"She walks a road paved with corpses, designating countless lives as sacrifices, all for the sake of grasping her greatest aspiration." ~ Echidna's Book of the Dead, Arc 6 Chapter 30
This characterization of Echidna fits the Castle of Dreams version more than the real one. This will be explained later on in the story.
Special thanks to my fiancée for editing this. I know that you'll make a wonderful mother one day.
Mother
Flugel's entire body trembled as he focused on the insurmountable task in front of him. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he held his hands out, palms up, and tried to do the impossible.
"That's it," Satella whispered as she circled around him. "Visualize your will. Let the mana flow through your gate and into the world around you."
He was trying, he really was, but it was nigh-impossible when she was so close to him. Her fingers danced upon his arms, her warm breath tickled his neck, and her words thundered through his ears, tantalizing him.
She was well aware of the effect that she had on him, so she took full advantage of it.
With a heaving sigh, he let the energy dissipate. "I've always thought of myself as a master of visualization, but this whole 'gate' thing is a bit out of my grasp."
As if realizing that he was using his gate as an excuse, she giggled and hid a smile behind her hand. "Don't worry," she soothed, ignoring his withering glare. "You'll get it."
Neither of them had been on a date before. He let her decide what they would do, thinking that she'd choose something like a nice dinner or a walk in the flower fields.
She decided to give him magic lessons.
Best. Date. Ever.
"You sure I don't need an incantation?" Flugel asked for the umpteenth time. "You know, 'Wingardium Leviosa,' swish and flick your wand and all that."
"I don't know what any of that means," she admitted, "but you're using my brand of magic, not anyone else's. Incantations help with control and power, but I don't require them, and neither do you."
He shot her a grin. "In other words, I was right to say you're awesome and one of a kind."
She faltered under his adoring gaze. "I-I'm not—"
"Just say thanks, Ella."
"…Thank you," she finally mumbled in a small voice. Adorable.
It took some time, but Flugel eventually managed to conjure a small ball of water.
"Yes, that's it!" Satella exclaimed, clapping a bit. "Your first controlled spell!"
"And with that, I violated the Law of Conservation of Energy. I might need a moment to process this." He paused. "Nope, still can't process it. The universe can collapse in on itself now."
"One day, I'm going to get you to explain what all those funny phrases mean."
"Kinda pointless," he grumbled. "They mean nothing in this world."
"That's right…I sometimes forget you're from another world." She sighed wistfully. "'Tis incredible to even think about."
"Tell me about it."
"I'd love to visit your world. It sounds so fascinating from what little you've told me."
"I didn't mean it literally, but you're cute, so it's okay."
Satella blushed, and Flugel considered that a win. She ambled over and looked at him expectantly.
"What? Is there something on my face?"
"No, silly. We went on a date."
"That we did. Can we go on another?"
She rolled her eyes. Exasperated, she reminded him, "You're supposed to tell me your real name."
He gave an exaggerated sigh. "I was kinda-sorta hoping you'd forget."
"You dummy. I'd never forget something like that. I want to get to know you better."
He blushed bright red. "Y-you can't just say stuff like that to a guy!"
She tilted her head, confused. "Say what? All I said is I want to get to know you better."
"Yes, but…" He waved his arms around frantically, trying to get his point across. "…that's the kind of thing that you ask someone when you want to be in a romantic relationship with them."
"I know."
He looked at her, shocked. "You do?"
"Of course," she said bluntly. "Do you think me oblivious to my own feelings?"
"I-I mean, uh…"
He may be a relentless, obnoxious flirt, but he had no idea how to handle being on the receiving end.
Stepping closer to him, she stared into his eyes and told him, "I've known you for a couple of months now, and you've quickly become my best friend. I feel warm around you. I feel safe and happy. Every time I see you, I don't want it to end, and every time I leave, I want to go back. I know I'm selfish for wanting you all to myself, but I can't help it. I want to spend every moment with you. I want to hold you close. I want to—mmph!"
A soft touch of their lips, and she melted in his arms. It was his first kiss, and he was sure that it was hers, too. That didn't make it any less perfect.
He pulled back, smiling wider than ever before. "My real name is Subaru Natsuki, and I'd love to get to know you better."
Subaru gripped the bedsheets in Roswaal's mansion, his knuckles turning white. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen.
He was supposed to ease Emilia into this; have a conversation with a lot of backstory and exposition before dropping the ball on her. A relatively simple reveal—not a dramatic one where it's blurted out at the completely wrong time.
