surprised because the fingers of Subaru's outstretched hand were covered with many adhesive plasters.
"Nah, it's embarrassing. It's not very girly to have hands covered in scars."
"I don't think so. --Should I cast some healing music? I'm not very good at it, but that's about all I can do."
"Mm~, I'm glad Emilio feels the same way, but I think I'll wait."
"Why?"
The proposal is rejected, and Emilio lowers his eyebrows anxiously.
She could sense in his appearance that he was hurt that Subaru had rejected him, and in her haste to say otherwise, Subaru shook her head and said, "No, no,"
"I'm not talking about you, Emilio, this is my problem. I'm not sure if it's Emilio or not, but it's my problem. ......This kind of scar is proof that I'm doing my best here. I thought I'd leave it here just in case."
"Proof you're doing your best......."
"This one is from cooking, this one is from using an unfamiliar cleaning tool, and this one is from poking my hand while cleaning the window. One by one, they are proof of my growth."
For Subaru, who has never had a part-time job, her Maid Days at the mansion is her first and only work experience.
She was confident that she was a rather handy person, but her baselessness was shattered one after another before her first job, and her fingers were in such a state of disarray.
But that's not a bad thing.
"When there is a tangible proof of your efforts, you can trust your footprints...... Sorry, I may be saying something strange."
"--. No, it's not like that. I understood reaaaally well."
"Emilio-kyun......"
Emilio, with a serious face, does not laugh at Subaru's silly obsession.
While being touched by his words, Subaru at the same time felt her heart racing with heat that was truly pouring in, and not lightly.
And, being pressured by such a feeling, she decides to play a little game.
"Um, Emilia-kyun...... I'm going to go shopping in the village tomorrow, if you want to go on a date with me...... D-do you want to go out with me?"
"In the village......"
"I-Is that not okay?! Did I misread the atmosphere?! Am I a bitch?!"
"I don't think that awful thing at all?!"
Subaru steps in too deep and sees a vision of her head being chopped off by the returning sword. Emilio waves his hand hurriedly at the momentum, and this time he does his best to say, "No, it's not like that."
Emilio was unsure what to say,
"I'm not sure if this is about Subaru or not, it's more about me. It's a village, but if you go with me, Subaru might have a bad feeling about it......"
"That's not true! With Emilio, there are rosy effects everywhere!"
"But I thought it might not look too good around......"
"I'll be fine! No matter what the people around me look like, I'll be right next to them with the best smile of the century on my face, hanging on to them the whole time, and that annoyance will become a habit!"
"......Haha."
Emilio finally laughed at Subaru's luring words, which made her forget about out-boxing and become all about in-fighting, with a face like she had lost her patience.
Subaru waited with bated breath for his next words in response--,
"I'll go to the village with you, Subaru. You and I will go to the village together."
Emilio's beaming face, which looked as if he had no choice but to smile, already made Subaru sing three Hail Marys with the biggest smirk of this century.
"So, tomorrow I have a date with Emilio! Heh heh heh, I must say that the relationship is about to develop! Isn't it great? Isn't it great?"
"Why bother coming all the way to Vicha to report it, as a matter of fact......?"
"I mean, Rau and Reu have to work early tomorrow morning, and the only person I can talk to is Fat Vic, who is wandering around the mansion doing nothing in particular."
"I'm saying I don't understand the logic of you breaking through the 'Door Crossing' so easily at that rate, as a matter of fact!"
With great vigor, Victor yells with a red face.
It's already late at night, and loud noises are annoying to those around them, but Subaru doesn't blame them. It is partly because she is in a good mood, but also because of the special power of this library--or rather, the Forbidden Library.
Apparently, this little boy named Victor is a powerful being, and he is good at twisting and attaching spaces.
The magic of "Door Crossing" is an amazing technique that can connect the doors of this Forbidden Library to all the doors of the mansion.
It's just that Subaru is able to get through the "Door Crossing", which is supposed to exhibit a randomness that is hard to reach, with some intuition.
"Hah, it's all a reward for my hard work...... then, if that's the case, can I be a little more greedy? What do you think?"
"I don't really care, as a matter of fact."
"Like hands! Wouldn't it seem immodest if I went to hold your hand?"
"Listen to me, as a matter of fact! If you're going to talk, at least listen, as a matter of fact!"
"BOMBARDEEEE!"
She don't think it's a good idea to give love advice to a young child, but it's also not a good idea to answer an older woman's sincere concern with an unfamiliar, invisible shockwave.
In the end, without getting a satisfactory answer, Subaru is blown away by a fierce wind and has her meeting with Victor ended by being kicked out of the Forbidden Library.
"You have a pretty face, but you're not pretty enough. Someday, I'm going to treat you like a cat."
Spilling out her resentment at being rolled down the hallway, Subaru patted himself down, then regained her composure and headed for her room, skipping along on her bouncy feet.
After kicking Subaru out of the room, Victor, who was behind the closed door in the Forbidden Library--,
"It's not about Vicha, as a matter of fact."
And she did not know that he had muttered so.
△▼△▼△▼△
"Oh, goodness! A new day and a remarkable breakthrough! Natsuki Subaru, as of today, I will graduate from being a woman who just waits!"
Subaru jumps out of her skin the moment she pays a handout to sleepiness and buys an awakening of consciousness.
Subaru's brain, which is a very good sleeper, had been constructing the best route to last night's appointment - that is, her first date with Emilio - from the moment she woke up.
First, she would verbally lead Rau to assign Subaru as many easy jobs as possible. Then, she would pass off Rau's sarcasm with a mature smile and accept the job of going to the village to buy things, and in the future, she and Emilio would make a goal.
"I'm not going to wait around for that to happen. I'm going to transform into my Victory Form right now--waahh?!"
"----"
"----"
She finished formulating her plan as she swiveled her hips on the bed, and when she turned around, a not-so-cute scream came from Subaru's throat.
The reason for this was simple and obvious: there was a figure other than Subaru standing in the room. Two of them.
And if there were two sets of figures standing side by side in the Roswaal mansion, there could only be one option for their identity.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute! You were relatively considerate except for the first day, but suddenly it's taboo to break into a maiden's room in the morning, isn't it? You saw my face when I woke up from sleep again! Don't look at me!"
Covering her face with her hands, Subaru tries to cover up the shame that is rising in her heart.
She would want to die if anyone saw her blushing seriously, and if she covered her face, the feeling of drool on the edges of her mouth would make her want to die even more.
Even if it were not against Emilio, he is not such a tough boy that he can get away with no damage from being seen sleeping badly by a boy. She's not a boy to begin with.
However, their attitude toward Subaru's reaction was puzzling.
"Bro, you've been accosted in a very friendly manner by our guest."
"Reu, you've been greeted by our guest who somehow mis-measured your distance."
Subaru is trying to cover up the situation, but Rau and Reu's reactions are curt, as if they can't read the atmosphere.
No matter what the reason, no matter how well you know each other, there is always courtesy even when you are close to each other.
"Or I was woken up? So it took two seniors to wake me up......"
"Senior? What on earth are you talking about, miss?"
