I walked quietly along the dim path. My steps felt heavier than usual, almost as if the weight of my thoughts had physically manifested.
It wasn't simply because Luce-san had turned out to be someone other than my mother. That was part of it, certainly, but the primary reason for the leaden feeling in my legs lay elsewhere.
She had looked so much like my mother that the memories had come flooding back with overwhelming force. Of course, I hadn't forgotten my parents for even a single day, but it had been a long time since I had remembered them this vividly.
It brought back that suffocating gloom from shortly after they died, when I had just been taken in by relatives. I remembered being unable to accept they were gone, waiting by the front door for hours, certain they would walk through it at any moment.
It was embarrassing to admit, but even now, nearly ten years later, I still hadn't completely made peace with their deaths.
Still, I was far better off now than I had been before coming to this world. I was surrounded by so many blessings. I just needed a little more time, and I would be back to my usual self...
"I suppose it can't be helped. You can go ahead and spoil yourself as much as you like with Alice-chan, the Merciful Angel!"
"Uh..."
"Wait!? What’s with that lukewarm expression!? Look at the massive gap in how you treat me compared to Isis-san or Duchess Lilia!"
"Well, it's just... you’re Alice."
"Ah, I see. Since it’s Alice, it’s only natural to be treated like—hey, that’s not right at all! I think you could afford to spoil me a lot more, Kaito-san!"
"Pfft... Ahaha."
See? I really was blessed. Even when I was drowning in gloom, there was someone right here, close enough to reach out and pull a smile from me.
"Do you feel a bit better now?"
"Thanks, Alice."
"Heh heh, I thought so. Now, please, shower me with praise. If you’re feeling particularly generous, you could even treat me to some Super Delicious Dragon Meat Yakiniku as a reward."
"..."
She struck a pose with a smug grin so intense I could almost hear the sound effect. She was as annoying as ever.
"Oh? You were smiling just a second ago. Why are you looking at me like I’m some kind of irredeemable idiot?"
"Because there’s an irredeemable idiot right in front of me."
"Goodness, there really are some hopeless people in this world, aren't there?"
"I’m talking about you!"
This trivial banter, these silly exchanges... I felt a surge of irrepressible happiness, and my heart naturally grew warm.
Alice watched me for a moment, a faint smile touching her lips, and then she took my hand without saying a word.
Our fingers intertwined in a lover’s grip. The warmth of her hand was steady and comforting, and another smile escaped me.
Dear Mother, Father—I don't think I've properly settled my feelings regarding your deaths yet. But you don't need to worry. I have precious people by my side now. See? Before I even realized it, the heaviness in my steps had vanished.
As they walked hand-in-hand, Alice spoke to Iris, who resided within her Heart Tool.
(...What do you think?)
(Something about this smells fishy,) Iris replied. (There were several parts of that woman's story that didn't sit right with me. It felt like she was intentionally avoiding certain topics. Also, I’m still not used to your polite way of speaking...)
(This is my true self right now, so please get used to it quickly. In any case, I agree. I’ve memorized the faces and names of every single participant in the Six Kings Festival, yet I have no record of her.)
(Hmm...)
(Well, as long as there’s a chance she’s just an acquaintance of a participant, I can't jump to conclusions.)
Alice was indeed on high alert regarding the woman named Luce. At the very least, she was suspicious enough to doubt the entirety of the encounter.
(...Tch.)
(What is it?)
(My Split Body has lost track of her. That settles it; she’s definitely suspicious. Even for a Split Body, there aren't many people capable of shaking off my tail. And it should be impossible for someone of that caliber to exist without me knowing about them.)
Alice possessed a staggering amount of information. She made it a point to remember anyone who held power above a certain threshold, regardless of their race.
Yet, she had absolutely no memory of Luce. While it was true that she didn't have every living creature in the world cataloged, it was fundamentally impossible for her to be completely unaware of someone capable of evading her tracking.
(How do you see the situation?)
(Shallow Vernal-sama or the Earth God... one of them is likely involved. I think I need to start a serious investigation.)
(Will you tell Kaito?)
(I can’t. Not yet. Giving Kaito-san uncertain information would only cause him unnecessary pain.)
(Does that mean... you might decide to handle this in secret?)
(...Even if that woman really is Kaito-san's mother... if she poses any threat to him, I will show no mercy. I will eliminate her by any means necessary.)
Alice had already considered the possibility that Luce truly was Kaito's mother. In fact, given the circumstances, she believed the probability was quite high.
However, if that were the case, she couldn't understand why the woman refused to reveal her identity. To Alice, the only thing that mattered was whether Kaito was safe; she felt no personal investment in the life of his mother.
Harboring a growing unease that something massive was beginning to move behind the scenes, Alice squeezed Kaito's hand.
She vowed to herself that she would never let this warmth be extinguished.