Published at 30th of December 2020 09:37:15 AM
Chapter 91
Gilles — Age: 9
I’ve been stuck in the impoverished village ever since I was born . It was never a great place, but when my parents were around, the torment was manageable since I wasn’t alone . But then my parents were killed . And because I didn’t have the strength to survive on my own, I was forced to work as a slave for the b*stard that killed them . Ever since that day, my life has been a living hell .
The first person to ever bother to help me was Will… Gramps . Gramps took me in and stayed by my side, nursing me day and night when I was on the verge of death . But despite his efforts, my wounds wouldn’t heal and I was struck with a high fever when infection set in . I really thought that I was going to die this time .
But I didn’t mind . I saw no meaning in living in a terrible world where there was nothing but pain day after day .
I had resigned myself to my fate, but then Gramps had me drink an infusion of water and medicine . Miraculously, my fever broke and I started getting better .
……I didn’t die .
Do I have to keep living every day in misery now? I couldn’t help but ask myself over and over, but Gramps showed me something that gave me hope . It was so trivial, so insignificant, that I can’t help but laugh at how much hope it gave me .
Just after I had gotten better, Gramps had shared some candy with me… . I never knew that food could be so deliciously sweet . I never knew that something called a macaron even existed . But it did . For the first time I realized that the world wasn’t just filled with darkness and despair . Those brightly colored little candies opened my eyes to the possibility that not everything has to be bad . It made me wonder what other things might surprise me if I just gave myself a little more time… . .
So I decided to give living another shot . If just for a little longer, I’d give the world one more chance to show me that it was worth living in . I could always choose to die later, so for the time being, a brand new desire had formed within me . I wanted to live… .
After I ate the first macaron, I stuffed the rest of them into my mouth one after another . While I enjoyed them, Gramps told me about the kid that gave them to us . Apparently, she was also the one who had brought us the medicine that saved my life .
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He told me that her name was Alicia and that she belonged to the Williams family, one of the five great noble families . And even I, who had spent my whole life in that village, had at least heard of those families . I couldn’t understand why the beloved daughter of one of them would bother to help me . Nor what could have brought her to this village in the first place .
When Gramps was telling me all this, I assumed she must be coming here out of some sense of mercy or compassion . She must pity us poor peasants, wallowing in this hellhole, so she came to kindly help us in our time of great need… . or some such driveling self-righteousness bullsh*t . As a higher being, it’s her duty to come save us lowly commoners . Disgusting .
When she goes home to her extravagant, overpriced mansion, she’ll pat herself on the back for her good deeds and enjoy all the luxuries that being a peer of the realm has to offer . I figured she was just some snobby, precious little princess who is constantly showered with love and affection who just goes around doing whatever she wants .
But, when I finally met her, I realized that my expectations couldn’t have been further off the mark .
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When I first saw her, I thought she was just a pretty, pampered little girl and that I must have been right about her, but all that changed in an instant . The moment she opened her mouth, her lovely face started to look positively demonic in my eyes .
She told me that if I wanted to die, then I should just do it . I thought she had to be crazy, saving me and then telling me to die . But then her next words shocked me even more . She told me that as my savior, she was now responsible for my life . She said she was on my side, just cause of that .
Her logic sounded insane, but it gave me an odd sense of warmth . Like the macaron, it somehow gave me hope . If I followed her, I’d really be able to experience a better life . Just like that, the last dredges of reluctance I had about living were gone .
After I had finally, fully admitted that I wanted to live, she suddenly demanded payment for her efforts . She told me that she would take co-ownership of my intelligence and use it as she saw fit .
Once again, her logic sounded absolutely absurd, but she wouldn’t back down . Every day she came back, bringing with her a small mountain of books for me to read . She showed me what magic looks like . And after all that, she even got me out of that village .
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For the first time in my life, I was finally able to see the sun . To feel its light and warmth on my skin . It was so dazzlingly radiant that tears sprung to my eyes . I was so thankful I hadn’t died before being able to see something so unimaginably breathtaking . After getting out of the village, the whole world looked new . Bright . Beautiful . Like I was wearing glasses that made everything sparkle .
I never actually said it out loud, but in my heart I found myself constantly thanking her for getting me out . For saving me . And at the same time I vowed to be there when she… . when Alicia really needed me . I would live my life for her, devoting myself to her ’til the very end .
And that girl, my life’s savior, is now standing before me, her golden eyes burning with rage . Her shining black hair is fluttering in a dark halo, almost as if her bloodlust is manifesting as a physical aura . Her profile looks regal and imposing as she stares down the men who had beaten me half to death . I can’t help but be fascinated by her overwhelming beauty .
As I watch, the corners of her lips arch up in a smile and she slowly opens her mouth . The words that pass her lips are not something you’d ever expect a young noblewoman to say .
“You’re the trash… . . Die!”