Chapter 92: Garfiel... Welcome back.

"Sister!"

Seeing her elder sister reduced to such a state, Rem's heart was wrenched as if by a knife.

Even though she had just been blamed by Ram, there was not the slightest resentment in her heart—only heartache and guilt.

Suddenly, Rem noticed something. She quickly stepped forward, grasped Ram's hand, and pointed toward the screen.

"Look, Sister, you weren't wrong..."

At this, Rem let out a barely perceptible sigh, murmuring in a voice no one else could hear.

"The one who was wrong, all along, all this time... was Rem."

After hearing her younger sister's words, Ram stirred those dull, ashen eyes of hers, and in her ears she also heard the sigh that the Rem on the screen had let out while gazing at the dead Natsuki Subaru.

["Sister, you are far too gentle."

Rem stood with her back to the blood-red setting sun, looking down with cold eyes upon Natsuki Subaru's corpse.

As though she regretted that he had died so easily and so cleanly.]

Ram's eyes went wide as reason gradually returned, the light in her gaze rekindling once more.

In but an instant, she understood the intent behind her own actions in the scene on the screen.

Rest in peace, Barusu.

It was as if Ram heard in her ears the sigh from herself that the scene had not shown.

In that instant, tears welled and shimmered in her eyes, and then, carrying complex emotions, the tears slid down in great, heavy drops.

"I'm sorry... Barusu, no matter what, the fact remains that I killed you."

"I'm sorry... Rem, I shouldn't have selfishly pushed the blame onto you, all of it..."

Ram scrubbed forcefully at the tears on her face, but no matter how she wiped, they would not stop coming.

"It's all right, Sister. Even though you may not understand it yet, I want to say that Subaru will forgive us—he definitely will."

Rem took a step forward and threw herself into Ram's arms, hoping that in this most direct way she could let her sister feel her heartfelt sincerity.

"And besides..."

Rem spoke softly into Ram's ear.

"More than that, I'd rather Sister be a little more selfish, because this is the selfish wish that belongs to Rem."

As she spoke, Rem sank into her memories.

On the night of the massacre when the Oni clan was attacked by the Witch Cult, in the split second before she was about to be killed, she was saved by her sister Ram.

But the price was that the source of her sister's power—she, the genius of the Oni clan—had the horn atop her head severed.

In that moment, between her own safety and Rem's, her sister had chosen Rem without the slightest hesitation.

How could that not move her, not make her feel guilt over it?

——Think of yourself a little more, Sister.

Even if you take your anger out on me, it's all right—Rem's very life was given to her by Sister.

So, whatever it may be, even your dignity, Sister, go ahead and take it.

Ram rested her head on Rem's shoulder, and after feeling the warmth her younger sister brought, her tears gradually came to a stop.

"Silly little sister. Still, thank you for those words."

Where Rem couldn't see, Ram let out a sigh of relief.

In this moment, her sense of relief had actually triumphed over the sorrow of her regret just now.

Having those words from Rem was enough—this way, if Barusu became her brother-in-law in the future, she probably wouldn't bawl and roll about on the floor the way she did as a child.

Thinking of this, Ram couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

Haha~ just kidding. After all, she'd already made a promise with Barusu before, that she, Rem, and he—the three of them—would become "a family."

In that case, how could she not let Rem have a little soup... ah, a little meat?

Ram thought to herself in secret, with a touch of guilt.

"Ah, what a deeply moving sisterly bond."

Puck wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with the back of his furry paw, speaking with emotion.

"Yes, yes, it's truly wonderful that they could make up!"

Otto tugged at his sleeves, eyes brimming with tears, as though he'd just finished watching a tear-jerking romance drama.

As the one who had accompanied Natsuki Subaru all the way through liberating the Sanctuary, he naturally knew full well what attitude Natsuki Subaru usually held toward Ram, and toward the slumbering Rem.

This couldn't help but stir his emotions inwardly.

Mr. Natsuki really is an extraordinary man of broad and magnanimous heart—even after being hurt, he still chose to forgive. If it had been him instead...

He definitely couldn't have done it!

Right after, Puck and Otto exchanged a glance, sharing very much the feeling that great heroes think alike.

A surge of heroic sentiment couldn't help but rise in Puck's heart.

It seems that among all the heroes under heaven, there are only Otto and I, Puck!

"By the way, Lia, why are you so quiet?"

At this point Puck noticed that Emilia wore a gloomy face and said nothing.

But how could he know that she, who already knew the entire script of the Manor Arc, now felt a thick sense of crisis welling up within her.

Something's off—very, very off.

Emilia bit the tip of the thumb she'd slipped into her mouth, her face overcast.

To think Subaru would later get along so well with these two maids... in her memory, the three at the manor hadn't had all that much contact!

In fact, later on, Ram even vented her anger on Subaru out of distrust, chasing after him to kill him.

So how could it be...?

Emilia's face was grave.

It was all because of that mabeast incident!

No, no, no!

The mere thought of Subaru's virtues and wonderful qualities about to appear on the screen, thereby drawing in those two maid sisters—

Emilia felt as miserable as if a treasure she had long guarded were being dug up by someone else and snatched away in a scramble.

Croak—don't you dare fight me for Subaru, you pack of hussies who hurt Subaru!

Frederica watched the two sisters, Rem and Ram, embracing each other, and fell into deep thought.

She cast a pensive glance toward Garfiel, then suddenly spoke up to ask.

"Little brother... say, if I had blamed you just now the way Ram did, would you forgive me?"

"Hah? Asking a question like that—you woman, you're picking a fight, aren't you? Want me to beat you to death?"

Garfiel dug at his ear and responded with a thoroughly displeased look.

"Aaaah—how did I end up with a little brother like you! When we were little and Mom left, you even threw a tantrum at me over it, and I never once resented you for it!"

Hearing this, Frederica instantly flushed hot with anger. Holding her breath, she swung her two powerful fists, pummeling Garfiel's shoulders in alternating blows, fast enough to leave afterimages.

"All right, all right, Sis, I was wrong, I repent."

Beaten into a fright, Garfiel scurried off into the distance, not a trace of his cocky manner from before remaining.

"Garf! Stop right there for me, no running!"

Frederica stamped her foot and instinctively made to chase after Garfiel as though after prey.

"Hey, all right, Sis—aside from the thing about Mom, I've also got to say sorry to you. It's, well, that... back then I misunderstood the reason you left the Sanctuary, and thought you'd abandoned me too."

"But thankfully there were the boss and the others—they made me remember that Mom loved me, and of course... so do you, Sis."

Hearing this, Frederica froze, her steps slowly slowing.

By the time she reached Garfiel, she fell right into his arms.

The two siblings embraced quietly like that, and Frederica let out a long breath, murmuring.

"Garf... welcome home."

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