Violet Evergarden Chapter 9

Violet Evergarden Chapter 9

Violet Evergaden: Chapter 9Please feel free to message me about possible corrections. If you can, support the creators by buying the official releases .

The Groom and the Auto-Memories Doll

The Morning
Moon ascended in azure. Its faint form was not enough to overwhelm those who
lived under the light of the night sky’s Moon. However, just as the full moon,
the moon of a gentler color that melted into the sky had a charm that would
stop time and make people contemplate it. Combined with the pastoral poem-like landscape
of prairies and small flowers that spread beneath it as far as the eyes could
see, it was like an ill.u.s.tration out of a fairy tale book.

“Mom.”

Amidst such
a heavenly scenery, without so much as batting a lash at the moon, a young man
ran about intently. In his extreme hurry, he had dressed himself in a pair of
pants and a shirt. He wore nothing but that.

The area was
named Eucalypt Basin and had plenty of undeveloped land, with the distance from
town to town and village to village being of about half a day. Regular service
vehicles pa.s.sed by only once a day, and if missed, local residents and
travelers had no choice but to rely on their own feet or other means of
transportation. Looking for a person in that world of rice fields seemed easy
considering the small number of obstacles, but in reality, it was not.

“Mom!”

The
amplitude itself was the main hindrance when pursuing someone. Thorough
searches took too much time. It was difficult to notice even if a target moved from
the place being looked through to another.

“Dammit,
why did things turn out like this…?” the young man impatiently wiped the
sweat trailing down his forehead with his shirt’s sleeve.

The feet
that had been running in the fields until then had slowed down, only walking,
and eventually stopped. Perhaps as he did not have time to put on shoes, he was
barefoot. His feet bled, maybe from having stepped on twigs or rocks. Was the
one he looked for worth a chase obsessive enough for him to acquire such
injuries? The youth himself incidentally wound up reflecting on it.

In spite of
the question that had been born within him and the lack of a precise answer to
it, the young man resumed running. The small white flowers he stepped on were
dyed in blood. The dismal pain braked his thought process.

“Call… my
name, Mom.”

Should he
go back or not? Abandon the one he searched for or not?

“My…
name…”

If he were
to choose not to, he simply had no choice but continue looking. In such
circ.u.mstances, indecision was the biggest waste. For instance, perhaps a clue
could be found those infinite fields.

“Ah.”

A dark red
ribbon suddenly flew into the youth’s vision. The red fluttered into a world of
nothing but greens, blues and whites. In front of him, a red unlike the one
from the blood he had shed gently flowed in the breeze. Instinctively, he
stretched his hand out to it. He slowly took into his palm what seemed like a
present from the heavens.

The young
man turned his head towards the direction of the wind. He could see
silhouettes. They were the figures of a few people surrounding a motorcycle.
One of them had left the spot and was running towards him. Once closer, he
could tell it was a woman. On top of that, she had a captivating beauty. Her
golden hair hovering amongst scattering flower petals, she stopped before the youth
and stared intensely at his face.

“Hum…”

Her blue
orbs held a mysterious charm and made him feel as if they stripped him naked.

“Pleased to
make your acquaintance. I rush anywhere my customer desires. I am from the
automated dolls service, Violet Evergarden.” Like a puppet, she bowed gracefully.

Much like
her appearance, the sound that came out of her finely shaped crimson lips was
lovable and pure, but the contents of her words were mismatched for such a
place. The young man was no customer of hers either, nothing but a stranger.

Perhaps
thinking the same as him, she corrected herself, “I made a mistake. Pardon me. This
is like an occupational disease; I end up automatically saying my introduction
speech to whomever I meet for the first time…”

“No… it’s
okay. Erm… I’m Silene. Could this be yours?”

As she
nodded mutely, Silene handed her the ribbon. He himself was surprised at how
much he trembled as their fingertips touched. Although covered by gloves, her
fingers felt stiff and were obviously not human.

“Here you
go. Also, there’s something I want to ask. I’m looking for someone…”

“A
silver-haired woman in her 60’s who specializes in hairdressing?”

“Y-Yes. My
mother used to work as a hairdresser in the past… How did you…?”

The girl
held down her hair, unraveling in the wind due to being untied, and pointed at
the direction she had come from. Despite hardly visible because of the
distance, a short person that he believed to be his mother was there.

“We were
looking for you as well.”

No matter
what she did, she was a woman beautiful enough to become a painting, Silene
thought.

