The mundane everyday life of the cabin, which seemed like it would last forever, changed one day.
First, Eve, who had grown quite attached to Peter and Emily during their time together, left the house.
She only left behind a letter that said thank you for taking care of her.
According to the letter, Eve had wanted to see a wider world for some time.
When Emily heard that Eve had left, she couldn’t help but express her sadness, crying and complaining about how she could leave without even saying goodbye.
[If I had heard the words not to leave during farewell, I would have felt regret and wouldn’t have been able to depart. I’m sorry for leaving without saying goodbye.]
Seeing that note made Emily somewhat forced to accept why Eve did what she did.
If they had said goodbye, Emily would surely have tried to hold Eve back.
The same was true for Peter, so both he and Emily tried to take the fact that Eve had left as calmly as they could.
Although they were worried, they thought that since Eve was a sensible child, she would be able to find her own way wherever she went.
“Emily, it’s morning. You should wake up and have breakfast.”
“Mmm… just 5 more minutes, 5 more minutes…”
“……Okay. If you’re tired, sleep a little more.”
However, every now and then, when the absence of Eve was felt, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of emptiness.
After all, Eve occupied quite a large space in both of their hearts.
However, when bad things happen, good things also come.
“…Hehe, teacher. Did you sleep well?”
“Wow, what’s this? Emily, you’re awake and not sleeping in like usual.”
“That’s because I’m not in pain anymore, so I feel less tired than before…”
“Oh, really? Hehe, that’s good to hear.”
Perhaps because something unfortunate happened, there was also some good news.
From the day Eve left, Emily’s condition, which had been continuously getting worse, began to miraculously improve.
“Is it okay for me to come out like this?”
“Of course, teacher. I’m all better now.”
“…Good. That’s really great.”
Emily regained her health day by day.
Her previously emaciated body began to gain weight.
And her breathing, which used to be labored with every little movement, was now filled with vitality.
What could be called a miracle was a manifestation of what they had desperately wished for.
“Goodbye, teacher!”
“Alright, Emily. Take good care of the house.”
“Yes, leave it to me!”
“Haha, I can count on you. Then, I’ll be back.”
The absence of Eve was certainly significant for them, but Emily’s healthier appearance gradually filled that void.
In the cabin, laughter began to ring out as frequently as before, or even more so.
This was because not only had Emily regained her health, but Peter had also changed.
For Peter until now, life had always been about preparing for the end.
Emily’s impending end was also his, because her last moments would come before his.
But that was no longer the case.
She would go on living even after his life ended.
That simple fact began to change Peter.
“Teacher, what are you thinking about? You look strange.”
“…I was just thinking about how much longer I might live. I need to be around until you become a proper adult…”
“What kind of nonsense is that? You have to live a long time.”
“Haha, right. I should live a long, long time.”
Up until now, the man who was merely preparing for an end began to think about the future of the one who would live on after he was gone.
He became able to think about a future he had never considered before, and he asked Emily.
“Have you ever thought about what kind of person you want to be when you grow up?”
“When I grow up? Hmm… I don’t think I’ve ever really thought about it…”
And then, to that question…
“Oh! Now that I think about it, I do have one! I want to be a teacher who can teach many things to others, just like you!”
The girl answered like this.
She wanted to be a teacher who could share so much knowledge.
Peter thought that it might not be a great aspiration.
He himself didn’t consider himself a particularly admirable person.
However, if that’s what she wanted, if that’s her dream, there was only one thing he could do for her, so Peter resolved himself.
“…Really? Then, I suppose I’ll have to work even harder to teach you. Haha, I’ll need to study more to be able to teach you.”
“Wait… Does that mean I have to study even more than now…?”
“Let’s work hard together. Hahaha.”
In order to become a great person like the one she wanted to be.
He decided to live the remaining life of his to the fullest.
That was the best form of atonement he could offer for her.
Peter tried hard to teach Emily many things as he had said.
The wisdom necessary for living in the world, as well as what he had learned throughout his life.
If there were things he lacked, he studied them himself and tried his best to teach Emily.
However, while there were endless things to teach her, time was finite.
As Emily grew, Peter aged day by day.
The toll from abusing his body during his younger days in wartime began to come back to him.
Even though there were still so many things he hadn’t taught her yet…
Time was running out.
Peter wished fervently.
Just a little more, just a little more.
He wished for more time to be given.
But unfortunately, the sky didn’t grant that wish.
And Peter realized.
That miracles are most naturally things that don’t occur.
As time passed, the little girl, Emily, had grown into a proper lady.
“Cough, cough.”
“Ah, teacher! Are you okay?”
On the flip side, Peter’s health had deteriorated, forcing him to spend most of his time in bed.
Now, he was the one receiving care instead of providing it.
With a bitter smile about this fact, Peter slowly looked at Emily as she approached.
When did she grow up so much?
Seeing her flourish under the care of someone he thought was lacking, Peter felt he could leave with peace of mind.
However,
“…There’s something I need to say, will you listen for a moment?”
He couldn’t help but feel some lingering attachments.
Peter felt that time to release those lingering feelings was running out, and gently held Emily’s hand.
When Emily nodded, Peter opened his mouth to speak.
“…Once upon a time, there was a man who was an orphan. Raised with the help of the country, he became a soldier as per the country’s wish. This soldier fought many wars and one day killed a couple who were his enemies.”
“…”
“And then he learned that they had a still-nursing baby. Upon realizing that he had made that child an orphan, he felt disillusioned with what he had been doing for the first time. As if trying to atone for that, he took that child and raised them.”