You know, like crying into your crush's lap after she faced her traumatic past, or something like that.
He called a silver-haired, amethyst-eyed half-elf "Satella." Emilia should hate him, abandon him.
Yet here she was, refusing to let go of his hand and staring at him worriedly.
'This girl is utterly ridiculous,' he realized, not for the first time. He took a deep breath to gain a modicum of composure. Out loud, he said, "I'm ready now."
She squeezed his hand but said nothing.
He scratched roughly at his arm over his sleeve. Where the hell did he start? He had it all planned out, didn't he? He should have prepared a notecard or something like that.
How would he explain Satella? Was she his wife? Ex-wife? No, definitely not that. It's not like they got divorced or anything, but he died and it technically wasn't him that married her but it was his soul and he still loved her and did it count as cheating if it's reincarnation and he originally didn't remember her and—
"Um…"
"R-right, right. I was ready. Sorry." He took another deep breath, dragging it out as much as possible. "I also want to tell Rem and Ram, but I don't want them repeating what I say to Roswaal. I'll be saying some things that might make him angry. Still, we should get Beatrice and Puck. It involves them, too."
The moment he finished his thought, Beatrice appeared in front of him. "You called, I wonder?"
Subaru jumped a bit in his seat. "Beako?! What, how—"
He let out a "hmph" as she cradled Puck in her arms. "You wanted to see Betty, so Betty came, I suppose."
"Amazing," Emilia whispered in awe. "I know you told me that you contracted with Beatrice, but to see such a strong bond between a great spirit and a human…and sooo early, too!"
Beatrice gave a half-hearted glare. "I am Subaru's Betty, I suppose. You should not be surprised, in fact."
Subaru managed a smile. "You're cute, Beako," he said fondly. "Thanks for coming so quickly."
Blushing, the spirit said, "W-well, Subaru is hopeless without me, I suppose."
"Speaking of hopeless," Puck chimed in, "I trusted you to take care of Lia, and it turns out that she's taking care of you." He gave a light tsk in disappointment. "What do you have to say for yourself, Subaru?"
"For the record, I did help her," Subaru defended, earning a nod from Emilia. "I kinda sorta…broke down afterwards."
In an attempt to be helpful, she told Puck, "Mhm. He thought I was Satella."
That was, quite possibly, the worst thing Emilia could have said.
"What?!" he screamed. "How dare you, Subaru?"
The pressure in the room increased tenfold, and Emilia waved her hands in front of herself. "H-hold on, Puck! It was more of a nickname, and it was in a positive light—"
"That makes it worse!"
"There's a reason for it, I'm sure! Please—"
"Quiet, Lia. Your misguided feelings for the boy are clouding your mind." Puck's tone brooked no room for argument. "Subaru Natsuki, we made a deal. You broke your end of it."
Subaru met Puck's eyes but said nothing.
"As per our agreement," Puck growled, a massive icicle forming in front of him, "I will kill you."
"No!"
"Huma!"
Two shields—one of multi-colored mana and one of ice—formed in front of Subaru. Puck's attack bounced harmlessly off of them, fell to the floor, and disappeared into the ether.
"Please, Puck," Emilia begged. "I want—I need to hear this."
"Hmph. And what about you, Beatrice?"
"I'm sorry, Bubby, I suppose." Beatrice's eyes were sad, but her tone was firm. "I won't let you hurt Subaru."
"He's friends with Satella!" he exclaimed, waving his paws towards Subaru.
"I was, too!" she shot back, and Puck reeled. "Are you going to attack me as well, I wonder?"
"I-I would never—"
"Satella saved your life," said Subaru with narrowed eyes. "I know you don't remember, but I do."
Puck hesitated, but the oppressive aura in the room did not diminish much
"He's not lying, I suppose," Beatrice said, pleading with her fellow spirit. "Without her, you wouldn't have been alive to save Emilia, in fact."
Puck flinched. "That's a low blow," he muttered, reeling in his aura. "I have no idea what any of you are talking about, but I'll hear you out."
Subaru let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Thank you, Puck. Seriously, I—"
"But if I don't like your answers, or I detect a hint of a lie…" He bared his teeth at Subaru. Well, something tells me that you already know what's coming."
"I'm not planning on lying, so I'm not worried about it." Subaru's focus shifted to Emilia, who was still gazing warily at Puck. "You should forgive him."
