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umiscripts2012-02-26 03:44 am
endlesswitch) wrote in umiscripts2012-02-26 03:44 am
requiem of the golden witch; chapter thirteen ( a new element )
Chapter five, 'A New Element'.
"Did you check the bathroom amenities?"
"Yep, went down the whole list."
"Did you make sure they were facing the right way when you set them down?"
"Yes, of course. Everything's as the list says."
"*giggle*, thanks. Genji-sama, the guest rooms are ready now."
"Good work. Make sure you check over everything with your own eyes, Shannon. Also, Madam has ordered us to change the tablecloth in the dining hall again."
"My, my. Why again, when we all worked so hard to change it earlier today...?"
"The color of that tablecloth simply does not fit. Once I saw it against the backdrop of the room, I could see that it matched terribly. We should use a different tablecloth."
"Oh, and did you make sure to clean the chandelier in the parlor?
I don't want Eva-san looking up and saying 'Oh, is that dust? And even a spiderweb?' again...!"
"Do not worry. It has already been carefully cleaned and checked. I will now perform a final check on everything myself."
"Is that so? Very well. I will do the same.
Shannon, take the young servants and prepare a new tablecloth. Try to find something white, with a bit more of a clean feeling."
"Y, yes, as you wish."
Natsuhi was even more high-strung than normal and walked about barking orders here and there.
Even though the sky was beginning to get dark, the servants moved hurriedly about.
Tomorrow is the annual family conference.
It isn't particularly rare for each of the individual families to visit the island, but this is the only time that they all come together.
It was the most important day of the year for both the Ushiromiya family and Rokkenjima.
Natsuhi, who was short-tempered on top of being high-strung, kept ordering that the servants redo this or that, since it really didn't look good after all. This would keep them going until late into the night.
Now that Shannon had many years of experience and Natsuhi had put her in a position of responsibility, she was called over many times to have strict orders showered on her...
So, when Shannon finished her shower and lay down on the bed in the servant waiting room, she fell asleep almost immediately......
......I can hear the sound of wind...coming from somewhere far away.
......It's a bit different from the sound wind outside a room would make.
It's almost as though......I'm sitting in a deck chair in the rose garden, turning over in my sleep, ......with the feel of the wind in my hair.
That's right, the feel. ......This isn't a sound, it's a feeling.
Then is this...
a dream......?
Just as I was about to accept this theory, ......I thought I heard someone talking to me.
`――My, my.`@` It seems the work of a servant is just as boring as it ever was.
Not only boring, but difficult, strict, constraining, joyless...
All you get in return for your years of service is some level of respect from the newer servants.
And even that is far from sufficient to repay you for all the hard work you've done...
"Why do you not tire of this life?"
Huh? ......Who......?
She wasn't just imagining someone talking to her. ......She was shocked to find that it was real.
When Shannon opened her eyes, ...she gulped.
"Th,
......this place........."
She couldn't say any more. ......She was literally stunned silent.
Shannon, who had been sleeping on a bed, ......was somehow in a rose garden.
However, though this rose garden somehow resembled the rose garden on Rokkenjima, it was also completely different.
After all, ......the roses were golden.
Not only the flowers, but the dancing butterflies too.
It was a golden rose garden of mysterious beauty.
Somehow, Shannon was sitting in the chair under the arbor.
It was as though she'd taken a nap there and woken up from a dream.
......But it felt strange.
Is this golden rose garden a dream?
For some strange reason, it even felt as though my entire life up to this point had been a dream, and that I had finally awakened here...
"Welcome, Shannon. Welcome to my golden rose garden......"
There was that voice again.
Shannon looked around to find who it was.
As she did, a golden butterfly landed on the seat across from her and instantly created a human form...
"It has been quite some time, Shannon. Have you been well...? Well, that is something I know. After all, I have been watching all of you, every day."
This woman laughed as though she was an old friend of Shannon's.
However, Shannon obviously didn't remember this strange gold rose garden, and she didn't remember this person's face either...
Indeed. You no longer remember me, do you?"
".........Have I forgotten about you...? If so, please forgive me..."
"There is no need to apologize. I made you that way, so it is no sin of yours.
......Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Golden Witch, Beatrice."
"......B, Beatrice...sama......? Th, the benefactor of the Ushiromiya family, whom the Master always speaks of......?"
"Not that Beatrice. I am the Golden Witch, the one who controls Rokkenjima's night. ......I am the other master of the mansion, the one you always pay homage to."
"Y,
......you are...
Beatrice...
sama......"
"Hahaha... You need not fear. The two of us used to be friends, ...no, roommates, did we not? At one time, I idolized you and tried to be the best servant I could."
"......I've always had a single-person room, so I couldn't have had a......"
"When we last parted, I stole away your memory. However, I have not forgotten that we were once roommates. ......I also remember that I was the one who destroyed our friendship and left."
"So as to not leave you alone in sadness, I erased all of your memories and the very world of our days together."
"............"
"You do not need to understand... But believe this. I have not called you here to do you harm."
"I, isn't this inside one of my dreams...?"
"You may think of it that way. Strictly speaking, I beckoned your soul to my garden while you were sleeping. To invite you to be a resident of this world."
Beatrice snapped her fingers, and a storm of gold butterflies all rose up around the rose garden.
As the cloud of butterflies danced over the table, a gorgeous tea set appeared.
There were tea cups and a tea pot, more elegant even than those used by the Ushiromiya family.
The tea was filled to the brim and had a sweet rose scent, one which Shannon had never smelled before.
Before there was even time to be amazed by that scent, butterflies started gathering one by one on the table, and a tea stand sprouted right out of it.
It was like watching a magical mushroom from a fairy tale kingdom grow out of the ground.
It was a many-layered tea stand, filled with beautiful cakes, like edible jewels.
Of course, there were also several lovely, light-brown scones. The honey truly was golden honey, with bits of gold leaf dancing through it......
"It seems the Ushiromiya family holds tea parties from time to time, but those cannot compare to mine."
"......I, ...incredible... I've never seen anything like this..."
"*cackle*cackle*. Even if you did, it would only have been as a waitress. You are my friend. I need no waitress. After all, I am a witch. That is more than enough. Come, do not be shy. Stuff yourself to your heart's content."
"Th,
......thank you...
very much......"
That was all Shannon managed to say. ......It would be hard for anyone to say much more after being suddenly invited to such a beautiful witch tea party.
"Let us begin with black tea. The milk is fresh, and the sugar is so delectable that you'd almost want to eat it raw.
But I recommend you try your tea straight first. With nothing more than a single rose petal floating on the top, it will surely be so delicious that you'll be unable to drink the black tea of the human world ever again...!"
Laughing happily, Beatrice opened, not a sugar pot, but a rose petal pot, picked up a single crimson petal, and floated it on her tea after relishing its scent.
Shannon did the same, picking up a single petal and smelling its aroma.
"......It smells so wonderful...... ......Is this...really the scent of the roses in this world?"
"I am glad you enjoy it. I bred this rose simply for the purpose of using the petals with black tea. If you crush them, they're also splendid for making jam! That goes better with scones than anything else imaginable. Do you want to try?"
"Uh, ah......sure, just a bit."
Shannon had been invited to this witch tea party suddenly.
However, the witch seemed so truly innocent, and her smile as she played the hostess was so happy that it made Shannon want to smile too.
The tension in Shannon's heart gradually faded, and she started to enjoy her chat with this witch......
"Servant work really is tiring. I remember it well. Particularly cleaning the windowsills in the chapel."
"How surprising. So, you worked as a servant once too?"
"For a short time. You probably don't remember, but I worked alongside you. I was a clumsy fool who always lost things. You were my idea of a perfect servant, and the person I looked up to."
"......That makes me even more sorry that I can't remember."
"There is no need for apologies. Here, you are not a servant, but my friend and guest. There are no inconveniences here, no trials nor boredom. I can give you anything you desire. That is how much power I currently possess. ......I wanted to let you know that I have now reached that level."
