Chapter 124.3

Chapter 124.3

[Part 3/4]

The day before her brother was taken away. The food offered in exchange for a down payment. White rice that she hadn't had in a long time, the taste of miso that she looked forward to, it was the first time there were side dishes other than pickles... She didn't notice the heavy atmosphere around her. She shamelessly asked for seconds.

And even more so, she had pestered her brother for sweets that only he had, even though she had nothing to trade.

'Th-That's... I...!'

'Is that so? Even after I disappeared, you pretended to cry and gulped down the food, didn't you? It tasted good, right? The food you sold me for.'

It was true. The porridge she had sobbed into while eating was unbelievably delicious.

'While I was hurt and being whipped, what were you doing? You were relying on other family members, weren't you? Even working in the fields was hard for you, so you became a maid, right?'

'N-No, that's not... I never thought of such things...!!?'

As she screamed, her words ceased at that point. Was that really true? Could that really be true? When she was taken as a maid to the Hotoya family, what did she think? How did she feel about the work? Did she think it was much easier than endlessly digging up the frozen soil, much easier than getting muddy and planting rice?

'You're a sinner because you abandoned your friends, too. You also didn't do anything when your master was in danger, right?'

'You abandoned them.'

'You abandoned them, yeah.'

'You threw them away.'

'Ah, agh...!!?"

She suddenly realized that countless gazes were peeking through the gaps in the windows, through the gaps in the doors. Terrified by that gruesome sight, in the midst of it all, the person she had relied on the most wouldn't help her anymore. No, he wouldn't help her.

Her older brother just confronted her. Confronted her reality. Her sins. He accused her with intensity and accusation in his words.

'In the end... you showed me again how you can push me into hell, right?'

In her vision, the figure in front of her had, through his voice alone, somehow taken on what he held and covered his face with it. It was the mask of a demon, the mask of a Hannya. Worn and torn, dressed in black attire stained with blood, the man behind the mask bellowed, using her brother's voice.

'No way, I never thought you'd abandon me twice.'

Confronted by him, in the form of her brother's voice, the girl screamed as if she had gone mad...

...

...

...

(Is Advisor-sama trying to distance us?)

Suzune had often wondered about this since they became connected with the Onitsuki family. The previous lady of the house seemed to care a lot for their lord, like a mother does for her child. Yet, she attempted to keep her and Iruka at arm's length, using weak excuses... or at least, that's how it appeared.

"No, that's just stupid..."

What reason could there be? If their lord were a man, the reason might have been somewhat indecent, but she understood that. It was a well-known rumor among the maids that powerful elderly widows kept handsome young boys as pets for such purposes. Suzune had even suspected that the old woman was keeping that handsome boy around for such a purpose. She wouldn't say it out loud, of course...

"Hah."

Reflecting on things so deeply, Suzune couldn't help but mock herself. She disliked how she was getting caught up in other people's dramas. After all, wasn't it a fact? She had no authority to judge others. When she considered her brother, her friend, her lord, and even that servant, she realized she had no grounds to pass any judgment.

(Oh... I'm truly ugly.)

Was she trying to portray herself as pure and innocent, as a victim? In reality, it was the opposite. Whether she knew it or not, she had often taken advantage of people. She had used them to climb higher. She had even sacrificed them. That's how she was, and...

"...?"

"You're making quite a moody face. Your cute face is being wasted."

"Could you please stop pulling on my cheek?"

Suzune gave Iruka a stern look as she played with her cheek. Don't ruin the atmosphere.

"Hehehe, my bad."

Iruka laughed playfully and let go of Suzune's cheek as instructed. Then, she continued.

"I can pretty much guess what you're thinking. Don't dwell on negative things too much. From my perspective, problems tend to resolve themselves quietly over time."

"Well, that's your opinion."

Suzune's initial resistance dissipated with Iruka's warm smile. She sighed deeply. Could she not win against someone like an idiot?

"You're just overthinking things. ...I also share the blame for the mess, so if it's difficult for you to bring it up, should I just go on a trip instead? Now that I'm back by her side as an attendant, I could seize the opportunity and talk to her."

"Please stop that... I'll handle my own affairs."

Out of kindness, Suzune immediately rejected Iruka's suggestion. She didn't want to use her friend for her own problems. She didn't want to become such a coward.

"You and your brother are both so stubborn, really."

"Did you say something?"

"Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself."

Suzune tilted her head at Iruka's murmur, and Iruka chuckled intentionally.