"...Prince Philip stood at the edge of the cliff. Not because he wanted to jump, but because the sea seemed like the only thing greater than his loneliness..."
She wasn't just reading word for word. She was performing. Emilia didn't just know the story; she felt it. She wasn't using magic, but in that room, with only a ray of sunlight streaming through the window, I felt myself being transported into the story. I could swear I even heard the waves and smelled the scent of the sea.
"Well?" she asked, looking at me with sparkling eyes. "Was it... terrible?"
"It was incredible," I said sincerely, offering a smile. "You have a gift. You don't just read the story; you make it come alive."
She blushed and looked away.
"I just... I like to imagine how the characters feel. It's easier than... well, than dealing with my own feelings."
"That empathy is powerful." I stood up. "You're right, people can be cruel. But there are also people, like those kids at the orphanage, who would give anything to hear a voice like yours telling them that dragons can be defeated."
I walked toward the door.
"Emilia... I'll wait for you in the garden."
She didn't answer, but she looked at me in surprise.
"Get cleaned up, put on some clothes to go out, bring your favorite book, and don't ask any questions. I'll tell you when you do it."
I didn't give her time to refuse. I left the room, closing the door and leaving her alone with her thoughts.
"Well?" the father asked, wringing his hands. "Did she scream? Did she throw you out?"
"On the contrary," I said with a calm smile. "We read a little. Your daughter has a wonderful voice for storytelling."
"Reading?" The mother blinked, confused but hopeful. "That's it?"
"For now. I told her I'd wait for her in the garden. If everything goes well, she'll come down in a little while."
"Thank you, young Daiki. Thank you."
I was about to leave, but I stopped.
"...There is one more thing. And it is important."
Both of them looked at me.
"Do not come out. Do not let her see you."
"But... why? We want to see her. We want to tell her that—"
"I know," I interrupted. "I know you love her. But right now, she feels ashamed. She feels guilty for having disappointed you, for everything. If she sees you now, that guilt will crush her, and she'll run right back to her room."
I pointed toward the garden.
"She needs a neutral space. She needs to feel that coming out isn't a monumental event with an audience, but something normal. If she sees you there, waiting with trays and teary eyes, she'll feel the pressure. Let her breathe."
"We won't stay in the garden. I'm going to take her out."
The mother stepped closer. "Out? To the street? But she hasn't left her room in months!"
"Exactly. She needs to see that the world hasn't ended. I'll take her to a safe place where no one will judge her. But I need you to let us leave without any sad goodbyes. If she sees you standing there, waiting with trays and teary eyes, she will feel the pressure. Let her breathe."
The father sighed and placed a hand on his wife's shoulder.
"He's right, dear. Let's trust him."
"Hide," I suggested. "Watch from the upstairs window if you want, but don't let her know. When she comes back, act normally."
"Alright," the mother whispered. "Take care of her, please."
"With my life."
I went out to the garden and waited by a fountain.
I knew she would take her time, so to pass the hour, I started reading a book a maid had brought me after noticing I was sitting on the ground. I hadn't read it before, and a part of me wished she were the one reading it to me. I missed that "magic" in her voice, and I hope, with all my strength, that it can help those children.
It's a gamble taking her out so soon. If something goes wrong, if someone says something cruel... it could set back months of progress. But... what choice do I have? She must see that the world won't devour her. She must see that there are things bigger than her fears.
(Although, I admit I'm worried.)
-[You'll pull it off. So will she.]-
(I hope you're right.)
Finally, I heard the sound of the door.
I closed the book and stood up.
There she was.
She had bathed. Her hair was now tidy and brushed, with a color it didn't have before. She wore a simple light blue dress and a hooded cloak that covered much of her face and body.
I approached slowly.
"You look good, Emilia. Blue suits you."
She looked around frantically, scanning the empty garden. Upon seeing no one, her shoulders slumped slightly.
"Where... where are they?" she asked finally. "I thought... they would be here."
"They're busy inside," I lied. "Something urgent came up."
She seemed relieved.
