Episode 396
Today, Sumire had a satisfying day. As usual, I spent vacation with my friends at the academy, made phone calls with my family in Japan, and made delicious desserts in the club room.
smile as usual
talking like usual
It was a very ordinary day, happy as usual.
“Haum Sumire’s mother. It’s too late to go to bed, velvet… children in velvet have to go to bed at 8:00.”
Sumire, who was sitting on the sofa, smiled as Velvet approached and stroked her hair.
“Haum… I read Sumire’s mom’s storybook.”
As usual, Velvet asked me to read a storybook. Falling asleep while listening to Smirena Adela’s story was Velvet’s favorite thing to do, so this was no different from usual.
“It’s been a while since I read a fairy tale like this.”
“Velvet likes any book.”
But all of a sudden.
Sumire remembered a children’s book Shin Yoo-sung had given her.
[And this. It is a present for Sumire. Whoa, I hope you enjoy reading it with Velvet…]
That was the moment Laplace disappeared.
It was a book left by Sumire. However, Sumire could hardly open the storybook.
Of course, Sumire also wanted to read what Laplace left behind. But it seldom got out of hand.
It was all the more so because I had no idea what kind of story would be written.
okay. Maybe it’s a matter of course.
Because I didn’t hand over the story of farewell last time. okay. If you go to sleep as usual, there is no farewell.
If I ignore that fact and spend each day faithfully, won’t it come back someday? It may be something that never happened.
“Sumire mom, what are you doing? You look like you’re about to cry.”
Sumire shook her head at Velvet’s worried question and came to her senses.
“I just had a silly thought for a second.”
“Uh… you think I’m stupid?”
Sumire took out a children’s book from her pocket. Of course, it was a children’s book left by Laplace.
Title: A Witch’s Tale.
“Hey, that would be fun. It’s a fairy tale that even Velvet has never seen!”
Velvet was satisfied with the fact that the book Sumire took out was a fairy tale she had never seen in the library. I didn’t know that it was a book Laplace left behind, but I could tell that familiar mana flowed from the book.
“Interesting. Velvet can tell. The book… smells like mom!”
“is that so?”
“huh!”
Sumire was satisfied with the fact that Laplace left her mark on the last gift.
Sumire made a brief mental preparation. Then, as if a children’s book were a treasure, he carefully opened it.
“Once upon a time there lived a girl in a certain kingdom.”
What was drawn in the children’s book was a poor slum. Behind it, a splendid kingdom was drawn, but the shabby straw-covered wooden house in which the girl lived looked shabby.
“The girl born in the slums was poor but not unhappy. Parents and younger sister for the girl. I had two younger brothers and the family was very harmonious.”
This is the story of Laplace when he was still human. Witches are created by being selected by humans who have experienced ‘transcendence’. He loses his human emotions and becomes a completely different being.
So it was good to see this as a separate story from Laplace. But why does the fact that Laplace, the witch, was only a mere human make one side of my heart so thrilled?
“I hope my younger sister uses the velvet too.”
Of course, listening to the story, Velvet seemed to be obsessed with the fact that she had many younger siblings. Velvet had a friend like Orca, so it seemed like her sister wanted one.
“Ah… hehe…. Certainly someday.”
Sumire turned one more page with a flushed face. The image of the girl’s siblings and family drawn in the children’s book was like Sumire’s family.
Sumire’s house was no different from the girl’s. They were poor but harmonious and happy. Sumire has learned to be content with small things.
“There was no delicious food, but I was happy with whatever I ate with my family, and I didn’t have pretty clothes, but the girl polished her inner self.”
Velvet was intoxicated by Sumire’s voice and fell asleep with a happy expression on her face. Looking at Velvet, feeling Sumire’s warmth and leaning in her arms, it was a perfect mother and daughter look.
“A girl with a kind heart helped those who were less fortunate than herself even in difficult circumstances. Eventually, the story of the girl spread beyond the slums to the entire kingdom.”
Sumire passed the storybook without a word. The more I got to know what kind of person Laplace was, the more I could understand why the rate of assimilation with Laplace’s fragments was high. It wasn’t for simple reasons like looks.
“In the end, the people of the cathedral heard of the girl’s fame and came looking for her.”
In the world where Laplace lived, there were different goddesses, and there were people who worshiped them. A goddess is the opposite of a witch. It is a being that bestows blessings on humans with special symbols.
“The girl accepted the offer at once because she was told that if she became a follower of the goddess, she could help people in need. …Families living in the slums could afford three delicious meals a day with the money the girl sent.”
Before becoming a witch, Laplace was a follower of the goddess. A witch with faith could not exist, but at that time she was still a human.
It was before the experience of ‘transcendence’.
“But the girl’s happiness did not last forever.”
Sumire opened the next page.
“A mysterious plague struck the slums where the girl lived. The girl’s family living in the slums could not escape the plague.”
