This is a small letter written by someone for someone else.
Shhh, I unfold the letter that was tucked away.
This morning, a luxurious black envelope with only Alice’s name hastily written was sitting in the mailbox.
There was no sender’s name or address, but the overly polite and old-fashioned tone rendered any guess about the letter writer moot in an instant.
What on earth could have been written in that letter that made Alice, the first to read it, cast a longing gaze at me? I wiped the cold sweat trickling down my face, determined to uncover the reason as I faced the letter laid before me.
It was a reflexive reaction when my throat involuntarily moved.
I went through the letters line by line, and the contents were as follows.
─────────────
I send this letter filled with longing.
As the small creatures hide away, replaced by the bright red flowers blooming, how have you been?
Have you been taking your meals regularly?
And is there any place you are unwell?
I worry greatly if that insect is taking good care of Alice.
If there is any lingering resentment or grievances you’ve kept in your heart, I would appreciate it if you write them down and pass them to me.
I feel a pang of sadness that I couldn’t even properly greet the misfortunes that made it to your door.
While I may be a woman whose heart doesn’t fully bring anything into focus, as the only one who understands the circumstances, I must simply hold back my tears and entrust things to fate.
I too don’t want to fall away, but since unkind people followed me due to the events from the previous village, I had no choice but to make this decision.
After evading them properly, I plan to return to Alice’s side swiftly.
This is not particularly hard, so please do not worry.
I promise to return before the first snow falls, so please bear with it and wait for me.
You do not need to read the contents below, Alice.
With sincerity, Saelli.
∴P.S.
To my dear insect.
If anything were to happen to Alice, I won’t sit idly by.
Though you’re an insect, surely you can manage at least that?
Though you’re an insect, tell me you haven’t caused any trouble already?
It’s not about whether you can or can’t.
Just shut up and do it.
─────────────
Thud.
“………”
A single beautiful flower with bright red petals falls from the envelope, merely stuck at the end of a long stem.
Despite its splendid shape, the flower feels desolate because it lacks the leaves that should typically protect it or serve as little accents.
I could feel the murderous intent embodied within that flower growing stronger.
The flower evoking death was undoubtedly directed at me.
At this moment, I felt like a frog being eyed by a snake, or a deer destined to be the dinner of a lion in the Serengeti.
With a chill running up my spine, I was just a pitiful insect accepting the looming death.
And whether they knew my heart or not, the inhabitants of my room were simply enjoying themselves with bright smiles.
All of this was because of someone.
The injustice weighed heavily on me.
“Tessa~ give Alice back~”
“I won’t. I missed her a lot too! While I’ve been sweating it out, you and Alice must have been having a blast!!”
[“Boo—!!”]
The situation was a complete reversal from the day before.
Alice, who had ended up in Tessa’s hands, was blowing a horn in response to her words.
Lemmy Akaia, sporting a large bump on her head with a slightly flushed white bandage wrapped around her, could only glare resentfully at Tessa as she cradled her younger sister.
Boo, boo. The sound of the horn echoed like a referee announcing a victory.
In this situation, all the justification rested with Tessa. Lemmy Akaia, having nothing to show for herself but the title of princess of Tesillia Kingdom, was merely gnawing at a handkerchief with her teeth to suppress her frustration.
The winner was….. T~essa!
“Yay~!”
[“Boo—!”]
“…Alice—!!”
“…You all are having fun.”
What?
It was a pitiful scene, but the truth was it was all a result of their own making.
From the moment Lemmy Akaia reunited with Alice, she had overstayed her welcome in my room without delivering a single message to Tessa and had spent all this time together with Alice.
For Tessa, the princess, who looked like she was already uncomfortable, had suddenly gone missing without any word.
Even as dawn broke and the day began, the supposed princess showed no sign of returning. After worrying all night looking for her, the very person who was supposed to be missing was now joyfully hugging her younger sister!
Lemmy Akaia’s welcome was simply the quiet appeal of a “Oh, I’m sorry.” and the distraction of being lost in the delight of her sister, who showed no regard for Tessa’s feelings.
Why. How.
Such questions were buried under the erupting rage.
Anger about being vanished without a word was 1.
The anger over causing chaos was 9.
And the anger for playing secretly with her younger sister without telling her was 990.
With a total of 1000 justified reasons, Lemmy Akaia was overwhelmed by this incident.
The highest reason was… well.
She appeared to harbor feelings for Alice that were quite significant, if not quite as strong as Lemmy Akaia’s.
“….Alice… thinks so too, right?”
[“…Boo?”]
“…Thank you, Alice.”
Squish.
Alice, nestled against Tessa’s chest, was taken aback by the sudden gratitude.
Her head tilted in both directions.
But pressing tightly against Tessa, the child couldn’t turn her head back.
What did the person behind her mean by that, why were these strangers coming up and being so nice all of a sudden, and what kind of face was the one holding her wearing?
For Alice, it all seemed like a puzzling series of events.
The story of a younger sibling thought to be dead, returning to the family, albeit having lost her memory.
With challenges and disputes along the way, ultimately, everyone ends up smiling happily, leaving the viewer unable to hold back tears.
【If anything were to happen to Alice, I won’t sit idly by.】
“……..”
So it should be alright, right?
…It should be alright, right?
But no matter how much I tried to comfort my own heart.
No matter how much I tried to find something positive, the image of Saelli, forgiving my sins with a gentle smile, eluded me completely.
In the end, I had no choice but to accept reality.
I messed up.
I don’t think it will be okay at all.
“Oh, I messed up.”
Have you ever seen anyone save a cockroach because it’s a beneficial insect?
The moment they spot the wriggling bug, it’s a miracle if they don’t scream and stomp on it!
To humans, beneficial insect or pest, they’re just bugs, right?
Yeah.
No matter how tear-jerking and touching the story might be.
For the cruel Demon Lord who treats a person like an insect, this incident would be viewed no differently than a rainstorm sweeping away ants.
“……….”
Shiver.
With uncontrollable trembling hands, I carefully picked up the fallen red flower from the ground.
The flower known as “blood lily” or “death lily,” like many flowers, holds not just one but multiple meanings, and among them, the most outstanding one is—
【It’s not about whether you can or can’t. Just shut up and do it.】
—That flower signifies death.
It was Saelli’s special language saying she would sever my head and body if I made any foolish moves.
It meant I had a unique opportunity to see my own heart, with my own eyes.
I slowly turned my head.
“Since it has come to this, I can at least use my status—!”
“—You’d like to be targeted again?”
“………”
[“……Boo, boo.”]
But, I already did it, didn’t I?
“Hee.”
I probably won’t make it.
I climbed onto the bed.
Stretching my legs straight, positioning myself along the edge of the bed, I grabbed the blanket and rolled myself up.
Roll, roll, like a pathetic bug, I was no different from a caterpillar that had turned into a pupa.
What would burst forth from all this? A butterfly or another identical caterpillar?
Cooing, I’m a baby insect.
Sia knows nothing.
I rolled around the bed, wrapped in blanket and self-pity, letting out pathetic screams.
Rolling, rolling.
Rolling, rolling.
