Chapter 69 - Let Me Show You
The hinges cried out sharply under the weight of the door.
Louis walked across the crimson carpet, heading straight for the throne.
She was curled up, seated on the tall throne that was ill-suited for Elenoa. Her hands were placed not on the armrests but on her knees, and she kept her slender shoulders and back from touching the chair as much as possible. It seemed she was hesitant to sit in a place permitted only to the King.
More than that.
Her condition worried him.
She did not look at Louis. She did not look at anyone. She simply stared fixedly at the carpet.
"Elenoa-san? What is wrong?"
She did not answer even Bis, who spoke to her from beside her; she merely breathed.
It did not seem that she was angry.
"Elenoa?"
Louis reached Elenoa's side and took her hand.
"...It is nothing."
"It cannot be nothing. Are you angry about something?"
"I am not angry."
She said it readily, without even meeting his eyes.
Louis, unusually showing his confusion, looked at Bis, but Bis also shook his head with a troubled expression.
"You are tired. Let us rest now."
Louis lifted Elenoa into his arms and transferred to her room. She remained passive, and even when lowered onto the bed, she did not move a muscle.
Not knowing what to do, Louis stroked her hair with an air of 'for now, at least,' and Elenoa offered a superficial apology.
"Really, I am not angry or anything."
"I see."
"It is just that, somehow... I started thinking about strange things."
That she was not expecting him to understand without her saying anything was one of Elenoa's virtues.
Surely, there were things she could not organize in her own mind, and she simply could not speak of them.
If that was the case, pressing her would be futile, so Louis withdrew with a single word: "I see." However, the problem lay not only in Elenoa's poor condition.
"I do not know your thoughts, but I have things I wish to say as well."
"...Yes."
"I sent the Hero back to their world. But the other companions are from this world, and they know too much about my appearance and background. Although I can lock their memories, I cannot erase them completely..."
"Yes. I am sorry for the trouble."
"The trouble itself is not significant. Why did you try to spare them now? It would have been easier later if you had just killed them."
At first, he had planned to kill them.
But before Hasumi and the others could be silenced, Elenoa's voice echoed in his mind: 'Wait. Do not kill them.' Louis had obeyed, but he was not convinced.
—Had she been influenced by emotion? Elenoa was kind, so it was not surprising.
Elenoa said nothing and looked at the side table.
Louis looked at the same spot. A fruit had been left there. A single, glossy, bright red apple.
It seemed to have been given by Hasumi.
Louis knew the circumstances, as he was the one who had sent the fruit here at Elenoa's request. Thinking she might want to eat it, he suggested, "Shall I peel it?" but Elenoa silently shook her head.
"It seems I am a little tired after all. I will sleep."
"Yes, good night."
Travel is tiring. The environment changes the more one walks.
For a Fairy who had always been surrounded by humans, fatigue would accumulate all the more.
Louis left Elenoa with the words, "Do not overdo it," and decided to let her rest as she wished.
He did not doubt that she would smile brightly by tomorrow.
In the bed of his private room, Elenoa made herself small. She liked becoming human-sized, but she thought being her Fairy-sized self was not bad either.
She flew as she was and landed on the apple on the side table.
She avoided the stem and lay down on the top of the apple. The cool skin of the fruit felt pleasant against her cheek. It smelled sweet, like the apple itself.
Although Elenoa was slightly taller than the apple, the apple was considerably heavier. If she curled up slightly, she became stable, so Elenoa tried to doze off while enveloped in the scent of the fruit.
But the unsettling words from earlier were stained into her drowsy mind.
'I cannot help but view lives other than hers as light.'
That.
'I have killed every human involved in that matter.'
This.
Louis's words were shocking, but Louis's actions were also quite—shocking.
She knew that since he had become the Demon Lord, he had killed many people. But Elenoa was about to witness the scene for the first time.
Her mind had panicked, and she had stopped him.
Regarding Hasumi and the others, she had initially thought it could not be helped if they were killed for their own sake. It had been truly reckless. When the time came, the year and a half of days they had spent together came back to her, and thinking of the fact that Louis was killing people with just one door between them, she had instinctively stopped him.