The ones
who had taken care of Silene’s mother were an Auto-Memories Doll and a postman
in the middle of a journey. It seemed they were on standstill as their
motorcycle had malfunctioned, and had sighted his mother wandering around the
meadows.

“She said
she was going up to the mountains to look for her husband and son. It’s weird
for someone to be walking around wearing rolls at early morning, right? We were
already having problems, but when people see someone even more troubled than
themselves, they stay composed. V.” while fumbling with the defective
motorcycle, the man opened a hand towards the young woman.

“My name is
not ‘V’. It is ‘Violet’.” Placing her side-locks behind her ear, she squatted
down. Taking a tool from a bag lying on the ground, she handed it to the man.

Ignoring her
remark, he resumed working silently. “Take a look at V’s hair. She said it was
pretty and asked ‘please let me touch it’, so we let her play with it just like
that. I was caught up over here. V was entertaining the Granny. And then you
showed up.”

“My mother…
is a little… wrong in the head… We’ve caused you trouble.”

“Seems so…
well, fellows like that aren’t rare. It’s easy for thoughts and memories to
become confusing on their own. You don’t even have to be old for that to happen…
It’s not working… Enough. Gimme a hand towel.” Easily wiping off black oil
stains, he stood up.

He was a bit
taller than Violet. His light blond hair was of a shade that resembled sand.
His hairline was short, yet a part of his forelocks hung lengthier on one side.
His cool, sky blue orbs bore thorns within their softness.

Just by
looking at the curves of his body, one could tell he was wearing tight laser
pants. In contrast, his upper part was clad in a loose spring-green shirt and
suspenders. The heels of his boots were too tall. Said heels were cross-shaped.
It was quite a flashy get-up. However, even if he took off all of it, he had
the looks of someone that could effortlessly lead a woman or two by the nose.

“This… is
completely hopeless. Out of all things, for it to break in the middle of this
countryside that has nothing but gra.s.sland is just…” The man roughly wiped
off a bead of sweat with his arm. He seemed rather fatigued.

“Benedict,
I really should run to the city we parted from and request help. It is faster
to go back than go forth.”

“Hum,
then…”

Not hearing
Silene’s attempted statement, the man – Benedict – scowled at Violet’s words.
“Even if you possess a strength so ridiculous that it’s almost like a joke,
there’s no way I could let a woman do that alone. Even if you say that way is
closer, it’s still pretty distant. Also, the outcome would be that I’d be
scolded by the Old Man.”

Violet
slightly tilted her neck. “Is that so? Benedict, you are already clearly
exhausted by the everyday postal deliveries and take on the additional duty of
picking me up along the way, so in this situation, is it not better for the one
with more stamina to make a move? Being male or female is unrelated. This
decision is for the sake of our survival.”

“Hum, like
I said…”

“Nope, I
can already see it. Old Man going like, ‘Benedict… you… why did you make
Little Violet do something like that? You made her run?’ and then criticize me
about the manners of a gentleman that he’s so good at.”

What he
impersonated with so much emotion was most likely an imitation of a certain
postal company’s boss.

“You…
will answer anything when asked, right? You can’t lie.”

“I do not
lie to President. There are only truths in my reports.”

“Then,
isn’t it no good after all?”

“I will
tell the truth but I will give you cover, Benedict. I will say that I was the
one who proposed it.”

“Your
covering fire is the best when it comes to actual ammo but it’s fruitless
effort when it comes to everyday conversations, so stop that.”

“Hum!” As
Silene spoke loudly, the two finally looked his way.

Perhaps
tired from walking so much, his mother was asleep as he carried her on his
back. Violet brought her index finger next to her lips.

Silene
smiled bitterly. “If you’re having a hard time, I’ll guide you to my village as
thanks for taking care of my mother. Can you push the motorcycle? If you can go
on pushing, it might take a little while, but I’ll show you to someone who can
fix it.”

“You’d do
that?”

Silene
nodded. “The village is a bit crowded at the moment, so it will take some
time… that’s right. If you could… stay there for a day, we could work it
out. We do receptions as well. To tell the truth, a wedding is going to happen.
In this region, whenever someone is getting married, the entire village gathers
to open banquets. During them, we invite and welcome anyone. It’s
coincidentally the best time to entertain guests.”

“Do you
have drinks?”

“Of
course.”

“What about
dancer girls and good food? Also, places to sleep.”

“About
women, erm… Mister Benedict. It would depend on you, but we’ve got everything
else ready.”

