Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu web novel

This is a simultaneous update.

This is Emilia's side. Route B.

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　--I take a breath and venture into the tomb I've just emerged from.

　In a stone tomb where even moonlight is blocked out, the only source of light is the dim light from the walls, which emit a faint pale blue light. In places where mana accumulates in the atmosphere, it is not uncommon for this natural light phenomenon to be useful for ensuring visibility.

　However, it is rare for such manmade structures to naturally glow, so it is likely that the architectural mechanisms are used to theoretically recreate the glowing phenomenon.

　Like a magical device, it could be used as long as the necessary mana was supplied - Emilia felt that the glow from the tomb worked in a similar way, and let out a quiet sigh.

　Inside this tomb, one can sense the distant presence of the micro-spirits.

　It's not that they don't exist. To begin with, micro-spirits are like mana in the air; they're everywhere. There's no place where they don't exist, although the difference is whether you can sense their presence or whether they have the power to sense it.

　What makes the tomb so special is the mechanism used to create the glow on its walls.

　The environment of the tomb places a very strict limit on the flow of mana in and out of it: the amount of mana inside the tomb is kept constant, and it cannot go above or below that limit.

　The amount of mana needed to maintain the glowing phenomenon on the walls - this was such a tiny amount that it was difficult to even maintain the micro-spirits, and for this reason the micro-spirits had a weak presence inside the tomb. Even the micro-spirits that were there would only be able to grow to a weak power in this environment.

"It's a really unpleasant environment for a spirit user."

　Coming to her conclusion, Emilia muttered to herself.

　Perhaps it was because she had overcome the first Trial and had gained a certain sense of freedom from the feeling of being cornered. That was the impression Emilia had of the tomb, having finally regained the composure to look around her.

　It's not much of a threat to magicians who store mana inside themselves and use it, but since there is no way to replenish it once the reserve is used up, it's still a difficult place for magicians who don't have many gates to begin with.

　For someone as strong as Emilia or Roswaal now, the battle would barely affect them at all.

"When I think about it, it's strange... I can barely feel everyone who's supposed to be outside."

　Having regained her powers as a magician, Emilia's senses of mana have become heightened. When she was outside the tomb, she felt the presence of countless amounts of mana that she could not control.

　It was likely that he had picked up on the mana or odour of most living creatures that his senses were sensitive to. The wear on his nerves was extraordinary, and he had to learn to control it quickly.

　In any case, once you enter the tomb, all that secret fighting will have to be put on hold for now.

　Instead, a difficult challenge called a "Trial" awaits, so who knows which is better.

"Ram asked me to do that. I have to do it properly."

　He remembered Ram bowing his head to Emilia and pleading with her for the first time.

　Ram, who normally never showed any weakness, had revealed her emotions to such an extent. If he didn't respond to that, how could he repay all the days he had spent with her?

　Subaru also trusted him, returning to the mansion without seeing his results.

　He had no doubt that Emilia could do it, and so he acted. He had to live up to Subaru's trust. Or rather, he had to surprise him by doing better than he had expected.

"I'm glad you believe me, but that's a different story."

　Even though he was in a hurry, he had to say something about leaving without even showing his face. He should be allowed to act sulky and make her anxious.

　Especially since he has something much more important to tell Subaru from now on.

"Plus, this atmosphere... there are 'trials'."

　The moment she entered the tomb, Emilia felt it.

　I was skeptical about whether I would be able to prepare for the Trial after just one visit, but the extremely cool and refreshing air that drifted through the building made that clear.

　There's no need to put it off.

　Within the Trial, a second Trial awaits Emilia.

"I've seen the past. So what's next...?"

　Unsure of what awaits her, Emilia slaps her stomach, her cheeks beginning to tense up.

　Check your breathing to see if you are calm.

　--It goes without saying, but throughout the trial he greeted Emilia with the same unchanging appearance.

　This is to be expected, since it had only been about an hour since he left.

　As usual, this room seemed to have a high amount of accumulated mana, so there was a slightly better view than from the hallway. At the back of the small room, the door was still standing, with no sign of moving.

　What awaits them when they reach their destination after overcoming the three "trials"?

