Arc 9, Part 35: "The Star of Awakening"

—When Rem arrived back at the Roswaal Mansion, she didn’t feel any sense of ‘having returned’ at all.

“Rem, can you see it? That is Lord Roswaal’s mansion, where Ram and the others work.”

“Our… workplace…”

Following the direction Ram pointed from the window of the dragon carriage—toward a scenic view bathed in bright sunlight—Rem blinked her light blue eyes, her eyelashes trembling.

They had taken a public dragon carriage to the industrial city of Costuul, and after traveling for a while in a private carriage prepared for their pickup, what came into view was a ‘home’ she did not recognize.

A grand gate and a magnificent mansion beyond it. It was even more palatial than Berstetz’s estate where she had stayed with Katya in the Vollachian Imperial Capital; the Roswaal Mansion was an elegant building one would normally never forget after seeing it once.

And yet—

“How is it?”

“…I’m sorry, Sister.”

Rem slowly shook her head, apologizing out of a sense of inadequacy for failing to meet her sister’s expectations.

On the way here, Rem had parted ways with Subaru, Emilia, and the others, who had gone off to handle various matters, leaving her to travel back to the mansion alone with Ram. During that time, she had hoped that seeing various sights would stimulate her memories, but not once had that hope been fulfilled.

It seemed that the mansion, which should have been so important to them, was no exception.

“I see. But it can’t be helped. After all, it has been quite a long time since Ram and the others worked at this mansion, and the mansion that would have left a deep impression on Rem is not this one.”

“Eh!?”

“By the way, the previous mansion is gone because a frustrated Otto burned it down. If it had remained, I would have considered stopping by there instead.”

“Mr. Otto did…? He didn’t seem like that kind of person.”

Rem’s head spun at this sudden revelation, further confused by the information Ram provided about Otto.

She knew Otto was the camp’s internal affairs official, a man with a soft-spoken impression, Subaru’s friend and indispensable ally, and according to Petra and Frederica, someone who never slept. Now, the information that he had set fire to a mansion out of frustration was added to the pile, leaving his true character a complete mystery to her.

Perhaps it was a case of ‘appearances can be deceiving,’ but she wondered if it was really okay to summarize him like that.

“He is one thing, but are all of Miss Emilia’s allies a collection of people like that? Garfiel, and Lord Roswaal too…”

“Lord Roswaal.”

“…Lord Roswaal too.”

“Good girl. But it’s naughty of you to lump Lord Roswaal in with those three, Rem. Lord Roswaal is brilliant and talented, the greatest magic user in this world. Compared to him, those three only make one full person when added together… no, perhaps only half a person.”

“Half a person between the three of them…”

In her mind, Rem pictured Otto, Garfiel, and Subaru standing on each other's shoulders, and then placed the flying, magical Roswaal next to them. She didn’t know exactly how much of a gap existed between them, but she assumed Ram’s words must be correct.

For Rem, who still had no prospect of regaining her memories, the trust and affection she felt for her twin sister, Ram, were the only things she knew to be undeniably real.

—They were the certain bond connecting the Rem of the past with the Rem of the present.

“…Thinking this way would probably make Miss Priscilla angry with me.”

At the bitter thought arising in her heart, Rem recalled the gaze of the woman with eyes like scarlet flames.

In a very short time, that woman had greatly influenced Rem’s way of thinking and her path forward. She never approved of clinging to or obsessing over the past. Similarly, she likely wouldn’t have liked the way Rem indulged in the sweetness of trust and curried favor with Ram.

Rem didn’t want to be disliked by Priscilla, nor did she want to live a shameful life.

That was why she scolded her heart whenever it tried to look backward, slapped her cheeks, and looked up.

“But Sister, based on what you said earlier, doesn’t that mean there aren’t many clues to my memories even if we return to this mansion?”

“Fufu, you’re quick on the uptake. Ram is proud to have such a clever sister.”

“No, it’s not… I don’t think I deserve such praise from you, Sister…”

“Just who do you think the Ram standing here is the sister of? Did you think Ram, Rem’s big sister, would make such an oversight?”

Ram placed a hand on her chest and spoke with a face full of confidence.

At those dignified words, Rem felt honestly ashamed of her misplaced worry. Even without Rem pointing it out, Ram had already seen through everything.

In that case, what she was most curious about was Ram’s actual plan—

“If we’re going back to the mansion but that isn’t the goal… is the goal a person?”

“I wonder. We’ll have the answer… very soon.”

Just as Ram smiled at Rem’s guess, the dragon carriage came to a stop.

Feeling the swaying of the carriage for the first time in a while after the ‘Wind-Blocking Divine Protection’ was deactivated, Rem started. Before her, Ram stood up gallantly and offered her hand.

“Now, we’ve arrived. Let’s go.”

“—Yes, Sister.”

Taking Ram’s hand, Rem stepped off the carriage, her heart bouncing with a faint nervousness.

While Ram spoke to the driver who had brought them here, Rem took a step forward. Through the bars of the closed iron gate, she took in the sight of the mansion and its beautiful front garden.

“This is…”

Rem narrowed her light blue eyes. As expected, she felt no recognition for the building.

