TL/Editor: Butter Cat

    Status: 4/week mon-thurs

    Illustrations: none

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    〈 Chapter 62 〉 Chapter 62. Letter.

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    This is a small letter, written by someone, for someone else.

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    Rustle, I unfold the letter.

    A luxurious black envelope, with only Alice''s name written on it, which was in the mailbox this morning.

    The sender’s name and address were missing, but the unnecessarily formal and old-fashioned writing style immediately made any attempt at guessing the writer''s identity futile.

    I desperately wiped the cold sweat trickling down my face and prepared myself to face the letter before me, determined to find out what words were written in it that had made Alice look at me with those pitiful eyes after reading it.

    My Adam’s apple bobbed up and down, it was a reflex.

    I read it, line by line, character by character, and.

    The contents were as follows.

    ─────────────

    I write this letter, filled with longing.

    Now that the little creatures have hidden away and the red spider lilies bloom red in their place, how are you doing?

    Are you eating properly?

    By any chance, are you feeling unwell anywhere?

    I''m so worried about that parasite, whether she''s taking good care of you, Alice.

    If there''s any resentment or injustice piled up in a corner of your heart, please write it down and send it to me, it would be much appreciated.

    I''m also heartbroken that I had to leave without even saying a proper goodbye, as misfortune came knocking without a sound, reaching right to my doorstep.

    Although she''s a woman without a single redeeming quality from head to toe, she''s the only one who understands the situation, so I had no choice but to entrust you, Alice, to her with tears in my eyes.

    I also desperately don''t want to be separated from Alice, but some unsavory individuals have been following us, it’s an extension of the incident that happened in the previous village, so I had to make a difficult decision.

    After appropriately shaking off these people, I plan to quickly return to Alice''s embrace.

    It''s not a difficult task, so don''t worry too much.

    I promise to return before the first snow falls, so please be patient and wait for me.

    Alice doesn''t have to read the following written below.

    Sincerely, Saelli.

    ∴P.S.

    To my dear parasite.

    If anything happens to Alice while I’m gone, I won''t let you off easy.

    You can do that much, even as a parasite, right?

    Even though you''re a parasite, you haven''t already caused some trouble, have you?

    It''s not a matter of whether you can or can''t.

    Just do it, and shut up.

    ─────────────

    —Thud.

    "........."

    A single beautiful flower with bright red petals, attached to a long, bare stem, fell from the envelope and landed on the floor.

    Despite its beautiful form, it felt desolate because it was missing the thin leaves(?) that should have been there to protect it or to add a small accent.

    And because I could clearly feel the murderous intent directed at me contained in that flower.

    That flower, reminiscent of death, was clearly aiming at me.

    At this moment, I was like a frog caught in a snake''s gaze, a gazelle on the Serengeti destined to become a lion''s meal.

    A chilling fear crept up my spine, and my body froze involuntarily, surrendering to the approaching death, like a helpless insect.

    And as if oblivious to my state, the people occupying my room were just giggling and cuddling with each other, smiling happily.

    This is all because of whom.

    The sense of injustice rises from my heart.

    "Tessa~ Give me back Aris~"

    "No way. I was really, really missing her too. While I was working my butt off to the bone, you two must have been having a lovey-dovey time with Princess Ari… With Alice!!"

    ["Poo—!!"]

    A complete reversal of the situation from just the other day.

    Alice, who had fallen into Tessa''s hands, blew the trumpet in response to her words.

    Remi Akaia, with a large bump on her head and a white bandage, slightly stained with red, wrapped around it, could only glare at Tessa, who was cradling her little sister in her arms.

    Poot, poot, the trumpet sound blowing out was the referee''s signal declaring a complete victory.

    With all justification on Tessa''s side. Remi Akaia, who had nothing to stand on except for her title as a princess of the Tesillia Kingdom, could only bite down on her handkerchief, swallowing her frustration.

    The winner is… Te~ssa!

    "Ya~aay!"

    ["Poo~oo—!"]

    "…Arissss—"

    "…They’re having fun."

    Well.

    It might seem like a pitiful sight, but it was all self-inflicted, really.

