HTWBB Chapter 35

"You're talking nonsense."

El Nas shook her head with a smile and pulled out a teacup with practiced ease. In an instant, the fragrant aroma of tea filled the entire house. It was a tea she'd drunk to the point of exhaustion since childhood. It was also the very first food from the surface world she'd ever encountered.

Every time El Nas moved, her nostalgic golden hair swayed like a dream. Rietta followed her busy movements without blinking, only shifting her gaze to the teacup once El Nas sat down across from her. The reflection on the surface somehow wasn't clear.

"You're hurt, Rietta."

Rietta looked herself over with fresh eyes. She certainly wasn't in the best condition for a meeting. When she smiled sheepishly, El Nas let out a deep sigh.

"I always told you to be more careful."

"Sorry."

"You really don't know how to take care of yourself. It's a problem."

El Nas grumbled in reproach and flicked her finger at the empty air. Tap. A ripple the size of a coin spread, and soon an opaque air bubble timidly poked its head out.

Bouncing along as it moved, it immediately approached Rietta and stuck with a smack to her side. Right where the wound was. It bubbled up dangerously, but there was no pain at all.

Rietta placed her hand over the rapidly healing wound. It was the same treatment she'd received since she was very young whenever she got hurt without her mother knowing.

"How did you get injured?"

"Just... wandering around."

"I can tell well enough it wasn't anything ordinary."

El Nas scolded as if she already knew without having to pry. They knew each other too well to deceive one another.

Rietta changed the subject by fiddling with her teacup, as she always did when she didn't want to talk about something. She had questions to ask anyway.

"Where is this place?"

"Inside the last fragment I left behind."

Ripples spread across the surface of the previously still teacup. Rattle. Finally letting go of the teacup, Rietta forced herself to look up.

Only the sound of bubbling as the wound healed filled the space between them. Exactly as she appeared in memory, El Nas gazed at her intently.

"I died a long time ago."

"El Nas."

"Rietta. The fact that you're here now means you didn't use the sword I gave you after all."

"...Sword?"

El Nas suddenly reached out and gently stroked Rietta's neck. It was a gesture of pity.

"The dagger that allowed you to enter this place. Didn't Nerites give it to you?"

Rietta, who had been quietly offering her neck, immediately frowned.

"This is the first I'm hearing it was something from you."

"Oh my. Nothing else?"

"Nothing in particular."

"That's just like him."

El Nas withdrew her hand from Rietta with a sigh-like utterance. Then she leaned forward to savor her portion of tea.

She showed no intention whatsoever of explaining the conversation she had with Rietta's unusually mature younger brother.

For a while, the sound of El Nas drinking her tea filled the comfortable silence. Meanwhile, Rietta pulled forward memories she'd invisibly covered and pushed into a corner.

It had been about a week before the incident when he handed her the dagger. He'd worn an expression full of worry, saying he'd snuck out without their furious mother knowing.

'If you ever want to return, you can come back anytime. This is...'

Nerites, whose words had trailed off, said something unexpected.

'How are those you're with?'

'Good. They teach me many things.'

'I see.'

After muttering softly, her younger brother finally placed the dagger in Rietta's hand. The slow movement revealed a lingering attachment he couldn't quite shake off.

'Don't forget who you are, sister. I'm giving you this just in case.'

She'd simply thought it was a gift from a brother worried about his sister. Since he was a child who always distrusted humans, she'd thought it natural enough for him to give her a weapon or two.

But she'd never dreamed its source was El Nas.

"What are you doing instead of drinking?"

At El Nas's call, Rietta awoke from her reverie. El Nas gestured at Rietta's teacup, which hadn't diminished at all. Warm steam still rose from it. Rietta quietly asked in return.

"Was it for today that you asked Nerites to deliver it?"

"No. This was a backup plan I made because you hadn't come to see me for too long."

"Then what was it originally supposed to be used for?"

"To stab the humans holding you captive if it came to that."

Rietta clasped her hands tightly together. Because they were trembling again, like at the cliff. The voice scraping up through her throat was shaking as well.

"...If I had stabbed them."

"You could have returned. That was the spell I cast on it."

She finally closed her eyes. Her young sibling's voice was vivid, as if right beside her.

'Don't forget who you are, sister.'

That's what it had meant.

'Who you are.'

That Rietta was a child of the sea.

'Don't forget.'

So return to their embrace.

Nerites knew very well how much life on land was what his sister longed for. He also knew that no matter how much he shouted not to trust humans, she would ultimately give her heart away helplessly.

