“I’m counting on you, top-class Raphael.” As I moved to end the conversation, I felt like I heard a sigh and “Really...” from the other end. Despite his reluctance, I knew he would conduct his investigations responsibly.
With that, I started making my way back to the inn. Katarina was there, sleeping soundly while believing that all Keith had done was run away from home. She would never think that he may have been kidnapped, or that his kidnapper may be a Wielder of Darkness. That would never occur to her, not in her wildest dreams. She probably didn’t realize that the real reason why Maria and Sora, Wielders of Light and Darkness, were coming with us was because of this danger. Looking at the pure and kind Katarina, I, too, almost believed that Keith had run away from home.
Even Duke Claes and Madam Claes were in on this — they desperately announced their search for Keith, so as not to alarm Katarina with the possibility that he may have been kidnapped.
“...Please be safe, Keith Claes... for the sake of your pure and innocent sister,” I said to no one in particular as I looked up at the night sky, slowly retracing my steps to the inn.
★★★★★★
My awakening at the inn was really nice. Normally Anne would be hissing at me right now, something like “What time do you intend to sleep until, young miss?!” But this time, it was Maria’s voice that woke me up.
“Lady Katarina... if you do not wake up soon, we will really be late.”
Waking up to her gentle voice was very different. But we were pressed for time, so I had to wake up and get ready as fast as possible. With Maria’s help, I made it in time.
I didn’t know when Larna had come back from wherever she went, but she was already fully dressed when I awoke, and was elegantly drinking some black tea as she waited. Jeord was the same, maybe because he was a prince. He was already dressed, groomed, and waiting for me in a tidy outfit. The two of them greeted me with kind smiles, disregarding the fact that I’d come so late.
The only one who didn’t seem happy to see me was Ugly Bear, which was currently sitting next to Larna. It looked up at me and shot a glance that seemed to say “Hmph. You useless bum.” Not to be outdone, I returned the look with a mental insult of “Oh look, it’s Bratty Bear.”
Sora wasn’t here, and I assumed he’d overslept even more than I did — only to find out that he had set off into town earlier, apparently to gather more information on Keith. He was really good at what he did!
Unfortunately, he hadn’t found out anything important, and so it was time to keep going. Since we still hadn’t found any information about Keith, I started to wonder if the bear was even leading us in the right direction. But Larna strongly insisted that it was accurate, so I had no choice but to believe her.
And so we all piled into the carriage again and set off for the next town. Ugly Bear, having become smitten with Maria yesterday, was sitting on her knees again and was currently being patted on the head. Although it normally had a cute and lovable expression, it would always scowl mockingly at me whenever our eyes met. This thing was really rude. There was no other way to put it.
Although our journey was pretty uneventful, I could feel my dislike of the bear intensifying, and vice versa. I knew it was childish to get upset at a stuffed toy... but that bear’s attitude! Ugh! I couldn’t do anything about the way it was acting, so of course I’d hate it.
The carriage rolled along, and not much happened. Although we asked about Keith at every place our carriage stopped, we didn’t have any results. So we kept going, and before long, the sun had set.
It had now been two days since we’d set off. As the last of the sun’s rays faded, we reached yet another town and decided to stop there for the night. It was rural and small compared to the one we’d stopped at the day before — there was no marketplace of any kind and the roads weren’t paved. In fact, weeds were growing freely in every direction.
The carriage was parked at a location that was somewhat far from the inn, so we had to walk a bit to get there. If we were in a bigger town, we would have been flanked by shops of all kinds right now. But now there was nothing but weeds and shrubbery around us, so I just looked at the grass as we went. My eyes soon found a nostalgic sight.
“Ah, this seed!” I exclaimed, stopping in my tracks.
Maria, who had been walking next to me, asked inquisitively, “What is that, Lady Katarina?”
I held up a stickseed and showed it to Maria. I hadn’t seen one in a long time. “It’s a kind of seed that sticks to you if you brush against it! Haven’t you seen one before?” I asked.
“No, this is the first time I’ve seen one,” Maria replied.
Come to think of it, this was the first time I had seen stickseed plants in this life. Maybe this plant didn’t grow in the region we lived in. In my previous life, tons of these seeds ended up stuck to my clothing every time I romped around the mountains, and my mom would always get angry at me. Ah, how nostalgic.
I gave Maria a demonstration, sticking a seed to my blouse. “You see? It sticks really well, right?”
“Oh! You’re right!” Maria replied, her lovely face painted with surprise. “Whatever is it called?”
Although I almost blurted out “stickseed” in response, I stopped myself. After all, stickseed was what we called it... I didn’t know the plant’s scientific name. What was it called, actually...?
“Ah... Hmm. Sorry, I have absolutely no idea.” Considering that I had made such a fuss about the plant in the first place, it was a little pathetic that I didn’t even know its name.
“Ah, I see... I wonder what it is called, hmm?” Maria responded. Being the angel she was, she would never ridicule someone for something like this.
However... Ugly Bear, which had been riding on Maria’s shoulders all this time after getting so familiar with her yesterday, evidently did not share her sentiment. “So you don’t even know what the thing is called? Then don’t bring it up, you hopeless fool.” That was what the bear’s face seemed to be saying. Considering how bad our relationship was, I found it mysterious that I was understanding more and more of what that bear was thinking. It annoyed me.