After
balling his fists and revering the heavens, Benedict turned to Violet and
offered both hands. Violet stared at them fixatedly.

“You do it
like this. Like this.” Benedict vehemently took Violet’s hand and made her
raise it together with his. “We did it.”

“‘We did
it’?”

“You don’t
have to do that much.” Benedict laughed. “This is part of that thing called
fate. I have no idea who they are, but let’s join the toast of this happy
couple.”

Silene also
laughed at Benedict’s words. Upon looking once at his mother on his back, his
smile soon disappeared, but he forced himself to muster out a cheerful voice,
“Yes, I’m from the household of this happy couple.”

The place
Silene led them to was a village named Kisara. Its houses had been built as to form
a semicircle. In its center was a hall with a stone pavilion and a well. Most
likely, they were the only things in that s.p.a.ce at first, but currently, a
crowd crammed around the pavilion. It was filled with women to the point that
one could ponder whether every woman in the village had a.s.sembled there. They were
vigorously cooking and decorating the hall with ornaments.

Violet and
Benedict observed the scene as if it were something unusual. As Benedict asked
Silene where the men were, the latter pointed at a set of tents located just a
little apart from the village. The lined-up tents made of colorful cloths shone
outstandingly against the blue skies and green land. It appeared they were
being put up to serve as temporary bedding for guests. By the looks of it,
those people truly meant to warmly welcome whoever came by without rebuffing
anyone.

For the
time being, the group was headed to Silene’s home. The village’s only roadway
was narrow and full of things – flowers blooming all over wooden vats placed by
the front doors, dried crops, cats slipping past their legs. From somewhere in
that midst, the sound of bells rang. Silene explained how several chimes that
produced sound by colliding with each other upon being blown by the wind were the
village’s specialty articles of folk craft.

Looking
upwards, they could see cords pa.s.sed through the houses’ windows across the street,
from which their residents’ laundry hung. Chimes hung from them as well. Young
girls chatting with one another pulled in the cords as though having fun. While
they did so, the chimes simultaneously rang. When Benedict turned his gaze
towards them, they let out a laughter akin to a scream and closed the windows.

The village
had a tranquility that did not exist in big cities, characteristic of small communities.

Once they
had pa.s.sed the narrow road, it broadened at once, and beyond it was an isolated
house that was bigger than the rest. Although not so well tended to, bushes of
roses grew in its garden. Two anxious-looking women stood in front of the
entrance.

“Aah, so she
was all right?!” The one who rushed over as fast as she could was a middle-aged
lady clad in an ap.r.o.n dress.

After a
deep sigh, Silene spoke to her in a low tone, “Don’t ‘she was all right’ me.
Are you okay with this? Don’t tell me this always happens…”

“Yesterday
night, I had properly locked Madame’s room. Master, could it be you went there
afterwards? Did you lock it? It only opens from outside.”

“That’s…”

“For the few
years that everything has been entrusted to Master, I haven’t gone looking for
Madame like that.”

“My bad.
That was my bad…”

The air of
their exchange could not be described as pleasant.

The other
woman walked to Silene’s side. She had brown skin and gracious facial features.
She bowed her head to Violet and Benedict, who wordlessly watched everything. It
was then that Silene finally realized there was someone other than his relative
beside him.

“S-Sorry…
I’ll introduce you. This is… erm… the one who will become my wife tomorrow,
Misha. And my mother’s servant, Delit. I don’t live with my mother. Misha,
Delit. Those two took care of Mom.”

They
understood how much the last statement meant they were supposed to show
grat.i.tude towards the duo with the expression he showed right after. Both Delit
and Misha let them into the house as if dealing with saints. Following that, they
had a busy time. The bride and groom, who were about to marry the next day,
seemed to have greetings to give in various places, and so had gone out by
themselves. They apologized for being unable to entertain the guests appropriately,
yet Violet and Benedict were satisfied enough just by having a place with a
roof to cool down at and saw them off without minding it.

As it was
close to midday, the servant Delit treated the travelers to a meal out of
consideration. Perhaps due to being significantly tired, Benedict wound up
falling asleep immediately after eating, as if his battery had run out. At
first, he had started nodding off, and soon, unable to withstand it, he rested
his body against the sofa and closed his eyes.

The work of
a postman consisted of all-day delivery duties. Moreover, he had driven to pick
up Violet on the way of his trip, and as his motorcycle had broken, he had worried
about the repairs, therefore becoming completely exhausted.

