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maguro13-2 · 8 months

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The Dark Beginnings ~ Origins of the Ink Demon Chapter 0 (5/6) ~

[Scenario : Courage - Fumie Kumatani, Warsaw Philharmonic]

*Rumbling+Perfect Chaos Roar*

Eruka Frog : I don't like the sound of it! If she combines the anger and Sadness to unleash the power of Shattered Resonance, we're history and so does PSO! We can't let that happened!

Ashley : Right! Which is why need to find a way to calm Kimial down before Shattered Resonance will be unleashed and this entire place inside of an MMO will be cleaned out! I gotta find a way to calm Kimial Down! [thinking] What to do? What to do?

Eruka Frog : Hurry! There isn't much time left! We need thinking thoughts straight and get ourselves in the game! Rupika, do you know how can you find a place to calm herself down?

Rupika : I know just a place!

[scene later transits]

[Rose Confession - Hideaki Kobayashi, Yutaka Minobe]

Ashley : Huh? This place? It feels familiar. So this is...where the Humarl was at. Rico was it? An NPC who went missing after being possessed by the big bad himself, Dark Falz. I heard that she was one of the first known HUmarls that wanted to be a part of the Hunter class, but Sonic Team denied when Sonic himself reported Rico was the missing Humarl that fans of Sonic really need. But thanks to Dark Falz's shenanigans, Sega love to have the nerves to make female characters dead. That's why equality is the thing we needed before the law.

Rupika : Uhh, that's referring to the state of Nebraska.

Ashley : Right, which is necessarily not in order. So, here we are. This is where we need to calm our nerves down. I mean, Kimial's nerves down. Hopefully calmness will help her lower her Shattered Resonance. This might help her do some therapy. I heard that one secpter that has the power to control the four vibes. The Vibe Secpter.

"Long before the Ohkuboverse was created, outside of Real World AU, there was a powerful Sorcerer that offered Angel vibe to give him the powerful staff that control's one vibe and he call it the Vibe Secpter, it is a powerful weapon that has granted it's own wishes by uniting the four vibes into one great warrior. So with the Vibe of Light's aid, Vibe secpter became a great success as it is the most powerful to control anyone's powerful vibes that are the emotions of hearts; Burning Rage, Sorrowful Sadness, Joyful Glee, and Calmness. These vibes can bring such power that will ultimately unleash into a powerful warrior that is a princess. However, despite it's creation on it's failed attempt of destroying the old world, Shinra foiled demon vibe plans and gave Soul World it's very foundation with the Kusakabe Legacy, that was simply a family tree of his own. Then the Time Eater arrived as it begins to destroy his world that he created was a facade and started an extermination event, but the last one survived and went insane. The witch that started it all was Inca, the first of the Kasugatani and true mother of Witchkind.

"As before the Ohkuboverse's destruction was being erased in half, Inca used the vibes of Rage and Gloom to combine a deadly force that has the power to shatter things and including the hearts of all, the one she calls it Shattered Resonance. And thus, the Shattered Meister was created and as well for the Shattered Soldiers. And they are forever remained in secrecy by the Men of Shinra's influence."

Ashley : Now what I really understand that the rumbling and that roar of a god of destruction, Shattered Meisters are actually people who gone into the despair and causes nothing but destruction. Maka, that girl and self-proclaim hero of Soul World, was the one that started the explosion on four-fifths of Japan's population, and the second explosion that started in Tokyo which is my partner. That's where the vibration and that roar is coming from.

Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupre : True. Because the Kusakabe thinks that Inca's or her people were leeches, but that doesn't mean a single thing. Shinra and his people were killed by the hands of the Time Eater, and I was not the one that is a tool to the devil's will. I used to be a fire soldier in his old world, but then the Time Eater removed me from the Ohkuboverse and brought me into the real world, where I became the member of the Phantoms of Society! Shattered Meisters are very equivalent to the Shattered Soldiers, and Kimial is one of the Shattered Meisters as well. The Great Phantom knew that the Shattered Meister I found in Vermont are linked with each others, by connecting one's heart or one's soul. With them following on their path to destruction, Shattered Meisters will break us free from the will of Kusakabe, relcaim the Kasugatani name and her position! That is what we were ordered by the Phantom to look after the Shattered Meisters and we must protect them from ever bringing destruction on the planet. I wanted her smile to be protected and we are the only ones who can protect her smile.

Kimial Diehl : (in Joyful Glee) Jacqueline, promise me that you'll finally be what I wanted for our future. The sky is peaceful, the birds are singing, and I'm in a field of beautiful flowers! My only wish that I would be together to start a future for the ones that I loved, to cherish and protect. And you would protect me from of all bad things that will ever happen to me. You certainly who you really are, Jacqueline. I consider you to be my hero.

Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupre : (blushes) Oh, ummm...It is my duty to protect you as a hero, I won't let you cry and neither you'll be angry, You stay perfectly as a good girl that I would proclaim you as a my future bride. You knew the place that where we first met...on that day in the Green Hills of Vermont, You and I, the tree where we made our love at first sight. Desperate to be forbidden that is a forever a secret.

Kimial Diehl : (Joyful Glee) You finally knew our secret honeymoon! I want a perfect person that I wanted to be my type, and you Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupre, is the person that is the love of my life! (holds Jacqueline hand) So hear me out! In our futures, in our dreams, we could start a life! We would be groom and bride, you and I! But if you still hadn't figured it out that I was one of the Shattered Meisters, I'd still be the one you loved dearly.

Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupre : ....Kimial. (comforts) I'm glad that you finally answered. When we do something for our marriage, I will do an Equivalent exchange, I'll give you half of my life, and you give me half of yours. That is what Edward predicted our marriage.

Kimial Diehl : (giggles) Jacqueline...

Eruka Frog : So much romance and drama, I might be better to get going then. *heartbeat echoing* Hmm?

[The Nearest Place to the Heaven (Quiet) - Hideaki Kobayashi]

Eruka Frog : That's strange. I don't remember that heartbeat echoing through the sound. Is that another resonance, or I wonder if there's a person inside?

(Kimial and Jacqueling laughing togther)

Ashley : (looks at Eruka) Wait, what are you doing now? That monument...!

Eruka Frog : Hey, guys. Since Kimial and her "hero" is a having romantic conversation, I'm just gonna sit over here on this nice...

