Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume11 Epilogue (section)

===Part 2===

Without any warning, Fear suddenly wanted to calm down to think properly and was in no mood to concentrate in class at all. Hence, she walked unsteadily, swaying this way and that, trying to find a suitable place to think, she finally reached the usual location.

"Skipping class is not good~ See!"

"...I have a stomachache, so I came to seek refuge here as an emergency. I'll feel much better after drinking some nourishing herbal tea to warm my stomach. So I have to drink it. Yes, just pretend it's that."

"Fufu, then I will pretend that's the case! After all, this rarely happens. As a perfect maid, I'm also very kind and will turn a blind eye to your occasional need for a break~ So, Fear-chan, the tea is coming&mdash;Awawawa!"

Fear frantically rescued the cup that was wobbling on the edge of Sovereignty's tray then reached out carefully with both hands to steady the one who almost fell over. Finally, she enjoyed the taste and aroma of the black tea.

Dressed in a maid outfit, Sovereignty also sat herself on the sofa opposite to Fear, holding her own personal cup. It looked like she was having her break time as well.

The master of this room&mdash;the superintendent&mdash;was not present. Zenon was apparently organizing files and materials in the adjacent room. Inside the superintendent's office, only Fear, Sovereignty and the faint fragrance of tea were present.

Fear pondered many things, recalling many things. Things that happened several days ago. Things that happened during the welcoming festival. Every time, her hand would naturally move and rub her cheek.

Seeing that, Sovereignty held her teacup with both hands and asked in a gentle voice:

"Does it still hurt?"

"It's not hurting... But sometimes it feels like it hurts. Well, I guess this will continue to hurt."

She recalled the slap her cheek had suffered.

The girl was an inhabitant of this world. A human staying in this place, following goals, plans and orders. In spite of that, I got her involved, she who was unrelated to all those secret matters, a girl who only needed me to be "the first friend who talked to her after she became a first-year high school student"&mdash;That's all I can think. Putting aside legitimacy and grand principles, if I don't deliver a vicious blow to this helpless tool of torture and execution that's in the center of everything, I can't vent my anger.

Putting down the teacup, Fear reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out that object. Not her own but the toy cube that she had borrowed from the girl.

Click, click.

Without hurrying, Fear poured time into the task, as though savoring every step, she solved the Rubik's cube.

After completing, she randomly swiveled it a few times to mess up the colors. Then once again, the clicking and turning began. Even though she was now capable of solving the Rubik's cube, in the end, this entertainment was still endless.

"...When you solved the Rubik's cube successfully, Fear-chan, that child was so happy."

"Really?"

"I was by her side and saw clearly. That child really supported you, Fear-chan, and you worked hard to obtain success, so she was very happy... Yes, the scene at the time was quite supportive. Judging from the enthusiasm, you could very well have taken first place."

Sovereignty spoke while using gentle eyes to watch Fear turning the cube. Fear chuckled.

"Are you making fun of me? That's totally giving indirect praise to the girl who actually won first place. You could call it showing off."

"Oh dear~ That's neither here nor there! Fear-chan, you're so bad!"

Sovereignty suddenly made a look as though remembering something.

"Hey, Fear-chan... Although it's a bit late to ask now, do you want to get first place?"

"If I don't get first place, the enemy's plan can't be stopped, right..."

"I don't mean in that way but other ways."

Fear decided that playing dumb with Sovereignty was meaningless. But to be honest&mdash;

"...I don't know. I find it quite unbelievable myself but I really don't know. Why do I feel so reluctant to lose against Cow Tits or Kirika? Why do I want to win as a woman, to make him recognize that I'm great as a woman&mdash;"

"You wish for someone to recognize you? Ah, that goes without saying~"

"Muu." Fear pouted silently. Sovereignty was resting her elbows on her thighs while supporting her chin with both hands. Staring at Fear, her eyes looked like she was watching something comforting and delightful.

