Chapter 135 – 134 – Yurian And Diana, Diana And Yurian (3)

Yurian sometimes acts strangely.
 She stares into empty space, or mutters to herself in an unintelligible way. Words like “game,” “status window,” “quest,” and “demon king.”

 Could it be that Yurian is lost in a fairytale like I was when I was little? How cute. That’s just like Yurian.

 At the temple, Yurian was mature, as beautiful as ever, gentle, and cool.

 “Heh. Is image-making really that hard? Looks are everything, after all. It’s all about the face. This damn looks-obsessed world. It’s the same here as it was in reality. Wait, come to think of it, wasn’t I good-looking in reality too? I felt like a hottie every time I showered.”

 Sometimes she would mutter incomprehensible things.

 “Ugh. When is this quest going to start? Time is going by so damn slow. Ah~ I want a cola. Hamburgers, pizza, chicken… There are so many games I want to play. I wonder what the GOTY was this year. I only got my new computer a month ago, it’s such a waste.”

 Or she would get sulky while saying strange things.

 “This is driving me crazy. I have this great face but my body is too young to do anything. Hah… No, wait. Because I have this face and I’m young, girls hug me because they think I’m cute. …That’s a win, right?”

 ……Sometimes she would say annoying things.

 “Yurian.”
 “……Diana?”
 “Yurian, are you crying? You’re a crybaby?”
 “……No. Who’s crying? I just… got something in my eye.”
 “Should Diana blow on it for you?”
 “No, go away.”

 As time went on, she would suffer and struggle alone.

 “…I said go away.”
 “No. Diana will hug you.”
 “…….”
 “Yurian is Yurian. Don’t suffer. Diana will always be by your side. Okay?”
 “…….”
 “Okay?”
 “Ow! That hurts! Why are you pinching me!”
 “I said Diana will always be by your side, didn’t I? You have to answer.”

 …Sometimes she wouldn’t listen.

 “Okay! For a little kid, your hands are so strong.”
 “Hehe. Yurian will always be with Diana too, okay?”
 “Yeah, do whatever you want.”

 She would pretend to give in when I pestered her.

 But the comfort was only temporary.
 I hated myself for not being able to do anything while watching Yurian struggle.

 Diana bit her nails and paced around the room. Why? Why? What is she suffering about?

 I comfort her like this. I’m always with her… Why?
 It’s also difficult to ask anyone. Because Yurian always has a kind and innocent smile when people are around.

 The only one who knows she’s suffering is me… Ah! There was that person.

 “Huh? The boys?”

 At first, I thought he was a boy who was as pretty as Yurian.
 Sir Ian always hangs out with us, and since he studies with us, he’s seen Yurian struggling a few times.

 He was kind to me, but strangely cold to Yurian. They always fought, but he was still a good person who worried about Yurian and told me about it.

 However, Sir Ian is a good but slightly strange person. She’s a woman, but she dresses like a man, talks like a man, and tries to act like a man.

 It was a little funny, but everyone else pretended not to notice, so I thought that’s how it was supposed to be here, and I pretended not to notice like everyone else.

 “Yes… well, yes. Sir Ian is a man, right? Maybe… he knows something?”

 I thought that Sir Ian, who acted like a man, might know better than me, so I asked. Sir Ian’s eyes darted around, as if she was flustered.

 “Uh… well… if it’s a boy… around my age… um~ I don’t know. Aren’t boys just like that because of puberty? Pubescent boys are all… hot? I’m sorry, Saintess! Please forget what I said!”

 Her voice was like she was reading from a book. Sir Ian was stuttering, as if she was reciting something she had memorized.

 “Sir Ian?”
 “Aaaah… Th, that is… I… I would never do that!”
 “Ah… okay.”
 “B, but why are you asking about this, Saintess…?”
 “It’s nothing!”

 Bang, I closed the door and ran into my room, collapsing onto the soft bed. No. Sir Ian is actually a girl. If Yurian is really like that… Sir Ian is in danger too.

 That evening, Diana ran to Yurian in a flash.

 “Yurian!”
 “Hm? Diana? …Huh!? Wh, what are you doing! Why are you taking off your clothes! H, hey? D, don’t come closer! Put your clothes back on! Ugh… Ughhh…”

 The first day was a little embarrassing. But it was okay.
 It was the image I had imagined all day when I was little… the image of a happy mom and dad from the books.

 Yurian, who had been disgusted at first, gradually changed her expression to embarrassment, shyness, and then joy as time went on.

 “Yurian. You only have Diana, right?”
 “Yeah. I only have Diana.”
 “Hehe. You’ll keep being with Diana, okay?”
 “Yeah, yeah.”

 The times she struggled also decreased little by little. And at some point, she stopped struggling altogether. That’s how it was… that’s how it definitely was.

 “Yurian?”
 “Ah, Diana. Sorry. What did you say?”

 That woman. That woman who was the administrator from the Empire was the problem. Because she started struggling again after meeting that woman.

 I was anxious.
 Diana couldn’t stay still because of the anxiety she hadn’t felt in a long time. I felt like I was going to lose Yurian if I stayed like this.

 Then one day.
 Diana, who was looking for Yurian because of her anxiety, saw it.

 Yurian entangled with a nun. So… I couldn’t stand it.

 I lied.

 “……It’s a lie, isn’t it? Diana knows everything. Mom and Dad did it there too.”

 Diana’s parents didn’t do that.
 The man who hanged himself and the woman who was butchered did it from behind when their lust built up. Just in case they had another child.