"......I'm truly grateful to you for welcoming one with so few redeeming features in such an extravagant way."
"*cackle*!`@` Think of it as a reward for all of the painful days you have withstood.
Come, gold butterflies! Don't let my friend get bored! Show her a little dance! When you have tired of that, allow me to call the band to perform any song you would like. When you have tired of that, my refined familiars will show you some conjuring tricks.
Fear not, for time is endless here. And I can grant your wishes endlessly. My tea party has no end...!"
In a truly good mood, the witch told Shannon several strange stories.
They were all stories Shannon had never heard before. Very interesting stories. And, they were all odd, bizarre fairy tales.
Shannon felt as though she had become Alice in Wonderland. The time she spent at this tea party was strange, pleasant, and relaxed.
No, the clocks have no hands at this tea party.
So, the time passed like a Sunday morning, when you can wrap yourself in your blanket for as long as you want......
"......I can't express how grateful I am to you for this."
"There is no need for thanks. In the human world, words of thanks go along with words of farewell, do they not? There will be no end to this tea party. So, there is no need for thanks either."
"*giggle*. But I am grateful. Thank you so much, Beatrice-sama, for this wonderful tea party.
......But all dreams must end, and so must this one."
"Hoh. And why must they end?"
"Because, ......I start early tomorrow. If I stay here talking too long, I'll sleep in, and Madam will give me a good scolding..."
Pft, hahhahhahahahhaahahahahaha! Why are you so anxious to return to the world of that short-tempered Natsuhi? Really, now. Are you really saying you want to return to the human world, where it's all work and no rewards?"
"But I am human. I can't impose myself on you forever."
"Shannon. It seems that you do not understand. I invited you here, but I have no desire to chase you away again."
"Here, time is eternal. You are not obligated to say farewell, ever. I will never tire of enjoying tea with you. On the contrary, it is quite agreeable to have you to talk to."
"I'm grateful for your words, but I am human. I must return to my own world."
"Why do you want to return to that colorless world, where you waste all your time with school and your job and the family works you to the bone?"
"Despite all that, ......it's still my world."
"Shannon. Does that sort of world really need to be yours? Let me be honest with you. ......Shannon. I didn't just invite you here. I came to take you home."
"Take me home......?"
`"Once, I tried to become a good servant like you. ......Then, I became fascinated by witches and became one myself, learning all the pleasures of magic. ......And now, I have come to take you home."
Beatrice spoke quietly and slowly rose from her seat.
"Shannon. ......The world of witches truly is more fun than being a servant. This tea party is nothing more than a mere welcoming party for an old friend. We can hold as many fun festivities as we desire. That is the endless, the eternal."
"......Now that this golden rose garden has been completed, I have reached my goal. This place is paradise. Yes, let us call it the Golden Paradise. Now that it has been completed, I have come to welcome you in.
There's no need for any inconveniences, any perseverance or hard work. Here, you and I can enjoy ourselves for all eternity. It will be like a never-ending fairy tale......"
"......I'm truly grateful for your splendid proposal. ......However, I need to go back to my original world."
"Why?"
"Because this isn't my world."
"I acknowledge it. This is not the world you have lived in until now. That's why I have invited you here!
From this point forth, this will be our world. You are no longer a guest. You are the second master of this world. You need not show any restraint for my sake. We'll just live in this endless world like we once lived as roommates......"
"I regret that I have no memory of that time.
......However, I'll have to turn down your invitation."
"Why? ......What responsibility forces you to return to the world of humans?"
True, the world of humans, or the world of servants, is busy all the time.
Madam is strict, high-strung, and has a short temper.
It'd be a lie if I said the everyday chores weren't a pain, and having to balance work with school makes it even harder.
Beatrice had watched over Shannon's painful days the whole time.
She had seen those constantly tired shoulders heave in a sigh many times.
That was why she had invited Shannon here. To this Golden Paradise.
`She had tried to give Shannon a perfect welcome, to truly make her happy.
......So why had Shannon selected her original world over this one?
Beatrice was overcome with shock, and completely unable to understand.
"I have given you the perfect welcome to this paradise. And the days to follow will be even more fun."
"......So, if you still choose the human world after all of that, does it mean that you find something there that is even more fun than the pleasures of witches?"
"......That's right. There are things in the human world that are even more fun than magic."
"Absurd... That can't be...!"
"...Yes, it's true."
Shannon's expression was soft.
However, her words were firm.
There was something wonderfully fascinating in the human world.
And, that something was apparently not in this paradise, which was supposed to have everything just as they wanted it......
".........Absurd... ......I don't...
understand......"
As Beatrice muttered, she shifted restlessly several times.
However, no matter how often she said it, Shannon's smile didn't falter, and Beatrice couldn't think of an answer...
"In that case, ......it's time for me to leave. Your tea was delicious."
".........I don't...understand. ......I am the great Golden Witch, the one who can have anything endlessly. You tell me that I cannot give you what you want?"
".........Yes."
"I want to know. I believed I had everything, so tell me what it is I lack...!"
"I think......that you already know. Isn't that why you invited me here...?"
"......Are you trying to speak in riddles to a witch? ......Heh, ...*cackle*."
"That's all for now then...... I can't live here, but I would be glad to come over whenever you invite me for tea."
"I won't call for you again... Have no fear of that."
Beatrice snapped her fingers and Shannon popped out of existence.
Shannon's soul had returned to the dream of her original self.`
While humans have many dreams in a night, they can remember none of them.
The tea party in this paradise mixed in with many other dreams and vanished.
The next morning, Shannon would not remember this tea party.
However, Shannon's cup remained here.
The witch who had lost her guest and was standing alone looked all the more lonely...
"............"
The witch dug her fingernails into the tablecloth.
That grimace as she bit her lower lip made it clear that she still hadn't solved the puzzle Shannon had left behind.
"Riiche. There's no need to worry about it."
A black hole opened above Shannon's empty seat, and the owner of that voice fell out of it.
"......I do worry. Ah, come on, how could she say it with such certainty..."
"......What pleasure could Shannon know that I do not?! What is this 'something' that can be found in the human world but not in my paradise?! I don't understand! ......I want to know!"
"Thinking about complicated stuff will just fuel your headache. I can be of service in Shannon's place. Let's enjoy a tea party together."
"I don't feel like it anymore. ......I'm bored of having tea parties with you."
"......Aw, she's cranky."
The witch shrugged and laughed, then took a bite out of a scone.
She then blew into it, and it swelled up like a balloon before finally popping.
Golden ribbons and butterflies flew out, but Beatrice didn't appear to notice......
"......Just what is it that I do not possess? ......What...?"
"Watch your step there."
"Thank you, captain. Make sure you take good care of yourself."
"I've got a friend who sells this stuff that's supposed to be great for stiff shoulders. I'll bring you a sample next time...!"
"Oh, no need to trouble yourself... But thanks for caring."
"Hey, brats! How long are you gonna mess around up there? Let's go."
"Hey, Maria. Come down off the boat with Mama..."
Maria, who Rosa led by the hand, was still too young for kindergarten.
However, she seemed to notice that her cousins, whom she rarely ever saw, were playing all around her, and she was very excited.
Battler and George had the energy of middle-school or nearly middle-school kids.
Those two, along with Jessica, who had met them on Niijima, were clambering about on the boat.
"You okay, Asumu?
......You really don't like riding things, do you..."
Rudolf lent an arm to his wife, Asumu...
"......Welcome to Rokkenjima. Thank you for making such a long journey."
The whole family had gathered for the conference.
At this point in time, Rudolf's wife was still Asumu, and Ange hadn't been born.
Gohda and Kanon hadn't yet been employed by the Ushiromiya family, and the witch's epitaph, which would toy with the family's fate, hadn't appeared yet.
They probably couldn't even imagine the bizarre crime that they would encounter several years later......
"Krauss-sama, Madam. The family has arrived."
"Good...... Should I call for Father?"
"Please do. I will go welcome everyone.
......Oh, Shannon. Who cleaned this window frame?! It still has dust on it...! Quickly, wipe it off!"