Seated on
the same sofa, Violet silently allowed him to sleep by her side as he leaned
against her, and once everything became quiet, she finally observed the environment.
There were chimes on the house’s window as well. They rang in jingles. The
sounds of Delit washing dishes could be heard from the kitchen. Along with Benedict’s
sleeping breath, the afternoon of an extremely peaceful summer day ensued.

Albeit not
feeling sleepy, Violet closed her eyes. It was as if she had come to know the gentleness
of the sounds of everyday life composed her surroundings for the first time. Her
new home, the Evergarden household, was a mansion which size could not be
matched unless so many of the village’s houses were put together, and
therefore, it was strange for her to be in a house where she could merely exist
and relax without having to do any work. However, as soon as she heard a clatter
coming from the front door, she reached for the handgun inside her jacket.

“My, my.
Might it be the person that will fix the motorcycle?” her footsteps echoing, Delit
walked up to the entrance.

Looking at
her side, Violet could see Benedict thinly opening his eyes. He also had his
fingers on his handgun. “It is all right to continue sleeping.” She told him, and
he closed his eyes again as if relieved.

The two of
them were slightly alike. Due to their hair and irises being of similar colors,
they almost looked like siblings when next to one another.

Wondering
if there were anything she could do to offer a.s.sistance, Violet was about to
head to the entrance as well, but upon noticing that someone was calling amidst
the everyday life sounds, her feet halted. She had heard it coming from the
second floor. She then remembered that Silene’s mother had been taken to it as though
being pushed back when they had arrived at that house. Climbing the wooden
stairs, Violet stood at the corridor of the second floor and stayed put to
listen once more.

“Darling…?”
The voice of an elderly woman resounded. “Or could it be Jonah?”

She was
most likely mistaking Violet for a family member.

“It is
Violet. You tied my hair this morning.” As if replying to her, Violet whispered
by the room’s door.

It was a
small village, yet the banquet would gather all of it. One by one, they bowed
their heads in grat.i.tude to everybody. It was by the time the Sun had set that
Silene and Misha had gone home.

“My, the bride is not from around here?”

“She understands our language. But her speech
is broken. It’s cute.”

“Silene, treat her well. Doesn’t it feel like
she can only rely on you?”

Giving
greetings had not made him feel particularly disturbed, but after them, he was pryingly
interrogated by older women about his fiancée, Misha. As Silene had done most of
the talking on behalf of the timid Misha, who was not too good at
conversations, his throat was parched.

“It’s
gotten dark, huh?” Misha muttered curtly and Silene nodded.

The village
would normally be calm at sunset, but today, it had been rather noisy. Everyone
is was on festive spirits. Just when he was thinking that everything was for
his and Misha’s sake, Silene had come to understand that a wedding ceremony was
not only for two people. He then took hold of Misha’s hand in a natural manner.

“Fufu.” She
let out a shy giggle. “The people of this village… are kind.” Perhaps feeling
at ease when speaking only to Silene, she started talking. “My brother, who had
raised me in place of our parents, pa.s.sed away in the Great War. I’m glad I’m
able to marry you. I was able to… have a family again.” She smiled bashfully.
“Miss Delit is great at cooking. She has taught me what foods you like.
Mother’s house… is big. It’s grandiose, and makes me think… that everyone
can live in it.”

Although it
was a peaceful chatter, Silene wound up coldly spitting out, “You don’t have to
be so cautious.”

Misha’s
stopped walking. Her hand, still connected with his, was pulled as he continued
going ahead, causing her to stumble. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m…
sorry too.”

“No, I’m
the one who’s sorry… I said something… uncalled for. I… even… know…
that you left that house because you hate it and your mother.”

What Silene
had become enamored with in Misha was exactly that. She was honest, caring and
kind.

“But, I
haven’t properly asked why you hate them. It’s better to cherish your parents.”

And she had
principles.

Sweat
beaded in the hand he was using to hold hers. Silene wanted to let go to wipe
it but did not do so, instead tightening his grip even more. He did not wish to
instigate disgust in the person that would always be by his side from then on.

“Nothing…
gets through Mom.”

Unlike
Silene, who would not meet her eyes, Misha directed her gaze straight at him. “Yes.”

“It’s been that
way since I was little. She isn’t like that because of her age. I used to have
a father too, and… an older brother… but one day, my father took my brother
and left.”

“Why…?”

