#Yukiko Uozumi

[aishiteru-kenshin]

Meiji Tokyo Renka | 明治東亰恋伽 | Charlie & Mei ~ Marine Day

[caffedrine]

Translation - Heart no Kuni no Alice - The Scent of Roses - Prologue

Summary as copied from Wonderful Wonder World wiki: On a bright Sunday afternoon, a rabbit in clothes appears in front of a sleeping Alice. Did you mean "Alice in Wonderland"? On the contrary, the rabbit transforms into a handsome man! Suddenly Alice gets swept into the man's arms and they jump down into a hole that leads them to the Country of Hearts. Even though there's a fairy tale atmosphere, Wonderland is an incredible and dangerous world. How can Alice return to her world?

Author: Quinrose and Uozumi Yukiko

ISBN: 978-4042865142

“Want to play a game, young lady?”

Saying this, he pulled a handgun from the drawer of the desk. It was a silver revolver adorned with a beautiful rose-patterned relief.

“Is this real?”

It was something that went without saying, but she couldn’t help but confirm it. After all, why was he suddenly pulling out a gun, Alice wondered. The man who had just been whispering sweet nothings in her ear. The same hand that had lovingly stroked Alice’s cheek.

“It’s a very fun game. At least you won’t be bored.”

With practiced ease, he swung out the cylinder and loaded a single bullet. After a satisfying click as he spun the cylinder, he turned his deep azure gaze toward Alice.

“The rules are simple. One by one, we’ll press the muzzle of this gun against our own temple and pull the trigger.”

The cylinder continued to spin relentlessly. It was just like roulette.

“There’s nothing difficult about it. If the bullet penetrates your temple, that’s game over. The one who survives wins.”

“Hey, wait a minute…”

“If I win, you’ll be mine.”

Interrupting Alice’s words, he continued.

He wore a refined smile, but there was a terrifying intensity in his eyes that sent chills down her spine. He didn’t threaten Alice, nor did he try to subdue her with power, yet sometimes just one glance from him could immobilize her.

A bead of sweat trickled down the nape of her neck. He was serious. He was willing to throw away his life just to avoid boredom.

“That’s in poor taste.”

To conceal her agitation, Alice deliberately intensified her tone.

“It’s a game as in poor taste as your hat. Because according to these rules, the moment you win, I’ll be dead, right? If that happens, I won’t belong to you at all.”

“You could just forfeit the game. Then, it would automatically mean I win. There’s no need for you to die needlessly.”

What an arrogant person. It seemed he had never even considered the possibility of losing. Alice, who was competitive by nature, glared fiercely at the man wearing the tasteless hat.

She wanted to see that self-assured expression twist in fear. She wanted to witness with her own eyes the color of terror rising on his handsome face.

“If I win, I’ll make you kneel.” With a smile of victory already forming, Alice continued. “Miss Alice, please forgive me for my rudeness . From now on, I will become your servant. I won’t complain about your likes or dislikes anymore; I’ll eat even the carrots I hate and say it while kneeling!”

“I don’t mind becoming your servant, but I’d appreciate it if you could spare me the carrots.” He laughed, playfully twirling the gun between his fingers.

"You really are a woman without desires. If you want to make me kneel, you could just say so. If that’s all it takes for you to become mine, it would be an easy task."

"Don't treat people like objects."

"How rude... By the way, who goes first? You?"

He gripped the barrel, aiming the grip at Alice.

Her blue ribbon and long chestnut-colored hair reflected in the beautiful curve of the cylinder. It was troubling to suddenly be handed something so dangerous. After all, she had lived her life until now in a world far removed from firearms.

"Or we could flip a coin to decide."

"Oh, you can go first."

“I see. I believe in ladies first, but I guess it’s fine.”

He removed his hat and placed it on the table. It was a large silk top hat adorned with several big red roses, like something a magician would wear. While Alice thought about how peculiar it looked, he aimed the muzzle at his own temple with a blank expression.

“Wait!”

Without the slightest hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

There was a dry metallic sound—twice.

Alice gasped and eventually leaned weakly against the armrest of the sofa. It was her first experience of going weak at the knees.

"What are you shooting at? And you shot twice..."

She said with a trembling voice. He had pulled the trigger in succession without any declaration directed at himself.

"Oh, I’m sorry. I got a bit carried away."

Was it really a matter of getting 'carried away'? More importantly, who told him to actually shoot?

Suddenly, she felt incredibly scared. A man who could gamble his life without a flicker of an eyebrow. His finger pulled the trigger without a moment's hesitation. Alice's petty bluffs and pride shattered to pieces under the sound of the hammer falling.

"Now, it’s your turn."

He placed the gun on the table. The barrel glimmered under the lamp’s light. It was an elegant piece, one that hardly seemed made for killing.

It was frightening.

But she couldn’t pull back now.

Gathering the shattered pieces of her pride, Alice slowly picked up the gun. The cool touch of the silver was heavier than she had imagined.

Taking a deep breath, she pressed the muzzle to her temple. She placed her index finger on the trigger, but it trembled and she couldn't steady it. Her heart raced like a drum, and her breath became ragged.

There was a one in four chance that the bullet would penetrate her skull, splattering brain matter across the red velvet sofa. With just a little more pull of her index finger, the world could come to an end.

—But which world?

This world? My dream?

"I'll tell you an interesting story."

He crossed his legs and cast a languid gaze at Alice.

"There was a man who challenged me to this same game before. His head blew off, if I recall correctly, on the third shot."

Alice forced a strained smile. She hated jokes that weren’t funny.

"I used that gun, Alice."

...What a terrible man. How awful.

However, that grotesque joke was more than enough to disturb Alice. The man who claimed to be the leader of a bloody organization seemed to have no trouble making a young girl panic.

It was frustrating. It was pitiful that she was clinging to the unyielding trigger. Peering into the dark abyss of death, it felt ridiculous to be standing still like this.

"Are you scared?"

"I'm scared, okay? Is that a problem?"

She knew he could see right through her. So, she figured she had no choice but to boldly admit it. She was terrified, trembling uncontrollably since earlier.

"I see."

With a surprised look on his face, he leaned forward. Then, gently, he took the gun from Alice's hands.

"Then I'll shoot instead."

"Huh?"

Before she could throw out her question, he pressed the muzzle against his own temple and pulled the trigger again.

This time, the metallic sound echoed three times in Alice's eardrums.

It was definitely three times.

"...................The sixth shot. I’ve been lucky."

After saying this in a monotone voice, he tossed the gun onto the sofa and reached for the steaming teacup, narrowing his eyes in delight.

"These tea leaves are truly the best. It has the fragrance of flowers picked in the morning."

"Are you, are you crazy? What are you thinking?!"

Alice yelled at the man who casually expressed his thoughts about the tea as if nothing had happened.

What incredible luck he had. Relief and fear alternated within her. Eventually, those emotions turned into a heat that felt like anger and dominated Alice.

This man was not enjoying a desperate life-or-death game.

From the very beginning, he didn’t care about losing his life. For him, his life was lighter than the chiffon cake sitting in front of him.

"Aren't you afraid of dying?"

She asked with a feeling akin to prayer. If he died right in front of her now… He was selfish, whimsical, and forceful, but she thought she would at least feel sad. She believed that she had deepened their relationship enough to hurt in her chest and weep.

"I’m not afraid. I’m expendable, after all."

There was no hint of pessimism in his words. He stated it as an entirely reasonable fact.

Alice sighed and looked down. She had no intention of preaching the value of life to someone who had lived with death at his side. They were not only different in values but also lived in entirely different worlds. It was absurd to think they could understand each other.

And yet, why did she feel so helpless? Was it precisely because she knew they couldn’t spend the same time together that it felt so frustrating?

"But, Alice, there’s no one who can replace you."

He had somehow sat next to Alice and drew her close to him. Despite his slender appearance, his arms were strong. He lifted her chin with his fingers, and Alice looked straight at him.

"Who won the game?"

"...you."

"Then as promised, you are mine."

—This man is crazy.

Whether she wanted to escape from the man who looked just like her former lover or wanted to stay, Alice didn’t know. All she could do was close her eyes and wait for those whimsical lips to come closer. She tightly gripped the small vial in her pocket.

"This is a dream," someone whispered from afar.

[heartlovetype]

[shoujo-dump]

Kondo wa Korosaretakunai Azarashi-san

[thewild--flower]

Heart no Kuni no Alice ~Sunny Day Sunday~ Light Novel Translation (Complete)

Author: Yukiko Uozumi Original Work: Quin Rose

Alice, who was carried away to the Country of Hearts by the suspicious rabbit-eared Peter White, is currently freeloading at Heart Castle. Although she wishes to return to reality, she has decided to enjoy herself, passing it off as a dream. Meanwhile, Alice grows tired of the stalker level of love Peter devotes to her. But, before she realizes it, she’s on the verge of being won over……!?

