Chapter 113: Emilia, I Love You!

A wait that had lasted four hundred years, enduring a bitter vigil in accordance with the promise made with her mother, waiting for that person to arrive.

She had believed that Natsuki Subaru was the one she had been waiting for—the one who would place her first in his heart.

But Natsuki Subaru had ruthlessly refused her. Not only did he shatter her fantasy, but at the same time...

...he also caused the loneliness she had endured in her heart for over four hundred years to erupt completely!

In her eyes, Natsuki Subaru's refusal was no different from the opening of another four hundred years—or even a longer cycle of solitary waiting.

On top of that, watching helplessly as the Forbidden Archive was burned down, the only remaining sense of duty she had—being unable to protect the Forbidden Archive—as well as the very meaning of her existence, were utterly destroyed.

And so, from that point on, Betty spent her days mired in sorrowful weeping, no longer wishing to go on living in pain, seeking only release.

As Emilia recounted Betty's story, the air pressure around her grew lower and lower, as though the very air were being frozen bit by bit.

"No matter how much Betty throws a fit over herself, I don't mind—but she just had to... vent that anger onto Subaru, and that is something I can absolutely never forgive!"

The chill in her eyes was almost on the verge of solidifying into something tangible, and she shouted the words out through gritted teeth.

At that moment, Natsuki Subaru—who was still immersed in lamenting the Betty of that other world's experiences—sensed that something was wrong.

The cold was spreading steadily from Emilia's body, and the mana leaking out from her seemed to fill the entire room like layer upon layer of overlapping shadows.

In this critical moment, Natsuki Subaru immediately made an utterly correct decision—he extended his arms straight out and, of his own initiative, embraced Emilia from behind.

He turned his head to the side and saw Emilia's currently vacant eyes, and so, without the slightest hesitation, he loudly called out Emilia's name.

Soon, Emilia regained consciousness amidst those repeated calls.

"Subaru...? S-sorry, I've caused trouble for Subaru again."

The instant Emilia came to her senses, she realized what had happened—after all, this sort of thing had occurred before.

And so she lowered her head in a panic, filled with guilt and fear, worried that the Natsuki Subaru before her would come to hate her because of it.

"It's all right, Emilia-tan. This isn't your fault."

Natsuki Subaru turned Emilia's upper body around, then drew her into an embrace.

Not a single gap remained between the two of them—he wanted Emilia to clearly feel the feelings he was conveying to her.

They held that posture for a while, and only after Emilia's mood had calmed down did Natsuki Subaru separate from her.

"Sorry. It's all my fault—I made you recall those bad memories from the past."

Natsuki Subaru said apologetically.

"N-no, that's not it at all!"

"As long as it's something Subaru wants me to do, I'll do my best to accomplish it."

Emilia lifted her face and revealed an exquisite, perfect smile, as though habitually putting on a mask.

Looking at the Emilia before him, Natsuki Subaru felt a pang in his heart, and for a moment he found himself unable to say a word.

He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. Having heard Emilia's account, he now had some idea of what had befallen the other-world version of himself, and why he had acted the way he did.

The Sanctuary, the trials—it was connected to these. The reason he could undergo such a drastic change in temperament, his behavior turning so selfish and self-serving, was probably because of that woman, wasn't it?

No—perhaps she shouldn't be called a person, but rather a witch: the [Witch of Greed], Echidna!

And yet, even a witch could not forcibly interfere with his actions.

So that meant—

Natsuki Subaru remembered: in the Sanctuary, at that witch's tea party, Echidna had once extended to him an invitation to form a contract.

In his memory, he had not agreed.

But by the look of things, in that other-possibility world where the Emilia before him had once lived, the story seemed to have taken a different course.

The consequence of all this was probably the series of tragedies brought about because he had agreed to Echidna's request to forge a contract, wasn't it?

If one really had to put it that way, then the responsibility for everything rested upon his shoulders.

Thinking of this, Natsuki Subaru looked at Emilia with guilt. The other-world version of himself had saved Emilia's body, yet had failed to save her heart.

"Subaru?"

Sensing Natsuki Subaru's gaze turn toward her, Emilia tilted her head, and—thinking of who-knows-what—grew excited.

"Lia's been a good girl, so can Subaru pat Lia's head as a reward?"

Emilia pleaded with Natsuki Subaru bashfully, while a faint twinge of guilt couldn't help but rise in her heart.

Normally, it was only by obeying Subaru, studying diligently and conserving her energy in her room, that she earned the chance to make such a request of Subaru.

But now, she had done nothing at all and was already enjoying the feeling of being embraced by Subaru—and on top of that, she was even making this slightly over-the-top request.

Emilia gently bit her lip, and thinking of this, she felt deeply uneasy.

And it was at that very moment that she felt a warm palm settle atop her head.

The familiar, warm sensation instantly made it feel as though she had arrived on a sunlit lawn, and her tense body relaxed all at once.

Her body went soft, and in her straddling posture, her upper body toppled forward onto Natsuki Subaru.

"Emilia-tan, all this time—thank you for your hard work."

Eyes narrowed, just as she was enjoying Natsuki Subaru's caress, Emilia heard Natsuki Subaru—now leaning down—say these words right by her ear.

At those words, in an instant, Emilia froze.

In this moment, she was like a newborn infant just come crying into the world, standing utterly naked before Natsuki Subaru.

Everything about her seemed no longer to be a secret. Her pain, her joy, her every little scheme and all her desires had nowhere to hide before Natsuki Subaru.

In this moment, it seemed Subaru understood her—which was why he could say such words.

"You don't need to grieve anymore, because I'm right here, and I'll never leave you."

Saying this, Natsuki Subaru cupped both sides of Emilia's cheeks, drew in a deep breath, and then, with a firm and earnest gaze, declared:

"Look—what does the past even count for? Since it's already passed, stop dwelling on it endlessly. Since we're both still here, safe and sound, we should smile and look forward to the future."

"But... but..."

At those words, Emilia shook her head purely out of reflex. She thought of all the various memories of getting along with Natsuki Subaru in the past.

Smiling and looking forward to the future... such an extravagant thing—she had no confidence that she could ever manage to do it.

Natsuki Subaru had long anticipated her reaction, and so he immediately followed up with a smile:

"Emilia, I like you!"

"?!"

Faced with the sudden confession, Emilia's pupils shook violently, and she reflexively reached up to cover her mouth, which had fallen open in shock.

"You know? Emilia-tan, I like you—I like you so very, very much, like you to the point where I can't pull myself away."

"I like that super-beautiful silver long hair of yours. Mm, even though it's been cut short now, I still think it looks lovely—because no matter what Emilia turns into, I'll like her all the same."

Listening to the confession reaching her ears, Emilia felt at a loss, and at the same time, a faint, indescribable emotion was surging within her—as though it were about to break through the barren soil of her heart and burst forth.

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