"A, as you wish, Madam."
......Oh, come on. Natsuhi's making her work so hard again.
Just what good does she find in such a limited, ulcer-inducing life?
I wanted to know.
......Shannon. What is it that you found?
And what did you mean when you said I already knew what I was missing?
Shannon. Is this something I must learn by learning about you...?
"What's different about the day of the family conference on Rokkenjima?!"
"It's got to be the noise! There's never this many kids around!"
"......It may have been a tension-filled day for the adults,
but to us kids, it was a wonderful day, the only time we got to see all of the cousins we loved."
"In the summer, we could play with our cousins on the beach, and there were plenty of games we could play in the winter!
The family conferences were tons of fun for us."
"Same here. Mom was always yelling about how there must be no mistakes, but to me, it was just the day I got to play with all my cousins. After all, there's usually nothing at all to do on Rokkenjima."
"Back when I was still a little brat, I was always jealous of Jessica, getting to live in this huge mansion with a private beach. But now that I try putting myself in her shoes, it must've been a pretty constricting place to live."
"Probably...... There's hardly anything on Rokkenjima. No friends' houses, no next door neighbors, no neighborhood. If you think of how Jessica must have felt, you have to feel a little sad for her."
"That's why the family conference was so special to me. Jumping around, messing around! It felt like I was at a festival. We played tricks on each other all the time."
"If the adults always talked about adult things and told you to go play somewhere else..."
"Then you were three cousins at about the same age. Of course you'd horse around!"
"No, not the three of us. The four of us."
"I thought Ange wasn't born yet, and Maria was still too young to play with you?"
"You've got it wrong, Furfur. The cousins weren't the only ones at the same age."
"Shannon-chan was the fourth. She was about the same age as the rest of us."
"Mom was always going on about not talking with the servant kids,
`but Shannon and I started to get close. After all, she was the girl closest to me in age on Rokkenjima."
"All four of us played together. We played at every family conference. Right, Shannon?"
"......Right. I knew that Madam would scold me if she found out, but......"
"I wouldn't have let her! You were always the one close friend I had who could understand me...!"
"Thank you for your words, ......Milady..."
I could not hide my shock.
How had she formed a relationship with the children of the family, despite being only a servant?
Natsuhi had probably been very careful to prevent such a relationship.
However, it's no surprise that Jessica, all alone on this island, would want to be friends with a kid her age.
And Shannon was also alone on this island, without any friends her age.
Though they both understood their relationship as master and servant, they somehow managed to strike up a friendship...
Then, at the family conference, Jessica had introduced Shannon to George and Battler.
All of the adults had their hands full with their complicated discussion in the mansion.
`During that time, Shannon was able to put aside her role as a servant for a little bit, and act her age with Jessica, George, and Battler.
I didn't even know that Shannon had constructed this new world so quickly.
As a butterfly hiding in the shadows, ......I observed this new world of Shannon's.
"That day, we ran all around the rose garden and the beach."
"Just running around and playing was a blast."
"Yep. Those were the only times that Shannon-chan smiled like a girl her age."
"I might have......gotten a bit carried away. It's embarrassing..."
"Battler's insanely huge now, but back then, Shannon and I were both taller and stronger than him."
"I just grew slowly back then."
"*giggle*. They say that those who start late end up the tallest."
"Ihihi! Yeah, totally! Back then, your chest was nothing like this, right?"
"That's not true... `
Shannon already had plenty of womanly charm back then. Right?"
"U, ah...wh, who knows......"
"What the hell do you mean by 'womanly charm'? Sounds kinky!"
"Well, I was still pretty cute back then myself.
That bra strap you could see through the shoulder of her summer clothing set off the lightning of youth in me...! I remember whispering with George-aniki that night about how big her tits were! Ihihi!"
"I, is this true, George-sama...?!"
"*cough*, *cough*cough*!! I believe there has been some sort of misunderstanding...!
A, all I remember was lecturing him, as the older and more knowledgeable cousin, about the differences between how boys and girls grow, *cough*cough*!!
And so, rather than dirty talk between cousins late at night, it was, instead, a sign of healthy growth and, umm..."
"......Ye~ah, I remember all of us cousins talking about that until midnight... ......About how apparently, someone in the next class had kissed someone else, or how you held hands with a girl you liked at summer camp... And about so-and-so who you thought probably liked you, stuff like that...!
......Dammit, it's so embarrassing it makes me shiver...!"
"Isn't that nice! Another sweet page in the book of adolescence!"
"The most pure love comes when boys and girls first start noticing each other!"
"That simple, pure desire just to be around someone of the opposite sex, the noble first loves."
"Just wonderful... A bunch of kids thinking and talking about the world of love...!"
"D,
......did that sort of thing...
r,
really happen......?"
"Ihihi~! Don't play dumb!
You were the most absorbed and curious of all of us, sitting there 'til even your ears turned red, ihihi!"
"I, I was not curious...!
I, I was just...
s,
surprised...
at how much everyone knew...
and......"
"That's right. Shannon always played dumb the most, even though she was the most interested.
She was the biggest pervert the~re. Ihihihi."
"Th, that's not true,
that's not true,
I hate you, Milady!"
"Hahahahahahahahahaha...
Yeah, it was always like this. In the day, we'd run around like kids, and at night, we'd hug our pillows and talk about secret stuff. Looking back on all of it now, ......it really brings back some fond memories."
`"We'd be whispering about something dirty, and whenever we heard the footsteps of the adults coming by, we'd jump under the covers and pretend to be sleeping!"
"Yeah, I remember that! Like some school field trip!"
"Those times we all dove under the covers at once. It felt like some sort of unspoken rule, like a strange sense of unity. I really liked that feeling."
"Well, anyway. That's not all we talked about. There was a lot more than that. We really did enjoy our youth to the fullest."
"And what......is this?"
Shannon. ......Is this that 'fun thing' of the human world?
Is this incomprehensible messing around the thing that you found?
"A bunch of kids gathered together, playing stupid games and talking about trivial things. ......Is this the human pleasure you found that surpasses the pleasures of witches?"
"......Yes. Doesn't it look fun to you?"
"I won't call it boring. However, I cannot see how such a vulgar game can compare to my paradise, where all wishes can be granted."
"Interacting with people......is a lot of fun. Of course, I also think your world is fun. But even so, ......I choose this world."
"......I don't understand. ......I don't understand......"
Beatrice held her head as though she was having a headache.
But no matter how much she grimaced, she couldn't think of an answer.
`"......Tell me. .........What is it you found within this vulgar playing?"
"............
Do you want to know...?"
"I do!"
"Love."
"Lo......ve......?"
"Here. It's the Queen book I promised."
"Th, thank you very much. I'd be happy to borrow it."
"That's okay. You can keep it, Shannon-chan. I've already read it."
"B, but... I can't accept this...... It was probably expensive."
It's just something I got for a few hundred yen at a bazaar. Don't worry about it. I'd rather if you read it quickly so we can talk about it. It's fun to talk about this sort of stuff with you, Shannon-chan."
"Yes, it's fun for me too. It's much more fun to read mystery novels with two people instead of alone."
"I like discussing it and imagining all kinds of things. With mystery novels, reading's only half the fun. My theory's that you can only really enjoy it when you talk with other people who've read it too."
Our relationship began when we realized that we both read mystery novels.
We were both surprised and very interested to find that the other not only read tons of mystery novels, but read them very thoroughly.
Ever since then, it's been like this.
Separate from the games we played with all the cousins, the two of us met together for some time alone......
At first, it was like a sort of contest to see who knew more than the other.
However, eventually, this turned into respect for how much the other had read and how deeply they were able to think about it.
Respect. Trust.
Those emotions made our friendship even stronger.
Of course, all of that had still fallen within the category of 'friendship'......
......But we were still slightly aware of the fact that the other was of the opposite sex, making for a relationship that was charming, or youthful, ......or maybe you could call it exciting.