Prologue

Chapter 1 - Lost Girl

Chapter 2 - Rabbit Heart

Chapter 3 - A Tea Party at the Amusement Park

Chapter 4 - An Invitation to the Ball

Chapter 5 - Sunny Day Sunday

[atr-xx]

Manga Masterpost

~ February Update ~

All the manga I've ever read. I couldn't think of another way of writing this post so I categorized it according if it's horror + demographic.

Those with green font are my favorites, those in red font are the ones I hated wouldn't recommend. Those in italics were added in the monthly update.

(Manga name) - (Author)

For more information check my anilist

Horror

8 Tales of the ZQN - Various Artists

Ajin - Gamon Sakurai

Anamorphosis no Meijuu - Shintaro Kago

Black Paradox - Junji Ito

DEAD Tube - Touta Kitakawa

Dead World Puzzle - Tajika Kouhei

Dream Toy Factory - Shintaro Kago

Ekimae Hanayome - Shintaro Kago

Franken Fran - Kigitsu Katsuhisa

Franken Fran Frantic - Katsuhisa Kigitsu

Twins of Darkness - Sachiko Uguisu

Fraction - Shintaro Kago

Fuan No Tane - Nakayama Masaaki

Goth - Otsuichi

Gyo - Junji Ito

Harem End - Shintaro Kago

Hellstar Remina - Junji Ito

Homunculus - Hideo Yamamoto

Horror Anthology Comic Shikaku

Inugami Hakase - Suehiro Maruo

Jisatsu Circle - Usamaru Furuya

Kiriko - Shingo Honda

Kiriko Kill - Shingo Honda

Kouishou Rajio - Nakayama Masaaki

Litchi☆Hikari Club - Usamaru Furuya

Lunatic Lovers - Suehiro Maruo

Mahou Shoujo Site - Satou Kentarou

Mimi no Kaidan - Junji Ito

Misu Misou - Oshikiri Rensuke

MoMo: The Blood Taker - Akira Sugito

Museum - Tomoe Ryousuke

Mushihimi - Masaya Hokazono

No Longer Human - Junji Ito

Paranoia Star - Suehiro Maruo

Plastic Girl - Usamaru Furuya

Pumpkin Night - Seima Taniguchi

Sensor - Junji Ito

Shigahime - Hirohisa Sato

Shoujo Tsubaki - Suehiro Maruo

Super Dimensional Love Gun - Shintaro Kago

The Junji Ito Horror Comic Collection

Travelogue of the Succubus - Junji Ito

The Voynich Hotel - Dowman Sayman

Tokyo Akazukin - Tamaoki Benkyo

Tomie - Junji Ito

Tomie: Takeover - Junji Ito

Uzumaki - Junji Ito

Yami no Koe - Junji Ito

Youkai Kyoushitsu - Junji Ito

Warau Kyuuketsuki - Suehiro Maruo

Josei

3 am Dangerous Zone - Youko Nemu

& - Mari Okazaki

A Silent Voice - Yoshitoki Ouima

A Song to the Sun - Kenji Bandou

Amegashi - Gunjou

Anata ni Hana wo Sasagemashou - Tomu Ohmi

And It Will Be Sunny - Tendou Kirin

Another World Where I Can’t Even Collapse And Die - Tommy Matsui

Biyaku Cafe - Ayane Ukyou

Boxed Garden - Mame Fujimoto

Bread & Butter - Hinako Ashihara

Cappuccino - Wataru Yoshizumu

Chiguhagu na Karera no Koi no Yukue - Mori Kou

Haru's Curse - Asuka Konishi

Dame na Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai - Aya Nakahara

Dame na Watashi ni Koishite Kudasai R - Aya Nakahara

Diamond Life - Fujiwara Akira

Dokuhime - Mitsukazu Mihara

Fiancée of the Wizard - Masaki Kazuka

Full House - Woon Seo Yeon

Gokusen - Morimoto Kozueko

Hapi Mari - Maki Enjouji

Honnou Switch - KUJIRA

I Am Troubled That My Fiance Is a Villain - Hachi Mitsuno

I was Summoned by Mistake, but I'm the Heroine - Yuu Geni

In Clothes Called Fat - Moyoco Anno

Isekai Otomotenashi Gohan - Shinobumaru

I'm nearly 30, but this is my first love. - 310 (satou)

Kijima-san to Yamada-san - Ruka Ichinose

Koudaike no Hitobito - Kozueko Morimoto

Ladies on Top (+18) - Nejiga Nameta

Life Lessons with Uramichi Oniisan - Gaku Kuze

Little House with an Orange Roof - Yamahana Noriyuki

Loving Yamada at LV999! - Mashiro

Love Rerun - Aki Amasawa

Miss Kiryu Doesn't Know What Love is - Haruka Ono

Mizutama Puzzle - Shoko Hidaka

Ms. Seal: I don't wanna be killed anymore - Yukiko Uozumi

My Broken Mariko - Waka Hirako

My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness - Kabi Nagata

Mystery For My Dear A - Satoshi Morie

Nana - Ai Yazawa

Oishii Kankei - Makimura Satoru

Perfect World - Rie Aruga

Pretend-Lovers Serenade - Toochika Nekome

Sesame Salt and Pudding - Yufuko Suzuki

The Earl's Daughter was Suddenly Employed as the Crown Prince's Fiancée - Midori Azuma

The Embalmer - Mitsukazu Mihara

The Full-Time Wife Escapist - Tsunami Umino

The Mitarai’s House is On Fire - Moyashi Fujisawa

The Rain of Teardrops, and Serenade - Haruka Kawachi

The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent - Azuki Fuji

The Tales of Marielle Clarac - Tomoko Mitani

The Third Finger Offered to a King - Shiho Watanabe

The Wolf Lord's Lady - Machi Kanna

This Time I Will Definitely Be Happy! - Mamenosuke Fujimaru

Usemono Yado - Hozumi

Witch of Thistle Castle - John Tarachine

Wotakoi: It's Difficult to Love an Otaku - Fujita

Yoru Cafe - Maki Enjouji

You're My Pet - Yayoi Ogawa

Seinen

A Bride's Story - Kaoru Mori

A Girl on the Shore - Inio Asano

All You Need is Kill - Hiroshi Sakurazaka

Are You Really Getting Married? - Tamiki Wakaki

Arte - Kei Ookubo

Berserk - Kentaro Miura

Bitter Virgin - Kei Kusunoki

Bonnouji - Eda Aki

Devil's Line - Ryo Hanada

Dorohedoro - Q Hayashida

Emma - Kaoru Mori

Genocyber - Tony Takezaki

Genshiken - Shimoku Kio

Haru's Bandaged Girl - Mito Satou

Her Majesty’s Swarm - Akira Minamoto

I Sold My Life for Ten Thousan Yen per Year - Taguchi Shouichi

Innocent - Sakamoto Shinichi

Innocent Rouge - Sakamoto Shinichi

Interviews with Monster Girls - Petosu

Jigoku Kurayami Hana mo Naki - Ruka Toudou

Murcielago - Kana Yoshimura

My Dress-Up Darling - Shinichi Fukuda

No Longer Human - Junji Ito

Oogami-san, Dadamore desu - Yuu Yoshidamaru

Oyasumi Punpun - Inio Asano

Saturn Return - Akane Torikai

Sekine's Love - Haruka Kawachi

Shounenshoujo Ryouryuuki - Usamaru Furuya

Shut Hell - Yu Ito

So I'm a Spider, So What? - Asahiro Kakashi

Solanin - Inio Asano

Spirit Circle - Satoshi Mizukami

Suicide Island - Kouji Mori

Sweat and Soap - Kintetsu Yamada

Telepathic Wanderers - Yasutaka Tsutsui

The Apothecary Diaries - Nekokurage

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service - Eiji Ootsuka

The Way of the Househusband - Kousuke Oono

Toorigakari ni One Point Advice Shiteiku Type no Yankee - Otsuji

Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan - Sumomo Yumeka

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou - Hitoshi Ashinano

Shonen

Blood Lad - Yuki Kodama

Boku No Hero -

Chainsaw Man - Tatsuki Fujimoto

Chrno Crusade - Daisuke Moriyama

Demon Slayer - Koyoharu Gotouge

Gwisin Byeolgok - Han Hyun Dong

Happiness - Shuuzou Oshimi

Horimiya - HERO

It's My Life - Imomushi Narita

Jujutsu Kaisen - Gege Akutami

Kaiju No.8 - Naoya Matsumoto

Kemono Jihen - Shou Aimoto

Marry Grave - Hidenori Yamaji

Meido no Koi wa Enma Shidai! - Runa Hirai

No. 9 - Gege Akutami

Pochi Kuro - Naoya Matsumoto

Sengoku Youko - Satoshi Mizukami

Sengoku Komachi Kuroutan: Noukou Giga - Kyouchikutou

SPY X FAMILY - Tatsuya Endou

Superior - Ichtys

The Duke of Death and His Maid - Inoue

To Your Eternity - Yoshitoki Ooima

Toilet Bound Hanako-kun - Iro Aida

Shoujo

A Sailor Uniform Please - Meca Tanaka

A Story for Sleepless King at Night - Toki Yajima

An Observation Log of My Fiancée Who Calls Herself a Villainess - Natsume Hasumi

Azufareo no Sobayounin - Shiki Chitose

Baby Dragon Sitter - Kusano Setsuri

Barajou no Kiss - Aya Shouto

Basara - Yumi Tamura

Beast Master - Kyousuke Motomi

Black Bird - Kanoko Sakurakouji

Crazy Girl Shin Bia - Mi-ri Hwang

Colette Decides to Die - Alto Yukimura

Dawn of the Arcana - Rei Toma

Endo and Kobayashi's Live Commentary on the Villainess The Play-By-Play Commentator - Rumiwo Sakaki

