Epilogue
Mary’s peaceful days continued.
Francis was always near her.
There was no need to fight.
There was no need for anyone to die.
Mary used to be afraid of living in this world, but now, she was afraid of it going away.
What if the world vanished one day and she went back to that void?
Just thinking about that gave her the chills.
She could not sleep when she thought about that.
Fortunately, or perhaps not, Mary was used to suffering by now.
She could easily hide it when she was in a bad shape.
So, at this time, Francis and Henry were thinking that she was recovering well.
Rather, she really was.
The past days of violence were certainly getting farther and farther away.
At the same time however, while something was fading away, something else was clearly rising to the surface.
♢♢♢
Early afternoon on an uneventful and peaceful day.
Mary was dozing off while sitting on a chair as the soft sunlight shone through the lace curtains.
Uneventful and relaxing days like this even made Mary think ‘maybe it’s not so bad to be a princess’.
However, she could not even spend her time alone as she wanted until a short time ago.
She wanted to enjoy these comfortable days for a little longer.
Right now, Francis seemed to be talking with her father.
They were likely talking about Mary’s current situation, and what to do in the future.
Mary was happy to be together with Francis.
But Francis also had her duties and dreams.
They had to learn how to stay apart, sooner rather than later.
Mary knew that rushing things would only have the opposite effect, but she could not help herself.
So, first of all, she had to keep her presence of mind.
To forget her nightmares.
To spend her days as calmly as possible.
Then, Mary heard a knock on the door.
She answered, and the door opened.
Digi suddenly poked her head through the door.
“……Huh?”
Mary was surprised.
Indeed, it was that Digi.
The Digi Mary knew had a mask and multiple eyes on her face.
Her limbs also had a different bodily build, and even her facial expression was completely different – but it was still clear to Mary that this was Digi.
“Oh, crap!”
That awkward reaction made it seem like Digi had snuck into the castle.
“Is anyone here……? Ah, Princess Mary. Wow, it’s really you!”
Another young girl poked her head out from behind Digi.
Unlike Digi, this young girl was very excited and happy.
Mary stood up from her chair and faced the two.
“Hello.”
Mary was confused, but decided to just greet them for now.
Then, Digi bowed her head: ‘Hi.’
“Err…… We’re……”
Their eyes met, so there was no escape now.
Digi tried to think of an excuse, but Mary spoke up first.
“Digi.”
“Huh? Oh, mhm, yeah…… You know my name?”
“Then this must be Carm, right?”
“Hyaah, she said my name. Princess Mary said my name!”
Mary put her hand over her chest and smiled at the two as they showed different reactions.
“Nice to meet you, my name is Mary Pulsherima.”
Digi and Carm’s mouths were left agape in excitement when they saw Mary’s dazzlingly pure smile: ‘Whoa……’
Digi however quickly composed herself, straightened her back and deeply bowed.
“N-Nice to meet you. My name is Digi!”
Carm also slowly waved her hand and said:
“Nice to meet you, I’m Carm…… Wait, do we need to introduce ourselves if she knows our names already?”
“More or less, because she’s still a princess.”
“Right, a princess……”
Mary grinned at this peaceful exchange.
“I never even imagined that we could calmly greet each other like this one day.”
“Ahaha……. I can’t believe I ran into you while searching for the toilet. Right?”
“Everyone will be angry at us if we talk about this.”
“We have to hide it somehow.”
“Why would they be angry at you? And why are you here in the first place?”
“N-No, nothing! It’s nothing! We have business to take care of, so, see you later!”
“See you!”
They left without revealing what they came here to do.
Mary curiously tilted her head as she watched them leave.
Then, right before the door closed, she said out loud:
“The restroom is at the end of the corridor on the right!”
“Thanks!”
Mary heard them walk away with quick steps.
They seemed to be in quite the hurry.
“What was that?”
They were loud when they replied to Mary.
That meant that they had not snuck into the castle in secret.
Mary lightly scratched her head, wondering if she was daydreaming, but it seemed apparent that this was reality.
With a question mark over her head, Mary decided to leave her room and visit Henry.
♢♢♢
“What’s the meaning of this, father!?”
Francis’s angry shouting filled up the room.
It was extremely rare for her to yell like this.
In fact, it was almost impossible unless the subject was related to Mary somehow.
“They’re not like the other three I talked about. I know it didn’t happen in this world, but they still tried to kill Mary!”
Francis was angry at her father about an incident related to the homunculi.
