The Girl Wants to Be Murdered

TL/Editor: Butter Cat

Status: 4/week mon-thurs

Illustrations: none

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〈 Chapter 106 〉 Side Story: Elegy

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**

From the very moment I first met those beautiful eyes, eyes reminiscent of a lush, green forest, that reflected my own face.

"Remi, this is your little sister. You should say hello, shouldn’t you?"

"....My, little sister."

I instinctively knew.

My life.

My everything.

—Tap.

"—I want to name her."

"...Hmm?"

Would revolve around this child.

I opened my mouth to speak.

What came to mind was the name of the brave and witty protagonist from my favorite fairy tale.

Changing that name just a little, I spontaneously named my little sister.

"Aris, yes, I like that name."

And the moment I uttered that name, I felt a connection to this child.

A pleasant sense of belonging washed over me.

"Hello, Aris."

"—, —?"

—Poke.

I gently poked the tempting, chubby cheek of my little sister, Aris, with my other hand.

As soon as my finger made contact, her snow-white cheek dimpled inward.

A soft, fluffy sensation, like poking a cloud, met my fingertips, and something indescribable welled up inside my chest.

Dozens of words meaning happiness, joy, wonder, and delight gradually filled my mind.

My little sister.

My own, lovely little sister.

In a world that had seemed so inorganic, a star was born.

I felt ecstatic, as if I could fly.

**

Every single day was a continuation of happy moments.

Even just looking at each other and smiling brought me so much joy.

How regretful and heartless the passing of time and the setting sun seemed, unaware of my wish for those moments to last a little longer.

Yes.

It was such an incredibly happy time.

"—The Crown Princess Anna might kill Princess Aris!"

Until I heard those words.

**

By the time I arrived there, everything was already too late.

At the edge of the cliff, Aris was slowly stepping backward, clutching the blade of a sword that had pierced through her body.

The clothes that were pure white without a stain this morning had turned crimson with blood, and for some reason, bright red blood kept pouring from Aris’s lips as she stared at me with dazed eyes.

In front of her stood the culprit, the one who must have done this to Aris.

Anna Akaia stood there, her face a mask of shock and despair.

My decision was swift.

Bam—!

"────Ariiiiiiiiiis!!"

I bolted forward with all my might.

Even though my leg muscles felt like they were melting, and my lungs were being torn apart, I pushed past my body’s limits, running like mad.

The cumbersome outer garments and my sword had already been tossed to the ground.

I didn’t care about the voices calling my name from behind, ignoring the woman who had done this, yet had the gall to act as if she didn’t know what was going on with that pretentious face. I just kept running forward.

I ran and ran.

"Ah—"

Aris’s body slowly started to tip backwards.

And at the place where Aris’s body is heading was a sheer cliff that seemed dozens of meters high, and a frigid, swift current waiting below.

Even a healthy adult would have difficulty surviving once swept away by those raging rapids.

It was all too obvious what would happen if a child, unable even to steady herself, were to fall in.

Yes.

If this continued, without a doubt—Aris would die.

That can’t happen.

I can’t allow something like that to happen.

"—Aaaahhh!!"

I approached at the fastest speed I could possibly reach, and extended my hand towards Aris───

—And.

"—No──!!"

".........."

───My hand, of course, did not reach her.

Just because of the difference of a single hand span, a distance I could have easily reached if I had just tried a little harder.

Just because of a tiny difference in timing, a consequence of me not training and honing my abilities diligently.

My hand merely cut through empty air, where there was nothing to grab.

Aris, without anything to hold onto, slowly fell off the edge of the sheer cliff.

Alongside a few loose stones rolling off with a dull thud.

Aris, alone, fell towards the bottom of the dangerous cliff where fierce currents swirled───

──Falling, you say?

"—!"

I didn’t stop.

My body moved before my thoughts could catch up.

Even if I had closed my eyes and thought it over for a long time, I would likely have done the exact same thing.

This was, for me, a matter so obvious it didn't require even a moment's consideration.

Aris is falling.

In that case, there is nothing else I should do but one thing.

—Thud!

"—Aris!!"

"....?!"

I threw myself off the cliff, straight toward Aris, who was already plummeting.

