My Childhood Friends Are Trying To Kill Me - Chapter 158

“……”

Lelia was perplexed. Her uncle began to cry.

“Uhh…”

Perhaps due to overlapping memories of the events when Lelia was young, her uncle wept like a child, holding the plate of maclia in his hands. Her mother’s expression began to turn confused. In this way, her uncle would often cry in front of her mother, and it made her mother feel a bit uncomfortable. But as he began to cry openly again, her mother looked at Lelia with her troubled expression.

“… Uncle, so… When I was young I…”

Lelia couldn’t get her explanation right and she spoke gibberish. Her mother approached cautiously, and, covering her mouth with her hand, she asked softly into her ear.

“By any chance, did he get hurt? Where? Head or…”

She saw a grown man crying every day, so she seemed to ask Lelia to find out. It was a heartbreaking situation for her uncle, but Lelia struggled to smile when her mother, who had no memory, asked so clearly. She shook her head, saying it wasn’t the case. Her mother seemed relieved.

“Uncle…”

Lelia reached out and stroked her uncle’s large shoulder. Her big uncle felt like a child. The childhood image of her uncle, who would have loved and followed her sister, was clear.

“I’m sorry… I’m just…”

Her uncle raised his head and looked at her mother. The family had agreed together. First of all, they decided to help her mother, who has only just begun to adapt to the castle, focus on regaining her health. They decided not to force her memory to come back by revealing her past for no compelling reason.

Lelia needed time, both for her mother and for her family. Even though it would take her a long time, she decided to go a little slower. Lelia had confessed to her grandfather that she had a medicine to bring her memories back. After a long conversation, her grandfather and Lelia came to a conclusion. After her mother became perfectly healthy, they would decide whether to use the medicine or not.  So it was difficult to explain why her uncle was crying right now. It must have been the reason why her uncle was now speechless and unable to explain.

“… Don’t cry and eat.”

Then, her mother carefully reached out to her uncle and patted him on the back. Perhaps it was because she had heard that he was her younger brother, she seemed to feel pity for him without knowing the reason. But her uncle started crying louder. Her mother panicked, and Lelia smiled embarrassedly.

***

She was happy like a dream. Her mother was getting her health back… She seemed to be happy to know that her family was there. She was so happy and peaceful that she thought it was a dream. Besides, she had her friends by her side. She ate breakfast with her friends when she woke up in the morning, drank tea once a day and went for a walk together. Kalix was still foolish, Romeo was comfortable, and Griffith was warm. It felt like everything she had hoped for had come true.

The days she spends peacefully with her family in her estate, and even her friends who protect her. Of course, Emperor Perseus was still unaware of her mother’s existence, so it could be this peaceful.  She knew that. A lot will change in the future. However…

Even if Lelia were to go to the neutral zone, she was sure that for a few months of the year she would be able to feel this happiness again. But…  In the midst of her happy days like this, Lelia felt like her chest had been ripped open. Oscar. She doesn’t have Oscar by her side now. Late at night, alone in her room, Lelia hugged her knees and started crying.

She is happy like a dream every day, and her tears burst out when she is strangely left alone in her room late at night. She missed Oscar and she was worried. Lelia asked herself. Is this feeling because of the remaining medicinal effect? Or just friendship? Now she could come up with an answer.

She had to admit that she liked Oscar. She just thought she was compassionate. She thought it was a heart that started out of simple sympathy. He was pitiful, and she wanted to protect him. Intoxicated with a strange sense of emotions that she had been a strength to someone, she fell in love with the special feeling of the word friendship. She liked to look blindly towards him. She was also happy he treated her like his savior.  When it rained, the body temperature that she received was nice. As if she had picked up a young puppy with nowhere to go, she liked even that heavy responsibility. However, she did not know when that feeling had changed.

It was as if it had changed overnight, and it seemed to have permeated slowly. As soon as she saw Oscar smiling at another woman, her stomach felt weird. She was so angry that she couldn’t understand. Even though she had been kidnapped, she was glad that Oscar had saved her from a difficult situation. She was relieved that she would not have to go back to the Imperial Castle. She liked the tickling sensation as they intertwined their fingers and talked.  She had bad thoughts that she wished it would rain outside. That way she could hug Oscar again. She deceived herself, explaining that it was because of the medicinal effect. But before that… Obviously before that…

From the moment she met him again, she recognized him, and he looked at her with his resentful eyes. From the moment she felt that gaze following her blindly, just like when she was a child…  The more Lelia traced her memory, the more pain she felt. She wanted to see him.