However, we were still at the age where the word 'little' would not be an exaggeration.
Of course, we didn't know a thing about love.
So, we couldn't understand that exciting feeling in our chests, both bitter and sweet, that we only felt when we were alone together.
However, we realized that there was some unknown emotion hidden behind that feeling,
......and as our hearts raced,
we had our hands upon the door.
That was the exciting age we were at
So.
At some point, our discussions about mystery novels became just an excuse for us meeting alone...
"There aren't many mystery novels that care much about the 'why dunnit'."
"The 'why dunnit'? You mean the culprit's motive....?"
"Yeah. There are three points you need to figure out in mystery novels: the 'who dunnit', the 'how dunnit', and the 'why dunnit'. A lot of mysteries deal with the first two, but surprisingly few worry about the final one."
"Well, I know about many works that take great care to have the culprit confess his motive after he's found out..."
"But it has to be something that you can reason out before the culprit confesses, or it doesn't count Personally, I think it's unfair for a person who supposedly didn't have a motive to commit the crime, unless it's possible to reason his or her motive out."
'Who dunnit'. Who's the culprit?
'How dunnit.' How did he commit the crime?
'Why dunnit'. Why did he commit the crime?
"There are a ton of works that ask about who the culprit is, and what tricks they used. In fact, almost all are like that. However, I don't think there are many novels that ask you to figure out the motive."
"Good point. That might be the most neglected of the three."
"Mysteries that don't take the 'why dunnit' seriously don't really feel complete to me. ......No, I'm not saying they're boring. ......It's more like...they're missing the most important part."
"The most important part...is missing...?"
"The heart. The heart is missing."
"......The heart......"
"I think the human heart is a really important thing. If a person's gonna decide to commit murder, plan it out, get everything ready, and actually carry it out, you'd need an incredibly strong force of the heart. The heart is what moves people."
......In other words, only the heart can kill a person.
When an emotional upheaval grows strong enough to make a person want to kill, the result is the tragedy called murder.
If we turn it around, does that mean that the true way to close in on the crime is by searching for the heart that brings about the tragedy of murder?
Only the heart can kill.
So, if a person has been killed, you must search for the heart.
That's what he was saying.
"That's why I can't really enjoy novels where the culprit is just a homicidal maniac who kills for fun."
"......Then you like novels that show a strong enough movement of the heart to lead to murder?"
"That's right.`@` And my favorite ones are the novels that let you reason that out."
As he spoke, he looked back at me and smiled.
......Before today, I used to like novels that focused on exposing the tricks.
However, I decided to look for novels like the ones he recommended in the future.
"I don't like ignoring the heart.` .........The heart is what makes people move."
"......Yeah. I think you're right......"
This isn't limited to the mystery genre.
All humans are moved by their hearts all the time.
Being able to notice the heart is what allows for interactions between people...
...no, interactions between hearts.
None of us humans can live on our own.
And yet, we have no way of peeking into the hearts of others.
That's why every meeting between people......is a mystery of the heart.
Finding those, reasoning about them, and understanding each other is the key to interactions between people and hearts.
The two of us are here, all alone, talking together about mysteries.
And through that...
We are searching out each other's hearts, speaking of the heart's mysteries......
I want you to feel about me...
...the way I feel about you.
We're both searching,
trying to figure out the depths of the other's heart,
......in this mystery of love.
"Nn, ......look how late it's gotten. I wonder if Aniki and the others are waiting for us."
"Yes, we should probably go back soon......"
"......Time seems to fly by when I'm talking with you, Shannon-chan."
He seemed to be speaking the words of my heart.
We were thinking the same thing, so the same words came out.
"I wish we could talk together like this forever... I hate clocks."
"Same here. Talking about this stuff with you is the most fun part of coming to Rokkenjima."
When I saw that his smiling eyes were looking right at me, ......I turned around.
I couldn't let him see my suddenly red face.
"If only I could leave this place, ......I'd be able to read so much more..."
"............"
The bookshop on Niijima that I go to and the bookshop he goes to in the city are on completely different scales.
The book exchange between the two of us had become completely one-sided, with him giving me all the books.
"How long do you plan to be a servant, Shannon-chan?"
"......I don't know."
"If, someday, you decide to quit..."
"If I do......?"
"Come over to my place."
He said it almost carelessly.
Maybe he was a bit embarrassed, since he laughed weakly and blushed.
"And then, ......we won't need to worry about time running out anymore."
"......That's right. ......We could be together......as long as we wanted..."
The little secret dates on this island only happened a few times a year, ......and even when they did happen, it was only for a short, uncertain period of time.
It wouldn't work over the phone or with letters.
We can only talk about our mystery when we're standing together like this.
"I know that day'll come someday."
"......You think it will...?"
"Yeah.` I'm certain of it."
Certain? Why is he certain...?
"When that day comes, ......I'll come for you, riding a white horse."
`"......Wha......?"
After saying this, he turned away.
He was probably too proud to show me his blushing cheeks.
But even without seeing, I knew what his face looked like.
To come riding on a white horse...
...umm, isn't that...
Uhh, isn't that like a prince riding a white horse......?
So, what exactly does that mean...
umm...
ummmmm......
Does it mean......you're going to be my prince...?
......My mind was going blank, so I just couldn't reason out his mystery of love, even though it was all plain and simple...
"I,
......I wonder...
when that day will come..."
"Very soon, once you've made up your mind."
"Huh.........?"
My heart skipped a beat...
It was so sweet...yet it hurt......
"Any time's good for me. This is your life we're talking about, Shannon-chan. You should think about it carefully before you decide. .......And once you've made up your mind, I'll respect your decision, no matter when you make it."
"O,
......okay......"
"I'll keep on waiting until that day comes."
"Nn, ......ah......"
If only I had been a bit more foolish...and courageous.
I could have said then and there that I was already prepared, and asked him to take me away from this island right away...
But I couldn't say it.
I had to think carefully about my future, for both of our sakes......
My head was filled with pointless, senseless thoughts......
"I,
......I'm glad... ......Thank you......"
"Heheh....."
With his back still to me, he scratched his head and laughed.
I knew he was doing this out of embarrassment, so I could clearly tell what his expression must have been.
In the same way...
He must have realized what my face looked like.
We're both puzzle-solvers of love.
We theorize about each other's love, solving each other's mysteries...
"......Thanks for giving me time."
"You have all the time in the world."
"No. ......I'd feel bad if I kept you waiting too long."
"Hahaha."
"So, I've prepared myself. ......No, I should say that I will prepare myself. ......I'm not going to quit my job right now. ......Yes, ...one year. ......I'll do it in one year."
......If, a year after now, you still feel like coming for me on a white horse...
And me too.
If I still like you a year from now...
I'd like to dedicate the rest of my life to you......
"One year from now, right here, ......I'd like to make my decision."
"......A whole year, huh? That sounds good. Spring, summer, autumn, winter. ......That's a good amount of time to look deep into your heart."
`"S,
......so...
next year......"
You'll come to get me,
......right......?
"Yep."
He responded to my cowardly determination with a quick, strong answer......
"I'll be waiting for that day to come."
"Yes. .....I'll be waiting too...... ...Make sure......you come, okay...?"
"Yeah."
"......Don't forget. Come here next year, okay?"
"Yeah. I'll definitely come. I'll meet you here."
Definitely.
.........I see.
So,
......this emotion that feels like sweet suffocation...
is love...?
It is an emotion I do not know. One I do not have.
Though my magic can grant any wish.
Though my paradise can grant any wish.
That thing I cannot have...
that incomprehensible emotion...
...that burns like fire, and yet, madly, one wants to hold it close...
All I know is that no matter how great a witch I might become, I cannot create this emotion.
It must be given by another person.
For the first time, I realized that I wasn't all powerful.
And, I knew what Shannon had discovered in the world of humans......
"......This emotion...
......it's just too much... ...Once you've felt it,
...there's no forgetting it, is there......"
.....Shannon. ......You win.
Love, ......is it?
It may be the most important element, ......and the one that I lack...