I could see her eyes, unable to focus, wobbling here and there, locked on me in shock as she realized I had leapt off the cliff with her.

Even her startled expression looked adorable to me, and I stretched both arms toward Aris with a bright expression.

My little sister's hand that I couldn't catch just now, the hand that I had to let slip away.

"This time, I won't let go—!!"

"....!!"

Grab──!

And this time, I managed to grasp that hand firmly.

I had no regrets.

There was no way I could have any.

Just like that.

Aris and I fell below the cliff.

"—Remi unni is such an idiot."

"Hehe. But, I couldn't help it."

"...You’re really an idiot."

We looked at each other and smiled brightly.

Splash—!

The frigid current swept us away.

**

The winter rapids felt like they were slicing through my skin.

With the unconscious Aris on my back, I crawled along the riverbank littered with sharp stones and pebbles, relying on the faint moonlight.

Swept downstream so quickly, my body slammed into rocks and branches over and over, making it a miracle I was still alive. Yet I fought the urge to pass out by biting my tongue, thinking of my little sister’s face behind me.

I needed to find someone, quickly.

I had to save Aris.

".......!!"

I kept using my arms, pressing onward.

But of course, my limit soon arrived.

"........."

Thud. At some point, my arms simply stopped moving.

Perhaps because I had lost so much body heat. From my panting mouth, not even a white mist formed anymore.

Even though I struggled to move my hands through the pain, all my trembling fingers could do was scrape weakly at the sand beneath me.

My whole body felt heavy, as if weighed down by lead, and my eyelids were drooping persistently like someone who hadn’t slept in days.

Like a candle flame flickering in the wind.

A life about to be extinguished.

—Tap.

"....A child?"

Perhaps it was a stroke of luck that I was still conscious enough to notice the sudden change.

My eyes, which had been barely open, just enough for a sliver of light to pass through, were about to close.

Suddenly, a shadow fell across me.

The wind, which had been blowing fiercely until a moment ago, also stopped as if blocked by someone.

Who could it be?

—Swish.

".......Ah?"

"..........."

I lifted my head.

And there, silhouetted against the moonlight, stood a dark figure looking down on me.

A person, maybe?

Not a hallucination, right?

I quickly reached out.

—Grab!

"My little sister....please, save her....."

"........."

"Please, help… my, little sister…"

As if the previous moment when I’d thought I had no strength left to even move a finger was a lie, I was able to quickly grab the legs of the figure standing before me.

Perhaps surprised that someone on the verge of death would suddenly grab them like this, the owner of those legs flinched at my touch.

Feeling that lively response, it seemed that it wasn't a hallucination, fortunately.

Though that being tried to pull their leg back as if to shake off my hand, I used all my remaining strength to firmly hold onto that ankle so as not to lose it.

I couldn’t let go of the lifeline I had finally found.

I had to save Aris.

"I, I can, die, but.....please....ple, please....!"

"....Huu."

A deep sigh reached my ears.

Lifting my head with difficulty at that utterly emotionless sigh, I saw a pair of glowing red eyes glaring at me.

They were bright red, as if made from coagulated blood.

And those pupils, like a beast's, were vertically slit.

Those horrifying eyes, which made my skin crawl just by looking at them, were coldly gazing down at me, sprawled like a bug at their feet, clinging to their ankles.

Instinctively, fear welled up inside me.

Can those, truly be called human eyes.

They looked like the eyes that monsters in stories were said to have.

"Ah—"

The monster spoke.

"—Did you see my eyes."

"....Ah."

My entire body froze.

Like a frog caught in a snake's gaze, I couldn't move.

My instincts screamed at me to run away from this unknown person before me, as fast as possible.

That this was my natural predator, a monster wearing a human’s skin.

—Grip!

"Ple, please save my little si, sister...!"

"........."

But, I did not let go of my grip on them.

That was partly because I didn't have the strength to run away, but the biggest reason was that this being before me was the only one capable of saving Aris.

Be it a monster or a devil, it didn’t matter who it was.

As long as they could save Aris, I would give them even my soul.

"......."

The blood-red eyes twitched briefly upon seeing me like that.

—Squeeeeeze!

"........."

"Ke, keuk——! Ki, kaak!?"

The figure who had been silently watching me in the darkness reached out a hand towards me.

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