TL/Editor: Butter Cat

    Status: 4/week mon-thurs

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    〈 Chapter 57 〉 Chapter 57. Blinded by Jealousy.

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    Ah, I ended up meeting her after all.

    I didn''t want to see her.

    I really, really didn''t want to see her at all.

    The reason why I chose death, out of all the countless options.

    "To stand by their side and yearn for happiness is something I''m not allowed to do."

    **

    A person''s life is contained within their hands.

    What they do for a living, their bad habits, their level of hygiene. You can learn everything about a person by looking at their hands.

    That’s why whenever I look at someone, I always look at the person''s hands first.

    Isn''t it ironic that the most honest means of expression in the world exists in humans, who live in a constant struggle between truth and lies?

    The more actions they take, the more prominent their tendons and bones become.

    Blood and nerves twist and turn, finding their way back to their proper places, flowing once again.

    Skin and flesh are torn and rubbed, gradually becoming tougher.

    Like the rings of a tree growing with each passing year, life accumulates in various forms within our hands.

    Like a work of art, imbued with sacrifice and hardship.

    So I could say it with confidence, without a shred of hesitation.

    I dare swear on all the lives I''ve lived, and the eternal life I will live.

    You have truly lived a life of effort.

    "...Ugh...Mmm..."

    "...It''s warm."

    It felt like my body was melting.

    My older sister''s palm, which I hadn''t felt in a long time, was so warm and rough.

    It wasn''t soft and delicate like the hands we used to hold when we were young, but a rough hand with countless calluses on her fingers and palm, as if she had been gripping something tightly.

    The rough texture of those calluses, large and uneven, wasn''t exactly pleasant, but thinking about the fruits of her labor contained within, how could I not find it beautiful?

    I diligently massaged my sister''s hand, which were more beautiful than anything else, using my own small, delicate hand, my only one.

    Even though this fleeting act couldn''t possibly be a repayment for her actions.

    But I hoped that it would bring a small comfort to this tragic princess who was sleeping, surrounded by flowers.

    I desperately prayed that the path ahead for my sister, who was taking a brief rest on my lap, would be bright and clear.

    And that in that future, I, a mere burden, wouldn''t exist.

    I prayed earnestly.

    "....Ugh…Ugh…"

    "You must be very tired, Sis."

    I sat with my legs neatly together, my back against a tree.

    Leaning against the rough, hard bark of a tree wasn''t an easy task for an ordinary child, but my body and, I, myself, was numb to most sensations and could do it with ease.

    Of course, if I got a bad bruise on my back, it would be obvious to Sis Sia or Big Sis Elli, who were sensitive to my injuries, and I would be scolded for sure.

    My older sister, Remi, whose head was resting on my thighs, was groaning softly, her face contorted. I wonder what kind of dream she’s having.

    Occasionally, her hands and feet would tremble, and she would break out in a cold sweat.

    Remi, who had looked unwell from the moment I found her, was lying at the entrance of the greenhouse, gasping for breath.

    I never imagined that Remi would be here, and the moment I saw her familiar face, I thought I was hallucinating.

    My sister really has a talent for startling people.

    Of course, after realizing that Remi was in a bad state, I worked hard to drag her inside using my one hand and created this position so that she could rest comfortably.

    It seemed like she had simply fainted from exhaustion and stress, so she would probably wake up in a few minutes.

    Well, until then, I''ll just enjoy this pleasant time.

    A playful moment between sisters, reunited after a long time.

    —Poke, poke.

    "H~e~l~l~o~?, is anyone there~?"

    "......Ugh… Uhhhhh...."

    I lightly poked her cheek with my finger and then pulled back, and watched as it jiggled back into place like a mochi.

    The feeling of my family''s skin, something I hadn''t touched in a long time, was so sweet and addicting it felt like it would melt me.

    I tickled her, I pulled on it, I poked it.

    My sister''s face, so inviting for pranks, awakened the little devil inside me.

    Her face contorted even more, and the interval between her groans shortened.

    Remi was now making an interesting expression, much better than the pained expression she had been making before when she was sweating profusely.

    "........"

    "........"

    As I watched her, a sense of nostalgia washing over me.

    Behind those closed eyelids, were beautiful eyes that I had described as sparkling like stars.