　That's when I thought of it.

"---Look at this impossible present."

"----!"

　I heard it.

　It was a voice whispering in my ear, and it was unmistakably my own.

　At this impossible moment, the moment I try to think about the meaning of those words, my mind goes blank.

　The intense sensation ripped Emilia's mind and soul from her body, dragging her into another world.

　Unable to resist, Emilia leaned her body against the wall and collapsed, eventually collapsing.

　My vision becomes blurry, I can't think straight, and my consciousness sinks.

"Subaru"

　Without even knowing what had finally come out of his mouth, the "Trial" began.

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

"Hey, Leah. Where are you going? Come over here."

　Emilia stopped in her tracks at the gentle voice and turned around.

　A woman with short, trimmed silver hair beckons Emilia to the table. A mean look in her eyes. A soft voice. In every respect, she is the ideal woman for Emilia.

"Fortuna, mother..."

"...? Are you still half asleep? You've stayed up late again. You're not a child anymore, so you don't do things that are so troublesome."

　Fortuna walked over to Emilia and poked her forehead with a scolding tone.

　Emilia widened her eyes and held her forehead, which was still slightly red from being poked.

"Wow."

　An exclamation of admiration escaped her lips. The scene just now touched Emilia's heart.

　It was the first time he had seen Fortuna sacrifice mobility in an apron. The overly decorated, frilly white apron suited Fortuna's beautiful appearance well, regardless of her personality.

"Mother, cute."

"-- What is this kid suddenly talking about? He really seems half asleep."

　Blushing just a little, Fortuna grabbed Emilia's shoulders and made her turn around. Then she pushed her back and stepped forward,

"Go wash your face in the water. If you freshen up with the cold water, you'll stop saying strange things like you are now. In Lia's case, that might not change even if she wakes up."

"Wh, what are you saying, mother? It's not like that. I'm not half asleep... and in the first place, I never said anything strange."

"Where do you learn old phrases like that? I'm really worried people might be feeding you all these bad jokes. I'll have to confront Arch later."

　Emilia pouted in dissatisfaction, but Fortuna simply nodded with an exasperated look on her face and didn't take her seriously. Shocked that her opinion had not been accepted, Emilia slumped her shoulders and trudged off towards the water.

"Oh, good morning, Emilia. You look gloomy."

"Well, it's true. I guess I must have angered Lady Fortuna. It must have been late at night."

"Emilia is at an age where she wants to have some time alone."

　As I left the house and headed towards the water source, some elves from the village called out to me.

　A group of older people were chatting around a table surrounded by thick tree roots. Emilia had heard that they were about the same age as Fortuna, but to her, everyone looked young.

"Good morning. Everyone, it's early in the morning."

"Emilia, you're slow. It's fine to help your father with his work, but you're wasting your youth if you don't take some time for yourself."

"That's right. Emilia is so cute, we should make the most of this cute time and have fun."

"If I were as cute and young as Emilia, I'd be switching partners all the time."

　Emilia tilts her head at the mention of "switching," and the women look at each other and laugh, saying, "No way!" I don't really understand what they're talking about, but it's good that everyone seems to be having fun.

　Emilia somehow becomes happy and relaxes as well.

"Come on, that's much better than pouting. Smile, smile, keep smiling."

"--Yeah"

　Pointing at Emilia, who smiled, the women then put their fingers to their own cheeks in the shape of a smile.

　Emilia nodded, smiling in agreement with what they were saying.

　Waving goodbye to the girls, Emilia resumes her journey to the water.

　Climbing over the swaying roots of the trees and slipping through the gaps between the green leaves, Emilia heard the sound of rushing water coming from somewhere, and her face brightened as she took off running.

"Thank you!"

"Whoa! Is that Emilia?"

　The moment she lifted the branch and showed her face, someone who had just happened to be drying themselves off was startled. The young man turned around, but then he realised it was Emilia who had jumped out, and his eyes widened――

"a"

"ah"

　As Emilia holds her hands over her mouth, he slips and falls headfirst into the river.

　The young man landed on the water, splashing everywhere, with a loud noise.

"Arch! Are you okay?"

