Chapter 291 I Think I Need to Know (1/2)

My discomfort may have shown itself on my face from time to time. However, it wasn’t until after Eden-san left that it took a definite form on my face.

[……Kaito-san. I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m a little bit tired…… So, can we have our date in another time?]

[Eh? Y- Yeah…… Are you alright?]

After Eden-san left, Alice said that to me with a wry smile pasted on her face.

There’s nothing strange about the words themselves. Just a few minutes ago, Alice was seriously battling the powerful Eden-san, so it’s natural that she would get tired.

However, somehow…… There was an uncomfortable feeling buzzing within my chest, an uncomfortable reason that I couldn’t explain.

[Ahaha, I’m totally alright! It’s just that even the special Alice-chan can get tired sometimes.]

[I- I see……]

I wonder why? Even though it looks like Alice is laughing…… Why does it look like she’s “crying”?

Come to think of it, it was the same just now. Alice should have been very angry at me, but for some reason, she wasn’t…… It felt like she was shaking in fear.

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Though I say that, it still doesn’t explain what exactly is wrong with her…… That’s why I don’t know what to do.

[Well then, I’ll attach a clone to you and leave her as your guard…… I’ll be excusing myself then.]

[……Yeah.]

As Alice cut the conversation short at that moment and left, I wanted to call her and make her stop walking away…… but I couldn’t find the words to say. Reaffirming that I knew nothing about Alice, in the end, I could only nod my head.

Alice is like a friend I can let my guard around…… A close friend who would sometimes be considered as bad company. She’d show up out of nowhere, interject with the conversation, and mess around…… Such a scene had become normal in my everyday life before I knew it.

I had thought I knew Alice…… No, it may just be that I was trying to convince myself that I knew her.

Alice rarely talks about her past. She had a clear wall around her, as if she is imploring others not to step in…… Staying in a situation where no one knows anything about her.

But today, Alice has expressed her fury for the first time. I’ve been thinking about Alice’s face at that moment…… And I had one thought, sticking in my mind so much that it hurts.

It isn’t that I didn’t know anything about Alice…… It’s just that “I didn’t try to know” her……

Alice treats me well and laughs with me…… I think I’ve been taking advantage of that, thinking that I know her and avoided making any effort to know her.

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After all, I…… At that time…… I don’t even know why “Alice lost her composure and got angry”……

I can’t just let this continue. At least…… I couldn’t forgive myself for not even being able to say anything sensible to Alice as she left with a sad-looking back.

Returning to the grocery store where there wasn’t a single customer, Alice lowered the CLOSE tag on her door and walked into the door…… she struck her “shaking hands” on the wall.

[……I had been naive. That Teleportation Magic in the beginning…… I was being completely negligent and was caught off guard…… If that person had the intention to kill Kaito-san…… I have…… I would have……]

Covering her face with her trembling hands, Alice’s entire body trembled in fear.

Her wail of sorrow disappearing in the void…… The outcry of a girl frightened of the worst future.

[……I don’t want it…… such a future…… I will definitely……]

Muttering in a grieving voice, Alice stared into the dim darkness with tears streaming down her face.

[……I won’t let anyone steal him away…… Those who have budding resentment to Kaito-san…… I’ll kill all of them…… I won’t let anyone steal him away…… I will never let anyone steal him away…… I will never…… lose Kaito-san……]

Those words aren’t meant for others, but words that she say to herself.

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She’s suffering and grieving, but she’s still unable and unwilling to let go…… With these thoughts in mind, Alice’s unforgiving heart severely tortured her worthless self.

[……It hurts…… What am I supposed to do? Iris…… Iris…… How could I remove this…… “This curse you put on me”…… I don’t know anymore…… Answer me…… Partner.]

There is no one that could answer her call for help. Within the quiet dim light…… Only the voice of the sobbing girl could be heard.

[……Sorry. I don’t think I can help you much with that either.]

[……I see.]

I knew I couldn’t let this continue, so I decided to get to know Alice first. That said, she has been hiding it from him all this time. I didn’t feel comfortable asking her about a topic that she didn’t want others to step into.

So, I figured I’d ask elsewhere, and the first person I turned to was Kuro…… However, after Kuro listened to me, she apologetically shook her head.

[I don’t know that much about Shalltear either…… Hmmm. I do know something about her to some extent, but I don’t think I can say that I really know her.]

[You don’t?]

I asked Kuro, thinking that she was her family and have been friends with her for a long time, so she might know something, but she told me that she didn’t know Alice well. And, I tried asking her what she meant by that and……

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[When I first met Shalltear…… I felt like she was quite the mismatching child. She had great combat techniques, so I thought that she had quite a considerable battle experience…… But it feels as if she “suddenly became very strong” and didn’t know how to handle her power.]

[…………………….]