"Oh... I understand." She adjusted her hood. "Ah, by the way..." She pulled a hand out from under her cloak, clutching a thick book against her chest. "I brought... I brought the book. Like you asked."
She looked at me with curiosity, waiting for an explanation as to why I had whispered "bring your favorite book" before closing her bedroom door without giving further details.
"Well done," I said with a smile. "You'll need it."
"For what?" she asked, confused. "Are we going to read in the gazebo?"
"Not exactly." I gestured toward the side exit of the garden. "Let's go. No carriage. We're walking."
"W-what?" she stammered. "Walking? On the street? With people?"
"With people," I confirmed, walking toward the gate in the garden wall. "Normal people minding their own business. You need to see that."
"I can't." She took a step back, shaking her head. "They'll laugh. They'll point at me. They'll say I'm weird... I can't, Daiki."
I stopped and turned toward her.
"Emilia. Do you think the world revolves around you? People out there have their own problems. No one has time to analyze you unless you act like you're running away." I held out my hand. "Let's walk. If anyone says anything mean to you, I'll buy you all the chocolate you want. If no one says anything... well, we'll see."
She looked at my hand, hesitating. Finally, with a trembling sigh, she took it.
We stepped out onto the street.
The noise of the city made her shrink back, clinging to my arm while she pressed the book against her chest.
As we moved through the crowd, a man passed by carrying some boxes and glanced at us sideways.
"Daiki! I see you don't waste time, eh? You've already got yourself a little girlfriend!"
I looked at her with a calm smile.
"See? He didn't call you weird. He called you my girlfriend. That means you look normal. They're just idiots."
After a long walk, she finally spoke.
"No one is looking at me..." she whispered. She lifted her head a little, letting the hood slip back just enough to see the blue sky more clearly.
I smiled. "Do you see the world you're missing? What better stage to read to children than this sky above us?"
After a long walk, we finally reached my objective: the orphanage, the place where she had been before being adopted. I knew how much she had suffered there, but I also knew it was necessary; I couldn't simply ignore that place.
"An o-o-o-or... an orphanage?" She looked at me, confused and suddenly frightened. "Why are we here?"
"There is something you need to know," I said, turning to face her. "Your fear comes from thinking you aren't enough, that people judge you for what you look like or what you have."
I pointed to the book she was clutching tight against her chest, The Adventures of Philip.
"That's why I asked you to bring that. You told me you wanted to be the exception. That you wanted someone to hear your story. I heard you... but you need another point of view, a more innocent one."
I released her grip and walked up to the door.
"Wait for me here. They are a bit... intense, but very good kids."
I left her alone, hoping she wouldn't run away. Upon entering... well, they greeted me as usual.
"Big Brother Daiki!" said a little girl, abandoning what she was doing and throwing herself to hug my leg.
"Daiki came!"
"Tell us a magic story!"
I just smiled at their displays of affection. A few months ago, I dedicated my time to helping the orphanage; I remembered when I lived in one in my past life and felt lonely, so being their "hero" comforted me.
"I'm not very good at telling stories... But I have a special girl for that. However..." I turned serious. "I want you all to treat her well, she's my friend. If you don't, I'll get angry and confiscate the toys and chocolates I give you from time to time."
I headed to the door and opened it. Emilia was leaning against the wall, hugging her book to her chest, her knuckles white from tension. She was watching people pass by, visibly worried, but no one was looking at her.
"Emilia, come!" I shouted, snapping her out of her state.
She was startled, so she quickly fixed her hair.
"Are... are you sure...? I... I don't know..." She started to stutter.
"I told them you were special, don't make me look bad, okay?" I smiled to give her confidence.
Once inside, the children looked on in wonder.
"She's so pretty! She looks like a princess!" they said when I lowered her hood without her noticing.
Emilia brought her hands to her head, as if she suddenly felt naked.
"W-what...?" She tried to pull her hood up, but I wouldn't let her.
"Let them see you," I whispered, leaning toward her. "A storyteller doesn't cover her face before her audience. Besides..." I pointed to the little ones. "Do you see any mockery on their faces?"
