Two weeks had passed since the commotion.
Returning safely to the orphanage, nothing had changed.
Red and Rene’s attitudes toward me remained the same.
There were one or two suspicious aspects regarding the broken laboratory, yet unexpectedly, the way they looked at me had not changed from the beginning.
No. To be precise, it had softened.
Despite having thought of several excuses, it was useless; they didn’t ask me any difficult questions.
It ended with just a few simple tests and treatment for my injuries. They didn’t mention anything more about the incident.
Was it consideration for me? Or did they not suspect me at all?
Either way, it left a bit of discomfort, but thanks to that, I was able to relax as well.
And now.
I was spending time in a very ordinary manner, just like usual.
Yum yum.
I was scooping out the pudding I had kept, bit by bit with my spoon.
The moment the pudding entered my mouth, the sweetness spread abundantly.
Ugh, it’s delicious.
My lips melted into a smile behind the mask.
I wanted to roll the pudding around in my mouth forever, but happy times are always short.
As I swallowed tears inside while the pudding grew smaller, I was watching TV.
The children were busy playing outside. At this hour, their favorite anime was not airing.
That’s why I could monopolize the TV.
The TV was bustling with hot news.
The shocking truth about a solver.
It spoke about how, while presenting a facade of justice, he had committed horrific crimes behind the scenes.
The world was currently buzzing with Isaac’s story.
Whether it was newspapers, internet broadcasts, or news reports, they all prominently featured stimulating phrases solely discussing Isaac.
It couldn’t be helped; Isaac was a solver with a relatively good image, careful about external perceptions.
So it was only natural that the shock was greater when it was revealed that someone believed to be a decent human being in this world had committed heinous crimes.
For those deeply interested in the world, he was truly good prey.
Moreover, being someone with a certain social standing made it even more delectable.
[It’s incomprehensible. Why was a solver like Isaac committing such crimes? What was lacking for him to resort to evil?]
[Perhaps he became a solver to hide his criminal acts from the very beginning. We were all beautifully deceived by him.]
[According to our investigations, Isaac had been mentally unstable and exhibited anti-social traits from the outset. He had been hiding his violent tendencies by manipulating documents… Though it has nothing to do with our association, we must thoroughly ensure that such incidents do not happen again in the future… ]
[Hmph. I always thought he was that kind of person. He always had a big grin on his face, and it seemed like he was hiding something.]
Those who criticized Isaac, those of high social standing who reveled in his downfall, and those who defended the trust of the association were all ready to pounce on him like hyenas.
It is said that a tiger leaves its skin behind when it dies, but a person leaves behind their name.
To be remembered not as the hero he boasted to be, but as a villain—what a fitting conclusion for someone who built his reputation on deception and hypocrisy.
The children were likewise deeply shocked by the revelations about Isaac.
I can still vividly recall their expressions when they heard that news.
“Could it be… that big brother Isaac did such things? I’m shocked…”
“He always had a smiling face. To think it was all a lie.”
“Wahhh. I didn’t know he was that kind of person.”
“Shocking…”
Since I had gotten somewhat close to the children, the betrayal must have felt immense to them.
For your information, the children had no idea about the invasion.
When the invasion occurred, all the children were asleep. Furthermore, Lena, who had briefly come outside, seemed to be in a daze and unaware.
After all, it happened in one night, and there was no need to specifically tell them, so the two also didn’t mention it.
I turned off the TV.
I stood up.
I headed to the kitchen to move the empty bowl.
Even if it was noisy now because of that talk, with time passing, it would soon be buried under new issues.
The controversies regarding solvers’ character are all too common.
This commotion is just a minor incident that happens often.
In reality, our daily lives remain unchanged.
They flow along the same path.
Still, on such an ordinary day, I was about to welcome a special event.
Indeed.
“Hem hem.”
Dinner time.
After finishing my meal.
In the room where all the children were gathered.
She cleared her throat to capture the children’s attention.
“Today, Lily has made a very big decision.”
I felt gazes turning toward me, hidden behind Red.
“Surprisingly, Lily is going to take off her mask.”
At this shocking announcement, silence enveloped the room.
A moment later.
The children’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“What?!”
I thought it might not be such a surprising thing, but considering that I hadn’t taken off my mask for months since coming here, I understood their feelings.
“Okay.”
I stood in front of the children, receiving encouragement from Red’s touch.
I took slow, deep breaths to keep calm.
I decided to take off the mask.
At least, just within the orphanage.
Was it because I had shown my face to the two? They had spoken up, suggesting that if it was alright with me, I could operate within the orphanage without the mask.
After deep consideration, I made my decision.
During my time here, I had gotten friendly with the children.
I couldn’t keep exploiting Red’s goodwill forever.
The children were knocking on my heart, so perhaps it would be okay to open up a bit in return for their consideration.
