Chapter 2, Final Scene — Truth and Resolve.

The words my mother said keep looping in my head.

Just the awareness of existing as a human, and then dying—somehow, that made fear swell up inside me, sudden and sharp.

Then, before I even realize it, Mother’s already noticed, swooping in to take me from Sauvel and lifting me into her arms.

“Elen-chan, you’re feeling fear because you’ve got human senses, aren’t you?”

“…Yes.”

“Do you understand that even the same words mean different things between humans and spirits?”

Nodding slowly, I hear her say, “Well then, it’s fine,” and she smiles like it’s nothing at all.

“I’m your direct child, after all. I always thought you’d grow up to embody the exact opposite of me. That’s why I chose you, Elen-chan.”

For a split second, my mind refuses to accept what she just said.

That meaning…

“Mama… you knew…?”

“Fufufu. After all, I gave birth to you, didn’t I? Elen-chan, you’re the one I chose.”

I stood there, stunned. Mother had known… that I was reincarnated. That I remembered.

No—she’d done it on purpose. When she reshaped Father’s body, she’d manipulated even his soul with ease.

“Why…?”

“Elen-chan’s power… it’s proof of Elen-chan herself. That’s why it’s bound to your memories. Because you carry it with you, you’re the one who controls it. It might feel frightening, because you’re still human. But in spirit form, it means something entirely different.”

“…………”

“Your power is ‘purification.’ I could give it life, but I can’t watch it grow. There’s a risk it could twist during development, or become something harmful. But I can’t do anything about that myself.”

Spirits aren’t magic wands. One who governs a single trait can’t do everything.

“So Elen was born. Your purpose is to keep this world running smoothly. Something necessary.”

“…Purification…?”

“Yes. Something needed to help others. You’re my daughter. The manager of this world. That’s what a goddess is.”

Mother’s words spun in my head like a whirlwind.

I’d always thought I was the exact opposite of Mother—yet the meaning of that opposite was all wrong.

Sure, from the perspective of someone being purified, it might mean “death.”

But from the goddess, the manager’s point of view? That was undeniably “purification.”

“Mama…”

“I understand the confusion. You shouldn’t have awakened so soon. You were nearly at the edge of danger—your instincts triggered your power too early…”

Mother smiled down at me, stroking my hair. "It's alright," she said.

I let myself sink into that warm, enveloping embrace.

I never thought, not in a million years, that the thing I'd been carrying around—something I could never tell anyone—was actually tied to me being a goddess.

All this time, I'd been wondering why I'd been reborn like this.

Why I had memories from the past. I'd always assumed it was because of the element I was bound to, but no—those memories were just part of what it meant to be a goddess.

The knot in my chest began to loosen, little by little.

I couldn’t stop crying—too shocked—but now it felt like a new weight had settled on my shoulders, heavy and real, and I nearly collapsed into Mother’s arms.

Father, silently watching it all, panicked.

"Ori! Is Elen alright?!"

I’m fine. It’s just that her heart hasn’t caught up with the awakening of her power as a goddess. That’ll sort itself out with time.

I’m hugged tightly by Mother, then kissed on the crown of my head by Father.

Father, worried about my condition, briefly excused himself and told Sauvel he was returning to the Spirit World.

“Understood. We’ll talk again when we’ve both calmed down.”

“Yeah… and don’t you dare let go of that hand.”

Sauvel nodded, carefully adjusting the thing he’d been holding close to his chest, as if guarding it.

And so, at long last, the storm had passed.

***

A few days later, once we’d both settled, I was back at the manor again.

Holding hands with Raffilia, playing in the garden.

Behind us, Kai and Van, plus several maids, kept close watch.

I’d never had a friend my own age with the same name before—so my mood was… well, let’s just say it was a little off-kilter.

Raffilia’s taller than me, so I get this weird illusion that I’m the little sister for a second.

Raffilia was naturally good at playing outside. She’d grown up playing in the streets, so it seemed she preferred playing outdoors over staying inside a noble’s chamber.

We’d wandered from the garden to the front door, sitting together on the edge of the fountain to rest, when I suddenly noticed Raffilia’s face clouding over.

"...Raffilia?"

Ah... no, it's nothing.

Raffilia's laugh was still forced, like she was trying too hard.

I must be thinking of Aria now and then.

"...You're worried about Auntie, huh?"

"Wha—? ……Yeah."

I smiled at Raffilia, who nodded with a soft click, saying, of course you’d be curious.

Aunt Aria is Raffilia’s mother, that’s absolute.

...uh-huh.

Maybe you want to see her…? I asked, hinting at Uncle. “Can’t say it,” came the reply.

“…I want to see her. But I’m scared to.”

“……Yeah.”

“Dad wouldn’t forgive me, not even if I begged…”

“But she’s your mother, Raffilia.”

“Yeah…”

“Then I’ll go with you!”

“……Huh?”

“You want to see her, right? Let’s go! Just tell Papa and the others they don’t need to worry—we’ll handle it. Leave it to me!”

I gave my father’s panicked protests—when I told him I was going to see Aria—no room to argue, and nudged Raffilia forward.

We got a carriage ready, climbed in with the fathers. Watching them slump a little, defeated by my words, Raffilia looked at me with wide, sparkling eyes. “Elen’s amazing!”

