Demon Cosplay (3)
Demon Cosplay (3)
"..."
Rebekah stared into empty space, her face grave.
- My little sister.
Olivia's words were still tearing through her mind, endlessly. She couldn't concentrate on the Mass at all.
'I've never been like this before.'
The Mass was a sacred ritual offered to the Goddess. During such a ritual, even losing focus and thinking of other things was an act of irreverence, but...
- Could you call me Big Sis even when we are alone?
That resonance had been unbearably sweet.
'...Should I have just said yes?'
An opportunity like this would never come again.
Rebekah's brow furrowed, little by little. It was a tiny crack, one she couldn't even perceive herself.
Of course, there were reasons she hadn't given permission.
First, a person holding the title of Saintess could not address anyone else so intimately. Second, Olivia's suggestion had been too sweet.
- Do you hate it when I call you my little sister?
It had been close to temptation.
Almost like the temptation of demons.
'...'
Rebekah's expression shifted into that of someone afraid.
Demon. The word itself.
In this world, some words were not only forbidden to speak aloud but forbidden even to think.
Like the word she had just thought.
Her heart pounded.
It felt as though the nightmares she had buried deep in her memory were about to resurface.
Memories connected to the demon that had taken her parents' lives.
- ■■■■■.
She could not remember what it had said. Not its face, not the surrounding landscape.
But if there was one thing she did remember...
'...Its voice.'
A voice that was exceedingly gentle, yet the longer you listened, the more you felt you were falling into a trap.
'No.'
Rebekah shook her head. Olivia was not that kind of person. She knew that after countless conversations these past few months.
It was a misunderstanding.
She was certain it was a misunderstanding.
'...All she did was ask. Whether she could call me her little sister.'
Rebekah's face grew still, as if she were lost in thought. No matter how she examined it, there had been nothing objectionable in Olivia's words.
The problem lay with herself.
To think of someone as a demon over a single sentence.
"..."
While Rebekah sorted through her thoughts, the evening Mass was already rushing toward its end. The preacher's voice echoed through the silent congregation.
"Today's Mass will conclude here. The closing benediction shall now be led by the Saintess."
"..."
"Saintess?"
"...Ah."
A startled sound escaped Rebekah's lips.
Every gaze in the room converged on her at once. Rebekah's throat moved.
Suppressing every trace of her confusion, she strode quickly to the lectern.
"Almighty Aether. We who have gathered here today..."
Rebekah recited the prayer with all her heart.
*****
Someone was watching that Rebekah from afar.
[You are currently spectating 'Saintess Rebekah'.]
It was Olivia.
The fact that Rebekah, who valued Mass above all else, could not concentrate meant the operation was working.
A demon.
To Rebekah, demons were more than religious enemies. They were the foes who had taken her parents' lives.
That was the main reason Rebekah would never associate with demons.
That was why Olivia had chosen to play the demon.
Only a demon could make Rebekah truly furious.
Absolute evil.
She had to become so thoroughly evil that even Rebekah could not forgive her, or the memory overwrite would fail.
A notification window appeared before Olivia.
[Chances Remaining: 3]
‘No matter how I looked at it, this was ridiculously overpowered.’
The timer not running while she observed was an enormous advantage.
‘I could also see Rebekah's reaction immediately.’
Olivia watched the Mass for a few more minutes, then turned away without hesitation. Staying longer would not let her meet Rebekah.
Because Rebekah performed volunteer work in the morning, most of her official duties were concentrated in the evening and before dawn.
Of course, Rebekah would meet her if Olivia asked, but that would happen only once or twice at most.
Between fulfilling her duties as Saintess and meeting Olivia, there was no question which Rebekah would prioritize.
It would be disastrous if pushing too hard lowered her Favorability.
Olivia intended to play the villain, so that alone was fine. The problem was that the Olivia from the Genocide Run would be blamed along with her.
Even if her side played the villain to perfection, it was meaningless if 'Olivia's' Favorability took a hit.
So until 'Olivia' became an inseparably close presence in Rebekah's life, she had to be satisfied with only stirring ripples in the other's heart, just as she was doing now.
Beyond a simple big-sister/little-sister relationship, Olivia needed to become Rebekah's emotional anchor and part of her family.
Revealing her demonic nature had to come after that.
[Spectator Mode will now end.]
- Remaining Time: 1:20
As soon as she canceled Spectating at a spot not far from the Cathedral where Rebekah was located, the Timer began to count down again.
She could switch back to Spectating three more times, but there was no reason to split a measly one minute into three separate uses.