“I know.”
“Then why!?”
“But you remember what Mary said. ‘Living like those things never happened is my proof of victory.’”
“……So you’re making them meet each other?”
Henry was trying to make Mary meet the homunculi on this day, her birthday.
“I have your report, Francis. You said that covering her old memories with new joyful ones improves Mary’s condition.”
“You should have still talked to me about this! You’ve always had a bad habit of acting arbitrarily, father.”
It was the same with World Destruction.
Henry acted out of good intentions.
But his impatience definitely had a bad influence on things.
“I’ll watch them, of course. But they want to meet her too. They may not have lived in the facility, but they’re definitely sisters born in the same place.”
It was already done.
Francis could not change anything by talking about it now.
So she took a deep breath, and calmed herself down before asking:
“Please tell me how you ended up inviting the other homunculi to the party as well after Calaria.”
“They’re the ones who proposed the idea. It looks like people found out that Calaria got an invitation letter. According to the facility head Justia, their sister, Princess Mary, is an object of adoration for all the homunculi. So, while not all of them, she asked me to let a few others participate.”
“I know Mary is charming, but……”
“After making her meet those three, we’ll allow her to meet the others, starting with the ones that influenced her the least.”
“I suppose the last one we should let her meet…… would be Digi.”
“Yeah, we’ll leave her for later, and-”
Someone knocked on the door and interrupted Henry.
Francis replied, and Mary showed her face.
“Mary…… Did you get lonely by yourself? Come here.”
Francis spread her arms.
That was not really the reason for the visit, but Mary decided to leap into her sister’s arms and hugged her.
“There there.”
“Err…… Thanks for the hug, but I’m not actually here to talk to you.”
“You weren’t lonely?”
Francis seemed dejected.
Mary frantically followed up.
“Of course I was lonely! But the main issue is something else – I just met a couple of homunculi.”
“Wha!? Where did you meet them!?”
Henry reflexively stood up.
That reaction was enough for Mary to know that those two had not snuck into the castle in secret.
“They were looking for the restroom and accidentally came to my room. It was Digi and Carm.”
“Digi!? Mary, are you alright?”
Henry asked with a meek face.
Mary curiously tilted her head.
“What do you mean ‘alright’?”
“Did they remind you of anything that hurt you?”
Francis also hugged Mary a little tighter.
Mary on the other hand replied with a smile:
“No. It made me happy, actually. I never thought I could talk to them without fighting to the death.”
Mary did hate Digi.
But that was the previous version of Digi.
The one she met earlier was not the same person.
And conversing with Digi in a normal manner eased Mary’s fears and calmed her down.
“I see…… That’s fine, then.”
Henry was the one who invited them, but he seemed calm after seeing his daughter’s reaction.
Francis still did not seem convinced, however.
“Francis, it seems that I was being too cautious.”
“……Looks like it, yes. There are a lot of things I want to say, but Mary’s words are the most important ones.”
“Father, sister, are you hiding something from me?”
“We were hiding it, but I think you should remember what day it is today.”
“What is it?”
Mary gradually lost her sense of time after so many comfortable and relaxed days.
“Ah, was it my birthday?”
“That’s right. It’s not exactly what I planned, but happy birthday, Mary.”
“Thank you very much, father.”
“So you’re saying it first, huh?”
Francis seemed bitter.
“Uh…… Sorry, I forgot.”
Henry flinched.
He was the king, but he was still weak to his daughter.
Meanwhile, Francis quickly changed her feelings and spoke to Mary with a smile.
“Congratulations on reaching 17 years old, Mary.”
“Thank you very much, sister…… Sister, father is right there – hnn!”
Francis openly kissed Mary.
The expression on Henry’s face seemed complicated, but Francis was almost trying to tell Henry that he had to get used to it.
After their lips parted, Henry took an envelope out of his desk’s drawer and handed it to Mary.
“Mary, I want you to read this. Blair wrote it for you.”
“My mother!?”
Blair’s mind was broken by the shock of Mary’s birth, and she got killed while trying to steal Francis.
But that never happened in this world.
She was still physically frail, but she had lived for a while after Mary’s birth, and had passed away when Mary was 4 years old.
So, a few faint memories of the warmth of her kind mother still remained in Mary’s memories.
In other words, the Blair of this world never hated Mary.
It was unclear why.
Because this was not related to the non-existence of arcana.
That also meant it was odd for Justia and Yueri to live together.