The fathers would be watching from a separate carriage a little distance away. Kai and Van would be sticking close to us.

We arrived at Raffilia’s family home, and she stepped down from the carriage holding my hand.

Raffilia swallowed hard, like she’d made up her mind.

Yeah. This was what she needed to do to move forward.

"...Huh?"

But she noticed something off right away.

The house—should’ve been bustling with activity, full of people in the dining hall—was utterly silent. No one in sight.

"Mother...?"

She cautiously pushed open the door. The inside was empty.

Furniture left exactly where it had been. Chairs overturned, as if someone had gone wild inside.

"Mother!?!"

Raffilia rushed from room to room, flinging open doors, searching frantically for Aria—but not just her. Aria’s parents, who ran the dining hall, were nowhere to be found.

"Why...?"

Stunned, Raffilia turned to me, eyes glistening. Then she lunged forward and threw her arms around me.

I rubbed Raffilia’s back, soothing her, while scanning our surroundings. Something was off—this place looked like it had been abandoned in a hurry.

I convinced Raffilia to go back and report this to her father, gently suggesting we head home.

She nodded through tears, a quiet, broken little “yes.”

Kai, who’d been standing behind us, seemed to finally grasp what was going on. He didn’t say anything—just narrowed his brows.

Van, meanwhile, seemed completely uninterested in what was happening. He just kept glancing around like a curious cat.

Then—flicker. Van’s head snapped up, eyes sharp.

The door creaked open. A hooded girl stood there.

“…What are *you* doing here?”

The girl’s voice dripped with disdain, her eyes locked on Raffilia.

Raffilia, startled by the sound, snapped her head up and glared right back.

“*You*—what are *you* doing here?! This is Mother’s house!!”

"I know. Just came to check, that's all."

I narrowed my eyes, suspicious—then Kai, too, seemed to recognize the other’s identity, pulling me behind him.

Before me stood Kai and Van, blocking the way. The other seemed to notice, but just smirked at Raffilia, as if it didn’t matter.

"Ah, so it’s true… your mother ran away, didn’t she?"

The girl said it, sounding genuinely amused. Raffilia flinched, eyes wide. "Ran away…?" she whispered.

"Why are you still here, then? Oh right—because you’re the heir, so you were left behind? Ah, no. You should’ve fallen with your mother."

The girl tossed the words at Raffilia, voice dripping with distaste.

"What are you talking about?" Raffilia snapped. The girl just laughed, then explained—slowly, like she was enjoying every second.

"You're the reason I'm actually fine now. If I'd gone to the academy, I'd have been the one getting strange looks—everyone whispering. But you took that for me. Seriously, you danced beautifully, I swear!"

Raffilia stood frozen, stunned into silence.

"Every time you did something foolish, the gossip spread in seconds, didn’t it? That’s right—thanks to me. Hehehe. Oh, and everyone in town already knows what your mother used to do. Poor thing couldn’t handle it, could she?"

"A—ah, you…!!"

"Turning everyone’s eyes toward you? Naturally, I’d look less suspicious than someone who’d been getting the same rumors. What if I’d acted mature? Then all the criticism would’ve just bounced right back at you. Honestly—what a mess!"

The girl giggled, then added, brushing it off like it was nothing—after all, nobles always manipulate information as a matter of course, and you never even tried to learn it.

Raffilia finally understood the full picture of her isolation at the academy. The girl spoke to her, dazed and motionless.

“You left the academy, and now I’m finally free… I’ve been sent to study abroad, so I came to see you off. …This is the town where I was born and raised.”

The girl stared off into the distance for a moment, then quickly hid her expression.

And with a laugh, she said, “We’ll never meet again,” and walked away.

Raffilia stood frozen, then slowly began to sob, tears welling up.

When I asked her, “Who was that?” she answered, “…Amiel.”

(Amiel?)

That was definitely the daughter of that Agyel, wasn’t it?

Why was she here…? Why did I suddenly remember Amiel’s words?

“If I’d stayed at the academy, people would’ve stared at me with strange eyes. I let you take that role instead.”

I remember that, right? So that’s what she meant—manipulating the rumors at the academy, using Raffilia as a substitute?

I called out to Raffilia, worried, and she violently wiped her tears, glaring at the door where Amiel had disappeared. Then she said:

“This… this is what nobility is like…”

“…Raffilia?”

“Father was trying to teach me this… to make sure we wouldn’t be fooled. But I… I rejected it. I fought against it…”

Wiping her tears, Raffilia continued.

“I’m furious…!! I’ll show them—I’ll prove myself to them for sure!!”

Even as she cried, her gaze never wavered—locked onto the direction Amiel had vanished.

＊＊＊

Amiel, now feeling completely relieved after spilling everything, climbed into the waiting carriage.

No attendants inside. Guards and servants were stationed nearby, but the carriage itself was empty—just her, alone.

We’re heading to the neighboring country now. I’m feeling much clearer, but it was a miscalculation leaving Raffilia with that man.

I can’t help but think—she should’ve just been betrayed and despair.

“Well, never mind… I’ll use whatever I can. Isn’t that right? Mother.”

Amiel giggled softly.

“Wait for me, Mother. I’ll soon be living with Father… after all, Father’s a hero.”

Shaking in the carriage, Amiel kept laughing—nonstop.

Chapter 2 · Complete