Ashley & Rupika : DON'T GO NEAR ANYTHING, YOU TWIT!

Eruka Frog : What, guys? Go near what? Relax, fellas. It's not like that I'm not gonna do anything...(touches monument which changes the flora into a field of faces) stupid?

Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupre : That doesn't look good.

[The Nearest Place to the Heaven (Attack) - Hideaki Kobayashi]

Kimial Diehl : Eruka! What did you do!?

Eruka Frog : I don't know, man! I was trying to go over here to have a seat at the monument! It-It's not like that I triggered something anything to rise an attack!

Kimial Diehl : You idiot! You did not go near the monument to take a seat, you triggered Dark Falz's defenses! And now he's going to wake up to find out that we're here! Any idea how are we supposed to deal with this mess!? We need some fire power to take these spinning things out of the field! This entire place has become one deadly booby trap!

Ashley : Of course, partner! If only that froggy idiot would never go near the monument and awaken the Final Boss of this MMO, we would've left here before she completely blew it off! Now we're gonna be in deep sh*t! Now help us out and get rid of these spinning spiky things that are Dark Falz's Defenses! I'm gonna need to cast a fiery spell on this!

Jacqueline O'Lantern Dupre : Leave this one to me! I've always prepared to fight with the power of the flames! So here I go! I'm gonna make this game to the next level! Feel the power of flames, evil must be perished!

~ Prologue 24 : Falz's Land Stand Pt.1 ~

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wildflower-otome · 11 months

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[Translation] Clover no Kuni no Alice ~Promise Red~ Light Novel - Chapter 1

Writer: Sana Shirakawa Artist: 文月ナナ Summary: Sequel to White Calling. By arrangement with the Boss of the Hatter Family, Blood Dupre, Alice is now living temporarily at Heart Castle until the Assembly period is over. However, for some reason, the Prime Minister, the White Rabbit Peter, is behaving strangely and suddenly starts to avoid Alice….. Despite not knowing what he’s thinking, her feelings for him continue to grow—In the midst of their estrangement, what fate does the bewildered Alice choose!?

ACT 1 – What awaited after falling was a white rose

Ever since she had come to this world, she had thought she had already become pretty used to its complete lack of common sense.

It was the case for everyone that lived at the Mansion where she had been staying up until now. A fickle Mafia Boss who was always drinking an excessive amount of tea. A large rabbit who was always craving orange coloured food. Innocent gatekeepers who loved sharp, pointed objects. Servants who were all equipped with guns. No matter how you looked at it, their behaviour was the furthest thing from what Alice took to be common sense.

However, if one were to continually experience such nonsensicality, you would eventually become accustomed to it. In that sense, Alice had thought that she was fairly adaptable…..though that was both a good and bad thing, to her mind.

That she was becoming gradually less surprised at this situation every time it happened, probably wasn’t good though.

‘Hey, why are you in my bed again…..Vivaldi?’

‘…..Hu-…..ahh? “Why” is rather a cold question, is it not, Alice? As fellow women, there is nothing wrong with us sleeping together, is there?’

‘Now wait just a moment, this is my room after all…..although I am staying here for free.’

Anyone would be surprised to dreamily turn over in their sleep, only to find a black-haired beauty comfortably sprawled next to them.

Nonetheless this wasn’t the first time the Queen of Hearts had found her way into Alice’s bed.

‘It’s fine, is it not? There is no disadvantage for you in it, is there?’

As she drew Alice nearer and hugged her, Vivaldi smelled, as usual, of roses.

Different from the master of the Mansion’s, a dense and somehow alluring scent of flowers emanated from her entire body.

‘No, but even I’d be startled having someone sneak into my bed over and over again-…..not to mention-‘

When she stretched out her arm a little from within Vivaldi’s embrace, and pulled back the sheets….. the head of yet another person appeared.

The short brown hair made a ‘Mmn?’ noise as it turned around. The voice sounded sleepy, but with Alice raising her voice at a close distance, there was no way he was asleep. He was also another person who was perceptive to the presence of others.

‘Why are you here too, Ace-!?’ Don’t tell me you two planned this together-‘

Alice’s tone was harsh as she complained, and Ace gave a bright laugh as he answered.

‘Hm~, it’s a shame, but I wasn’t thinking about getting friendlier with you and her Majesty, you know? I just got lost while I was in the Castle and ended up in this room by coincidence. Hahahaha-‘

‘Do not joke, we would never plan anything with this one. Even if he got down on his knees and begged, you know we would just drive him away, of course? And if he kept being persistent, we would cut off his head.’

The deep displeasure in the Queen’s voice echoing at her back was clear, but for Alice stuck between the two of them, the whole thing was a massive pain.

Since the first Assembly had ended and she had moved to Heart Castle, about twenty time periods had passed. Alice continued to sleep at night as she had before, but just how many more times would she have to experience this when she woke up?

Even if this was a stay officially sanctioned by her household head, Alice didn’t have the kind of whimsicality to be able enjoy a situation like this.

‘Vivaldi. Please let me go already. I’ve got to get up now…..Isn’t this the evening time period you like so much?’

The sky visible from her window had already changed to the vivid colours of twilight. In this world where the weather remained stable, the colour of the sky always indicated which period of time it was.

‘Hm…..so it is, but…..it feels just so comfortable holding you like this. Let us chase away the nuisance, we wish to nap for just a little while longer.’

As the Queen, still hugging Alice, laughed, the Knight who had just been called a nuisance, complained, ‘You’re so mean, Majesty.’

‘…..You guys…..’

Just as she was thinking on how she could escape this impossible situation-

Bang! With a loud noise, the door to the room was opened.

Alice was startled as there hadn’t been so much as a knock in warning, but the other two didn’t seem too bothered.

‘What is it, White? We are spending time with Alice. Take this knight that doesn’t know when not to interrupt and get back to work.’

‘…..I do not wish to told that by the chief reason there is so much work left unfinished, your Majesty.’

Bathed in the colours of the setting sun, the White Rabbit was sighing as he looked at his superior and coworker.

The red gingham overcoat he wore appeared even more bright red than usual.

Having come right up next to the bed, the Prime Minister of Heart Castle, Peter White, spoke bluntly.

‘Please hurry up and get out of there. You’re causing Alice trouble.’

