PMEVBO 46

Even with the hint, I ended up saying nothing.

This time too, Iser didn’t rush me or reproach me.

Iser’s face as he ate breakfast was as serene as ever. It was actually me who was out of character. For some reason, it felt hard to strike up a conversation, and it took me a long while before I could finally speak.

“Do you like strawberries?”

Strawberries from the garden lay on the table. A few days ago, I’d found several green strawberries in the garden, and when I checked just now, two of them had ripened red.

Maybe I can pick a few more tomorrow.

With that thought, I gently pushed the plate with the two strawberries toward Iser, but suddenly, a big hand stopped it.

“…Why are you giving me all of these? What about you?”

“I ate mine earlier.”

Of course, that was a lie. These two strawberries were the only ones ripe enough to eat, and I’d picked them specifically for Iser from the start. 

Perhaps because there were only two measly strawberries, I didn’t even consider keeping my share.

Iser narrowed his eyes as if he were gauging something. Then, like a cat swatting away an unwanted object with its paw, he pushed the plate back toward me instead.

“……I don’t need it, so you eat them.”

Looks like my lie was busted. I chuckled and declared my surrender.

“Alright. Let’s have one each then.”

I picked up the larger strawberry and fed it to Iser. Then I picked up the smaller one left and popped it into my own mouth. Sweet, tangy strawberry juice burst in my mouth.

It’s ripe and delicious.

I suddenly turned my head to look at Iser, and he was frozen with the strawberry still in his mouth. Only when our eyes met did he hurriedly turn his head away and start eating the strawberry.

His face was redder than the strawberry.

…Is he really that embarrassed just because I fed him a strawberry?

Seeing his neck flush red too, beyond just his face, left me with a feeling hard to describe. A moment of silence settled in the room. I was the first to speak.

“… I picked the strawberries from the garden. There’s a garden in the backyard, and I found it there. If you’ve been in the annex since you were little, wouldn’t you know about that garden?”

Iser took a moment to steady his breath before slowly nodding. But the flush beneath his eyes and at his ears remained.

“I know. That garden was made before Mother passed away.”

“…What?”

My vision spun. If I could, I wanted to throw up the strawberries I’d just eaten.

Covering my mouth with one hand, I stammered out the things I’d done out of ignorance all this time.

“…It wasn’t just strawberries. I’ve taken quite a lot from there over the years. Especially potatoes, I always got them from there.”

“I see. I didn’t know.”

Iser muttered, staring down at the food on the table.

“…I’m sorry. For stealing your mother’s belongings and frying, boiling, and cooking them.”

Even though I apologized quite sincerely, Iser showed no particular reaction. He just blinked his pretty eyes and looked at me.

Suddenly, the child collapsed onto the table.

C-could he be crying…?

Before I knew it, my hand reached out, and I felt Iser’s shoulders trembling. He lay face-down on the table, only turning his head to look at me.

“You idiot, did you forget? I ate them too.”

A smile like spring blossoms bloomed brightly at the corners of his eyes. The area beneath his plump, rosy cheeks flushed. Seeing Iser smiling so brightly, I froze in place.

The hand that had been resting on Iser’s shoulder was now held by him. He gently shook my hand and spoke.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

He still sounded amused.

“It’s just crops planted to be eaten. Well, someone like you is actually quite good at honoring the deceased’s wishes.”

Then, gazing out at the sunny sky beyond the window, he continued softly.

“When I was little, I used to play there every day, digging up the soil.”

“What? …You?”

I couldn’t picture it at all. Somehow, I imagined Iser had been a born young master even as a child. The quiet, well-behaved little young master who preferred reading fairy tales indoors rather than playing in the dirt outside.

“Actually, my sister did the digging. I just watched from the side.”

Ah, of course. Only then did the picture form in my mind. So Iser really wasn’t much different as a child than he is now. His sister Isabelle seemed true to the original story too.

‘Eve, what kind of person were you when you were little?‘

‘I was an unstoppable troublemaker when I was little.’

‘Really? That’s surprising.’

