Chapter 6
Translator: True Detective
006. One-Sided
Someone thought.
How would it feel to see the person you admired hit rock bottom?
The human heart is surprisingly light.
Sometimes, a single act of kindness bestowed unintentionally can win someone's heart or admiration.
Clara Witri.
She admired Aria.
Therefore, she wanted to be like Aria.
The method was surprisingly simple.
They looked similar to begin with.
So she just had to copy Aria's behavior.
Speak sparingly and scatter a cold gaze around.
Add a sneer to that, and the person she admired was complete.
"Serves you right. Sister."
Clara crouched down.
And she tilted the umbrella toward Aria as much as possible.
Even though Clara's back was getting soaked by the rain shower.
She didn't particularly care.
"Haha."
The person she admired.
That person had gone limp and looked like a drowned rat.
Yet, it was so amusing to see her struggling even so.
Right at that moment.
Aria slightly lifted her head.
And she looked up at Clara with empty eyes.
'...Hmm?'
There is no vitality, color, or hue.
She is not reflected in those pupils at all.
Clara didn't like that fact.
Therefore.
Pretending to be as calm and composed as possible, she sneered at Aria.
"How is it, Sister. The feeling of ending up like this..."
A sense of humiliation, frustration, shame.
Emotions like that must be surging up like a storm, right?
Clara felt a sense of immorality. It was a feeling she liked very much.
What words would come out of the mouth of the idol who lost everything and fell so miserably?
Just as she was thinking that. The smile completely vanished from Clara's lips.
Because she heard words she couldn't possibly believe.
For a moment, she doubted her own ears. Because Aria said this.
"Who are, yo-ou?"
...Huh?
Clara froze for a moment.
And she made an expression clearly showing signs of panic. It was an expression she couldn't possibly hide, nor could it be hidden.
What in the world does that mean?
Are you saying you don't recognize me?
'...Me?'
Cloudy pupils.
Aria couldn't distinguish what was standing in front of her.
It wasn't Yuna.
Yuna, who was an angel no matter who looked at her, could be recognized at a single glance.
But she didn't know the other things. She couldn't see them.
Why...?
The thoughts of the two people coincidentally matched.
Why couldn't she see when she was right under her nose?
However.
Clara was firmly mistaken.
Even if Aria's condition had been normal, the same situation would have unfolded.
Because Aria didn't know Clara well.
She only remembered her as a younger female cousin.
She had even forgotten what kind of help she had given her.
Because Clara did not exist in Aria's world.
It was merely Clara's one-sided admiration.
Aria helping Clara was purely a coincidence.
It was a destiny-like coincidence that occurred when Aria's cogwheels, which revolved around Yuna, engaged in a strange direction.
However.
Sometimes, someone considers a coincidence to be destiny.
"Ha, haha."
How dare she. How dare she, how dare she, how dare she.
'She doesn't recognize me...'
An unbearable sense of humiliation and despondency rushed in.
...Well, since she's not my sister anymore, I suppose it's only natural.
Clara bit her upper lip tightly.
To the point where blood flowed out.
Then, she glared at Aria.
And shouted loudly.
"She's here. Teacher."
Clara hid her impatience. She pretended to be as calm as possible. And waited only for Lena, who had come out to search for Aria with her, to arrive.
Her heart pounding with anxiety, worrying that something might go wrong with Aria.
"Why, why, looking like this...? Aria? Are you okay? Pull yourself together...!"
By the time Lena, who approached belatedly, fell into a panic and shook Aria not knowing what to do.
"Now is not the time for that, Teacher. Please move her somewhere first."
"R-right...!"
Clara directly took Aria into her arms.
Heavy, yet light.
Warm, yet cold.
And.
Even though she was covered in mud, filth, and wounds.
To someone, she appeared as an utterly pure, brilliant white.
"Hehehe."
It feels like I slept really soundly for the first time in a while. And I had lots and lots of dreams about Yuna.
The kind of content where Yuna comes out, goes around solving the mysteries of the academy, makes a lot of friends through those opportunities, and anyway, succeeds greatly...!
My role there was the audience.
The kind of audience who watches Yuna from beyond the screen while crunching on popcorn.
Is this cinematic direction or something? Hehehehe.
But it was strange.
The hand I was trying to use to grab popcorn really hurt. Just that kind of feeling like I was tightly gripping a ball of fire.
But there was a big problem. The hand wasn't the only place that hurt.
I was trying to move my arm to grab the popcorn, but my arm wouldn't move, so I was incredibly, incredibly panicked.
"Huh?"
This won't do. This is the real highlight. Yuna is wearing a dress like a truly, completely pure bride... where was it again?
"The Masquerade Ball."
Ah! I remembered. It's the masquerade ball, the one where you attend wearing a mask.
Yuna is the protagonist in both name and reality. Even beyond the mask, Yuna's beauty wildly overflows! Hehehe. My eyes are so delighted.