Back then, Rietta had also been a foolish child ignorant of the ways of the world, so if he'd told her the truth, she might have been a bit angry. But worn down by his insistence, she would have kept it tucked away.

That was separate from not being able to aim the sword given at the final moment.

"Rietta. Supposing about the past won't change the outcome."

It was a cold voice. Rietta wasn't unaware of that fact. She was already experiencing it painfully, but knowing something in your head and having your heart carved away were different matters.

"I'd like to talk more, but there's no time. Drink quickly."

Rietta asked in a small voice, as if choking.

"...What time."

"I told you this is inside a fragment I left behind. Right now a tasty prey is replenishing my magic, but I don't know how long it'll put up with it."

El Nas's manner of speaking was always self-centered. Rietta, barely suppressing her emotions, asked back in an uncomprehending tone.

"Prey?"

"Yes. There's something quite delicious right beside you."

The sea witch smiled mischievously.

Abel followed behind Rietta. They were moving leisurely along the coastline. Sunlight rather intense for spring sunshine poured down overhead.

Rietta conversed with the black-haired woman beside her, occasionally smiling so brightly her cheeks became round.

Abel couldn't tear his eyes away from that vivid appearance that seemed to have absorbed all the world's colors.

"Let's decide about going to the village after meeting him first."

"I will."

"Um, please don't be offended even if he's somewhat rude."

"Is he ill-mannered?"

The black-haired woman chuckled at the unhesitating word choice.

"Yes. But he's in a position where it doesn't matter."

"I hate those types."

Rietta immediately frowned. Perhaps because of her varied expressions, even though her appearance was no different from her current self, she somehow felt much younger.

It might have been because of her somewhat awkward human language. But her core essence seemed unchangeable—she disliked discourteous types then as now.

Abel absently smoothed the corner of his mouth.

"How much longer do we walk?"

"We're almost there."

They had walked for quite some time. Long enough that even Abel, in his spiritual form, felt slightly weary.

When the sun had moved just past the top of their heads, they arrived near a beach with high cliffs.

The black-haired woman led Rietta down a narrow path between the cliffs. Fortunately, before long, a reasonably wide clearing spread out. It was a place with verdant meadow rather than fine sand.

A man leaning against an ancient tree straightened up upon seeing Rietta.

"You're finally here."

The man approached them with wide strides. Each time his body swayed, his reddish-gold hair swept to one side fluttered along with him.

His red eyes, directed solely at Rietta, gleamed with some kind of anticipation. The man who reached Rietta's side with hasty steps stopped at a rudely close distance.

With a gap narrow enough to barely fit a finger, bare feet and dress shoes faced each other. Despite her unenthusiastic air, Rietta didn't step back. That was like her.

"So you're that mermaid."

"That's right."

"I heard you saved my guard."

When the man extended his hand and received no response, he forcefully pulled up the corners of his mouth.

"Lady, your hand."

"Why my hand?"

After glancing at the black-haired woman and confirming the gesture to raise her hand, Rietta awkwardly placed her hand atop the man's fingers. She was extremely stiff, as if she wanted to touch briefly and pull away.

However, like snatching prey that had entered his range, the man seized her hand tightly and pressed his lips deeply to the white back of her hand. Startled by the sensation she'd never felt before in her life, Rietta yanked her arm away.

Abel examined the man engaging in such contemptible behavior. Reddish-gold hair and red eyes. An appearance very similar to the current royal family.

Rietta, who'd brushed off the back of her hand, opened her mouth with clear displeasure.

"What rude behavior is this?"

"I'd like to ask the same thing. Larissa, what's this? Didn't you teach her?"

The man instead glared roughly at the woman with an unpleasant expression. The black-haired woman, Larissa, moved closer beside them.

After glancing at Rietta, whose face had frozen coldly, she turned toward the man.

"She couldn't possibly be familiar with human customs, Your Highness."

"Ha, right. I forgot about that. No matter how I look at it..."

The man scanned very thoroughly from the top of Rietta's head to the tips of her toes. After lingering especially long on her plump lips, he clasped his hands behind his back with a suddenly softened face.

"She looks no different from a person."

Adding that softly, he transformed into a very gentlemanly attitude unlike moments before.

The man even stepped back, placing a hand on his chest and bowing gracefully at the waist. Despite his plain attire, it was impeccable etiquette.

Still cold-faced, Rietta captured every one of his movements without exception.

The man opened his mouth again in a very gentle tone.

Gone was the informal speech he'd spat out upon first meeting.

"Please forgive my discourtesy. Allow me to introduce myself again, Lady. Your name?"