Elenoa, who had lived drifting along, was not as kind as Louis thought.
She had simply lacked everything in the important areas, such as resolve and understanding.
Drip.
A drop of mud-like stain spread in her heart.
'Lives other than hers.' These words had pierced her strangely.
*
Her condition was strange.
Ten days had already passed since Louis had begun to worry about it.
Vermilion light fell within the tower. It was evening.
Louis, who had deliberately climbed the long stairs while casting deep shadows below, lightly knocked on the door.
"It is me. Are you awake?"
Yes, it is fine, come in.
A muffled voice was heard. Louis opened the door and approached the bed. She was lying with her back to him, and on the side table, the black tea he had brought at noon remained half-drunk.
He sat on the edge of the bed. He compromised by staying at her back, as she would dislike him moving around to the front.
"You have not been eating recently."
Fairies did not need food. Since forming a formal contract with Louis, his magic power constantly circulated through her body.
She did not know hunger, but Louis was not worried about Elenoa's stomach.
"...I am just a little sluggish. It will heal if I rest a little."
"Is ten days 'a little'? If you remain silent as before and suddenly collapse one day, it will be troubling."
Elenoa was at a loss for words.
She resentfully thought of his persistence, wondering if he still remembered her failure from about a hundred years ago. But there was no doubt that it was her own fault, and she accepted his nagging with grace.
"For now, take this."
Thud. A strangely heavy sound was made, and Elenoa, curious, finally turned around.
A basket full of fruit had been placed there. Not only apples, but peaches, oranges, bananas, grapes, and other distinguished members of the fruit world were all present.
"So many, what happened?"
"You like fruit, do you not?"
She certainly did.
As Elenoa stared at the mountain of fruit, Louis smiled as if amused.
"If you wish, I will prepare as much as you like."
As if doing so were a matter of course.
Saying that to himself, without feeling any discrepancy.
Elenoa returned a poor smile to him, saying, "Thank you."
She felt the stain in her heart spreading.
"Elie?"
What should I do, Elenoa thought.
She thought this could not continue.
For some reason, she had come to want to—leave his side.
"Um, is it okay if I fly outside for a bit?"
"It is fine, but ask someone to escort you..."
"It is fine. I will not do anything dangerous."
"Are you really alright?"
"Yes. I will not be late. I am just going to breathe some air."
Elenoa reached out, saying, "I will take this," and picked up a peach from the basket.
With a light pop, she changed to the standard Fairy size, and dangerously holding the suddenly heavy peach, she jumped out of the window.
—I was just surprised. If I rest a little, I will get used to it, right?
Elenoa herself knew it was abnormal to worry about this for ten days.
When the large full moon rose, Elenoa landed in the collapsed Ruined Capital Grenole. Amidst the townscape of nothing but rubble, one house remained in perfect form, standing out. It was the House of Stylus.
The roses in the flowerbed Lumina had tended were withered brown, drying out under the moonlight.
Elenoa lowered her eyes slightly and flew around the perimeter of the house. She found an open window and slipped her body, along with the peach, through it. The cold night air brushed her cheek.
It was Louis's bedroom.
It was a nostalgic scene.
But she was alone.
There was no one to welcome her.
The dust-covered bed illuminated by the moonlight looked a little lonely. It was surely because there was no blanket.
Looking at the floor, looking everywhere, it was all covered in dust.
"...Yes."
Elenoa left the bedroom.
This hallway was a place she had been happy to finally leave after being caught by Louis.
This study was where she had first conversed with Louis.
That room was Lumina-chan's room.
And then, going down the stairs—.
In the living room, for some reason, knives and forks were stuck into the floor.
A house that had lost its manager was lonely just for that.
No matter which door she opened, she could not hear "Welcome home."
Time had stopped here. It was calm as if asleep, and cold as if dead.
After exploring the house for a while, Elenoa returned to the bedroom.
She approached the silver basket placed on the table beside the bed.