Still, she could see that every corner of the mansion—the building, the flowerbeds, the hedges—was meticulously maintained, which made her instinctively straighten her posture.

Regardless of her memories, if Rem was to live in this mansion from now on, her position would likely be that of a servant, just like Ram and Frederica.

‘No, Rem, it’s enough if you just live healthily and freely every day.’

For a moment, an image of Subaru saying such a thing popped into her head, but Rem forcibly brushed away the phantom that tried to spoil her excessively.

Certainly, it sounded like something Subaru would say, but he had his own hands full right now.

In fact, to a degree incomparable to Rem, he was currently busy comforting someone who had been wounded by the loss of Priscilla—

“—Oh? Ohh, ohhh, ohhhh!”

Suddenly, a startled “Kyah!” escaped Rem as she jumped back at an unexpected groan.

Looking closer, the voice had come from the other side of the fence—inside the mansion grounds. There, a small girl stood with her tiny hands gripping the bars, her eyes wide with shock.

She had a lovely face and long, peach-colored hair. Wrapped in a black tunic, the girl, who looked to be about eleven or twelve years old, stared at Rem with round, wide eyes.

Rem recognized that girl. —From the midst of the disaster in the Empire.

“A-Are you… the ‘Witch’ who caused the ‘Great Disaster’!?”

“Oh, Lady Ryuzu, thank you for coming to meet us.”

The harbinger of the ‘Great Disaster’ trembled, pointing at Rem.

While Rem was horrified by this sudden, impossible reunion with calamity, Ram poked her head out from the side and spoke to the girl naturally. At that casual attitude, Rem turned to Ram in shock, and the ‘Witch’ also glared at the elder sister as if snapped out of a daze.

“Ram! You’re back. You’re back, but… you’re being far too nonchalant about this!”

“…Did you want Ram to pick you up and carry you like Garf or Frederica do, Lady Ryuzu?”

“I didn’t say that! More importantly, that girl is…”

“Sister, this person is…”

The ‘Witch’ who plotted the destruction of the Empire was named Sphinx.

However, Ram called the girl before them by a different name—Ryuzu. Seeing Ryuzu’s gaze turn back toward her, Rem looked at Ram in confusion.

In response to their reactions, Ram gently placed a hand on Rem’s shoulder.

“Introduce yourself.”

“————”

Even without a basic explanation, Ram’s quiet voice strangely calmed Rem’s frayed nerves. Her confusion naturally unraveled, and Rem turned back to Ryuzu.

She steadied her breathing, looked the other person straight in the eye, and said:

“—I am Rem. Are you… Miss Ryuzu?”

“…I see. Yes, that’s right. Yes, indeed. I am Ryuzu, Rem.”

At Rem’s introduction and question, Ryuzu’s eyes turned distant for a moment before she nodded softly.

Between that reaction, Ram’s attitude, and the fact that she was inside the Roswaal Mansion grounds, Rem was finally convinced that the girl before her and the ‘Witch’ of the Empire were different people.

“Even so, the resemblance is far too striking…”

“Indeed. There is a common saying that there are three people in the world with faces like yours, but in Lady Ryuzu’s case, there are nearly ten times that many. In other words, she is ten times as common.”

“What a thing to say when an old person is having an emotional moment.”

Ryuzu scolded Ram, who had answered Rem’s comment about the confusing appearance.

As evident from their exchange, the two were quite close. Judging by Ryuzu’s attitude, she too must have been someone deeply connected to the former Rem.

“I’m sorry. But I don’t remember anything.”

“No, no, there is no need to apologize. I am—”

“—My younger sister. She has the same hair color as Ram, doesn’t she?”

“T-True…! Eh, but if she’s your sister, that means…”

Ram interrupted Ryuzu to reveal a shocking fact. Stunned by the surprise, Rem looked back and forth between Ram and Ryuzu, finding the hair color to be quite convincing evidence.

However, since Ram and Rem were supposed to be twins, that would inevitably mean Rem’s relationship with Ryuzu was—

“My… younger sister too…?”

“Stop that, Ram! You’ve really done it now! You’ve been badly influenced by Ros-bo and Su-bo!”

“Putting those two on the same level? Even for you, Lady Ryuzu, there are things you should and shouldn’t do.”

“Look who’s talking!”

Ryuzu raised her eyebrows and shouted, while Ram frowned. Watching the bickering, Rem blinked and finally realized it was one of Ram’s jokes.

“Now that you mention it, if she were mine or your sister, it would be strange for you to call her ‘Lady Ryuzu,’ Sister.”

“Well, depending on the circumstances, there’s the possibility of sisters with different fathers or mothers, or being of noble blood. That isn’t a perfect counter-argument.”

“That’s also true… So, she really is our…?”

“No. It is undeniably Ram’s mischief. Honestly, she is a handful.”

Ryuzu let out a long sigh, and Ram stuck her tongue out slightly.

Rem had been led in circles, but looking back on the journey so far, she had often been troubled by Ram’s playfulness, yet saved by it at the same time.

For Rem, who tended to sink into gloom for the slightest reason, Ram’s presence—overflowing with confidence and humor—was like the warmth of the sun.