“I was too
small so I don’t remember it well. It was probably… the usual… their
relationship as a married couple was bad. They… fought very often. I had seen
either of them stomp out of home a lot. That’s why I thought he would surely be
back soon that time too…”

But he had
not returned.

——Back then, why did Dad take Brother and not
me?


Was it
because his brother was the firstborn? Their age gap was of only three years,
yet he had always felt that his father would prioritize his brother in whatever
he did. For instance, in the order of giving away presents, frequency with
which he would pat their heads, or the difference of the words he used to
praise them. From others’ point of view, none those would be a big deal, but
children are sensitive to such things.

——I’m sure… he took the one he was most
attached to. That’s what I feel.

“From that
point on, Mom started getting weird. Slowly, slowly… she broke, like a screw
falling off a machine. First, she started calling me by my brother’s name.
Whenever I would say, ‘no, I’m not Jonah, I’m Silene’, she’d apologize and
correct herself. But it didn’t stop at just saying the wrong name.”

Misha
placed her other hand along the one that was joined with his. She was
attempting to smolder the hardships that her lover had faced during his life.
It was but a simple gesture, yet it made Silene unbearably contented. He was
able to strongly reconfirm that it was something he had yearned for.

“Mom
started to hallucinate that I’m either Dad or big brother Jonah.”

His past
self did not have such joys.

“When she
thinks I’m Dad, she scolds me while crying and hits me. When she thinks I’m
Brother, she simply hugs me and asks where I’d been. This has continued on for
several years.”

Silene did
not think of himself as pitiful.

“But, see,
when I got my growth spurt, I became taller. I actually don’t resemble Brother
or Dad at all. I really… think that was… a good thing.”

However, he
also did not think of himself as a happy one. In retrospect to his childhood,
there was never anything enjoyable. He had to start working as his mother
became unable to, and would be feeling miserable when coming home.

“I was free
from being mistaken with someone else.”

It was a
succession of occurrences.

“But then a
new curse was cast on me.”

A sorrowful
succession of occurrences.

“Now I’m
the one that doesn’t know who I am.”

In order to
put an end to them, he had to be apart from her.

“Mom also
doesn’t know who I am. She only remembers the me from my childhood. Delit told
me… that she’s been looking for me lately. Isn’t it… kinda laughable? I had
always, always, always…”

Precisely
because they were family, he had to be apart from her.

“…always
been by her side.”

Although it
could be considered heartless, that was the last thing Silene wanted to give up
on. The villagers already knew, but it was his first time discussing it with an
outsider. He had grown up, learned how to work, launched himself into the
outside world, fallen in love with a girl he had found there and was at last
freed from his sadness. He would not let anyone interfere with that.

“That’s why
I won’t live with Mom.”

Silene was
desperate to haul the happiness that he had finally managed to grasp onto
with his own hands.

As they got
home, Delit came to greet them outside with a, “I’ve been waiting for you.” She
was holding several letters in her hands. They had brought about a huge
incident in the absence of the two. Congratulatory telegrams from far-away
friends and relatives who would not be able to make it to the ceremony had
arrived.

The town
Silene and Delit lived in was at a short distance from the village. He had
actually wanted to hold the ceremony there and leave his mother out, but Misha
had not agreed to it. “If you have at least one parent, you should show it to
her,” she had told him. For that reason, the people they were currently a.s.sociated
with had become unable to attend.

“What
should we do about these… according to marriage etiquette?” Silene coyly
asked the old Delit.

“Well, they
must be wholeheartedly recited. Haven’t you requested anyone to do that?”

Silene
turned to face Misha. The couple had not been taught by the nearby elderly one
about situations in which they would have to make requests and were unfamiliar
with nuptial protocol.

“We’re in
trouble… if it has to be someone from this area… maybe the lady from the
general store?”

“No way…
we can’t ask so suddenly. The ceremony is tomorrow.”

“Then,
Master, this means you also haven’t thought about your love poem for the bride.
You have to do that too.”

It was a
traditional custom for the bridegroom reciting a poem written by himself
containing his feelings towards his loved one in the middle of the ceremony.

“I was
thinking about not making one since it’s embarra.s.sing…”

“That’s no
good! A wedding ceremony without that… would be a disappointment to the people
invited.”

Upon being
admonished with an incredibly threatening att.i.tude, Silene shrank back.