Hello, I am a Witch and my Crush Wants me to Make a Love Potion! - Misato Kamada

I'm the Villainess, So I'm Taming the Final Boss - Anko Yuzu

Is Dorothy in a Bad Temper? - Sora Honooki

It’s Virtually Impossible to Make This Boy Like Me - Roa Fuzuki

Kagehime no Konrei - Hisa Kyoumachi

Kainushi wa Akuma - Eiri Kaji

Kamisama Kiss - Julietta Suzuki

Kawaii Hito - Ken Saitou

From Far Away - Kyouko Hikawa

Fruits Basket - Natsuki Takaya

Fushigi Yugi - Yuu Watase

In Another World, I'm Called: the Black Healer - Yuichi Murakami

Innocent Dragon - Miyuki Yamaguchi

Isekai de Cafe wo Kaiten Shimashita - Mei Noguchi

Kingyo Sou - Yuki Fujitsuka

Lady Rose Wants to be a Commoner - Yura Kiyose

My Fiancé's falls in love with my sister - Mashiro

My Little Monster - Robico

My Little Sister Stole My Fiancé: The Strongest Dragon Favors Me And Plans To Take Over The Kingdom? - hi8mugi

Our Precious Conversations - Robico

Paperbag-kun Is in Love - Riko Amaebi

Plastic Girl - Yuki Shiraishi

Queen Of Hearts In Wonderland - Yohachi

Queen of Ragtonia - Chika Shiomi

Say "I Love You" - Kanae Hazuki

Stepping on Roses - Rinko Ueda

Strange Dragon - Keiko Ishihara

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale - Miri Mikawa

Tail of the Moon - Rinko Ueda

The Banished Villainess! Living the Leisurely Life of a Nun Making Revolutionary Church Food - Tsumuji Yoshimura

The Black Count Loves the Star - Hisamu Oto

The Duchess of the Attic - Maki Hayashi

The Plain & Unnoticeable Me is No More - Yukiko Sumiyoshi

The Princess and the Three Beasts - Mitsubachi Miyuki

The Savior’s Book Cafe Story in Another World - Kyouka Izumi

The Supreme Commander and My Circumstances - Roa Fuzuki

The Water Dragon’s Bride - Rei Toma

The White Cat's Revenge as Plotted from the Dragon King's Lap - Aki

The Worst Witch in the World - Nari Kusakawa

Two Saints Wander off into a Different World - Roa Fuzuki

Tokyo Lastochika - Furumachi Miyoshi

Usotoki Rethoric - Miyako Ritsu

Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord - Nokomi

Wolf King's Bride - Mato Kauta

Your Voice - Miku Morinaga

[ikemenfangirl]

New Project : Food Chain Romantic Comedy 🦭 by RABB!T×PARTY

Ms. Seal ~ I don't wanna be killed anymore! ~

(今度は殺されたくないアザラシさん)

Story: Uozumi Yukiko

Illustration: Sankaku

Website: https://rabbitxparty.crossworks-inc.jp/konkoro

Twitter: https://twitter.com/konkoro_info

Story

Mahiru who can see the previous life

By the way, her own previous life was born in the Arctic She was a seal and was preyed on by polar bear at the end.

One day, She just met Ritsu, handsome guy

and His previous life appeared. He is a polar bear!

Sample: https://twitter.com/konkoro_info/status/1355849432370008071

Cast (Radio)

Umino Mahiru (Seal) CV: Ogata Yuna #緒方佑奈

Kitamura Ritsu (Polar Bear) CV: Suzuki Ryota #鈴木崚汰

Hoshi Tetora (Orca) CV: Umehara Yuichiro #梅原裕一郎

Morishita Mizuki (Tanuki) CV: Imai Fumiya #今井文也

Soma Koyari (Walrus) CV: Fakuhara Ayaka #福原綾香

Osanai Mana (Oda Nobunaga) CV: Suzaki Aya #洲崎綾

Hisaki Kazuyoshi (Imagawa Yoshimoto) CV: Hamano Daiki #演野大輝

#RomCom #Konkoro #Comedy #Manga

[soto-translates]

Saiyuki Reload Blast Anthology: Saiyuki OVERNIGHT + extras

Thank you @seiten-taisei for sharing this, and a bunch of drama CDs!  Go here to check out what she's shared.  Go here for links to my translations of the other stories in this anthology.

Goku helps a baby panda in this last story of the anthology.

P110 Saiyuki OVERNIGHT Kouga Yun Baby Panda: Mother, humans are interesting.  They don’t eat bamboo. Mama Panda: Well, you mustn’t go near humans.  Oh my, what happened to your leg? sfx: munch munch Goku: I’m hungry!! sfx: Guwah Goku: Hey, don’t we have anything to eat!?

P111 Goku: I’m sick of camping out!! Gojyo: Shut it.  We get it already. Hakkai: The map must be old.  There’s no village either... Goku: Food food food.  I can’t sleep like this! sfx: flail flail Narration: Matter of life and death Sanzo: Suck it up.  Noisy... Narration: Totally composed Narration: Flexible Gojyo: It’s just one night; you won’t die. Hakkai: Though there’s no guarantee we’ll be able to eat tomorrow. Ahahaha. Narration: Thoroughly prepared

P112 sfx: Jaw drop Hakkai: Well sfx: tadah Hakkai: I have some manju. Goku: Seriously!?  Great job Hakkai!! Hakkai: I bought them in the previous town just in case.  There’s only one per person though. Goku: Aw yeah. Gojyo: Wait!! Goku: Huh? sfx: tummy rumble Gojyo: Just one ain’t enough.  If you’re a man it should be all or nothin’, life or death!! sfx: babaaaam Gojyo: Not one per person, winner takes all four: a battle royale!! Goku: Whaaat!?

P113 Gojyo: Rock, paper Goku: Uwaaah sfx: crack Gojyo: You don’t play, you lose!!  Scissors. sfx: pop Hakkai: Ah, I got lured in. Gojyo: Dog-eat-dog, I eat manju. Goku: No fair, pervy kappa!!  Waah. sfx: pompf Sanzo: Quit fucking around.  Servants should suck it up.  Hand them over to Sanzo-sama.  It’s just food... Gojyo: Tyrant!  Boo!  Boo! Goku: You don’t play you lose!  Boo!  Boo! Hakkai: Ahahaha.

P114 Goku: That’s what happened.  Can you believe it? sfx: leaves rustling, panda whines Goku: So then I got mad and went searching for food. sfx: toss Goku: There, that’s better, yeah? Mama Panda: That can’t be.  A human wouldn’t be able to loosen the trap by himself. Baby Panda: Mother, that boy was a youkai.

P115 Goku: There. sfx: ties Goku: Don’t get caught again. sfx: tummy rumble Goku: Pandas’re lucky... You can eat bamboo... sfx: tummy rumble, blowing wind Baby Panda: Are you hungry?  You can’t eat bamboo?  Come with me. Goku: Huh? sfx: rustle Baby Panda: Youkai get hungry too?

P116 Hakkai: Hm?  Sanzo?  There’s one manju left. Sanzo: Yeah.  Guess I couldn’t eat all four.  The monkey is annoying, so leave it for him. sfx: puff Gojyo: Sanzo!  You’re too nice to the monkey. Sanzo:  You just clutch your empty stomach and sleep. Hakkai: That was your bad, Gojyo. Gojyo: The starving brat just fussed too much.  Boo, boo. Sanzo: He’s filling himself up now, after 500 years of starvation.

P117 Goku: Wow!  Amazing!  That looks tasty! Baby Panda: Can you eat this? Goku: Yum!! sfx: chomp Goku: ‘S okay?  Thanks! Baby Panda: Uh huh, go ahead. Goku: All right, Imma eat ‘em all myself. Baby Panda: Go for it.

