Chapter 116 – Mom

The crown of my head… feels firm yet soft.

My heavy body feels suffocated, like it’s being constricted by something, and it’s uncomfortable. On top of that, it’s hot, sticky, humid…

“Mmfb… fbb?”

“Hehe…”

My lips are blocked by something.

Soft, moist… and sticky.

What is this?

Blink, blink. 

I forced open my sore eyelids.

Something pale and squishy came into view. In the center, there was a dent about the size of a finger joint.

What is this? I unfolded my fingers, which were neatly gathered over my chest, and poked it.

“Hyaah?!”

…What the hell?

The strange sound snapped me out of my drowsiness completely.

My eyes still ached, but my vision had cleared.

With clearer vision, I looked straight ahead again.

What was pressed right up against my face… was a stomach.

A pale, soft stomach.

Whose stomach was it? No need to think about it.

“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”

I immediately pinched Stella’s side. She was sweating so much that her skin was slippery, making it hard to get a grip. But I pinched her anyway.

“Kyaaack! That hurts!! Hurts sooo much!!”

“You crazy wench. Why are you hugging me, are you out of your damn mind?!”

“Ugh… That really hurt… Felt like getting stabbed with a knife…”

Stella writhed in pain and glared at me with teary eyes.

“Ugh… How could you be like this first thing in the morning?”

“What were you thinking, hugging me in your sleep? Huh? And your pajamas are practically wide open. Are you sane?”

“We’re both girls, so what’s the big deal?! A-And besides, I already… saw you naked…”

“Oh really? So now you’re planning to show me yours too? Cut the crap and get back to your room.”

“…It’s not like I have anything to hide. We’re both girls anyway.”

“Keep spouting that crap, you crazy woman. Damn it.”

I kicked at Stella to shove her off, stretched out, and lifted my upper body.

The bed was drenched with drool. I wiped around my mouth thinking it might be mine, but nope, not me.

“Goddamn… I told you not to pee and you go drooling all over. Hey! Even if you tried on purpose, you couldn’t drool this much. What is all this, huh?”

“I-It’s not mine.”

“Wipe up your mess and then talk.”

“Hah…! Ssshh…”

Stella wiped the drool running down her chin and turned her face away, her cheeks flushed red.

“M-Maybe just a little bit came out.”

Clicking my tongue, I scooted off the bed.

As expected, my body still felt sore.

My skin stung like I had the flu, and my bones ached. Still… it wasn’t bad. Compared to my past life, this was nothing.

Is this scrawny body actually better performing than my old musclebound one?

If that’s really the case… it’s kind of humiliating.

No… maybe I should be happy about that?

“Eliaernes.”

“What.”

“Wanna eat?”

“You’re buying?”

“Yup.”

I turned my head in surprise at Stella’s confident answer. Having wiped away the drool and tamed her messy hair, she was folding up the bed sheets.

“What money do you have?”

“…I have money too. I’ll go buy something. I was heading out to drop something off anyway.”

“Why bother? Just leave it here and give it to Mr. Mikel later.”

“I-It’s embarrassing, okay? Anyway, are you eating or not?”

“Of course I’m eating breakfast. Use my card. Don’t waste your money.”

“Nope. I’m buying. And it’s already lunchtime.”

“…Lunch?”

I blinked and looked out the window.

Just like she said, the sun was high in the sky.

“I must’ve slept so deeply I lost track of time. I had a nightmare though…”

“Eh… so-so.”

I slept really well.

Waking up was a little annoying, but… I feel like I haven’t slept that soundly in a long time.

Why did I sleep so well?

“Still, mm. Hehe… I’m glad you slept well.”

Stella smiled brightly. The sunlight shining behind her still carried the scent of cherry blossoms.

* * *

Sunday was extremely peaceful.

It had to be.

Unlike what happened at the Arant Museum, the only ones who knew about this incident were me, Stella, Pina, Shadowless, and Adelia.

Of course, I figured Adelia might come looking for me, but surprisingly, there was no sign of that.

That woman really is impossible to read.

Anyway, I spent a peaceful weekend.

I got everything done without moving a single finger or toe. All thanks to Stella, who willingly took care of me.

But that didn’t mean it was all good.

She kept chattering nonstop by my side, leaving me with no time to organize my thoughts. Still… thanks to that, I was able to spend the day in a light mood.

Then Monday came.

Just like the academy had announced, the outing ban was lifted and normal classes resumed.

Pina, who had nearly died recently, and Stella, who had heard some shocking truths, both seemed unable to adapt to the peace. But it’s not like they could skip class, so they pushed through.

Leona still hadn’t returned to the academy.

There’s a lot I want to ask her, but I have no idea when she’ll be back.

And then there’s Pied Haveron.

That bastard was apparently marked as simply missing. I thought about asking Sedil about him, but it’s not like I can meet the headmaster whenever I want, and I didn’t want to stir up unnecessary trouble.

What really bothers me are the students who took his class. Their condition wasn’t good at all, and I still felt a lingering sense of unease.

Did Pied plant something?

If so, everything should’ve been lifted when he died, so why is that unsettling feeling still there?

It didn’t feel like things had been resolved in a normal way, so I figured that must be why… but I didn’t let my guard down completely.

I decided I’d tell Shadowless about it later when she came by.

If the students who’d come into contact with Pied ended up like this, then the people trapped in the Labyrinth were probably in a similar state.

