The One Who Always Returns to Me #12
Queen Alena walked alone through the corridors of Myrdin, without a single escort.
She was on her way to meet her younger sister.
‘Her Highness has been longing for you, her older sister and queen.’
The words of Priest Emil came to mind.
It made her heart ache.
How could Alena not want to be with the sister she loved?
How could she not want to hold her in her arms?
But Leni’s curse had been far too dangerous.
Even if she drank holy water, staying by her side for long could bring unforeseen peril.
‘Poor Leni… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I couldn’t stay by your side.’
But now that curse had vanished.
She could never thank Priest Emil enough.
“…Haa.”
Alena let out a soft breath and knocked on Leni’s door.
Knock, knock.
“Priest? Come in!”
An excited voice burst out from beyond the door.
At those words, Alena smiled quietly.
Truly, just how much love was Priest Emil receiving?
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but it’s not the priest. It’s me, Leni.”
The atmosphere inside the room shifted instantly.
Shock, and then disbelief, filled the space.
“S-Sister…?”
Leni froze, breath caught in her throat.
Then, at last, she came running, calling her name.
“Sister…!”
But the moment she reached right in front of Alena, Leni reflexively shrank back.
She reached out, then stopped, hesitating.
Her body had been conditioned to fear contact because of her curse.
Ah! My poor sister.
The sight tore at Alena’s heart.
That her own sister had been forced to restrain herself like this.
“It’s alright, Leni. Come here.”
Without hesitation, Alena pulled Leni close and wrapped her in a tight embrace.
Oh, how warm that hug was.
It felt like she might cry.
Leni, too, spoke through trembling sobs.
“Sister, sister… hic, I always, ugh, wanted to hold you like this. But I was scared you’d get hurt… I was so lonely.”
“Don’t cry, Leni. Don’t cry. It’s okay now. Everything’s okay…”
Leni buried her face in Alena’s chest and could say nothing more, weeping loudly.
At last, she could truly hold her little sister in her arms.
How long had she endured?
All those years trapped in a curse that made her fear even touching another person, forced to avoid the one she missed most.
Alena silently stroked Leni’s hair.
Every time those small shoulders trembled with sobs, her own heart shattered along with them.
“Leni.”
“…Hic, yeah.”
“It’s alright now. Everything is truly alright.”
Leni nodded silently.
Alena gently ran her hand down the girl’s frail back.
The touch beneath her fingertips was so light that it almost felt as if the person she held wasn’t real, but a phantom.
Yet it was also the clearest reality.
Her blood sister, someone who was like half of herself, was right here, speaking through tears.
“…I hated you sometimes, sister.”
At those words, Alena looked into Leni’s face.
But she felt no urge to scold her.
“I missed you so much, wanted to see you so badly… but you never came. Even though I knew you couldn’t help it… I still missed you. So I hated you.”
“…I see.”
“I hated you. But I still… missed you. Always…”
Alena pulled back slightly. She cupped Leni’s face in both hands and gazed at her.
Her eyes were red and bloodshot, but the clear light within them had not changed.
The sister who had once been so young and fragile was now trying so hard to bear her emotions like an adult.
“It must have been so hard.”
“…Yeah. I was scared. Sometimes I felt like I was turning into a monster… Every day I worried that everyone would get hurt because of me.”
Alena pressed her lips together tightly and kissed Leni’s forehead.
That forehead trembled faintly, but now even that felt like the pulse of life.
“Leni, I will never leave you alone again. The reason I decided to rule this country… Rosdea, in peace, was because of you. This is the world you will live in from now on.”
“I know… You’ve always thought only of me, sister.”
Even as she said it, Alena’s heart felt uneasy.
Because for the sake of that peaceful world for Leni,
She might have to leave her again.
But as if she had read her sister’s heart, Leni quietly took Alena’s hand and held it tight.
There was no trace of the curse in that hand.
Just a slightly cool, small, delicate hand.
The hand of her beloved little sister.
“Leni. Next time, let’s go outside holding hands. It’s been so long.”
“…Do you have time, sister?”
“Of course. No matter how busy I am, I’ll make time for you.”
Leni’s eyes widened into perfect circles,
Then she nodded happily.
“Okay. You promise? If you’re lying—”
“Then even the queen deserves a scolding, right?”
“That’s right. A really big scolding.”
The two sisters laughed together.
It was the sound of long-entangled sorrow slowly unraveling.
They stayed wrapped in each other’s arms for a long time.
Then, a thought suddenly occurred to Alena.
“By the way, Leni, you smell wonderful.”
“Ah, yeah… I put some oil in my hair.”
Oil?
Alena looked down at her sister again.
Now that she mentioned it, Leni’s hair was sleek and beautifully styled with oil, and there was a faint touch of powder on her cheeks.
She even seemed to be wearing perfume; a sweet scent lingered in her breath.
‘Ah.’
She understood immediately.
Who else would her sister have dressed up for so early in the morning?
“Priest Emil is truly loved by you.”
“Ugh… Why are you suddenly talking about the priest? I-I just thought the hair oil smelled nice…”
“So you woke up early, got all dressed up, and greeted me so happily because you thought I was the priest?”
At Alena’s pointed remark, Leni’s face turned bright red.
What an adorable child.
“When did you grow up so much? I’m happy, but a little lonely too.”