‘……I don’t really want to talk about my childhood. Aren’t you more curious about who I am now than who I was back then, Lucariel?’

When I read the original work, I didn’t understand why Isabelle avoided talking about her childhood. Looking back now, it seems it was because she thought of Iser.

Well, what sister in the world would want to talk about her brother to the murderer who killed him?

Anyway, imagining those siblings with such opposite personalities playing together every day made me chuckle.

“Cute.”

Only after saying it did I realize my mistake.

Ah, he’s going to get angry again…

Iser, that guy, absolutely hated being called cute. I’d carelessly said he was cute a few times before, only to make him furious. Since then, I’d been careful not to casually use that word, but just now, I’d slipped up.

But the reaction I got back was unexpected.

“Who’s cute? …My sister? Or me?”

Iser asked, tightening his grip on my hand. I was momentarily flustered by his eyes staring straight up at me.

“What? No, I meant… both of you…”

“Oh, really?”

His voice sounded nonchalant, but his actions weren’t. Iser slowly let go of my hand and turned his head away with a sulky expression.

“…You’ve never even seen her.”

It was a small mutter, but I heard it clearly.

So, you don’t like me saying she’s cute either.

…You hated being called cute yourself.

***

I realized something was wrong that evening.

(14/15)

D-0 (9h 34m 57s)

Seriha had come to see me at least once a day. And always timed it for when I was in the kitchen. But today, I hadn’t seen a single strand of his hair all day.

Thinking he might come by late, I’d even set out his meal before leaving… When I went to the kitchen after dinner to clear the dishes, the food I’d prepared for him was still untouched.

…Is he really busy today?

I left the food as it was and returned to my room. But looking at the praise quest window, I grew increasingly anxious. After much deliberation, I sat down beside Iser and cautiously spoke up.

“Um, you know. Can I step out for a bit?”

Iser slowly closed the book he was reading and placed it on the seat beside him.

“…Where, at this hour?”

“Not far. I’ll be nearby.”

I found myself averting my gaze as I answered.

It hadn’t been long since the kidnapping incident. Leaving a child who’d endured such horror alone made me feel like trash. But I couldn’t just do nothing and wait for morning either.

If I sleep now, I’ll wake up with less than three or four hours left on the timer.

If I am lucky, the praise quest might fulfill itself overnight… but that was highly unlikely.

So, I decided to ask Iser for understanding, even though I felt terrible about it.

“…Is it because you don’t want to be with me? You’ve been uncomfortable around me since this morning.”

My heart sank instantly.

I tried not to show it… but he noticed.

Foolishly, only then did I look at Iser’s face. Dark clouds had gathered over his eyes, which resembled a clear blue sky. With eyes brimming with tears, he looked at me.

Seeing him cry was unfamiliar, and I froze. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen Iser cry, but it was the first time he’d shown me this face.

Stuck in place, unsure what to do, I only managed to snap out of it after his tears began streaming down his cheeks.

“No, it’s not that. I just had something really urgent I needed to do…”

“Really…?”

“Yes, really.”

I gently wiped away the tears shimmering gold in the candlelight, then carefully wrapped my arms around Iser. After patting his back and soothing him for a while, Iser rested his forehead on my shoulder and murmured softly.

“I’m worried.”

I immediately scattered a light mist of divine power throughout the room. A faint red glow seeped into the air like vapor.

“This means I’ll keep watching this room. If anyone seems to be coming in, I’ll rush over immediately.”

I was about to add that if he still felt uneasy, I’d drop by every hour.

Iser lifted his bowed head. The child’s eyes, meeting mine again, were thankfully as clear as ever.

“…It’s not me I’m worried about. It’s you.”

The closeness meant Iser’s breath brushed my lips. His long lashes, tinged pink by the candlelight, glistened with tears. He lowered his gaze and asked.

“Is it dangerous?”

“……Uh, no.”

Iser slowly pulled away from my embrace. Then, he smiled and said.

“I understand. Go.”

“……Thank you. Don’t wait up. Go to sleep first.”

Iser nodded silently. But I had a feeling he would wait up all night for me.