That damn bear! As I tightened my grip around the stickseed in my hands, an idea suddenly leapt into my mind. Heh... just you watch, bear... I thought as a villainous smile crept onto my face.
When we reached the inn, we all tucked into our meals. Although the rural cooking had a delicious, rustic taste to it, I learned from my experiences yesterday and stopped myself from overeating.
We went to our rooms after we ate, and Larna left once again. I’d assumed she had been doing some night-time sightseeing yesterday; apparently, she had some Ministry-related work to take care of. She really was such a busy person.
So Maria and I went to our room and started talking about the towns we’d seen today, things that had happened back at the academy, and other silly things. After a while, Maria left to go to the washroom.
This was the chance I’d been waiting for. I slowly withdrew the stickseeds I had brought in my bag. Then, without warning, I threw them all at that annoying Ugly Bear as it sat haughtily on Maria’s bed. As expected, the bear was now covered from head to toe in the spiky seeds.
Hahaha! How’s that, you arrogant bear! Do you fear me now? Do you fear me?! You’re nothing but a plush toy! This is what you get for messing with Katarina Claes, villainess extraordinaire. Upon affirming that my plan was a resounding success, I raised a hand to my lips, before bursting out in my trademark villainess laugh.
As for the bear... it had no idea what hit it. For a while it seemed stunned, but it soon grasped the situation. It tried to remove the stickseeds with its stubby arms, all the while glaring daggers at me. But it didn’t have much luck. I continued treating it to a rendition of my best villainess laugh up until Maria’s return.
When she saw the stickseed-riddled bear, Maria looked surprised. “Whatever has happened to the bear, Lady Katarina?” she asked.
“Oh, it...
tripped and fell onto some stickseeds,” I replied.
The pure and innocent Maria immediately believed my words. My conscience hurt a little, yes, but it was impossible to tell her that I was simply serving Ugly Bear its just desserts.
In the end, the bear finally rid itself of the stickseeds with the gentle Maria’s assistance. After that, the bear continued to glare at me when she wasn’t looking. But justice had been served!
I was elated as I lay down to sleep. As I slipped under the sheets, I thought about how fond I was of stickseeds, and how I had given that bear its comeuppance with them today. I’ll tell Keith all about it, I thought.
I would always tell Keith about everything that had happened that day between dinner and bedtime. In fact, ever since he’d come to live with our family, we had never been apart. Not like this.
Ah... I really want to see Keith again soon.
I’ll make sure to apologize, so please come back and listen, Keith. I have so, so many things to tell you...
★★★★★★
I was in a warm, sunny spot under the biggest tree at Claes Manor. I had fallen asleep immediately after lying down, tired out by all the fishing and dashing about.
Although I had fallen asleep in such a comfortable place, the dreams I had were of days long gone. Back when I was trapped in a narrow, dark place... When I was subjected to violence. That was what I remembered.
Now, things were different. My family loved and cherished me. I was happy now — impossibly happy, more so than I could have ever imagined. Each and every day was blissful. And yet, dreams of the past would haunt me occasionally, like they did now. It was as if the nightmares were telling me that my life now was nothing but a lie. That I was still cowering, shivering in that tiny room, all alone...
However, I was soon roused from those dreams. As I opened my eyes, I could see a girl standing over me with a worried expression. “Keith... are you okay?” Backlit by the glittering rays of the sun, that girl seemed to be a goddess, like the ones I had read about in books.
“...I’m okay, Big Sister. I just had a scary dream.”
“Oh... you were talking and tossing, so I was worried. A scary dream, huh... I guess I should have woken you even earlier! I’m sorry, Keith!”
“It’s all right... I apologize for worrying you,” I replied.
“Hmm. But see, next time it’ll be different! If it ever seems like you’re having another scary dream, I’ll wake you up right away, Keith!”
With that, Katarina puffed her chest out, as if to say “Ha! Leave it all to me!”
I opened my eyes... and Katarina was not there.
Ah... it was a dream. A dream of the past. A nostalgic, happy dream.
I often used to have nightmares about the past when I first moved to Claes Manor. Whenever I had those dreams, Katarina, who was very into playing the part of an elder sister back then, would always take care of me.
“I’ll wake you, Keith! I’ll hold your hand,” she’d say. The girl I liked was saying things like “I’ll hold your hand until you fall asleep!” and “I’ll go to sleep with you tonight!” I was glad, but at the same time felt somewhat pathetic. It was a complicated series of emotions.
Eventually, I stopped having those nightmares. The days I spent with Katarina were so vibrant and refreshing. Full of bliss and joy. It didn’t take me long at all to forget all about those dreams. In fact, it has been quite a while since I had recalled anything like this... was it due to the situation I was currently in? Wherein I am bound, my arms and legs restrained in a lightless room.
My mother, the very same woman who had discarded me before, had called out to me. Before I knew it, I was handed over to men I had never seen before and dragged here against my will. Shortly after, I had my first reunion in years with my older brother, who was born to a different mother. He, Thomas, had been hitting me ever since. I suppose such a situation would indeed make me recall those dreams from so long ago. After all, I was currently being treated in a way that my old self was used to.