But, at any rate, if Henry was handing this to Mary on an auspicious day like her birthday, it could not be a bad thing.
However, Mary’s hands still shook while she took the letter.
Francis lightly hugged her, and whispered to her for encouragement: ‘Mary.’
Perhaps Mary could not open it alone.
But there were people who supported her now – so she faced it.
“Hello, please forgive me for not being able to leave you with anything other than this letter.”
The letter began with that sentence.
“First of all, I was really shocked when I heard that you were born from the blood of Henry and Francis. I did not know how to treat you, and almost begrudged you from time to time.”
That could not be helped.
No matter how kind the world was, not everyone would celebrate Mary’s birth.
“But when I first met you and you held my finger, I realized how pointless all my worries were. It doesn’t matter how you were born, nothing changes how valuable your life is.”
…… Perhaps what happened 16 years ago really was only due to a tiny event.
Thanks to the disappearance of arcana, Mary got to meet Blair earlier than planned.
That made a big difference in her life.
“You’re my daughter. You’re a part of the Pulsherima family. I’m so sad that I won’t get to walk by your side as you grow up. But I will always pray for the happiness of my family.”
There was no need to feel any fear towards this letter.
“I love you, Mary.”
“From your mother.”
In fact, Blair had a lot of love for Mary.
Mary suddenly started crying.
Her tears wet the letter, and she frantically rubbed her eyes as Francis quietly handed her a handkerchief.
“Mother……. really loved me, didn’t she?”
“Of course. She was burdened because of me, but…… she was still a splendid mother.”
“I also respect Blair.”
Francis spoke about Blair in a positive manner – that truth alone was enough to warm Mary’s heart.
“Thank you very much, father. This is my best birthday yet.”
Mary held the letter tight and wholeheartedly smiled.
Then, for some reason, Henry proudly laughed.
“Don’t think that this is all. I still have more surprises for you.”
“More? Like what? I’m already happier than I’ve ever been.”
“Hahaha, try not to faint from the shock. I’ll go first, so bring her to the spot after a short while, Francis.”
“Understood, father.”
Francis seemed a little uneasy when she replied.
Mary tilted her head, and Francis noticed this before patting her sister on the head with a smile: ‘Don’t worry about it.’
♢♢♢
Francis took Mary to a hall after a while.
“Sister, what’s going to happen here?”
“Enter and see for yourself.”
Francis tapped Mary on the back, and Mary stood in front of the door by herself.
Mary pushed open the door, heavier than the other rooms’ doors, and saw colorful confetti.
And the people lined up waiting in the room spoke in unison:
“Happy birthday, Princess Mary!”
Mary timidly opened her eyes.
Then, she saw the people she once fought to the death with, holding crackers in their hands.
Digi, Carm, Calinga, Aoi.
Hemlock, and a baby she was holding, who somehow resembled Magrat.
Of course, Angie, Erini, and Erio were there too.
Two women who appeared to be Justia and Yueri were also there, perhaps as guardians of the others.
“This is…… What’s going on……?”
And there was someone else there with the homunculi to celebrate Mary’s birthday.
A tall woman wearing a familiar maid outfit.
“Miss. Calaria……”
A woman with twin ponytails, wearing a formal dress.
“Miss. Cutie.”
And an innocent young girl, likely wearing a rented dress.
“Ami!”
Mary thought she was fine with not meeting them.
She thought that was the choice the victor had to make.
However, after seeing them face to face like this, she felt the emptiness in her heart get filled up.
Whether she liked it or not, she realized that she was just ‘pretending not to see it’.
Her view became blurred.
Tears of joy wet her cheeks.
“Everyone……!”
“Hey, why is Princess Mary crying?”
“Did we shock her, Cutie?”
“Maybe the crackers were too loud.”
Cutie, Ami and Calaria panicked.
The others were also the same, and Francis, watching from the back, was about to run up to Mary – but Mary looked ahead with teary eyes, and said:
“No! I’m just…… so happy.”
Previously, the very presence of Mary used to be a curse upon the world.
She wished she was at least worthless instead.
But she was even worse than that.
Her very birth was a mistake, and the result ruined so many lives.
“I’m so happy that so many people are celebrating my birthday like this!”
She was constantly yelled at and faced with hostility.
Yet she still lived with the support of a few people who cared for her.
However, the malice swirling inside Mary swallowed up those people too. It stole them.