“Holding a
ceremony in our land means getting ready and spending efforts so that we can
share a wonderful moment in exchange of being congratulated by many people. We
cannot discard traditions. Everyone… is volunteering for a lot of things,
aren’t they? That’s due to mutual support and encouragement. You’ll be d.a.m.ned
if you don’t earnestly correspond to that sincerity.”

“B-But…”

Who in the
world were they supposed to seek for help?

Perhaps as
they were having a heated debate, one of their guests opened the window and
poked her head out as if inquiring what was going on. She held a letter in her
hand as well.

“Aah, isn’t
there someone who’s just perfect for the job?!”

“No, but…
they’re guests.”

“But she’s
an Auto-Memories Doll, right? Isn’t recitation and writing their forte? Master,
you can leave it to her.”

Despite
Delit’s optimistic words, Silene’s constraint was more prominent, rendering him
unable to say anything.

“I accept.”

“Eh?”

“I accept. I
will take on the reciting and writing… as a one-night favor.”

Unexpectedly,
Violet was the one to a.s.sume the responsibility. Not even a full day had pa.s.sed
since they had met, yet he somehow felt he would not be able to say such things
himself. Silene thought she was a modest woman.

“It is an
important ceremony, after all.”

The words
of Violet Evergarden weighted heavily on Silene’s heart.

The bridal
costume from the outskirts of Eucalypt Basin consisted of a red robe with
detailed goldthread embroidery. On the bride’s head lay a flower crown, and a
rose-colored make-up was applied on her eyelids and lips. In contrast, the
groom was clad in a white robe. He carried a shield that represented the protection
of their household and a small sword painted in gold, as it was a symbol of
wealth.


The groom
and bride walked receiving blessings from the people in the street that
morning. Afterwards, a banquet was held in the village’s hall. The stage of the
ceremony, which the female villagers had been preparing since the day before,
turned out splendid. The hall’s pavilion was decorated with white seven-sisters
and red roses and two seats made of vines were set up. A long tables and chairs
had been lined up as to surround the pavilion and guests were already seated on
them. They greeted the arrival of the young couple with applause.

Only on such
day, those who would usually be working a.s.siduously were also dressed up and partic.i.p.ating.
Gorgeous ornamental hats, vividly colorful dresses. And adults are not the only
ones dressed up. The figures of children running and walking around with angel
feather ornaments on their backs were adorable.

Once the
ceremony began, an orchestra started playing and the food was served. Next, it
was time to dance for a while. Initially, the women that received dance lessons
displayed a group ch.o.r.eography. People gradually mixed up with it, but when the
blond postman made his entrance, the cheers from female villagers rose. As Benedict
danced about brilliantly in boots much like the ones women wore, after he was
done, rather than being by both of his arms, young lady villagers as pretty as
flowers cornered him from all sides and caused an uproar.

Violet
Evergarden, who had offered to do the recitation, did not do anything as flashy
as Benedict. She simply stood still and awaited her cue in silence. Perhaps because
of her almost mystical beauty, she did not become a target of the men’s
flirting, and not even a single person with enough courage to as much as talk
to her had come by.

By the time
it was finally her turn, she caused the attendees’ eyes to glue on her with the
conglomerate of telegrams. There was not even any need to say “quiet down” in
order to silence those who were causing a ruckus. So long as there was
something that they wished to hear, people would fall silent on their own.

Regardless
of the anxious couple, the ceremony went on free from disturbances for the
villagers who were already used to it. Misha quietly whispered into Silene’s
ear, “It seems this will end well, right?”

Although
she was his own bride, she looked so beautiful that he was slightly startled
when her face drew closer. “Yeah, really… this is thanks to the people of the
village.”

“Your love
poem… was wonderful.” After saying so, Misha laughed a bit. It was probably
because his figure had looked funny in her eyes as he ended up mumbling the
love poem he had dedicated to her, due to becoming stiff as a statue out of
nervousness.

“Miss
Violet wrote most of it, though…”

“That’s
right. I had never… been told such things.”

“Don’t
tease me so much… I’m no good with embarra.s.sing stuff.”

“It’s great
that we were able to meet such wonderful travelers. Mother also seemed to have
enjoyed herself.”

“It’ll be
good if that’s true.” Silene’s voice was a little down.

He had
constantly prayed that she would stay put at least on that day, yet she had
started aimlessly loitering around by the middle of the ceremony and begun
looking for him by the latter half of it, so as per his request, Delit had
taken her back home. As the villagers knew of the circ.u.mstances, there was no commotion
on their part – rather, the one that had become disconcerted was Silene.

——So embarra.s.sing.