Peter was now sharing the lingering regrets and secrets he had never spoken of in his life.
The man raised the child while hiding the fact that he was the one who killed the child’s parents. He had many opportunities to tell them, but he spent his life worrying about what if the child hated him.
“…”
“It was truly a painful experience, to hide it from someone. I even thought it might have been better to confess that secret sooner rather than later.”
How painful were those days?
Would confessing the truth bring forgiveness?
While wanting forgiveness but unable to muster the courage to speak out, that time was torture.
That’s why Peter spoke with a wistful gaze.
“So, it’s alright to stop now. Eve.”
“…What?”
At that, Emily mumbled in confusion.
“…Since when have you known?”
She asked in a small voice as if she had given up.
Her expression was quite startled.
In fact, Eve had no idea that Peter had noticed everything.
She had suppressed even her own abilities to live thoroughly as Emily and had no idea anything was amiss.
To the confused Eve, Peter replied.
“I just realized it naturally at some point.”
Thinking about it, it was only natural.
How Emily, who had been doing poorly, suddenly got better.
How Eve, who had been doing well, suddenly disappeared.
And the identity of someone who would go to such lengths to act as Emily.
When Peter casually answered, Eve shyly questioned.
“Don’t you feel resentful? For deceiving you as Emily?”
To which Peter answered.
“Perhaps you did this because you realized what kind of things I would do if I lost Emily. Isn’t that right, Eve? You were a clever child from the beginning. Why would I resent you for trying to help me out like this?”
Seeing him speak as if he knew her thoughts only made Eve feel confused.
“If you knew, then why didn’t you say so sooner…”
“I actually thought about whether I should—or not. But I felt like you wanted me to not know about that. Because I did.”
If he wanted to avoid knowing, it was kept as a secret; Peter replied that way.
Because he also didn’t want Emily to know that he was the one who killed her parents, he had kept that fact hidden all this time.
As Eve looked at him with a strange expression, as if asking why he was doing this now, Peter bitterly smiled and continued.
“I was actually waiting for you to tell me first. But I ran out of time, so I couldn’t help it. Eve, although living with a hidden secret is painful, it is even more painful to never be able to confess that secret. I realized that when I accepted that I had to let Emily go. I regretted that I should have told it earlier. I didn’t want you to be like me and regret it.”
Knowing that it took a lot of courage to confess secrets, Peter had been waiting for her to bring it up first.
But he was now out of time, so he couldn’t tell her like this any longer.
Peter wished for Eve not to one day experience that kind of regret.
“Teacher… I…”
At his words, Eve’s eyes shook as if there was an earthquake.
From guilt.
From anxiety and restlessness.
Like Peter, she too was suffering from guilt for deceiving him.
But Eve couldn’t speak.
She knew she wasn’t an ordinary human being.
When Peter discovered the truth, would he come to despise her?
That was why she kept it hidden tightly.
In fact, she was still anxious.
That the man right in front of her might really be thinking of her as that kind of monster.
What if he started to think of her that way? That thought made her unable to even read his thoughts at that moment.
But then Peter said.
“Eve, I don’t care at all.”
As if he had read her mind.
“I’ll forgive you for deceiving me. Whatever you are, whatever you’ve done, I won’t care. You’re my student and a precious part of my family with Emily. So, it’s alright.”
It’s all okay. I forgive you. I won’t care.
Peter said that.
“Yes, yes…”
Hearing those words she so desperately wanted to hear, Eve found herself shedding tears without even realizing it.
So much so that she was astonished by how he could say exactly what she wanted to hear.
Eve could find great comfort in Peter’s words.
And then looking into Peter’s eyes, she suddenly understood how he could say such things to her without using his ability.
Because he had been saying it since a while ago.
Because that’s how he felt.
So, wiping her tears, Eve spoke to Peter.
“…Teacher, do you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“Actually, Emily knew everything you kept as a secret too.”
At those words, Peter opened his eyes wide, surprised, and then chuckled softly.
“…Emily was a bright child, so I suppose that’s true. So, she knew all along, huh?”
“And if it was Emily, she would surely have told you this.”
Speaking to Peter confidently, who she believed knew more about Emily than anyone else, she said.
“Even if you were the one who killed her parents, she wouldn’t care and would forgive you completely. Because you’re a precious family member to her.”
Hearing those words.
The man who finally heard the one thing he had longed for most, something he could never say, replied.
“…Yeah. If it were Emily, I would have thought so as well.”
He chuckled softly and murmured, then,
“Ugh… Hic… Sniff…”
He finally broke down and cried.
Understanding his feelings better than anyone, Eve quietly comforted him until his tears subsided.
After a while of crying, Peter wore a relieved smile and said to Eve.
“Thank you, Eve. Hearing you say that has put my heart at ease.”
At his expression of thanks, Eve smiled silently, and Peter quietly held her hand.
“…Eve, do you remember what you told me before?”
“…What do you mean?”
“…You said you wanted to be a teacher when you grow up. Do you still think that way?”
Eve nodded as she recalled the words she had spoken back then.
She still wanted to be someone like him who could teach many things and provide warmth.
And her beloved teacher, the one she respected.
Smiled gently at her and said.
“If it’s you, I believe you can be a much better teacher than I am…”
In a soft voice, the teacher murmured that and closed his eyes as if falling asleep.
The long slumber he entered wore a happy expression.
He must be dreaming sweet dreams.
“…Good night, teacher.”
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