......Shannon.
I'll watch and see how your love develops.
So please, ......tell me more and more about this new emotion.........
"Did you check the bathroom amenities?"
"Yep, went down the whole list."
"Did you make sure they were facing the right way when you set them down?"
"Yes, of course. Everything's as the list says."
"*giggle*, thanks. Genji-sama, the guest rooms are ready now."
"Good work. Make sure you check over everything with your own eyes, Shannon. Also, Madam has ordered us to change the tablecloth in the dining hall again."
"My, my. Why again, when we all worked so hard to change it earlier today...?"
"The color of that tablecloth simply does not fit. Once I saw it against the backdrop of the room, I could see that it matched terribly. We should use a different tablecloth."
"Oh, and did you make sure to clean the chandelier in the parlor?
I don't want Eva-san looking up and saying 'Oh, is that dust? And even a spiderweb?' again...!"
"Do not worry. It has already been carefully cleaned and checked. I will now perform a final check on everything myself."
"Is that so? Very well. I will do the same.
Shannon, take the young servants and prepare a new tablecloth. Try to find something white, with a bit more of a clean feeling."
"Y, yes, as you wish."
Natsuhi was even more high-strung than normal and walked about barking orders here and there.
Even though the sky was beginning to get dark, the servants moved hurriedly about.
Tomorrow is the annual family conference.
It isn't particularly rare for each of the individual families to visit the island, but this is the only time that they all come together.
It was the most important day of the year for both the Ushiromiya family and Rokkenjima.
Natsuhi, who was short-tempered on top of being high-strung, kept ordering that the servants redo this or that, since it really didn't look good after all. This would keep them going until late into the night.
Now that Shannon had many years of experience and Natsuhi had put her in a position of responsibility, she was called over many times to have strict orders showered on her...
So, when Shannon finished her shower and lay down on the bed in the servant waiting room, she fell asleep almost immediately......
......I can hear the sound of wind...coming from somewhere far away.
......It's a bit different from the sound wind outside a room would make.
It's almost as though......I'm sitting in a deck chair in the rose garden, turning over in my sleep, ......with the feel of the wind in my hair.
That's right, the feel. ......This isn't a sound, it's a feeling.
Then is this...
a dream......?
Just as I was about to accept this theory, ......I thought I heard someone talking to me.
`――My, my.`@` It seems the work of a servant is just as boring as it ever was.
Not only boring, but difficult, strict, constraining, joyless...
All you get in return for your years of service is some level of respect from the newer servants.
And even that is far from sufficient to repay you for all the hard work you've done...
"Why do you not tire of this life?"
Huh? ......Who......?
She wasn't just imagining someone talking to her. ......She was shocked to find that it was real.
When Shannon opened her eyes, ...she gulped.
"Th,
......this place........."
She couldn't say any more. ......She was literally stunned silent.
Shannon, who had been sleeping on a bed, ......was somehow in a rose garden.
However, though this rose garden somehow resembled the rose garden on Rokkenjima, it was also completely different.
After all, ......the roses were golden.
Not only the flowers, but the dancing butterflies too.
It was a golden rose garden of mysterious beauty.
Somehow, Shannon was sitting in the chair under the arbor.
It was as though she'd taken a nap there and woken up from a dream.
......But it felt strange.
Is this golden rose garden a dream?
For some strange reason, it even felt as though my entire life up to this point had been a dream, and that I had finally awakened here...
"Welcome, Shannon. Welcome to my golden rose garden......"
There was that voice again.
Shannon looked around to find who it was.
As she did, a golden butterfly landed on the seat across from her and instantly created a human form...
"It has been quite some time, Shannon. Have you been well...? Well, that is something I know. After all, I have been watching all of you, every day."
This woman laughed as though she was an old friend of Shannon's.
However, Shannon obviously didn't remember this strange gold rose garden, and she didn't remember this person's face either...
Indeed. You no longer remember me, do you?"
".........Have I forgotten about you...? If so, please forgive me..."
"There is no need to apologize. I made you that way, so it is no sin of yours.
......Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Golden Witch, Beatrice."
"......B, Beatrice...sama......? Th, the benefactor of the Ushiromiya family, whom the Master always speaks of......?"
"Not that Beatrice. I am the Golden Witch, the one who controls Rokkenjima's night. ......I am the other master of the mansion, the one you always pay homage to."
"Y,
......you are...
Beatrice...
sama......"
"Hahaha... You need not fear. The two of us used to be friends, ...no, roommates, did we not? At one time, I idolized you and tried to be the best servant I could."
"......I've always had a single-person room, so I couldn't have had a......"
"When we last parted, I stole away your memory. However, I have not forgotten that we were once roommates. ......I also remember that I was the one who destroyed our friendship and left."
"So as to not leave you alone in sadness, I erased all of your memories and the very world of our days together."
"............"
"You do not need to understand... But believe this. I have not called you here to do you harm."
"I, isn't this inside one of my dreams...?"
"You may think of it that way. Strictly speaking, I beckoned your soul to my garden while you were sleeping. To invite you to be a resident of this world."
Beatrice snapped her fingers, and a storm of gold butterflies all rose up around the rose garden.
As the cloud of butterflies danced over the table, a gorgeous tea set appeared.
There were tea cups and a tea pot, more elegant even than those used by the Ushiromiya family.
The tea was filled to the brim and had a sweet rose scent, one which Shannon had never smelled before.
Before there was even time to be amazed by that scent, butterflies started gathering one by one on the table, and a tea stand sprouted right out of it.
It was like watching a magical mushroom from a fairy tale kingdom grow out of the ground.
It was a many-layered tea stand, filled with beautiful cakes, like edible jewels.
Of course, there were also several lovely, light-brown scones. The honey truly was golden honey, with bits of gold leaf dancing through it......
"It seems the Ushiromiya family holds tea parties from time to time, but those cannot compare to mine."
"......I, ...incredible... I've never seen anything like this..."
"*cackle*cackle*. Even if you did, it would only have been as a waitress. You are my friend. I need no waitress. After all, I am a witch. That is more than enough. Come, do not be shy. Stuff yourself to your heart's content."
"Th,
......thank you...
very much......"
That was all Shannon managed to say. ......It would be hard for anyone to say much more after being suddenly invited to such a beautiful witch tea party.
"Let us begin with black tea. The milk is fresh, and the sugar is so delectable that you'd almost want to eat it raw.
But I recommend you try your tea straight first. With nothing more than a single rose petal floating on the top, it will surely be so delicious that you'll be unable to drink the black tea of the human world ever again...!"
Laughing happily, Beatrice opened, not a sugar pot, but a rose petal pot, picked up a single crimson petal, and floated it on her tea after relishing its scent.
Shannon did the same, picking up a single petal and smelling its aroma.
"......It smells so wonderful...... ......Is this...really the scent of the roses in this world?"
"I am glad you enjoy it. I bred this rose simply for the purpose of using the petals with black tea. If you crush them, they're also splendid for making jam! That goes better with scones than anything else imaginable. Do you want to try?"
"Uh, ah......sure, just a bit."
Shannon had been invited to this witch tea party suddenly.
However, the witch seemed so truly innocent, and her smile as she played the hostess was so happy that it made Shannon want to smile too.
The tension in Shannon's heart gradually faded, and she started to enjoy her chat with this witch......
"Servant work really is tiring. I remember it well. Particularly cleaning the windowsills in the chapel."
"How surprising. So, you worked as a servant once too?"
"For a short time. You probably don't remember, but I worked alongside you. I was a clumsy fool who always lost things. You were my idea of a perfect servant, and the person I looked up to."
"......That makes me even more sorry that I can't remember."
"There is no need for apologies. Here, you are not a servant, but my friend and guest. There are no inconveniences here, no trials nor boredom. I can give you anything you desire. That is how much power I currently possess. ......I wanted to let you know that I have now reached that level."
"......I'm truly grateful to you for welcoming one with so few redeeming features in such an extravagant way."