P118 Mama Panda: Son, youkai don’t eat peaches.  They eat humans when they get hungry. Baby Panda: No Mother, he ate them like they tasted good. sfx: chomp chomp Goku: ........... Baby Panda: ? What’s wrong? Goku: ............

P119 sfx: leaves falling Baby Panda: What’s wrong?  You’re not going to finish? Goku: “Sanzo, I’m hungry.” Sanzo: “Again?!  There’s no more food.” sfx: grumble Goku: “How come I’m so hungry?” Sanzo: “...... Eh, guess you can’t help it.” sfx: crush

P120 Sanzo: “You’re taking back the time you lost.  If you’re hungry, eat.  Go where you like.  Obtain what you want.  For yourself.  You’re already” sfx: hmpf

P121 Sanzo: “Free.” Goku: (thinking) You reached out and taught me.  You made me realize

P122 Goku: (thinking) that I didn’t have anything or anyone.  Loneliness, hunger, and how to ease them

P123 Goku: (thinking) You taught me all of that.  That’s the freedom you gave me. Goku: ...... Heh.  Hehehe.  I don’t believe it.  Heheh.  I’m full. sfx: Panda whines Baby Panda: You’re full now? Goku: Hehe... Did you know?  I don’t get hungry if I’m alone.  Thanks. sfx: pick pick

P124 Goku: I’m gonna take these back and eat ‘em in front of Gojyo.  Guess I can give some to Hakkai. Sanzo: “Everyone, no matter who they are, lives to ease their hunger and thirst.  But, that’s not limited to the hunger of the body.  It’s the hunger of the soul, too.”

P125 Baby Panda: Mother, humans (youkai?) get hungry in their “soul” too. Mama Panda: Well, I don’t really understand. Goku: I’m back ♡ Gojyo: Oh!?  Whaddya bring back? Goku: I’m not giving any to you!! Hakkai: Welcome back.  We were worried, Goku.  Sanzo was waiting too. Sanzo: What are you talking about? Goku: Huh? Hakkai: Well, the manju was. sfx: hop END

P126 Saiyuki Reload Blast Anthology

P127 Saiyuki Reload Blast Anthology Author Comments

AU Congratulations on the Saiyuki Reload Blast anime and sale of the anthology.  Thank you very much for the opportunity to work with such a wonderful creation.  I look forward to seeing what lies ahead for the Sanzo Ikkou.

Akanatsu Congratulations on publication of the Saiyuki Reload Blast Anthology!  I was able to draw for the Saiyuki Gaiden Anthology too, so I’d be happy if you read that as well!

Usatoru I am so grateful I was able to participate in this!  I had a lot of fun drawing.  I wasn’t able to put him in this time, but my favorite is Hazel.

Ueda Shinsyu Congratulations on 20 years of Saiyuki!  I’m very happy to have been able to participate in the Anthology at this memorable point in time.  Goku is becoming more and more manly, and I look forward to seeing how he continues to grow and where the story goes from here.

Katagiri Ikumi Before I knew it, the mini Goku-chan story I had planned to draw transformed into a Gojyo manga.  Congratulations on the new new new Saiyuki anime!

Endou Minari This is Endou who was supposed to be a Sanzo fan, but recently Goku’s smile has seeped into my heart.  I wonder if this is what it means to get old... My favorite character is Sharak Sanzo, and I love everything about her so much.  Also, I reread all the books to prep for this anthology, and I think Hakkai and Kanan are just too cute!  Huh?  This isn’t the place to talk about that?  Character limit?  So heartless.  It’s too bad there are so many fascinating characters and I don’t have space to write about them all.  I’m looking forward to what’s going to happen in Saiyuki, now that it’s entered the final stage and is getting more and more exciting.

P128 Kogami Nana Thank you very much for inviting me to participate in this.  Congratulations on the anime!  I really love how Kougaiji interacts with Lirin-chan.  I love Lirin-chan’s personality, her muscular yet flexible legs, and her voluptuous chest.

Kouga Yun I’ve had a long relationship with the Sanzo gang.  I’ll always love them.  I plan to continue stalking Sanzo and watching over him for years to come.  I pray for Minekura Sensei’s health above all!

Tachibana Congratulations on 20 years of the Saiyuki series!!  The difficulty increases 1.5 times when the hotness (and nakedness) goes up!  I got to have fun and draw my beloved Gojyo getting defiant!

Suzumoto Jun Thank you so much for letting me participate in this Saiyuki Anthology!  I’m from the generic generation so this is a huge honor.  I was happy I got to draw Kougaiji because I like him.  It was fun having lots of characters appear!

naked ape Congratulations on 20 years of the Saiyuki series and the Saiyuki Reload Blast anime!  I got to draw an image that contrasts with the Gaiden anthology, and exclaim over the coolness of the Sanzo Ikkou.  Thank you very much for this opportunity!

D・Kissan Congratulations on 20 years of the Saiyuki series!  I started thinking of a plot that would let me draw a lot of the cool Sharak Sanzo-sama, but it ended up being a manga all about silly Hassan-san.  I’m so sorry...

Mikawa Verno I wanted to draw an amusing, slap-stick...-y tale about the Ikkou that wouldn’t usually be drawn, but whaaaat!?

P129 EXTRA PAGES Saiyuki Reload Blast Anthology Ichijinsha Comic Zero-Sum Presents Book front cover ※Writing is from time of comic sale

P130 EXTRA PAGES Book back cover ※Writing is from time of comic sale

P131 EXTRA PAGES Saiyuki Reload Blast Anthology Zero-Sum Anthology Series Eroko Ichijinsha

KAZUYA MINEKURA LINEUP ZERO-SUM Comics Saiyuki 9 volumes total Saiyuki RELOAD 10 volumes total Saiyuki RELOAD BLAST 1-2 Saiyuki Gaiden 4 volumes total Saiyuki Ibun 1 WILD ADAPTER 1-7 Shiritsu Araiso Koutou Gakkou Seitokai Shikkoubu 2 volumes total Minekura Kazuya short story Hachi no Su 1 volume total BUS GAMER THE PILOT EDITION 1 volume total

REX Comics BUS GAMER 1

Art Books salty dog 1-9 sugar coat excess Backgammon Rimix

Original Image Reproduction Collections Saiyuki Series Original Image Reproduction Collection Saiyuki RELOAD Original Image Reproduction Collection

Post Card Books Saiyuki POSTCARD “PURPLE” “YELLOW” “RED” “GREEN”

Fan Books Original “Saiyuki” Series Perfect Guide Saiyubito Saiyuki Character Book Sanzo & Goku / Gojyo & Hakkai

Anthologies Saiyuki ANTHOLOGY Saiyuki RELOAD BLAST Anthology Saiyuki Gaiden Anthology

Novels Novel Saiyuki 1-3     Author: Misaki Hijiri Saiyuki OMNIBUS     Author: Minekura Kazuya and others Saiyuki Kourou Tengi     Author: Uozumi Yukiko

Spine・Cover flap ※Writing is from time of comic sale

P132 EXTRA PAGES Cover illustration Minekura Kazuya

Illustration naked ape

Manga AU; Akanatsu; Ueda Shinsyu; Usatoru; Endou Minari; Katagiri Ikumi; Kogami Nana; Suzumoto Jun; Tachibana; D・Kissan; Mikawa Verno

Rerecording Koga Yun

The world begins to go crazy. You can’t take your eyes off them. Cover・Back cover ※Writing is from time of comic sale

P133 Zero-Sum Comics Saiyuki Reload Blast Anthology

Author/Anthology Publisher/Koyanagi Yoshio Publication/Kabushiki Gaisha Ichijinsha 〒160-0022 Tokyo-to, Shinjuku-ku, Shinjuku 2-5-10 Seishi Building 8F TEL 03-5312-6851 (editing) TEL 03-5312-6150 (sales) On sale from: Kabushiki Gaisha Kodansha (Kodansha・Ichijinsha)

Book design/Minekura Kazuya Miyata Yuusuke・Sano Yura (Banana Grove Studio)

ISBN 978-4-7580-3306-0 ©Minekura Kazuya/Ichijinsha 2017     Printed in JAPAN ID Comics ●This is a work of fiction.  There is no relation to actual people, groups, or events.

[aishiteru-kenshin]

Meiji Tokyo Renka | 明治東亰恋伽 | Ōgai & Mei

[aishiteru-kenshin]

Meiji Tokyo Renka | 明治東亰恋伽 | Hina Matsuri

[aishiteru-kenshin]

Meiji Tokyo Renka | 明治東亰恋伽 | Charlie

[caffedrine]

Translation - Heart no Kuni no Alice - The Scent of Roses - Chapter 4: The Cat and the Amusement Park

Summary as copied from Wonderful Wonder World wiki: On a bright Sunday afternoon, a rabbit in clothes appears in front of a sleeping Alice. Did you mean “Alice in Wonderland”? On the contrary, the rabbit transforms into a handsome man! Suddenly Alice gets swept into the man’s arms and they jump down into a hole that leads them to the Country of Hearts. Even though there’s a fairy tale atmosphere, Wonderland is an incredible and dangerous world. How can Alice return to her world?

