Volume 2 - CH 11

Renas-sama continued with his story.

“The first thing my father did was to teach Greed how to speak. Then he took him to the outside world.”

It seems that Greed-sama was almost a hikikomori until Priest Lyell-sama arrived. Therefore neighbors never saw Greed-sama’s appearance and never knew the fact that he was neglected. Or although they thought it was strange, perhaps in their consciousness, they must have thought that it is troublesome to become involved.

“I remember, everyone was surprised when they saw Father and me tugging Greed’s hands.” Renas-sama snickered.

“Although his parents fed and dressed him, his clothes were rather loose-fitting and did not match him. In order to fix his appearance, we prepared shoes and brought it out, but his hair was long and combined with his appearance, he looked like a girl.”

Apparently Greed-sama had been good-looking from childhood. Wearing loose-fitting clothes and having a long hair, he would indeed look like a girl, but imagining him being led by the hand, it kinda looks a little moe.

“It was at that time when my family came to the village. We originally lived from another city.”

Milly-sama suddenly interjected.

I think I can understand why these three childhood friends have always been together.

Renas-sama and Milly-sama are newcomers in a close-knit village. The others, especially the children, must have been vigilant upon seeing the two of them entering the village. Greed-sama have stayed at the village for a long time, but since with the lack of interaction with other children, he is also regarded no less than a newcomer. They could not get along with them. It was inevitable that the three of them would be together.

And yet…… I inwardly added.

The three of them have gorgeous appearance. The other children felt awkward and did not approach them, and that must be one of the reasons. I, who is mob-faced and mediocre, can understand the feelings of those village children. If they are beside them, they would only enhance the beauty of the three! They would not want to get close.

……By the way, I also feel like that right now. Because I am surrounded by Princess Louise, who is said to be the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, and the good-looking couple Milly-sama and Renas-sama!

However, since I am now already an adult, I cannot avoid them even if I feel diffident.

And, how do I say this? It seems that I am getting used to this situation. Since I was often surrounded by beautiful people for many days, perhaps I got immune.

I am fed up with these beautiful people after three days!

—But I think something is different! After pointing out its ridiculousness, I asked about Greed-sama and his parents ever since Lyell-sama came to the village, which is I am more concerned about . . . in the hopes that the environment has improved even a little.

But when I saw Renas-sama and Milly-sama shrugging their shoulders, I realized it was not the case.

When the parents saw that they are fine after touching Greed-sama, they were gradually relieved of their fear and began to interact with him little by little.

—But it was too late for them to create their bonds.

At first glance it looked like they have a normal parent-child relationship, but emotional feelings towards his parents did not grow within Greed-sama’s heart, and although his parents’ fear have decreased, they still felt a lingering fear and handled him like a fragile thing. And the worst thing was they began to speak in front of him unlike before wherein they speak at a distance away from Greed-sama.

“Why was I born with such power?”

“There must be a meaning behind why you are born with it. Otherwise, we won’t have a child who has power like you.”

—For Greed-sama, those words must have sounded like denial. That’s why.

“I am here today because of whatever reason, and without it, I would not have come into existence.”

It seems that those words were engraved in Greed-sama’s mind. And after receiving his designation as a Hero, he arrived at an answer—

“The reason for my existence is to defeat the Demon King.”

Awww, my heart kind of hurt for him. I wonder if he fought as he thought of that.

He grew up thinking that there is a reason for his existence, and upon being chosen as the hero, he then thought that defeating the Demon King is the reason why he was born—

……That is too sad.

I want to tell him that it’s not like what he thinks. No, I think Renas-sama had reassured him over and over again but…… he does not need a reason in order to exist. Greed-sama’s friends must have thought that Greed-sama should just be himself— But I, who only regard Greed-sama as a hero, am not qualified to say that . . .

“That’s why we are grateful for you, Aria.”

Renas-sama smiled at me and suddenly said it. Beside him, Milly-sama also looked at me and beamed.

“Because of falling in love with you, Greed was able to find his reason to live other than beating the Demon King.”

“Aria’s existence saved Greed from his parent’s cursed words. We are really grateful.”

“No, no, that’s kind of……”

I became flustered. Indeed, I haven’t done anything. So I am honestly bothered by their appreciation.