“I think you are a wonderful person, Sister. Including your playfulness.”

“Based on what was in the messenger bird’s letter, it hasn’t been many days since you reunited, yet she’s already been tamed like this…”

“Tamed is such a nasty way to put it. I have simply exhausted my sincerity and love.”

“For someone saying that, you’re acting far too giddy, Ram. I understand you’re happy that your sister, who was bedridden for so long, has woken up and can spend time with you, but still.”

“—. How cheeky for a Lady Ryuzu.”

“Your way of hiding embarrassment is quite aggressive. I don’t mind, but I hope you’ll show some mercy to Gar-bo. Now then…”

Ram frowned slightly. As Rem watched in admiration at the rare sight of her sister being outmaneuvered, Ryuzu, who had been leaning against the iron gate, stepped back.

“It’s silly to keep talking through a gate forever. I want to hurry up and embrace my granddaughters who have returned safely.”

“Granddaughters…?”

“That is Lady Ryuzu’s best attempt at a joke. Please laugh for her.”

“It just shows how much I care about you!”

Seeing Ryuzu pout, Rem found herself smiling despite her confusion. It wasn’t because Ram told her to laugh, but because Ryuzu’s kindness naturally softened her heart.

Though, being treated as a granddaughter by Ryuzu, who looked younger than Rem herself, was a point that made her tilt her head even after accounting for the kindness.

“Beatrice was like this too… is there a trend of small children wanting to act older than they are?”

“Indeed. When she is on Barusu’s lap, that is Lady Beatrice’s true form.”

“Given how cute she is, that makes sense.”

Spika was the same; children were best when they were being childlike and laughing brightly. Not just Beatrice, but Ryuzu too—how much more adorable would she be if she didn’t try to act tough and just laughed like someone her age?

As Rem was immersed in these sentimental thoughts, her mind came to a halt at what happened next.

“Now everyone, open the gate.”

The moment Ryuzu said that, the iron gate of the mansion began to slowly open.

That in itself was fine. No problem at all. The problem was how the gate was opened.

““————””

The latch was pulled back, and the doors swung inward—and the people moving them, following Ryuzu’s call, were multiple individuals. Though they each had different hairstyles or accessories to distinguish themselves, every single one of them had the exact same face as Ryuzu.

Which meant they were all girls with the same face as the ‘Witch’ Sphinx—

“—!!”

It was far beyond her capacity to process. Rem’s scream echoed loudly through the air.

“I wondered what that scream was about, but now I understand. Certainly, seeing Lady Ryuzu and her sisters like Pico for the first time would be a shock.”

“Hearing you say that makes me feel a little better…”

Rem bowed her head in shame at the words of the blonde maid who showed such understanding.

The greeting with Ryuzu at the gate and the shocking event that followed—the appearance of over ten girls with the same face as Ryuzu—had left her in a state of panic that she now found embarrassing.

“Sister did tell me there were ten times more people with the same face as Lady Ryuzu, but I thought she was joking…”

“With the way Ram says things, it’s only natural for Rem to think that. I think someone who didn’t think it was a joke would be blindly following her, which is its own problem.”

“You say that so casually, but shouldn't you reflect on yourself as well, Lady Ryuzu? If you keep causing problems with a frequency that can't be overlooked just because of your cute appearance, I might soon find myself forced to take action.”

“H-How terrifying…”

The maid glared at Ryuzu with quiet, judging eyes, causing Ryuzu to shrink back in reflection. Seeing this, Rem finally allowed her lips to curve into a smile and straightened her hunched back.

She hadn't expected such a commotion before even entering the mansion grounds, but now that she had been properly invited inside, she couldn't mope forever.

And besides—

“I caused a lot of trouble because I was so loud. Um…”

“—I am Sylphy Elmart. I was formerly Sylphy Cornias, but I have since divorced. I was entrusted with the management of this mansion while everyone was away.”

“The mansion. Then, Miss Sylphy, were you also a colleague of mine and my sister’s?”

Rem asked the maid—Sylphy—who bowed gracefully.

Naturally, it was highly likely that everyone working at the Roswaal Mansion was an acquaintance of Rem’s. She must have caused them a lot of trouble by being asleep for so long.

However, Sylphy shook her head at Rem’s concern.

“I am still a newcomer, so I have never worked with you, Miss Rem. Furthermore, I was not hired by the Margrave, but by Lord Miload. And beyond that…”

“Beyond that?”

“My master is myself. And the master of my heart is none other than Lady Emilia.”

Rem was taken aback by the intense willpower in Sylphy’s gaze.

The extraordinary loyalty Sylphy expressed toward Emilia was evident in the perfect maintenance of the entrance hall, the corridors, and the drawing room they were currently in. Just as she had thought when looking at the mansion from the outside, the work was impeccable.

It was truly a feat made possible by her devotion to the ‘master of her heart.’

“Miss Sylphy, have you known Miss Emilia for a long time?”

“No, it has only been a few months since we met. And the time we actually spent together was extremely brief.”

“And yet, you feel so strongly about her?”

“Does the amount of space someone occupies in your heart depend on the length of time spent together, or rather, what that person did for you?”