“Thank you…… so much. I had no idea it was so wonderful…… to have your birth celebrated like this!”
But that curse no longer existed.
There was only joy here.
No one would deny her existence any more. Never.
Someone started clapping after hearing Mary’s words.
Then, the clapping spread like a wave until everyone was clapping.
The surprise seemed to be a success, so they were also relieved because of that.
They celebrated Mary again.
“Congratulations.”
“Congratulations, Princess Mary.”
“Congratulations!”
“Congratulations.”
“Congratulations, our sister!”
“Isn’t that a bit impudent?”
“Sorry, I got carried away.”
Showered in words of celebration, Mary was escorted by Francis to the main seat and sat down.
Lavish meals were lined up on the table.
There was a massive cake with many floors at the center of the table.
Other than that, there were whole roasted birds, and the chef was still cooking in the corner of the hall.
Some of the homunculi were even looking there more than they were looking at Mary.
There was a stage at the front, where an orchestra began playing music.
At any rate, the decorations, the food, the show and all the excitement were too much to call this just a birthday.
Henry most likely knew beforehand that many homunculi would participate.
Francis seemed a little discontent, but this was about Mary. The aim was to celebrate her.
Catherine and Edward were also nearby, and refrained from saying anything, partly to save face.
Then, Mary took a glass in her hand, said ‘Cheers!’, and the party began.
♢♢♢
After that, the party got uncharacteristically loud for an event held in the royal castle.
The homunculi continuously approached Mary.
It seemed to be true that she was an object of adoration for them, and some of them even wanted a sign from her.
Then, Calaria was the last one to walk up to her.
“Happy birthday, my princess.”
She likely needed some time to prepare herself when she saw Mary.
She managed to greet her calmly thanks to that, but Mary mysteriously chuckled: ‘Hehe.’
“H-Have I done something rude……?”
“You don’t need to be formal. We’re sisters.”
Calaria felt relieved after hearing that.
In truth, Mary had laughed at Calaria for being so stiff and talking so formally.
“I’m an alpha-type. There is no blood relation between us.”
“Still, I’ll be happier if you don’t talk to me formally. Think of it as a birthday present and just talk to me normally.”
Calaria blushed a little and worriedly scratched her cheek.
They were indeed both homunculi.
But was that enough reason for her to talk to the princess so casually?
But, if it was a birthday present, Calaria could not say no.
“Alright. Like this, then?”
Calaria spoke, still nervous.
“Yes!”
Mary replied happily with a wholehearted smile.
Calaria did not understand why it made Mary so happy when she spoke to her casually, but she felt more comfortable this way as well.
“By the way, can I ask why you invited me by name?”
“I have a personal interest in you.”
“Don’t make fun of me, Princess Mary.”
“Just call me Mary.”
“Won’t I be punished for lèse-majesté?”
“If someone tries to do that to you, I’ll punish them for lèse-majesté instead.”
That was not enough to put Calaria at ease.
Calling Mary by name was even more difficult than speaking to her casually.
Mary however kept waiting for it like a small animal straining her ears.
(I can just talk to her like I talk to my sisters. I shouldn’t take too long and disappoint the princess.)
Even seeing Mary was an honor, and Mary was still anticipating something.
Calaria had to be a good fan.
She readied herself and said Mary’s name.
“Mary.”
“Yes, Miss. Calaria!”
Mary, for some reason, had moist eyes as she looked at Calaria with upturned eyes.
(I can’t believe how cute she is face to face……)
Mary’s smile was powerful enough to make Calaria fall for her again.
Mary was not aware of this, of course.
She was just happy to hear her name said out loud.
“I knew it…… There’s no way I can stay away from you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hehe, just talking to myself. Thank you so much for coming today. I’m really, really happy that I got to meet you.”
“So it’s true that you summoned me out of personal interest.”
“Of course, because I’m a huge fan of yours, Miss. Calaria!”
“That’s my life. I’ll always support you. Now, and always.”
After that, Calaria sensed the presence of someone who wanted to talk to Mary next, and walked away.
This was a strange feeling for Mary.
Calaria was different from before, but Mary still felt nostalgic.
Mary even wanted the people she fought to the death with, like Ox or Digi, to live completely different and happy lives.
But it was different with Calaria, Cutie or Ami.
Mary understood that they should walk different paths, but she was terrified of the thought that their previous versions would completely vanish.
She even thought that they might react strangely when they met again.
But that was a needless fear.