 But those people aren’t Diana’s parents.

 They weren’t my parents, but I lied and said they were.
 Diana felt guilty towards Yurian and herself. Sorry, Dad. Sorry, Mom. But please forgive me. It’s for Yurian.

 For Diana and Yurian. Because it’s for Diana’s Yurian, as always, my parents will forgive me.

 “Yurian?”
 “Ah. Um… I see. Diana’s parents did it from behind too… Ahem. Anyway, I’m not married to that woman, and I have no intention of marrying her.”

 I know.
 There’s no way Yurian would like such a vulgar woman. Because Yurian likes Diana. Because she’s mine.

 “……Liar. That woman has become precious to you, hasn’t she.”

 Even so, the reason I kept checking and wanting to hear it was… because I was anxious. The anxiety that maybe she would abandon me.

 “No. Diana is the most precious to me.”
 “…Dad said that too. Dad said Diana was the best, better than Mom, and hugged me. …But he went to Mom. He abandoned Diana.”

 Dad… Yurian left me. So I will never let go of the current Yurian.
 Yurian left with Diana, so the current Yurian is also mine.

 “Diana. Did your father… hug you naked?”
 “No.”
 “Only Diana was naked.”
 “……What?”
 “Dad said I was better than Mom and told me to grow up quickly. That I was the best. …But in the end, he went to Mom. He abandoned me.”

 I lied again.
 Because I could feel Yurian wavering.

 “Yurian, you won’t abandon me, right? Huh? I’m the best to you, right? You won’t go to that woman, right?”
 “Of course not. I told you, Diana is the best to me. Don’t worry.”
 “……Okay. But I’m anxious. You can’t abandon me.”

 I know that Yurian will never leave, but I keep checking. She’s mine. She’s my Yurian… I’m afraid she’ll leave like the man who hanged himself and the woman who was butchered. I’m afraid she’ll leave like Mom and Dad.

 “Diana.”
 “Hmm?”
 “By any chance, do you… think of me as your dad, or as a replacement for your dad… right?”

 Yurian isn’t my dad. Because my dad left with Diana.

 “No. Yurian is Yurian. I like you more than Dad. Much, much more.”
 “……Right?”

 At the same time, Yurian is the same as my dad. Different, but not different.

 “And I like you more because you’re like my dad.”
 “I see. Don’t worry, Diana. I won’t abandon you like your father did.”

 So, Yurian.
 I can’t wait anymore.

 “Okay! I like Yurian so much! So, do it with Diana too. From now on, let’s do it with Diana instead of that woman.”

* * *

 Contrary to her calm words, Diana’s body was stiff. Her blue eyes, which didn’t avoid mine, were trembling slightly, and her body, which I was holding, was stiff, but Diana didn’t stop.

 “Diana.”
 “So… so…”
 “Diana. It’s okay, calm down. It’s not your fault.”

 It’s not Diana’s fault. At least, that’s what I think.
 This child was just trying to comfort me. More than anything, listening to Diana’s words made me certain.

 ‘System. I don’t know if it’s a god or what, but in the end, the system holds all the keys.’

 It knew that I would be dragged into this game world, and it was even prepared for me to meet Diana.

 This child, who only looks at me, is not at fault. Even if she is, I’ll think she isn’t.

 “My past self said some good things. That I would always be with Diana. Right? I’m always on Diana’s side, so don’t cry.”
 “I’m sorry… I’m sorry. I, Diana… *sniff*.”
 “Oh my. Diana is a crybaby. What are you sorry about? You have nothing to be sorry for.”

 I hugged her shoulders and patted her back. It took quite a while for her trembling shoulders to calm down.

 “Sniff.”

 It was a serious situation, but why was the sound of her sniffing so cute? I bit my lip to barely hold back my laughter, and then I felt something dripping down my chin.

 “Yurian? Blood, blood from your mouth!”
 “Huh? Oh, I guess my lip got cut.”
 “*Sniff*. Yuriaaan. I’m sorry. Diana is sorry, *sob*.”
 “*Cough*.”

 I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at Diana, who was crying again.

 “Huh…? *Sniff*?”
 “Why… are you so cute? *Cough*.”

 Diana, with her teary, red eyes, sniffing and looking bewildered… was really cute.

 “Oh my, I can’t stand how cute you are. Why are you so cute, really?”
 “H, huh? Yurian? Weren’t you, weren’t you angry?”
 “I’m not angry at all. Come here, let’s give our crybaby a kiss.”

 I grabbed Diana’s waist so she couldn’t run away and pressed my lips against hers. She usually jumps at me when I do this, but for some reason, she was flustered and twisting her body, and then there was a snap, and an enormous pain surged through me.

 “……!!”

 They say that when it hurts too much, you can’t even make a sound, and it’s true. I could only open and close my mouth for a moment because of the enormous pain I felt from my clone. Diana tilted her head and looked down, her eyes widening.

 “Huh? Yurian. Why, why does it look like the angle is weird?”

 The feeling of her soft flesh tightening around me was enough to make me feel like I was going to die. My mind went blank, and I could only wave my hand for a moment. Diana slowly raised her body, and the thing that had been half-stuck in me flopped out.

 …With the middle snapped in half.

 “Kyaaak! Yurian!”
 “Ugh… Ughhh!!”
 “Wh, what is it! Saintess? Gasp!”

 ……It’s an unfamiliar ceiling. Where am I?