She faltered. "Wh-what?"
"He's only a father worried about his daughter, and he has no context. Hell, neither of you do. Honestly, you should have reacted the same way."
She looked at him in shock. "Are you saying I should have attacked you?" she asked incredulously. "I would never do that, Subaru!"
"I know you wouldn't," he said patiently. "It's one of the things I adore about you. I'm just saying that you shouldn't blame him. His reaction was perfectly understandable given the circumstances."
She wavered, but it looked like she wasn't about to back down.
"Please, Emilia. He loves you, and you love him. Don't ruin your relationship for my sake. I'd never forgive myself."
Her eyes softened. "Subaru, you idiot."
"What's with the sudden abuse?!" he cried out.
"You can't look at me with those eyes and expect me to do anything but cave in."
His face burned. "Seriously? These scary eyes?"
"Mhm. Mother Fortuna had those eyes, so I like them."
Subaru would probably find that creepy coming from anyone else, but Emilia was too damn pure for it to mean anything untoward.
His eyes shifted between father and daughter. "Well, what are you waiting for?" They looked at him, confused. "Come on, you two. Hug it out." He turned away. "I'll give you a moment."
He did his best to not eavesdrop, but the occasional muffled "I'm sorry" and "I love you" made him smile.
A weight pressed itself into his side, and blond hair entered his field of vision. "Betty can tell that Subaru is feeling left out, I suppose. So, I will allow a head pat, in fact."
He loved his little family.
Sometime later, he hopped off the bed. "Well, that was nice and all. Great emotional bonding time. Man, I'm hungry. Let's get some lunch." He began to march off but didn't make it more than a couple of steps before he was dragged back.
"Nuh-uh, mister," scolded Emilia. "You still have to tell us your life's story."
He huffed as dramatically as possible. "Well, when you put it like that, this is even more intimidating, Look, it's complicated, long, convoluted, and even I don't fully understand everything."
"That's fine," she reassured him. "Just start at the beginning."
He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's great. I have no idea when the beginning is. Eighteen years ago? Four hundred years ago? Around a decade before that?"
Emilia frowned. "That's not—you know what? I'm not even going to ask. How about the middle?"
"That's not a bad choice. Which life should I start with?"
"I don't—never mind. The end?"
"Only reached that once, I guess. Maybe twice? More? Not sure if the others count."
"I'm trying to be serious, Subaru!"
"I am too!" He pulled at his hair in frustration. "I had this whole conversation planned out, and now my mind is going a million miles an hour and I don't know where to start!"
Seeing that this was going nowhere, Emilia took a deep breath to calm herself. "How about this—what's the topic?"
Subaru blinked. "The topic?"
"Summarize what you want to tell us in one or two words."
He paused. "That's, uh…not a bad idea, actually. Makes it easier to avoid the nitty-gritty details. How about, hmm…" He placed his hand on his chin and thought for a moment. Then, with a snap, "I got it! Uh, don't freak out, but the topic is 'Reincarnation.'"
"Mhm, I see."
Silence.
Subaru gaped at Emilia. "That's it?"
"I mean, I kind of figured it would be something like that."
"B-but—"
"You have a nickname for the Witch of Envy," Subaru flinched, "and you knew Father Jui—Geuse." Puck jolted a bit in Emilia's arms. "As such, you are either immortal—and I'm pretty sure you're not—or you somehow remember your past life."
"Okay, there's no way you're this calm. Are you telling me it's that easy?"
"Oh, it's certainly not. The contents of your past life are most certainly suspicious."
"No one talks—"
"None of that." She crossed her arms. "No more silly jokes. I'm a patient person, but even I have my limits."
Subaru considered her carefully. "You're more confident today, Emilia-tan. I'm proud of you."
"I made a promise to become stronger, didn't I?" She paused before shaking her head. "Stop distracting me," she admonished.
"Go easy on him, I suppose," said Beatrice. "This is hard for him, in fact. I don't know how Subaru remembers his past life, in fact, or of the events that led to his death, but…"
"But?" Emilia coaxed.
Beatrice looked up at Subaru. "I knew him, I suppose. He was my…friend, in fact," she forced out. "He can be trusted, I suppose. Him, and…"
Subaru, Puck, and Emilia stared at Beatrice. "And who?" asked Puck.
"…and Satella, I suppose."