She did not know if it was an influence of their previous lives, but Calaria still seemed interested in Mary – just the few words they exchanged were enough for Mary to see that their bond would deepen with time.
In which case, perhaps, even she–
“Good day, Princess Mary.”
Cutie switched places with Calaria.
She politely bowed her head.
“Long time no see, Miss. Cutie.”
This was not their first encounter in this world either.
Through Francis, they had come face to face with each other many times already.
If Mary’s memories were correct, their exchanges were not much different from her previous life.
“Yes, very long. You’ve gotten even more beautiful since I last saw you.”
“You’re as beautiful as always as well, Miss. Cutie.”
“Huh!? A-Am I?”
Cutie was fine with saying it herself, but she still blushed when she heard it from Mary.
Mary was a little surprised by this innocent reaction.
“……I’m not gonna put on airs. I came here ready to seduce you.”
Cutie quietly muttered to herself.
Or she meant to, but Mary seemed to have heard her.
Seduce – that was definitely what Cutie said.
(Wait, is Miss. Cutie into me……?)
That was too convenient to be true.
But if it was true, nothing would make Mary happier.
Her body got hotter and her heart beat harder.
Mary could have pretended not to have heard it, but she decided to be bold.
“There is no need for that. I’ve already been seduced by you, Miss. Cutie.”
“Huh?”
Cutie’s mouth opened wide.
From that reaction, Mary could see that she did not misunderstand.
“I’ve been waiting for the day I could see you again like this.”
“O-Oh, I see…… Wait, am I dreaming? Is this a dream?”
“This is not a dream. None of it.”
“Ohohohoho, of course! Why am I saying weird things like that!?”
Cutie was splendidly at her wits’ end.
Mary saw this and curiously raised her head like a temptress.
“I’ve been so lonely during the years we haven’t seen each other……”
This time, Mary decided to speak sweetly.
Cutie only got more frantic, as expected.
“O-Oooh, I see. Me too. I even made your merchandise out of loneliness.”
“Merchandise?”
“Huuuh!? N-No! Forget that!”
“Don’t try to hide it, I know that you abused your authority to create dubious Mary merchandise.”
“Francis!?”
Francis, who was speaking with Justia just now, poked her head in.
She had sharp ears when it was about Mary, so she did not miss Cutie’s remarks.
“I have permission for that, and Princess Mary also possesses a margin in it, of course.”
“I still think the swimsuit photo is strange.”
Francis took out a swimsuit photo of Mary from the chest area of her dress.
“The swimsuit photo that’s only in 1 in 12 boxes!? Where did you get this?”
“I bought it.”
“You bought it……”
Francis had collected most of the Mary merchandise produced by Majoram.
“I’ve been thinking about this since you started going to school in the royal capital, Cutie. You have ulterior motives, don’t you?”
“That’s not true. It’s just pure love that-”
“I heard you were proclaiming that you were ‘together’ in your previous lives, though.”
“Who told you!?”
“Platy. We contact each other from time to time.”
“That bitch……!”
“So it’s true. I shouldn’t let someone that dangerous get close to Mary.”
“What gives you the right to make that decision, Francis? Shouldn’t Mary be the one to decide?”
(Ah, I called her by name……)
Mary joyfully watched the exchange between her sister and Cutie.
She was happy that Cutie called her by name, and the overprotective Francis was also wonderful.
“Mary, how about it? You wanna be friends with this Cutie pervert?”
“It’s unfair to talk about me like that. You’re a princess, don’t be so mean.”
“I’m only telling the truth.”
“Hmph! Let’s ask Mary to decide, then.”
Mary stood up after she got dragged into it as well.
Then, she slowly walked up to Cutie, and whispered to her ear:
“I also remember being together with you in our previous lives.”
Suddenly.
Cutie’s brain froze.
She stopped thinking for a moment, and froze up on the spot.
Mary mischievously smiled and stepped away from Cutie.
Francis watched the two with suspicious eyes.
“……Mary, what did you say to her?”
“Hehe, it’s a secret.”
Yes, it was their secret.
The secret they shared did not disappear even across worlds.
Then, Cutie finally moved.
But not her body.
Blood suddenly gushed out from her nose.
“Your nose is bleeding, Cutie!”
“Huh!? Eh!? Whoa, you’re right!”
Francis frantically grabbed a handkerchief and put it on Cutie’s nose.
“Hey, it’s gonna get dirty!”
“It’s better than seeing your face like that. Let’s step out for a moment.”
