“Ugh…”
“Are you okay, Sera…?”
Ariel gently patted my back, looking worried.
“Is your stomach hurting? Do you want to go to the bathroom?”
“N-no, it’s not that.”
“Sera-ya, let me help you. Can you show me your belly?”
“Yikes? A…no…!! I can’t show you!!”
“Yes..?”
“N-no..! I’m fine, Iris…”
I let out a short sigh and gently rubbed my belly a few times.
My stomach was hurting.
Not just inside, but my actual belly was in pain.
Since I woke up this morning, I felt a sharp discomfort, and now it was a constant, stinging pain.
When I looked in the mirror, Lily’s handprints were clearly visible.
‘How hard did you press, Lily…?’
I definitely didn’t feel pain when I fainted yesterday… Did I really keep pressing after losing consciousness?
While I was grumbling to myself like that, someone opened the classroom door and walked in.
“Hello, Sera.”
Is the saying true that you call a tiger, and it comes?
When I turned my head, there was Lily sitting next to me with a bright smile.
“……”
As I looked at Lily with a sullen expression, she shrugged and smiled at me as if pretending not to notice.
“Want to go have lunch just the two of us?”
“..Just the two of us?”
Before I could respond, a voice came from the side.
It was Ariel, answering Lily’s question.
She squeezed between us with a flustered expression.
“I have something to say to Sera.”
“I…I have many things to say to Sera too! We can’t go just the two of us!”
“…..”
Lily looked at Ariel quietly for a moment, then turned to me with a mysterious smile and spoke.
“Is your lower abdomen feeling a bit better, Sera?”
“U..uh?”
“I might have pressed a bit too hard—”
“Aah?!”
I hastily stood up and covered Lily’s mouth with both hands.
‘W-what is she saying now..!’
What on earth is she talking about? I looked at her with trembling eyes.
Lily made a strange expression and licked my hand that was covering her mouth.
“Ugh?!”
Feeling a chill run down my spine, I instinctively removed my hand from Lily’s mouth. She looked at me, licking her lips.
“You’re going to have lunch with me, right?”
“I-i…”
I felt flustered by Lily’s unusual behavior.
She… she wasn’t supposed to be this creepy, was she…?
She was supposed to be kind, innocent, and obeying her sister’s words.
But now, she radiated an atmosphere as if she was purposely targeting me.
“Sigh…”
I let out a short sigh and nodded.
After all, there was something I needed to talk about with Lily.
Even though I fainted yesterday and couldn’t discuss it, I absolutely had to talk to her about the Demon King subjugation.
If we had lunch alone, it would be the perfect opportunity to bring it up.
“…When did you get so close to Lily?”
While my lunch plan with Lily was being set, Ariel, wearing a somewhat dark expression, looked at me and asked.
At that moment, I felt a shiver run through me, but I forced a smile and answered.
“Um… We talked about various things yesterday… Haha…”
“…..Is that so?”
Why… why do I feel like a chilly atmosphere is seeping out of Ariel?
….I really shouldn’t be worried about this, right?
*
“Unnie. Ah~”
In a park with a calm atmosphere inside the academy,
Lily brought food from her lunch box to her mouth.
I didn’t bring my lunch and suggested going to the dining room, but
Lily insisted it was better and dragged me here instead.
“Unnie, my hand hurts.”
“…Ahm.”
Unable to resist the continuous urging, I opened my mouth, and the food slipped in.
As I rolled the food on my tongue a few times, my eyes widened in surprise.
Food that melts in my mouth.
For some reason, its flavor warmed my heart.
So delicious and so nostalgic. An unforgettable taste.
…..It was Dania’s food.
“Isn’t it delicious?”
“…..Yes.”
As a hazy voice escaped my mouth, Lily gave me a shallow smile and continued to feed me.
While we were enjoying her food, Lily cautiously spoke up.
“Want to go see unnie?”
“……”
I couldn’t respond to Lily’s question.
“Unnie really wants to see Hera unnie.”
“….Really?”
Looking at Lily with trembling eyes, she smiled slightly and nodded.
“Yes. Really.”
“……”
Slowly, I looked down at the floor and remembered her.
Dania unnie.
The first person I met deeply in this world.
The family I love, who always took care of me kindly… A precious person.
