Sorry for the late update!
I was Alraune, a plant monster.
After saving the life of the Sphinx, Kusukusu-san, she had officially become my companion. However, the process of absorbing the magic power of the Goddess of Darkness Hecate—the very thing that had been eroding Kusukusu-san’s body—caused a physical transformation in me.
The corolla of petals around my waist shifted from red to white, and my hair changed from yellow-green to a pure, snowy white.
Looking at my new hair, I couldn't help but be reminded of the Little Witch. It made me a little happy to think that Rufe and I now matched.
Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of dwelling on that. Because I had just answered Kusukusu-san’s question about my relationship with the City of Edelweiss, and that answer had landed me in a massive predicament.
"I am... not unrelated to this city," I had said.
The moment those words left my mouth, a soft, confused gasp echoed from the courtyard. "Eh...?"
I turned toward the owner of that familiar voice and found my eyes meeting those of a woman in her mid-twenties with vibrant orange hair. Her facial features bore a striking resemblance to my own from my time as Iris, and she was wearing the tulip earrings I had once given her as a gift.
There was no way I could have mistaken her.
She was the Duke’s Proxy, and she had been my family back when I was Saint Iris.
My half-sister, with whom I shared half my blood—Tulpe—was staring intently at me.
Tulpe was here!
What was I supposed to do? I never imagined I would run into my own sister in a situation like this. Somewhere deep in my heart, I had hoped to meet her and talk again someday, but now that the moment was actually here, everything felt different.
After all, I was no longer Saint Iris. I wasn't even human anymore. I had become Alraune, a plant monster.
No matter how much my face resembled my old self, I wasn't emotionally prepared to face my actual family. In that sense, she was the person I had most wanted to avoid.
"G-Good... day..." I stammered.
"!? You, could it possibly be...?"
Tulpe’s gaze was suspicious as she scanned every inch of me, her eyes lingering as if trying to memorize my form. Had she heard what I said just now?
It was only natural for her to be suspicious. If an Alraune who had supposedly just arrived in the city yesterday claimed to have a connection to Edelweiss, anyone would be wary. But if that was all it was, I could handle it. My real fear was whether she would realize who I actually was.
"No, there’s no way that could be possible... It must have been my imagination. Regardless, you are... an Alraune, aren't you!"
"Y-Yes..."
"But you look different from the reports I received. What is the meaning of this white hair and these white petals? Then again, it would be even more far-fetched to assume a completely different Alraune had snuck into the ducal estate. And there is no need for me to overthink it... I could never mistake that face!"
She spoke at a breakneck pace. As I thought, Tulpe hadn't changed a bit.
"Yes, yes, you are every bit as wonderful as I imagined! I had hoped to meet the Iris-like Alraune, but who could have guessed you would be a dead ringer? It isn't even a matter of looking similar; you are the spitting image—no, if my eyes do not deceive me, I can say with certainty that it is the exact same face! I look at the portraits in this mansion every single day, and not a day goes by that I forget Iris-chan's face. Tell me, don't you agree?"
"............"
I had known Tulpe was eccentric for as long as I could remember. My silence wasn't born from being put off by her odd behavior; rather, it was because seeing her acting exactly as she used to filled me with a profound sense of nostalgia.
I never thought I’d hear that "Tulpe style" of speaking ever again. Being reunited with the family I thought I had parted with forever brought a sudden warmth to my eyes.
The last time I had seen Tulpe was about seven years ago. Shortly after that, I was betrayed by the Hero and the junior Apprentice Saint and murdered. I had begun a second life as an Alraune, but I had received no news of my home in Edelweiss. I hadn't even known if my family was alive or dead.
Naturally, my family would know for a fact that Iris was dead. I had spent so many nights imagining how they must have suffered after my passing. That was all I had—imagination. Because I truly believed I would never see them again, just hearing her voice moved me to tears.
"Oh? Are you a shy Alraune, perhaps? Please, do not worry. I am a friend of your older sister, Rufe-san."