　From the heights where the young man had fallen, Emilia looked down and called out to him.

　For a moment, bubbles continued to bubble up on the surface of the water, and after a short delay, a blonde young man emerged. He wiped his face with his hand, then raised his hand to Emilia, who was looking down at him,

"Hey, Emilia! People have just finished bathing, so don't get in their way!"

"Sorry. I didn't think there'd be anyone here... but I'm glad the archway was there."

"What do you mean?"

　As Emilia breathed a sigh of relief, Arch raised his voice, cursing the injustice.

　Hearing his cry, Emilia placed a finger over her lips and made a small throaty noise.

"Well, Arch is a good friend, so I'm sure he'll forgive me, right?"

"cormorant..."

"I've always thought of Arch as an older brother, so… I'm sure he'll forgive me for what happened today."

"What do you mean by that? Shit... You don't even care about other people's feelings..."

　Emilia was proud of her baseless theory. Arch groaned in frustration after hearing Emilia's theory, and kept his mouth above the water as he spat out bubbles.

　Thanks to that, the second half of what he said was drowned out by the bubbles and I couldn't hear it.

"Besides, I came here to take a bath. Can I jump in next to you?"

"What? You idiot, stop! Bathing in an open place like this? Of course it's not okay! Have more discretion! How long do you intend to remain a child!"

"Huh?"

"Eh, no!"

"Hmm."

"Not really!"

　Emilia, who had begun warming up to dive in, purses her lip when Arch tells her not to bathe in the water. I don't know what he's panicking for, but Arch is being mean today.

　Maybe he was very angry about having slipped and fallen into the river.

"Arch, I'm sorry."

"Uh, huh... W-what's wrong, you've suddenly become so shy."

"I wonder if you hated falling that much. I'm sorry. So let me take a bath too. Otherwise Mother Fortuna won't let me eat."

"That's a child's idea!"

　Archi held his head and cried out in response to Emilia's dejected words.

　For an instant, his hands stopped paddling and Arch's body sank slightly. In other words, for just a moment, his attention was distracted from Emilia.

"Here goes."

"a!"

　There was a small shout, and then, just as I felt a ray of sunlight brushing my eyelids, I felt like I was floating.

　Her long silver hair trails upwards, lagging behind the pull of gravity as Emilia lands forcefully on her toes in the water.

　Emilia entered the water toes first, and without creating a single unnecessary splash, she dived incredibly silently and deeply, diving straight down to the riverbed.

　Emilia opens her eyes and sees small fish and aquatic plants swaying in the clear water of the river. She places her feet on the riverbed and suddenly rises to the surface, feeling the tickle of the gravel.

　Peeking out from right next to the arch,

"--Bwah."

"Bwah, no!"

　Stroking her wet hair, Emilia backstrokes away from the yelling Arch.

　Arch still furrowed his brow as if he wanted to say something, but soon realized that whatever he said to Emilia would not endure, he sighed deeply and followed behind her as she swam.

"That feels good, Arch."

"Well, that may be because Emilia jumped in of her own accord. As for me, I was pushed off and then got splashed with water when you jumped in, so I'm feeling pretty terrible."

"I see. I'm glad the arch seems fun too."

"Emilia is a really forward-thinking girl..."

　Feeling like she'd been praised, Emilia floats on her back and puffs out her chest.

　Arch turned his face away from Emilia and scratched the tip of his nose with his fingers. His cheeks were red. The water was cold, but perhaps he had a fever.

"Are you feeling unwell by any chance? And are you angry about being dropped in the water?"

　If that's the case, it's only natural that he'll be scolded even if he apologizes for what he did.

　I wish I could pull Arch out of the river right away and cast a healing spell on him.

"No, don't worry about it. It's not like that... Well, Emilia. Don't be so defensive in front of guys... No, don't be so defensive in front of other people. Especially ones you're not close to."

"...? Arch is my best friend, you know?"

"Even with close friends! Um... well, keep it to yourself in front of me."

"No mother?"

"In front of Lord Fortuna, me, and that woman!"

　Arch said loudly to Emilia, who tilted her head, and bit her lip, his face turning redder than ever. He then dived underwater with a groan, disappearing from Emilia's sight as she frowned.