‘…..How rude, were it not evening, we would have your head. Right, Alice?’

‘It’s fine, Vivaldi. If you’ve got work, you’d better go.’

Alright? As she spoke with a cute tilt of the head, Vivaldi reluctantly got up. The nightwear she wore displayed her soft curves in a way that even Alice, who was of the same sex, was entranced despite herself.

‘Tch-…..We came here to escape from all that bothersome work, but if you say so, we suppose we must return. But, Alice. In the next break period, you will have tea with us, will you not?’

Red fingertips stretched out in a single smooth movement to trace the girl’s jaw, as she caught Alice up in her gaze.

Lightly touching her hand, the girl gave a shy smile. If the tea party was after she had finished her work, Alice had no reason to refuse.

‘Sure. It’s a promise. So, make sure you finish up quickly.’

‘What a naughty child…..You know well how to motivate us.’

Vivaldi had reluctantly come out of the bed, but the remaining intruder had stayed there lying on his side watching them talk.

‘Ace, hurry up and get back to work too. That’s an order.’

‘Aw-. But unlike you Majesty, I don’t have any unfinished paperwork to do?’

‘You also had a match scheduled with your subordinates, did you not? You’re in charge of the military, yet you’re always lost, please at least do the work that’s been given to you.’

‘Tch-…..Guess I’ve got no choice.’

Once Vivaldi clicked her fingers, her outfit had changed to that of her usual red dress.

When Alice turned around, Ace was no longer in the bed. He had picked up and put on the coat that had lain discarded on the floor and was now stretching.

‘It’s nice to give everyone some training now and then or they get bored…..perhaps it’s good timing. See you then, Alice.’

Waving goodbye, Ace left the room, following after Vivaldi.

‘…..…..’

‘Ah.’

This left only the White Rabbit and the girl in the middle of her temporary stay over.

‘Um…..thanks, Peter. You helped me out.’

‘Not at all.’

Once she had said her thanks despite feeling awkward, Peter smiled and shook his head.

But the smile he gave was also awkward. He had never smiled that way up until now.

If he had been as before, and Vivaldi and Ace had snuck into Alice’s bedroom, she wondered what would have happened.

‘It’s unfair, Alice! Why are you sleeping with her Majesty and Ace, and not me!? Please sleep with me-!’

Is probably what he would have said as he barged in.

He didn’t even once try to get into the bed. Rather, he was making an effort not to get any closer to Alice than necessary.

Even though up until now he’d always been following her around, causing her trouble.

Alice herself felt bewildered at how restless she felt having him put distance between them.

‘Peter…..um, after this-‘

‘I’m sorry, Alice. I still have other errands I need to-…..’

‘Huh?’

‘I’ll come again. See you then.’

‘W-wait, just a minute, Peter-‘

Without turning to look back at the hand she had stretched out toward him on reflex, he left the room.

‘……….’

The sound of the door closing with a bang echoed strangely loudly across the room.

‘It happened again.’

Peter had been acting distant ever since Alice had come to stay temporarily at Heart Castle. Even though all her visits until now had begun with him saying stalker-ish stuff like, ‘I love you,’ they hadn’t really spoken, outside of exchanging the bare minimum of greetings.

No—it wasn’t just that, each time he saw Alice’s face, it would end with him hurriedly running away. Like he had just now.

‘…..As if you actually plan on coming by later…..’

A room that did not fare unfavourably compared to the one she had at Hatter Mansion. A bed that had been installed in the empty space that was far too vast. There Alice sat as she drew her knees up against her and sighed.

Despite being the one to say that he would take her home with him even if it was against Alice’s will at Clover Tower.

She didn’t understand why he had so suddenly become aloof. The fact that she felt lonely at not understanding him only confused her further.

‘…..Peter…..’

What came into her mind was the face of her first love, and the words he had said to her.

—I’m sorry, Alice. I’ve-…..—

She wondered if she would end up hearing the same words from Peter as well.

Had she hurt him in some way? Or perhaps he hated her now.

‘It can’t be, not Peter, of all people…..’

I like you. I love you. You are the only one I love.

The words of love he had repeated again and again. She had heard those romantic lines any number of times up until now, as if he were a broken record. The words she had always let go in one ear and out the other, thinking nothing of them, now felt nostalgic, almost as if she missed hearing them.

‘…..…..’

The one to guide her to this world had been that White Rabbit. It had also been him who had made her drink the bitter medicine and gotten her caught up in the Game.

It had all begun with Peter.

Following her around like a stalker. The things she said never getting through to those long ears. A clean freak, but for all that, indiscriminately wanting to touch her.

‘…..…..’

It had never occurred to her before.

That Peter would ever put space between himself and Alice.

‘Peter.’

—Weren’t you going to stay with me forever?—

Despite the fact they were now living in the same place, he felt even further away than when she had lived in the Hatter’s territory.

She couldn’t help but feel that even the spark she had seen in those red eyes the night she had been attacked now existed only in her memories.

‘Peter.’

A voice that didn’t reach even when she called out to him, and a back that did not turn around to look at her.

Chilled fingertips that were not held.

Alice still didn’t understand what this stinging feeling, like claws digging into her chest, was.

***

‘Lord White, is it? Yes, I believe he should be in his room at this time period.’

Because he was carrying documents from the trial from the time period just before.

One of the castle’s maids readily answered when Alice asked Peter’s whereabouts.

Though she was currently in the half-baked situation of temporarily staying at Heart Castle, while still being a resident of Hatter Mansion, an enemy territory, there was no change in how the maids whom Alice was friendly with treated her. Rather, it was as if they welcomed her presence.

Not only did she have the traits to be liked by the people of this world, but when she was there the Queen was always in a good mood.

Nevertheless, they weren’t over the top in their treatment of her. When it came to that sort of thing, they were well acquainted with how to maintain an appropriate distance.

‘I see, thank you. Sorry for interrupting you at your work.’

Alice was a guest, so it didn’t seem right for her to be getting in the way of the maids’ work. When she apologized for making her stop walking, she vigorously shook her head and said, ‘Not at all-! I am very honoured just to be able to talk to you. It makes me happy.’

‘…..Really?’

‘Yes.’

Her face difficult to see, the maid was one of those called the faceless. However, right now, her cheeks looked as if they were tinged a faint red.