    When we used to sleep in the same bed, she would often cling to me and ask me to rub her ears, acting spoiled. I wonder if she still does that.

    Was it here where she tripped and fell down the stairs, bumping her teeth against a rock, and lost a tooth?

    "Really—"

    I never thought I would see her again.

    Sia''s behavior towards me was particularly strange and suspicious.

    Of course, she tried to hide it, but her speech would speed up for no reason, and the way the end of her words would curl up whenever she called my name were habits she couldn''t easily break.

    The moment Sia saw me, she panicked as if she was being chased by something and grabbed me, who was glaring at the streetlight, to her dorm room.

    And then she came up with all sorts of bizarre excuses to keep me from leaving, saying that it was dangerous because there was construction going on, and that there were scary monsters lurking everywhere trying to kidnap me.

    Honestly, I wondered if I should react to such obvious lies, but I played along.

    Of course, I snuck out while Sia was in class.

    I wondered what the reason for such uncharacteristic behavior was, and it turned out Remi was here.

    Fate is truly a mysterious thing.

    Nom—! Nom—!

    (TL Note: Alice is sucking Remi’s cheek. That’s what the onomatopoeia told me. Probably looks like this.)

    "Heehee~?"

    "Ah…."

    Of course, from Sia''s perspective, it was completely understandable why she wouldn''t want me and Remi to meet.

    They couldn''t even begin to fathom what kind of chemical reaction would occur between us.

    They couldn''t possibly know, or rather, they knew it deeper than anyone else, but Sia and Ellie were so conservative and worried that they would hide my past from me, the person involved, to such an extent.

    They probably didn''t want to leave even the smallest problem behind.

    They even went so far as to deceive me, an act that required tremendous resolve from Sia, there was nothing more to be said.

    But still... If there was one thing I wished Sia would change.

    It''s about time for her to overcome her excessive paranoia, her tendency to see everyone as a potential threat.

    —Squeeze.

    "You''re such a sleepyhead, Sis."

    "............" Sёarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    "You really are a sleepyhead."

    Remi''s hands were trembling pathetically.

    My only hand was now trapped in her tight grip, showing no sign of breaking free.

    My delicate skin had already reddened and starting to bleed, and my fingertips had turned white with a hint of purple.

    I wondered if my hand would really get crushed like this, but seeing Remi clutching onto it desperately, as if she had returned to her childhood, I stopped resisting and just smiled gently while looking at her face.

    What is she so afraid of.

    What is she so scared of.

    What meaning was contained in the tears that flowed from her eyes.

    As if my hand was the only lifeline that could save her, Remi held onto it tightly, refusing to let go.

    She must be old enough to be called an adult by now, and yet, here she was acting like a child. It was cute, so I couldn''t help but let out a small laugh at the sight.

    The sun was slowly setting.

    And the flowers that had bloomed fully were now slowly going to sleep, having completed their duty.

    The fleeting yet infinite moment where our hearts were connected through our tightly clasped hands was also coming to an end.

    Because it would soon be time for Sia to come looking for me.

    Sleep.

    The gods, while sending down hardships upon humans, also sent down sleep, and in the face of sleep, all good and evil lose their meaning, becoming mere objects of oblivion.

    But in the end, sleep is still just sleep.

    Sleep exists only so we could greet the sun that must rise tomorrow.

    "—So, it''s time to wake up."

    A princess who’s cursed and fallen into a deep sleep, a princess trapped in a nightmare.

    There''s only one way to wake her up.

    Of course, I wasn''t the handsome prince from the fairy tales, and unfortunately, my only tool, my hand, was immobilized, so there was no other choice.

    To think that even after becoming an adult, she still couldn''t wake up without her little sister''s help.

    Really, she was a handful in many ways, this older sister.

    So Big Sis, it''s time to—

    "—Wake up?"

    I slowly lowered my head.

    The flowers closed their petals, hiding their faces.

    The sun, watching over everything from the sky, blushed as if embarrassed and disappeared beyond the towering mountains.

    No one would know what happened there.

    Except for one person.

    "Ah, you''re awake, Sis!"

    ".......A...ri,s?"

    **

    "Ah.....A...Alice—!!?"

    The moment of our encounter, is imminent.

    **

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