"Senior? That's a horrible idea to be called that, miss."
"Huh......"
Their eyebrows furrowed and their attitude was seriously suspicious. That was indeed no joking matter, and Subaru dropped the hand she was holding to her face and shook the roots of her teeth.
Frankly, she was beginning to understand that Rau's strength of speech was part of his character, but for Reu to take offense to it in this way was a bit much.
She said that in order for the relationship between servants to go smoothly, she had to make sure to teach them both how much Subaru would be offended by what they did to her.
She wanted to believe that if she did so, the problem would be solved.
But--,
"--huh?"
Before she can firmly scold them both, she sees her own hands, which she put down.
Last night, she held out her hand to Emilio, and it was so disheveled and covered in wounds that he suggested that he cast a healing spell on it.
Hands that had been battered by unaccustomed cooking, water work, and cleaning with unfamiliar tools - but they were clean, as if they had never known the hardships of working.
"No way."
She shook her fingers and turned her hand over backwards and forwards, but she could not find the wound where it should have been.
She can't believe that her mind could be so turned upside down at the sight of her own, pristine fingers. No, it is the situation in front of her that is unbelievable.
"Miss?"
"Miss?"
Twisting their heads, Rau and Reu move in a breathless motion, and they worry about the state of Natsuki Subaru, whom she has "never met before". Looking into the twin eyes of these twins, who had no ill intentions, Subaru was convinced.
And with conviction came despair.
"Why...... why am I back?!"
She learned to work, she learned how to socialize, and she learned about each other's personalities.
She thought she would be able to make it work, envisioned a future of fun, and welcomed the day with her chest heaving, but she found herself at a cul-de-sac.
The unreasonable fate will never allow Natsuki Subaru to have peace of mind.
--The second first day, begins.
△▼△▼△▼△
Frankly, the second time they met was terribly satisfying for Subaru.
When she first experienced the "Return by Death" and was struck by the shock of impending "death", she also suffered an unusual heartache.
Still, that was only a few hours away.
For less than half a day, the bond they built up was large but not deep. So she was able to reconsider the idea of being treated as a stranger, and that is how it is.
But this one is different.
This time, she had the opportunity to spend a few days with them and get to know them deeply, not just their faces and names, but their personalities.
The situation where it was all turned upside down, as if the whole board game had never happened, was not only a sense of futility and loss, but also a feeling of being trampled all over.
It was hard. It really was.
How much effort did it take for her to get excited about getting that time back again?
Subaru's desire to overcome this anguish and move on should be commended. She should receive an award for her very stouthearted and well-done effort.
It is wrong to let them suffer worse and more horribly.
Even if it's a mistake--,
"Are you associated with the Witch?"
It must be wrong to have to be tortured with an iron ball in one's hand by an angry and hostile Reu in such a dimly lit forest at dusk.
"Uh, agh......"
Panting and clearing her throat, Subaru reached a trembling hand to her right leg.
From the knee down, she had been cut by something sharp and had lost a lot of blood. However, the bleeding had already been stopped. Reu, who had followed her, did it.
Not to save them, but because he didn't want her to die before he could get anything out of her.
--This is the third time Subaru has tried since she woke up in the Roswaal mansion.
The last time she was sent back to the first day, Subaru, determined to overcome this situation, attempted to trace the first days of her life so that she could create the same situation as much as possible.
It is doubtful that the challenge worked, but the end result was the same. --No, it was worse.
The first time, Subaru did not know what made her return on the first day, but the second time, she clearly had gone through "Return by Death" in the form of having her head crushed by someone.
As a result, the third action was aimed at finding out who was most likely targeting Subaru and the people in the mansion.
And she succeeded in luring out the lackey who had crushed Subaru's head, but--,
"......Re, u"
"Don't call me that. If you smell of miasma all over your body and tell me you have nothing to do with the witch, you are not worthy of my trust."
"What, the hell, that's......"
If you are asked a word you don't recognize, or something you don't know, you can't answer.
The cold, dismissive tone of Reu's voice, unlike the condescending one Subaru knew, was tinged with a much deeper, blacker hatred.
She thought they got along.
He is a brotherly man, excellent even if he is not sure of himself, and one that is gradually coming to terms through work and through small talk, and one that is closing the distance between their hearts.
That was a mistake.
He was vigilantly watching for an opportunity to kill Subaru, and he did it. No, he had already done it many times. Each time, Subaru returned to the first day.
And this time again--,
"Why did he have to kill me? What did I do? What did he do to me, why did Reu......"
"You--"
"I love you guys, and everyone--"
The wind that blew through the house did not allow her to say the last word.
Just a hot feeling escapes her throat, and Natsuki Subaru collapses in place, motionless. Her limbs trembled, and in the distance, beyond her bleaching vision, she heard a voice.
"My brother is too kind."
Subaru had no idea what those words meant.
△▼△▼△▼△
"--I'm going to 'Return by',"
Just as she is about to say, "Death", time stops for Emilio in front of her, and Natsuki Subaru realizes that sound, color, and the passage of time have been lost from the world.
Unable to move even her own body, her consciousness is caught up in the fear of the coming stillness of the world.
If she were to be stranded in a world where nothing moves, even though the flow of time has been lost, my spirit would be eroded in a matter of minutes.
The fear of being afraid of it tried to fill the only brain that was still working in a body that was not moving, but the fear did not materialize.
--The fear is even greater than that, for it is an unshakable fear that is slowly closing in on her.
--I love you.The voice of someone unseen whispers in her ear, and the only thing excluded from its reason in a world where nothing is supposed to move comes at Subaru.
It approaches Subaru silently but eloquently and slips in front of her, horrified.
What came was a black shadow, a pure black shadow that you could not see the other side of, that you could intuit that it would not be lost in the light.
From its jet-black shadow, a slim arm reaches out slimily.
His arms, thin but somehow strong and firm, slide slowly, slowly into Subaru's chest.
And then--,
--I love you.While claiming love, an unbelievably intense pain painted Natsuki Subaru's consciousness and made her understand it with unimaginable agony.
No one can share the despair that Subaru experiences. She must not confide in them.
Natsuki Subaru, alone, had no choice but to continue to resist.
--Yes, that's what she thought.
"It's a provisional agreement with Vicha, as a matter of fact, little girl."
"--ah"
Even Emilio's hand of salvation was repelled, but it was Victor, a young boy who was thought to be outside of the target group, who offered his hand of salvation to Subaru.
Haggard and burned out, Subaru asked for help, and Victor, looking terribly annoyed, but still with a lotus attitude that could not hide his caring nature, took Subaru's self-inflicted hand and promised to be by her side.
Saved by this promise, Subaru laughs at her own cheapness.
But it had been a very, very long time since she could laugh like that, and Subaru shed tears. Victor never laughed at such cheap tears flowing from Subaru's eyes.
He said that his blunt kindness would save Natsuki Subaru--.
△▼△▼△▼△
"I am going to get you out, as a matter of fact. I am going to send you out where neither Roswaal's hands nor the older brother's hands can reach you, and you won't die, as a matter of fact."