    From the moment she was reunited with Alice, Remi Akaia had been holed up in my room, spending all her time with Alice, without even telling Tessa.

    And for Tessa, it was as if the princess, who already seemed somewhat strange, had suddenly disappeared without a trace.

    Even after dawn broke, and a new day began the princess showed no sign of returning, and after spending a sleepless night worrying and searching for her, Tessa found the very person in question happily cuddling with her long-lost younger sister, completely oblivious.

    Tessa was greeted, not even by a simple "Ah, sorry," but by a request from Remi Akaia to be quiet, as she was busy showering her little sister with affection and needed to focus all her attention on her.

    How. What. Why.

    Those questions were all buried under the erupting anger.

    Anger at her disappearing without a word, 1 point.

    Anger at her causing trouble here and there, 9 points. S~ea??h the ηovelFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    And anger at her secretly playing with her younger sister without telling her, 990 points.

    Adding up to a total of 1000 justifiable anger points, that was the cause of this incident.

    As for the reason why the last one was the highest... Well.

    It seemed Tessa also harbored strong feelings towards Alice, even if not as much as Remi Akaia.

    "....Ari—... Alice thinks so too, right?"

    ["....Poo?"]

    "…Thank you, Alice."

    Hug.

    Alice, nestled in Tessa''s arms, her back against her chest, looked bewildered at the sudden thanks.

    She tilted her head from side to side.

    But with Tessa''s body pressed tightly against hers, the child couldn''t turn her head back.

    What the person behind her meant by those words, or understand why these strangers were suddenly so kind to her, or what kind of face the woman holding her was making.

    It was all a mystery to Alice.

    The story of a younger sister, thought to be dead, who finally returned to her family''s arms, even though she had lost her memories.

    A story filled with hardships and conflicts, but ultimately ending with everyone smiling happily, a story that would make anyone cry.

    【If anything happens to Alice while I’m gone, I won''t let you off easy.】

    "........"

    So, it will be okay, right?

    … It will be okay, right?

    But no matter how much I tried to reassure myself.

    No matter how much I tried to find a positive aspect, to convince myself that everything would be fine.

    I couldn''t imagine Saelli, forgiving my sins with a gentle, all-encompassing smile.

    In the end, I had no choice but to accept reality.

    That I am so, so fucked

    It doesn''t seem like it''s going to be okay at all.

    "Ah, I''m screwed."

    Have you ever seen someone sparing a house centipede just because it''s considered a beneficial insect?

    The bug would be lucky if they didn''t scream and crush it with their shoe the moment they saw it wriggling around.

    Beneficial or not, in people''s eyes, it''s just a bug.

    Yes.

    No matter how tear-jerking, how touching the story might be.

    For the cruel demon queen who treats humans as beings worse than bugs, this incident would be no different from a heavy downpour washing away a colony of ants.

    ".........."

    Trembling.

    With my uncontrollably shaking hands, I carefully picked up the red flower that had fallen to the floor.

    Lycoris radiata. Or, the flower with the name ''Red Spider Lily''. As with most flowers, its meaning isn''t just one, but many, but there''s one that stands out—

    【It''s not a matter of whether you can or can''t. Just do it, and shut up.】

    —The meaning of that flower, is death.

    It was Saelli''s own special language, a warning that if I did anything stupid, my head and body would part ways, permanently.

    It meant that I had a special opportunity to see my heart with my own two eyes.

    I slowly turned my head to the side.

    "If this is how it is, I''ll use my status to—"

    "—Do you want to be marked again?"

    "........."

    ["......Poo, poo."]

    But, I''ve already been marked, haven''t I?

    "Hngg."

    I''m probably doomed.

    I climbed onto the bed.

    Lying straight on my back, my body aligned with the edge of the bed, I grabbed the blanket and rolled myself up.

    Roll, roll, roll, my pathetic figure, rolling around like a bug, I was like a caterpillar that had become a pupa.

    I wonder what will emerge from it, a butterfly, or the same old caterpillar.

    Waaah, I''m a baby parasite.

    Sia doesn’t know anything.

    Having made a kimbap with the blanket and my body, I could only let out a pathetic scream as I rolled around on the bed.

    Roll, roll.

    Roll, roll.

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