And so, classes ended, and I put off my after-school training to meet with Shadowless.

I returned to my room, took a quick shower, and was watching Stella and Pina training hard in my private training room when, 

The door to the training room opened.

Leona?

I turned around with a hint of anticipation.

“It’s been a while, Ellie.”

“…M-Mother?”

There she stood, my mother.

With a strangely… sulky expression.

* * *

“…I-It’s been a while.”

Just the two of us in the drawing room, Mother and I, sitting quietly with a mint chocolate latte each.

“Yes. It’s been a while, my daughter.”

“You… look a little tired?”

“Hehe. Do I really look that way?”

“Uh-huh… yeah. Was the trip here uncomfortable?”

“It wasn’t uncomfortable at all, dear.”

Mother shook her head and gave a gentle smile. Or was it not so gentle? I couldn’t tell.

She was definitely smiling… but it didn’t feel like a smile.

“Mother, did you perhaps… fight with Dad… with Father?”

“…Mm.”

Mother’s expression darkened.

…Did they really fight? With Dad? But why?

He used to hang on our every word, both mine and Mother’s… but they fought?

“Ellie.”

Her voice was cold.

“…Yes?”

“How’s life at the academy? Nothing unusual happening?”

“…Uh, well. Nothing special. It’s just… peaceful.”

“Peaceful?”

Mother smiled softly, then set her cup down with a loud clunk.

“…Mother?”

“Ellie.”

Then, leaning forward slightly, drawing close to me, Mother, whose trademark eyes were always gently closed, opened them just a bit and whispered softly.

“Mom.”

“…Huh?”

“Say. Mom.”

Blink, blink.

I looked at her blankly.

Her eyes were still just barely open, and her smile remained.

But… it felt like I could smell blood from somewhere.

“Try saying ‘Mom.’”

“…All of a sudden?”

“Ellie?”

“Hiccup.”

I suddenly hiccupped, pulled my upper body back slightly, and averted my eyes.

“Ellie.”

Craack.

A sound I shouldn’t be hearing came from somewhere. The temperature in the drawing room dropped, and goosebumps prickled down my arms.

“…M-Mo… Mom.”

“Yes.”

“Mo… hic, Mom.”

“Mhm.”

“…Mom.”

“That’s right. My daughter.”

“Mom…”

“Hehe, haha. Hmhm.”

Only after I repeated it several more times did Mother finally lean back into her chair.

The cold temperature seemed to return to normal, and the goosebumps on my arms faded.

…What’s gotten into her?

Mother sat there, smiling sweetly, saying nothing until she finished her mint chocolate latte.

Just as I reached the bottom of my own latte with a slurp, her lips finally parted again.

“Ellie. How is your life at the academy?”

The same question as before. But… her tone was completely different.

Don’t tell me… that woman, Shadowless, told her everything?

“Uh… like I said earlier, it’s been peaceful, ”

“Ssshh.”

Mother cut me off.

“There was a time when Turrius once lied to me.”

She switched from saying ‘your father’ to using his name, Turrius.

The subject of the conversation had changed.

But the atmosphere made it clear, she wasn’t going to accept any questions or objections, so I just nodded.

“Uh… what kind of lie?”

“A very, very small lie.”

Mother smiled faintly.

“It was a cold winter day. Turrius and I had planned a date. Can you believe it? He made that promise over a month in advance.”

“Oh… no way?”

“Hehe. Yes, it’s true. Both you and I, women tend to have that kind of instinct, you know? Turrius probably thought he was hiding it well, but I already had a hunch. That day, I was sure he was going to propose. But thinking about how much effort he put in, I pretended not to notice.”

…That instinct women have.

But I’m a guy. I’m pretty sure I still think like a man.

And yet… I understand exactly what that instinct feels like.

It’s… unsettling.

“But then, on the day of our date, Turrius suddenly canceled. I waited for him for over an hour. Like I said, it was a very cold day, you know? It was kind of ironic, proposing on a day like that. Still, it was sweet, so I dressed up as nicely as I could. Of course I was cold. But in the end, Turrius never showed up.”

“…Why not?”

“He told me later that something urgent came up with his family.”

Mother’s kind eyes opened just a little.

Her crimson pupils inside were terrifying.

“That was a lie.”

“…I see.”

“I can’t tell you the full story just yet, but I found out that it was a lie.”

“S-So then?”

“What do you think I did?”

“…I don’t know?”

“I suppose… I can’t tell our little Ellie just yet. You’re still a minor, after all.”

“Hiccup.”

A cold silence filled the room.

Mother’s face was still smiling sweetly.

Only her mouth was smiling, though. Her eyes… were not.

“Ellie.”

“…Yes.”

“Mom really hates lies.”

Saying that, Mother reached into her coat and pulled something out with a thud.

A pair of black leather gloves, ones I’d seen many times before.

“…Huh?”

“My beloved daughter.”

Next, she pulled out a brooch.

A brooch shaped like a pure white mask.

“W-Wait…?”

“How’s life at the academy.”

And then finally.

What she took out last, 

“How is it, really?”

Was a pure white mask.

A mask with no shape, no pattern.

The symbol of the Nameless.

The symbol of Shadowless.

“Has it really… been peaceful?”

Mother smiled sweetly.

And at that moment, the drawing room was overwhelmed by the stench of blood.