Forever
Rian was heading toward Lucia with a drink in hand when he spotted a crowd gathered in the distance.
“What’s going on?”
He quickened his steps. As he got closer, the conversation started filtering into his ears.
“If there’s nothing to it, then nothing will happen.”
“...I don’t want to.”
“It’ll be over soon.”
“...I don’t want to.”
Among the people, Lucia appeared. And in front of her stood a young girl in a pure white dress, with her back turned.
-Flash.
Though her face wasn't visible, faint light was emanating from her fingertips.
It looked like she was about to blast that light at Lucia.
“This crazy girl.”
Rian casually set down the glass he was holding and smashed her head right into the giant cake.
She was talking about purification or whatever, but what the hell? Did she think she was the saintess?
Without knowing that these people here could die if she messed up.
Very complimentary of herself.
Me.
After a moment, the girl hurriedly lifted her head, her face contorted.
“W-what are you doing right now...!”
Whoa, that hit hard.
Her face was covered in cream, and bread crumbs were stuck in her hair.
Especially the strawberry stuck to the tip of her nose stood out.
“You... are you saying this because you know who I am?”
“No.”
How would I know?
It's more surprising that I can recognize her face in this state.
I wasn't particularly worried.
These types of girls in novels usually get properly educated in one or two chapters as the villainess A, right?
Having been in the same position, I knew well.
And who was she?
The daughter of a count, son of a duke.
The strongest among the Third-Rates.
This level of status wouldn't lose to any noble kid.
“So who are you?”
“Haa...”
The girl bit her lip, then spoke after a while.
“Listen carefully. I am from the Holy Kingdom—
-Tap.
Instantly, the lights in the banquet hall went out all at once.
“......?”
The murmuring around gradually died down.
Eventually, the emcee's voice echoed in the darkness.
“The next person I will introduce is a special guest who has come from far away in the Empire.”
“......”
The girl's expression hardened.
“No way...”
“A direct visit from the Holy Kingdom, the birthplace of holy power, and...
“W-wait a minute.
The girl looked around anxiously.
“We haven't prepared yet, though?”
But the emcee's voice didn't stop.
“Despite her young age, recognizing her outstanding holy power...
“Wait! Don't introduce me!”
The girl started frantically wiping the cream off her face.
But the more she wiped, the more it spread.
“......”
I watched the scene quietly.
Holy Kingdom, holy power. And that mess. Something was starting to click in my head.
“The next Saintess candidate expected by the Papacy!”
“No, wait a second!”
-Whoosh!
At that moment, a beam of light shone on the girl. Right in her cream-covered state.
“Cecilia Brigitte, the young lady!”
“......”
“......”
Cecilia's face flushed bright red.
-Clap, clap...
The belated applause didn't last long.
One by one, people who realized the situation started exchanging glances.
“That person... is the saintess candidate?”
“What's smeared on her face?”
“Is it cake?”
Soft whispering voices came from all around.
“......”
Cecilia froze in place. The hand that was wiping her face stopped at some point.
Lifting her head would make eyes pour in, lowering it would make cream drip from her hair.
No matter where she looked, no answer.
Finally, Cecilia lowered her head while trembling.
-Drip, drip.
“......”
Wow, even I think this is pretty pathetic.
But now what?
Was I supposed to expect the "ta-da, actually the real saintess" development?
I stared at Cecilia for a moment, then asked.
“By the way, you.”
“...What?”
“Do you know who I am?”
Cecilia's eyebrows twitched.
“...I don't know.”
“This one?”
I pointed to Lucia.
“I don't know, though.”
Good.
“Lucia.”
“...Huh?”
I immediately grabbed Lucia's hand.
“They don't know who we are.”
“......?”
“Run!”
-Tadadadot!
A few seconds later.
“W-wait! Stop right there!”
Would you stop if you were me?
I held Lucia's hand and sped up.
“Oppa...”
