"What? Really? That fu…"
With what was happening outside at the moment, it wasn't hard to convince Emma that her father had gone out to check on the situation.
"Aih… why did he just leave without telling me anything? He hasn't changed at all…"
She grumbled several times, but in the end, she gave up and accepted the situation.
It was good that she did.
As I listened to her mutter and groan about her father's sudden disappearance, I felt a pang of guilt rise up inside of me.
It wasn't so much from the fact that I... or the other me, had killed Waylan, but rather from the fact that now the two people whom she cared for the most had both passed away.
Her life…
It was really pitiful when one thought about it.
'Should I tell her the truth later, or should I just change her memories?'
I didn't think the second option was feasible.
Whether or not I made an effort to conceal the information from her, she was going to find out about her father's disappearance in one way or another.
'How should I tell her the news?'
That was the biggest problem.
I couldn't just tell her that her father was someone known as the Protector of the Seat of Diligence and was the one responsible for the deaths of millions of humans.
He was also the same person who murdered her mother once he realized she was no longer of any use to him, and the only reason he kept her close to him was because of her talent, which was worth nurturing.
'She always did seem to lag a bit behind the others… I guess he must've slowed down her path forward on purpose.'
"Ugh."
I groaned and ruffled my hair.
The situation was more troublesome than I anticipated.
'If only Kevin was here…'
He was the one who was good at handling these types of matters.
"What are you going to do now?"
Overhearing Emma's voice, I turned to look at her. Her expression seemed to have recovered, and her eyes were on me.
I pursed my lips.
"I think I'll go back. I got what I wanted already."
"Oh, I see."
Emma nodded her head.
"Do you want me to follow you out?"
"No, it's okay."
I shook my head, refusing her offer. To be honest, I'd rather not interact with her at the moment. I found myself struggling to think of how to break the news of her father's passing to her.
In the end, I chose to leave and think of the solution later.
'I'm sure I can think of a way…'
My expectations weren't very high.
"Alright then. I won't see you out."
We parted ways not long after that, Emma and I both. After reappearing right in front of her mansion, I turned around and looked back at it while sighing.
This really was...
Troublesome.
***
"You're back?"
I saw was Amanda. She seemed happy to see me. She had her hair pulled back into a
like this brought a
after what I just went
"Are you cooking something?"
"Mhm."
didn't give it
know how she felt, despite not showing it
That being said…
to be
"Oh, that?"
Amanda's body paused.
she turned her head,
tried to call you several times, but
"You did?"
my phone and noticed several missed calls. I smiled wryly
This was my bad.
"What happened after that?"
"Nothing much."
her shoulders,
you were busy since you're
"That's fair."
"hum."
into the kitchen, Amanda returned with a large cake in her hands. It was not very big, about the size of a football, and
at the sight,
I liked cakes.
leaned back on the sofa. Pondering over something,
you don't seem surprised
seen far
looked at me
happening was harmless and the mana density increased, I went back to
suddenly pursed her lips, and her
it because of
rather resentful
"Oh."
head and took a small slice of
rather good. She had come a long way from the times when she would add far too much cinnamon to her
It was very sweet…
"You've improv―"
sentence. Looking at Amanda's plate, which was filled to
This girl...
gaze, Amanda brought her spoon to my
"You want some?"
I still have my own
"Oh."
my plate
that enough
"You don't think?"
size was what someone would call normal. In comparison to hers, which
a glutton, and where did all of
I looked at Amanda, she seemed to be as fit as ever. Rather, it seemed that she had lost
'What's going on?'
"Hold up."
"Hm?"
She brought her finger, which
at her in complete bewilderment, and as if she could
your food. It's rude to look
"Haa… alright."
took
some reason, it tasted a
***
"Do you resent me?"
came abruptly, and I had
on to visit my family and saw my dad sitting on the sofa with the lights turned off. Apparently, Nola and Mom had gone
you mean. Resent you? Why would
on the sofa and looked directly
despite my best efforts, I couldn't
people I could never find myself able
sure you know this, but I find it very hard to express myself. It's something I've been trying to work on for quite
wasn't one to express his emotions often. He
him that I
and I don't think
express himself for me to understand that he
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