Day Four: Bullying and Shocking Truths
I woke up abruptly. As I sat up and looked around, there was no one in the storage room, and the morning sun was shining through a small window. It seemed like I had fallen asleep without realizing it after everything that had happened.
I covered my face with my hands.
"I was so shocked!"
I screamed inside my head.
What's going on? Is Lefebvre Nicholson really a yandere? Saying things like, "If I can't have you, I'll kill you, and if I can't have you, I'll kill you with my own hands." He's the terrifying kind of yandere, not just a walking landmine!
He's the possessive yandere who believes that your life belongs to her!
"But maybe I'm the same..."
Lucienne seemed pleased.
She genuinely felt it would be okay to be killed by him.
And I didn't even feel afraid of that. In fact, I felt strangely relieved that I wouldn't be alone in my final moments, and I couldn't help but feel a bit happy.
I don't remember it very well, but I've died once before.
So maybe that's why I'm not really afraid of dying.
But I think I really don't want to be alone in my final moments.
I don't quite understand it myself, but maybe the "me" from before died alone.
Even if I don't have that memory, I might still have some vague feelings of fear or discomfort.
Lucienne probably hasn't experienced death, so my consciousness is stronger in this regard.
Well, ever since I started recovering my memories, Lucienne's memories feel like someone else's. But emotions seem to be converging.
Initially, there was a sense of separation between "Lucienne" and "me," but over the past few days, our emotions and thoughts have been blending.
My part is generally dominant, but there are moments when Lucienne's emotions are stronger, especially when it comes to feelings.
In terms of thoughts, I'm stronger than Lucienne, who had a longer life.
Perhaps it's because I'm in a child's body, but emotions tend to pull me in
"I want to call him by his name," I thought.
I know his name, but he has never introduced himself. So, I can't address him by his name. It's a bit lonely...
"But I still have to wait..."
I covered my face and looked down, then heard footsteps approaching.
...It's not him, is it?
He always appears silently and doesn't make a sound. Even when he talks, his voice is barely a whisper.
...So, who is making these footsteps?
As I lifted my face and removed my hands from my face, the door swung open without warning.
A maid had entered. I didn't recognize her - there were many maids and servants in the palace I didn't know, and Lucienne didn't even know their names or faces. The maid, who had been sitting on a worn-out blanket, looked at me and chuckled.
Without saying a word, she confidently entered the storage room, grabbed my arm, and forcefully pulled me to my feet.
My arm hurt for a moment, but the maid, gripping my arm tightly, tried to make me stand up.
When I tried to resist by bracing my feet, her grip tightened, and her nails dug into my skin.
"We can't keep the queen waiting. Walk faster, you fool."
She's quite a strong-willed maid. Overwhelmed with surprise, I stopped resisting and allowed her to drag me out of the storage room.
I had been ignored and ridiculed by maids and servants in the past, but this was the first time I had been openly berated to my face. Feeling a sense of novelty in this, I was brought to a room the queen frequently used.
The maid released my arm, straightened her dress, and lightly knocked on the door. A voice from inside inquired who was there, and the maid confidently responded in a slightly higher voice than she had used with me.
Permission was granted, and the maid opened the door.
The room beyond was dazzling, adorned with sculptures, goldwork, gemstones, and elegant paintings. Plush carpets covered the floor, and heavy, ornate furniture was strategically placed throughout the room.
In the center of the room, the queen sat on a sofa. Her children occupied the sofas on either side. To my right, I saw the first princess and the second princess, while the first prince sat on my left. A table displayed a sumptuous array of delectable snacks.
"Please step aside," the maid who had ushered me into the room was instructed by the queen's lady-in-waiting, and she reluctantly complied.
As the door closed behind her, the second princess couldn't help but giggle. "The expression on that maid's face was priceless!"
The first prince and first princess joined in the laughter.
"Did she actually expect to get something from us?"
"Haha! What a fool! We'd never give anything to a mere maid!"
Childish laughter filled the room.
The queen smiled at her children. "There are many like her, always begging for rewards without putting in much effort. Be mindful not to show too much leniency, just as you must be cautious with them."
The prince and princesses responded enthusiastically to those words.
... Why was I brought here? While thinking about returning to the room, I stood there absentmindedly. Then, the first princess turned towards me, as if recalling my presence.
"What are you doing, dog! It's disrespectful to stand in front of Queen Mother and the royal family like this! Prostrate yourself!"
A high-end teacup was thrown at me. It hit me and fell to the floor, shattering into pieces. Luckily, there was nothing inside, so I didn't get burned. However, the teacup shards scattered across the floor. Feeling a stern gaze, I reluctantly prostrated on the spot. The shards caused some discomfort as they stuck in my hands and feet.
"You should have done that from the beginning," the second princess laughed as if she found it amusing.
The voice of the first prince echoed. "We are generous, so we'll give you a special reward."
Something fell in front of me with a soft thud. When I lifted my head slightly to see, a small baked treat had rolled onto the floor. It was a beautifully misshapen biscuit with a slightly dented, elegant oval shape, colored like a fox.
I see. They want me to eat what was thrown on the floor. Lucienne had never been taught proper etiquette, and I, who used to be a Japanese person, didn't mind sitting on the ground. However, this treat was thrown on the floor. At least it wasn't soil from the ground. Besides, the rooms in the royal palace, especially those used by the royal family, were meticulously cleaned, so even if something fell on the floor, it didn't feel too dirty. Plus, I hadn't eaten anything since I woke up, and I was indeed hungry.
"Since you're just a dog, eat it with your mouth," scolded the first princess. Remaining on my knees, I inched closer, leaned down, and took a bite of the biscuit that had fallen to the floor. The queen and her children laughed, pointing at me as if I were an amusing spectacle.