It was barely a mumble, but it cut through the silence like a hot knife through butter. It had been established that there was misinformation regarding the Witch of Envy, but for Beatrice to say that Satella could be trusted?
Well, it certainly made things interesting.
"One last thing." Subaru took Emilia's hand. "Listen, Emilia-tan. I only discovered this recently. I liked you before I knew any of this, all right?"
"A-all right," she stammered, a bit confused. "A-and I…yeah."
Subaru smiled fondly. "Yeah. I know." Puck cleared his throat, bringing Subaru back to reality. "R-right, past life. Well…"
His lives on Earth were listless and uneventful. In one universe, he was a shut-in who didn't appreciate his incredible, amazing parents. In the other, those parents died when he was young.
Both times, his life truly started in Lugunica.
So, he told them how he found himself transported here from an 'island nation to the east,' and how Satella healed him.
"Most of my body was missing." He shivered at the memory but continued. "I wouldn't have lasted a minute if not for her. She literally created a body out of magic and attached my soul to it."
Beatrice looked into the distance, drowning in memories. "To think that anyone, even Satella, could have that kind of power just lying in reserve, I suppose. She truly was something special, I suppose."
"Hold on," said Puck. "You said you knew Subaru. Why didn't remember this?"
"Betty wasn't born yet, I suppose."
Subaru ruffled her hair, paying no mind to her half-hearted whines. "Yeah, I'm older than this grandma. How fucked up is that?"
"I've still lived longer, in fact! You are a child to me, I suppose!"
Emilia watched the byplay in silence. So many thoughts were running through her head.
The Witch of Envy. The Calamity. The demon who had destroyed half the world. The one whose very existence had caused Emilia so much hardship.
Was Satella really…just a healer?
Emilia knew that there was more to the story, but that was enough to throw off her entire worldview.
And that was when she learned about Echidna.
"So, this is Dona's lab." Subaru walked around and whistled appreciatively, musing, "Over a year in this mansion and I finally get to see it."
He poked around at a slew of floating levers, each labeled in glyphs that were drastically different from the ones Satella had taught him. "Some fancy stuff in here," he said. "I mean, I don't know what any of it does, but I assume it's complicated."
"Most is," agreed Satella. "I wish I could give you more information, but Mother refrains from telling me anything."
He looked at her strangely. "But aren't you her notetaker?"
She shifted uncomfortably as she mumbled, "I-I—"
"Also, don't you read?" he pointed out. "Like, a lot?" They had both spent hundreds of hours in the Forbidden Library, so surely there was some documentation to be found.
"W-well, yeah, but most of this is stuff Mother invented. Kinda hard to find books on things that no one else knows about."
Subaru shot her a strange look. "Huh."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just…One moment you use a bunch of old-fashioned words, and the next, you talk like me."
She fidgeted with the sleeves of her long, black dress. "W-well, I spend a lot of time with you, so 'tis only natural…" She peeked up at him through her eyelashes, asking, "Does it bother you?"
He was quick to reassure her, saying, "Not at all. I think it's cute."
She raised her eyebrows. "You think the way you talk is cute? I mean, sure, okay."
"Not fair!" he groaned. "I'm supposed to be the one teasing you, not the other way around."
She stepped closer with a coy smile, and his breath hitched. "I happen to like teasing you…Subaru."
"A-ah, um…"
"I hope 'tis not a problem if I tease you a little more."
"W-well…"
His heart was beating like crazy, and his palms began to sweat. She reached out…
…and tickled him.
At that point, he didn't know if he was laughing at the sensations flowing through him or at himself for thinking that sweet, innocent Satella was even capable of thinking like that.
"I'm gonna getcha! I'm gonna…getcha!"
On second thought, he was probably laughing at how ridiculous this girl was.
"C-come on—haha—not fair! You—haha—s-stop—haha!"
"Careful, now," came a new voice, and the two froze. "You wouldn't want to knock anything over."
Satella jumped off of him, standing as straight as possible. "M-Mother!" she meeped. "S—Flugel and I were merely…S-so, what brings you doing here?"
Echidna, standing as tall and proud as ever, gave Satella a flat stare. "Did you just ask me what I'm doing in my own laboratory?"
"Um…"
"Hey, Dona!" called Subaru with false cheer. Echidna creeped him out, but he wasn't about to let Satella get yelled at. "So, whatcha working on?"
Echidna narrowed her eyes at him. "I see you've met Typhon," she noted instead of answering his question. "Possibly Sekhmet, as well, if Typhon was here."
