"Children? Today, I’ll be introducing a new friend to you, all right?"
Standing beside me, Crucabena spoke to the children with a smile.
"This child’s name is... What was your name again?"
Was this really the same woman who had tried to sell even her own daughter to me earlier? She certainly had no interest in my name.
"Avrora..."
"Ah, right! Avrora! Now then, children? Shall we welcome Avrora properly?"
"Welcome to the House of the Hearth, Avrora!"
The children’s voices rang out together. But Peruere remained completely silent.
"What is it, Peruere? Why aren’t you saying anything?"
"It’s... nothing...."
Given Peruere’s quiet nature, that reaction was only natural. But...
"I see, Peruere. Whenever other children arrived, you would only watch them in silence, wouldn’t you? But you know?"
It seemed Crucabena was taking a different approach than before.
"Just this once, won’t you listen to Mother? I mean welcoming Avrora."
She stepped away from my side, approached Peruere, and began publicly pressuring her in front of the other children.
"You see, Avrora is different from you. Unlike you, who are cursed, he is a child with a high chance of becoming king."
"King...? Him, a king?"
"This is the first time I’ve ever seen Mother act like that...."
Murmurs spread among the children. Ah, please...
"So, Peruere? You should consider it an honor to serve as that child’s attendant. And my daughter will soon be joining you here as well, so shouldn’t you get some practice beforehand?"
At the mention of Clervie, the children stirred.
"[Mother]’s daughter? A child like that is coming here?"
"Well, of course she is! If I were [Mother], I’d want to enroll my child here too. This place is a fairy-tale kingdom, after all!"
These kids... Had they been brainwashed? Calling this hell a fairy-tale kingdom...
When I made an incredulous face, Crucabena smiled and spoke to Peruere.
"Peruere? Could you welcome Avrora first? He might become your friend, you know?"
Only then did Peruere, who had been sitting there expressionlessly, rise and come over to me.
"Welcome to the House of the Hearth, Avrora...."
"Yeah. Peruere...."
Once we had exchanged names, Crucabena clapped her hands.
"Good girl, Peruere. Now then, Avrora? Chat with the children, have dinner, and then come to my room?"
"Yes. Understood...."
With that, Crucabena shut the door and walked away into the distance.
"Phew...."
All I could do was sigh. I lamented the fact that I had to endure at least ten years in this place. I was also afraid of how far my influence might reach, since it felt as though the story was already being altered because of me.
As I was thinking, the children came over to me.
"Mother said he’s someone who’ll become king."
"Then what happens to us? Do we become his subjects?"
They were already talking about subjects and whatnot. It seemed these children did not know that being eliminated from this competition meant nothing but death.
"What does it matter? We can all live together! That’s what the House of the Hearth is for!"
A child with a tangerine perched on their head boldly cried out in a bright voice. Ah... That kid was in the animated short...
I walked up to the spirited child.
"What’s your name?"
It was innocent curiosity. I did not know whether this child’s fate would change, but I felt I should at least learn their name.
"M-my name? Why do you want to know?!"
"I just feel like I should know it."
"Citra. Citra. Remember it well—the one who’ll defeat you and take the king’s throne is me!"
How spirited. Not that there was any chance of that happening.
"I’ll cheer for you too. Though I don’t know if you’ll be able to beat me."
"What?! Why are you saying that with such a blank expression?! Just like Peruere!"
A blank expression? I thought I looked sad. Come to think of it, I had forgotten about Peruere.
I went over to Peruere and spoke.
"You... said your name was Peruere, right?"
Peruere nodded. Was this child really going to grow up, kill Crucabena, and become the new Arlecchino?
"Peruere. Want to come with me for a moment?"
I left the room with Peruere and headed outside, eventually reaching the base of a large tree in the garden.
"Peruere. Don’t tell anyone what I’m about to say here."
Peruere nodded wordlessly, and the two of us sat beneath the tree.
"Hmm... Where should I start...? Do you know about Visions?"
She shook her head. It seemed she did not know about Visions yet.
"Watch closely. A Vision is a medium that lets you use elemental attacks."
As I said that, I created fire in my palm.
But Peruere showed no reaction.
‘Huh? That wasn’t the reaction I was expecting....’
Peruere stared at the flame burning in my hand, then lowered her gaze to her own black hand.
"I can do something like that too...."
Black flames, different from my own, rose from Peruere’s hand. I flinched in surprise, realizing once again that Peruere truly was unlike the other children.
Come to think of it, she had used black fire when fighting Crucabena in the animated short. Was that the effect of her curse?
As I pondered that, Peruere, still wearing what looked like an expressionless face, took the hand from which I had summoned the flame.
"I thought I was the only one who could do something like this.... I haven’t told Mother or the others yet, but I was afraid of how they would treat me if I showed them this ability...."
Crucabena would probably be delighted, thinking she had landed a huge catch. But apart from that bitch, this was a place filled with children her age. They were at an age when they could be full of pure malice. If they found even one reason to torment her, being ostracized would be nothing.
"Then, Avrora...?"
"Call me big brother. I’m older than you."
I knew it was a little ridiculous to pull rank over age, but the Confucian dragon rising within me was telling me to do it. Still, was it just my imagination that I would probably lose to Peruere before long?
"Hmm... I don’t want to call you something as short as ‘big brother.’ I’ll call you Brother Avrora instead. It has the same number of syllables."
She had suddenly switched to a formal address. What was with her? Had she always been like this?
"I don’t mind, but... is there a reason you want to call me that?"
"Mother said you’re someone who will become king. Then shouldn’t I address you respectfully?"
Watching Peruere continue to call that piece of trash Crucabena Mother made me feel sorry for her—and gave me the urge to set her straight. How could she possibly grow up properly when her surroundings were such a cesspit? The younger someone was, the faster they could change, so it seemed I ought to educate her myself.
"Peruere? First, I’m not someone fit to become king. If anything, you’re more suited for it—you can create fire even without a Vision. Second, don’t take everything Crucabena says at face value. Start by doubting anything Crucabena tells you. And third..."
At the part about doubting her, Peruere’s face changed. Her X-shaped eyes widened as she looked me over, as though she were examining me.
"What is it? You’re making me uncomfortable."
"Mother’s words are absolute, but you’re telling me to doubt her... It’s strange. It seems like Brother Avrora dislikes Mother."
"Rather than associate with a bitch like that, I’d run away from here. It’s only because the time isn’t right yet."
When I called her a bitch, Peruere’s face shifted so violently that her surprise was plainly visible. Soon, she composed herself again and spoke to me with something like admiration in her eyes.
"Brother Avrora, you’re like an adult. You’re different from us. Is that why you’re fit to be king?"
An adult? Mentally speaking, that was true.... But seeing her look at me with such admiration reminded me that she really was just a child. When I was young, I had been desperate to grow up quickly too. Once I did grow up, though, I only wanted to go back.
"Anyway, don’t tell anyone that I called Crucabena a bitch, all right? And Peruere, do you want to stick with me? This is my first time here, so I don’t know anything. I need someone to teach me."
"Okay. I understand, Brother Avrora...."
And so, Peruere became my little sister.
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