Chapter 153

Right, left, right, right… .

It was so confusing that my brain wasn’t working anymore, and after following after Kurou-sama, we arrived at a place that was a distance away from the main street .

In the beginning, I was thinking of making a guess on where our destination was, but after going through streets that I’ve never been to before, I gave up .

The city was complicated even when under normal circumstances, so even if I lived here, aside from the main street, it was difficult in knowing all of the side streets .

The street that we were on right now did not have a lot of people and was dark, and I didn’t know where we were in the city either .

I walked too much and my legs were becoming sore .

「Kurou-sama, how much longer until we arrive?」

I asked that for the Nth time .

We were walking at a steady pace, and I knew that we weren’t lost, but I couldn’t help feeling anxious since I didn’t know where we were going .

「Another few more minutes and we’ll be there . …what, you’ve gotten used to living like a princess and already tired?」

Even though I knew he was provoking me, I pouted when I heard the ridicule in his tone .

「I’m not tired! You didn’t say anything about our destination, anybody would become anxious . 」

「Hou, so you’re uneasy because you’re on a street that you don’t know, huh . Back then, you followed me around even if you didn’t know where you were . 」

Just when was this .

At the very least, I had no such memory of it .

No, maybe there was .

「What, you forgot, huh . It was when we went to the neighboring town on an errand for your mother . On the way, I had wandered off the road and didn’t even notice that we took the long way around . 」

Come to think of it, such a thing did happen .

It was also around this time that Kurou-sama started playing tricks on me every now and then .

At that time, I would foolishly believe Kurou-sama’s words, and for many decades, I took the long way around to go to the neighboring town .

Because of that, I’ve gotten good exercise, so I don’t really feel that I’ve been cheated, but my own naivety made me despair .

If I think about it, if I’m going to the neighboring town, there’s no need to pass through two mountains, right .

We weren’t that backward .

「That is different from now!」

「I would be worried if that wasn’t the case . 」

To be bluntly told that, I was a little angry .

Why couldn’t this person communicate with others .

「Kurou-sama didn’t change at all! You’re still treating me like a child, and you’re bad at communicating with others!」

Truly, nothing had changed .

If I was told that Kurou-sama from that time had been standing there the entire time, I would believe it .

Even if a beastman’s face and body didn’t show their old age, was it the same for humans .

「I’m not treating you like a child, you are still a child . Besides, I’m not planning on changing . Communicating with others, I’ve never felt that it was necessary, back then or even now . 」

「Really! I’m a woman! Kurou-sama still remaining a bachelor no matter how much time passes is because of that! Even though you have a good-looking face, what a waste . 」

Why did this person choose to be alone .

Wasn’t it lonely, bitter, and extremely painful to be alone .

If you didn’t have anything from the beginning, perhaps you wouldn’t feel lonely, sorrow, nor pain .

However, I understood it when I was surrounded by others .

Even though this should’ve been the case for Kurou-sama as well .

Everyone in the village died, Kurou-sama was not there either, and at that time, I felt like a hole had suddenly opened up in my chest .

That was what it was like when you were by yourself .

That was what it was like when you lose people who were important to you .

That hole that suddenly opened up would throb with pain .

It was unbearably painful .

I didn’t feel lonely, especially now, and I meet many people in the royal castle, but it’s different for Kurou-sama .

To me, it didn’t seem as though Kurou-sama wished to be by himself .

Even so, this person was all alone, even now .

When I asked that, the corner of Kurou-sama’s lip curled up as if in self-deprecation .

「I’m fine being unmarried . …since I have already given up on finding happiness . 」

「―――――eh」

My eyes widened when I heard the words that he muttered .

「When I was planning my sister’s revenge, I did not take into consideration my own happiness . When I foisted it onto the young man, I would inevitably fall into hell . 」

I was somewhat aware of his “sister’s revenge” .

I heard Kurou-sama talk about it, when I was in the village .

About his precious imouto-san and how she was killed by a fellow beastman when “Adorea’s Nightmare” was rampaging .

Obviously, he didn’t tell me who the beastman who killed her was, but when he was telling me this, there was great sadness within Kurou-sama’s eyes, yet they were also tempestuously burning .

I had forgotten almost everything, but that was the only thing that left an impression on me .

However, I wonder what he meant when he said that he foisted it onto the young man .

Was someone else helping him get revenge?

But, I don’t think that that would cleanse his heart .

And, that young man, just who was he .

…it’s no good .

It was impossible for my brain to comprehend .

It’ll probably be faster to just directly ask him .

「Um, Kurou-sama… . 」

「What, we’ve arrived . 」

Looking towards me, he looked the same as usual, not a trace of that terribly pained look on his face from just now remained .

Disappointed, I ended up swallowing down the words that I was going to ask and looked at what was in front of me .

「Whaa!!」

I unconsciously raised my voice when I saw the carpet of red that stretched out as far as the eye could see .

There were many red flowers that I’ve never seen before growing here .

Although the flowers in full bloom were a somewhat dark red color, they were beautiful .

「They are also growing along the way here . I didn’t know about this flower, but Akira told me . It seems that it’s called the ‘Higanbana’ . 」

Blooming everywhere, the stamens of the flowers grew towards the sky from their center .

I extended my hand, wanting to touch them, but Kurou-sama grabbed my hand .

「It seems that they’re poisonous, so you should stop . It would be good if we knew where the poison is, but it seems Akira forgot . Maa, that man knowing the name of the flower is a miracle in itself, so there’s no helping it . 」

「Even though they’re this pretty, the poison… . 」

However, rather than picking this flower, it might be better to come and look at them like this .

It was more beautiful to see it growing here than using it as a decoration .

「The ‘Higan’ from ‘Higanbana’ refers to the world of the dead, in other words, the world we go to after death . That is to say, this flower, is a flower of hell . Maa, it seems that Akira doesn’t know its true origins either . 」

TN: Higanbana is the Japanese name for the red spider lily . As “Higan” refers to the world of the dead, this flower is generally used for funerals and is never given to someone .

「‘Higan’… . Why do they have such a name even though they’re this beautiful… . 」

Perhaps there was no better name .

Both the poison and the name, it was a flower that was somewhat cruel .

I looked at the flowers that were swaying in the wind, and slightly frowned .

「Even so, they’re beautiful, aren’t they . 」

「Yes . …but, why are they here?」

Kurou-sama was fixedly staring at those flowers .

Like this, Kurou-sama gave a slight frown as if troubled and tilted his head to the side .

「Why… . Yesterday, I was walking around the city and I happened to come across this, and I wanted to show it to someone . …that’s it . I didn’t mean anything else by it」

I didn’t think that he was a person who wanted to show this to someone just because he happened to discover it .

However, Kurou-sama had always loved beautiful flowers such as this one .

Light pink flowers floating on the lake, and purple flowers falling from the sky like rain .

He’s always only told me about such places .

Bringing me here was probably an extension of that .

However, I will never forget this place as long as I live .

After entering the castle, I had forgotten that flowers were this beautiful .

「Such a far out place, it’s impossible for you to remember, and you’ll get lost, so don’t ever come here by yourself . 」

He said something or another and he finished with some words of concern, like he usually did .

「Then, I will not come here unless I’m with Kurou-sama . The secrets between the both of us had increased again . 」

「What, you remembered that, huh . 」

I said that and smiled, and Kurou-sama had a faint smile on his face, one that was so faint that it would’ve been overlooked if you didn’t look carefully, as he faced the “Higanbana” .