“Huh?”
“T-that person... is she okay?”
“Ah, yeah. She's fine, she's fine.”
If it's the future saintess, she'd forgive this much with her vast tolerance.
Probably.
“Yaaaaaaaah!”
From behind, Cecilia's wail echoed piercingly.
We eventually ran to the opposite side of the banquet hall. I didn't know where we were exactly.
Opening the large door at the end of the corridor, it was outside, contrary to expectation.
“......”
Well-trimmed trees and flowers. In the center was a fountain, and the noise from the banquet hall was faintly audible beyond the walls.
No one was there.
I checked behind me and closed the door.
“She won't come this far.”
“...Yeah.”
I let go of Lucia's hand.
We slowly walked into the garden. It was completely different from the banquet hall.
No people's laughter, no scrutinizing glances, no aristocratic tension.
Just a gentle breeze blowing.
“Lucia?”
When I turned my head, Lucia was standing a bit apart. I thought she was out of breath, but it wasn't.
Her face was expressionless as usual.
But her gaze kept looking down.
“Why are you like this?”
“......”
“Were you tired from running earlier?”
Lucia shook her head.
Then she slowly grabbed a handful of her own white hair.
“...Oppa.”
“Yeah.”
“Why was I born like this.”
The sudden question left me speechless for a moment.
White hair flowed between Lucia's fingers.
“...Why?”
“...Earlier.”
Short answer.
Only then did I understand.
“What did Cecilia say?”
Lucia didn't speak for a while.
I waited quietly. I didn't want to rush her.
“...Your hair is white.”
Her small voice continued.
“...Your eyes are red.”
“Yeah.”
“They say you're a vampire.”
So that's it.
“...It was like that before too.”
Lucia's hand gripped her hair tighter.
“...Everyone told me first when they saw me.”
Vampire.
Monster.
I could tell without her saying it.
“......”
“I didn't do anything.”
Lucia's eyes became moist.
“...Nothing.”
Her voice was calm. So I didn't know what to say.
Should I say it's okay?
Don't worry?
If I could end it with those words, it would have been long ago.
What bothered me more was something else.
Lucia didn't ask why people saw her that way.
Why they said those things to her.
Why she was born like this from the beginning.
Since nothing was wrong, but hearing the same thing, she started looking for reasons for herself.
“......”
Suddenly, I thought.
It wasn't that Lucia was a disaster so people feared her.
Because people kept treating her as a monster, maybe one day she really became a disaster.
Of course, I couldn't know that.
It wasn't in the game, and with my current self, I couldn't check.
But one thing was clear.
Lucia here now had done nothing wrong.
She hadn't killed anyone, hadn't harmed anyone.
She was a child who was happy with small praises, worried about injured cats, and even concerned about the person threatening her.
Maybe there was something dangerous sleeping inside Lucia, and one day everything could flip.
But.
That was a story for then.
Since it hadn't happened yet, there was no reason to see current Lucia as a monster.
“Lucia.”
“...Yeah.”
“Look at me.”
Lucia slowly lifted her head.
Tears glistening on her red eyes were about to fall.
“I don't know why you were born like this either.”
“......”
“I don't know why your hair is white or why your eyes are red.”
Lucia's gaze tried to go down again.
“But so what.”
“...Huh?”
“So what did you do?”
Lucia blinked.
“Who did you hit?”
“...No.”
“What did you steal?”
“...No.”
“Did you eat people?”
Lucia jumped in surprise and shook her head.
“...I didn't eat.”
“Then it's fine.”
“......”
Lucia stared at me blankly, as if it was too simple.
“You said you didn't do anything.”
“...Yeah.”
“Then you didn't do anything.”
“But everyone...”
“Everyone might be wrong.”
The sentence cut off.
Lucia had a surprised face.
“Just because there are many people doesn't mean they're all right.”
“......”
“Even if a hundred unknown people call you a monster, it doesn't mean you suddenly become one.”