At least, I thought the people inside here would be fine with it.
Well, wearing the mask continuously was quite uncomfortable. I should be able to relax at least inside.
I slowly removed the mask with slightly trembling hands.
“……”
Seeing faces that hadn’t deviated from my expectations, a bitter smile spread across my face.
*
Red stepped out of the noisy room.
A smile inevitably formed on his face at the sounds of the children from the room. It seemed everyone was quite surprised by Lily’s appearance.
He completely understood that feeling. When he saw Lily’s face, he was immensely shocked.
To think such a face could exist in the world.
Like a star shining alone in darkness. Thus, it drew more attention, and he understood why Lily hid her face behind a mask.
It might be a problem outside, but inside, it would be fine.
Red left the yard and stood in the shaded area.
He put a cigarette in his mouth.
Red looked up.
The sky was covered in dark, ominous clouds.
His eyes seemed lost in deep thoughts.
“What are you thinking so deeply about?”
Red looked down and glanced fleetingly.
A woman with long blue hair, Rene.
Rene approached Red and stood beside him.
“Just thinking about various things…”
“Is that so? You’ve been busy because of that Isaac guy lately. It wouldn’t be strange for your mind to be filled with thoughts.”
Red had gathered data on the atrocities Isaac committed and spread it to the world.
Naturally, as a result, the solver association became tumultuous.
It was only natural for the people belonging to the association to also get busy.
They were swamped with work.
And another thing.
Even though they had grown apart, Isaac had once been a colleague.
It wouldn’t be strange to reflect on the fact that someone who had once been a companion was actually such a monstrous human being. Logic and reason can’t always comprehend the hearts of people, after all.
Of course, Rene could tell from Red’s face that this wasn’t the only reason for his deep thought.
Perhaps Red was deep in thought because…
“Speaking of which, I didn’t expect Lily to take off her mask. Even though I brought it up, honestly, I didn’t think she would listen.”
Red’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“Right? I was a bit surprised too.”
“She’s really a strong child. To take off a mask she didn’t want to remove takes a great deal of courage.”
“Lily has always been a strong child.”
“True. She’s doing well despite what she’s been through. It wouldn’t be strange if she ended up traumatized.”
A slight shadow passed over Red’s face.
Rene, who knew well that he was in a somber mood, spoke up.
“What did you hear about Lily from Isaac? Is that what you’re deep in thought about?”
“Not really. He doesn’t seem to know much about her either.”
“Is that so? From the way he spoke, it seemed like he knew something…”
Rene tilted her head.
Red exhaled smoke and slowly moved his mouth.
“Instead, there’s one thing I’ve definitely learned.”
“What is it?”
“That girl is very different from the other children.”
“In a good way? Or a bad way?”
Red candidly shared what had happened that day.
He mentioned that in the laboratory, the power of the Grim Reaper lingered faintly.
Rene was very surprised.
“Eh!? The Grim Reaper?”
“Yeah. It was too faint to be certain, but there was a similar aura present.”
“Hmm… could it be an illusion?”
“Under normal circumstances, I would have dismissed it, but there was a monster created by Isaac present there.”
He had learned about the existence of the monster from Nina’s documents and his own findings.
In other words, there was supposed to be a monster in the laboratory.
But there wasn’t.
It couldn’t just have vanished on its own, which meant someone had intervened.
And.
The only person who was there was Lily.
In other words, it meant that Lily likely dealt with it.
“Does that mean Lily is closely connected with the Grim Reaper?”
“I’m not sure. When I subtly asked Lily about what happened there, she seemed completely unaware. I don’t know if she’s pretending not to know or if she genuinely has no idea. Or maybe she’s simply unaware.”
Rene’s eyes glinted with interest.
She clapped her hands together.
“Now I understand why the Cult of the Grim Reaper is targeting that girl.”
“We’ll find out the exact reason once we deal with the Cult of the Grim Reaper.”
Red exhaled smoke with a worried expression.
Isaac, who had been targeting Lily, was gone.
However, it wasn’t over.
“Perhaps something even bigger might happen to that girl.”
“Are you regretting it?”
“No.”
Red answered without a moment’s hesitation.
Suddenly, Isaac’s words came to mind.
Lily is a bug. That child should not exist in this world.
Indeed, if Lily is closely connected with the Grim Reaper, then those words ring true. Perhaps that little girl could bring about a great calamity.
But!
Red dropped the fully burnt cigarette to the ground and stamped on it.
There should not exist a life that should not be born into this world.
There is no life that is sinful simply by existing.
No matter what anyone says, Red will vehemently deny that.
“Well then, shall we head inside?”
“Wait! The cigarette smell is bad for the kids. Red, please come in without the cigarette smell.”
At Rene’s remark, Red almost stumbled with his feet.
With a dry smile, Red replied that he understood.