　With that thought, it surfaced on the riverbank with a loud noise and pulled itself up from the water's edge onto the shore.

"Come on, Emilia, it's about time you got up. Besides, if you just woke up, you came to wash your face, not take a bath, right? I can't imagine Lady Fortuna telling you to take a bath in the morning."

"Now that you mention it, that may be true... Besides, I didn't bring any clothes to change into."

"What on earth are you doing, you know..."

　Arch looked astonished at Emilia's actions, which were more unplanned than defenseless.

　As Emilia swims to him, Arch runs into the woods and returns with a large towel blanket.

"Dry yourself off with this, then carry it around on your shoulders as you make your way home. You're always such a pain in the ass."

"Haha, sorry, Arch. I'll be grateful for it."

　Even Emilia, as expected, has no choice but to reflect on this.

　I was pulled out of the river by the outstretched hand and dried my long hair with the towel blanket I was given. My silver hair sparkled in the morning sun, but it was soaked up with water and felt extremely heavy.

"... Was my hair always this long?"

"What are you talking about? I've been growing it for a long time. I just thought it was beautiful and the same color as Lady Fortuna."

　Archie said this to me as I was drying his silver hair with a towel.

　When you put it that way, it does seem that way, but when did you make that decision in the first place?

　Feeling somewhat unsatisfied, Emilia decided to dismiss it as a minor discomfort. She carefully dried the water from her silver hair and dried her body. After that, she peered into the river and reached out her hands to wash her face, which had been her original purpose,

"――――"

　Seeing her face reflected in the water, Emilia's throat tightened.

　White skin. Amethyst eyes. Pink lips. Long, sparkling silver hair. All of these were the same facial features I knew. Nothing had changed, nothing was strange.

　That can't be.

　Nothing strange, odd, different, nothing else.

"Ah...fu..."

　Emilia exhales shakily as she touches her cheek.

　My lungs were spasming and I couldn't breathe properly. I felt as if my internal organs were being squeezed, and a sense of pressure, almost itchy and painful, ran throughout my whole body.

"Emilia, what's wrong?"

　Noticing Emilia's unusual behavior, Arch spoke in a low voice.

　He touches Emilia's shoulder as she remains motionless, gazing at the water's surface, and strokes her head from behind.

"Have you found anything strange in the water?"

"...different"

"Did you suddenly get a stomach ache? I can't use healing magic, so I'll have to take you to someone..."

"That's not true."

　Feeling Arch's concerned voice and palm on her hand, Emilia couldn't take her eyes off the water.

　Arch followed Emilia's gaze and seemed to realize what she was looking at. He timidly pointed at Emilia's reflection in the water,

"What's wrong with my face? I think it looks as beautiful as always."

"He's an adult..."

"picture?"

"You have an adult face....I've never even seen my own face before."

　Seeing the unfamiliar face floating on the water's surface, Emilia muttered in a trembling voice.

　The possibility that this wasn't his was refuted when his hand made the same movement as he touched it to confirm. This face was his. It was his own, even though he had never seen it before.

"...I"

　Once you notice that one crucial incongruity, one after another, inconsistencies become apparent.

　Looking down at her body, her chest was swelling, and her hair had never been this long before.

　His limbs were longer than I remembered, and the difference in size between his body and Arch's was probably even greater.

　Looking at Emilia, the way I perceive the conversations I have with everyone changes.

　First of all, how many times has Emilia been told that she's not a child anymore?

　That's right.

"--I have to go."

"Emilia?"

　Standing up, Emilia shook her head slightly and looked behind her.

　The forest and village he had passed through, and the house where Fortuna was waiting for him.

　I have to get back there.

　It is still not clear what needs to be done, but that is an unchangeable truth.

"Archi, I'm sorry. I'm going back to Mother Fortuna."

"Ah, yeah... that's fine, but are you okay?"

"It's okay now. Sorry for interrupting your bath. This towel blanket is fine too."

　Removing the towel from her shoulders, Emilia presses it towards the confused Archie.

　After making sure Arch had received it, Emilia ran off barefoot. As quickly as possible, she headed for her home where Fortuna was waiting.