Emilia stood still, slowly lowering her hands. She looked at the children. A boy with a mud-stained face approached and, shyly, touched the fabric of her dress.
"Are you a real princess?" he asked with wide eyes. "Your hair shines like the sun."
Emilia turned red as a tomato, but not from shame.
"I... I'm not a princess," she stammered. "I'm just Emilia."
"Emilia the Princess!" a girl shouted, and the rest followed with laughter and applause.
I seized the moment. I guided her gently toward the wooden chair in the center of the circle.
"Sit down. They are ready for the adventure."
Emilia sat, smoothed her skirt with trembling hands, and opened the book. Twenty pairs of eyes were fixed on her.
"O-once upon a time..." she began...
A boy in the back row leaned forward. "What did she say? I can't hear."
Emilia froze. Panic returned to her eyes, and she searched for me with her gaze.
I said nothing. I just smiled and nodded firmly.
Do it like in your room. Do it for them. That was what I told her with my eyes.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them, the scared girl had momentarily disappeared.
"Once upon a time!" she repeated. "A prince named Philip, who lived in a crystal castle where the sun never set. But Philip hated the light, because it reminded him of everything he couldn't see in the shadows..."
And so, her moment began. I decided to leave her alone, so I went outside and sat on the ground, looking up at the blue sky. I wanted her to know she could do it without me being present.
(Mission accomplished, Cliff. And without a single spell.)
-[I must admit Cliff was right for the first time in giving you this mission... Daiki, you are saving a life. Do you realize what you are capable of doing? And you still think you're insufficient...]-
(Yeah, yeah... don't start with your motivational speeches.)
-[It's the truth. You refuse to see it, but you changed that girl's world today. And the world of those children.]-
I stayed there, sitting on the ground with my back leaning against the exterior wall of the orphanage, listening to Emilia's voice.
It was a moment of peace.
"Daiki!"
The peace lasted exactly two more seconds.
I looked up to see a familiar figure marching angrily toward me.
"What the hell are you doing sitting here staring at the clouds?" Cliff shouted, stopping in front of me and blocking the sun. "You were supposed to be at the Miller mansion! We had an A-Rank mission! 'Exorcise Sloth,' remember?!"
I brought a finger to my lips, making an exaggerated shushing gesture.
"Shhh. Keep your voice down, Cliff."
"Keep my voice down? Don't hush me! I left you in charge of diplomacy and I find you loafing around in the doorway of an orphanage! Did they kick you out? Did you fail?"
"Listen," I interrupted him, pointing toward the open window just above our heads.
From inside, Emilia's voice could be heard...
"...The dragon didn't breathe fire to burn, but to light the way, because at the bottom of the sea, darkness is the true enemy..."
"That voice..." he whispered, frowning. "Is that...?"
"It's Emilia," I confirmed with a satisfied smile. "The girl who refused to leave her room and hated her own voice. Right now, she is reading to twenty children who are looking at her as if she were a goddess."
Cliff looked at the window, then at me, then at the window again.
"You got her out of the house? You brought her here?" he asked, lowering his tone. "Without using magic?"
"I just used a book and a little common sense. She needed a purpose, not a sermon."
"Hmph. Well... I suppose it's an... acceptable solution. Unorthodox and risky, typical of you, but effective." He crossed his arms and looked away. "Technically, if she is here and doing something productive, 'Sloth' has been exorcised. Mission accomplished."
I smiled at him.
"Exactly. So wait. The chapter isn't over yet."
Cliff grumbled something about "wasting valuable time," but instead of leaving or continuing to yell, he leaned against the wall beside me.
Everything was fine, until...
I heard a familiar voice, a voice I remembered so vividly that it made me stand up from the ground instantly.
"...Daiki...?"
Cliff, noticing my sudden reaction, straightened up and looked where I was looking.
"Who is it?" he asked, frowning. "Do you know him?"
I didn't answer. I couldn't. My throat had closed up.
"Son..." he whispered, and then, with more force, he shouted. "Daiki! It's you! By all the gods, you're alive!"