"...Huh?"
But suddenly, my right eye turned black and white. Ugh. My eye hurt and my vision was dizzy, so I ended up squeezing it shut.
But at that moment.
[ ...If it's alright with you, would you care to dance a song with me? My lady? ]
"Hey, get lost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A massive disaster occurred that made me grind my teeth so hard they went crack, crunch, crunch, crunch. Because some guy looking like a gigolo asked Yuna to dance!!!!!!!!!!!!
This makes no sense. A complete nightmare...! Yuna has a partner who suits her much better than a bastard like that...!!!
But, who was that again...
Whine. I can't remember. I felt sorry for Yuna. If I only knew who that partner was, I would have hooked them up right away. Because it's what Yuna wants.
Hehe, to think Yuna will even get married. It feels like sending off a well-raised daughter to marry. But won't I be gone by then?
I know full well I won't even get an invitation anyway. But how pretty would Yuna look wearing a truly pure white dress? If I see it, I feel like I'd have no more wishes.
I gave up on moving my arm and decided to bury my head in the box and crunch away at the popcorn.
Hehehe. It's delicious. Truly delicious popcorn. I love caramel popcorn the most in the world, heh. Next to Yuna, hehe.
But my throat was dry. No, it hurt. It really felt like something was poking at my throat, so it was hard to endure.
But I didn't make a crying sound. Because the kind of scene where Yuna begins to play an active role was unfolding on the screen...
[ Yuna Castilla. Right? Nice to meet you. ]
[ Your Highness the Princess? ]
[ Shh. I came looking for you like this because I have a separate favor to ask of you. I hear rumors are widespread that you are well-versed in magic and swordsmanship... ]
"No!!!!!!"
The 3rd Princess Ardina praises Yuna out of the blue, then suddenly asks her to be her body double.
Yuna and the princess look similar. But Yuna is prettier. They are both blondes, but Yuna has hair like starlight that shines much more brilliantly.
[ Understood. I will help Your Highness. ]
"No!!! Ah-uh, ah-uh, ah-woo-ah-woo!!!"
The situation where I can only sit in my seat and stomp my feet is truly lamentable. For real.
If she accepts that, Yuna will swap dresses with the 3rd Princess during the masquerade ball period and act as her body double!
And the 3rd Princess of this country is a prominent heir to the throne! But she has a whopping 6 siblings!!!
Don't drag Yuna into a blood-splattering mess where they kill each other, you!
Ughhh, no. Yuna started drinking the wine brought by a servant.
Yuna starting to get drunk is also pretty. Truly beautiful. But she shouldn't drink any more, anymore... It's really not okay, if she drinks that, seriously.
I was stomping my feet like that, but something felt strange.
Uh... But from a certain point, I couldn't hear the sound of footsteps.
What is it?
I inadvertently looked down at my feet.
"Die."
Hehe. A really weird-looking black lump of intestines was hanging right under my ankle. Instead of a foot.
It even had a mouth and an eye. At the same time, it was saying something else, but it was super gross, so it was uncomfortable to look at any longer.
So I decided to stop paying attention to it. Watching Yuna was much, much more important than something like this.
Hehehe. Yuna, perhaps because she got drunk, looked disheveled as she quietly headed alone towards the upper part of the palace where the ball was being held.
And.
"H-h-h-huh... Uh...?"
She collapsed with a thud.
Th-this shouldn't happen.
This can't happen, right?
Yuna's body began to convulse. Then it flushed red, red.
This shouldn't happen? This really shouldn't happen...?
I-I tried to scream at the top of my lungs. Hoping someone beyond the screen would absolutely hear me.
B-but my voice wouldn't come out.
What is it?
'S-someone needs to help Yuna? Why, why is there no one around? M-me at least...'
I leaned my body forward.
'W-wait just a little bit!!! I'll... I'll...!'
And I tried desperately to approach Yuna.
If only I could, I would absolutely shove my head into the screen to do it. Otherwise, Yuna will die. If I stay still, Yuna will end up dying.
It's unacceptable for Yuna to die. She mustn't die. If she dies, I won't be able to see her anymore.
'Ah, ugh... Ah...'
I can't get closer. My body won't listen to me.
Yuna grabbed her throat with an agonized face.
And she began to reach her hand out towards the screen.
...I also reached my hand out towards Yuna.
But it hurts incredibly.
It hurts so much that tears are coming out.
It feels like every corner of my body is being seared with a blowtorch, so I can't stand it. I'm originally someone who really has no tears, but I feel like I'm going to cry heuh-heuh-heung...
Even so, I reached out my hand.
'Because I will definitely save you.'
Right now, that was the only thought I had.
Therefore.
I prayed very earnestly.
For someone to please help Yuna.
"Yeah, got it."
But the screen suddenly blacked out.
It was right after that when I regained consciousness.
But...
A black-haired girl was in front of my eyes with a surprised expression.
I tried hard to pretend I didn't know her.