Nervously, he asked, "A-and what makes you say that?"
"No one else calls me Dona," she deadpanned.
At length, he admitted, "Okay, yeah, that's fair."
She looked him up and down. "I see you have all your body parts," she noted idly. "You must not have touched Typhon."
"Is that what the locals do to perverts or something like that? Eh, whatever. I stick to women my own age, thank you very much."
"Hm." No mirth, disgust, anger, agreement, or anything resembling human emotion. Just cold, calculating eyes.
Subaru had seen Echidna laugh, smile, and get annoyed at others. She gave off the air of a charming maiden. To him, however, she showed none of that.
It's like she knew he saw right through her.
"Come, Satella," commanded Echidna, appearing to lose interest in Subaru. "I would like your help with an experiment."
Satella deflated but nodded her assent. She faced Subaru and managed a shaky grin. "I'll come find you when I'm done, all right? Please, do not wait for me."
"Uh, sure, but…What's with that look?"
She shuffled her feet. "Wh-what look?"
"I mean, you're only Dona's notetaker, right? It's not like you're the experiment."
"Oh…Oh! Yes, I am a notetaker! Teehee, silly me. I—"
"Satella," Echidna snapped.
With fear, Satella quickly said, "C-coming, Mother!"
She ran off into the depths of the laboratory, leaving Subaru behind.
Something was going on, and he didn't like it one bit. For hours, he waited outside the lab, his stomach churning with anxiety.
Satella lied to him.
She said she was Echidna's notetaker. Honestly, that sounded great. To watch a genius like Echidna discover the secrets of the unknown…the scholar in him would have jumped at the opportunity.
But Satella's eyes…they were filled with resignation, not excitement.
Suddenly, things started to make sense. The way she denied all compliments. How she flinched when someone touched her unexpectedly. How had he not noticed it before?
So, he stayed there, despite her telling him to not wait up. It was quiet; if he didn't know better, he'd say that no one was in there. Many hours passed, and the sun had fallen low in the sky. Finally, just as he began to get drowsy, the door creaked open.
He shot up, grabbed Satella's hand, and led her away.
"S-Subaru?" She sounded exhausted, the poor thing.
"Don't worry, Ella." He tried to keep the anger out of his voice, but her faltering grip clearly showed his failure. "Everything will be okay. Just come with me."
"O-okay. I trust you."
They arrived at his room, and he gently guided her on the bed. Staring straight into her eyes, he got right to business. "Do you have underclothes on?"
"What?!" she cried, rare indignation seeping into her voice. "What kind of—"
"It's not what you think. Just answer the question."
"I-I do, but—" He took out his Healer's Kit—the one she taught him how to use—and her eyes softened in realization. "Subaru…"
"How long has she been hurting you?"
"She's not…I'm fine, I—"
Frustration bubbled to the surface, but he forced it down. "How. Long."
"Nine years!" she burst out, before covering her mouth in horror. "I-I didn't…forget everything you've seen, everything you've heard!"
She tried to get up, but Subaru gently pushed her back down. "I'm not going to forget," he swore, his eyes blazing. "I will save you from this."
"There's nothing to save me from," she insisted. "I owe her my life. This is the least I could do."
"Bullshit," he hissed. "This isn't payment. This is torture."
"'Tis not…I'm fine, just go! Leave me alone!"
That was the last thing he wanted to do, and they both knew it. He closed his hand around her wrist, and she hissed in pain. "One of the cuts was here, wasn't it?"
She bit her lip but nodded. He pulled back the sleeve of her dress, grimacing at the deep gashes that were still oozing blood.
Was she planning on healing herself? Did she even care? Was this some sick sense of punishment for allowing this to happen to her?
Why didn't she tell him sooner?
"Why is it shaped like that?" he asked in a vain attempt to give his thoughts direction. He had noticed a plethora of scars surrounding the fresh wounds. "The ones around it aren't normal cuts, either." If anything, they looked like the runes from some of the more occult texts he'd read.
"'Tis for Mother's rituals," she whispered, resigned to her fate. "I don't know what their purpose is, but she needs a 'live specimen.'"
"Should have used her own damn self," he snarled. After cleaning the area to prevent infection, he cast a simple healing spell. A soft glow permeated the air as the wound closed.
"Your magic is so gentle," she breathed.
"That's because my teacher is the kindest, most compassionate person I've ever known."