‘It’s said that the people of Heart Castle seem heartless, but right now I feel kind of happy.’

She smiled broadly.

The woman wearing the black maid outfit smiled happily as she spoke and nodded.

Outsiders were those who had the special characteristics to be liked by the people of this world. She had, of course, already experienced being liked by people that weren’t role holders.

‘Is that so? But if I interrupt your work too often, I’ll be a bother to you, won’t I?’

‘Of course not- Please don’t worry, call out to me at any time. You would not be a bother at all.’

Laughing a little awkwardly at the maid’s insistence, Alice quietly began to walk.

The place she was headed was the room of the White Rabbit.

It was a place she had been to many times when she had been at Hatter Mansion. However, since she had started staying at Heart Castle, Alice had not yet entered the gingham checkered room.

The reason why was simple. The owner of the room had not invited her there.

“Alice-. Ah, you’ve come to see me again! I’m so happy. I was just thinking that I wanted to see you, this must be a miracle of love indeed!”

Up until now, when Alice had visited the Castle, he had often brought her into his room while saying things like that. She had been resistant at first, but halfway through had given up, realising it was futile.

Peter’s face as he gazed at Alice as she rambled on about whatever came to mind seemed so happy you would not think he was the same Prime Minister of Heart Castle infamous for his cold-heartedness. Even if the things she talked about didn’t always properly get through to the long ears, the good will Peter felt for her was obvious to anyone who saw them.

No, perhaps it was already past the level of mere good will.

After all, he was the kind of Rabbit to say, ‘I love you’ over and over regardless of where they were. It wasn’t just once or twice that he had come at her with stalker-like persistency.

Alice had come to Heart Castle almost half-dragged there by that persistency. Since she had come to the Castle, the time periods had already changed about twenty times. It was the first time she had stayed such a long period of time somewhere other than the Mansion.

Alice had never spent more than five time periods away without returning since being in the Country of Hearts, no, ever since the move to the Country of Clover.

Until now she had had her job to do. No, outside of work, she had also made promises to have tea parties with her fickle employer and to play with the twin Gatekeepers.

I have to return to Hatter Mansion by this time.

The limits she had imposed on herself as if it were only natural now no longer existed.

—I don’t mind if you stay over at Heart Castle temporarily.—

During the Assembly period the conflict between Mafia organisations had intensified. Alice hadn’t found the suggestion her head of household had made in consideration of the fact that she had been targeted twice in a row to be a disagreeable one.

However, if she had imagined the situation would be like this…..she wondered whether she would even have come to the Castle at all.

When she came to Heart Castle she had expected that he would spend all his time following her around. She had thought he wouldn’t leave her side for a single time period if she didn’t prompt him not to. She had even imagined herself smiling wryly calling him a troublesome Prime Minister.

However, the level of contact she had with the White Rabbit had suddenly declined ever since she had come from Clover Tower to stay at the Castle. She wondered if she had offended him in some way.

He had never felt this remote to her up until now. And that it made her feel lonely surprised even her.

Of course a person would find it odd if someone who had been acting like a stalker towards them suddenly distanced themselves without any warning. That was why Alice had always thought that it was Peter who was the one who was behaving strangely.

‘Ever since I came to Heart Castle I haven’t really gone out all that much. I haven’t gone to the Forest doors even once either…..maybe that’s why he doesn’t follow me around anymore.’

He couldn’t leave Alice on her own since the doors were leading her astray. He could not entrust her to Hatter Mansion in the state she was in.

That had been what Peter had insisted when he had forcefully brought Alice with him to Heart Castle.

Worried herself about the White Rabbit’s unstable condition, she had gone along with her master’s considerate suggestion but…..she had no idea why Peter had suddenly become distant.

No matter the reason, Alice didn’t want to keep on feeling awkward like this. She had thought she had to talk to him at least once, but it appeared the White Rabbit’s ears were highly efficient at odd times. Whenever he sensed her presence, he ended up disappearing before she realised it.

She certainly did not feel like interrupting him when he was in the middle of work, but she couldn’t remain unbothered when he was purposely avoiding her to this extent.

‘…..-‘

Alice stopped walking at the thought that had risen unbidden into her mind.

‘But that means he’s definitely been avoiding me, for sure.’

Peter, avoiding Alice. Peter, trying to distance himself from Alice.

The words didn’t seem to fit that stalker-ish Prime Minister at all.

So thinking, once she had gone down the familiar corridor she arrived at Peter’s room.

Come to think of it, whenever she had visited before Peter had always been with her, so entering like this by knocking on the door was a first-time experience for her.

Normally it would be the other way around. However, the White Rabbit, who had always welcomed Alice’s visits, had appeared to be delighted to ask her there himself.

But now it was different for the both of them.

The fact that her body had unconsciously tensed was also part of it. She took a single breath to calm herself, then steeled her resolve and raised an arm.

Knock knock.

Standing quietly in front of the door, she knocked. The sound echoed, but there was no response from within.

‘Peter, are you there? I just want to talk for a bit.’

She tried calling out, but there was no response or any signs of someone moving around inside.

From what the maid had said earlier, he had brought his work into his room with him, so if he was really there, there should be some kind of sound. But it was completely silent.

‘……Maybe he isn’t in?’

‘Whatcha doing there, Alice?’

‘-!!’

Hearing a voice suddenly call out from behind, she flinched and shrank in on herself,

turning around in a fluster.

‘Ace! Don’t get so close and call out from behind me out of nowhere like that!’

‘Hahaha. But even when I got close to you, you didn’t notice me at all. Was just wondering what you were concentrating so hard on, is all.’

Unabashed, the Knight as he spoke nonchalantly appeared to be the same as always. He had a remarkable talent for getting lost, so that was most likely why he was wandering around the Castle yet again.

Because Ace was always continuously roaming about whether inside or outside the Castle, she always ended up meeting him in places she had not expected to.

‘I wasn’t really concentrating or anything like that.’

‘Really? Didn’t seem like you noticed me when I saw you and called out though…..or where you ignoring me?’

He grinned.

His smile seemed as friendly as always, but his eyes looked somehow scary. Like he was only smiling on the surface, but there was no emotion behind it.

She couldn’t help but feel as if she were talking to a mask.

‘I wasn’t ignoring you. I honestly just didn’t notice you were there…..’

