Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume14 Chapter6 (section)

===Part 6===

The headache and discomfort still had not subsided.

Despite the cold wind blowing near the sky, it made no difference.

She was standing on the pinnacle of a giant tree growing in the garden, frowning at the discomfort shrouding her entire body, meanwhile gazing down at the scenery below. The Japanese house where she had lived for the past few weeks. The residence whose door plate read "Yachi."

Before I leave, I should have a look at this house's full view, she thought. Sad? No&mdash;This was merely something akin to a memento There was no additional meaning apart from that.

"Hey~!"

"...Tsk."

She originally intended to stand there briefly but had accidentally spaced out for too long, apparently. Clicking her tongue while looking down, she found a boy next to the tree's roots. He was looking up at her, cupping his hands to his mouth to project his voice.

"What are you doing~? Dad said to try as much as possible to avoid letting outside people see you, right~? If you stand in that kind of place, you'll be seen clearly..."

"I shall be going out."

She interrupted him, declaring in a commanding tone of voice. Almost looking straight down, she found him looking extremely small. His mouth was gaping while he stared, apparently unable to understand what she had said.

"Of course, 'tisn't going out for amusement. Rather, this implieth I shall not return to this house."

"Wait... W-Why!?"

"I am not staying here out of some particular reason. In that case, 'tis just as possible that I leave for no particular reason&mdash;Besides, mine original intent was simply to try living here several weeks. In other words, I have merely grown weary of this place."

Her headache intensified. An unbearable discomfort was occupying the depths of her abdomen. She suppressed it desperately, preventing it from showing on her face. She knew the cause. Those of her kind would experience suffering when trying actively to leave their owner&mdash;as long as one was a tool rather than human, this was only natural.

But no matter. She was not going to let her pace get dragged down by something like this.

Somehow there was a feeling that her headache and discomfort stemmed from another reason, but she subconsciously suppressed it. In any case, she wanted to leave. That was all. She wanted to do it.

"W-Wait! Aren't you going to lift your curse?"

"Have I ever said anything of that sort? Thy father and thou art the only ones saying so."

"That's... umm... but&mdash;Hold up, could you wait first! Come down first!"

Seeing him plead so urgently, she found it ludicrous. Sneering coldly, she said:

"Ha. I have said that I am leaving. Wherefore must I stay? If thou wishest to stop me, thou shouldst climb up here."

"...!"

Hence, he walked over to the giant tree and reached out with his tiny hands. He really started to climb the tree unaided. Quite astonished, she could only gaze down to watch him.

He desperately extended his short arms and legs, grabbing protruding branches or burrs on the tree trunk, climbing up bit by bit. That face of his was looking straight at her.

She looked downwards at him, unable to move. This tree was too tall for a child. There was no way he could climb up here, probably. He was going to fall sooner or later. Definitely fall. As expected, he lost balance. But at the last second, he caught another branch. A breath of relief. Whose breath of relief? He started climbing up again. He was willing to go so far just to stop her from leaving? Why? He could not possibly climb up here. Why? Why was he staring at her with those resolute eyes, as though he would never let go ever again once he caught her? Why did he continue to force his body to climb despite the sweat drenching his back? This was definitely no easy task for a child's muscles. She could see his arms and legs trembling. She could see the red of fresh blood seeping from scratches and cuts on his palms caused by burrs&mdash;

"Guh...!"

Something jumped in her heart. The persistent headache intensified. Nausea. Discomfort. Headache again. Her head felt like it was about to split open. Irritated. She felt incurably irritated. Whether towards the way his eyes looked or towards this headache.

During this time, he finally arrived at her feet. Poking his head forward, he smiled proudly as though saying "See? I climb up here"&mdash;

"Urghhhhh...!"

The headache further intensified. It was as though tectonic shifts were happening in her brain. Her sense of balance was suddenly disrupted. So painful. So tormenting. Pulverize it. Pulverize it. If it could eliminate this pain, she would rather abandon her head. So it would be best to pulverize it. It would be best to smash her head violently then pulverize it&mdash;!

She was able to steady her footing if she wanted. However, she did not want to do so.

Indeed. Even if she fell headfirst like this, she could not possibly die. Her skull could not possibly split open. After all, she was a cursed tool. She simply prayed, hoping this simple yet merciless impact could drown out the headache that was almost driving her insane.

Hence&mdash;

She deliberately gave into her disrupted sense of balance, tossing her body into the air.

A sense of floating, followed by a feeling of falling.

Cure it. Cure it. Cure it. Cure it!

She closed her eyes and entrusted her body to gravity, simply praying for this matter.

Nevertheless, what she heard at this time was a voice she completely did not expect.

"Watch out!"

She could not help but open her eyes. This time, she saw a scene that she completely did not expect as well. She saw a scene that could not possibly be witnessed.

For the sake of an inhuman object's insignificant fall...

Unbelievably, the child, who could not be more ordinary, had jumped into the air to save her.



...Then the result was as natural as one could expect.

She watched that scene silently without saying a word.

The soil of the garden dyed red. Bleeding from his head, he was lying there unmoving.

Back then, what she had felt was&mdash;