"I feel that you actually know everything, Fear-chan."

"Of course not..."

"Because I'm me, I can feel vaguely that the situation is starting to develop subtly. Someone started being serious a long time ago while someone else decided to start getting serious. Although I know I shouldn't blurt out or interfere, at least I believe that it would be too lonely if things had gone too far to change or victory was decided before you even noticed."

Sovereignty was speaking solemnly in a rare moment. But of course, Fear was unable to understand her properly. All she could manage was imagine roughly what Sovereignty was talking about.

"You're referring to that matter&mdash;the one we discussed back when we first met?"

"About being able to drain something or not? I won't say the answer. However, I think I can give a hint now at least. The answers for now and back then should be the same&mdash;This answer is the hint."

Fear placed the Rubik's cube on her thigh and reached for the almost empty teacup, then took a sip.

She felt heat in the depths of her chest. Due to the tea's warmth as well as a certain reason apart from that.

Inside her heart, did that type of emotion exist?

Not human. Cursed. Steeped in sin. A tool of torture and execution. Someone like her would have that in her heart?

&mdash;Feelings of romantic love for someone.

In the depths of her heart, the warmth was carried by blood flow, transporting all sorts of feelings to the entire body. Unease, anticipation, joy, terror, anxiety, doubt. Indeed, what finally dominated her entire body was doubt.

Could that type of emotion actually reside in her body for real?

Those emotions were positive. Nothing wrong about them. Anyone would wish for them.

Nevertheless, she herself was negative. She was wrong. Anyone would stay away from her.

In this incident, it had been very dangerous again. Fear bowed her head and glanced at the Rubik's cube on her thigh.

Dual Emulation. A new method of fighting. It was all fine and good that she managed to defeat Neto after discovering this new method of fighting&mdash;However, she was almost devoured by cold merciless cruelty as a result.

To be honest, she was very afraid. Afraid of herself, afraid of that power, afraid of her past.

She had always felt terror since a long time ago. But today, Fear wondered in her heart with unprecedented intensity:

&mdash;So, what should I do?

Posing a question for herself to answer, Fear gently stroked her lower abdomen. The past was not going to vanish. However, she was able to erase powers that symbolized her past self. Indeed, that was all she could do currently.

The Indulgence Disk retrieved from the remains of Neto's cursed camera, «The Paingrapher», had already been inserted personally by Haruaki into her depths, sealing away the «Flower Sword Verazella». Fear had already tried it out, even when using the second emulated cube, she was still unable to access forms that were sealed away by inserted Indulgence Disks.

In the end, that meant that the importance of Indulgence Disks remained unchanged. The key towards sealing her powers. This hand would drag out her contemptible past the moment she let down her guard, hence this sort of stone weight and shackles were needed. In order to become an ordinary human, this key was more important than anything else.

So far, she had believed so. However, now that she noticed those feelings that might exist inside her, those feelings that she did not know if they could exist or not&mdash;

In order to hold her head high and stick her chest out proudly to declare that she possessed those feelings&mdash;

She believed that the Indulgence Disks were absolutely needed.

Hence, Fear decided what she must do from now on.

"Hey Sovereignty... When the superintendent returns, I've got a something I'd like you to help convey to him. Although he might not agree to it, asking wouldn't hurt. Because he's the most likely person around me."

"So you want me to pass along a message? Sure, what do you want to ask?"

No longer passive like the way she was so far but turning active instead.

Start taking action.

In order to be able to hold my head high sooner&mdash;

And confidently say that I am in love.


"I want to get more Indulgence Disks, even a single one would be good. From anywhere, anyone... No matter what, please help me ask if he has any leads."


With this, surely compared to the future as an ordinary human that she had always hoped for until now, the future that she had always considered sufficient, would be one that was slightly more greedy, slightly more extravagant&mdash;

In other words, a future slightly more wonderful than originally envisioned.
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