“See you soon…… Did I do something bad?”
Cutie definitely did not think that she would get a nose bleed.
Mary felt a little guilty, but smiled at the fact that Cutie liked her.
Cutie looked over at Mary many times until she left the hall.
Even that exchange was enough for Mary to sense a ‘bond’.
Perhaps they could get closer again after their reunion today.
And one day, maybe they could hold each other, kiss, and touch each other – Mary wondered if these dreams would come true one day.
It definitely was not an empty dream.
The possibility of that future felt very certain to Mary.
She wanted to remember this sensation, so she returned to her seat, closed her eyes, and put her hand over her chest.
She felt her heart thumping in the palm of her hand.
Then, she suddenly sensed the presence of someone in front of her.
“You’re taller than I thought, Lady Mary.”
Mary opened her eyes and saw Ami smiling right in front of his face: ‘Nihihi.’
She had stepped up on the table, swinging around with flimsy footing.
“Ami, get down before you hurt yourself.”
“Okaaay!”
She got down and looked at Mary again while smiling.
Ami was very lively, just like before.
In the first place, leaving arcana aside, her life had no connection to sorcery either, so it was natural that she did not change much.
But her body clearly looked healthier than before.
After Majoram started ruling the Slava Territory, all the territories other than Captis had also prospered.
Ami’s hometown was likely no longer the poor village that Mary knew either.
“I got a bit shocked when you suddenly said my name.”
“This was our first meeting, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, but it doesn’t feel like that at all.”
“It’s a strange feeling. Lady Mary, is that the reason you summoned me? I feel really out of place here.”
“Indeed, you might seem a bit out of place in comparison to the others.”
Mary was not the one who summoned her in the first place, but in regards to World Destruction, Ami’s reasons for fighting were limited.
She just wanted to be next to Mary – that was the only reason she risked her life.
“Did you see the same dream too, Lady Mary?”
“Dream?”
“Yes, the dream where we get married!”
Mary looked a little surprised.
Ami felt anxious when she saw her face.
“Was I wrong? Did I say something weird?”
“No, I’m just surprised that you see the same dreams as me.”
“Same…… So you too!?”
“I saw that dream many times. Over and over again……”
It was not just Ami’s dream.
Cutie and Calaria also saw them.
Even if the world was reborn, the moment they shared their hearts with each other was not forgotten.
“So won’t you talk to me like you do in your dreams, Ami?”
It was Ami’s turn to be surprised.
She certainly did not think that Mary was lying, but she never expected this much of a coincidence.
She could not help but feel that this was her ‘fortune’.
“Are you sure? I’m just an ordinary commoner. We’re in completely different positions!”
“That does not matter to me.”
Ami’s face sparkled.
Then, she clenched her hands, and spoke while feeling the tremor in them:
“……Sis.”
She did not remember how she came to call Mary that.
But, Ami always called Mary sister in her mind.
Her dream had come true.
“Sis, sis, sis!”
“Yes, I’m right here, Ami.”
“Can I come closer to you?”
“Of course.”
Ami walked around the table and walked up to Mary.
Mary spread her arms wide.
Ami leaped into her arms with no hesitation.
“Ehehe…… Sis……”
“Ami……”
“O-Oh…… Weird. I don’t know why, but I’m crying……!”
“You worked so hard, and not everything vanished…… It’s nice for some things to remain.”
“……Mhm. I don’t really get it, but you must be right.”
“Even in that Hell, we did have a few happy memories. So let’s pick up where we left off together.”
“Yeah. All of us, together……”
That definitely signalled the coming of noisy and fun days.
Because, even in a nightmare neighboring death, the time they spent together was a blessing.
If that part was going to continue, then they would never stop smiling.
“Aaah! You’re so sneaky, Ami! You got a head start!”
Cutie returned and shouted when she saw Ami and Mary hugging each other.
Then, Mary said:
“Let’s hug you too then, Miss. Cutie.”
“Huuuuh!? M-My heart isn’t ready for such a thing yet……”
“Cutie the coward.”
“Shut up, I’m just pure!”
In truth, Cutie was always devoted to Mary alone, so she wasn’t wrong.
Well, her feelings of affection towards Mary were a little reckless, though.
“Hehe, then why don’t we take a photo together? To commemorate our meeting.”
“In that case…… I think I can do that too.”
“Then I’ll take the photo.”
Henry offered to help.
