With a snap, I opened my eyes.
I found myself in a room. The Baron’s mansion where I’ve been recently… No, this is different.
Dirty walls covered in black mold.
Silverfish insect crawling around here and there.
Flooring with gaps and cracks made of uneven wooden planks.
A room with no windows.
But the light seeping through gaps in the walls and ceiling gave the room an unintentional brightness.
Ah, this is my room from my past life.
The storage room in the last house that was entrusted to Aihara Runa.
So, that means…
This is a dream.
A lucid dream, I suppose.
I, or rather Aihara Runa, stretched and relaxed the body, which had grown stiff from sleeping on the hard floor.
I took in a lungful of dusty air and took a deep breath.
Folding the thin towel blanket away, I changed into my school uniform.
And then, I headed to school just like that.
I avoided the main building.
Because I could clearly see what kind of punishment would await me.
*step step step step*
My feet moved on their own accord.
It feels strange, somehow.
In this dream, I’m experiencing everything from Aihara Runa’s perspective.
I can’t move my body.
It feels like I’m just reliving the memories of that time.
Right now, this dream world seems to be at the end of summer, maybe.
Summer break has ended, school has started again. That kind of season.
A clear blue sky, puffy cumulonimbus clouds were drifting here and there.
The occasional breeze was cool and comfortable.
It seems it rained last night, there are puddles here and there.
Unable to use a mirror at home, Runa tidied her hair using the water in one of these puddles.
A futile effort.
No matter how much she tried to adjust it, her stubborn bedhead returned instantly.
Messy hair, rough skin, slender limbs, a wrinkled uniform.
She looks so disheveled, nothing like a typical high school girl.
Oh well, nothing I can do anymore!
She smiled sweetly and gave up tidying her hair.
That’s right, that’s how it was.
When I was Aihara Runa, I could smile.
‘They say if you smile, you’ll feel happy or something like that.’
After hearing such vague rumors from who knows where, I always made an effort to keep a smile on my face.
In the end, I think that just made people around find me creepy.
At a park water faucet on the way to school, I wash my face.
Yup, refreshing!
Thump.
Huh?
“Ah! Not good! She has noticed!”
“Run! Run away!”
It seems some cheeky elementary school kid with their backpack threw a stone at me.
Good grief, it can’t be helped!
Aihara Runa was a magnanimous girl, so she’d just laugh and forgive such mischievous behavior.
Protesting would be pointless anyway.
I arrived at school.
And there was no indoor shoes.
No choice but to use the visitor slippers.
The public service officer gave me a glare when he saw, but I pretended not to notice.
I head to the classroom.
There was a vase on my desk.
Wow, someone I don’t know must’ve arranged flowers for me!
How pretty! Must be some wildflowers from around here!
*smile* *smile*
I wonder who did this?
I need to be careful on how I handle this.
I want to tidy up, but if I touch them carelessly…
‘Why are you cleaning up after I took the effort to arrange them?!’
They might scold me like that, right?
What should I do?
“Good morning!”
“Morning, Misa-chan!”
My classmates greeted each other with smiles.
I also smiled. *smile*
Aihara Runa was a considerate girl, after all.
Being the only gloomy girl and ruining the classroom’s atmosphere wasn’t an option.
No one has ever talked to me, but for the time being, *smile*!
“All right… Morning assembly…”
Our homeroom teacher arrived.
What was the teacher’s name again? I forgot.
“… Hey, Aihara. What’s that on your desk?”
Oh dear, I’ve caught the teacher’s attention.
“It’s flowers.”
“Anyone can see that! Why do you have flowers on your desk? Are you messing around? You brat!!”
I’m not a brat, though.
“I’m sorry.”
“It is not ‘I’m sorry’, you know?!”
“I apologize.”
“That’s not it!”
The teacher approached, seething with anger. He strode over from the teacher podium to Runa’s desk, grabbed her messy hair, and forcefully made her stand out of her chair.
“When you apologize, do it like this! You little punk! Do you think you’ll be forgiven for acting like an idiot? Huh!?”
Then, with force, he pushed her head down and made her kneel on the floor.
“First period is Japanese history. My class. It’s perfect. You stay like that. Don’t you dare move.”
The teacher returned to the podium and started taking attendance as if nothing had happened.
My classmates carried on, indifferent to whatever might have happened to me.
This was Aihara Runa’s everyday life.
From as long as I could remember until my soul was harvested to another world, this was how my days continued.
Runa’s father was a criminal.
He apparently killed many people.
I had heard stories about how people talk about the children of criminals.
However, that didn’t begin to describe the harshness of Aihara Runa’s daily life.
From all sides, everyone was an enemy.
She was physically and mentally abused every day, all while desperately keeping a smile on her face.
What were those days back then?
In modern-day Japan, where a sense of human rights should have been developed, I was the only one that never get protected.