...Just how much time has passed? My family... Katarina is surely worried. That loving, warm, and gentle family I had come to first know at the age of eight... and the person I loved. My thoughts floated toward those people — people who had given me everything I could possibly want, and their magnanimity, their generosity. All this time, I had only received. I had yet to repay their kindness.
Although I was restrained and made to lie here, simple food was given to me at certain times. I couldn’t tell if it was breakfast or dinner, though. So... I supposed that I wasn’t going to die anytime soon. As for what would happen from here on out, as for what Thomas would do to me... I had no idea. But I could not simply die in a place like this. I still had many things to do. I still had to repay those who had been kind to me... and I wanted to be by Katarina’s side.
That was why I did what I could to eat the crude food I was given... struggling like a restrained dog. All so that I would survive. The dark room and cold bed brought forth memories of the abuse I had endured in my childhood... but I could dispel them by thinking of Katarina. Her smile, as bright as the sun. Her warm hands, reaching out to me. Merely recalling them filled me with strength.
Although Thomas would pay me many visits, and proceed to exact acts of violence against me while I was powerless to fight back... I simply thought of Katarina, and passed the time. I would surely break free of this place and return to her side.
Those thoughts were what kept me going — thoughts of Katarina were the source of my strength.
It was slightly after Thomas had paid me yet another visit to hurl verbal abuse at me that the only door to the room opened again. I simply assumed that he had come back. Other than the wordless, sullen man who would bring me my food, Thomas was the only person who entered this room. As for the woman I had seen when I’d first awoken, I hadn’t seen her since.
However, the one who entered the room now was the woman in question. She had that same innocent smile on her face as she entered. She stood before me, lowering herself to my height.
“How are you doing?” she asked, in a tone like she was talking about something inconsequential, like the weather.
I didn’t know what this woman wanted, so I held my tongue and stared at her silently in response.
“Well, if you can look so focused, I suppose you’re doing relatively well, huh?” She laughed.
Just like when I had first seen her, I felt like something about this woman was off. Although her appearance suggested that we weren’t too far apart in terms of age, she was strangely childlike. There was also an aura of danger about her that I couldn’t quite figure out. I found myself fearing her more than Thomas, even though the latter would always commit acts of violence against me. I held my peace, observing her.
She merely laughed at my response. “Haha. So you’ve been trapped here for a few days, bound, and continuously beaten... normally you’d become a little crazy, hm? As expected of the heir to the Claes family. Or is it simply because you got used to this during your childhood?”
From those words alone, it became clear to me that this woman knew about my past, and about everything I had done up until this point. “...What is your goal?” I asked.
“Haha! That, you see... I’d like you to... fall.”
“...Fall? What... does that mean?”
“Oh, it means what it means, of course. I would like you to fall from your current position. From being the lofty heir of a Duke... all the way to the bottom. From your rarefied heights, to the abyss, you see.”
“Height... to the abyss?” I had merely assumed that they had kidnapped me for a ransom of coin. I could not understand the words that spouted forth from her lips, and could only look on in surprise.
The woman merely laughed at me again. “Such was the wish that Thomas has made of me, you see. But then...” The woman pulled a troubled face as she continued. It was all fake, of course. “Thomas can’t wait any longer, hm? He can’t stand those
straightforward eyes of yours! That unflinching gaze no matter how much pain he subjects you to.” A smile crept across her features once more. “So... Keith Claes. I have decided that you shall become a guinea pig for my experiments.”
“...Guinea... pig?” I felt a shiver travel down my spine. It was an unsettling phrase.
“Yes, a guinea pig for my experiments in the Dark Arts, you see. It’s an experiment I have always wanted to try, but it requires an experimental subject with quite a strong will, you know? Even so, a single experiment is all it takes to break them, so I was in quite the bind... until Thomas said that he’d like to break you. What a serendipitous event, I thought, and so...”
“Experiment in the Dark Arts...? Break...?” Those words were said so innocently, as if the woman didn’t harbor any malice. What she said didn’t feel real. I could only stare blankly at her.
“I say break, but your body will remain as it is, you see. The only thing that we’ll be breaking is your heart! That pretty body of yours will stay in one good piece. So don’t you worry about it one bit,” the woman said, smiling as she did so. “Well then... I suppose we might as well start soon, hm?”
At her words I finally moved my head, willing myself out of my stunned silence. It’ll be dangerous if I remain here, I thought. I tried my best to move... but my body wouldn’t budge.
In fact, I couldn’t even make a sound — no words escaped my throat. I could only open my mouth and gape. I couldn’t even close my eyes. All I could do was look at this woman before me, who was now chanting some sort of spell.
Before long, my field of vision was engulfed by darkness... before a heavier, denser darkness fell onto my entire being altogether.
“Fight and resist lots, okay? After all, that’s how you get stronger creations...” The woman’s innocent voice echoed sonorously in the darkness.
I screamed wordlessly, silently, the name of the person I loved most in the world.
My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, Volume 4 Page 7