Editing Amaryllis in the Ice Country:Chapter 10 (section)

===Mind Circuit=Eisbahn===

“…Hey.”

“What?”

“The winds…sure are strong, huh?”

“Yeah.”

I tersely answer, and tenderly stroke the girl’s hair.

The blizzard can be heard howling outside, but it isn’t entering the generator.

The Cradle beside my head is giving off a weak light, slowly waiting until the time to wake up.

At my elbow, the girl’s body is shaking. Her body temperature is dropping to its limits.

“…Cold?”

I embrace the girl with more strength than before.

“No, I’m fine…”

I won’t feel cold if I switch off the sense installation completely. However, I haven’t, as I still wish to feel the warmth of the girl.

“Hey, Eisbahn.”

“Hm?”

“Who are you exactly?”

This sudden question is posed at me.

“…Huh? What do you mean?’

I ask suspiciously, and the girl stares right at me.

“You never mentioned about your past at all…”

“…You want to know?”

“Yeah.”

I never mentioned this to anyone before. However, if it’s just today—just to this girl alone, I might consider.

“—I.”

It’s a long time back since I talked about this.

“I was a butler robot.”

“…Butler?”

“Yeah.”

“Butler…as in, the person who serves in a mansion?”

“Yeah.”

I give a serious look, “…Pffft.” But the girl chuckles,

“It-it doesn’t suit you…not at all.”

“You.”

“So I say…”

I press down on her head hard with my elbow, “Ow ow.” And the girl sounds out,

“That’s why I hate mentioning the past.”

“Sorry, sorry…so how was your time as a butler?”

The girl’s still smiling, “I don’t want to talk about it.” So I refuse. But with her going at it again and again, I finally relent. In the end, I’m never able to reject any of this girl’s requests.

“…I worked in that mansion for a long time. There’s a ‘lady’ there, and I was living with her, in charge of taking care of her.”

“Ohh.”

“And then”

As a butler robot, I took care of that ‘lady’. She’s weak, and her father forbade her from stepping out from the mansion.

But one day, I took the lady out as I wanted to show her to outside world no matter what. It was merely half a day, but this secret outing left her really delighted.

In the end, this matter was made known to the master of the mansion. As I had defied orders, I was fired.

“I was fated to be scrapped. Milady however wanted to elope with me, to a land far away, and live together…but I couldn’t. I said goodbye to her, and escaped the mansion. Soon after, she passed away.”

The girl remains silent. Before I know it, my usual cocky tone has vanished, and replacing it was the formal language I had during my butler days.”

“Actually, milady knew she would meet her end soon, and wanted me to bring her out. However, I never did so. I thought it was for her own good. Thus, I never fulfilled her final request in life…”

My hands start to tremble. The girl holds my hands, trying to calm me down.

And then, she suddenly says this,

“That lady…resembles me?”

—!

“…That’s.”

I’m stunned. I wanted to keep this a secret until the very end.

—So this is it?

“Blue hair, pretty, elegant, noble, and firm-willed.”

“I’m embarrassed to be praised by you like this.”

“Idiot, I’m not talking about you.”

My tone reverts to the usual.

The blizzard becomes stronger, and the winds sound like a whistle. The temperature drops, and our bodies are freezing, frozen like ice. Despite this, we continue to embrace each other, wanting to freeze as one.

“…Hey.”

“What?”

“Keep singing. That song.”

“Which one?”

“The song you like.”

The girl looks up at me for a moment, “Ahh, that.” And smiles.

And then, she sings,

Sleep well, sleep well, sleep well for today.

I shall continue to hold you in my arms, so sleep well.

One day, even if this country, is wiped out, the morning light,

Everything, and anything, is for, you.

That is why, sleep well, for today.

Until, the day, you wake up again.



Once she finishes singing, I give a little whistle.

“Sure is a nice song no matter when I hear it.”

“Thanks.”

“Feel like sleeping the more I hear it.”

“Are you praising me?”

“Of course.” I answer. Whenever I heard this song, my chest will heat up.

And so, this conversation ends.

We continue to embrace each other, leaving our bodies to the passing of time.