“I-it’s not like that…”
Leni hung her head in embarrassment, but Alena felt only certainty from the subtly curled tone of her voice.
She laughed cheerfully and said,
“Then you should be truly happy. The priest cherishes you more than his own life.”
“W-what do you mean…?”
With a warm smile, Alena explained the conversation she had shared with Emil earlier.
How Emil had misunderstood her words and taken them to mean she wanted him to treat Leni harshly.
Yet despite that, he had warned her that even if it cost him his life, he would never allow anyone to harm Leni.
As she recounted the story in detail, Leni’s face grew redder and redder.
Especially when she heard that Emil had said, ‘She became more precious to me than my own life,’ Leni couldn’t hide her joy and embarrassment. She covered her face with both hands.
“R-really? The priest really said that?”
“Yes. He was so angry on your behalf that if I had stayed any longer, Roen might have killed him for blasphemy.”
“T-that can’t happen, sister.”
“Of course it was a joke. Anyway, I could clearly see how sincerely he loves you.”
Leni peeked up from between her palms.
Tears still glistened in her eyes, but her cheeks were flushed pink.
“…So that’s what he said.”
Leni couldn’t speak for a moment. She bit her lip.
With both hands still cupping her cheeks,
She quietly closed her eyes, as if she could no longer hide the feelings she had kept locked away so tightly.
“It’s so strange. When I hear those words…”
“Hm?”
“…It feels so good I can barely breathe, but my chest hurts.”
Alena smiled.
She knew exactly how pure and overwhelming those emotions were.
“That’s what it means to be loved. It’s joyful, warm… and sometimes so full it makes your heart ache.”
“…I see.”
Leni nodded, still unable to lift her flushed face.
Alena stroked her sister’s hair once more. The soft texture beneath her fingertips made the moment feel even more precious.
That day, inside that room in Myrdin, only the warmth of the two sisters filled the space.
* * *
The illusory sword thrust toward Emil.
Emil tilted his body and dodged it.
[Other side!]
Pidea’s sword danced with dazzling speed as it drove toward him.
Damn it, how was he supposed to dodge that?
Emil cursed inwardly and rolled across the floor as if collapsing.
Pidea whistled.
[Oh, Emil, that evasion was really good.]
“Good? My clothes are filthy now.”
[That’s why I told you to take them off. Come at me again.]
“Damn it…!”
Emil irritably yanked off his top and charged at Pidea once more.
But the demon girl flashed a mischievous smile, deflected his wooden sword, and—since she could physically interfere with him—kicked him squarely.
[Good! That attack was nice too. It’s honestly hard to believe you never learned swordsmanship.]
“Haa, in my world there was no need to use a sword.”
[Was your world that peaceful?]
“Actually, it was the opposite. We had far more violent weapons. So while I don’t know much about using a sword, I know plenty about fighting!”
As he spoke, Emil rose and thrust his wooden sword at Pidea.
But the blade was once again deflected,
And Pidea immediately launched her counterattack.
[Pay attention to tempo, Emil! Your opponent won’t wait for you after your attack ends. Match their tempo to deflect their sword, then draw them into yours.]
“Easy for you to say!”
Pidea’s sword tip slammed down like lightning.
Emil grit his teeth, twisted his head, and shifted sideways. A wind that felt like it grazed his skin brushed his cheek, and sweat poured down his forehead.
[That was excellent. Truly superb.]
Pidea laughed.
Her tone carried far more amusement than actual praise.
“Wouldn’t it be a little better if you didn’t add physical force to that sword?”
[Then you wouldn’t stay tense. Weren’t you the one who said you wanted to learn swordsmanship?]
Emil clicked his tongue.
Pidea possessed vast knowledge of humanity, and swordsmanship was naturally included.
She was also confident that she could be a better teacher than any human alive.
While Emil had some experience with close-quarters combat using bayonets or greatswords, he was unfamiliar with fighting using a longsword.
Therefore, he willingly accepted his teacher’s instruction.
“I realized it back in Iredain. In this world, I have no intention of making a living through fighting, but I still need to know how to fight. You can’t always choose your opponent.”
[A good mindset.]
Pidea’s sword shot out like light once again.
Emil reflexively raised his wooden sword, but her blade mocked his prediction and slipped past.
The instant the strike passed, a heavy, stinging pain bloomed in his left thigh.
“Ugh…!”
In that moment, Emil twisted his body.
His wooden sword, thrust out like a surprise attack, stabbed toward Pidea’s side.
[Oh…!]
But she smiled and stepped lightly aside, and the sword cut only empty air.
[Good. Very good, Emil. Keep doing it like that. But at this level, you’re still—]
Pidea’s sword tip came down again.
Emil grit his teeth and twisted his wooden sword to meet it.
With a sharp clang, the moment he parried, their eyes met exactly.
A brief, breathless instant.
And then—
Both of them laughed at the same time.
“This isn’t bad.”
[Right. That’s what battle is. The tempo I mentioned is ultimately about how far I can push you.]
“Yeah. I think I get it now.”
Pidea smiled.
A smile as annoying and lovable as a cat’s.
Emil raised his sword again.
Pidea’s blade remained pointed at him from across the empty air.
[Want to keep going?]
“…Yeah. One more round.”
And once again, sword met sword.
Inside the quiet clearing, the rhythm began to flow once more.