‘Then, that means your mind was completely full of something else. If you weren’t ignoring me, that means I wasn’t able to get you to pay attention to me. That’s cold of you, Alice.’

‘…..Ace?’

Using the difference in their physiques to his advantage, the red-wearing body had all at once pushed Alice against the door.

When she averted her gaze to the side, she saw grey-coloured gloves. Both his sturdy arms had been placed on either side of her, causing her to be unable to move.

What Alice saw as she turned her head back towards the Knight to complain were faintly amused looking red eyes.

‘I thought you were just as lost as I am, but looks like I was wrong. You’re no fun at all.’

His voice sounded discontent, yet at the same time somehow lonely.

Hearing him sound that way was so unexpected, Alice’s eyes widened.

‘What, are you saying, Ace?’

‘Well, you know, I had heard that you often got lost in the Forest of Doors. I’d thought for sure that meant you were lost too.’

‘…..No matter how lost I get, I could never be as bad as you.’

The doors’ voices often led Alice astray. The doors of the Forest, and the doors of the Tower…..neither were good influences on her.

‘Anyway, that said…..I’ve got business with Peter. Don’t get in my way.’

‘With Peter?’

‘This is Peter’s room!’

As she tapped the door at her back, Ace looked around him, saying ‘Ahh,’ as he gave a vigorous nod of understanding.

‘I see, so this is Peter’s room. Man, I didn’t realise at all. I had thought this place looked familiar, hahahaha-‘

Hearing the bright sounding laugh, Alice at last relaxed.

She didn’t understand why. But she had unconsciously been afraid of Ace when he had trapped her against the door.

This world had very few people with common sense in it to begin with. Despite knowing full well he was another person that wasn’t normal.

‘…..…..’

For just a moment she had genuinely thought she would be killed.

It wasn’t something she could easily say aloud.

‘Well then, if this is Peter’s room, the training grounds should be somewhere on the level below. I’d better hurry, or everyone will get bored.’

‘By “training”, you mean you haven’t gone yet?’

It was natural for Alice to be surprised. Since he had talked about training and the like in Alice’s room, about ten periods had already passed. Even if he was the Knight of Hearts that could get lost even within the Castle, it was too much.

‘Hahaha. I mean, this Castle really is too big. I get lost before I know it, what a pain.’

‘…..There are limits to things you know.’

At the very least he hadn’t left the Castle. If he had, since this was Ace, he probably wouldn’t have been able to return for at least ten time periods. Exasperatedly shrugging her shoulders, Alice reluctantly instructed him.

‘If I’m remembering right, you should be able to get to the training grounds if you go straight down this hallway and go down the staircase at the end. Hurry up and go already.’

‘Wow, Alice, you sure know a lot. It’s kinda like you’ve become completely used to this Castle.’

‘…..…..?’

There was nothing strange in what he was saying, but to Alice there was something that felt off about the words.

It wasn’t just Peter, Ace had also been a little different ever since the move to the Country of Clover.

Alice didn’t know him well enough to be able to point out exactly what it was, but her intuition was probably not incorrect. Although he was just as friendly as always, recently she had the feeling that he was irritated somehow.

‘You’ve become used to the Country of Clover, and Heart Castle too…..you’re really adaptable. I’m envious.’

‘Ace?’

The expression on his face was cheerful as always, but it felt as if he were being sarcastic.

Why that would be, Alice did not know.

Not responding to the questioning tone in the girl’s voice, the Knight finally backed off with a slight smile. The red eyes that had been a close distance from her a moment ago had now moved away.

‘Well, guess I’ll head on over to where my subordinates are. For my own training, it’s a bit of a worry our soldiers aren’t up to my level but…..guess it can’t be helped.’

Just as Alice was wondering whether to show him the correct route or not as she watched the Knight begin to walk off in the complete opposite direction-

‘Ah, that’s right. Alice. If you’re after Peter, he isn’t in his room.’

‘Huh?’

‘Just before…..not long after the time period changed, I saw him headed towards the garden. Hahaha, there isn’t another rabbit as unique as him in our Castle, so I knew it was him right away.’

Although, I don’t know if he’s still there now.

Leaving those words behind, Ace departed.

‘! Thank you, Ace.’

Even before he had disappeared from view, Alice had begun to descend the staircase she had just come up from.

The reason she instinctively quickened her pace was because of what the Knight had said.

She had no choice but to believe that Peter was purposely not staying in one place for too long. If she didn’t chase after him quickly, he might go someplace else yet again.

‘Peter…..’

I want to be with you forever, always, and at all times-!

That had definitely been what he had said as he tugged on her hand at Clover Tower. That he wouldn’t give over his role as guide to anyone else, that he’d be with her forever and protect her from the doors, those had been his words.

‘Don’t just say whatever you want…..and then go and leave me-‘

The bitter memories of her first love still remained within Alice.

She couldn’t believe that Peter would leave her just as he had. She didn’t want to believe it. She thought that she would be sad if she couldn’t have him close by as a friend.

He didn’t listen to what other people said at all. He immediately shot anyone he didn’t like. But for all that, it was only in the times when he was with her that the White Rabbit seemed unbelievably happy.

You are the only one…..I didn’t want to have disappear on me.

The words she couldn’t say were building up inside her chest. There was a stinging pain in her heart.

A part of her knew that it was odd to feel this way over a sudden change in a friend. But she didn’t care about the reason.

That Peter really might leave her.

Right now, that was what she was tremendously afraid of.

***

Alice left the garden—in the empty space surrounded with red roses the figure of the White Rabbit was already nowhere to be seen.

The gardens of Heart Castle were vast. So much so that just an hour wouldn’t be long enough to search them from top to bottom. She had tried asking the maids and soldiers she knew one after the after, but by the time she realized that at the very least he was no longer in this particular one, the time period had changed.

‘…..Dammit…..Where did he go-‘

She had searched for an hour, but in the end, Alice had been unable to find even so much as Peter’s shadow.

By the time she had arrived at the west garden, having been told that he had been seen there, it was completely deserted.

When she dashed to the south fountain, hearing that he was in the middle of giving instructions to the soldiers there, the soldiers were already carrying out their duties, the person in charge long gone.

Even if she had the stamina of an average person, Alice did not have the endless energy someone like Ace had to be able to continuously wander around.