“That is…”

Surprised by the unexpected answer, Rem looked down at Sylphy’s follow-up words.

At that moment, the faces of Spika and Katya—people precious to her—crossed Rem’s mind. The time Rem had spent with them was not long, even considering that their relationship was built from scratch by a Rem without memories.

Even so, Rem considered them irreplaceable.

Sylphy’s point was valid. —As she tried to accept this, Subaru’s face clearly appeared in her mind, and Rem pursed her lips tightly.

“Miss Rem?”

“She is likely confused. Sylphy, I believe I told you about Rem’s circumstances.”

“That’s right. My apologies. I was lacking in consideration.”

“No, it’s not something you need to apologize for. —It’s just my own personal issue.”

Hearing Rem’s answer, Ryuzu and Sylphy exchanged a look. Rem felt bad for the two who were being so sympathetic, but she didn’t intend to talk about her current inner conflict.

As she said, this was Rem’s own worry and her own problem.

“—You have a gloomy look on your face, Rem. Did Sylphy bully you?”

“————”

At the sudden voice calling her name, Rem looked up toward the entrance of the drawing room. Standing there was Ram, who had temporarily left them during the tour to attend to some business.

Seeing Ram, who had rejoined them, Rem’s eyes widened and she caught her breath. This was because the Ram who appeared was standing there in a maid uniform she wasn't used to seeing.

“Sister, that outfit is…”

“How many times must I tell you? Ram is a maid of this mansion, serving Lord Roswaal.”

Ram gallantly smoothed her peach-colored hair as she answered, and Rem found herself captivated. Watching Ram just as Rem was, Ryuzu let out a breath of admiration.

“It has been a while since I last saw Ram in that outfit.”

“Indeed. Ram has been in traveling clothes for a long time, so this feels fresh.”

“It’s so fresh that several parts of the uniform are worn incorrectly. May I fix them for you?”

“Is that so? Then I’ll leave it to you.”

While Rem watched in amazement, Ryuzu looked on sentimentally, and Sylphy began silently helping Ram adjust her attire. As her uniform was being straightened by Sylphy’s hands, Ram winked at Rem, who was still staring.

“This is the maid uniform Ram and Rem wear when working at the mansion.”

“…I think it’s lovely. But…”

“But?”

“Compared to Miss Sylphy’s uniform, isn't there a bit more skin showing? I wonder what the reason for the difference is… surely that person didn't have a hand in this?”

Comparing Ram’s and Sylphy’s maid uniforms, Rem hugged her own shoulders in suspicion.

It was certainly a cute outfit, but the difference was too obvious, and the intent was unclear. Thinking back, Subaru had frequently commented on Rem’s clothing in the Empire, saying things like ‘it would be cuter if you did this’ or ‘it would be more charming with this adjustment,’ making her feel complicated emotions. The memory of those moments resurfaced as she looked at the uniform.

“I thought he had an extraordinary obsession with other people’s clothing, but even here…”

“…It seems a misunderstanding is taking root, Lady Ram?”

“Indeed. Personally, I don’t mind if Barusu’s reputation hits rock bottom in Rem’s eyes, but I don’t like having my credit stolen.”

“Credit?”

“Yes. This maid uniform was personally proposed and modified by Ram. All because… Ram wanted a uniform that was easier to move in? I think?”

“Why did you suddenly lose confidence at the end?”

Ryuzu tilted her head as Ram’s confidence withered unusually at the end of her sentence. At Ryuzu’s point, Ram muttered, “It’s incomprehensible.”

“It’s unpleasant to find my own opinion unsatisfying. Most likely, the reason Ram proposed the modification wasn't something as half-baked as what I just said.”

“Y-You’re saying that about your own opinion!?”

“I feel the intent of a higher power at work. …It galls me to think the same way as Barusu, but the idea that I wanted Rem to wear a cute uniform is far more convincing.”

“I see, indeed. That is agreeable.”

Sylphy, for some reason, agreed with Ram’s deduction. Based on the flow of the conversation, Sylphy likely had her own impulses to dress someone in cute clothes.

In truth, in a world where memories of Rem had vanished from most people, the true nature of the discrepancy Ram felt and the correct answer would likely never be known.

“In that case, Ram will simply believe what she wants to believe. Without hesitation.”

“…Sister, I think you would have gotten along well with Miss Priscilla.”

Rem’s social circle was small, but in the sense of being noble and strong women, Priscilla and Ram shared a dazzling quality that made one want to look up to them. If Priscilla were still alive, there might have been a future where the two became friends through Rem. Or perhaps they would have clashed like natural enemies.

In any case, it seemed her suspicion of Subaru regarding the maid uniform was misplaced.

“But it’s all because that person is always doing confusing things.”

“If you’re talking about Su-bo, he’s being torn to shreds. Poor thing.”

“Miss Ryuzu, you can only say that because you haven't seen him say nonsense and dress up as a woman.”

“What! Su-bo dressed as a woman in the Empire too!? That boy never learns.”

“Cross-dressing? Even though he has Lady Emilia? What could he be thinking? Depending on the answer…”

From Ryuzu’s reaction, it was confirmed that Subaru was indeed a repeat offender. Hearing this, Sylphy expressed a stern sense of displeasure, and Rem decided in her heart to grill him about it later.