Author: Quinrose and Uozumi Yukiko

ISBN: 978-4042865142

There is a question about whether it is appropriate to call a stay-at-home person's departure from their host a "runaway."

If viewed from a long-term perspective, it would be more akin to a "move," while a temporary view would simply call it an "outing." In Alice's case, it was closely related to the latter "runaway."

She had left without informing anyone of her destination, but she did not have the courage to truly leave that mansion and wander lost. As long as she remained inside, at least she would not be killed for unreasonable reasons.

In the end, no matter where one might be, one cannot survive without being under someone's protection.

Alice understood this, yet she also disliked the thought of accepting it outright. This ambivalent feeling was what was driving her away from the mansion.

Now, where should she go from here?

She had been out a few times, but there was always someone beside her. When going shopping, she went with the servants, and when enjoying lunch, she was with Elliott and the guards. Upon reflection, there had never been an instance where she had casually wandered off alone.

Without a map or weapons, Alice walked persistently through the forest. This journey, filled with half anxiety and half curiosity, reminded her of the adventurous spirit she had almost forgotten. Fortunately, the salary she received from Blood remained mostly untouched. Since it was her earned money, there was no guilt in how she chose to spend it.

The passersby seemed not to notice that Alice was an outsider. But that was preferable; being treated like a rare toy would be worse.

As she passed through a path where the sunlight filtered through the trees and emerged into a square, she saw a remarkably gaudy gate that looked as if all the paint she had was spilled.

Off-key, cheerful music played as colorful balloons floated towards the sky. Families and couples, presumably tourists, continued to vanish beyond the gate.

This was an amusement park.

She recalled Elliott previously talking about the territorial disputes involving three factions: the Hatter family, the Heart's castle, and one other being this amusement park.

Alice looked over that garish exterior once more. Though it had somewhat poor taste, the cheerful ambiance shared similarities with real amusement parks. From the crowd of visitors, it was clear that it was undoubtedly a sound recreational facility.

She wondered if this whimsical amusement park truly was an adversary to Blood. It wasn't a clear good versus evil situation, but one might think the Hatter family was planning unilaterally sinister purges.

As she approached the gate and peered inside, she found that while she did not dislike amusement parks, she wasn't in the mood to let loose and have fun.

“Hey there, if you’re looking for tickets, they're this way!”

A man in a camel-colored suit had somehow appeared next to Alice.

With long hair tied in a braid and a stubbly chin, he had gentle eyes peeking out from underneath small oval glasses. The people in this world generally dressed weirdly, but he certainly didn’t fall short in that regard. His jacket had a musical note pattern, and a horse mascot dangled from the vest underneath. In his hand, he held a violin.

Indeed, his outfit was by far the strangest.

“What’s the deal? Came to enjoy the amusement park, right?”

“No, I just came to have a look around. Are you from this amusement park?”

“Ah, yes. I’m the owner here, and my name is Gowland.”

His smile was indicative of someone in the service industry, yet it lacked any hint of sarcasm, exuding a friendly atmosphere. When Alice smiled back and introduced herself, Gowland's expression grew serious.

“Wait, you’re not just an outsider, are you?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been called that.”

“Ah... I kinda thought so.”

As he stared at Alice, much like others had done before, it wasn't particularly unpleasant. There was no leering quality in his assessment.

According to Blood and the others, outsiders are those who are "somehow felt" to be different. Even though they appear to be the same kind of human, there seems to be something different about them.

“Sorry, I get it; being called an outsider doesn’t feel good, right? But here, that’s just what we call those who come from another world. There’s no ill will, really.”

He seemed overly apologetic. Having been around a proud man until now, this reaction was quite refreshing.

Yet, could this person actually be an enemy of Blood? His first impression was of a harmless man. He certainly didn’t look like someone involved in a territorial conflict.

“How about this: it’s not really an apology, but I’ll show you around inside. Of course, it’s on the house. How about that? Not a bad deal, right?”

“Um, that’s fine, but I didn’t really come here to play—”

“Come on, come on! You’ve come all this way, so you should have some fun. Don’t you think?”

“Ah, wait, hold on a second—”

Before she could finish, Gowland grabbed Alice's arm and strode confidently through the gate. A fancy, vibrant, and somewhat poisonous scenery expanded before her, and Alice rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

On the red and pink tiled path, there were distorted little houses that seemed to belong to witches. Twisted tracks crossed above her head repeatedly, as roller coasters raced by at high speeds. An irregularly spinning Ferris wheel and caterpillar-shaped go-karts moved about. A clown led children along, crossing Alice's path while emitting strange laughter.

Carried along by the cacophony of dissonant music, they meandered through the park. It felt like a cheerful nightmare. Simply being there made her dizzy.

“...The outside and the inside of the gate are like two different worlds,” Alice remarked, glancing at the smiling employees.

“It’s a bit odd, but it’s peaceful here. Just a step outside, and dangerous intentions swirl all around,” she continued.

“Well, it’s an amusement park after all. But it’s not just here; anywhere within our territory is peaceful. At least within our territory.”

She was handed a large cotton candy and a bag of potato chips. This amusement park really had excellent service.

“As long as you’re in our territory, enemies won’t attack. That’s our rule.”

“Really?”

“Yep, that’s right. Even if they come as guests, we’ll warmly welcome them. Of course, there are exceptions.”

“Exceptions...?” She decided to ask just to be sure. “Does that mean there are times when rules get broken?”

“Just so you know, as for me, that’s never happened, alright? Unless it’s something exceptionally rare.”

In short, it seems that when something significant happens, the rules can be broken. As long as one is within the territory, it is peaceful, but even that peace is not absolute.

"But you, from what I can see, don't seem like a dangerous person at all. You seem the most normal out of everyone I’ve met so far."

"Wow, you've got a sharp eye! But if you’re saying that, it means you've had some pretty terrible experiences up to now, haven’t you?"

Alice nodded deeply in agreement, grateful that he said it.

Now that she thought about it, she really had encountered some awful people. Starting with that perverted rabbit man, everyone she had met seemed like they would be sentenced to prison immediately in the real world.

After finally meeting someone normal, she felt like she was starting to regain her objectivity. They truly were abnormal. Inconceivable. There was no way they were normal. This recognition was indeed accurate.

“Poor thing, huh? I feel for you.”

Gowland bought her another lemonade, a hamburger, and some fried onions.

“Alright, let me play you a lively tune to cheer you up.”

“Excuse me?”

Gowland held up his violin high and winked at Alice.

“Wait...you’re going to play it now?”

“Of course! Despite how I look, I’m a musician. I’ve got all kinds of songs: fun ones, healing ones, even ones that make you hungry. My repertoire is pretty diverse!”

“Uh, I’m fine, really! I’m already energetic enough and feeling good!”

“Come on, don’t hold back! Since you’ve come all this way, you should have some fun! Here we go, Sonata No. 1, dedicated to Alice Liddell!”

A terrible sense of foreboding washed over her.

Just as Alice covered her ears, an ultrasonic sound erupted from the violin. The tone of the music twisted through the gaps between her fingers, exceeding her limits of discomfort. It was a torturous sonata, almost as if her eardrums were being sanded directly.

“Ta-ra-ta-ta-ta-ta~ Ta-la-la~”

To make matters worse, he was singing along. His singing was utterly tone-deaf, oddly matching the agonizing violin sounds. Gowland seemed to revel in it, showing no signs of stopping.

As soon as the surrounding customers and employees realized the calamity that was unfolding, they scurried away like scattered spiders. What was the point of a park manager causing such a disturbance?

“Shut up, old man!”

Just as Alice was about to make her escape, she heard a voice from behind. As she turned around, a deafeningly loud noise rang out.

It was the sound of a gunshot.

Alice instinctively ducked. Right behind her, a man with pink hair was aiming a gun at Gowland.

Caught in confusion, Alice stared blankly at the man’s pink handgun. At a glance, it looked like a toy, but the muzzle was definitely smoking.

“Boris, don’t interrupt! I was just getting to a good part…”

“Your noise? Good part? It never had any merit from the beginning, so feel free to interrupt it.”

With veins bulging in his neck, Gowland was mocked by the man called Boris. Alice thought he laughed like a cat. In fact, he looked just like one.

After all, he had cat ears on his head.

Having encountered a couple of rabbit men, Alice wasn’t surprised at the appearance of a cat man. In fact, she liked cats.

“Also, why not stop calling that noise music? It’s an affront to music itself.”

“You’re the one who’s blaspheming music! You’ve put a hole in my violin!”