He finished working on her arm and moved to her other limbs. Once, he thought it was prudishness or innocence, but now it was obvious to him why she wore such a long, modest dress.
She felt ashamed.
"Thank you," she whispered gratefully as he finished healing her legs. "I'm in your debt. I'll…I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"We're not done."
She looked at him in disbelief. "You don't have to do this for me."
"I know."
With trembling fingers, she hesitantly pulled off her dress, and his heart broke. She was more scars than skin.
"I'm sorry," she whispered brokenly, casting her eyes downward. "I'm disgusting."
"You're beautiful," he said in awe, for it was true. He'd never seen anything more lovely, and he doubted he ever would.
"Don't lie to me," she said pitifully. "I'm a monster. A grotesque pig."
"Listen to me, Ella." He placed a finger under her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. "You. Are. Beautiful. Absolutely stunning. You take my breath away every time I look at you."
She lowered her gaze. "B-but these scars—"
"They prove that you're a survivor," he insisted. "I think they make you even more captivating."
She didn't believe him. Perhaps she never would. He'd simply have to tell her every day for the rest of their lives.
Even so, it was clear that revealing herself to him was just as torturous as Echidna's experiments.
Subaru began the long, arduous process of treating every single wound inflicted upon her. Many would disappear, and even more would fade to a mere scratch, but dozens of scars would be permanent. These wounds, inflicted on her since she was but a child, could not be erased.
But the most permanent scars were not physical.
Several hours later, Subaru collapsed onto the bed. He was exhausted, but he had done it. He'd treated every single wound. Satella wrapped her arms around him, locking herself to his chest.
She would stay tonight.
Nothing untoward would happen. She merely needed someone to hold.
Honestly, he did, too.
She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "Why?"
It was a loaded question with a simple answer.
He gazed at her, looking deep into the amethyst eyes he found so captivating and said the words he'd been wanting to say for months.
"I love you."
As he said those precious three words, Subaru felt Emilia let go of his hand.
He knew it would happen. He expected it, but it still hurt like hell.
Subaru was in love with Satella in a past life. Part of that feeling carried over to his current life, and, once he found his old memories, it returned in full force.
But the Subaru of this life was in love with Emilia, and the silent rejection ripped his heart into pieces…
…until he felt her hand running through his hair.
"I knew it already, but it's sooo much more obvious now." Admiration shone through her voice. "You're amazing Subaru."
'What.'
He looked at her, unable to believe what he was hearing. "You don't…hate me? Don't you see how scummy I am?"
Emilia shook her head. "All I see is a man who takes good care of people. It's one of the things I reeaally like about you."
'This isn't real, right? Girls like this don't exist outside of anime.'
"…You're weird, Emilia-tan."
"But you still like me, don't you?"
A lump formed in his throat, but his heart was full, so he settled on a nod. Her blinding smile was the best answer he could have possibly hoped for.
He absolutely loved this girl.
"I probably had a past life. I might have found love, too." She shrugged. "It wouldn't be fair to blame you for this."
"But I still love Satella," he pointed out forcefully.
"Mhm. It means I'll have to try super-duper hard to get you to choose me."
His usual comment about her language died in his throat. Was this merely Emilia's good nature? A result of her low self-esteem? Her lack of experience with people and relationships?
In all likelihood, it was an unhealthy combination of all three. Here he was, taking advantage of that innocence like the selfish piece of shit he was.
"I know this is hard," she soothed, staring into his eyes, "but let me help you, okay? You've helped me through sooo much, and I want to return the favor."
He lowered his gaze. "I don't deserve you, Emilia-tan."
"You deserve better," she insisted. "I'm just being selfish and keeping you around."
At that, he finally allowed himself to smile at her, so she beamed.
Puck watched the exchange in silence. He was still uncomfortable with the idea of his little Lia liking a boy, but he knew better than to interrupt such a critical moment.
Beatrice, on the other hand, wasn't paying attention at all. "Four hundred years, I suppose," she murmured.
"Huh?" Puck dragged his eyes away from the couple. "Did you say something, Betty?"
She clenched her fists as she dismissed, "It's nothing, I suppose."
Nothing at all.
Subaru, noticing his spirit's frustration, leaned over, and pulled her into a one-armed hug.
After all, it was only going to get worse.
Satella went back to Echidna the very next day.