"----"
On top of a cliff at sunset, Victor, who has come this far in search of Subaru, who has fled, offers a helping hand to Subaru, who is no longer where she belongs.
It was half a day ago that she signed a temporary contract with Victor and reached the time limit in his Forbidden Library - a fifth morning that, until now, she never got to.
After all the hard work and toil, he still could not reach the time when he was stunned, and while he was happy with the beat of his heart, the cruelty of fate did not let Subaru off the hook.
--Rau wailed over Reu's death, and the sight of him shattered Subaru's joy in dismay.
Subaru, who had always thought that it was Reu who triggered the tragedy at the mansion, was stunned to find him cold in bed, never to wake up.
She feels like shed been thrown into the middle of the ocean with no compass, as if all of her previous assumptions have collapsed and everything she'd picked up has been for nothing.
No matter where she looks, she can't see land.
The stormy winds are not advancing Subaru even in the direction it wants to go.
Moreover, the waves were raging relentlessly, trying to drown the tossing Subaru raft at the bottom of the water, without regard for their feelings.
"Rau is......"
"Regardless of your involvement, his older brother will never forgive you, as a matter of fact. Those two should never have lacked each other, as a matter of fact. Now that they are missing, there is nothing you can do about it, as a matter of fact."
"----"
With his emotions laid bare, Rau turned his anger toward Subaru.
He wants answers. He wonders why his dear brother, Reu, had to die.
If Subaru had the answer to that question, she wanted to answer Rau's question.
But she can't. Subaru doesn't have the answers.
On the contrary, Subaru has been repeating this world over and over again with the same question.
With Reu, surely, Rau was also after her.
What Subaru would do for the sake of such a selfish bond between these two people--.
"--Why, can't I say no?"
She lifts her hand from the ground and mocks herself.
As she brushes off her sandy hands, Subaru suddenly recalls the memory of her past, when she had the illusion that someone was holding her unconscious hand - or rather, that she had once held it.
Subaru could intuitively believe that this was what had really happened.
Subaru is a good sleeper. Her brain awakens easily and she notices even the slightest thing. Most of the time, though, it doesn't happen until she is caught in the ambiguous space between waking and sleeping.
"This should not be pretended that it never happened. ......For me to look forward..."
Desperate voices chased Natsuki Subaru, asking why.
On Subaru's back as she ran and ran and ran, the wailing of the one who had been deprived of something precious was such a sad exclamation that one's chest would tighten just by listening to it.
"Victor, please step aside."
"I won't let that happen, as a matter of fact. This man is Vicha's contractor. A contract is a contract, even if it is a provisional contract, and I will not let anyone say that Vicha is disloyal."
Slowly, as Subaru builds her resolve, she is confronted by Rau, who has reached the cliff, and Victor, who has sheltered Subaru behind her.
Both sides, who are getting excited on their own, are ignoring Subaru, the center of the conversation, and it is not amusing that Subaru, the guest of honor, is left alone.
So--,
"Bend the knees!"
"Ugyah?!"
In front of her, she set up a merciless knee-bending to the young child in short pants.
Suddenly off balance and nearly falling, Victor rolls his eyes, then his eyes quickly become angry and he raises his eyebrows at Subaru's outburst behind him.
"W-what are you doing all of a sudden, as a matter of fact! What Vicha was trying to do......"
"It's dangerous, isn't it? I understand that you want to put your body on the line for your older sister, but unfortunately, I am not such a cheap woman. No, to tell you the truth, I was very nervous."
Victor blushed, and it's true that his thoughtfulness impelled his chest tremendously.
Frankly, if Victor had not been there for her, Subaru would have made even more foolish choices, unable to escape the vicious spiral he had created.
But Victor's kindness barely stopped Subaru.
So thus, Subaru's resolve and guts were set.
"Rau, I can't answer you how this happened. If I knew the answer, I would tell you, but I don't. --That's why I'm going to find out."
"--tsk, What's the point of doing that?! Reu is already dead! He's nowhere to be found anymore...... I, Rau, have been left behind!"
"I won't let you be alone. I will never let you feel left behind again. I swear it to myself, not to anyone else."
Subaru looked at Rau, whose expression was distorted and his teeth were gnashing, and thought that it was out of place.
He looks a lot like Reu, who was looking at Subaru in anger in that forest at dusk. They are twins, after all. But she would like to make sure of that with something other than an angry expression.
They stood side by side, smiling, facing Natsuki Subaru.
"What do you know about Rau and Reu?!"
"Nothing. But you don't know either, do you?"
"What do you......"
"--I want to say! That I love! You guys!!"
Natsuki Subaru's confession of love momentarily whitened Rau's thoughts for a moment.
Subaru turns her back on Rau, who stiffens, and Victor, who rolls his eyes, and heads for the cliff.
"Wait--"
The hand of an outstretched child, it cannot catch up with Subaru, who steps out without hesitation.
That Subaru felt guilty about shaking off the hand that held her to protect Subaru and running off like that. But she wouldn't let that be a reason to stop.
She must go forward. --Toward tomorrow, which lies ahead.
To get to that moment, to get to that morning, to get to that moment, to get to that morning, to get there in the true sense of the word.
I'm going to kill you for sure, that's what he told her.
So, Subaru will--,
"--I'll help you, I promise."
Immediately after her lips move like that, her whole body is shattered by an oversized shock.
It would have been nice if it had broken Subaru's consciousness straight away and carried her to a second try where she would have jumped, but--.
--The fact that the strike was so bad that it did not reach the instantaneous "death" was a testament to the poor pull of the woman, Natsuki Subaru.
△▼△▼△▼△
"--Well done, Subaru."
With those words and the feeling of soft thighs for a boy under her head, Natsuki Subaru was overcome by the sensation of her emotions breaking down and pouring out unceasingly.
She tried to stop, but she couldn't. Tear after tear, one after the other, flooded her eyes and flowed out of her corneas.
"W-wait, this is so weird......"
"Is it strange if I cry a lot? If so, it would be strange if a baby cries a lot."
"That's not what I meant, you know...... you know that......!"
Coming down from just above her is Emilio's voice, gently caring for her.
Natsuki Subaru feels herself being comforted by his voice, the warmth of his palm caressing her head, and the touch of his knee supporting her head, and she feels her whole soul being comforted.
She prayed, wished, and resolved to save Rau and Reu, and more broadly, everyone in the mansion, and anything and everything that Natsuki Subaru wanted to like, and so she jumped off the cliff.
She was so determined not to let anything slip through her fingers that she was aware and tense at every corner, ready to protect everything, and yet, she was not.
"Right away, this is kind of pathetic......"
"Is that so? I don't think so."
Subaru's determination and resolve, and the unnatural smile she was trying to achieve without a single failure, were easily detected by Emilio's unclouded gaze.
With no time to mend, Emilio forcefully pulled Subaru into an empty room and lent her his own knee, knocking down the wall of her battered heart.
What those ragged walls somehow managed to hold back.
It is pried open by Emilio's forceful kindness, and the whole thing flows outward.
Even if it is just a matter of time, the face deviation of the Roswaal residence has been significantly lowered because of Subaru, and if they even show their crying faces, it will be the end of the world.