“I wanted to make a hole in a different place, but I held myself back. You should consider it a favor.”

He looked surprisingly young but spoke very bluntly. He wore a flamboyant pink scarf and had chains jangling from his neck and arms, with multiple earrings adorning his ears.

“…You little jerk.”

Gowland’s voice suddenly dropped low.

The moment Alice blinked, the hole-ridden violin transformed into a rifle. It was a trick, but not just any trick; it was a speed that could only be described as magic.

“Wait a second? Are you actually angry, old man?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know…”

The seemingly harmless man suddenly revealed a glimmer of murderous intent. He pulled the cocking lever back to load the first round and aimed the rifle at Boris.

“My weapon is designed for lethality… It might not be as maneuverable as your gun, but it certainly has the power to penetrate high-hardness sloped armor.”

“Gowland…?? Just calm down a bit,” Alice said, seeing that he was focused only on Boris and completely ignoring her. The target was the cat man.

Boris took a cautious step back while Alice followed suit. A moment ago, this was supposed to be a safe and peaceful amusement park. Yet now, before Alice were two gun barrels.

“Seriously, old folks have no patience, which is a real problem,” Boris sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

“Are you going to run away with me?”

“Wha—!?”

Before she could respond, Boris grabbed Alice’s arm and took off running. He moved with cat-like agility, the scenery whizzing past them.

“Hey, wait! I’ll kill you!”

“Try and catch me if you can! The youth is on my side!”

Teasingly, Boris dashed forward, leaping over hedges and ducking under tents as Gowland's furious shouts faded into the distance.

——

Eventually, they managed to lose Gowland and took refuge on the Ferris wheel. As they caught their breath and the gondola began to ascend, Boris broke the silence.

“By the way, who are you?”

His almond-shaped eyes gazed at Alice with interest.

“I’m Alice Liddell. I was just having Gowland show me around the park.”

Up until that point, it had been peaceful—until he decided to hold a recital without permission.

“I told him to only play on days when the park is closed, but he probably got all excited when a girl like you showed up.”

A long tail sprouted from his backside, dancing energetically. It moved much like Dinah when she was in a good mood.

“I’m Boris Airay. I’m staying here at the amusement park.” Boris narrowed his eyes. “So, where did you come from?”

“I’m not really sure how to explain it, but the people in this world often call me an outsider.”

“…Outsider? Seriously?”

His tail began to twitch even more vigorously. When people found out she was an outsider, they tended to react in some way. Alice imagined it felt like a rare creature arriving at a zoo.

“You’re incredibly rare, aren’t you? I want to collect unique things.”

As expected.

“Hey, why don't you stay here too? It can be a bit noisy during the day, but it's pretty comfortable, you know?”

“I’m not some rare creature or a toy. If you stay with me, you’ll soon realize that I’m not that interesting. I’m really quite ordinary.”

She wasn’t downgrading herself; it was the truth. She didn’t want to be burdened by excessive expectations.

“I’m ordinary too, you know! I mean, I’m as boring as they come. Surprising in how average I am.”

He moved closer to her, producing a rumbling sound from his throat. The gondola they were in was, of course, small, leaving no room to escape.

“So, let’s be friends, okay? Alice?”

“I-I guess that’s fine…”

In this world, was a person with ears growing from their head considered normal? In the real world, he would undoubtedly be a celebrity.

Though she didn’t like being overly familiar with people, she oddly didn’t have a negative impression of Boris.

Maybe it was because looking at his ears reminded her of Dinah.

“More importantly, are you sure it’s okay to leave Gowland like that? You’re just a guest here, aren’t you?”

“It’s fine. That old man can be dangerous when angry, but he forgets quickly. By the time the Ferris wheel makes a full circle, he’ll probably be welcoming customers with a grin.”

“R-Really? Then I won’t worry about it.”

Alice gazed down at the park from the window.

From up here, the amusement park spread out widely beneath her. It wasn’t quite as vast as the Hatter family's territory, but it was clear that Gowland held considerable power.

“Hey, let’s live together. If you're feeling lonely, I’ll sleep with you anytime! I’ve got a high body temperature, so I’ll keep you warm.”

Boris took Alice’s hand and guided it to his cheek. It was definitely warm. If she wrapped him up in a blanket, he could serve as a comfortable hot water bottle.

She pondered what it would be like to live here. While it was dangerous to make him angry, Gowland seemed to be a gentle and kind landlord most of the time. He had a ferocious vibe, but he was like a lovable cat that could warm her in bed. Since it was an amusement park, she wouldn’t have time to get bored. It would likely be comfortable, and at the very least, she could live more peacefully than in a mafia's den.

Originally, she had no obligation to stay in that mansion. She had just been invited to a tea party and ended up staying without much thought. She hadn't exchanged cups with Blood, nor had she signed an employment contract.

…But.

The smell of the books in that dim room. The stillness in the air. The feel of the red sofa.

When he sat next to her, the sweet fragrance that brushed against her nose. Those melancholic blue eyes reminiscent of a midnight sea. The whimsical gesture of his white-gloved hand touching Alice’s chin.

As she pulled together those trivial memories, a nostalgic feeling began to boil within her. Frustratingly, despite being annoyed, she realized how much she had put down roots in that mansion.

It made her feel as if she should go back. Regrettably so.

“I’m sorry. The amusement park is fascinating, but I can’t live here.”

Upon hearing this, Boris looked bewildered.

“Why not? Is it because you can’t stand the old man’s playing?”

“…Well, that might be one reason, but that’s not the only reason. I’m currently being taken care of at the Hatter's mansion.”

“Oh, really?”

His reaction was one of surprise mixed with curiosity.

“I see, so you’re staying at Blood’s place, huh?” Boris chuckled and glanced up at Alice slyly. “I get it… you…”

“What about it?”

“Well, could it be that you’re Blood’s—”

“If you say anything more, I’ll punch you.”

Alice interrupted with narrowed eyes. She could already imagine the teasing look on Boris's face, and she definitely didn’t want to hear that kind of joke.

“Hehe, I like that guy too. He’s really something.”

“What do you mean ‘me too’? I haven’t said I like him even once.”

She couldn’t stand being misunderstood like that. She was merely borrowing a room in that mansion; there was nothing scandalous about it. She wanted to shout that she was not the mafia boss’s mistress.

“Do you know Blood well?”

“Well, yeah. I sneak into that mansion a lot. I’m friends with the guards.”

“Friends? Dee and Dum?”

Given their positions, Boris and the guards should be enemies.

“How do you sneak into that mansion, anyway? I thought the security was pretty tight.”

“I’m a cat, you know? I know all kinds of shortcuts.”

Saying that joyfully, Boris leaned closer to Alice's ear. His warm, coarse touch brushed against her earlobe, almost as if a cat was licking milk.

“Wha… what are you…?”

“I think I like your scent. You smell delicious,” Boris laughed. “Let’s play again sometime! I don’t mind if you belong to Blood.”

—

…Sure enough, there really aren’t any normal people in this world.

After getting off the Ferris wheel and parting ways with Boris, Alice made her way to the gate alone.

Although she had thought the amusement park was relatively normal, a careful look around showed that every employee was carrying a gun. Just imagining a group of people aiming guns while keeping big smiles on their faces made her feel nauseous.

Yet, in this world, one cannot survive without guns. Those like Alice, wandering outside unarmed, would be seen as the real oddballs. A safe haven wasn’t something one found; it was something one had to create for themselves.

“Hey, Alice. How was the amusement park?”

When she reached the gate, Gowland greeted her with the same smile as the first time they met.

She immediately looked at his hands. There was no rifle, but instead, he was holding a new violin. Just as Boris had said, he seemed to be in a good mood again.

“Thanks to you, it was fun! But with so many attractions, I couldn’t possibly experience it all in one day.”

“Well then, just come back two or three times. You’re always welcome here! I’ll even give you a free pass.”

He pulled out a thick bundle of free passes from his pocket and handed them to her.

“N-No, it’s fine. Next time I come, I plan to pay and enjoy myself properly,” she replied.

“What’s with you? You don’t want anything? Haha, I like that.”

Gowland squinted his eyes happily and ruffled Alice’s hair with warm hands, doing it without any hesitation.

“If you don’t have anywhere else to go, you can live here, you know? Having one more guest won’t bother me at all.”

Most fathers look at their children like this when they praise them. Ever since Alice's mother passed away, her father had started to avoid coming home, citing work as an excuse.

He fulfilled his financial obligations, but that’s all. He still hasn’t accepted his wife’s death. Whenever he returned home, he was inevitably reminded of her absence.

Alice does not lament being an unloved child. It’s a common story that could be found anywhere. Even though her parents' presence was absent from home, her sister Lorina provided her with an abundance of love.

People in this world show Alice kindness. However, she knows that the place she should return to is the home where her sister waits. No matter how enjoyable and stimulating it is, when closing time comes, it’s over. The dream world will eventually curtain down.