"Emilia!"

　Came Arch's voice.

　Even though her mind was racing, knowing that she had no time to stop, Emilia's feet came to a halt. It was as if someone was telling her not to miss a single word Archi had said.

　Seeing Emilia turn around, Archi raised his hand slightly.

"I don't know what happened, but if you're ever in trouble, feel free to come and talk to me! I'm like a brother to you, Emilia!"

　After hesitating for a moment, Arch still managed to give Emilia some powerful words.

　For some reason, upon hearing those words, something welled up in Emilia's heart.

　It was definitely a nice thing to hear.

　But I feel that the feeling welling up from deep inside my heart is different from ordinary joy.

"Yes...! Thank you, Oniichan!"

　Waving her hand, Emilia responded to Archie, whose face was turning red, and took off again.

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"...You went to wash your face, so how could you come back completely soaked? Mother finds it very strange."

　Fortuna lamented, with an astonished look on his face, as he welcomed his daughter back, wet from head to toe.

　When Emilia returned from the water source, she had wiped her hair and other visible parts of her body with a towel blanket, but the white clothes she was wearing were still sticking to her skin, and since she hadn't wrung them out, water was dripping from the hem of her skirt.

"I'm sorry, mother. I was just... a little bit sleepy."

"I went to wash my face to get rid of that sleepiness, but it came out pretty well. You really are a child no matter how old you get. Did anyone see you dressed like that?"

　I guess it means that it would be embarrassing to be seen soaking wet.

　In that sense, it was a miracle that I didn't pass anyone on the way home.

"Hm, it's okay. Only Arch can see me."

"Yes... to Arch. Well, he is that child... but I feel like Arch has recently started looking at Emilia in a slightly different way than he used to..."

"Mother?"

"Oh, yeah, no, it's nothing. Anyway, come in."

　Looking helplessly at Emilia, who had her eyes cast down, Fortuna patted her daughter on the head and led her by the hand into the house. However, water was still dripping off her clothes.

"Mom, the house is getting wet."

"You can just wipe it off later. Anyway, I have a towel here, so you can use that to dry yourself off while you get changed in your room. I'll have breakfast for you when I get back."

　The dwelling was carved out of a tree in the forest, and is a one-of-a-kind piece that was created by pouring the power of mana into an older, large tree and transforming it. Emilia and Fortuna's house was also hand-built by Fortuna, and is quite large for just the two of them to live in. There are their own rooms on the second floor, and a dining area on the first floor.

　Looking back now, I think it was a luxurious use of space.

　--Looking back on it now, it was a strange feeling.

"Here you go."

"Wow."

　As a towel was pressed against her thoughtful face, Emilia turned to Fortuna in protest, but was quickly defeated by the gaze of her mother, who was looking at her with her hands on her hips.

　Smelling the scent of the sunshine from the towel she held to her face, Emilia dried herself off and returned to her room on the second floor.

　When I returned to my room, I found it to be simple.

　Like Fortuna, Emilia doesn't like pointless decorations either. The room has the bare minimum of furniture and a few other small items. There is a wooden box containing her change of clothes, and Emilia crouches down and pulls out some suitable clothes, then she takes off her wet clothes and quickly gets changed.

　Just like the interior of her room, Emilia has no particular sense of fashion.

　I pulled on a short-sleeved top that only needed to be worn in one piece over my head, changed my underwear, and left the room - consciously trying not to look at the thing next to me in the wardrobe.

"Mother Fortuna. I'll wash my wet clothes myself..."

"That is truly wonderful and a sign of filial piety."

"――――"

　As Emilia put the laundry in a basket and went downstairs, she was greeted by a man's voice.

　Emilia held her breath at the gentle, compassionate voice, then looked towards the dining table.

　There was one extra chair at the dining table that was usually just the two of them, Fortuna and Emilia. This was a chair that Fortuna would bring out from the back of the house when a specific person was invited to the house.

　Naturally, the person sitting in that chair was also familiar to me.

"juice"

"Yes, it's been a long time, Lady Emilia. Has anything changed since then?"

"I'm here, as usual. As for you, it's been a really long time since I last saw you, Juice. I didn't hear you coming today, so why?"