"It's not over. It's not weird at all, Subaru."
"Don't, don't...... do that."
"I won't stop. If Subaru doesn't mean it, never."
It was as if he knew everything about Natsuki Subaru.
Don't be silly. How much does Emilio know about Subaru, unlike Subaru who has been through the last few days over and over again?
You know that Emilio's chance to get to know Subaru is only for a short period of time, only a moment in that stolen warehouse in the Royal Capital and only a few days this time around, about four days.
So don't think you can say that as if you can see through all of Subaru, even though she is a shut-in truant and lacks depth in life experience.
--Oh, but.
"----"
Emilio strokes Subaru's black hair and snuggles up to her as she sobs.
She had little chance to get to know Subaru.
However, this is exactly the opposite of the fact that Subaru had the opportunity to know Emilio as many times as she had repeated days, and that is why she can understand the weight of his words.
Emilio is kind, compassionate, and tries very hard not to hurt others.
This way, he could no longer look at Subaru because of her kindness.
There is absolutely no lie, not even a hint of calculation, in this gentle, soft, and unrelaxing attitude of Subaru.
"It must be hard."
She didn't need to doubt his feelings about her.
--Natsuki Subaru could strongly wish from the bottom of his heart that he would live this love.
"----"
Subaru is sleeping peacefully, breathing like a child.
Emilio's brow lowers at the relieved profile of the girl on his lap, and he gently brushes her bangs away from her forehead.
There--,
"Subaru-san doesn't seem to be of any use today."
"Yes, you're right. She's only been a maid for a short time, but she's so lazy that she skips work like this. You should give her a good scolding later."
"--I'm sure I'll lose my mind about that when I see this sleeping face."
Reu, who surely would have noticed Subaru's overreacting, spills such thoughts when he sees her sleeping face on his lap.
Emilio apologizes to Tink in his mind for pointing out that he shouldn't stare at a girl when she is sleeping from within the magic crystal stone.
But Emilio would not have stepped in so far if Tink had not seen the danger Subaru was in and pushed him back.
Now he is glad he was able to talk to Subaru properly and let her get it out.
"I'm going to go talk to my brother. I have to take care of Subaru-san's business."
Without being harsh, Reu says this and turns his back on Emilio and the others.
Emilio, who had thought that Reu was somewhat reserved toward Subaru, who had recently started working at the mansion, calls out to her behind her back.
"Reu."
"----"
"Subaru is a good girl."
There is no need to doubt it, so Emilio pleads.
There was no answer from Reu to that, only the sound of the door closing.
"Hang in there, hang in there......"
Emilio pats Subaru's head as she falls asleep and offers such words of support.
He said that over and over again, as if he was praying that surely everything would work out in the end, and that Subaru's desire to do so would be fulfilled.
△▼△▼△▼△
--Of all the children in the village of Arlam, Pietro prided himself on being the smartest and best looking.
It's what's called a cuteness awareness, but it can also get around to the extent that it is not obvious to the people and adults around them.
People who have their own strengths and yet antagonize others with them are not good at getting around.
How do you stand firm under your own feet? If you realize early on that this is important, you will have the ability to bend those around you to your will.
This was Pietro's philosophy and his omnipotence due to his childhood.
However--,
"Suba, ru...... that girl, Maolo, in the back......"
He does his best to tell them with his feverish mind that they have been taken away.
Peering into the low meadow, the face of Pietro lying on a hilltop, was a poor-looking housewife with her black hair tied up behind her head, who was subtly unbecoming in maid clothes.
Pietro had mixed feelings about her, as she was the topic of conversation when she was newly hired at the mansion.
First of all, every adult is pampered by Pietro.
Pietro, the most beautiful boy in the village and expected to win over many women in the future, dominates everyone around him with his glimpses of charm and understanding of his talents, even though he is still very young.
Pietro's ultimate tactic for getting around did not work for the woman's wages--Subaru.
It's not that she already has feelings for someone or that her tastes don't match.
A truly beautiful thing transcends personal taste and captivates others. Pietro had it. That is why he had this self-esteem.
And yet, that didn't work for Subaru.
Of course, she turned to him and told him that he had a promising future and that he was cute and cool, but beyond that, there was no envy of his transcendent partner.
Treat Pietro life-size and see him as you would any other child around you.
It was a new sensation for Pietro, and frustrating at the same time.
It just seemed to him that unlike the adults who can be manipulated at will by Pietro, Subaru's way of being, with her certain self, was not driven by anything.
So--,
"Don't worry, Pietro. I'll go look for him with that older brother!"
Subaru, who took his hand, took his words seriously as she appealed to him in a breathless voice.
The strength of her grip seems to prove how sincerely she took Pietro's words, and Pietro is relieved.
"Subaru-san, if the mabeast took the child, then the child is......"
"Wait a minute, Reu. Pietro was desperate to tell you that his friend had been taken away. I'm worried about my friends when I'm in pain too. I want to understand his feelings."
"----"
"If not, I will go alone. Reu, you'll take these children to the village......"
"Don't be silly. --I'm going with you. My brother told me to take care of Subaru-san."
At Subaru's earnest appeal, she saw the blue-haired butler at her side nod.
He is a butler who works at the mansion and often comes to the village to buy things. He looks much more dependable than Subaru, but he wonders if Subaru will be able to handle it with him.
"--! Just in time! This way! Can I trust you with the children?"
Pietro's empty consciousness, and on the other side of it, Subaru is waving to someone.
The sound of shoes coming quickly told her that adults had come running from the village. Leaving Pietro and the others in the hands of these adults, Subaru went deep into the forest with the butler.
They go to save Maolo, who has disappeared deep into the forest with a mabeast.
"Be careful, Subaru......"
"I know, I know. It's a finger-snap joke."
Pietro, held by an adult, intertwined his own little fingers with those of his hand, and shook his fingers while Subaru said something he didn't quite understand.
At the end, the pinky and the pinky are separated, and at the same time a feeling of loneliness arises in Pietro's chest, a strange, relief that it is okay to believe in him.
"I'm coming, Reu! I'm counting on you!"
"I don't need to be told. Subaru-san, please don't step forward. You are in my way."
"Don't say anything to dampen my enthusiasm!"
With such relief from Pietro, Subaru and the butler disappear into the darkness.
Pietro prayed hard, feeling his own consciousness slipping away as well.
If the world really is what you want it to be.
"Please, don't let anything bad happen to me."
Yes, for the first time Pietro prayed hard for someone sincerely.
△▼△▼△▼△
"You will be dead in less than half a day, as a matter of fact."
Yes, Victor told her that head-on, and Subaru was surprised at herself for not being as shocked as she thought he would be.
Of course, she is not at peace with this, because she has been sentenced to death face to face.
"You seemed to take it more calmly than I expected, as a matter of fact."
"I don't know. It's possible that I amjust going through the motions because of all the hard information I am being bombarded with. For my information, may I ask why am I dying?"
"--A curse."
"......I knew it."
Subaru scratched her head with her hair down at Victor's squinty-eyed answer.