Rufe wasn't actually my older sister—she was more like a little sister to me. If anything, the real older sister was the one standing right in front of me.
"Um, Alraune-san? Or perhaps I should address you as Lady Crimson Flower Princess Alraune? It seems you are Rufe-san’s younger sister, but there was something I simply had to tell you if we met—if you are willing, would you consider living here at the mansion?"
Tulpe... were you really planning to have a monster live in the Duke’s residence? Granted, the estate had a botanical garden that provided a perfect environment for an Alraune, but as the Duke’s Proxy, her proposal was a bit reckless. Though, I suppose it was very like her.
"I wanted to meet the Lady Crimson Flower Princess Alraune who looked so much like Iris-chan more than anything in the world. I thought of nothing else, yet now that I am actually facing you, that desire seems trivial... a small thing that doesn't even matter... Because... because..."
Tulpe took a step closer, and then another. If she got too close, my identity might be exposed. I wanted to back away, but I couldn't. Having reached my adult form, I had taken root in the soil; I couldn't move while in this state.
"Looking at you up close, the resemblance is truly uncanny. Perhaps it’s because your white hair reminds me of the way Iris-chan’s blonde hair used to glow, but even the atmosphere you exude is identical... How can this be?"
"U-Um... Tulpe-san? I am a plant monster... Are you not... afraid of me?"
"Oh, goodness no. There is no reason to be afraid. After all, your face is the exact same as my precious little sister’s..."
Tulpe reached out toward my face. I could have swatted her hand away, but I found myself accepting it. Her palm pressed against my cheek.
It reminded me of when we were children. That was on the day Tulpe first arrived at the Edelweiss mansion. We had been alone in the courtyard for the first time.
'Iris-chan... what a beautiful face you have!'
She had touched my face all over in wide-eyed wonder that day, and from that moment on, the image of Tulpe in my mind was "the eccentric older sister."
Tulpe Edelweiss. My half-sister, one year my senior. And she was a massive Iris-lover. She had adored her sister—the Saint—to a frightening degree, obsessed enough to fill her entire room with portraits of me. There was no way a person like that would leave an Alraune with Iris’s face alone.
Tulpe whispered as she stroked my cheek, just as she had back then. "Lady Crimson Flower Princess Alraune... you truly have a beautiful face."
As she spoke, I realized how much she had grown. If my math was correct, she was twenty-four now. Unlike me, whose time had stopped at seventeen, my sister had become a mature woman.
"I don't understand it... You look like a monster, yet I cannot bring myself to see you as one. You seem more human than I expected... No, it’s more than that. Your gestures are so much like hers that it makes me ache with nostalgia..."
Tulpe’s earrings swayed gently. They were the tulip earrings I had given her for her birthday. The fact that she was still wearing them made me happier than words could say.
My name, Iris, meant "Ayame." My sister’s name had a meaning as well: Tulpe meant "Tulip." That was why I had chosen those earrings for her.
"Tell me... what you said a moment ago..."
This was bad. Had she heard my slip of the tongue after all? Tulpe looked into my eyes, her expression clouded with confusion.
"You... could it be—"
"Hey, Alraune-chan! Is that human the Duke’s Proxy!?"
Kusukusu-san, who had been watching silently until now, suddenly shouted in a panic. The Sphinx looked distressed, her voice rising in alarm. "Oh, what do I do!? W-What do I do!?"
"Kusukusu-san, what’s wrong?"
"I can't overwrite the orders to the Golem anymore! Since it took the medicine, it’s on autopilot! I can't stop it!" Kusukusu-san screamed. "Alraune-chan! If you know that human, get away from her right now!"
In that instant, chaos erupted.
The strange urn that I, the Potted Alraune, had been nestled in until recently—Kusukusu-san’s Urn Golem—had been sitting motionless in the courtyard since my growth spurt. But now, it suddenly lurched to life and began charging straight toward us at full speed.
Next time: Tulpe Edelweiss - Part 2.