"Oh, is that so? I made sure to contact my fingertips in advance."

　A man with a gentle face - Juice put his hand to his chin and looked deep in thought. A kind-hearted man, he seemed genuinely troubled, but Emilia immediately knew who the culprit was.

　I walked past Juice and peeked into the kitchen where food was being prepared, and saw Fortuna holding her hand over her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter.

"Mother, you must have kept it a secret."

"Hehe, I wonder. I may have simply forgotten."

"That can't be true. There's a chair for juice, and there's food for three people."

"My, you have an observant eye. Even though you're usually absent-minded, your intuition only kicks in at times like this."

　Closing one eye as Emilia glared at him, Fortuna whistled as he picked up the plate. Then he handed it to Emilia,

"Hey, Lia, help serve the food. You can't cook anything by yourself, so I think it's okay to ask you to clean up afterwards."

"Hmm... I lied. Besides, it's not because Mother won't teach me that I can't make anything."

"They always confuse sugar with salt, and I'm afraid to let a child who can't even hold a knife properly into the kitchen."

　Fortuna silenced Emilia as she protested, and brought the dishes one after the other to the table. Emilia was still not completely satisfied, but she followed behind Fortuna and returned to the table.

　Juice, who was waiting at the table, broke into a smile as he saw the delicious aroma wafting from the table.

"It is truly an honor to have the opportunity to participate in Lady Fortuna's cooking. No matter how many times I taste it, the joy never fades."

"You say things like that so easily again."

"I just told you my honest feelings."

"That's what I'm saying is bad natured."

　As Fortuna set out the food, Juice looked at her with a troubled expression.

　Seeing the exchange between the two, Emilia couldn't help but laugh. Just watching them made all her memories of Fortuna's defeat disappear.

"If you're so happy with Mom's food, you should live here too."

"Emilia――"

　Placing a large platter of vegetables in the middle of the table, Emilia tried to join in on the conversation and say something like that. At that moment, Fortuna's cheeks turned red with a flustered look on her face, and she glanced sideways at the glass of juice next to her.

"Don't be so bold as to say that. Juice has a lot going for him, but he still manages to come and see me in between his busy schedules..."

"That is a very welcome offer, Lady Emilia. I would sincerely like to do so if possible."

　Fortuna panics and tries to deny it, while Juice calmly responds, in stark contrast. Fortuna's momentum is killed by Juice's words, and she slumps back in her chair, shrinking in size.

　Seeing the two of them sitting next to each other, Emilia sat down opposite them by herself.

　--The scene before her eyes seemed incredibly natural to Emilia.

"If you don't mind, Mother and Juice, then you should do so. No one would stand in the way of you becoming like that. Ah... perhaps I'm in the way?"

　It's clear that Fortuna and Juice don't think badly of each other.

　Still, perhaps the reason why the two of them don't try to get closer than a certain line is because of me.

　However, Emilia's anxiety was

"No."

"That's not true."

　But at the same time, the two of them denied it, so my fears turned out to be unfounded.

　Emilia widened her eyes, while Fortuna and Juice looked at each other at their overlapping words and burst out laughing.

"After all, the two of you are really good friends."

"Emilia, stop teasing me forever. Scold Juice too."

"That's right, Lady Emilia. Lady Fortuna is a wonderful person. If someone like me were to stay here for too long, it would cause trouble and lead to unpleasant rumors spreading."

"Hmm. But I think it's too late now."

　Juice was trying to put Fortuna up and belittle himself, but seeing a hint of sadness in Fortuna's gaze as she looked at him, Emilia held up a finger.

"Because when I go outside, everyone tells me not to cause trouble for Mother Fortuna and Father Romanée-Conti."

"――――"

　It was somehow funny to see the two of them look shocked at Emilia's words.

　Placing her hand over her mouth to suppress the urge to laugh, Emilia took a breath and,

"Really? I was up late last night, engrossed in filling in the gaps between the map and the old book Juice gave me... and everyone else said it was great that I was helping Dad with his work."

"Who would have done something like that..."

"Tehena-san across the street, Mitt-san and Auntie Tanse-san too."