He felt as
if the most important day of his life had been ruined by his heartbroken
mother.

——I’m glad that the one I married was Misha.

There were
surely people who would have become irate had the same happened to them. Just
as himself.

——I’m glad… that it was Misha.

Silene took
Misha’s hand, tracing the wedding ring he had put on it with a finger. It was a
proof that he was no longer alone. The way that very ring felt gave him a sense
of reality.

“Lastly,
here is a letter by the precious mother of the groom, containing her blessings
for the marriage of her son, Sir Silene, who has chanced upon the marvelous day
that is today.”

An
incessant clapping outburst at Violet’s words. Silene confusedly turned his
head to every direction. Misha seemed to think it were yet another program of
the event and accepted it, but Silene had not been told about such a thing by
anyone.

“Lady Fran,
I humbly thank you for allowing us to be sitting in such an honorable place
along with all of you.” Violet took out a letter similar to the one she had
been holding the evening before and opened its envelope. “By your respectable
mother’s request, I shall vocally deliver to Sir Silene the letter of marital
blessings that is packed with feelings.”

——I haven’t heard about it. I haven’t… heard
about any of this.

Was it not
better for him to stop her? There was no way the words said by a heartbroken
person could be of any decency. The place would merely become disheveled by her
strange manner of speech and conduct. Silene attempted to rise from his seat.

However,
the blue orbs of the Auto-Memories Doll seemed to sew his own shadow onto him
as she entreated for restraint on the spot, “It might become a little abstract,
but please do listen to it.” A sigh escaped Violet’s rose-like lips. As if
reciting, she read out the blessing poem, “‘I know that the most beautiful
version of myself is the one reflected in your eyes. That is because I cherish
you as if I were admiring a flower. I can see the gleam of stars in your
pupils. That is because I think of you as dazzling. You did not know how to
speak when you were small. I taught you words so that you would be able to,
right? The color of the sky, the coldness of night dew, the lines you would spout
when doing bad things… if only I could convey to you the joy I felt when
talking with you about them. I wonder if you have realized that any harsh words
I ever directed at you were out of love too. Similarly, no matter how much you
may have hurt me, the fact that you were born erases all of it. You do not know
that, do you? My son. Do you know the beauty in the eyes of the person you will
be together with for the rest of your life from now on? Can you remember what
color they are even after closing your own eyes? Do they shine? If you look
beautiful when reflected in her orbs, you are loved by her. You must never let
that become lax. You must not neglect love. A light can keep on shining
precisely when it is polished. That jewel is in only your care. Do not neglect
love. My son. Have you ever peeked into my eyes? If not, then by all means, try
doing so. They are already enveloped in a world of night, but stars twinkle in
the night sky. Please, just quietly peek into them. If you think that what
surfaces in my eyes – what is reflected in them – is beautiful, that means you
love me. I cannot speak much. That is why, please, take a peek. Please do that
whenever you become restless. Wherever you go, my eyes should be able to become
one of the beautiful things that exist in this world for you. This is the truth
of a promise between you and me. My son, this is my love towards you. So,
please, do not forget the color of my eyes.’”

The
applause started out as a noiseless ripple and gradually morphed into the great
swirl of a wave. After bowing beautifully in an Auto-Memories Doll-like way,
Violet stepped aside.

Silene
could not remember his mother’s eye color. He had been with her today and the
day before.

“Silene?
Are you okay?”

Nevertheless,
he could not recall it. He had avoided looking at her face. And he had done so on
purpose.

“Silene.”

Being
called by someone else’s name whenever they locked eyes was too hard for him. It
was painful that he did not have what his mother sought after. No matter what
he did, he was unable to correspond her expectations.

“Hey,
Silene.”

If the one
his father had taken away had been Silene himself instead of his brother,
perhaps his mother’s heart would not have been damaged to that extent.

“Hey,
Darling.”

If she were
not with a son that would make his father and mother think of him as
unnecessary, but a better one…

——So embarra.s.sing.

The reason
why he was no good with embarra.s.sing things…

——So embarra.s.sing.

…was that
they would cause him to become aware…

——So embarra.s.sing.

…that he
was an embarra.s.sing existence to someone else.

“Darling,
don’t cry.”

As Misha
wiped his tears, he realized that he was crying. He hurried to turn backwards.
More tears poured.

——So embarra.s.sing. So embarra.s.sing. I am… so
embarra.s.sing.

