“What…?”
For a moment, I thought I had misheard her.
Like being struck by lightning. I could only stare blankly at her, unable to utter a word.
Then Athena once again delivered another shocking statement.
“I can’t give you both arms because of the Demon King, but I can give you one.”
“You… are you out of your mind?”
“Yes. My desire to be forgiven by you hasn’t changed.”
What is this woman talking about?
She’s willing to give me her arm..?
She wants my forgiveness to that extent?
“Don’t worry about the aftermath. I’ll tell Hera that it happened while fighting the demon race.”
…Could she really be serious?
I couldn’t understand.
Why is she begging for forgiveness to the point of offering an arm?
“Don’t hesitate.”
Athena gripped my hand and, as she did, the sacred sword resting on her shoulder slowly began to lower.
At that moment, I felt a vivid sensation slicing through flesh. Blood started to pour down her shoulder.
“Wait..!”
In a panic, I lifted the sacred sword and dropped it away from her.
Athena looked at me with wide eyes, seemingly puzzled by my actions.
“Why are you doing this?”
“What the hell are you doing!!”
“……”
My breath was trembling.
The sensation of her flesh being cut by the sword was so chilling.
I had effortlessly sliced through countless criminals and monsters before, yet why was I feeling this way?
“Are you… telling me you don’t want to kill me?”
Athena asked in a calm voice, and her sharp words made my body shudder again.
I hastily held the sword towards her, unleashing a sharp intent.
“Don’t joke with me… you’re the one I’m going to kill…!”
Athena stared at me for quite some time, as my voice trembled wildly.
Then she sighed, as if realizing something, and looked down at the ground.
“…I see. So that’s it.”
Thud-thud-thud…
She finished her words and started walking towards me.
With each step she took closer to me, I felt my heart wanting to explode.
The sacred sword shook in my hand like an earthquake, and I could only stare at her, frozen in place.
Before I knew it, Athena stood right in front of me and did the unexpected.
Hug!
“What… what are you doing? Let go?!”
I used all my strength to embrace her.
I could feel her small frame trembling violently against me.
Lily appeared to be trying to push me away in confusion, but somehow her hands felt weak as if she couldn’t muster the strength.
“I’m sorry.”
“Let go of me..! It’s creepy!!”
Lily thrashed around in my arms.
Her punches were a bit painful, but I didn’t care as I gently patted her back.
“I’m truly sorry.”
“I told you to let go now…?”
But contrary to her words, her resistance slowly faded away, and soon enough, the girl buried herself in my arms and started to cry.
“Let… go…!!”
“…..”
After a long moment of patting her back, she asked, “…why are you doing this?”
The girl who had completely stopped resisting began to sob fiercely in my embrace.
“I’m sorry.”
I had genuinely thought she wanted to kill me.
Her murderous intent was so palpable directed at me.
But no, look at her now.
This girl was hesitating to even cut off my arm.
Only then did I realize.
The true nature of the girl named Lily.
This girl, who had always exuded a gloomy aura and bore a terrifying presence, was actually more alone and frightened than anyone else.
Because of her overwhelming loneliness, she developed a sinister obsession.
And because she was so scared, she extended sharp prickles towards others.
She must have really liked Hera. That was obvious without needing to see.
Clinging to someone she viewed as her entire world like that.
What would it feel like to lose someone like that at just fourteen years old?
Even I almost lost my sanity when Hera tried to leave.
I probably wouldn’t have been able to keep my composure.
Maybe things have twisted inside her.
I heard she lost her parents at a young age.
Perhaps she had been broken long before she met Hera.
“If you keep acting like this… what am I supposed to do…!? Act shamelessly like before…!”
A girl, weeping heavily, tears streaming down her face.
Once again, guilt surged in me.
The fact that I had broken another person hurt me.
“I won’t ask for your forgiveness.”
Right. What I had to save wasn’t forgiveness.
It wouldn’t be easy to resolve things with forgiveness anyway.
“Let’s go back. To where Hera is.”
Giving this girl what she truly wanted was the best I could do.
Honestly, I didn’t want to do it.
