--I never thought I'd hear about Hime's childhood.
I did hear about it briefly from him, but it didn't seem like a bright memory, so I didn't ask him for more details.
If she remembers everything she has seen and heard, she probably hasn't forgotten the past. However, if reminding her would make her look gloomy, I thought it would be better if I remained ignorant.
So I never thought I'd find out any details about this.
"Hime... what kind of childhood did you have?"
"Ufufu. You're still young, but that's a strange way to ask."
"...Well, that's certainly true."
"But don't worry, I understand what you mean. I understand that you're very curious about Hime's past."
As always, Setsuki-san speaks in a roundabout way.
But they answered my questions properly, so it was a minor issue.
"I want to know. I want to understand more about Hime."
"--Loneliness, I suppose."
Setsu muttered one word.
Without blinking, she stared straight at me... and continued speaking calmly.
"At the age of three, that child's ego had already been formed. He was able to decide his actions based on reason, not emotion... Do you understand what that means, Youhei?"
"...I think she's a calm girl."
"That's right. He's calm... he's developed a personality that's impossible for a normal three-year-old. That's why his values don't match those of kids his age. His feelings about things are so different that it's impossible for him to become friends with others, right?"
Oh, I see.
Hime had said the same thing before. When she was a child... No, maybe it's still the same now. It seems like she can't understand children her age.
He said something similar when he played with Shinyo-chan. They got along well, but he didn't really understand what Shinyo-chan was saying...
"It seems that the daycare staff were also creeped out by her and left her alone. When she found out about it, she immediately withdrew from the daycare, but perhaps the memory of that time is traumatic for her, as she doesn't actively interact with others."
This is the downside of instantaneous memory.
I can remember good things forever, and of course, I can't forget bad memories either...more than the average person.
"On top of that, her mother is a rich girl and the heir to a large conglomerate. She's a pathetic person with no empathy whatsoever, and has only been taught to make money... Even though she has great abilities, she has no morals whatsoever, so she doesn't know how to interact with her daughter."
"...You're talking about Setsu-san, right?"
He talks as if it's someone else's problem.
It's amazing how he can say it so calmly, even though it's his own story.
"It's true. My marriage was arranged... I don't dislike my husband, and I respect him as a person, but he was born into a similar family to me, so I can't rely on him in the slightest when it comes to morals. Hime was a little too special for parents like me to raise her healthily."
"Is that so..."
Hmm. I don't know how to react.
I wondered if I should be angry. But, it's none of my business... I didn't particularly think that Seduki had done anything bad, so I wasn't particularly angry.
Because I feel like this person cares about my daughter.
"I worried a lot about how I should raise that child... But luckily, unlike my husband and I, Hijiri grew up to be a bright and fun person, so Hime didn't have to feel lonely. She may have been lonely in the outside world, but she had someone to lean on in her family. I can't thank Hijiri enough... She didn't inherit any of her abilities, but that cheerfulness was innate. I'm so happy that she turned out so well for my daughter."
See, this way.
Seduki-san has been very talkative for a while now. Perhaps it's because he's been talking about his daughter... He's also been talking at length about Hime and Hijiri-san.
Also, Seduki never says anything bad about her daughter. Even when Hijiri was not good at studying, she made comments as if she didn't care at all.
No matter what, I thought that Setsu loved his daughter very much.