Looking back on it now, it was an abnormal situation.
In the end, Runa wasn’t allowed to stop kneeling, and she continued through her Japanese history class just like that.
Break time arrived.
Unusually, a male student approached Runa to talk.
The class leader, Suzudo Shota.
“Aihara-san, I need to talk to you.”
“What?”
*smile*
“Since yesterday, Sasaki-san’s Japanese textbook has gone missing. … You steal it, right?”
“Huh?”
Behind Suzudo-kun stood a petite, shy girl named Sasaki, glaring at Runa tremulously.
“Aihara-san, please return it quickly. We won’t make it to the next class on time.”
“That’s right, Aihara! Give it back!”
“Poor Sasaki-san…”
Even if you said that…
Runa-chan never stole something?
It was an entirely baseless accusation.
Why Runa was assumed to be the culprit was a mystery.
Usually, every bad situation would be pinned on Runa, without any reason.
The world around Runa was built like that.
With no idea whatsoever about Sasaki-san’s Japanese textbook, Runa was left puzzled and just smiled for the time being.
Ah, I remembered.
Come to think of it, something like this had happened before.
Afterward, I was summoned to the student guidance counselor’s office and got beaten up by the teacher in charge of the student guidance.
But when I returned to the classroom, Sasaki-san’s textbook was properly back in her locker. She had simply forgotten it.
Ah, how relieving, a happy ending. And so, that story was over.
Of course, there were no apologies to me or anything like that.
Oh well, couldn’t be helped. *smile*
After that, in the hallway, upperclassmen would pick fights with me and use violence again.
On the way home, when I was all battered and beaten, a police officer found me. It became a story of how I had fought with someone.
And I was taken in for questioning.
Then, I was taken into custody.
And then at home, I was beaten up again by my “family.”
It was a day like any other.
In Aihara Runa’s life, this day was relatively manageable.
Anyway, my past life was always like this.
With no allies, I tried to stay positive as much as I could, smiling through my efforts.
Allies…
Oh yeah, come to think of it, there was one person who helped me.
But they disappeared almost immediately, and I couldn’t see them anymore.
What was that child’s name again…?
***
I blinked and opened my eyes.
What came into view was a room in the baron’s mansion where I had been staying recently… right?
The walls were clean, well-maintained and without any mold.
There was no silverfish insect, or at least I have never seen it in this world.
The wooden floor, although a bit old-fashioned, didn’t have any gaps.
While small, there was a window.
And sunlight entered through the windows, making it a proper bright room.
I woke up.
“Yawn~…”
I raised myself up from the bed and stretched a bit.
Involuntarily, a yawn escaped my mouth.
Ugh, I had a terrible dream.
The worst awakening.
Being reborn in this world, I still faced persecution and had a somewhat tough life.
But compared to my past life, it felt much easier.
Because in this life, even though they were few, I had allies.
There is Omake-sama.
My master was also there.
And Sara-chan too…
“Nn!!?”
That’s right! Sara-chan!
What happened to Sara-chan!?
What about baron-sama!? Everyone!? The mansion!?
<… Hnn, Yawn~ … Ha!? Oh, Emmy! You woke up, didn’t you!?>
Ah, Omake-sama!
Hey, after I defeated the Queen, took in the poison, and collapsed, what happened!? Is Sara-chan safe!?
<Ca-Calm down, Emmy. I share your sense. Things that happened after you collapsed, I don’t know anything!>
I hurriedly jumped out of bed.
It seemed I had been changed into clean sleepwear.
I did a bit of stretching and open-close my palms together.
Yeah, everything’s moving fine.
Rather, I am in a perfect condition? Compared to before, somehow, I feel in a much better shape?
<Considering the intense battle you went through. You’ve undergone another transformation, it seems. You’re getting stronger. Congratulations, Emmy.>
Thank you, Omake-sama!
But right now, that doesn’t matter!
Sara-chan, when I last saw her, she had collapsed. What happened!?
And how about this, and that, and!!
*groooowl*
Wha-!? What’s this? This overwhelming hunger!?
<As I’ve explained before, it’s a side effect of your body’s transformation. This time, you experienced a life-threatening battle, absorbed the Queen’s flesh, and used up almost all of your magic power. Your body’s undergoing significant changes, and that comes with intense side effects…>
Ahh, seriously, those explanations can wait! I’m starving! My stomach is so empty!
For now, I greedily devoured the flowers arranged in a nearby vase. I even drank the water in the vase.
Ugh, it tastes awful! And it’s not nearly enough!!
… Wait, no!
Being hungry can wait! I’ll get the hearty meal later!
Where’s Sara-chan!?
I perked up my ears.
It seems that people have gathered on the second floor, in Sara-chan’s room.
For the time being, I decided to head there.
Still in my sleepwear, I rushed out of the room.