Subaru had read about the different types of abusive relationships and their effects on the psyche, but to see it happen to a loved one hurt more than he thought possible. When Satella came to him that night, shaken and exhausted, he wanted to yell. He wanted to scold her for being so stupid and for putting herself in harm's way. Didn't she see that this wasn't normal?
But he knew it didn't work like that. Right now, she was hurting more than him. So, he healed her, and held her close as she cried.
Once again, he told her he loved her. Just like the night before, she whispered it back against his lips.
"Do you trust me?"
She nodded into his chest. "Always."
"Even if you don't believe me, will you follow me?"
"Of course."
It was time to test that faith. "Then stop helping Echidna with her experiments."
Satella's eyes widened. "B-but—"
"You said you trusted me. All I'm doing is looking out for you."
She grimaced. "You don't understand. I owe her my life. This is nothing compared to what she did for me."
"Anything she did was completely nullified the moment she laid a hand on you."
Satella furrowed her brows. "But she'd never touch a disgusting half-elf like me. She only used surgical tools."
"That makes it even worse!" he yelled, and she flinched back.
'Deep breaths, Subaru. In…out…'
Forcefully, he told her, "Look, just…trust me on this. One day, you WILL see that I'm right."
Satella searched his eyes, looking for any sort of trickery, before nodding. A moment later, she retreated further into herself. "I can't stop," she mourned. "She'll kick me out."
Subaru was about to say, "You don't know that," but it sounded exactly like something Echidna would do.
Instead, he tried to assuage her fears. "We'll figure that out when the time comes."
Subaru and Satella had survived being homeless and alone. Now that they were both together and properly educated, they would be fine.
All they needed to do now was plan what to say to Echidna.
The next evening, Subaru waited outside Echidna's lab, messing around with his magic. Satella had told him that, despite his rough start, his grasp of magic exceeded most experts. He called bullshit. He wasn't some sage or whatever; he merely thought of things he wanted to do and made it happen.
Right now, what he wanted most was to be in that room. Unfortunately, Satella's harsh glare was more powerful than any magic he could muster, and he was relegated to waiting outside.
It felt like an eternity, but she finally came out. "How'd it go?" he asked gently. "Are we still allowed to stay in the mansion?"
He tried to catch her eye, but she wouldn't let him. "We will not be leaving," she said flatly.
"That's great!" he exclaimed, barely able to contain his excitement. "Geez, she must be in a great—"
"I will be assisting Mother again tomorrow. Please do not concern yourself with me."
He froze. "Wh-what?"
"I am weary." Her voice was resigned, dead. "I will be retiring to my room now. Do not follow me."
He reached out his arm, but she was already gone.
In a rage, he turned on his heel and barged into the lab. Inside, stood a woman of white and black. Her dark eyes reflected the light of the fire as her pale hands continued their work. All the land knew her as a beautiful maiden; her porcelain features and mysterious smile were the downfall of many suiters.
All Subaru saw was a hideous monster.
"Echidna!" he shouted. "What the hell happened?!"
"Ah, good afternoon, Flugel." She didn't bother to face him as she nonchalantly asked, "I trust you are having a fine day?"
"Drop the act," he growled. "What did you do to Satella?"
"Oh, nothing much," she said flippantly. "She simply realized I didn't need her anymore."
His anger was replaced by confusion. "That's…that's good, right? So, why is she—"
She stepped aside, revealing what she was working on. "I trust you can identify this?"
He took a step forward to take a closer look and his face paled in horror. She wouldn't…Could she actually be—
Like a lecturer to her students, she explained, "Artificial spirits are useful creatures. If configured properly, they will perform any task even more diligently than, say, a half-elf."
"You monster." It was barely a whisper, but she heard it all the same.
"You'd insult a tender young maiden, just like that? How rude."
That was why Satella wouldn't leave. She was protecting the spirit that Echidna had created.
But something didn't add up. "If you could make an artificial spirit for your experiments, why do you need Satella?"
Echidna held up a vial and squinted at it but said nothing.
He kept talking, but he already knew the answer. "It's because you can't actually use the spirit. You can't use anyone but Satella. There's something about her that's critical to your experiments. The spirit is just a bargaining chip."
"The process to create an artificial spirit is quite difficult," she mused, paying him no mind. "The materials are hard to come by, and they require intense concentration to put together." She waved a hand at him, dismissively. "Now, shoo. I have work to do, and I'm almost done."
A small smile danced on her lips. With pride and victory, she spoke:
"I think I will call this one…Beatrice."