“...The curfew has long since passed, hasn't it? Alice.”

At that moment, suddenly hearing her name made every hair on her body stand on end.

Alice looked at the man in disbelief. There was only one man who could call her name in such a chilling tone. At least, as far as she knew.

It was Blood.

Blood Dupre stood there with his impassive face.

“It’s the Hatter! What are you doing here?”

“She is my guest. It’s time to take her back,” Blood said flatly, casting a glance at Gowland.

This was precisely why he was terrifying. Instead of being imposing, he had a frightening intensity that was even greater. For the first time, she felt like she understood the feeling of a frog caught in the gaze of a snake.

“Did you enjoy the amusement park, young lady?”

“Uh, yes… I had a lot of fun,” she replied.

“I’m glad to hear that.” His voice was cheerful, but his eyes held no warmth. “Now, let’s go home together.”

“Hey, wait a minute. Did you seriously come to fetch her alone? The mafia boss, without any bodyguards?”

Gowland feigned shock with exaggerated gestures. Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen Elliott or the other family members. Whenever Blood went out, he always had someone with him.

“This is strictly a personal matter. Besides, do you really think I’m the kind of man who could be easily killed?”

“That may be true, but still— I never thought I’d see such a rare sight! You getting so worked up over just one girl!”

Gowland appeared almost jubilant as if he might start dancing. No, he might just be teasing.

Blood’s brow furrowed with irritation, and the tension radiated off him so intensely that it made Alice’s stomach ache.

Her mind was filled with questions. This was enemy territory, and it was odd for a mafia boss to venture here alone. But even more perplexing was why this man, who always seemed lazy at the mansion, had gone out of his way to find Alice.

“Thanks for today, Alice! I had a lot of fun, in more ways than one,” Gowland said, gently kissing Alice on the head. At that moment, Blood, who had maintained his composure until now, leaned in.

“...Enough already!”

Alice was pulled closer, stunned. That was the first clear display of anger she had ever witnessed from Blood. His usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced by overt murderous intent directed at Gowland.

“What’s the big deal? I’m just greeting her! You should let your guard down a little, you’re not a child.”

Even when Blood glared at him, Gowland showed no signs of backing down. His tone was one of excitement and delight.

“To think the mafia boss could be driven mad by love… you’re still so naïve, Hatter.”

“Alright. I’ll kill you.”

Having found the perfect idea, Blood muttered those chilling words.

“I didn’t plan on drawing my gun here, but my mind has changed.”

“Are you breaking the rules? You’ve got guts to face us all alone.”

“Take your time; go and get your friends. I’ll take care of all of them at once.”

“W-Wait, both of you!” In the tense atmosphere, Alice stepped between them.

No matter how she looked at it, Blood was at a disadvantage in this situation. Even so, given his personality, he wouldn’t be inclined to back down. The mafia was a profession built on pride, and he couldn’t afford to be seen as weak here.

“Blood, calm down. You’re a guest right now, so you need to show some decorum.”

“...Are you defending him?”

“N-No, that’s not it. I’m just stating common sense!”

“Your common sense differs from ours,” Blood said coldly, looking down at Alice.

“And rules exist to be broken.”

He was losing his temper completely. Yet, they couldn’t let this escalate into a gunfight.

“It's fine, Alice. This man wouldn’t dare put you in danger,” Gowland said brightly, perhaps sensing Alice's apprehension.

“Let’s part with smiles today, Hatter… but there won’t be a next time.”

Blood responded with a confident grin to his suggestion.

“Oh, there won’t be a next time. You’d better polish that old rifle of yours in the meantime... Let’s go home, Alice.”

“It… it hurts, Blood!”

Blood tightened his grip on Alice's arm and turned to walk briskly away, leaving Gowland waving them off with exaggerated gestures.

——

As they walked quickly through the forest tinged with twilight, Blood moved ahead with long strides, making it feel like a marathon to Alice due to the difference in their leg lengths. She wanted to take a break, but he showed no signs of slowing down.

“Hey, Blood,” she ventured.

“What?”

“Are you… maybe angry?”

Even though she had no reason to expect anger from him, she felt the need to ask. He smiled broadly and replied,

“Do I look angry?”

“…I-I guess it looks like you might.”

“I see. Then I must be angry.”

Still wearing that fixed smile, he continued striding toward the mansion. It was terrifying.

It was overwhelmingly terrifying. Why did she feel guilty for being scolded by him? She had simply left the mansion without permission to have fun at the amusement park. She didn’t think she had done anything wrong.

Eventually, they exited the forest and returned to the mansion. Blood led Alice straight to his room, swiftly locking the door behind them. He pushed her down onto the red sofa, her heart racing in uncertainty.

How many times had she found herself looking at the ceiling like this, with Blood towering over her? In such a situation, Alice tried to think calmly.

“...It seems you had quite a fun time today, young lady.”

His eyes glinted with quiet anger as they fixed on her. She felt as if she might be drawn into those eyes, trapped within them.

“The amusement park is a place for enjoyment, isn’t it? No one goes there to have a dull time.”

“I see. So you went to the amusement park to have fun with another man?”

“Don’t put it that way! I made friends over there. Gowland and Boris. You probably know them well.”

“Oh, that little brat? I know him quite well.”

Blood's grip on her wrist tightened further. His tone was still casual, but it seemed to grow increasingly intimidating.

“So, what did you do with them?”

“What did I do?... I had them show me around the park, went on the Ferris wheel…”

“The Ferris wheel?”

Blood’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

“The Ferris wheel I know is a ride you enjoy inside a very cramped compartment. Am I mistaken?”

“No, that’s not wrong…”

“So you got into that cramped little compartment with another man. Is that what you’re saying?”

“W-Well… I guess that could be the case,” Alice replied ambiguously.

Upon her vague affirmation, Blood fell silent. An oppressive stillness settled in as if she had been submerged deep in an ocean.

…Oh?

Seeing Blood's displeasure, Alice decided to test her hypothesis out loud.

“Blood, are you… perhaps feeling jealous?”

He said nothing in response.

Instead, he abruptly looked away.

She had always known he was a possessive man. To him, Alice was like an accessory—something rare and shiny to show off, merely existing to satisfy his trivial ego. That understanding hadn’t changed, even now.

Yet, he had gone out of his way to come searching for her at the amusement park, disregarding his own position, all alone.

Furthermore, the way he was acting now showed he was anything but composed.

“Hey,” she said, leaning in closer to peer into Blood's face.

“You did say you disliked troublesome matters, didn’t you?”

“...You certainly have a relaxed attitude.”

“I thought you used to be the one with the relaxed demeanor?”

“Shut up,” he muttered, looking away again. He had a sheepish expression.

Caught off guard by this unexpected reaction, Alice found herself feeling just as perplexed. She couldn’t believe that Blood could be, as Gowland suggested, “madly in love.” He couldn’t be that defenseless nor that shallow.

But—

“Did you think I wouldn’t come back?”

She couldn’t help but ask.

“Or perhaps you think I found somewhere better?”

“What? No one said anything like that.”

“...Never mind.” Blood immediately withdrew his statement. “I just think you might be a little reckless.”

“That’s harsh! Are you trying to say I’m flighty?”

“You don’t seem like a virtuous woman.”

His tone was accusatory, as if he were calling her out for cheating. Despite having done nothing wrong, she felt a wave of guilt wash over her. Was this some sort of deliberate tactic to instill a sense of wrongdoing in her?

“I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding you have, but I’ve intended to come back to this mansion all along, you know?”

Upon hearing this, Blood blinked in slight surprise.

“...That’s not a lie. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Though it felt brazen of her to say, considering she was just an outsider, it was the truth. There was nowhere else for her to go.

Even if there were, she suspected she would still return here. She would continue to visit this room despite everything, be pushed down on the sofa, and listen to his selfish words.

It was impossible to comprehend. She knew exactly that getting involved with a man like him would undoubtedly lead to trouble.

“...You always cry when you’re with me.”

Blood's cheeks tightened.

“I’m not crying! Why do you always become so unsettled?”

Somehow it felt absurd.

The situation of a man she despised, one resembling an old lover, flustered at the sight of a tearful Alice was utterly ridiculous. She would eventually have to go home, and though she loathed this man’s arrogance, she found herself unable to firmly shake off his grip.

It was almost unbearably funny, causing tears to well up.

“Don’t cry. When you cry, it throws me off my game.”

Blood’s fingers gently wiped the corners of her eyes. He slowly caressed her cheek.

“I’m not crying. I just don’t want to be swept away by everything—your sudden kindness, your voice, and your attitude.”

His fingers traced Alice’s lips with a tenderness one might reserve for something precious.

“Hey, what are you plotting? What do you want in return?”