With a snap, I opened my eyes.
I found myself in a room. The Baron’s mansion where I’ve been recently… No, this is different.
Dirty walls covered in black mold.
Silverfish insect crawling around here and there.
Flooring with gaps and cracks made of uneven wooden planks.
A room with no windows.
But the light seeping through gaps in the walls and ceiling gave the room an unintentional brightness.
Ah, this is my room from my past life.
The storage room in the last house that was entrusted to Aihara Runa.
So, that means…
This is a dream.
A lucid dream, I suppose.
I, or rather Aihara Runa, stretched and relaxed the body, which had grown stiff from sleeping on the hard floor.
I took in a lungful of dusty air and took a deep breath.
Folding the thin towel blanket away, I changed into my school uniform.
And then, I headed to school just like that.
I avoided the main building.
Because I could clearly see what kind of punishment would await me.
*step step step step*
My feet moved on their own accord.
It feels strange, somehow.
In this dream, I’m experiencing everything from Aihara Runa’s perspective.
I can’t move my body.
It feels like I’m just reliving the memories of that time.
Right now, this dream world seems to be at the end of summer, maybe.
Summer break has ended, school has started again. That kind of season.
A clear blue sky, puffy cumulonimbus clouds were drifting here and there.
The occasional breeze was cool and comfortable.
It seems it rained last night, there are puddles here and there.
Unable to use a mirror at home, Runa tidied her hair using the water in one of these puddles.
A futile effort.
No matter how much she tried to adjust it, her stubborn bedhead returned instantly.
Messy hair, rough skin, slender limbs, a wrinkled uniform.
She looks so disheveled, nothing like a typical high school girl.
Oh well, nothing I can do anymore!
She smiled sweetly and gave up tidying her hair.
That’s right, that’s how it was.
When I was Aihara Runa, I could smile.
‘They say if you smile, you’ll feel happy or something like that.’
After hearing such vague rumors from who knows where, I always made an effort to keep a smile on my face.
In the end, I think that just made people around find me creepy.
At a park water faucet on the way to school, I wash my face.
Yup, refreshing!
Thump.
Huh?
“Ah! Not good! She has noticed!”
“Run! Run away!”
It seems some cheeky elementary school kid with their backpack threw a stone at me.
Good grief, it can’t be helped!
Aihara Runa was a magnanimous girl, so she’d just laugh and forgive such mischievous behavior.
Protesting would be pointless anyway.
I arrived at school.
And there was no indoor shoes.
No choice but to use the visitor slippers.
The public service officer gave me a glare when he saw, but I pretended not to notice.
I head to the classroom.
There was a vase on my desk.
Wow, someone I don’t know must’ve arranged flowers for me!
How pretty! Must be some wildflowers from around here!
*smile* *smile*
I wonder who did this?
I need to be careful on how I handle this.
I want to tidy up, but if I touch them carelessly…
‘Why are you cleaning up after I took the effort to arrange them?!’
They might scold me like that, right?
What should I do?
“Good morning!”
“Morning, Misa-chan!”
My classmates greeted each other with smiles.
I also smiled. *smile*
Aihara Runa was a considerate girl, after all.
Being the only gloomy girl and ruining the classroom’s atmosphere wasn’t an option.
No one has ever talked to me, but for the time being, *smile*!
“All right… Morning assembly…”
Our homeroom teacher arrived.
What was the teacher’s name again? I forgot.
“… Hey, Aihara. What’s that on your desk?”
Oh dear, I’ve caught the teacher’s attention.
“It’s flowers.”
“Anyone can see that! Why do you have flowers on your desk? Are you messing around? You brat!!”
I’m not a brat, though.
“I’m sorry.”
“It is not ‘I’m sorry’, you know?!”
“I apologize.”
“That’s not it!”
The teacher approached, seething with anger. He strode over from the teacher podium to Runa’s desk, grabbed her messy hair, and forcefully made her stand out of her chair.
“When you apologize, do it like this! You little punk! Do you think you’ll be forgiven for acting like an idiot? Huh!?”
Then, with force, he pushed her head down and made her kneel on the floor.
“First period is Japanese history. My class. It’s perfect. You stay like that. Don’t you dare move.”
The teacher returned to the podium and started taking attendance as if nothing had happened.
My classmates carried on, indifferent to whatever might have happened to me.
This was Aihara Runa’s everyday life.
From as long as I could remember until my soul was harvested to another world, this was how my days continued.
Runa’s father was a criminal.
He apparently killed many people.
I had heard stories about how people talk about the children of criminals.
However, that didn’t begin to describe the harshness of Aihara Runa’s daily life.
From all sides, everyone was an enemy.
She was physically and mentally abused every day, all while desperately keeping a smile on her face.
What were those days back then?
In modern-day Japan, where a sense of human rights should have been developed, I was the only one that never get protected.