The direct bludgeoning of Reu, the factor that led to Subaru's "death", except for that, was the curse, and the underlings were the mabeasts that inhabit the area around the village of Arlam.
Whenever Subaru went shopping in the village after "Returning by Death", she was always bitten by a puppy that was playing with the village children.
In the loop in which Reu lost his life, Reu was cursed by a magical beast instead of Subaru.
However, unlike Subaru, who was not so careless, it was hard to believe that Reu could easily get his hand bitten by a mabeast, although she would have suspected some kind of artifice.
"In fact, when neither Reu or I were bitten by dogs in the village, the children were dragged into the forest this time. ......And went into the forest to help them."
"You were bitten by an Ulgarm, as a matter of fact. That will be the cause of your death, as a matter of fact."
"......can't you do something about that, Fat Vic?"
"If it were a normal curse, it would not take much for Vicha to break it, as a matter of fact. But the curses on you from multiple mabeasts are so complicated that they are consuming you, as a matter of fact."
"I'm like a video game controller with a crazy tangled up cord. Well, yeah, that's definitely not solvable."
Subaru shook her head in disappointment at the added malice that had befallen her.
Raising his eyebrows at Subaru's attitude, Victor continued, "You,"
"Are you telling me you're not afraid to die, I wonder?"
"I don't think so. I'm super scared of dying. My knees are shaking. I'm about to pee my pants right now, but I'm trying really hard to hold it in. You have to understand my girlish heart."
"----"
"But I have to say goodbye to my habit of giving up too soon. I've avoided making our relationship worse this time, so I can't give up now--"
And she had just answered Victor's question that way.
I don't want to give up. Tell me how to do it, Victor."----"
Such an appeal, unknown to Subaru, struck its eardrums.
These experiences had happened to Subaru in the past. Memories of conversations that she was not supposed to know, but somehow remembered as if she did.
It is the same warmth of the twins' palms that inspired Subaru to jump off the cliff herself in order to regain everything.
It was proof that Subaru's brain, which is unusually sleepy, remembered, shallowly but broadly, the events that took place at her bedside as she fell asleep--.
"--Victor, where did Reu go?"
"----"
"Answer me! What happened to Reu, where did he go!"
Reu's voice, released in her sleep, in the shallow depths of her memory, which seems to be scraping away right now, Subaru asks Victor.
In response to Subaru's question, Victor hesitated for a while,
"--She went into the forest to hunt for the mabeast that will consume your life."
"Wha--......"
"It is the simplest way to break a spell. If you kill the magicuser behind it, the possibility of the curse being activated disappears. This rule does not change even if you are dealing with a mabeast."
"But! The mabeast that put the curse on me is piling up in that forest......!"
Defeating all of them and saving Subaru is a pipe dream.
Not a single one would escape. Since there is no way to confirm this, Reu cannot stop until he has hunted down every possible candidate.
But that is not realistic.
"--What do you mean now, Master Victor?"
"--, Rau."
Subaru and Victor had chosen a corner of the village, an unpopular place, to talk. There, Rau stepped in as the uninvited third person.
He gazes single-mindedly at Victor with complex color in his pale red eyes.
He doesn't know where they were getting their stories from.
However, Rau, whose servant skills notwithstanding, his wits are more than human, immediately realized what was going on from Victor's reaction when he looked away slightly.
He said that something had happened to his own brother, to Reu.
"Wait! Don't be quick!"
"Let go of me! Rau is in danger. Even if you stop him, Rau will still go."
"I understand! I won't stop you! Just listen to me for one second!"
He turns around and stops Rau, who is about to run off into the woods with his body.
If he didn't do this, he would easily be swept away by the difference in power between man and woman. Subaru, however, tried to cut down her reckless energy with the force of biting the hem of Rau's butler's uniform.
That woman-dumping tactic was worth it, though, and Rau stopped in his tracks.
"First of all, I am against searching for Reu in the dark. I can only imagine a future in which the mummies become mummies, or secondary damage."
"I has 'Clairvoyance'. With this, it is possible to locate Reu over time. Now, I've broken the argument, get out of my way."
"If you have such a useful power, it would be more profitable to take me with you! That way, no one will be missing!"
"What?"
Rau's hand stops as he pushes Subaru away, and his light red eyes narrow in question.
At Rau's reaction, Subaru rubbed her own nose with her thumb,
"I'd rather we were all here on the fifth morning. I'm greedy and stingy, and I don't want to give up my hard work this time."
"......What do you mean?"
"I have a tendency to attract mabeasts. Reu is trying to annihilate all the monsters in the forest, the Ulgarms. If I go into the forest, I will naturally get closer to Reu. What do you think?"
"----"
"I'm telling you, I would never tell you a lie that makes no sense. If you think I'm lying, you can leave me in the forest without mercy."
"I can't report such a thing to either Roswaal or Emilio. --First of all, if we let Barusu die without a second thought, Reu's efforts will have been in vain."
With his hand over his mouth, Rau ponders for a moment.
However, it seems that he could not come up with a good idea to silence Subaru, who looked at him with determined eyes, and make her back down. Or perhaps he thought there was merit in Subaru's argument.
"If you slow me down, I'll break your knees and dump you in the village."
"Is that what you say to girls?"
Ha!"
He snickered triumphantly, but Subaru felt as if Rau was back on track.
Subaru then turned back to Victor, who had been watching the proceedings.
"So, Rau and I will go into the forest to look for Reu. If Emilio, who is sleeping because he is tired from treating everyone, wakes up, please make a good fool of yourself."
"......Seriously, are you going to do it, I wonder?"
"Of course, it would be in worse taste to make a joke about all of this, wouldn't it?"
To bring Reu back, for fear of his own safety, would be to leave a bomb, a curse, inside Subaru's body.
It is no exaggeration to say that Subaru has already learned many times - or rather, it has learned in her soul - that if it explodes, she will have no life.
However, it never develops the way Victor suggests.
Subaru is not going to die, but to live.
"Now, let's do this so that I, the greedy one, can have everything I want! --Fate, I'm ready!"
The great adventure of Natsuki Subaru, who was summoned to another world.
On the fourth day of Stage 2, "The Roswaal Mansion", the challenge begins for the fifth time--.
△▼△▼△▼△
--To be honest, Reu did not know himself why he was risking so much of his body and his life.
Focusing his attention on his forehead, he feels a surge of heat there, causing his skull to creak and the Oni horns that had been stored inside his head to slowly protrude outward.
The horns, clad in light, devour mana in search of power as soon as they come into contact with the open air, and the heat they emit induces a surge of power throughout Reu's body that would be unthinkable in normal times.
This is the source of the power of the "Oni", the strongest of the subhuman race.
Although Reu is a demon who should have two horns, he has only one horn.
But the number of horns had nothing to do with why Reu was a failure.
This is because Rau, who, like himself, had only one horn, was so powerful that he was said to be the second coming of the "Onigami", a legendary being passed down from generation to generation among the demon tribe.
From an early age, Rau was blessed with such a talent that it was ridiculous to compare him with those around him.