Before anyone noticed, he suddenly had a camera in his hands, and turned the lens towards Mary.
“It would be discourteous of me to have my photo taken by His Majesty the King.”
“Don’t worry about it, Cutie. I can tell how much father wants to take the photo.”
“I bought this camera just for today. Let me use it.”
“……I understand. Thank you.”
“Yaay, yaay! It’s a royal commemorative photo!”
“Ami is so fearless……”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
“Really……?”
Cutie tilted her head.
Mary on the other hand stood up and grabbed Calaria, who was eating meat at a different spot.
“What is it, Mary?”
“Let’s take a photo together.”
“But I’m not involved in this?”
“No, you’re very involved. In fact, we can’t take the photo without you.”
“Is that so?”
Calaria could not refuse the party’s guest of honor, and participated in the photograph with a question mark floating above her head.
Digi and Carm displayed their envy nearby by muttering at the same time: ‘Must be nice.’
“Hello, nice to meet you.”
Calaria lightly bowed her head to Cutie.
“Nice to meet you…… But it strangely doesn’t feel like a first meeting, does it?”
“What a coincidence, because I was just thinking the same thing. Did we meet somewhere?”
“Maybe it’s because I’m famous.”
“Mhm, me too! I feel like we can become good friends!”
They felt a weird sense of déjà vu, but had no time to think about why.
Because the king was waiting with a camera.
“It makes me nervous to see King Henry with a camera.”
“Mhm, I’m nervous too…… Can I hug you, sis?”
“As much as you want.”
“Yaaay!”
Ami hugged Mary tight from the side and rubbed her cheeks against Mary’s.
“How cunning to make up a reason to grab the best spot.”
Cutie was jealous.
Then, Francis made her move.
“Then I’ll stand next to Mary as well.”
She stood next to Mary and crossed her arm with hers.
“Wha!? But I wanted to do that! It’s so unfair that you were born as her sister, Francis!”
“The early bird catches the worm. I won’t hand Mary over to someone who looks at her with indecent eyes, Cutie.”
“B-But that’s…… No, I can’t deny that……”
“Her father is right there, so I think you should deny it.”
“Instincts are instincts because you can’t push them down.”
“Mary’s vicinity is getting filled up while you speak nonsense, you know.”
“And what do you plan on doing about that?”
“I’m fine right here. I’m just happy to be in the photo.”
Calaria stepped away a little after saying that.
“Hm, that’s not so bad……”
Even if their bodies were not touching, their hearts still did – so Calaria was comfortable.
Would Cutie use this line of attack?
No, as long as her rivals Francis and Ami were physically touching Mary, she also had to follow along.
Cutie thought about it.
Then, Mary lightly instigated her.
“Can’t you see that my left hand is free, Miss. Cutie?”
Indeed, Francis was holding Mary’s right hand, and Ami was next to her as well, but her left hand was free.
There was still Ami’s space, so while it would be difficult to cross arms with Mary, Cutie could still at least hold her hand.
“I want to hold your hand too…… Just your hand……!”
Despite telling people that they were ‘together’ in their previous lives, Cutie could not come to a decision now that Mary was actually right in front of her.
“Can I just hold your little finger?”
“Cutie is so weak!”
“Shut up! I can’t help it, I’ve always been devoted to Mary since my birth!”
Cutie argued back with a completely red face.
Indeed, in the end, she could only hold Mary’s little finger.
But they were still definitely touching each other.
Cutie’s warmth, which Mary had not felt for a long time, warmed Mary’s heart.
Cutie also smiled.
“Here we go!”
Henry looked through the lens and put his finger on the shutter.
“Smile, everyone!”
He was happy to see his daughter so overjoyed, and said that out of habit, but everyone was already smiling.
Because, after their loss, they knew the value of being with someone they loved more than anyone.
They did not want to let go.
They wholeheartedly thought so.
Not just Mary.
Francis, Calaria, Cutie, and Ami all thought the same way.
So this photo was not so much the celebration of a ‘reunion’, but rather a ‘restart’.
Their paths divided by death crossed once again.
And the life they would live was only just beginning.
To make up for everything until now.
After she would lead such a life, the thing that would be written in history books about Mary’s future was already clear.
Mary Pulsherima is a hopelessly happy princess.
—
The original story ends here.
Thank you for staying with me until the end.
For those who think ‘there are still those who should be saved’, please move on to the next chapter.
What awaits is the story of the ‘blank canvas.’