If She Could Walk -2-
A small teardrop fell from the Young Lady's eye with a plip.
It wasn't a tear of sadness, but one brimming with worry that soaked the floor. She squeezed her big eyes shut tight, rubbing them with her small, fragile hands to hide the tears, sobbing like a little child.
"Hic..."
"Ah... Young Lady. Why are you crying?"
I tried an awkward smile and a joke, but even my usual white lie wouldn't come out easily, blocked by her tears.
"It's not like that, so don't cry."
I couldn't think of the best words, the right way to escape this moment.
Right now, all I could say was...
"Don't cry."
I didn't want to see her like this.
"Hic... I'm not crying."
Tears kept streaming down her face. She bit her lip hard to hold them back, but once started, they showed no sign of stopping—like a child who bursts into sobs and can't quit. Her shoulders shook as she sniffled.
Time seemed frozen.
"..."
My helpless hands and her hiccuping sounds trapped me in this moment.
What do I do...?
I couldn't think of what to say.
While I panicked over her sudden tears, she slowly opened her mouth. Chewing her words with a childish slur, she spoke with sorrow about what I meant to her.
"I can't do without Ricardo."
"..."
"I'd be super sad and it would hurt so much."
Thump thump. She pounded her chest like she was making a hole in it.
"Like... this hole in my chest, all empty, and even chocolate wouldn't fill my tummy. If Ricardo disappeared, I'd be in big trouble."
I clamped my mouth shut and watched her. I was grateful for her words, but sorry too.
I'd thought she'd be happy if it was for her sake, so I couldn't open my mouth easily.
The Young Lady was the evil woman, after all. I hadn't deeply considered that no one from the slums would care about a stray like me, but I saw it as a festering wound deep inside.
I'd been alone for so long. Even when I chose sacrifice, all that came back was cold scorn and contempt. Maybe without realizing, I'd been thinking like this all along.
"Don't gooo!"
"..."
"Don't run awayyy! Stay with me!"
My heart warmed. It was foolish, but it made my chest tighten a bit, made me feel not alone. I gazed at her steadily and shook my head.
"Why would I disappear? I'm right here in front of you."
"You're gone!"
"Am I a ghost right in front of you?"
"Hic... No."
She shook her head vigorously.
"Ricardo's dumb, so I feel like you'll disappear."
"..."
"What if I wake up from sleep and you're gone! Do you know how many dreams I've had of you disappearing?"
"Is that so...?"
"You get hurt and disappear."
"..."
"You do bad things and disappear."
"There's no one as good as me in the world."
"And!"
She bowed her head and murmured softly.
"You disappear because of me."
"..."
"You're dumb! You get beat up like an idiot! You get insulted!"
She squeezed her eyes shut and yelled.
"Idiot! Dumbass! Mutt!"
Like she'd glimpsed my hidden self, her fists trembled in fear. Spilling her worries that reality might match her dreams, her shoulders shook.
"I can't have anything bad happen to Ricardo."
"You've lived fine without me before."
"I can't live!"
She shook her head wildly.
"I can't live. Without Ricardo, I'd die. Before, I thought I'd send you off to a good marriage so I wouldn't be a burden!"
"And now?"
"Now I'll stick to you like gum!"
I chuckled softly and teased her more. Her crying face was cute, but her smile was even prettier.
I added some playfulness to the heavy mood.
"So you're saying you'll marry me? I need to do the math on that."
"Ugh..."
"You hate it that much."
"Ughh... I'll think about it."
I chuckled and stroked her hair. The fluffy strands slipped between my fingers, drawing out a pleasant laugh.
"We've got a long way to go."
"Huh...?"
"I told you to listen to me."
She nodded, promising to be a good evil woman who obeyed from now on.
I carefully knelt to meet her eyes. Her chubby cheeks puffed out as she glared at me fiercely, straight on.
"What're you looking at!"
"Just looking 'cause you're cute."
"Then look."
"Hehe... I will anyway."