Although Reu was born at the same time as Rau, his strength was significantly inferior to Rau's, and he was constantly accumulating self-loathing as a disgrace to the demon tribe.
When the village was attacked by the Witch Cult, when his parents and compatriots were killed, and when his brother, who fought to protect his own limping body, had his horn broken while reaching out to Reu.
--Oh, it finally broke.
It was the worst, thinking of the fulfillment of such a sense of my own inferiority before worrying about my brother's life.
"Ah, aaahhhh--!!"
With his whole body filled with the power of a demon, Reu surrounds himself and strikes violence at the four-legged demonic mabeast that pounces on him.
He blasts the heads of the mabeast that open their big mouths to bite him with his fists, then swings the morningstar in his other hand with a mighty swing, and cleaves the bodies of the magical beasts that foolishly leap up into the air.
The demon beasts spraying blood and entrails and scattering their lives.
He had not counted them, but he is sure that he had already killed thirty or forty of them. However, no matter how many of their comrades were killed, the monsters would not lower the point of their murderous intent toward humans.
There is no higher priority than to kill off different lives.
This was the twisted instinct of the mabeast, an outlier way of being that took precedence over its own survival.
"Die! Die! Dieeeee--!!"
He crushes one creature after another in its horrifyingly misguided way of being.
He swung the iron ball again and again, with anger, hatred, and some pity and sympathy.
The wrong being, the Mabeast.
And in that sense, Reu is no different from a mabeast.
He made a mistake. The choice has also been made, maybe even crossed off from the very first moment.
He made a mistake when he was born with his brother's, Rau's horns on the side.
A mabeast born as a mabeast and Reu born as a dropout.
How much of a difference is there?
If there is not enough difference to be found there, the iron ball being wielded was a mercy and a tantrum at the same time.
At least--,
"Aaahhh--!!"
If all of this anger that paints red in front of his eyes could at least help someone's future, if it could help save the girl with the bad eyes who tried to help his pathetic self.
There is surely nothing more than that that Reu should want, because it doesn't exist--.
"----"
Drunk with blood, Reu's world will one day turn red and his mind will slow down to the utmost.
In a situation where one's life is in danger, the explosion of survival instinct that occurs in the body of a demon tribe - it was a tremendous dynamic that eliminated all factors that slowed down the body's movement, such as calm judgment of the battle situation, fear and anxiety, and poured all the work of Reu's body into the spirit of survival.
Nothing, yes nothing, distinguishes.
Everything that moved around them was a crushing presence for Reu.
So--,
"Ohhhh, esu!"
"--Huh?"
Thrown in with that kind of half-hearted voice, it's really just another obstacle for Reu to intercept.
No distinction is made.
If, at this moment, the demon instincts could summon up in Reu any possibility other than destruction and killing, there is only one in the whole wide world.
--Thrown in was one of those miraculous things.
"----"
A body flew by with a low trajectory, not so much a parabolic movement, and Reu reached out to catch it.
Hold the slender body firmly in place and take a look at what it is right up close.
It is unmistakably the image of his brother, who is more important than Reu's life.
"Geh! I couldn't throw him as high as I thought I could!"
Just after Rau was held tightly in Reu's arms, a figure jumped into the room.
He could reach her if he reached out, but the key is that he doesn't have any arms to reach out. Both arms are holding his brother's body, which is hard to let go of, and he can't reach out.
However--,
"Ahem."
The sword swung by the figure who jumped in--the sword which was broken in mid-stroke, was aimed at the corner of Reu's forehead, but he struck out a few centimeters, not in time.
As it is, the person who released the sword runs next to Reu with great momentum and exits behind him.
"I did it! One more step short of guts and--UWAHHHH?!"
"--?!"
The next moment, the feet of the dark-haired figure that had run past exploded into a ridge, sending its slender body high, high into the sky.
It was done by one of the mabeasts that had been carefully overlooking the attack and defense, ambushing the moment of reaping the life of Reu--the magic released by it, which appeared to be small, launched the woman's body.
And then--,
"Laugh it up, Reu. --I'm more like a demon than a demon today!"
A full-bodied blow released by a figure that spins around and around and around and around, falling down.
This time, there was no way for Reu to prevent it, as he held his brother's body tightly in his embrace--,
"----"
The impact of the meeting had thrown a numbing blow into the corner of Reu's forehead.
△▼△▼△▼△
"The forest's Ulgarms have been swept away. Now you and Subaru don't have to worry about it. While I was away, you also took care of the problems in Arlam village. You did a greeeeat job."
With her overwhelming magical firepower, Roswaal wiped out the hordes of the Ulgarms that were spreading in the forest.
For his actions, which are her own master, but with substandard ability and execution, Reu has no choice but to bow deeply and show both gratitude and acknowledgement.
--The story of a herd of mabeasts that inhabited the vicinity of the village and the cursed commotion brought about by them.
The hordes of Ulgarms, which curse people and hunt for their life force, were the result of Reu's reckless actions, Rau and Subaru's struggle in the process of bringing back the reckless Reu, and finally, the overwhelming fire of the returning Roswaal, which burned every single one of them.
The overall herd clearance rate was 30% for Reu alone, 10% for Rau and Subaru, and the remaining 60% for Roswaal, who hunted alone.
In this light, you can see how reckless and senseless Reu's actions were.
Even if Reu had not done such a foolish thing with no regard for his surroundings, the returning Roswaal would have been able to clean up the herd in time, and Subaru's curse would not have been triggered.
Or perhaps Roswaal would have known how to break the spell, which Victor did not know.
"I don't think you're buying too much into meeeee. There is no big difference in knowledge of magic between me and Victor. If Victor says I can't do something, I can't do it either. --It's a shame."
The last word she added was lonely and did not feel false.
That is why she was able to believe, despite her resistance, that the words in front of her were not a deception to comfort Reu.
In any case--,
"--Reu?"
"Oh......"
As he stood by her bedside, watching her sleeping face, her eyelids suddenly trembled, awakening the sleeping girl's consciousness.
The sequence of events from a small reaction to waking up was too quick for Reu to react quickly. She claimed to be a good sleeper, but she was too good.
Because of that,
"Did you hold my hand?"
"--I'm sorry. I can't think of anything else I can do."
"----"
"When I was going through a tough time, having Reu hold my hand made me feel safe. So I was like a...... child when you did that to me."
Even though he has grown in height and limbs, nothing has changed in the way Reu himself has been since he was a child.
Feeling as if he had proved it by his own actions, Reu was batty.
When he was a child, it was the warmth of his brother's palm, Rau's holding his hand in the same futon, that protected Reu when he was unable to sleep due to anxiety and pettiness.
His older brother, who always walked in front of him and told him not to worry as long as he was with him, was a guide for Reu--and it was the same after he lost his home and was picked up by Roswaal.
"Subaru-san, the curse that has been eating away at your body is no longer in effect. Please rest assured."
"That's good to know...... What's with all the doodles on my bedclothes?!"
"These are by the children of the village. While Subaru-san was sleeping, the children who came to visit you wrote them. They were all very worried."
"Don't any of you guys come casually to see a maiden sleeping......"