Besides, even if they tell me that he found a new reason to live when he fell in love with me, I feel somewhat pressured because I’m just a mob…… I do not have good looks to accept it.

……That’s why, ne~. Actually, I can understand a little about the feelings of Greed-sama’s parents. Feelings of confusion and fear. The feelings that I myself have experienced.

On the other hand, however, I do not want Greed-sama to think that “there is no meaning to his existence without possessing power.”

Am I inconsistent?

Ahhh, my mind is going around in circles. Guru-guru-guru.

My thoughts and feelings could not catch up upon knowing a lot of things.

I wonder if he understands his own situation, Princess suddenly asked.

“It seems that Aria is very, very overwhelmed.”

So why don’t we call it a night already?

The speech and tone implied that kind of nuance. At Princess’s words, Renas-sama and Milly-sama looked at me and smiled.

“Well, we certainly talked a lot.”

“Our conversation is almost finished. After this, we want Aria to know Greed better and judge him for herself.”

With my feelings becoming uncertain as my mind went round in circles, I nodded in reply to Renas-sama’s words.

“Now that he is finally feeling emotions as much as anyone else, he is still not used to it. That’s why he may bewilder you, Aria. But he is not a bad guy.”

I nodded. I perfectly understand that Greed-sama is not a bad person.

“He will never hurt you.”

I also nodded in agreement when I heard this. The HP of my heart was severely reduced, but I know that Greed-sama will never hurt me. . . Because his hand that touched me is very gentle.

……Thinking back, that has been like that from the start.

At the start when I wanted him to help the princess, when I clung at Greed-sama who just arrived at the castle, his hand that touched to appease me was very gentle and caring. I was in a daze at that time, but later on, I thought of him as a kind and nice person.

I was about to carelessly forget it nowadays!

However, the affection that sprouted at that time was never forgotten in the depths of my heart, that is why I cannot flatly shrug off that kind of affection that has taken root in my heart, even though I am unnerved by the marriage proposal.

Him being a hero, matters regarding the kingdom, the pressure from the the people around me, it’s not because of those reasons…… But because I have taken a liking for Greed-sama. [T/N: Good job, Greed! *slaps shoulder*]

……I’m troubled. Very troubled.

An undeniable liking. But it is like, not love. [T/N: Oh…]

That’s what I think….. Am I right? Well, I do not know well because I have never fallen in love, but I think that it is different from liking and fondness…… But that’s my second-hand knowledge from the novels.

—Like a heroine of a love story, does my heart throb for Greed-sama?

I asked my heart.

……It indeed throbs! But it is not that kind of throbbing, it is the kind of throbbing when anticipating what will happen next and what I should do!

—Am I always thinking about Greed-sama? Does that person never leave my mind?

……Never leaves! Yes, I certainly think about him all the time! Because all the problems I’m facing right now are caused by Greed-sama!

—Wait, what?

As I contradict my own heart, I was at a loss.

……Which is it?

Whether if it’s like or love, my own heart can’t understand——it is a solid development in the cliched love story but, something is different……

……It seems I can’t be the heroine.

But the only thing I know is that—I am moved by affection. I can see where the scales of like and love are tilting!

Frightening me first with powers and natural disasters and weapons then telling me a tearful story, I can smell something fishy from their strange strategy……

However, Renas-sama and Milly-sama’s series of explanations has definitely made “Operation: Move Aria’s Heart” a huge success. Look, hearing those stories, can I still be able to stay emotionally distant like I have been before?

……I don’t think so.

I sent off Renas-sama and Milly-sama back to their rooms, and as I return back to my work and took care of the princess, I thought about a lot of things. The Princess have glanced at me from time to time, but being immersed in my sea of thoughts, I failed to notice it.

In the end, I thought about the stories I heard from Renas-sama and Milly-sama during the day. Even after I finished my work and turned in for the night, I deeply thought about it. About Greed-sama, about myself.

——However, just as I was having a sleepless night, something was moving in the darkness of the night outside the castle.

“Is it possible for someone to know the barriers made by human beings?”

A chuckle resounded in the dark.

“Although Noir-sama told me not to go scouting alone…… I’m bored…… Maybe I could play a little?”

—An amused voice of a boy who seemed to have found an interesting toy echoed in the darkness.