"Those three gossipers...!"

　Drawing three faces in the air that came to mind, Fortuna bit her lip in disgust.

　His sharp eyes are raised, giving him a slightly frightening expression.

　Emilia calmed Fortuna down by saying, "It's alright," and then,

"Anyway, everyone already thinks that way. I, well, um, I thought about it a lot, worried about it, and, well, so..."

"Emilia-sama, there's no need to force yourself to think too hard about it."

「N-no! I think it's fine, you know? It's just that I feel a bit uneasy, like my mother is going to be taken away from me!」

　Even though everyone around them is so well prepared, the two people involved and I are the only ones feeling excited.

　Maybe that's just how things are in these situations, but rather than it being a problem between just the two of them, I wanted to avoid my own emotions getting in the way.

　After all, even from Emilia's point of view, the two of them are a good match.

"I think it's a great idea. So, you two, think about it."

"――――"

"No one in the forest, nor I, will get in your way. I will never let anyone tell you that it's a bad thing or something!"

　Emilia slammed the table and began her passionate speech.

　After she had spoken, Emilia realized that she had gotten too heated up and looked taken aback. As the two of them looked at her, she smoothed her hair back and slowly sat down in her seat.

"So... I'll leave the rest to the two young people, please."

"Emilia, where do you really learn those things?"

　At Emilia's blushing words, Fortuna showed the familiar look of astonishment. However, that expression was quickly wiped away by an uncontrollable urge to laugh.

"Huh, heh heh."

"Haha, Lady Emilia… I see, you have grown. It would be a shame for me to say that you have not changed at all."

"That's right, Juice. I'm proud of you, so it's only natural."

"Yes, I'm honored."

　Fortuna and Juice laughed and looked at each other as they exchanged this exchange.

　The atmosphere between them had become softer than before, and Emilia vaguely felt that her words had changed something.

　There's a warmth between the two of them.

　There's surely a different color mixed in the gazes we give each other than before.

　It was a terribly happy sight.

"...Emilia?"

　Suddenly, Fortuna turned her gaze in her direction and called Emilia's name.

　Taking a breath at the voice, Emilia covered her eyes with her hands. Hastily wiping away the tears that threatened to spill, she let out an exaggerated "Ahh."

"I think I got some dust in my eye. It was really big."

"Really? Are you okay?"

"It's okay, just a fist."

"A-Are you okay?"

"Are you okay?"

　In response to the worried pair, Emilia stood up, rubbing her eyes.

　Then he got up from the dining table and headed for the stairs to the second floor.

"I'm going to put in some really effective eye drops. The kind that will make you feel so refreshed your eyes might fall out."

"Emilia has beautiful amethyst eyes, so don't throw them away. They're beautiful eyes, just like your brother's."

"Also, it's the same beautiful color as Mother."

　Fortuna was surprised by Emilia's words, not expecting such a response. Seeing Juice's smile at Fortuna's profile, Emilia also laughed.

　Laughing, Emilia stepped onto the stairs and turned back to the two of them,

"You go ahead and eat. I'll be right back."

"It doesn't taste as good once it cools down, so make sure it comes right back in."

"Yeah, right away."

"Well then, I'll wait patiently, Lady Emilia."

　Emilia took a deep breath after hearing Fortuna and Juice's words.

　Then he turned around once more, looked at the two of them, their eyes falling on the dining table.

"--I love you both."

　With that, Emilia returned to her room.

　Closing the door to her room, Emilia exhales as if expelling all the air from her body.

　I felt as if my body was being squeezed tight, then I slapped myself on the cheek to get myself going, shook my head, and walked to the corner of the room.

　Next to the wooden box containing Emilia's clothes was a long, narrow object covered with a thin cloth.

　Until now, Emilia had never even considered reaching out for it,

"If you don't face it, nothing will start."

　Please give me courage.

　Emilia gently touched her fingers to her lips and then pulled her hand away, remembering its warmth.

　The fabric falls.

　There was a polished mirror that reflected Emilia from head to toe.

"--What did that vision of happiness that should have been yours give you?"

　In the place where the image should have been, I saw a white-haired witch standing.