Covering her face with both hands, Subaru mutters, her cheeks slightly red.
But she looks at the arm of her nightgown, at the many words of encouragement the children wrote there, and the corners of her eyes are lovingly lowered.
The sight of this made Reu feel tight in his chest.
For some reason, it seemed terribly out of place for him to be here, and Reu felt like running away from the aftermath, "So," he continues.
"Reu must apologize to Subaru-san. --Even though you no longer have to worry about the curse, the scars will remain on your body. Even your heart."
"Oh, I certainly don't want to see the dog's face for a while. As for scars, do you have any on your...... um, face or anything?"
"No, we were very thorough in making sure there were no scratches on the face, neck, or anywhere that could be seen in one way or another."
"If so, you'll be fine for now. The only chance to see more than that is either you or, if not, you know, the person you want to show that much to."
"But......"
"Other than that, are you safe? That's what's important to me."
What a way to be cared for, Reu choked up.
Subaru says she doesn't care, but that can't be true. It is undeniably Reu's fault that she suffered a wound that she should not have had to bear.
"Reu is safe. It's nothing. But it's, it's hard."
"Hard?"
"I am sure that I am responsible for everything that happened. If I had been firm, there would have been no danger for Subaru-san, for my brother, and no damage to the village."
Externally, some people believe that Roswaal, the lord of the house, was responsible for the situation. However, during Roswaal's absence, it was Reu, a family retainer, who was in charge of the mansion.
He had a role to take care of everything and run it straight.
He couldn't do that, so here they are--.
"Therefore, I, Reu, am responsible for all of this--"
"So, you're going to take me back from the wounds?"
"--, If that's what it takes."
"I'm just joking. Don't be silly. First of all, if you say that it is all Reu's responsibility, I am responsible too."
Subaru shrugs in a joking manner.
For a moment, Reu had no idea what she was talking about. She had just been hired and had no idea what was going on in the Mathers territory, right or wrong, and there was no way she could be responsible for it.
But despite Reu's thoughts, Subaru chuckled,
"I do. I have that responsibility."
"----"
"So I took responsibility for what was within my reach. And I arrived at this sunrise, so don't tell me it was wrong."
Subaru with a distant look in his eyes, not understanding the meaning of her words.
And yet, somehow, Reu felt like crying. In the depths of her unusual dark eyes, she caught a glimpse of anguish and conflict that Reu could not have imagined, and a glimpse of a dazzle that had been cleared away.
Compared to what Subaru had gone through, her own worries were tiny,
"I'm not sure I would have made it here without Reu. So, instead of cursing the day that finally arrived, I want to celebrate it."
"......Huh?"
"What? Don't tell me you think it would have been any different without you? I'm sorry, I haven't tried, but I'll say out loud that it didn't work out that way for me."
Subaru, with her arms crossed, says this to shatter Reu's hesitation.
Subaru held up a finger to Reu, who blushed involuntarily, and said, "May I?" and held up a finger,
"I don't know why Reu seems to think that everything he does backfires and that everything bad is his fault and everything good is because of someone else, but it's not true."
"B-but actually, Reu..."
"I don't have any. When I was being chased by the beast in the forest, how long do you think I was running around with my brother on my back? He dropped out very early on, that guy."
"----"
"In other words, under the circumstances, Rau was eliminated early from the battle! So, does that mean that the rest of the results were all thanks to me? Of course not! I don't have that kind of power! Then..."
There, Subaru breaks off her words and looks at Reu. The look in her dark eyes makes Reu want to look away, but he cannot.
It's as if the way out was burned into their gaze and they were deprived of their escape.
"It's a big mistake to think that Reu couldn't do anything. I am here thanks mostly to Reu! So you can be proud of yourself."
"......If my brother were in perfect health, he wouldn't be like that."
"I can't tell you. But Rau told me. The perfect Rau that Reu envisions is nowhere to be found. Or is the hornless Rau worthless to Reu?"
"--, that's not true! My brother has always been Reu's!"
"You know what you're doing."
"Ah--"
Stunned, Reu was guided by Subaru's words to his own inner self.
Born as a twin, Reu has endlessly blamed and tormented himself as the one who took Rau's horns. Subaru, who has known Reu for only a few days, easily sees through him.
Was it because Reu's worries were shallow, fragile, and meaningless?
"I was looking at Reu and the others so hard."
"----"
"Reu, I don't think you can change your mind right away either. It's not as easy as it sounds, and to be reborn, you might have to die at least once, but I don't recommend dying. It's really, really painful."
"......You sound as if you've died before."
The way she says it with so much feeling makes him think that Subaru has really died before.
In fact, Subaru, who saved Emilio in the Royal Capital, nearly died in his place, so she may have experienced something close to death in terms of a near-death experience.
But even before she tasted it, she was able to risk her life for Emilio, and she is still fundamentally different from Reu, or so it seems to him.
However--,
"If you want to change or feel better about yourself tomorrow, I can help you. As long as you don't get in my way."
"Me, change?"
"In my hometown, there is a saying, 'If you talk about next year, the devil will laugh.' That's why."
Subaru smiles at the stunned Reu, his cheeks twisted in a grin.
That smile of hers, which she mocks herself for her eyesight, seems more dazzling to Reu than anything else at this moment--.
"Let's laugh, Reu. A sour face doesn't suit anyone. Let's laugh and talk about the future. Let's smile and talk about the future! For now, let's talk about tomorrow."
"Tomorrow......"
"Yes, anything is fine. Let's talk about what we're going to cook tomorrow, or how we're going to use our new bath salts, or how we're going to show off our new bow ties, or whatever you want to talk about."
Reu exhaled as Subaru made a truly modest proposal, so modest that no one could possibly know what difference it would make to the coming tomorrow.
Instantly, the blurring that had been hanging over his chest and his head cleared up a bit.
When it cleared up, even if only a little, he felt as if his vision had expanded.
"I am much more clumsy than you think. So you may lean back enough that you will regret your words."
"Mhm~, well, I'll do my best. I said so myself. I'm not a superwoman who can do everything by herself either, so let's lean on each other. Don't worry, Emilio, Tink, Fat Vic, Ros, and of course Rau won't mind that."
Raughing in an offensive manner, Subaru gave a thumbs-up and showed her teeth.
She continued the gesture,
"I laughed and talked about the future, about tomorrow. I've always dreamed of talking about the next year while laughing with the demons."
"......Like a demon."
"Right?"
The first time she saw him, she was so excited that she could not help but feel a little bit of passion in her eyes and wet her cheeks.
Thinking back, he wonders when was the last time he shed tears in such a candid manner.
"----"
In the past, when Reu shed tears like this, it was his brother who was always by his side.
Rau has always been there for his brother, who was unsure of how to live in this big world, and was a guide and a role model for him when he was anxious and frightened.
So it was a first for him.
That Rau was not by Reu's side as he wept and held his hand instead.
Soft, small, different from his brother's, another person's hands.
Reu kept leaning on the touch of a hand that wanted a future with him.
He continued to lean on it.