The cushion laid inside it was something Louis had prepared for Elenoa when he was young. Now, as expected, it was slightly dirty and covered in dust.
"'Remove'."
She cleaned the cushion for now.
Then she entered the basket. The peach got stuck a little, but she managed by pushing it in with force.
Standing on the now clean cushion, Elenoa looked around for no particular reason. Confirming that she was completely alone, she disregarded any feminine modesty and began to nibble on the peach she had brought.
"...Mmm."
If she filled her stomach with fruit the size of her body, drowsiness came swayingly.
Elenoa patted the cushion with her palms, poof-poof, to check its condition, and then dove in face-first.
Lying down, she felt very reassured. It was imbued with the scent of this house, unchanged from the past.
The comfortable large cushion stuffed beneath the basket was one of Elenoa's treasures.
The 'Nest' of Fairy (Elenoa) had begun in this small house.
Gently, the wind that had entered through the window rustled the pages of a book lying on the floor. Haraari, a quiet sound was made.
The birdcage made of silver, the natural enemy of Fairies, was a very small world, but as long as it was in Louis's hands, it was safe. It had been their daily routine to sleep peacefully with him, who would fall asleep reading a book on the adjacent bed. It had been happy.
But that, too, was now in the past.
Eat, sleep. Elenoa thought that if only she could indulge in this happiness and forget everything, it would be fine.
It was at such a time that she heard a voice.
"Let me show you."
It was a voice she had heard somewhere. But it was also an unknown voice.
It was a woman's voice, transparent and slightly lower than the rolling of bells.
There was no sound or presence of anyone intruding. Since even a Fairy's five senses could not detect it, there should be no one here.
Elenoa visibly raised her body with caution and looked toward the door. The voice had come from the direction of the hallway.
"...Eh?"
—The door, which she did not remember closing, was closed.
"...Who...?"
A chill ran through her. She felt she had heard a voice that should not be heard.
Trying to leave immediately, she turned toward the entrance of the basket. And in that direction,
'Ah, a...h!'
'Elie...'
There were Elenoa and Louis.
Elenoa, gripping the bed sheets, sweating and groaning, and Louis, comforting her. Both were semi-transparent, their outlines hazy.
Illuminated by the moonlight, they cast no shadows.
'It is alright, it is alright. Take your time. Breathe deeply.'
'U, kuh...!'
What, is this.
Elenoa, in the birdcage, watched the scene in astonishment.
'It will get better soon. See, if you grip it so tightly, you will hurt your hands.'
Nineteen-year-old Louis knelt beside the bed, but no matter how gently he spoke, Elenoa on the bed only groaned. She could not hear his voice.
She was merely desperate, trying to cope with the intense pain, her hair disheveled.
Without anyone explaining, Elenoa understood the misery before her eyes.
This was the past.
The days of pain that Elenoa knew, but had not even had the leisure to remember.
Growing blood feathers involved considerable pain, but at some point, this body had begun to complain of intense pain regardless of the time or situation. Elenoa from that period was pitiable even to herself. Since she thought so herself, what must Louis, who was by her side, have been feeling?
The semi-transparent Louis cast a spell on Elenoa on the bed.
'Good night.'
With those words, she understood it was a sleep spell.
Elenoa in the basket confirmed that her self on the bed had fallen into a deep sleep. She thought that she had apparently fainted.
Why are you showing me this.
The owner of the voice "Let me show you" did not seem satisfied yet. The hallucination of Elenoa's past continued without disappearing.
Elenoa exited the basket and followed the back of Louis, who had stood up. She felt she had to follow.
'...Haa...'
Louis left the bedroom, leaned his back against the closed door, and slid down, collapsing.
He pressed his hand to his forehead and bit his lip. He was enduring a headache. He probably knew that if he did so, the wave would eventually pass.
To Elenoa, who looked down on his figure, he looked very small. He, who must have looked large to Elenoa on the bed at that time, was this fragile.
He must be fragile.
After all, he was a boy at this time.