Having spent so much time walking about without stopping, her legs had begun to swell. They felt too heavy for her to be trying to walk back to her guest room.

In order to recover her strength, she sat down on a bench that had been placed in the hallway.

‘Since this is Peter we’re talking about, I don’t think he would have left the Castle…..wha-!?’

Just as she was muttering to herself. Alice’s green eyes widened in an instant.

A shadow had been reflected in the large mirror at the end of the hallway. Alice definitely had a feeling she had seen a red shadow pass through the hallway she had just been walking in a moment ago.

‘It couldn’t be-…..!’

As she got up, the heaviness of her legs forgotten, she immediately began to run. She knew that it was bad manners to run inside the Castle, but right now she couldn’t afford to be polite.

Sprinting back down the hallway she had left just a few seconds ago, she looked to the left.

There—she saw the figure of a young man with long ears wearing red clothes. Perhaps not having noticed Alice, the familiar white hair was walking away at a relaxed pace.

‘Peter!’

‘-!?’

Her voice came out louder than expected as she called out, determined to stop him, but it had without a doubt reached his long ears.

Alice did not fail to notice that the white ears had twitched and trembled.

‘I want to talk to you, do you have a bit of time right now to-…..huh!?’

Whereupon an unexpected development occurred before her eyes.

‘P-Peter! Where are you going-!‘

There was no way he hadn’t heard Alice call out to him, but of all things the White Rabbit had broke into a run, continuing on in the same direction he had been headed. He hadn’t even so much as turned around.

‘W-Wait, Peter!!’

For just a moment she had frozen in place at his reaction.

Who would have thought. That the person who had always been chasing after her, would suddenly run away without even looking at her…..there was no way she could have predicted such a sight.

She chased after the White Rabbit who had panicked and begun to run, but he was faster than she was. Little by little, the distance between them grew.

‘…..-, Please wait, Peter, stop!’

Having already spent so much time searching for him, Alice was reaching the limits of her strength. Her legs seemed about to give out from under her, and even her hair was a mess.

Even so, she didn’t stop pursuing the White Rabbit she had at last found.

‘…..…..’

He was fast. The phrase “fast as a fleeing rabbit” existed, but the speed at which he ran was abnormal. Even so, perhaps she could say that it was rather impressive he didn’t bump into any of the soldiers or maids that he passed by on the way.

Alice on the other hand, sweating profusely, didn’t even have the time to apologise to the people she had run into.

Scolding her trembling legs, Alice once more raised her voice.

‘If there’s something you want to say to me, then say it-!! Don’t run away-!‘

He had to have heard her. Each time Alice’s voice echoed out, the long ears reacted slightly.

‘-!’

‘Peter!’

Don’t leave me behind.

Alice could have said the words. However, she wasn’t able to.

If she said that to him, and he still didn’t stop. If he pretended that he hadn’t heard her.

“Alice, I’m so sorry, I-….”

“I’m sorry, Alice, I’ve-….”

‘…..…..-’

It was déjà vu. It frightened her that it wouldn’t be wholly unexpected if he were to say the same sort of things as those phantom voices.

However, the White Rabbit didn’t stop running.

At this rate, it would be a matter of which happened first, Alice reaching her limits, or him making a successful escape. It would probably be both. Either way, it didn’t appear that Alice had any chance of catching Peter.

There was now no longer any trace of the girl’s usual composure. Desperately forcing her legs to move, rallying her body as it seemed on the verge of collapse, Alice was running.

She wasn’t thinking at all about what she would say once she caught up to him. By chasing him, and seeing his face—she just wanted to lessen the distance that had opened up between them, even if it was by just a little.

It might be because Alice didn’t want to accept that there was any distance she couldn’t close, no matter how she were to run and run.

‘…..Alice.’

Perhaps the White Rabbit had noticed that the girl hadn’t stopped chasing him despite her flagging strength. After turning around for just a moment, he suddenly dove into a nearby room.

Completely absorbed as she was in running, Alice didn’t have the capacity for calm decision making. The person she was chasing had gone into that room. That was the only fact her mind was able to register.

‘Peter-! I’m not letting you get away-!’

Despite being a guest, she was fairly knowledgeable when it came to the layout of the large Castle. The room he had entered was one of the guest rooms. And, although she wasn’t sure exactly which level they were on right now, at the very least she knew it wasn’t the ground one. He wouldn’t be able to escape by running outside.

Bang!

Opening the door with all her strength, Alice at last came to a stop.

‘P-Pe-…..ter…-. Wh-Where are you-…..-!?’

Her voice seemed to stick in her completely dried out throat. The metallic taste spreading throughout her mouth was probably blood that had gushed out from where capillary vessels had split. She felt awful, but right now she didn’t have the time to leisurely be drinking tea.

Still breathing hard, she looked around her, but the bright red clothes wearing White Rabbit was nowhere to be found.

‘Wh-Where…..did he…go?’

Roughly wiping away the sweat pouring down her forehead with the back of her hand, Alice looked from side to side. Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it. Her arms no longer had any strength left in them and felt heavy, as if they didn’t belong to her.

If he were a normal person, the number of places he could hide would be limited, but in any case, Peter had another form he could take. Just as the Gatekeepers had child and adult forms, he could change from human to rabbit form.

If Peter were in rabbit form, starting with the closet, there were an infinite number of spots that he could hide.

‘…..…..’

As to be expected of a guest room of Heart Castle. Just like the room Alice had at Hatter Mansion, it was more than big enough.

She took a general look around, underneath the tables and in all the storage spaces, but didn’t find a trace of either the white ears or the red clothes. She had made sure to close the door, so if he had left the room while Alice had been concentrating on her search, she still would have noticed straight away.

In other words, either he was still in the room or—he had gone outside using a hidden route unknown to her. It had to be one of the two.

‘If I’d known this was going to happen, I would’ve asked Vivaldi about hidden passageways-’

‘…..…..’

Perhaps because it was a noon time period, the light coming from beyond the curtain was warm and gentle. There was no obvious shadow reflected behind it.

While thinking that it couldn’t be, when she put her hand to the window, she noticed that it was unlocked.

‘Peter, are you there?’

Klack.

Opening it, she went out onto the balcony. Red roses were in full bloom in the garden below her, but the White Rabbit she was searching for was nowhere to be seen.