Meanwhile, Sylphy finished adjusting Ram’s attire. Ram spun around on the spot, her skirt fluttering, and gallantly brushed back her hair.

“It was no trouble. Good work, Sylphy.”

“…I shall say it is an honor to receive your praise.”

“It is praise from Ram, so accept it gracefully. And it’s not just this. I took a quick look around, and the mansion is well-managed.”

“I spent days in submission under a hopeless master. If even a speck of dust was on the floor, all the wives would suffer terribly. It makes me angry just remembering it. Though he recently received his comeuppance.”

Sylphy had straightened Ram’s uniform perfectly, but her previous workplace—or rather, environment—seemed to have been terrible, as evidenced by her words, and Rem felt very sympathetic toward her.

Then, the now-perfect maid Ram gently placed a teacup in front of Rem.

“Now, your throat must be dry after being interrogated by Lady Ryuzu and Sylphy.”

“Making us out to be the villains just to serve a cup of tea.”

“Hmph.”

Ram laughed through her nose at the pouting Ryuzu and prepared tea for her and Sylphy as well.

Ram, who seemed to have brought the serving cart into the hallway, skillfully brewed tea for the two while signaling Rem with her eyes to drink first. Following the suggestion, Rem took a sip after enjoying the aroma—and her eyes widened.

“It’s delicious…”

“Of course. Brewing tea is Ram’s only special skill as a maid.”

“That is a remarkably bold admission. …Actually, since there are few opportunities to drink tea this good, I have no complaints.”

“Frederica always says with a smile that she can’t compete with this.”

Sylphy and Ryuzu admitted defeat and sipped their tea as Ram looked triumphant.

Savoring the aroma in her nose and the taste on her tongue, Rem nodded at their words, then noticed Ram’s soft gaze—filled with affection and a faint expectation—watching her.

“—Ah.”

Ram didn’t say it out loud. But surely, there was an expectation placed on the taste of this tea.

With a flavor this exquisite, tea that no one but Ram could brew, it wasn't hard to imagine that the Rem from before she lost her memories had also enjoyed it. In fact, the masterfully brewed tea, which almost brought tears of emotion to her eyes, felt as if its kindness was permeating every corner of Rem’s body.

However, it did not stimulate Rem’s memories or bring about the desired result.

“It was very, truly very delicious. But—”

Rem placed the finished cup on the table and trailed off, looking down. But at Rem’s reaction, Ram smiled and said, “Silly girl.”

“I simply brewed tea. Why would my cute Rem need to apologize for that?”

“Perhaps Lady Ram’s sharp gaze made her feel like she had to apologize. My previous master was beyond moody, but as long as I apologized, he would be in a good mood.”

“…Ram, could you brew a second cup for Sylphy and me? I feel so, so sorry for this girl.”

“Why do you think that? Far from being pitiful, I am enjoying unprecedented freedom.”

Sylphy frowned slightly and told Ryuzu, who had a sad look in her eyes, that she was mistaken. At Ryuzu’s request, Ram began preparing a second round for Sylphy.

Watching Ram’s back, Rem once again made a firm, strong resolution.

‘…I want to live up to the people who are so kind to me.’

After leaving the drawing room, Rem walked around the mansion as her heart desired.

Every time she stopped, Ram, who followed her, would tell her stories of the memories associated with each spot: “That’s the flowerbed where Barusu got fertilizer dumped on his head,” “This pillar has marks where Garf bit it. I’ll scold him later,” “Oh, the drawing of the Great Spirit that Lady Emilia and Lady Beatrice drew on the ground is still there.” Thanks to this, Rem had no time to feel lonely.

However, contrary to Ram’s closeness and consideration, Rem couldn't quite find that sensation of something pushing her forward.

“Ah, there are more girls who look like Lady Ryuzu…”

“That’s Pico and the others. They were brought out from the ‘Sanctuary’ and are in the middle of learning various things from scratch.”

“…I am in a similar situation to those girls and Miss Sylphy.”

Unlike the unusually mature Ryuzu, the girls—led by the one called Pico—looked as innocent as their appearance suggested. They could be seen in various parts of the vast Roswaal Mansion, busy helping the maids who wore the same uniform as Sylphy.

Those girls, who looked so admirable in their efforts, apparently carried a destiny different from humans from birth, and were now in the midst of living a different life after being freed from it.

On the other hand, many of the maidservants whose beauty and grace stood out were, according to what she heard, women who had been in the same wretched environment as Sylphy. All of them had been able to escape that situation thanks to Emilia.

Both Ryuzu’s sisters and the maidservants were in the same position as Rem, in the sense that their lives had been toyed with and tossed about by fate.

However, to Rem’s thought, Ram added:

“Regardless of whether you have memories or not, if you’ve decided to start walking a new path, in most cases, you have no choice but to start building it up again from the beginning. Rem, you are nothing special.”

“Sister…”

“No, I was wrong. Rem, you are special. You are so very precious to Ram.”

Corrected like that, Rem turned her face away, embarrassed by the magnitude of the affection she was given.