Deep inside me, my twisted desire to monopolize Hera still lingered.
But I had realized, hadn’t I?
Living according to one’s desires would only ruin everything.
I hoped this girl would understand that too.
“Yeah.”
I made my decision.
What I wanted most was Hera’s happiness.
And this girl was also one of the people Hera cherished the most.
I would help this girl love Hera wholly.
This little girl still didn’t fully understand her own feelings.
Just like how I didn’t back then. She was unable to distinguish between obsession and love.
I would teach her that slowly.
“Let’s go. I’ll take you to your sister.”
As I extended my hand to the girl, her amethyst-colored eyes brimmed with tears as she hesitated to take my hand.
I couldn’t help but smirk and decided to provoke her a little.
“If you don’t go, Hera and I will be alone together, you okay with that?”
“….!!”
At my words, her eyes trembled violently, and she reluctantly took my hand, glaring at me.
“I haven’t forgiven you yet. No, I will never forgive you.”
“Okay. Do what makes you comfortable.”
“……You’re annoying.”
Heh.
I couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
‘She’s kind of cute.’
I had never understood why Hera bragged that her sister was kind, beautiful, and cute.
But now I finally had a glimpse of why she said that.
The girl scowled at me, seemingly displeased with my laughter.
She gripped my hand tightly and stared at me intensely.
“She’s mine.”
“Mmhm. We’ll see about that.”
I really couldn’t hold back my laughter.
Did this girl even realize?
That her terrifying aura, which had once surrounded me, had completely vanished.
Probably not.
‘…I should tease her about that later.’
It was a pleasant night.
The thought that I had taken another step closer to Hera’s happiness satisfied me.
Until the day Hera can smile brightly, confidently, and lovingly, I will continue to strive.
With that thought in mind, I set my steps towards where Hera was.
—————————————-
People say.
The youngest Grandmaster has appeared in the Empire.
The strongest hero will protect this Empire.
Everyone has different expectations for Lily.
They think she’s an extraordinary individual and will surely act accordingly.
That she will always steadfastly move forward, doing the right thing.
But they don’t seem to care.
That Lily is still just a student who hasn’t even come of age yet.
That she’s of an age when she plays around, makes mistakes, stumbles.
Yet gets back up, smiles brightly, and lives energetically.
That’s natural, of course. She’s a stranger.
Because she’s merely a stranger, people look at her superficially and judge as they wish.
A girl living in a lawless city, where crime is rampant, starving in poverty, caught in a life where if you don’t kill, you’ll be killed.
A girl who lost her parents at a very young age and has relied only on one sister, never learning what true love is.
A girl still unable to recover from the sorrow of parting three years ago.
A girl who should have grown up surrounded by love and attention, instead raised with a twisted sense of revenge and hatred.
Could people possibly know about that?
“No. They probably don’t care to be interested~?”
In the vast universe, someone murmured alone.
—————————————-
“…….Huh?”
I blinked, staring blankly around.
I had no thoughts at the absurd scene in front of me.
Mari was sleeping on top of me.
At the same time, on either side, Lily and Athena held my hands tightly as they slept.
Why was this situation happening?
‘….Didn’t we fight yesterday?’
Glancing back at yesterday’s events in my mind, I tried to think it through, but the alcohol clouded my thoughts and left me empty.
Considering the uneasy feeling in my stomach, I must have definitely overdone it yesterday.
I should probably ask Athena if I did anything foolish.
Carefully holding Mari in my arms, I started to rise.
Lily and Athena’s hands reached out toward the empty space.
Suddenly, feeling playful, I pulled their outstretched hands together.
As their hands gently intertwined,
Heh… this really looks friendly.
Their sleeping forms, holding hands, formed a truly beautiful picture.
‘I hope we can keep living like this in the future.’
As I was about to lay Mari down comfortably, I spotted something on her small, white cheek.
“Eh…? What’s this..?”
I noticed red lipstick marks adorning Mari’s neck and forehead.
But for some reason, the lip shape felt incredibly familiar.
Could this… be my lipstick mark…?
“……..”
I really need to start drinking in moderation from now on.
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