However, the fact that the window had been unlocked meant that someone had to have opened it. The maids of the Castle were all diligent in their work, so it wasn’t likely that they had carelessly forgotten to do it. In a situation where the enemy Mafia group might come to attack them at any time, it was impossible they would do something so negligent.

As she leaned against the balcony railing to look down on the garden below, there didn’t appear to be anyone else around.

Height-wise she was probably about three floors up. Alice certainly couldn’t see herself jumping down from this kind of height, but when it came to the physical abilities of those called role holders, her common sense didn’t apply. Peter probably would have been able to jump and land safely without any problems.

Feeling her heart rate settle down a little at last, she gave a small sigh.

‘Peter….why are you avoiding me like this?’

Before, even when she had come here to see the Queen or the Knight, he had always shown up uninvited and clung on to her.

Even when she’d told him she didn’t have any business with him and to let her go, he didn’t listen saying, ‘Alice, I love you. I love you so much-‘ again and again.

Even though back then when he’d been stuck to her like glue, he’d just been a pain, and truth be told, an annoyance.

Now, simply not having him close by was making her anxious.

Even though he had brought her to Heart Castle with such a worried look on his face.

‘…..You’re an idiot, Peter.’

Alice’s thoughts kept getting more and more negative.

Maybe he really did hate her now. No, if that was the case, considering his personality, he probably would have pointed his gun at Alice for chasing after him.

Along with a cold look in those red eyes.

Alice still didn’t know what he wanted to do, and at the same time neither did she know what she wanted to do with him.

It was just, at this very moment, she strongly felt that she wanted to see the White Rabbit. See him, and then have him smile at her, just like he always had until now.

If he had really meant the words he had repeatedly said, ‘I want to be with you forever’-

Then, she wanted to see him—right now.

‘Where are you, Peter?’

Sighing, she turned away from the balcony railing. The sky above her as she looked up at in a daze was so bright that it irritated her. Unresolved feelings still within her, it almost seemed to be laughing at her.

However, she was disillusioned with herself for thinking such a thing. To be taking out her emotions on even the weather, there were limits to how pathetic one could be.

Just at the moment she was shaking her head with self-loathing-

The girl’s long hair gently blew upwards. Surprised, she tried to hold it in place, but was unable keep all of it down.

‘…..The wind.’

Before the move, the wind rarely blew. In this world that was always good weather, rain did not fall, and there was usually not so much as a cloud in the sky.

It was very strange for the wind to be blowing like this. Remembering what the master of Hatter Mansion had said, perhaps it was an effect of the Country itself having become unstable due to the land having moved.

The wind was by no means chilly, but she had a feeling her sweat-drenched body had suddenly become much colder than before.

Just as she let go of the railing as she shivered, thinking it might be time to head back inside-

Whoosh, a stronger gust of wind than any she had ever felt before blew right at her.

‘Kyah-!’

The sudden high wind lifted her whole body. Panicked, she tried to grab hold of the railing, but exhausted as she was from all the running she had done, there was no strength left in her arms.

At the moment she realised her field of vision had tilted, Alice’s body had already been pushed out from the balcony.

‘!!’

An empty space, with nothing to tie her down.

Her apron dress billowed out, but she didn’t have the leeway to hold it down.

As her field of vision whirled round and round she saw a red garden, and a red castle. And—a blue so vast it seemed about to crush her.

Surrounded by the many different colours—she was falling towards the ground.

‘Kyaah-!?’

Body frozen, a scream spilled out from Alice’s lips. She reflexively closed her eyes.

What would happen if she fell from three floors up. It was obvious. If she was unlucky, she would die instantly, but even if luck were on her side, she wouldn’t be able to avoid serious injury. And not just that, since she had expended almost all her energy running around, she was unable to take up a proper falling stance.

Just as when she had first come to this world, it appeared that Alice and falling had a fated connection whenever Peter was involved. Although that was a fact she was not at all grateful for.

‘-‘

So that she would at least not hit her head, she hunched her shoulders, tightly curling her body in on itself. Although mid-air, she was not necessarily able to move herself into position as nimbly as she would have liked, it was better than doing nothing.

After all—Alice still hadn’t been able to say anything to him yet.

Searching, running.

Even if it meant chasing after him herself, unlike the first time she had fallen into this world.

She had to catch the running Rabbit.

‘Alice!’

‘-‘

Just as she closed her eyes against the feeling of falling, she felt she heard a strained sounding voice call out. The almost phantom-like voice came from below her.

When she opened her eyes that had been so tightly closed, she saw a white rose blooming in the red garden.

No, it wasn’t possible the red Queen would have allowed a white rose to exist in the Castle she ruled over.

‘Peter!’

The White Rabbit she had not been able to reach, despite all the time she had spent chasing after him, was now below her eyes.

Whether the reason she had unconsciously stretched out her hand was to grab hold of him, or to seek his help. That was something not even Alice knew.

‘…..-‘

The only thing she knew was that despite her expectations of a hard impact, something soft and warm had caught her up.

Landing with a loud thud, she had fallen down onto the ground. However, it did not hurt.

‘Alice, are you alright!? Ah, you’re completely covered with dirt…..A-Are you hurt anywhere, Alice?!’

Despite being considerably more dirt covered than her, pinned as he was beneath her, as usual, the White Rabbit only saw Alice.

Brushing back hair that gotten on the girl’s face with his fingers, he stared intently at her.

Red eyes that only reflected Alice in them, to the point that it was frightening.

The girl drew a breath at the depth in that gaze—and then, gripped tightly onto his clothes.

‘…..I’m not hurt. What about you, are you alright?’

‘It doesn’t matter about me-. Besides, catching you is but a trivial-…..Gwah-!?’

‘Ah, I see. Very good then.’

Smiling broadly, Alice yanked the tie Peter wore around his neck, pulling it tight.

‘Not even I would want to interrogate an injured person. But if you’re fine, looks like we might be able to have ourselves a nice chat.’

Glaring head on at the White Rabbit as he made noises as if he were finding it hard to breathe, she brought her face closer to his.

She was smiling on the surface, but on the inside, rather than relief, emotions that she had no name for had been whirling around in her chest for quite some time.

Until she’d seen Peter’s face, she’d been so anxious she couldn’t stand it. She had been afraid that he had grown tired of her and would reject her.