She had wanted to go to his side immediately. Following her impulse, she wanted to hug him right now, gently act like a mother or guardian, and say, "I am fine,"
—Who are you to say that?
Inside Elenoa, someone whispered coldly in her own voice. It is your fault.
Louis stood up unsteadily and went down the stairs.
Elenoa chased after him.
But his back was not there; instead, warm light leaked from one door.
There were sounds of tableware. The sound of a spoon scraping the bottom of a plate, and the sound of a cup being placed down quietly. From the door with light.
Elenoa opened that door, as if invited.
It was the living room of the three of them, softly illuminated by nostalgic sunlight.
'Here you go.'
'What is this?'
To Elenoa, who had been drinking tea, Lumina offered something.
It was a small bag decorated with a cute paper bag and stylish hemp string. She had seen it before. Inside were several walnut cookies. The 'current' Elenoa knew. She knew how much she would rejoice after this. She also knew that she would take this present back to her private room and foolishly wonder if she could preserve it without it rotting.
Although her self from a hundred years ago, smiling before her eyes, only looked puzzled, saying, 'What is it?'
'I made it with Onii-chan. It is to commemorate the two of you getting together.'
'Getting together... eh.'
At that, a soft, chuckling laugh was heard, and Elenoa glared at Louis, who was sitting diagonally across from her, her face turning bright red.
'Why are you laughing?'
'No, I just thought it was cute. ...Well, putting that aside, please accept it. I do not know how many times I burned them, and the sacrificed ingredients would not rest in peace.'
'It might not be as delicious as Elenoa's sweets, but feelings are what matter in these things. No matter how bad it tastes, I would hate it if you did not accept it.'
Lumina pressed it into Elenoa's hands, teasing, 'No returns!'
Elenoa had frozen at the sudden present. Although she sometimes received daily necessities from Louis, she had never received a formal gift from Lumina.
Nevertheless, commemorating 'getting together' was a strange celebration.
To Elenoa, who was staring at the small bag she had been given, Lumina said, 'Ah, um!' and continued with words that were more nervous than formal.
'When I thought about it, I realized I had not properly greeted you. I had not said, welcome to the House of Stylus. Ideally, this kind of thing is better done when a milestone is reached, but... I could not wait, so I thought I would celebrate in advance.'
Watching that scene, the 'current' Elenoa moved her lips, saying, "Stop."
Yes, Elenoa knew.
That a few months after receiving this first celebration, she would lose this beloved younger sister.
"...Stop..."
Do not show me any more memories.
The happiness was heavy, painful, too bright, making her eyes feel like they would burst, and it was unbearable.
'I will wait properly until Elenoa officially enters the family before calling you Onee-chan.'
'...Is it okay? For me to become... Lumina-chan's older sister?'
'I do not want anyone but Elenoa!'
Lumina hugged her. Louis watched over them.
"...Stop it..."
The Elenoa of the past had lived, sandwiched between these siblings.
"Stop it!"
Rejecting the happiness, the small Elenoa covered her ears.
She understood. This scene was all an illusion shown by someone.
She was only watching ended time from an unreachable place.
—Time was always like that. No matter how much one wanted to stay there, no matter how much one crawled on the ground, it dragged such a tiny existence with immense force, forcing it to move forward only—.
If she raised her face, there was nothing there. Nothing. The soft sunlight had returned to cold moonlight, and all that remained was a dust-covered table and chairs scattered on the floor. Forks and knives. All of them stood there, having lost their temperature.
What should be done about this gap.
If she gripped the hourglass hanging from her neck, the reset button was visible immediately.
'Shall I turn the clock and return to the options before the route was determined?'
It was asking if she wished to return to before she was caught by Louis.
"It is not, that"
Even though she did not regret it.
She had understood. The sense of incongruity she had felt toward him when he brought fruit to her room today.
—As much as you wish?
He had not said such things in the past. In this house, where he had found even placing a single sofa troublesome, the kind he had simply worked to support his younger sister and housekeeper. He had even helped people. Lumina had respected such him, and Elenoa had waited for the two of them while doing housework. It had been a comfortable, modest, and round life.