Reborn Little Girl Won’t Give Up

The days leading up to and after I went to Wester played through my mind like a revolving lantern. I came back, but there was someone who didn’t come home.

“Hannah. Hannah didn’th come home.”

“Hannah? Who cares about her?”

“Care abouth her! Ange ish a bad pershon.”

“I don’t care if I’m bad or not. I lost against a baby who can barely talk.”

Ange-obasama shrugged and gave me a look that said she had lost interest in me. I could only gasp, not knowing what to do with the anger in my body.

“Honey, that’s enough,” Broad said as Ange turned her back towards us.

“Can we talk to Chris and Felicia for a while longer?”

“Not really.”

Broad gently took his hands away from Chris and turned her around, then he gently pushed her back and said, “Now, go to Felicia.”

“Otou-sama.”

“Stay well.”

“Okaa-sa… ma.”

Ange didn’t even look at Chris anymore.

“Okaa-sama! You have more to tell Chris, don’t you?!” Felicia yelled at Ange in anger, telling her to look at Chris, but Ange shrugged.

“We’re already going down different paths. You two go down your own paths.”

“Okaa-sama, Otou-sama.” Chris turned her milk-tea eyes to her parents. Felicia stood behind her and supported her back. Ange looked at Chris as if she hadn’t expected to hear a quiet and adult-like tone from Chris.

“Please take care of yourself.”

She must have practiced this properly. Chris folded her knees and politely curtsied as if she was showing that she was doing the best she could at the moment. It was a beautiful curtsy that made it seem like the awkward curtsy she had done when we had first met had been a lie.

“Ah, you’ve gotten bigger.”

Chris had said he was a kind father. It was a thoughtful thing to say.

Ange-obaasama stared at Chris’s curtsy, and her mouth loosened as if she had given up on something, then she smiled beautifully.

“Live freely.”

There wasn’t a single trace of regret on her face. She flipped the hem of her dress with enough force to convey this and headed straight to the door. Broad followed after Ange, who hadn’t turned back, then suddenly stopped and turned around.

“Felicia and Chris. I loved you.”

“Broad.”

Harold-ojisama asked in a strained voice, as if he was asking for Chris and Felicia, who were doing their best to nod, “Why didn’t you stop Ange?”

“Only I…” Broad’s voice was as quiet and gentle as ever.

“I have to always be her ally.”

Even if it meant committing a crime or not caring about your daughters? Can you even call that love? Broad smiled at Chris and Felicia and walked out the door.

“Selfish to the end…” Harold-ojisama’s voice was the only thing that echoed in the room as everyone was stunned.

“Lei! Are you alright?!”

“You were talking about that girl, weren’t you?”

Nii-sama and Alistair kneeled in front of me. I was trembling in hopeless frustration.

If nothing had happened, then Hannah would be smiling and brightening up the mansion, and we would be out in the garden looking for bugs. If nothing had happened, that is. But…

I held back my tears. I’m sure my face looked funny.

I have Otou-sama and Nii-sama, and I can see them whenever I want. It’s not me who should be crying right now.

“I can’th shee her anymore.”

“Yes.”

There are some people who can’t even meet even if they’re alive. Even if they got what they deserved, what happens to the people who are left grieving for them?

Stan-ojiisama gently put his hands on Felicia’s shoulder as she hugged Chris.

“Come on, let’s go back.”

Felicia looked up at Stan-oji-sama with glassy eyes.

“Where to?”

They had no home nor parents to return to. Her chest tightened with despair.

“… Come on, stand up.”

Stan-ojisama and Gill stood on either side of Felicia and Chris as if to protect and support them.

“Ah.”

“What’s wrong, Felicia?”

“I have to apologise to Lei.”

Who cares about that? It wasn’t Felicia’s or Chris’s fault.

I stiffened my weird face, puffed out my chest and crossed my arms.

“You’re folding your arms properly.”

“Ai, of courshe.”

Felicia and Chris turned to me at the sound of my voice. There were many things I wanted to say to them, like, “You don’t have to apologise,” “Don’t worry about it,” and “Do your best,” but in the end, those were the words that came out of my mouth.

“Jushth wive freewy!” (Just live freely)

It was frustrating that those words were also Ange’s last words to them. But unlike her mother, Felicia would never hurt anyone no matter how freely she lives because she cares about others too much. That’s why I had to say that.

“Lei, Fewicia and Chrish are friendsh!”

No matter what their mother did, it had nothing to do with them. They’re my precious friends.

“Friends…”

“Nico two! Marw two! Giww and Awishthair two! Nii-syama two! We’re aww friendsh.”

So, let’s play again when you feel better. That’s what I wish.

“Let’s all get together again and make a secret base. I’m your sponsor.”

“Marw.”

Mark, who had been quiet and unassertive, spoke up. He seemed to be aware of his role as a wallet.

I’m sure Felicia will tell Chris that we’ll always be waiting for her at the castle since Chris was still in a daze.

Felicia managed to put a smile on her face, curtsied without saying a word and left the room with Stan-ojisama and Gill.

“Dammit! I’m…! Have I been blind about Ange’s true nature all these years?!” I heard Otou-sama’s frustrated voice, but I didn’t comfort him since it was true. It’s over now, so there’s no point in worrying about that anymore. It’s already over.

“Lei.”

Alistair took my trembling right hand into his.

“Lei.

Nii-sama took my left hand into his.

“You don’t have to hold back anymore.”

“Ai. Ai. Buuu waaah! Hannah!”

It’s already over though. This is the last time.