I felt nothing, just like Lucienne. This was a routine event for her, and for me, their absurdity didn't even spark anger.
In the not-so-distant future, a coup d'état would occur. When that happened, the queen and her children would be executed. I didn't feel sad or happy about it, but it brought a sense of relief to think about it.
...Oh, this is delicious. I chewed on the treat with gusto.
Then, another biscuit was thrown, this time hitting my head. It didn't hurt since it was a biscuit. I held it in my mouth and savored the taste.
"You'll get thirsty with just the sweets, right? Someone, pour some tea for this person," the queen's voice sounded, and a maid soon placed a flat dish in front of me.
This shallow plate held a cup of tea. It was steaming hot and visibly over-brewed, with a deep color as if to signal it was made intentionally strong.
"Oh, what's the matter? You're not going to say that you can't drink the tea I served, are you?" the queen taunted. It appeared she wouldn't let it cool down.
Bracing myself, I leaned toward the dish, and the scalding steam from the tea brushed against my face. It was clearly very hot.
I cautiously touched it with my tongue.
"Ugh...!"
Even when I tried to endure it, hot things were still hot. My body felt like it was about to shiver, but I managed to taste the tea a few more times until my tongue was burned and lost feeling.
The tea was hot, bitter, and strong. Nevertheless, I did my best to lap it.
Then, a bored voice came from the queen, "Hmph, what a vulgar child. You're just like a real beast. Please take it back to the room. This place is starting to smell like a barn."
Despite being the ones who brought me here.
One of the maids tugged on my arm, forcing me to stand, and then dragged me down the corridor as if I were a lifeless object. Eventually, we returned to the storage room. The door was opened, and with a push, I was unceremoniously dumped onto the floor.
The door closed behind me.
...My mouth was in pain.
My tongue and the insides of my cheeks stung, and my mouth felt as if it were blistered.
In this condition, I couldn't eat anything, and even drinking water might be painful.
...But for a burn, you need to cool it down...
I stood up, cautiously opened the door slightly to check the corridor, and once I confirmed that the maid wasn't there, I quietly ventured into the hallway. My mouth throbbed painfully.
I walked stealthily toward the well in the courtyard. The pain in my mouth was unbearable.
Finally, I reached the well, scooped some water, and put it in my mouth.
...It's excruciating!!
I couldn't help but spit the water out onto the ground. I tried to lick it back into my mouth, and it seemed my throat wasn't as affected, but my mouth was still burning. My lips were starting to tingle.
I endured the pain and rinsed my mouth repeatedly with water. Gradually, the tingling sensation seemed to lessen.
My mouth felt scorched all over, and my tongue had lost some sensitivity. Eating was going to be impossible for a while.
In the end, I cooled my mouth with the water from the well, filling my mouth with it. I drank the last two mouthfuls.
I returned the bucket and went back to the storage room. When I opened the door and entered, I closed it behind me. When I turned around, he was standing right behind me. His hand reached out and grabbed my chin.
"Open your mouth," he said.
I gently obeyed and opened my mouth.
He bent down and peered inside, his brows furrowing as he examined my painful-looking blisters.
"Wow, this looks painful."
Then, he chanted something that sounded like an incantation, and a small piece of ice appeared in his hand.
Huh, what's that? Magic?
Oh, right, it's a world with magic! Although magic was mentioned in the original game, it wasn't a prominent element in the gameplay, so I had completely forgotten about it.
He gently placed the ice, which he had slightly melted with a spell, into my mouth.
The ice was cold in my heated mouth, but it wasn't particularly tasty.
It melted away in no time.
Curious, I asked him as he conjured another piece of ice, "Is that magic?"
"Yup, that's right. Is this the first time you've seen it?" he replied.
I nodded while accepting the ice he offered once more.
Magic seemed incredibly convenient, not to mention it added a touch of magic to the world!
"But, you can't use it," he mentioned.
Why!?
"Because you don't have any magical power," he explained.
"I don't? None at all?"
"Not a trace of it."
I felt dejected and slumped my shoulders. He gently patted my head, and although it seemed a bit awkward, he ran his hand over the roundness of my head.
I realized that Lucienne's past actions towards the heroine were motivated by her lack of magical abilities. Without the power to use magic for pranks, Lucienne had resorted to various forms of harassment. However, I had no intention of following the same path. Bullying the heroine would lead to a bad ending, so I aimed to be well-behaved.
Once the ice in my mouth melted, he took out a small bottle filled with a beautiful golden liquid.
"You can put a little bit of this in your mouth," he said, popping the cork and handing it to me.
I brought the bottle to my lips and tilted it. A thick, honey-like liquid slowly dripped into my mouth.
It was sweet, like honey.
The intense, sweet aroma of blooming flowers wafted up through my nose.
As the honey spread through my blistered mouth, the pain eased just a bit.
Lucienne was likely tasting honey for the first time. It was incredibly sweet, and my body and tongue yearned for that sweetness.
I found myself captivated by the sweet taste and the flower-like fragrance that accompanied it.
As I savored the honey, he gently picked me up and placed me on our familiar blanket. He watched over me in silence until I had finished the honey.
After collecting the bottle, he offered a piece of advice, "You shouldn't eat anything spicy, salty, or hard until you're feeling better," before vanishing.
The chilled ice had indeed eased the pain in my mouth. I wondered if honey had some medicinal properties in this world, considering its effect.
I settled down, wrapping myself in the blanket, and curled up into a cozy ball. There was no reason to stay awake; it only intensified the discomfort. With the sweet taste of honey still lingering in my mouth, I closed my eyes and surrendered to the prospect of rest.
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