"*cackle*!`@` Think of it as a reward for all of the painful days you have withstood.
Come, gold butterflies! Don't let my friend get bored! Show her a little dance! When you have tired of that, allow me to call the band to perform any song you would like. When you have tired of that, my refined familiars will show you some conjuring tricks.
Fear not, for time is endless here. And I can grant your wishes endlessly. My tea party has no end...!"
In a truly good mood, the witch told Shannon several strange stories.
They were all stories Shannon had never heard before. Very interesting stories. And, they were all odd, bizarre fairy tales.
Shannon felt as though she had become Alice in Wonderland. The time she spent at this tea party was strange, pleasant, and relaxed.
No, the clocks have no hands at this tea party.
So, the time passed like a Sunday morning, when you can wrap yourself in your blanket for as long as you want......
"......I can't express how grateful I am to you for this."
"There is no need for thanks. In the human world, words of thanks go along with words of farewell, do they not? There will be no end to this tea party. So, there is no need for thanks either."
"*giggle*. But I am grateful. Thank you so much, Beatrice-sama, for this wonderful tea party.
......But all dreams must end, and so must this one."
"Hoh. And why must they end?"
"Because, ......I start early tomorrow. If I stay here talking too long, I'll sleep in, and Madam will give me a good scolding..."
Pft, hahhahhahahahhaahahahahaha! Why are you so anxious to return to the world of that short-tempered Natsuhi? Really, now. Are you really saying you want to return to the human world, where it's all work and no rewards?"
"But I am human. I can't impose myself on you forever."
"Shannon. It seems that you do not understand. I invited you here, but I have no desire to chase you away again."
"Here, time is eternal. You are not obligated to say farewell, ever. I will never tire of enjoying tea with you. On the contrary, it is quite agreeable to have you to talk to."
"I'm grateful for your words, but I am human. I must return to my own world."
"Why do you want to return to that colorless world, where you waste all your time with school and your job and the family works you to the bone?"
"Despite all that, ......it's still my world."
"Shannon. Does that sort of world really need to be yours? Let me be honest with you. ......Shannon. I didn't just invite you here. I came to take you home."
"Take me home......?"
`"Once, I tried to become a good servant like you. ......Then, I became fascinated by witches and became one myself, learning all the pleasures of magic. ......And now, I have come to take you home."
Beatrice spoke quietly and slowly rose from her seat.
"Shannon. ......The world of witches truly is more fun than being a servant. This tea party is nothing more than a mere welcoming party for an old friend. We can hold as many fun festivities as we desire. That is the endless, the eternal."
"......Now that this golden rose garden has been completed, I have reached my goal. This place is paradise. Yes, let us call it the Golden Paradise. Now that it has been completed, I have come to welcome you in.
There's no need for any inconveniences, any perseverance or hard work. Here, you and I can enjoy ourselves for all eternity. It will be like a never-ending fairy tale......"
"......I'm truly grateful for your splendid proposal. ......However, I need to go back to my original world."
"Why?"
"Because this isn't my world."
"I acknowledge it. This is not the world you have lived in until now. That's why I have invited you here!
From this point forth, this will be our world. You are no longer a guest. You are the second master of this world. You need not show any restraint for my sake. We'll just live in this endless world like we once lived as roommates......"
"I regret that I have no memory of that time.
......However, I'll have to turn down your invitation."
"Why? ......What responsibility forces you to return to the world of humans?"
True, the world of humans, or the world of servants, is busy all the time.
Madam is strict, high-strung, and has a short temper.
It'd be a lie if I said the everyday chores weren't a pain, and having to balance work with school makes it even harder.
Beatrice had watched over Shannon's painful days the whole time.
She had seen those constantly tired shoulders heave in a sigh many times.
That was why she had invited Shannon here. To this Golden Paradise.
`She had tried to give Shannon a perfect welcome, to truly make her happy.
......So why had Shannon selected her original world over this one?
Beatrice was overcome with shock, and completely unable to understand.
"I have given you the perfect welcome to this paradise. And the days to follow will be even more fun."
"......So, if you still choose the human world after all of that, does it mean that you find something there that is even more fun than the pleasures of witches?"
"......That's right. There are things in the human world that are even more fun than magic."
"Absurd... That can't be...!"
"...Yes, it's true."
Shannon's expression was soft.
However, her words were firm.
There was something wonderfully fascinating in the human world.
And, that something was apparently not in this paradise, which was supposed to have everything just as they wanted it......
".........Absurd... ......I don't...
understand......"
As Beatrice muttered, she shifted restlessly several times.
However, no matter how often she said it, Shannon's smile didn't falter, and Beatrice couldn't think of an answer...
"In that case, ......it's time for me to leave. Your tea was delicious."
".........I don't...understand. ......I am the great Golden Witch, the one who can have anything endlessly. You tell me that I cannot give you what you want?"
".........Yes."
"I want to know. I believed I had everything, so tell me what it is I lack...!"
"I think......that you already know. Isn't that why you invited me here...?"
"......Are you trying to speak in riddles to a witch? ......Heh, ...*cackle*."
"That's all for now then...... I can't live here, but I would be glad to come over whenever you invite me for tea."
"I won't call for you again... Have no fear of that."
Beatrice snapped her fingers and Shannon popped out of existence.
Shannon's soul had returned to the dream of her original self.`
While humans have many dreams in a night, they can remember none of them.
The tea party in this paradise mixed in with many other dreams and vanished.
The next morning, Shannon would not remember this tea party.
However, Shannon's cup remained here.
The witch who had lost her guest and was standing alone looked all the more lonely...
"............"
The witch dug her fingernails into the tablecloth.
That grimace as she bit her lower lip made it clear that she still hadn't solved the puzzle Shannon had left behind.
"Riiche. There's no need to worry about it."
A black hole opened above Shannon's empty seat, and the owner of that voice fell out of it.
"......I do worry. Ah, come on, how could she say it with such certainty..."
"......What pleasure could Shannon know that I do not?! What is this 'something' that can be found in the human world but not in my paradise?! I don't understand! ......I want to know!"
"Thinking about complicated stuff will just fuel your headache. I can be of service in Shannon's place. Let's enjoy a tea party together."
"I don't feel like it anymore. ......I'm bored of having tea parties with you."
"......Aw, she's cranky."
The witch shrugged and laughed, then took a bite out of a scone.
She then blew into it, and it swelled up like a balloon before finally popping.
Golden ribbons and butterflies flew out, but Beatrice didn't appear to notice......
"......Just what is it that I do not possess? ......What...?"
"Watch your step there."
"Thank you, captain. Make sure you take good care of yourself."
"I've got a friend who sells this stuff that's supposed to be great for stiff shoulders. I'll bring you a sample next time...!"
"Oh, no need to trouble yourself... But thanks for caring."
"Hey, brats! How long are you gonna mess around up there? Let's go."
"Hey, Maria. Come down off the boat with Mama..."
Maria, who Rosa led by the hand, was still too young for kindergarten.
However, she seemed to notice that her cousins, whom she rarely ever saw, were playing all around her, and she was very excited.
Battler and George had the energy of middle-school or nearly middle-school kids.
Those two, along with Jessica, who had met them on Niijima, were clambering about on the boat.
"You okay, Asumu?
......You really don't like riding things, do you..."
Rudolf lent an arm to his wife, Asumu...
"......Welcome to Rokkenjima. Thank you for making such a long journey."
The whole family had gathered for the conference.
At this point in time, Rudolf's wife was still Asumu, and Ange hadn't been born.
Gohda and Kanon hadn't yet been employed by the Ushiromiya family, and the witch's epitaph, which would toy with the family's fate, hadn't appeared yet.
They probably couldn't even imagine the bizarre crime that they would encounter several years later......
"Krauss-sama, Madam. The family has arrived."
"Good...... Should I call for Father?"
"Please do. I will go welcome everyone.
......Oh, Shannon. Who cleaned this window frame?! It still has dust on it...! Quickly, wipe it off!"
"A, as you wish, Madam."