Laplace, who became a follower and worshiped the goddess, was able to avoid the plague. However, the slums where Laplace was born and grew up had already become hell. Laplace, who was a human being, valued his life more than his family members, who were dying from a plague.
“The girl who heard the news ran to the slums. In the slums, huge smoke rose that could be seen from afar… and the girl ran out of breath.”
Sumire turned the next page with trembling hands. A huge fire engulfed the slums. If a fairy tale book drawn in a cute picture style was so eerie, what would the reality be like?
“The girl ran despite people’s warnings. I saw a house that was reduced to ashes. The girl saw a house with nothing left, but not even tears… flowed…”
Sumire struggled through the pages. There was a clear picture of Laplace, as if it had been taken in a photo, not a cute picture book.
Despair was evident on Laplace’s face, and black liquid flowed like tears from his eyes.
“The girl thought. Could this also be the will of the goddess? Is this an ordeal given to you?”
Laplace lost the slums and family he was trying to protect in an instant. He was betrayed by the kingdom and goddess he believed in.
“Unfortunately, however, the girl did not survive the ordeal. I couldn’t understand the kingdom and the goddess. Instead, I made a wish to the sky.”
A moment of despair that far transcends human reason. The Akashic Records, which contain all the records of mankind, are willing to reach out. A tribute to the greatest despair in human history.
“Your family and neighbors. I hope that everything the girl cherishes will come to life. I will never regret it no matter what I lose in return.”
Of course, there can be no hope in the result of despair. Despair naturally breeds despair. It wasn’t the result she wanted, but she didn’t regret it.
She was willing to become the queen of the afflicted and become the witch of the plague feared by the realm.
“Ah…”
Sumire looked at the velvet leaning on her chest. Fortunately, Velvet had already left for dreamland.
Sumire
turned the next page without realizing it. I read it aloud, trying to calm myself down somehow, even though no one was listening.
“The girl who became a witch abandoned her name. Instead, he took the name Laplace.”
The banquet of corpses that started in the slums engulfed the kingdom. The opponent is a real witch chosen by the Akashic Records. He did not dare to deal with kingdoms on the periphery.
“This is why Laplace-nim became a witch…”
A human who became a witch transcends humans. Emotions, of course, lose everything that makes humans human.
The ‘real’ Laplace lost all of that. What Sumire met was only a part of it. However, it was definitely a future that the girl could become.
If he hadn’t met Shin Yoo-seong, if he had suffered despair like a girl, what kind of person would he be by now?
Can you really say that Laplace, who became a witch, is really different from herself?
“sorry. Mr. Laplace… I can’t… read anymore.”
Chuck-
In the end, Sumire closed the children’s book. It was the last thing Laplace left behind, but I couldn’t possibly read it. I couldn’t read any more.
It’s not that I’m defending Laplace who became a witch and annihilated the kingdom, but hot tears flowed from Sumire’s eyes. Those were human tears that Laplace could not bear to shed.
Bubbly.
Yooseong Shin approached Sumire without a word.
“Ah Yoosung… Since when…”
Sumire, embarrassed, asked when he had seen or heard of it, but Shin Yooseong did not answer. He just silently approached Sumire and wiped away his tears.
“You don’t have to be sad. Sumire. Laplace was happier than anyone else at the last moment. It is a gift and a change made by you, Sumire.”
Sumire woke up with a sniffle at the comfort of Shin Yuseong.
“Ah Kong! Kya-kya-hang…”
Thanks to that, Velvet, who fell off the sofa, rolled over and glanced at her parents.
Then, Shin Yoo-seong and Sumire nodded their heads at the intense eyes they sent towards each other.
‘Velvet has to sleep in the room.’
Shin Yoo-seong held Sumire’s hand while Velvet quickly disappeared. And together, they infused mana into a children’s book.
– Oh Sumire. You couldn’t even have the last conversation. So don’t leave this message instead.
Then, using mana as fuel, the vivid voice of Laplace was heard. Of course, messages are always one-sided. They were really alive and couldn’t communicate or talk to each other.
But is that enough?
– Even at this moment of leaving a message, I can clearly see you weeping bitterly.
Sumire stopped sniffing at Laplace’s voice.
– Be mindful. Human life is too short to be sad!
Why did he say that all partings are sad? Sumire realized that was a stupid idea. I realized that there can be wonderful breakups.
– So smile broadly!
So Sumire followed Laplace’s advice and smiled brightly. He held Shin Yoosung’s hand next to him.
– love you forever
Sumire saw a new meteor.
– Please be happy with my share.
Laplace’s voice echoed in my ears. Even though they look similar, if it were Laplace, he would be smiling at himself like a mother.
“That Yoosung… I cried too much to say such a thing, so my eyes are swollen and I have a stupid face…”
Shin Yooseong shook his head to cut off Sumire who was about to say something. Rather, he spoke first.
“no. You are very pretty, Sumire.”
“Yoo Yooseong… Eup…”
He brought his face closer first and kissed the bewildered Sumire.