The
Auto-Memories Doll’s letter made his chest ache. He was embarra.s.sed of having
dragged with him the past he was unable to love until the present moment and
running away from the person he was supposed to protect. His mother, despite
thinking he was gone, and despite being broken, had gone out to look for him.

“Sorry,
I’ll leave the seat for a bit.” He informed Misha and walked away from the
ceremony.

“Are you
headed to where Mother is?”

As he kept
his eyelids still and nodded at the question, she pushed his back.

“Off you
go.”

While
thinking he was the worst groom ever for abandoning the ceremony, he paced past
the guests. Even with him leaving, the attendees had become exalted as the time
to dance had come once again.

He went
past the narrow road, towards the house he had lived in with his mother.
Silene’s legs hurried to the house that he had left as if running away. As he
arrived by its front, Violet Evergarden, who was supposed to be at the
ceremonial hall, was there. He could not see Benedict’s motorcycle anywhere.
The repairs had most likely been completed.

“We are
much obliged.”

It seemed
they planned to depart without seeing the end of the ceremony.

“Same here.
Hum… thank you very much. I took notice of my failures… with the words I
received. Mom told you some sort of nonsense… and you… wrote it beautifully
into a letter just like that, right? She made you do something so troubling… She…
often makes selfish requests. It was like that even back when we lived
together. Even today, when she was told that it was the day of the wedding
ceremony, she was adamant that we gave her a white hat that had already been
sold ages ago…”

“I am sorry
for having done this on my own accord.”

“No, it’s
fine…”

“While Sir
Silene and Lady Misha were out, I accepted a job offer from your mother. The
offer was only for me to deliver the letter, but I ended up doing something
intrusive. Your mother said that you might not have read the letter if she had
given it to you, Sir Silene… I, too, chose a method of definitively transmitting
her words to you. Since there is no letter… that needn’t be delivered.”
Violet said.

Silene’s brows
furrowed. He could picture his mother making the request. However, he thought
it was odd for her to say he might not have read it.

“I wonder
why my mother would say this… that I might not read the letter.”

“She said
it was because she was always causing problems to Sir Silene. Since, due to losing
part of the family, she wound up hammering you with lonely memories.”

——That’s a lie.

“No, that’s
weird.”

“What is?”

——That’s a lie, that’s a lie.

“She’s…
not supposed to say anything so reasonable. She says things like ‘I want to do
this’ or ‘I want to do that’. But… that’s weird. It’s almost like… I
mean…”

——There’s no way.

“It is not
weird. All the while when talking to me, your mother was lucid. When we first
met, too, she was like that for a moment. She talked about you.”

——There’s no way.

Silene
staggered to pa.s.s by Violet’s side and opened the house’s entrance.

From behind
him, Violet’s voice resounded, “Well, then, we will take our leave.”

Without bothering
to even turn around, he climbed up the stairs and headed to the front of a room
in the second floor. What was his mother currently doing in that room which
could only be locked from the outside? Taking off the padlock, he spun the
doork.n.o.b. The window was probably open. Wind was circulating in the room.

His mother was
by said window, observing the center of the village where the ceremony was
taking place.

“M-Mom.” He
called. “Mom.” He called for her countless times in that manner.

His mother stirred
her head towards him, but her gaze immediately returned to the window. “Hey,
quiet down… Jonah.”

She rarely
ever turned to look at him.

“Mom…
Mom… M-Mom…”

Ever since
their family fell apart, there had not been a single occasion in which she had
looked at him soberly.

“I’m onto
something very important right now.”

Not even
one.

“I wonder
where Silene is.”

“Mom, I’m…
right here.” He let out a childish voice.

As he did
so, his mother’s body twitched once as if startled, and she slowly turned
around. She eyed Silene from head to toe with apparent interest. Her gaze was
not the same as ever.

Silene
stared back into his mother’s...o...b... They were of a stunning amber hue.

——Aah, that’s right. That was their color.

He remembered
that her irises were of the same color as his own.

His mother
walked to his side, and with a hand of increasing brown spots, she touched his
cheek. All along, he was shedding tears.

“My… don’t
cry.” She seemed happy. “You’ve grown so much, huh, Silene.”

Only Silene
dwelled within her amber eyes.

“Congratulations…
on your marriage.” She smiled.

During that
instant, his mother undoubtedly had sanity. It was lost by the moment Silene embraced
her.

“Hey, where’s
Silene?”

“I’m… not
going anywhere anymore.”

However,
her love definitely existed.