......Oh, come on. Natsuhi's making her work so hard again.
Just what good does she find in such a limited, ulcer-inducing life?
I wanted to know.
......Shannon. What is it that you found?
And what did you mean when you said I already knew what I was missing?
Shannon. Is this something I must learn by learning about you...?
"What's different about the day of the family conference on Rokkenjima?!"
"It's got to be the noise! There's never this many kids around!"
"......It may have been a tension-filled day for the adults,
but to us kids, it was a wonderful day, the only time we got to see all of the cousins we loved."
"In the summer, we could play with our cousins on the beach, and there were plenty of games we could play in the winter!
The family conferences were tons of fun for us."
"Same here. Mom was always yelling about how there must be no mistakes, but to me, it was just the day I got to play with all my cousins. After all, there's usually nothing at all to do on Rokkenjima."
"Back when I was still a little brat, I was always jealous of Jessica, getting to live in this huge mansion with a private beach. But now that I try putting myself in her shoes, it must've been a pretty constricting place to live."
"Probably...... There's hardly anything on Rokkenjima. No friends' houses, no next door neighbors, no neighborhood. If you think of how Jessica must have felt, you have to feel a little sad for her."
"That's why the family conference was so special to me. Jumping around, messing around! It felt like I was at a festival. We played tricks on each other all the time."
"If the adults always talked about adult things and told you to go play somewhere else..."
"Then you were three cousins at about the same age. Of course you'd horse around!"
"No, not the three of us. The four of us."
"I thought Ange wasn't born yet, and Maria was still too young to play with you?"
"You've got it wrong, Furfur. The cousins weren't the only ones at the same age."
"Shannon-chan was the fourth. She was about the same age as the rest of us."
"Mom was always going on about not talking with the servant kids,
`but Shannon and I started to get close. After all, she was the girl closest to me in age on Rokkenjima."
"All four of us played together. We played at every family conference. Right, Shannon?"
"......Right. I knew that Madam would scold me if she found out, but......"
"I wouldn't have let her! You were always the one close friend I had who could understand me...!"
"Thank you for your words, ......Milady..."
I could not hide my shock.
How had she formed a relationship with the children of the family, despite being only a servant?
Natsuhi had probably been very careful to prevent such a relationship.
However, it's no surprise that Jessica, all alone on this island, would want to be friends with a kid her age.
And Shannon was also alone on this island, without any friends her age.
Though they both understood their relationship as master and servant, they somehow managed to strike up a friendship...
Then, at the family conference, Jessica had introduced Shannon to George and Battler.
All of the adults had their hands full with their complicated discussion in the mansion.
`During that time, Shannon was able to put aside her role as a servant for a little bit, and act her age with Jessica, George, and Battler.
I didn't even know that Shannon had constructed this new world so quickly.
As a butterfly hiding in the shadows, ......I observed this new world of Shannon's.
"That day, we ran all around the rose garden and the beach."
"Just running around and playing was a blast."
"Yep. Those were the only times that Shannon-chan smiled like a girl her age."
"I might have......gotten a bit carried away. It's embarrassing..."
"Battler's insanely huge now, but back then, Shannon and I were both taller and stronger than him."
"I just grew slowly back then."
"*giggle*. They say that those who start late end up the tallest."
"Ihihi! Yeah, totally! Back then, your chest was nothing like this, right?"
"That's not true... `
Shannon already had plenty of womanly charm back then. Right?"
"U, ah...wh, who knows......"
"What the hell do you mean by 'womanly charm'? Sounds kinky!"
"Well, I was still pretty cute back then myself.
That bra strap you could see through the shoulder of her summer clothing set off the lightning of youth in me...! I remember whispering with George-aniki that night about how big her tits were! Ihihi!"
"I, is this true, George-sama...?!"
"*cough*, *cough*cough*!! I believe there has been some sort of misunderstanding...!
A, all I remember was lecturing him, as the older and more knowledgeable cousin, about the differences between how boys and girls grow, *cough*cough*!!
And so, rather than dirty talk between cousins late at night, it was, instead, a sign of healthy growth and, umm..."
"......Ye~ah, I remember all of us cousins talking about that until midnight... ......About how apparently, someone in the next class had kissed someone else, or how you held hands with a girl you liked at summer camp... And about so-and-so who you thought probably liked you, stuff like that...!
......Dammit, it's so embarrassing it makes me shiver...!"
"Isn't that nice! Another sweet page in the book of adolescence!"
"The most pure love comes when boys and girls first start noticing each other!"
"That simple, pure desire just to be around someone of the opposite sex, the noble first loves."
"Just wonderful... A bunch of kids thinking and talking about the world of love...!"
"D,
......did that sort of thing...
r,
really happen......?"
"Ihihi~! Don't play dumb!
You were the most absorbed and curious of all of us, sitting there 'til even your ears turned red, ihihi!"
"I, I was not curious...!
I, I was just...
s,
surprised...
at how much everyone knew...
and......"
"That's right. Shannon always played dumb the most, even though she was the most interested.
She was the biggest pervert the~re. Ihihihi."
"Th, that's not true,
that's not true,
I hate you, Milady!"
"Hahahahahahahahahaha...
Yeah, it was always like this. In the day, we'd run around like kids, and at night, we'd hug our pillows and talk about secret stuff. Looking back on all of it now, ......it really brings back some fond memories."
`"We'd be whispering about something dirty, and whenever we heard the footsteps of the adults coming by, we'd jump under the covers and pretend to be sleeping!"
"Yeah, I remember that! Like some school field trip!"
"Those times we all dove under the covers at once. It felt like some sort of unspoken rule, like a strange sense of unity. I really liked that feeling."
"Well, anyway. That's not all we talked about. There was a lot more than that. We really did enjoy our youth to the fullest."
"And what......is this?"
Shannon. ......Is this that 'fun thing' of the human world?
Is this incomprehensible messing around the thing that you found?
"A bunch of kids gathered together, playing stupid games and talking about trivial things. ......Is this the human pleasure you found that surpasses the pleasures of witches?"
"......Yes. Doesn't it look fun to you?"
"I won't call it boring. However, I cannot see how such a vulgar game can compare to my paradise, where all wishes can be granted."
"Interacting with people......is a lot of fun. Of course, I also think your world is fun. But even so, ......I choose this world."
"......I don't understand. ......I don't understand......"
Beatrice held her head as though she was having a headache.
But no matter how much she grimaced, she couldn't think of an answer.
`"......Tell me. .........What is it you found within this vulgar playing?"
"............
Do you want to know...?"
"I do!"
"Love."
"Lo......ve......?"
"Here. It's the Queen book I promised."
"Th, thank you very much. I'd be happy to borrow it."
"That's okay. You can keep it, Shannon-chan. I've already read it."
"B, but... I can't accept this...... It was probably expensive."
It's just something I got for a few hundred yen at a bazaar. Don't worry about it. I'd rather if you read it quickly so we can talk about it. It's fun to talk about this sort of stuff with you, Shannon-chan."
"Yes, it's fun for me too. It's much more fun to read mystery novels with two people instead of alone."
"I like discussing it and imagining all kinds of things. With mystery novels, reading's only half the fun. My theory's that you can only really enjoy it when you talk with other people who've read it too."
Our relationship began when we realized that we both read mystery novels.
We were both surprised and very interested to find that the other not only read tons of mystery novels, but read them very thoroughly.
Ever since then, it's been like this.
Separate from the games we played with all the cousins, the two of us met together for some time alone......
At first, it was like a sort of contest to see who knew more than the other.
However, eventually, this turned into respect for how much the other had read and how deeply they were able to think about it.
Respect. Trust.
Those emotions made our friendship even stronger.
Of course, all of that had still fallen within the category of 'friendship'......
......But we were still slightly aware of the fact that the other was of the opposite sex, making for a relationship that was charming, or youthful, ......or maybe you could call it exciting.
However, we were still at the age where the word 'little' would not be an exaggeration.
Of course, we didn't know a thing about love.