Of course, Rem also felt a strong sense of closeness and overflowing love for Ram, but while Rem’s felt like a ‘one,’ she felt like she was being given a ‘ten’ or a ‘hundred’ from Ram, which made her feel restless.

Holding that restlessness, Rem and Ram’s tour of the Roswaal Mansion continued for a while.

And eventually—

“—This is your room, Rem.”

Ram opened a door and gestured toward a room. Rem stepped inside.

Compared to the places they had seen—the drawing room, dining hall, large bath, secret training ground, lounge, garden, and balcony—there were few notable points in this room, which looked no different from a guest room.

Given the size of the mansion, the room given to Rem, a mere servant, was substantial, but that was about it.

“————”

A large bed, and a bookshelf filled with poetry collections and picture stories. The desk was neatly organized, with a vase of fresh flowers placed upon it.

“There was a time when I accidentally cleared away your personal belongings without realizing it, but Barusu pulled everything back out and put it all back exactly as it was, saying ‘Rem did it like this.’”

“That person did…”

As Rem stood before the bookshelf, Ram told her about Subaru’s hard work.

Basically, Ram’s remarks about Subaru were often harsh, and Rem usually found points to agree with, but the words she just added were filled with nothing but sincerity, which struck a chord in Rem’s heart.

She pulled out a poetry book and flipped through the pages. The poems written there were all unfamiliar, but they must have been the verses the previous Rem had liked and enjoyed. For some reason, many of them seemed to be about love and romance, and she felt a mix of amusement and embarrassment at her former self’s tastes.

“I was asleep for over a year, wasn't I?”

After returning the poetry book to the shelf, Rem gently stroked the bed she sat on and narrowed her eyes.

Having fallen into a sleep from which she wouldn't wake, and becoming unable to perform her duties as a maid, Ram, Frederica, and Petra must have taken over the maintenance of the mansion while also looking after the bedridden Rem every day. Even now, the pillows and sheets were kept clean, showing their meticulous work.

Beside the bed, a faint mark of sun-bleaching on the floor was evidence that a chair had been placed there for a long time. An image of the person who visited the sleeping Rem and spoke to her here came to mind.

It was surely Ram, and Emilia and the others, and—

“————”

Ram silently sat down next to Rem on the bed. While the gentle, light pink gaze watched her profile, Rem closed her eyes and shook her head.

She hadn't been asked. But she knew Ram wanted to know.

Nothing in this mansion, nothing in this room, stimulated Rem’s memories. All that was here were many signs of affection, things that only served to remind the Rem who remembered nothing of how happy she had been.

She felt it so strongly, so deeply, that her eyes began to moisten.

That was why—

“…Sister, I’m very curious about that. What is it?”

In the corner of the room, where the sunlight filtered in and a soft air of kindness prevailed, a mysterious object stood out—the anomaly of a spiked iron ball with a chain.

At Rem’s question, Ram let out a breath as if she had just noticed it.

“That is a Morningstar.”

“…Morning… star?”

“Yes. Barusu started calling it that, and before I knew it, the name stuck… but apparently, that was also something Rem cherished.”

“I cherished that!?”

Told something that was too different in tone from the previous stories, Rem’s gaze darted back and forth between Ram and the spiked iron ball—the Morningstar.

After doing so, she was about to accept that this was another of Ram’s playful jokes.

“Ram understands why you would doubt it. But seeing Barusu polishing it every day with special cloth and oil, Ram thinks it’s too long a setup for a boring joke.”

“B-But, wouldn't that person do something that boring?”

“True. I won't deny it.”

Whether it was a discussion they had already exhausted, Ram’s answer to Rem’s counter-argument was one of resignation. Seeing Ram’s state, Rem stood up from the bed and approached the Morningstar.

“I don’t understand…”

As she got closer, she saw that a handmade stand had been prepared so the spikes wouldn't damage the floor, showing careful consideration. The cloth and oil container placed in the same spot also backed up Ram’s words about Subaru polishing it every day.

But even so, if asked ‘so what?’, that was the end of it.

“This must be another of his pranks—”

Just like the cross-dressing, it must be some malicious thing that reflected Subaru’s tastes, spoken with a serious face.

Thinking this, Rem leaned down and touched the iron ball with her finger. —It was at that moment.

“—Eh.”

Suddenly, Rem’s vision distorted wildly, and she accidentally fell onto her backside on the floor. It was an ungraceful position, but Rem had no room to feel embarrassed or care about it at that moment.

“Ugh…”

Even after falling, the dizziness didn't stop, and her vision spun round and round.

Even though she was right there, she could no longer distinguish between the floor and the ceiling. The world’s white and black inverted, and her five senses began to blur—what she saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and felt became confused. Air became visible, sounds had a scent, she could touch smells, colors had a taste, and she could hear them.

“—Ah, ugh.”

Everything she felt mixed together, stirred, and Rem’s past, present, and future blended into one.

A village in the mountains, a wolf flag pierced by a sword, the sound of creaking wheelchair wheels, a swarm of flying dragons covering the sky, a terrifying white whale flying through the night sky, a broken horn soaring into the twilight illuminated by flames, and a boy appealing with a desperate face, a boy getting angry, a boy crying, a boy laughing—

“————”

Eventually, the shock that felt like it was rebuilding the entire world burst suddenly, like a bubble popping.