'It's almost time for bed anyway.'
What useful information could she possibly get from spectating a sleeping person?
Olivia stayed where she was and waited for the Timer to run out.
[Clue #3: Memory of Imperial Year 993]
- Time limit has expired.
When she opened her eyes again, she was inside the moss-covered Repentance Cave.
She slowly lowered her gaze and saw Rebekah lying there, using her knee as a pillow.
She had definitely laid her on the floor. Apparently, Rebekah had tossed and turned on her own until she rolled over here.
Unthinkingly, Olivia brought her hand to Rebekah's cheek.
[You cannot use the Clue yet!]
- You have exhausted today's Clue usage.
"..."
Silence surrounded her. The sun had long since set, and the only light came from the candles illuminating the statue of the Goddess.
Olivia hesitated for a moment, deliberating whether to push Rebekah aside.
'It'd be easy enough to just lay her on the ground...'
Olivia's gaze came to rest exactly where the Goddess statue stood. In the darkness on all sides, only the statue was illuminated, and somehow... she felt as though she were being watched.
'...I'm losing my mind.'
After she had already knocked her unconscious once, what would it matter to lay her on the stone floor again?
But...
'Should I think of it as early practice?'
Later, once she finished the work of overwriting Rebekah's memories, there would be times like this—times when Rebekah would rest her head on her lap. When that happened, she couldn't keep having this reflexive rejection.
So she might as well consider it an investment in the future...
Olivia sighed.
This was just her fate. It couldn't be helped.
And so, until the morning dawned, Olivia allowed Rebekah the use of her knee.
*
*
*
*
*
Rebekah slowly lifted her eyelids.
She yawned deeply, then rose to her feet. After a light wash, she quickly changed from her nightclothes into her Saintess habit. She pulled out the Scripture—which she had read in its entirety several times over—and read it again, then transcribed the prayers she would recite at the evening Mass.
Like someone who had repeated this routine for years.
Once her early morning duties were finished, Rebekah put on a thick robe and stepped outside.
Because it was dawn, and midwinter, the air was frigid, but by wrapping herself in Divine Power from head to toe, she could endure it.
"You have arrived, Saintess."
She met Franz in front of the Cathedral's main gate. They exchanged the customary greeting of blessing for the start of the day, then headed northwest together.
The streets grew narrower as they approached the outskirts of the city. The sun was rising beyond the horizon, but here on the remote fringe, it was still as dark as night.
"Franz. Wait here again today."
"Yes."
Rebekah walked on alone. The alleys grew narrower and darker at the same time.
After she had walked for some time...
"All right, next person."
She heard a familiar voice in the distance.
'...'
Seeing Olivia already there, aiding the poor as usual, Rebekah was seized by a strange feeling.
Because the events of the past three days came flooding back.
- So you do hate it.
Since that day, Olivia had not once uttered the word "little sister." It was as though the mere act of speaking that word would be a profound rudeness.
"..."
Rebekah's face hardened.
She had found herself feeling hurt by her own choice, even though she knew the result had stemmed directly from her decision.
The human heart was a fickle thing indeed.
"You're here?"
Rebekah snapped back to attention.
At some point, Olivia had come to stand right before her.
"Ah..."
"Are you okay? Is something wrong?"
"Ah, no! I'm fine!"
When Olivia's face filled with concern, Rebekah waved her hands in denial.
"Really, nothing is wrong."
"..."
A silence passed between them.
"Rebekah."
Olivia whispered it.
The pleasant resonance made Rebekah flinch.
"..."
Wordlessly, Olivia stroked Rebekah's hair a few times.
It was warm.
"Do you remember what I said to you a few days ago?"
"Wh-what did you say?"
"You know."
Olivia's voice was exceedingly gentle, yet dangerous.
Like hundreds of vipers flicking their tongues and burrowing into her ear.
"Can you let me, this time?"
It was exactly the same situation as before.
She felt as if she were being lured into a trap.
So it hadn't been her imagination.
Rebekah's throat moved.
Olivia's blue eyes seemed to tell her this truly was her last chance.
'Ah, I mustn't.'
She could not accept.
But even knowing that, Rebekah simply could not look away.
If she didn't agree now, she felt as if she would never be called "little sister" until the day she died.
After a long moment of agonizing, Rebekah slowly parted her lips.
"I'll... let you."
"Good girl. My little sister."
Olivia pulled Rebekah into an embrace.
'Ah, aaah...'
The poison was unbearably sweet.