[When we meet again, I want to tell you that I don’t hate you.]

She wanted to confess her heart. She wanted to hug him so he wouldn’t get sick.

[Just like when I was young… I want to hug you again.]

That was it.

***

Lelia had a dream. In her childhood, her own figure was seen. Her small, skinny body was trudging through her. The place was the neutral zone. She felt awkward with her hair cut to mimic the prince.

Little Lelia was walking down the promenade and she stopped in awe. In the distance, she found someone. As she approached, startled, she saw a trembling child sitting in the corner. He, like her, was one of the children who came to the Neutral zone. When she saw the silver hair similar to hers, she felt a strange affinity. He was alone as well. As she got closer, she remembered the name of her child. He was called Oscar. Lelia approached cautiously as the child was trembling like a puppy. She greeted him as lightly as possible.

“Hi?”

The other party did not answer. Did she sound too arrogant? Lelia tilted her head and called again.

“Oscar.”

“…”

The trembling child slowly lifted his head.

The moment their eyes met, Lelia asked, “Are you okay?”

His red eyes filled with tears as they got bigger and bigger.

Finally, Lelia woke up slowly. Lelia slowly blinked her eyes. She had a strange memory. Obviously, her first meeting with Oscar wasn’t like that… It was pretty clear… Her head was in a throbbing pain. Lelia fell asleep again…

After a while.

The closed window opened and the wind rushed in. As the curtain flew, black seals

appeared and disappeared. The window closed again, and without a sound of footsteps, someone approached the bed.

“…”

The intruder stood there for a long time without even making a sound. The room was filled with only the sounds of Lelia’s breathing. When morning came again, the window was closed without a trace in the room.

***

Lelia woke up in the morning and stopped while getting up.

[I think I had a strange dream…]

She couldn’t remember the details. Lelia got out of bed carelessly. Then she stopped again.

“…”

Lelia wrinkled her brow as she stared into the air. There was a faint scent on the tip of her nose. There was a unique scent that only came from Oscar. Strangely, her heart was pounding, and she smelled the warm and cold, dawn-like scent. Lelia, who had been frozen, quickly approached her window. She opened the window wide and looked out. The scenery outside the castle caught her eye. The servants of the castle were busy wandering around the garden.

“…”

Lelia wrinkled her brow and blinked her eyes. Is it an illusion?

[If I miss you so much, can I even smell his scent?]

She suddenly realized how much she missed Oscar. Lelia closed the window again and walked over to her bathroom to wash.

***

“I have to go see Oscar.”

His eyes were drawn to Lelia’s resolute voice. A table in the spacious greenhouse. Lelia spoke as she took a sip from the teacup. Romeo, sitting next to her, stared at her without a word, as did Griffith and Kalix opposite her. However, Griffith’s expression darkened and Kalix frowned.

“Have you heard from Oscar?”

“Ugh…”

At Lelia’s question, Griffith made a sound as if troubled.

“Lelia, of course I know you’re worried… If you wait, he will come to you.”

“But Oscar seemed really sick.”

She looked at Kalix, who was looking at Lelia, as she tried to get his answer. Kalix shook his head as if he did not understand the language. He really hadn’t seen him. Lelia felt frustrated and wiggled her fingers.  Griffith spoke calmly as if consoling her.

“Even if it hurts for a while. That b***-… No, Oscar doesn’t die no matter how sick he gets. You don’t have to be so concerned.”

“…”

“And I’m not kidding, really, you’ll find out soon enough. None of us can leave you.”

“… What are you talking about?”

“He can’t live without seeing you. The same goes for us.”

“…”

“If he gets closer, we will  know. He won’t be far away.”

Griffith spoke with a strange nuance. But Lelia had an expression on her face as if she didn’t know anything. It was difficult for Griffith to explain. As if engraved into the soul, as if imprinted deep within the bones. How can he explain that they will never leave her side? It was just as natural as a dog that was kept alone could not leave its owner. It was their instinct to return to Lelia.