"Mm."
I gazed at her carefully. Her tiny body. Her eyes. Her white hair. She looked like the most beautiful, precious person in the world.
Someone so radiant and lovely, I'd give her everything and it wouldn't be enough.
"Ricardo...?"
It started as a bad connection, turned to friendship, then over time to something heavier than friendship.
Being with the evil woman became joyful; just seeing her smile made me smile.
Yes, unrequited love. This was my unbreakable stubbornness.
No matter if someone said no, or told me not to fall in love—it was mine.
"Yes, Young Lady."
This was the weight of my feelings.
She carefully placed her hand on my cheek and stretched it out long. Making a funny sad face with the elongated cheek, she said in a gloomy voice,
"It's okay if I can't walk."
"..."
"It's okay if people call me dumb."
"..."
"It's okay if they point fingers and call me a flawed evil woman."
"..."
"It's okay if they say I deserve it. Ah... but that one makes me mad, so I won't take it."
"Pfft..."
"Don't laugh! I'm being serious!"
"Can't help it, you're too cute."
"Eeeeek... Hoo... So, Ricardo."
She pressed the stretched cheek flat, making a carp face. Her lips twitched at her own silliness, but she steadied herself and said calmly,
"Don't get hurt."
"..."
"Don't disappear or die in front of me. Live with me forever and ever."
"What about my marriage then?"
"That..."
Her eyes rolled as she pondered.
"Uh... that..."
"You'll do it for me?"
"No...! I hate it, Ricardo's ugly!"
"Pfft... Just kidding."
I gently grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into my arms. Her hot breath climbed my chest to my ear. Her tiny shoulders twitched uncertainly, her cute pushes with her hands feeling stuffy—all traveled to my heart.
"...You know, Young Lady."
"Mm."
I whispered my wish in her ear.
"I want you to be the happiest person in the world."
A small wish others might scoff at as trivial—I said it with the truest heart, earnestly.
"Like you said, I want to see you walk on your own two feet."
She'd surely love it.
"I want to brag that you're second to none."
"I already am."
"You're too great, it's a problem."
"That's true too."
"Pfft..."
"And I want everyone to see you as the best. Even if it's not me by your side..."
Smack!
She slapped my mouth with her palm and glared. Her eyes scolded me—don't say that.
"Nooo!"
"..."
"I can't without Ricardo. Who'll run my chocolate errands...!"
"True enough."
"Don't even joke like that. Got it?!"
The one who'd once shooed me away, saying she hated the sight of me, now relied on me like this. I was grateful.
I hugged her tight and said,
"Yes, I got it."
So forgive me this once.
"What you're worried about won't happen."
"Really?"
"Yes. I treasure my own body a lot. Don't worry."
I held her through the night.
And Olivia...
"After I become an amazing person..."
muttered alone in her room.
The next day.
"Air raid alert!!!!"
The Young Lady woke rubbing her eyes. Not the little Olivia.
"No way..."
Olivia.
She returned to her original form, shocking the Desmont family who'd brought her a rattle.
In front of the quiet Hamel mansion.
-Gom?
Gomtang, guarding the house alone after a long time, put a question mark over the woman's silhouette peeking beyond the mansion entrance.
-Gom gom?
The woman with silver hair and a sword at her waist hid by the mansion wall, spying inside. Holding a small letter envelope, she peeked her head out.
Gomtang remembered his master's past words, putting an exclamation mark over his head.
-If a thief comes, bite them. Got it?
-Gom.
-Understand? Look, like this, trying to climb the wall...
-Gom gom.
Gomtang looked up at the woman before him.
And.
-Gom?
"An intruder."
Hans, hiding in the doghouse with Gomtang, tensed up at the intruder too.
Gomtang was hungry.
-Gom.
Not for feed, but meat.
-Gom gom gom.
But as a good pet bear, Gomtang nodded at the woman who hadn't climbed the wall.
-Gom gom gom.
Like his master, he hated anything bothersome.