“————”

Her sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch—all of them began to teach her the correct form of life again, allowing her to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch properly.

Feeling that intense, searing stimulation and the resulting heartbeat sending blood to every corner of her body, Rem blinked once, twice, three times.

She didn't know exactly what had happened.

However—

“I… Rem is…”

Still sitting on her backside, she touched her cheek with a trembling hand, confirming her existence.

The sensation of her fingertips touching her skin didn't disappear. It was so fragile and unreliable, like a castle made of sand that would crumble away, that Rem was afraid to put any more strength into her fingers.

She felt that if she grew too greedy for more, everything would vanish—

“————”

A warm sensation wrapped around Rem from behind, covering her in that unavoidable anxiety and fear.

She caught her breath, freezing, unable to even turn around. Embraced by arms wrapped around her from behind, Rem found a reason to turn her mind and heart, which had been consumed by herself, toward someone else.

And the first thing she turned toward was the person embracing her from behind—

“Sist—”

“—Wait.”

“————”

“Don’t turn around yet. Right now, for the first time in my life, Ram is disappointed in herself.”

She was about to speak, about to turn around, but was stopped by the other person, and Rem stiffened.

Ram, whose face she couldn't see—the arms wrapped around her, the voice she heard—were trembling. It was too far removed from the image of Ram that Rem knew.

Ram had always shown Rem only a dignified, brave, and grand appearance.

It was true when they reunited in the Empire, during their journey alone back to the Roswaal Mansion, when they first started working at the mansion when the burden was heavy right after her horn was broken, and when she fought against the Witch Cultists in the burning village to protect the foolish Rem.

Whenever she was in Rem’s sight, Ram was always cool and—

“I’m sorry, Rem. I am pathetic.”

“Sister… what are you…”

“To think…”

“————”

“To think I could live until today having forgotten my so very precious and beloved Rem… what a cold-hearted sister Ram has been.”

Rem’s eyes widened at the voice of Ram, who lamented because she possessed such immense love. Then, brushing aside all restraint, Rem turned around to face the Ram who was embracing her.

“—!”

Her light pink eyes moistened and slightly wide, Ram looked at her in surprise. —The face Rem had looked at most often and for the longest time in her life made her chest feel hot.

She was certain now. She knew how happy she was, and how surrounded she was by beloved things.

“You are not cold-hearted, Sister. It is Rem who should be sorry. I have done nothing but cause you worry all this time. I am a failure of a sister.”

“Rem.”

“I understand everything now. How much you agonized for Rem’s sake, how many things you sacrificed, and how you stayed with me until today. And…”

“Rem…”

“What the weak and pathetic Rem, who has done nothing but receive, must do from now on.”

“—!”

Rem looked straight at Ram’s face, wiped away the tears trailing down her cheeks with her finger, and smiled. Then she reached out, pulled her sister’s head close, and held her to her chest.

Sitting together on the floor, the two sisters huddled close, cherishing each other. —No, Ram had always been doing that. It was Rem who hadn't been able to do it.

“Sister, I love you so much.”

Rem pressed her lips to the ear she was holding and conveyed her overflowing feelings to Ram. Feeling the hot tears soaking her chest, Rem continued to hold the silently weeping Ram.

Finally accepting the reunion that had been fulfilled in the true sense of the word, Rem conveyed her affection with everything she had—her past self and her current self.

Until she was satisfied, until her heart was content, she wanted to spend time with Ram like this.

And once she had properly reclaimed the time the sisters had lost, there were too many people Rem had to do things for—too many people she had to convey her gratitude and love to.

In particular, the first person who came to mind was a black-haired boy with mean-looking eyes—

“—Subaru-kun.”

She had to stand up to convey her love.

‘What a happy reason I have been given to live.’ —So Rem thought.

“————”

In front of the girl in the maid uniform who bowed deeply and then looked up, Petra caught her breath.

Her eyes widened, and her stiffened body became unable to move. It wasn't just Petra who lost her words and fell silent at the sight of her; Meili and Emilia were the same.

In that forced silence, the first one to speak was—

‘—Rem.’

The non-existent Imaginary Subaru stood frozen, looking at the same person as Petra.

His dazed voice reached no one but Petra, and sadly, the girl who was the focus of everyone’s gaze didn't lock eyes with the translucent him either. Petra didn't have the spare capacity to help the ‘Subaru’ whom no one else noticed.

However, she could guarantee the correctness of ‘Subaru’s’ call. —The girl standing there was undeniably the beloved and precious Rem.

“—Ah.”

In an instant, a spark ran through Petra’s head, and the misty areas of her consciousness cleared one after another.

The gravitational pull—the cause of it being right in front of her—meant that the paintings called memories, which had been unconsciously pushed to the corner of her mind and covered with the cloth of oblivion, began to be displayed in the corridor of her consciousness once again.

She felt a shock like scattering sparks at all those vividly colored paintings.

—The time Petra had spent with her as ‘Petra’ was not very long.