Lucia didn't speak for a while, then cautiously asked.
“...But.”
“Yeah.”
“If I really am a vampire?”
As expected, that question came up.
I closed my mouth for a moment. Honestly, I wanted to know too.
Maybe she was already a vampire. Or maybe not yet.
What I saw in the game was only the result.
And the end wasn't great...
“Then you are a vampire.”
“...Huh?”
Lucia looked like someone who received an unexpected answer, eyes wide.
“Is that the end?”
“...Don't you hate it?”
“You being a vampire?”
-Nod.
“Why would you hate that.”
“Everyone hated it.”
“I'm not them.”
“......”
“And just because you're a vampire doesn't mean you have to go around killing people.”
No?
Right?
Say it.
Lucia pondered for a moment, then shook her head.
“...I won't kill.”
“Then it's fine.”
Again the same answer.
“...Really?”
“Yeah.”
Lucia pursed her lips.
“If...”
After hesitating for a long time, she said very softly.
“...I become a bad person?”
“......”
This time, no immediate answer. My heart sank coldly.
Bad person.
Lucia probably meant it innocently, but I knew.
What was at the end: destroying the Mark region, killing countless people, being called the Five Great Disasters.
If that future really came, could she still smile and say it's okay like now?
Probably not.
So.
“Then I have to discipline you.”
“...By me?”
“Yeah.”
Lucia's eyes widened.
“If you really do something bad, I'll discipline you.”
“...How?”
“That's for later.”
How to discipline the Five Great Disasters.
I didn't know either.
First, I have to stay alive to discipline or not.
“Instead.”
I reached out and gently loosened the white hair Lucia was holding.
“There's no need to be disciplined in advance for things not done.”
“......”
“If you become a bad person, then you'll be disciplined then.”
The hair completely left Lucia's hand.
“Not now.”
“...Yeah.”
“So don't think about why you were born like this or such thoughts.”
I gently pressed Lucia's head with my palm.
“Your hair is pretty too.”
“...Yeah.”
“Your eyes are pretty too.”
Lucia slowly looked up at me.
“Really?”
“I've said it many times.”
“A lot...”
“You're really pretty.”
“......”
The tear that had gathered at the corner of her eye eventually fell, and Lucia quickly wiped it away.
Whether she was crying from sadness or from relief, I didn't know.
“...Oppa.”
“Yeah.”
“I.”
A moment of hesitation.
“...Can I stay here?”
Here.
It wasn't the garden.
The count's house, our family, maybe right next to me. It seemed like she was asking for all of that.
“Lucia.”
“...Yeah.”
“That doesn't seem like something I can decide for you.”
Lucia's eyes shook.
“...You're telling me to leave?”
“No.”
I lightly pushed Lucia's forehead with my finger.
“I oppose.”
“Ah.”
“If you want to stay, stay.”
“......”
“If you don't want to go, you don't have to.”
Lucia stared at me blankly.
“No matter what anyone says, that's your choice.”
“...Me?”
“Yeah.”
She asked as if it was the first time hearing it.
“Can I decide?”
The question made me laugh a bit, as it was unbelievable.
“Then who decides.”
“...People.”
“Why do others decide for you.”
“......”
“They decide if you're a vampire or a monster, and where you should be.”
I shook my head.
“From now on, you decide that.”
Lucia didn't say anything. Tears flowed down her cheek again.
This time, she didn't wipe it.
After a while.
“...Then.”
A small voice was heard.
“I'll stay here.”
“Okay.”
“Forever.”
“If you want.”
“Until I die.”
“Hmm.”
“Forever.”
“Huh?”
-Squeeze.
Instead of an answer, a small, warm body dove into my chest.
'Well, it worked.'
In the game, Lucia was the Five Great Disasters. I still didn't know why that future happened.
But at least this child in my arms now.
Wasn't a disaster.
Quest completed.