MPBAGS Chapter 65

Whether it was because the day had been particularly long, or because the children had been mentally tormented while trapped underground for several days before being freed, they fell asleep peacefully without worry. The Countess's bed was large enough for two adults to lie down with room to spare, so it was sufficient for three children.

Daisy stroked the head of the foolish Mary, who had fearlessly insisted on following them to the Rohanson estate.

"Thank you for taking care of the children."

Daisy expressed her gratitude, but there was no response. Henna was staring into empty space with hollow eyes. That expression looked exactly like a patient who had lost all meaning in life, making Daisy's heart tighten.

The young miss had looked exactly like that when she was alive. As if there was nothing left to love in the world, as if she was just breathing out of obligation. That's why Daisy wasn't particularly surprised when Evangeline committed suicide.

"Um, Henna."

Just as Daisy was about to say something, the door burst open. There were only a few people in this estate who would be forgiven for such rudeness.

"Sister! Oh, Daisy, you're here too."

Kanna, the flower tended by the monster, smiled shyly.

"You're late."

Unlike Daisy, who had immediately looked for the children upon arriving at the estate, Kanna had attended to Evangeline first, making Henna wait.

"Kanna, please don't disappear without saying anything next time. Do you know how worried I was?"

How desperate must she have been to go looking for her sister with the insufferably uncomfortable Sir Gabriel?

"I'm sorry for worrying you. I'll make sure to tell you from now on, so don't avoid me either, sister. Okay?"

"Yes. I will."

Instead of making excuses about how she had said she was just going out briefly, Kanna quietly embraced Henna. She knew that Henna's overreaction was based on trauma from her own kidnapping experience.

"Then I'll be back in a moment."

"Now? Where are you going?"

"The young miss said she needed cherry blossom petals. I happen to have some I picked up, so I want to give them to her."

There were three bottles containing cherry blossom petals in total - one was given to Evangeline, and the remaining two were shared between Henna and Kanna. Kanna had brought her bottle to give her portion. After all, Kanna's wish had already been fulfilled, so she didn't particularly need it.

Having clearly stated her destination, Kanna left the room.

With just one person gone, the room became unusually quiet. Henna watched the door her sister had left through, then quietly spoke.

"My sister spent her entire life bedridden. She was dying but miraculously recovered thanks to holy water, and it hasn't been long since she became able to walk, run, and laugh like that."

Henna's voice was so quiet, as if talking to herself, that Daisy belatedly realized it was something she had said to herself, not to anyone else.

"I decided to love Kanna no matter who she is."

Of course, she didn't entirely trust Daisy's words. How could she believe such a thing — that Kanna suddenly wasn't really her sister?

But the thought had been circling in her head for days.

When Kanna sometimes acted strangely in ways that weren't common sense, when she remembered seeing her rejoice while watching Donau die. She suddenly wondered if perhaps Kanna acted that way because she really wasn't Kanna.

If she truly cared for her sister, she should have felt disgusted by the story that the person had changed. Just like Daisy, who had been devoted to Young Lady Evangeline.

Her sister had been sick her entire life, but after being completely cured, someone else had taken over that body? It was something she should rightfully be angry about.

"Even if Kanna has changed, even if she's someone else entirely and not Kanna, when I see her smiling like that, I want to do anything for her."

But Henna was still weak when it came to Kanna.

After mulling over Daisy's words dozens of times and waiting late into the night for Kanna who hadn't returned, she finally acknowledged it.

In any form, or whoever it might be, she was content just having 'Kanna' by her side. Henna shed tears, finding herself too ugly in her selfishness.

"Daisy. I must be crazy, right?"

Henna smiled with tears still fresh on her face.

"Henna..."

With a living witness before her eyes showing how her single well-intentioned word had destroyed a person, Daisy deeply regretted it. Just because she had discovered a mark on the neck, she shouldn't have said that it wasn't her sister.

With unnecessary compassion, with trivial sympathy, words spoken to ease her own guilt had shattered Henna's mind.

When they worked together at the estate, she had heard that Henna was earning money to pay for her only remaining family member's treatment. Her sister was probably Henna's entire world. So how shocked must she have been to be told that world was fake?

"I think I understand what you mean."

"You understand?"

"I thought Young Lady Evangeline was definitely a monster who had stolen our young miss's body. So I ran away from the estate and even reported it to the temple. But when I was cornered, she was the only person I could turn to for help."

"And you? Are you going to pretend not to know that the young miss helped you?"

"The Evangeline Rohanson you knew is already dead."

This was a pointed remark she had heard from Kanna. Kanna's story was relayed to Henna through Daisy. Henna quietly absorbed those words.

"And Young Lady Evangeline helped me. Now gratitude is greater than the feelings of creepiness and disgust. Henna, will you curse me for being crazy?"

Henna shook her head. Thanks to Young Lady Evangeline's change, Kanna's body had recovered, and now both of them could live without financial hardship. Henna also feared Young Lady Evangeline but was grateful to her.

"And... I want to apologize. I think what I said back then was my mistake."

Actually, Daisy had planned to bring up this topic before coming in.

"A mistake?"

"You know that demon beside the young lady, that Jelly. All the corpses that Jelly brought back to life have red marks on their necks."

She didn't mention that it was because their throats had been cut and reattached.

The revived corpses usually only mimicked their actions from when they were alive. But Kanna was much more human compared to the people Jelly had revived. Of course, with Young Lady Evangeline's precedent, she couldn't be certain.

She had wanted to apologize, saying she had misjudged back then and that her sister was probably the same person... but it seemed too late.

"That's why I was mistaken."

"Really?"

"Why, your sister used holy water, didn't she? Sir Gabriel said that those who died and were revived have their flesh burn when touched by holy water."

When Henna seemed indifferent, Daisy hastily added evidence. Gabriel had told her that this was something that was discovered while interrogating Berga, whom Jelly had revived.

"Holy water..."

Contrary to Daisy's hopes, Henna became even more anxious upon hearing this. Kanna had only used holy water when treating her illness. After that, she had refused to treat the wound on her neck. That's why the neck wound still remained.

Why had Kanna refused treatment...?

Henna wanted to slap herself for the thought that suddenly occurred to her. Young Lady Evangeline had plenty of holy water. If Kanna were to be injured more severely than before, to the extent that she would need holy water, wouldn't she be able to know the truth then? Such a thought flashed through her mind.

"Sister, did you wait long?"

Having only needed to deliver the flower petals to the young lady, Kanna returned quickly and clung to Henna. Henna stroked Kanna's hair.

But Henna would never be able to harm her sister. That meant Henna would have to live in anxiety for the rest of her life.