She was the maid girl who frequently came from the Roswaal Mansion to the village to shop. She was someone Petra had almost no contact with and had hardly exchanged words with, but she had become more expressive after Subaru started showing his face in the village, and above all, she was the savior of Petra and the others. —Though it was a twist of fate that the one who endangered their lives was Meili, who controlled the mabeasts. Or rather, Meili and her sister targeted the lives of their associates far too often at key points.

In any case, Petra’s connection with her was that thin.

Afterward, at the same time the Royal Selection began, she fell victim to the Authority of the Sin Archbishop of ‘Gluttony,’ and Petra, who was hired to fill the gap, joined the Emilia camp as a maid.

In other words, her current position wouldn't exist without that girl’s tragedy, which made for a very complicated state of mind—

“Rem… is it really Rem?”

As if the face-down cards were being flipped over and she was re-confirming the patterns and contents written on them, everything Petra hadn't understood about her was being replaced by understanding.

Beside her, the one who called her name in a faltering voice was Emilia, who was blinking her eyes.

Emilia took a step forward, her lips opening and closing many times as if lost for words.

“No, I’m sorry, that’s a strange way to put it. I’ve known all along that Rem is Rem… but that’s not what I wanted to say.”

“It’s alright, Lady Emilia. Please calm down and take your time. Rem understands that this is sudden.”

“—. Yes, thank you. There are so many things I want to say, but…”

“But?”

“…That outfit really, really suits you. It makes me feel like, ‘Yes, this is really Rem.’”

Emilia pressed a hand to her chest and smiled at Rem, her amethyst eyes moistening. At Emilia’s words, Rem raised her eyebrows slightly and then nodded.

She proudly puffed out her chest in her maid uniform.

“It is the uniform Sister tailored specifically to suit Rem.”

At Rem’s response, Ram, who had her arms crossed, nodded with satisfaction.

“…What is going on all of a sudden?”

Beside the exchange between Emilia and Rem, Meili grumbled with a scowl.

The small Crimson Scorpion poking its head out of her hair clicked its pincers as if worried about its master’s reaction. Meili closed one eye and placed a hand on her forehead.

“The moment I saw Sister Ram’s little sister, I remembered how that person crushed my entire pack of Wolgarms. She’s the reason my job failed…”

“Then you should be grateful to Rem. Because Rem made your job fail, there were no victims other than Barusu, which is why you can be here now.”

“It’s a complicated feeling, so it’s hard to be grateful…”

Meili made a face and stuck out her tongue at Ram’s point.

The wording was harsh, but Ram’s point was the truth. The fact that Meili, who was once an enemy, was accepted into the Emilia camp was undoubtedly because the damage the camp received from her actions was kept to a minimum. —Ironically, Ram’s point that there were no victims other than Subaru was correct even from the perspective of ‘Return by Death.’

“As you can see, the moment they laid eyes on Rem, the memories of her returned to those who knew her before. Regeneration. Neither I nor Lady Ryuzu could contain our agitation. As a result, our arrival was delayed. Confession.”

“Clind’s reaction was dull and uninteresting, but Lady Ryuzu’s commotion was quite a sight to behold. This is the privilege of those who were present.”

“I see, a sight to behold? Certainly, something rare was seen. Agreement.”

“—. Hmph.”

The restoration of ‘memories’ of Rem had occurred in those around her. —No, based on the conditions of the Authority of ‘Gluttony’ so far, this event should be called the restoration of her ‘Name.’

When Clind turned a meaningful gaze toward Ram regarding that fact, she clearly looked displeased, turned her gaze away, and snorted.

Looking closely, the fact that the corners of Ram’s eyes were slightly red might be related to Clind’s ‘sight to behold’ comment.

However, Petra didn't mention it. —Not out of mercy, but because she couldn't mention it.

“—Miss Petra?”

Suddenly, Rem, who had been the center of everyone’s attention, noticed the silent Petra and her eyes widened. At her reaction, Emilia and the others also turned around and were startled by Petra’s appearance.

Their reaction was natural. Petra, who hadn't been able to say a single word until now, was shedding a torrent of tears from her round eyes, desperately trying to hold back the sobs in her throat.

“Petra-chan!? Oh no, you’re crying so much—”

“—!”

the moment her crying face was noticed, Petra kicked off the floor and started running.

She slipped past Emilia’s hands, which were reaching out to hold her, dodged Meili, who was trying to touch her sleeve, ran between the legs of Old Man Rom, who was left behind by the situation, and with swift movements, she dove straight into the chest of the wide-eyed Rem.

And then—

“Rem—!”

“Kyah!”

Caught in the chest of Rem, who didn't dodge her, Petra tightly embraced her slender frame. While holding onto the sobbing Petra, Rem blinked her eyes in surprise.

“Rem… Rem, Rem…!”

At Rem’s reaction, Petra couldn't stop the tears from flowing. She did something she had vowed never to do—sniffling in front of people—and still couldn't let go.

While supporting the weeping Petra, Rem looked around as if seeking help.

“Um, were Rem and Miss Petra… close enough for her to cry this much, even though I can’t remember it…?”

Rem asked with a look of confusion she couldn't hide, all while continuing to gently stroke Petra’s head.