Looking back on it now, it was an abnormal situation.
In the end, Runa wasn’t allowed to stop kneeling, and she continued through her Japanese history class just like that.
Break time arrived.
Unusually, a male student approached Runa to talk.
The class leader, Suzudo Shota.
“Aihara-san, I need to talk to you.”
“What?”
*smile*
“Since yesterday, Sasaki-san’s Japanese textbook has gone missing. … You steal it, right?”
“Huh?”
Behind Suzudo-kun stood a petite, shy girl named Sasaki, glaring at Runa tremulously.
“Aihara-san, please return it quickly. We won’t make it to the next class on time.”
“That’s right, Aihara! Give it back!”
“Poor Sasaki-san…”
Even if you said that…
Runa-chan never stole something?
It was an entirely baseless accusation.
Why Runa was assumed to be the culprit was a mystery.
Usually, every bad situation would be pinned on Runa, without any reason.
The world around Runa was built like that.
With no idea whatsoever about Sasaki-san’s Japanese textbook, Runa was left puzzled and just smiled for the time being.
Ah, I remembered.
Come to think of it, something like this had happened before.
Afterward, I was summoned to the student guidance counselor’s office and got beaten up by the teacher in charge of the student guidance.
But when I returned to the classroom, Sasaki-san’s textbook was properly back in her locker. She had simply forgotten it.
Ah, how relieving, a happy ending. And so, that story was over.
Of course, there were no apologies to me or anything like that.
Oh well, couldn’t be helped. *smile*
After that, in the hallway, upperclassmen would pick fights with me and use violence again.
On the way home, when I was all battered and beaten, a police officer found me. It became a story of how I had fought with someone.
And I was taken in for questioning.
Then, I was taken into custody.
And then at home, I was beaten up again by my “family.”
It was a day like any other.
In Aihara Runa’s life, this day was relatively manageable.
Anyway, my past life was always like this.
With no allies, I tried to stay positive as much as I could, smiling through my efforts.
Allies…
Oh yeah, come to think of it, there was one person who helped me.
But they disappeared almost immediately, and I couldn’t see them anymore.
What was that child’s name again…?
***
I blinked and opened my eyes.
What came into view was a room in the baron’s mansion where I had been staying recently… right?
The walls were clean, well-maintained and without any mold.
There was no silverfish insect, or at least I have never seen it in this world.
The wooden floor, although a bit old-fashioned, didn’t have any gaps.
While small, there was a window.
And sunlight entered through the windows, making it a proper bright room.
I woke up.
“Yawn~…”
I raised myself up from the bed and stretched a bit.
Involuntarily, a yawn escaped my mouth.
Ugh, I had a terrible dream.
The worst awakening.
Being reborn in this world, I still faced persecution and had a somewhat tough life.
But compared to my past life, it felt much easier.
Because in this life, even though they were few, I had allies.
There is Omake-sama.
My master was also there.
And Sara-chan too…
“Nn!!?”
That’s right! Sara-chan!
What happened to Sara-chan!?
What about baron-sama!? Everyone!? The mansion!?
<… Hnn, Yawn~ … Ha!? Oh, Emmy! You woke up, didn’t you!?>
Ah, Omake-sama!
Hey, after I defeated the Queen, took in the poison, and collapsed, what happened!? Is Sara-chan safe!?
<Ca-Calm down, Emmy. I share your sense. Things that happened after you collapsed, I don’t know anything!>
I hurriedly jumped out of bed.
It seemed I had been changed into clean sleepwear.
I did a bit of stretching and open-close my palms together.
Yeah, everything’s moving fine.
Rather, I am in a perfect condition? Compared to before, somehow, I feel in a much better shape?
<Considering the intense battle you went through. You’ve undergone another transformation, it seems. You’re getting stronger. Congratulations, Emmy.>
Thank you, Omake-sama!
But right now, that doesn’t matter!
Sara-chan, when I last saw her, she had collapsed. What happened!?
And how about this, and that, and!!
*groooowl*
Wha-!? What’s this? This overwhelming hunger!?
<As I’ve explained before, it’s a side effect of your body’s transformation. This time, you experienced a life-threatening battle, absorbed the Queen’s flesh, and used up almost all of your magic power. Your body’s undergoing significant changes, and that comes with intense side effects…>
Ahh, seriously, those explanations can wait! I’m starving! My stomach is so empty!
For now, I greedily devoured the flowers arranged in a nearby vase. I even drank the water in the vase.
Ugh, it tastes awful! And it’s not nearly enough!!
… Wait, no!
Being hungry can wait! I’ll get the hearty meal later!
Where’s Sara-chan!?
I perked up my ears.
It seems that people have gathered on the second floor, in Sara-chan’s room.
For the time being, I decided to head there.
Still in my sleepwear, I rushed out of the room.