The time I spent with her in Drax was, in a sense, the most comfortable time in my life, thus Dania unnie had become a great support to me.
“….I miss her.”
I muttered without realizing it.
But it wasn’t a lie.
How could I not miss her?
Always smiling warmly at me. Embracing me gently. Comforting me when I was struggling.
I wanted to see her.
But just like why I couldn’t go to Lily, I didn’t want to face Dania unnie either.
Because I was afraid she would be disappointed in me.
Because I wondered if she had forgotten me and was living well.
That’s why I hadn’t gone to see her.
But now… that’s not the case.
I promised myself I wouldn’t be scared and would no longer avoid them.
Lily hadn’t forgotten me either; she had been missing me.
It’s my wish, but I hope Dania unnie hasn’t forgotten me either.
“I miss her.”
I told Lily again.
But this time it was clearer and stronger.
Lily stared at me with round eyes for a moment, then firmly grasped my hand and spoke.
“Let’s go to my house together this weekend.”
“……I have plans for the weekend.”
The weekend… is the day I promised to meet Iris.
And I couldn’t skip that.
I couldn’t deny that I really wanted to see Dania unnie.
But I still needed to meet with Iris for her mental well-being.
“…I remember seeing you with someone last week. Who was that person?”
Lily asked, getting a bit closer to me.
“Well… um…”
What should I do?
Should I tell Lily about Iris?
I wasn’t sure if I should hide it, but it seemed better to keep quiet for now.
Just in case something happens.
“Um… just someone.”
“…..”
As Lily’s expression gradually faded, I quickly forced a smile and spoke to her.
“Well… I think I can make a day free on the weekend. If it’s just one day, I want to go.”
“…..Whatever you like.”
After a while of looking at me with a suspicious face, Lily finally let out a short sigh and accepted it.
“By the way, I was curious. Why did you come to the academy?”
And Lily immediately continued to talk.
“Ah… that?”
“Is there something you have to do here while hiding your identity?”
“Umm…”
Now that I think about it.
Was there a reason for me to be in the academy?
I had been disguising myself as Sera to hide my identity solely because of Lily.
But now that Lily knows my true identity, there’s basically no reason to be in Sera’s form.
Actually, there was no reason to attend the academy either.
I’ve warned Darkhan about all the dangers in the academy.
And I could just meet Iris on weekends; that seemed good.
Lastly, since it was clear that Lily had become a hero, what I needed to do now was to gather people and unite our strength. That was it.
I had no reason to stay at the academy anymore.
But for some reason, I didn’t want to leave.
The boring yet calm everyday life at the academy.
The precious friends I made there. Iris and Ariel.
I didn’t want to let go of them yet.
…Just for a little longer.
Wouldn’t it be okay to stay a little longer?
After all, the time for the Demon King to attack was still quite far off, so I didn’t have to worry much for now.
I still had plenty of time.
Though I no longer had a reason to stay at the academy… there wasn’t any particular reason to leave either.
Of course, I needed to go back within a month because my daughter was waiting for me…
But still, until then, I wanted to create more memories with them.
“Unnie?”
Lily looked at me, tilting her head, as if my silence was strange.
There’s no longer any need for me to hide from Lily.
After all, everything has already been discovered.
My reason for attending the academy.
The plans I have for subjugating the Demon King.
Though I would never force Lily to subjugate the Demon King.
Her strength was desperately needed, but
I had no intentions of putting her, whom I love, in danger.
If Lily didn’t want to subjugate the Demon King, I would seek a different plan.
It might take longer, but… then my heart would feel much lighter.
“…Lily, actually…”
I thought there was no choice but to be rejected by Lily, and I cautiously explained my plans to her.
The reason I came to the academy.
The existence of the Demon King and the dangers that are approaching.
And even my simple plan for subjugating the Demon King.
Time passed, and I told Lily everything.
And unexpectedly,
Lily responded positively right away.
“Sounds good. Let’s set out on a subjugation adventure right away, unnie.”
No, this feels like she’s actually hoping for it, which is probably just my imagination, right?
“With you, unnie… together in the forest… huff… let’s depart tomorrow, unnie.”
Lily said that with a gloomy smile, covering her slightly flushed cheeks.
…Didn’t we just agree to go see Dania unnie this weekend?
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