So, we couldn't understand that exciting feeling in our chests, both bitter and sweet, that we only felt when we were alone together.
However, we realized that there was some unknown emotion hidden behind that feeling,
......and as our hearts raced,
we had our hands upon the door.
That was the exciting age we were at
So.
At some point, our discussions about mystery novels became just an excuse for us meeting alone...
"There aren't many mystery novels that care much about the 'why dunnit'."
"The 'why dunnit'? You mean the culprit's motive....?"
"Yeah. There are three points you need to figure out in mystery novels: the 'who dunnit', the 'how dunnit', and the 'why dunnit'. A lot of mysteries deal with the first two, but surprisingly few worry about the final one."
"Well, I know about many works that take great care to have the culprit confess his motive after he's found out..."
"But it has to be something that you can reason out before the culprit confesses, or it doesn't count Personally, I think it's unfair for a person who supposedly didn't have a motive to commit the crime, unless it's possible to reason his or her motive out."
'Who dunnit'. Who's the culprit?
'How dunnit.' How did he commit the crime?
'Why dunnit'. Why did he commit the crime?
"There are a ton of works that ask about who the culprit is, and what tricks they used. In fact, almost all are like that. However, I don't think there are many novels that ask you to figure out the motive."
"Good point. That might be the most neglected of the three."
"Mysteries that don't take the 'why dunnit' seriously don't really feel complete to me. ......No, I'm not saying they're boring. ......It's more like...they're missing the most important part."
"The most important part...is missing...?"
"The heart. The heart is missing."
"......The heart......"
"I think the human heart is a really important thing. If a person's gonna decide to commit murder, plan it out, get everything ready, and actually carry it out, you'd need an incredibly strong force of the heart. The heart is what moves people."
......In other words, only the heart can kill a person.
When an emotional upheaval grows strong enough to make a person want to kill, the result is the tragedy called murder.
If we turn it around, does that mean that the true way to close in on the crime is by searching for the heart that brings about the tragedy of murder?
Only the heart can kill.
So, if a person has been killed, you must search for the heart.
That's what he was saying.
"That's why I can't really enjoy novels where the culprit is just a homicidal maniac who kills for fun."
"......Then you like novels that show a strong enough movement of the heart to lead to murder?"
"That's right.`@` And my favorite ones are the novels that let you reason that out."
As he spoke, he looked back at me and smiled.
......Before today, I used to like novels that focused on exposing the tricks.
However, I decided to look for novels like the ones he recommended in the future.
"I don't like ignoring the heart.` .........The heart is what makes people move."
"......Yeah. I think you're right......"
This isn't limited to the mystery genre.
All humans are moved by their hearts all the time.
Being able to notice the heart is what allows for interactions between people...
...no, interactions between hearts.
None of us humans can live on our own.
And yet, we have no way of peeking into the hearts of others.
That's why every meeting between people......is a mystery of the heart.
Finding those, reasoning about them, and understanding each other is the key to interactions between people and hearts.
The two of us are here, all alone, talking together about mysteries.
And through that...
We are searching out each other's hearts, speaking of the heart's mysteries......
I want you to feel about me...
...the way I feel about you.
We're both searching,
trying to figure out the depths of the other's heart,
......in this mystery of love.
"Nn, ......look how late it's gotten. I wonder if Aniki and the others are waiting for us."
"Yes, we should probably go back soon......"
"......Time seems to fly by when I'm talking with you, Shannon-chan."
He seemed to be speaking the words of my heart.
We were thinking the same thing, so the same words came out.
"I wish we could talk together like this forever... I hate clocks."
"Same here. Talking about this stuff with you is the most fun part of coming to Rokkenjima."
When I saw that his smiling eyes were looking right at me, ......I turned around.
I couldn't let him see my suddenly red face.
"If only I could leave this place, ......I'd be able to read so much more..."
"............"
The bookshop on Niijima that I go to and the bookshop he goes to in the city are on completely different scales.
The book exchange between the two of us had become completely one-sided, with him giving me all the books.
"How long do you plan to be a servant, Shannon-chan?"
"......I don't know."
"If, someday, you decide to quit..."
"If I do......?"
"Come over to my place."
He said it almost carelessly.
Maybe he was a bit embarrassed, since he laughed weakly and blushed.
"And then, ......we won't need to worry about time running out anymore."
"......That's right. ......We could be together......as long as we wanted..."
The little secret dates on this island only happened a few times a year, ......and even when they did happen, it was only for a short, uncertain period of time.
It wouldn't work over the phone or with letters.
We can only talk about our mystery when we're standing together like this.
"I know that day'll come someday."
"......You think it will...?"
"Yeah.` I'm certain of it."
Certain? Why is he certain...?
"When that day comes, ......I'll come for you, riding a white horse."
`"......Wha......?"
After saying this, he turned away.
He was probably too proud to show me his blushing cheeks.
But even without seeing, I knew what his face looked like.
To come riding on a white horse...
...umm, isn't that...
Uhh, isn't that like a prince riding a white horse......?
So, what exactly does that mean...
umm...
ummmmm......
Does it mean......you're going to be my prince...?
......My mind was going blank, so I just couldn't reason out his mystery of love, even though it was all plain and simple...
"I,
......I wonder...
when that day will come..."
"Very soon, once you've made up your mind."
"Huh.........?"
My heart skipped a beat...
It was so sweet...yet it hurt......
"Any time's good for me. This is your life we're talking about, Shannon-chan. You should think about it carefully before you decide. .......And once you've made up your mind, I'll respect your decision, no matter when you make it."
"O,
......okay......"
"I'll keep on waiting until that day comes."
"Nn, ......ah......"
If only I had been a bit more foolish...and courageous.
I could have said then and there that I was already prepared, and asked him to take me away from this island right away...
But I couldn't say it.
I had to think carefully about my future, for both of our sakes......
My head was filled with pointless, senseless thoughts......
"I,
......I'm glad... ......Thank you......"
"Heheh....."
With his back still to me, he scratched his head and laughed.
I knew he was doing this out of embarrassment, so I could clearly tell what his expression must have been.
In the same way...
He must have realized what my face looked like.
We're both puzzle-solvers of love.
We theorize about each other's love, solving each other's mysteries...
"......Thanks for giving me time."
"You have all the time in the world."
"No. ......I'd feel bad if I kept you waiting too long."
"Hahaha."
"So, I've prepared myself. ......No, I should say that I will prepare myself. ......I'm not going to quit my job right now. ......Yes, ...one year. ......I'll do it in one year."
......If, a year after now, you still feel like coming for me on a white horse...
And me too.
If I still like you a year from now...
I'd like to dedicate the rest of my life to you......
"One year from now, right here, ......I'd like to make my decision."
"......A whole year, huh? That sounds good. Spring, summer, autumn, winter. ......That's a good amount of time to look deep into your heart."
`"S,
......so...
next year......"
You'll come to get me,
......right......?
"Yep."
He responded to my cowardly determination with a quick, strong answer......
"I'll be waiting for that day to come."
"Yes. .....I'll be waiting too...... ...Make sure......you come, okay...?"
"Yeah."
"......Don't forget. Come here next year, okay?"
"Yeah. I'll definitely come. I'll meet you here."
Definitely.
.........I see.
So,
......this emotion that feels like sweet suffocation...
is love...?
It is an emotion I do not know. One I do not have.
Though my magic can grant any wish.
Though my paradise can grant any wish.
That thing I cannot have...
that incomprehensible emotion...
...that burns like fire, and yet, madly, one wants to hold it close...
All I know is that no matter how great a witch I might become, I cannot create this emotion.
It must be given by another person.
For the first time, I realized that I wasn't all powerful.
And, I knew what Shannon had discovered in the world of humans......
"......This emotion...
......it's just too much... ...Once you've felt it,
...there's no forgetting it, is there......"
.....Shannon. ......You win.
Love, ......is it?
It may be the most important element, ......and the one that I lack...
......Shannon.
I'll watch and see how your love develops.
So please, ......tell me more and more about this new emotion.........