However, she could tell. Right now, Peter was the same as he had always been, the Rabbit who revolved his world around Alice, not caring even about his own self.

That was why, even though she’d been so anxious a moment ago, she was able to question him with her usual confidence.

‘You’ve been acting weird ever since I came to Heart Castle. What, do you hate me that much? Do you not even want to see my face, Peter?’

‘Wha-! Wh-Why would you say something so absurd!? I love you-! Has someone been telling you bad things about me-…..-Guh-!’

‘Don’t put the blame on someone else!’

Once more pulling tight the necktie she had let loose, Alice closed in on Peter, still lying on top of him.

‘You’re the one who’s been running away every time you saw my face. Even when I was having tea with Vivaldi and the others you never showed up. You were always running up to me as soon as you could, but now you don’t even want to be near me.’

‘Alice…..’

‘Well, I suppose you were always over the top with the hugging and stuff to begin with, so maybe this is only normal but…if you were going to dial it back, don’t do it so suddenly, um, that is……’

Her voice was gradually growing smaller and smaller.

As the words she was saying fully registered in her mind, Alice was able to think a bit more clearly.

Even though he’d always been persistently clinging on to her, he had suddenly become distant. Without saying why, or what he meant by it.

However—it had been Alice herself who hadn’t liked that he’d distanced himself.

What she was saying now made it seem like she’d missed him. As she realized that, her face turned bright red.

‘You’re the one that said you’d protect me forever.’

This was all strange. It shouldn’t have been this way. She was pretty much acting like a sulky child.

That she’d been lonely without him, made her feel that there had to be something wrong with her.

‘…..I’m sorry, Alice. I wasn’t avoiding you.’

‘You’re lying.’

When he saw her face, he had turned his back on her.

When she’d called out to him, he had acted aloof and walked away.

What other way could such behaviour be described, other than avoiding her?

All the same, as Alice glared at him, the White Rabbit quietly shook his head.

There was dirt on his white cheek. The Rabbit who was white as snow, had gotten a little dirty. The Rabbit who loved cleanliness more than anything, who did not taint himself with anything other than her.

‘I was just…..so happy, I didn’t know what to do.’

‘Huh?’

‘I was so happy…..I couldn’t even think.’

A dirtied face. There was a single speck of dirt on the face of the White Rabbit, who never had a single speck of dirt on him.

She wondered why she hadn’t noticed up until now that his cheeks were slightly flushed.

‘Alice,’ calling her name, Peter stretched out a hand. The white gloved hands brushed her hair back.

‘Ah.’

She felt as if her heart had skipped a beat as his fingers combed through her disheveled hair, trying to smooth it down. She was unable to take her eyes off the face in front of hers.

Seeming bashful, yet smiling as if happy, the White Rabbit continued to speak.

‘You’re here at the Castle. You did say that it was just temporary, but all the same, to be living in the same place…..I was just so happy when I thought about it…..that I grew afraid.’

‘…..…..’

‘I thought that I wanted to make you happy forever. If you are in this world, you can become happy. That was why, I was glad just to have you in this world.’

Red clothes swayed in her line of vision.

‘…..Peter.’

As he quietly pulled her close and hugged her, she became unable to see his face.

The face she had wanted to see so much was on the other side of hers. Even though she had thought that when she saw it, she would question and scold him.

She was enveloped in the warmth of his body close to hers and the sound of a ticking clock.

‘But, having you so near…..when I thought that I wanted to stay this way forever, to be even closer to you, it frightened me. Not knowing what to do to have you by my side for even just a little, I couldn’t approach you.’

A warm embrace.

There was a clear difference in the way he held her from when he had hugged her without holding back in the past.

Like he wanted to imprison her inside his arms, but was frightened, not wanting her to hate him, that was the kind of heat they had.

‘I’m a greedy rabbit, aren’t I.’

‘That’s…..not true.’

At his voice sounding as if he were giving a pained smile, Alice could only shake her head slightly.

There was nothing greedy about it at all. It was normal.

To wish for the happiness of the person you loved.

To feel as if you wanted to become a little closer to them.

The anxiety of not knowing what to do.

Alice herself had also felt similar emotions.

‘I get the same way too.’

‘…..You do?’

‘Yeah.’

Nodding yes, she closed her eyes.

—She wondered why. Whenever she was with Peter, she felt the same atmosphere as those gentle Sunday afternoons.

Her smiling sister, and the acceptance she had felt despite the feeling of disquiet she had had when with her.

When she was with him, she became conscious of the space that should have been dearer to her than anything else. Though she should have known herself that there was no longer any going back.

‘But…..if you suddenly grow distant, it makes me more anxious instead.’

She wanted to wrap her arms around his red clad back. That was what she thought, but she held herself back.

She mustn’t hug Peter back. If she did, he would respond.

Because if she embraced the White Rabbit, after that, Alice wouldn’t know what to do.

‘I told you before, that I’ll be at Heart Castle until the Assemblies are over. While I'm here, if you keep avoiding me like now, even I’d feel sad.’

Because we’re friends.

It was different from being best friends. Although it wasn’t the same, Alice was aware that the affection she felt for him was the kind you felt for the person closest to you.

But, this wasn’t love. She didn’t want to think that it was love.

She liked him, and he was important to her but—she didn’t want her feelings to become that sort of emotion.

‘Be like you were before. And I'll do the same.’

‘…..Alice…..’

‘Alright?’

Moving back a little, she put her hand to his white face. As she wiped away the dirt that was still on it, Alice smiled.

‘I’m by your side right now, aren’t I? Peter.’

She musn’t let this white and too pure Rabbit love her, who was not pure at all.

She didn’t want to dirty him. She wanted him to stay pure.

But, she did want to know what he was thinking. She wanted to know why his thinking had become cowardly, why he’d suddenly grown afraid despite clinging to her so often in the past.

Though once she did know, the things Alice could do wouldn’t amount to much. Even so, to repress her desire to know would require considerable effort on her part.

Once she found out the truth, Alice would doubtless make another mistake. That was why she forced down the anxiety and doubts she felt inside her.

‘Don’t distance yourself from me, Peter.’

That's right, if they could maintain the same distance as before, she would be fine with that.

Because if she were to get any closer to such a white being, she would surely taint him.

#heart no kuni no alice #translation #hnkna #alice in the country of clover #otome game #peter white #alice liddell

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