△▼△▼△▼△
--After four "Return by Deaths", Natsuki Subaru has passed through the cul-de-sac.
Although there is only one day in Royal Capital to compare, it was still a multi-day "Return by Death" challenge that grated on Subaru's nerves, battered her spirit, and nearly clouded her soul.
However, Subaru overcame many of these obstacles and finally made it to the fifth day.
Mostly--,
"--I'm angry, Subaru."
"Emilio-kyun......"
"You can't look at me like that! It was really, really close. When I heard about it later on, you have no idea how much blood I had in my veins......"
Emilio is plastered and angry, his hands on his hips and his white cheeks red.
With the beautiful young man of the century, even such gestures of anger numb Subaru's brain, but she can see that he is so angry that she can't help but be remorseful.
As a result of the children of the village of Arlam being targeted by mabeasts, and to top it off, both Subaru and Reu's lives were in danger, Emilio was exhausted and sleeping after his hard healing magic.
It was while that Emilio was sleeping that Subaru entered the forest with Rau to help Reu and fight back against the mabeasts.
Emilio's heart was filled with anger when he learned that other people in the house had been fighting for their lives while he was away, and he had this beautiful angry face.
"Ugh, I feel bad for Emilio-kyun, but he's a sight for sore eyes......"
"You see! That's how you try to fool us again with your shenanigans. And Tink is Tink, too, for what would have happened if Roswaal hadn't come back."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, don't be angry with Tink. I'm the one who asked her to stay with you, Emilio."
In the meantime, considering the possibility that that mabeast had been spurred on by someone else, there was a fear that the next attack would be launched on the village of Arlam while Subaru and the others were away.
Fortunately, the preparation was in vain, but it might be a problem that they could not afford not to prepare for.
It is possible that Tink and Emilio were in the village, so there could have been no next attack on the village.
In any case--,
"I'm glad you're defending Tink, but what's your excuse for Subaru? How about Subaru, who tied me to a chair so that I couldn't follow her?"
"Uh"
"Quit it with the 'uh's. ......I was reaaally worried."
Subaru's guilt is maxed out when Emilio lowers the corners of his eyes and says this to her.
No matter what excuses she made, it would not make up for what Subaru had done to Emilio. It is true that she left Emilio in the village to pack up afterwards, but it is also true that she probably had such a maiden's heart that she did not want to put Emilio in danger.
"Victor must have been worried, too, since he came all the way to the village."
"I would like to thank Fat Vic for everything he has done for me. That shota has been a great help to me in every way......"
The fact that the frequent deaths were found to be caused by the curse of a mabeast, the fact that Subaru's life would have been in danger if she had been left alone after returning from the forest, and the fact that he showed Subaru the path she needed to take to survive, even if in a rather reckless way, are all to Victor's credit.
Before that, he was stumped because it was thanks to him that Subaru once again believed in Rau and Reu and was ready to face the future with everyone in the mansion.
"Maybe next time I'll give you a gentle ear cleaning."
"Is that going to make Victor happy?"
"What? You don't like it? Isn't cleaning a girl's ears every boy's dream?"
"I don't know but......"
Subaru was rather seriously surprised by Emilio's reaction, which did not seem to resonate much.
Is it a mistake in Subaru's values, or is it a cultural difference unique to another world?
"Then there's no way to beat it......"
"I think a simple, honest 'thank you' would do the trick."
"But that's not enough to make me feel better...... how about ten ear cleanings?"
"If you don't have any other options, I'd say thank you first."
Subaru struggles to see if that is all that is needed to present an irreplaceable means.
If possible, Subaru is the type of person who likes to over-wrap anniversaries and events. If she can't go all out there, she would even prefer not to celebrate in the first place.
"So rather than compromise, I'll hold off on thanking you until I can come up with something."
"I'll think of something as soon as I can. I'll think about it with you."
"Wow, that's reassuring. What a joint effort by the two of you, isn't it? First bite!"
"I'm sorry, I just don't know what you're talking about."
Emilio responds to Subaru's excited ramblings with a troubled look on his face.
Then silence falls for a while as they bask in the breeze in the courtyard of the mansion. Sharing such a small moment is a delightful treat for Subaru.
By nature, Subaru does not like to spend time in silence, but with Emilio, she doesn't mind.
In any case--,
"You helped me out again. I should be the one to thank you."
"Huh? Emilio-kyun, you're going to give me a reward?!"
"It's not a reward, it's a thank you. Would you like your ears cleaned?"
"Cleaning ears is not a reward! Oh! It's true! If I put myself in your shoes, it's not a reward at all!"
Subaru rolls her eyes as she is cut to pieces by the sharpness of the boomerang she threw herself. Chuckling at Subaru's reaction, Emilio asks, "Well, what do you want to do?"
"----"
Subaru's unguarded attitude causes an evil thought to grow inside her.
Emilio, despite his good looks, has very low barriers in interpersonal relationships, which is a favorable condition for Subaru, but also for everyone else.
In other words, if you are stumped, you could be snatched up in a heartbeat.
"This is the time to make the most of your advantage......!"
"Subaru?"
"I-Idon't care what it is. Emilio-kyun is grateful to me, right?"
"That's true, but it's kind of hard to honestly nod yes......"
Emilio's voice unexpectedly becomes hoarse, and Subaru's pervert-like way of listening makes Emilio uneasy. However, Subaru takes a deep breath and succeeds in keeping the evil thoughts that well up in her mind in a magical sealed wave.
With a closed heart rice cooker under her butt, Subaru coughed, and then--,
"Then, will you go on a date with me?"
"Dayte?"
"It means that we go out together, see the same things, eat the same things, do the same things, and share the same memories."
"......Is that what you want?"
"That's what I want."
That was the promise that had already disappeared, the glorious future that Subaru had hoped for after repeating these painful five days over and over again.
At Subaru's suggestion, Emilio put his hand over his mouth and pondered for a while. Subaru thinks it would be picturesque to see him pondering in this way, and Emilia laughs, "Mm,"
"I understand. Then, let's go on a 'dayte', Subaru."
"Yay! Emilio Maji Tenshi!"
"What's that mean?"
"EMT for short!"
"Yeah, but what does it mean?"
Emilio gushed at Subaru's bounciness.
Emilio smiles at her in this way, and Subaru gets more and more excited and shows more playfulness, hoping to bring out her smile.
Finally, finally, a new day that they have finally arrived at.
The sun was rising high in the sky, smiling down on Subaru and Emilio as if to bless their beginning and their future path.
--Natsuki Subaru's life in another world continues to shine on.
《The End?》
That's all! This is a sequel to the April Fool's Day project!
While there are many differences from the main story, I hope that people will think that this is how it develops.
As an aside, it was interesting to look back on my old writing in this way and discover something different than usual.
The biggest discovery is that each character and character is too different from the beginning.
I will also resume updating the main story gradually.
As the story tells us, the current part of the story is the end of the development as Arc 7.
Arc 7, "The Land of the Wolves" is over, and from this point forward, Arc 8, "Vincent Vollachia", will follow.
We are also pleased to report the production of the third anime season, and we look forward to your continued support of Re:Zero!
