Chapter 63

In the office of Phirsi, located on the top floor of Librium Grand Hospital, Reina carefully placed a document on the desk.

“Completely normal.”

At her brief words, both Artasha and Phirsi looked surprised, as if they hadn’t expected this.

“Really…?”

Artasha’s blue eyes trembled. Suppressing her own shaky heart, she asked again, and Reina calmly smiled as she delivered the good news.

“There are no pathological causes at all. It seems that her previous attempt at self-harm wasn’t due to a psychological breakdown but rather a choice made under extreme circumstances.”

In the end, it meant that Tina had cut her wrist solely because of Viviana. While Artasha harbored resentment toward Viviana, she also felt deep relief that her daughter had no major issues.

“However… there are slight signs of a lack of affection. It seems she needs more love from her parents.”

Hearing this, Artasha’s eyes trembled slightly. As if something had come to mind, she clenched her hands with a sorrowful expression.

“…Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”

Thinking about it, it might have been an obvious story. Tina lost her father, whom she trusted and relied on most as a child. While other children grew up surrounded by the love of both parents, Tina grew up without fully receiving her father’s love.

To her, he might have been just a meaningless man, but parents are the most precious beings in the world. Surely, it was the same for Tina.

Yet, she had never once considered that Tina might have suffered from a lack of affection.

To think that behind Tina’s loving smile, which had embraced her for the past two years, there was such a deep wound. As a mother, she resented herself for not noticing it.

No.

Perhaps she had known and turned a blind eye.

‘…I need to try from now on.’

Tina still had no partner, and the only one who could heal her heart was herself.

She could do it.

Although she couldn’t think of a way right now, surely, with effort, a path would reveal itself.

With a determined resolve to give Tina enough love, even if it made her feel burdened, Artasha looked at Reina.

“Where is my daughter now?”

“She’s sleeping in the resting room.”

“Thank you. Then I’ll—”

“Baroness.”

Just as Artasha was about to step forward, eager to hold her daughter, Phirsi’s heavy voice stopped her.

“…There’s something I need to tell you first.”

Her heart wanted to run to Tina immediately, but for some reason, Phirsi’s more serious gaze made her stop.

In her hand.

Was a single document.

※

In a hazy consciousness, I felt someone stroking my head. The touch was so gentle that I thought I could lie like this forever.

“Awake now?”

A fresh yet alluring, mysterious voice flowed into my ears. At the sound of that voice, which I missed so much it made my chest ache, I opened my eyes wide and searched for its owner.

There, I saw a face that was all too familiar. A face I knew better than anyone else—my own face.

A face that was once me but no longer, a face I could no longer face.

Black hair shimmering like the night sky, pale skin in contrast, a straight nose, long and thick eyelashes, and full lips tinted red.

A face as beautiful as a doll, inheriting the beauty of the woman I once called mother. A face that, despite being male, had been mistaken for female countless times.

It was the face of my past life.

However, there was one distinct difference.

A clear feature that separated me from her.

A black cross embedded in the center of her blood-red eyes.

The cross was dark, but to me, it was the most dazzling existence in the world.

“Long time no see.”

“H-how…? That appearance…?”

I shot up from my seat and looked around.

The endless, dark space reminded me of my room from my previous life.

“…I guess I should call you Tina now.”

The childhood friend who had been stroking my head suddenly buried her nose in my neck, took a deep breath, and then blinked.

“Tina, remember this.”

As she spoke, my body began to slowly sink into the darkness. In my fading vision, the figure of my childhood friend gradually disappeared.

“You’re mine.”

I wanted to speak, but the tendrils of darkness rising from the ground wrapped around me, stealing my voice. All I could do was stare at her with dazed eyes.

Madness-filled blood-red eyes. And a strange voice that seemed to whisper directly into my brain.

She was the one I had missed so much.

“In your life, after your death, and after the next death… for all eternity.”

With a light push from my childhood friend’s finger, my body fell downward, swept out of the realm of consciousness.

[I won’t let you go until the very end.]

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“Tina!”

At the sound of the voice calling me anxiously, my deeply sunken consciousness gradually rose. The dark space from earlier disappeared, and a strong sunlight, enough to make me squint, tickled my eyes.

“…Mother?”

In the bright sunlight stood a woman. The one I loved and relied on most in this world—my mother. She smiled at me with relief.

“You were sweating a lot. I was worried, so I couldn’t help but raise my voice.”

Only then did I feel the dampness all over my body. My back was soaked with sweat, and my whole body felt sticky.

“Are we… back at the mansion?”

The surroundings were familiar.

Though not as lavish as the ducal family’s bedroom, the sky-blue curtains and bedding warmly enveloped the room.

It was my bedroom.

“Yes, you were sleeping so deeply that I brought you back without waking you.”

I slowly began to recall.

The last thing I remembered was sitting on the sofa for a medical examination. I also recalled Reina suddenly swinging a pendulum in front of me.

But after that, there was no memory.

‘…What, was it really hypnosis?’

Even if it was a medical examination, was it okay to hypnotize someone without any warning? If the other person had been someone with sinister intentions like Mardian, I would have been completely at their mercy.

“Nothing… happened, right?”

“Nothing happened. But more importantly, the results of the examination are in. Aren’t you curious?”

Ah, the examination results.

The fact that my mother had been ill came back to me. The only reason I had gone to the hospital, despite the hassle, was for my mother. I grabbed her hand with wide eyes.

“You’re okay, right, Mother…? There’s no problem, is there…?”

I looked up at her desperately. My mother stared at me with a dazed expression for a moment, then, with a twitching mouth, she gently stroked my head.

“It’s just a simple cold. I got some medicine, so I’ll be fine soon.”

“Ah… That’s a relief, really…”

It really is a relief.

What might be a trivial matter to others is something I can’t help but be sensitive about when it comes to my mother. As long as I am Tina Blanchard, my mother is the only person in the world who loves me selflessly.

“Tina, aren’t you curious about your results?”

“I’m sure I’m normal.”

“…Yes, you are.”

It’s an obvious result.

Though I do get a little lonely at times, there’s nothing particularly problematic about me. It seems my mother was worrying unnecessarily.

I held my mother’s outstretched hand and slowly got up from the bed. Having slept deeply, my body felt surprisingly refreshed. My mental state wasn’t bad either.

Whether it was because I got to see my childhood friend’s face after so long or because of the loving gaze my mother always directed at me, the loneliness that had been tormenting me was now gone.

“Ugh, but I need to wash up…”

Having been outside for a long time, my hair felt sticky, and the thin dress draped over me was slightly damp with sweat. There was no particular smell, but someone called a pet can’t be this unclean.

“I’ll tell Ranihel to heat up the bathwater, so rest a little longer.”

My mother, as always, smiled warmly, her kindness overflowing. Staring at her, my heart felt a little ticklish.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.

Usually, when I take a bath, it takes about an hour. That means I’d have to be alone for that time…?

I hate that.

To me, loneliness is a greater pain than death.

I don’t want to be alone anymore.

And besides… I really like my mother… and I’m sure she wouldn’t do anything strange. And she must feel sticky too after being outside…

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

As I cautiously grabbed my mother’s sleeve, her clear green eyes looked at me curiously. Faced with my mother waiting for my answer, I hesitated for a while.

It was embarrassing for someone my age to throw such a tantrum, and my ears and cheeks turned red. But I couldn’t help it. I hate being lonely.

“Um, would you… wash with me, Mother…?”

Shyly, embarrassedly, and uncertainly.

At my small voice, my mother’s eyes began to tremble.

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