“Don’t misunderstand me. I’m a harmless man,” Blood said, his face solemn. “Even now, I’m just here in front of you, unable to do anything.”

A harmless man wouldn’t push a woman down onto a sofa, Alice thought.

And even now, their lips were so close.

The heat radiating from Blood through her clothing.

It was warm, comforting. The breath against her ear, the fingers smoothing away her tears, the cheek that brushed against hers—everything felt good.

Though she hated it, a tightness gripped her chest. Even those whimsical words spun from his lips seemed to draw out desires from a part of her that was not purely rational.

“I don’t want to be swept away.”

Once more, Alice spoke. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. The man she wanted to be loved by wasn’t him. She shouldn’t be experiencing little kisses on her forehead and eyelids like this.

She hadn’t expected to be waiting with her eyes closed for his lips to draw closer to her own.

“If you don’t want to be swept away, then just hold on to me.”

His selfish words reached her like a soothing lullaby, effortlessly penetrating her deepest thoughts.

“Cling to me. Once you lose your strength, I’ll hold you tight.”

Whispered in her ear, Alice complied. She clung to him, determined not to fall off the narrow sofa, to not wander too far away.

“...”

Their lips met.

Breaths intertwined. It was an intense kiss worthy of a man so arrogant and selfish. His tongue suddenly parted her lips, invading her mouth. It was an urgent kiss, stealing everything from her in a breathless rush.

When she pushed back against his invasive tongue with her own, he nibbled her lower lip in retaliation. A thin, breathy voice escaped from deep in her throat, tinged with a sigh. It didn’t even feel like her own voice. She tried to seal that sweet sound by pressing her lips together, but Blood wouldn’t allow it. His tongue slithered back in, coaxing out her now-flushed sounds one after another.

“Mmm… ah…!”

From the core of her being, something maddening surged within Alice. With her lack of experience, she had never stood a chance. Even so, to think a kiss could make her melt this much.

“...What a troublesome situation this has become,” Blood lamented with a sense of resignation.

“Troublesome? You’re the one who started this…”

“You didn’t just say you weren’t in the mood for romance, either?”

Of course, she hadn’t. But before she could respond, her mouth was covered. Their heated tongues touched, causing her mind to go blank.

He was being cruel. He kissed her forcefully, yet he held her wrist just firmly enough to ensure she couldn’t push him away, leaving her no excuse to claim she was being forced.

“I should have put you in a cage from the start.”

With a deep sigh, Blood continued.

“I should have lured you into a big, big cage, locked it up, and kept you there, like a poor little canary.”

“Even if you did that, I wouldn’t chirp prettily for you… I’d shout curses until my throat gave out.”

“That would actually be convenient. If your throat gives out, you won’t be able to call for help.”

“Ugh…”

His large hand, which had been softly stroking her hair, began to playfully caress her slender neck. His fingers glided from her ear down to her collarbone, savoring the texture of her slightly damp skin.

She resisted weakly, but Blood only chuckled softly and didn’t stop his ministrations. Without the luxury of taking control, Alice was left clinging to him.

“...That’s right. Just hold on to me like that.” His damp lips traveled down to her neck, sucking hard. Marking her with a visible hickey was perhaps his petty form of retaliation, an attempt to ensure she wouldn’t be seen in public for a while.

With one hand around her waist, he began to untie the ribbon of her apron dress. His other hand slowly moved from her knee up her thigh. His long fingers traced circles against her warm skin.

“Blood, wait—”

“I won’t wait. You are mine.”

His sweet breaths and words slipped in close to her ear.

...Please, don’t touch me so gently.

Don’t hold me tightly, caress my hair, or kiss me. It makes me feel like I’m loved.

“I’m not anyone’s possession. I belong to myself…”

Though her words, woven between kisses, lacked strength, she held on to her conviction. This dream was her own.

Not anyone else's—just hers.

[caffedrine]

Translation - Heart no Kuni no Alice - The Scent of Roses - Chapter 1: Residents of the Country of Hearts

Summary as copied from Wonderful Wonder World wiki: On a bright Sunday afternoon, a rabbit in clothes appears in front of a sleeping Alice. Did you mean "Alice in Wonderland"? On the contrary, the rabbit transforms into a handsome man! Suddenly Alice gets swept into the man's arms and they jump down into a hole that leads them to the Country of Hearts. Even though there's a fairy tale atmosphere, Wonderland is an incredible and dangerous world. How can Alice return to her world?

Author: Quinrose and Uozumi Yukiko

ISBN: 978-4042865142

This is a dream.

The moment Alice realized it, she awoke. A warm breeze tickled her nose and playfully wafted by. The soft sunlight and the smell of the earth. The prickly texture of the grass.

"Well, were you napping?"

When she looked up, her sister Lorina wore a smile. Alice sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah, it seems so. I was dreaming."

"What kind of dream?"

"Um, I think it was about a game, with rules... it was just a weird dream."

As soon as she woke up, the content of the dream had vanished. Only a strange, wistful sensation remained as if something was pulling at her from behind.

It was dark yet bright. She wanted to go home but didn’t want to leave. She wanted to escape but also wanted to be held back.

Alice wondered if she could see the continuation of the dream if she closed her eyes again. But she quickly reconsidered. She couldn’t waste the only time she could spend leisurely with her sister on a nap. Sunday afternoons belonged solely to Lorina and Alice.

"Dreams are expressions of desire. You wanted to play a game, didn’t you?"

"Not at all. More importantly, sister, please continue reading the book to me."

"Hehe. I finished it while you were sleeping."

"Oh, is that so? Then what happened at the end? You can skip the middle part and just tell me the ending, can't you?"

When she urged her, Lorina shrugged her shoulders as if in exasperation. She might have thought Alice was a child without dreams. Ever since she was young, Alice had been the type to tackle mystery novels after being told who the culprit and the trick were. Friends had called it a quirky habit, but without doing so, she couldn’t read through the story calmly.

"Hey, what happened to the girl who got lost in that wonderland at the end?"

"She was put on trial by the queen and sentenced to death. So she desperately tries to escape."

"Escape? How? I'm sure there would be guards, right? Or was the trial so boring that everyone fell asleep?"

"It's not that kind of story... In any case, she tries to escape, and just at the last moment, she wakes up."

"Wakes up? Oh, so it was in a dream! No wonder she could escape."

When she voiced her honest thoughts, Lorina looked a little troubled. Every time Alice saw that expression on her sister's face, she always felt regret. Why couldn’t she become the kind of girl her sister wanted? A girl who liked fluffy and fluttery things and was a bit dreamy and cute. Perhaps her sister wished for her to grow up to be that innocent girl who would eagerly beg to hear the continuation of the story with sparkling eyes.

"What happens to the protagonist after she wakes up?"

"The story ends there."

"What? Just like that?"

What an irresponsible story. If “it was all just a dream” could suffice, then no one would struggle. Because it was a story, it seemed questionable to resolve everything conveniently.

"But you know, it concludes with the depiction of the protagonist's sister's psyche. The sister wishes for the protagonist to grow up to be a wonderful adult. That’s how this story ends.”

"......Hmm."

It felt like an entirely confusing story. However, if she voiced that thought, it would likely sadden her sister again, so she held back.

Lorina was a symbol of admiration for Alice.

From the day their mother fell ill, she had taken care of her younger sisters, Alice and Edith, like a parent, more so than their father, who made excuses of being busy with work and rarely stayed at home.

She was beautiful and intelligent, capable of doing everything perfectly. Even after their mother's passing, her gentle smile had not faded even for a single day, despite all the hardships she must have endured.

If possible, Alice wanted to be like her sister. But she didn’t know how. When would she be able to escape from her own insecurities, negativity, and feelings of inadequacy?

Before she knew it, her eyelids grew heavy. The wind carried the scent of roses, tickling her nostrils. Though she didn’t dislike spending time with friends from school, her favorite moments were lying in the garden, listening to her sister’s calm voice. She often thought how nice it would be to remain like this forever.

Yes, how nice it would be if they could stay like this forever. Surrounded by the scent of roses, gazing at the drifting clouds, chatting aimlessly, forever and ever—

“Oh, are you still sleepy? You’re not getting enough rest, are you?”

“No, it's not that. The sunlight feels nice, and my eyelids just...”

Today, she felt an unusual wave of sleepiness. She should have gotten plenty of sleep, yet the moment she let her guard down, she felt herself being dragged back into the world of dreams.

“Don’t misunderstand, sister. It’s not like I’m always napping. I keep my eyes wide open and take my classes seriously at school.”

“Of course, I know. During the last meeting, the teacher praised you, Alice. Apparently, your grades are excellent, and you manage everything without any trouble.”

“The teacher said that?”

Her voice turned somewhat sullen at that revelation. If that were true, she could only take it as sarcasm.

She was aware that she was a difficult student for the teachers. She would immediately voice her objections when faced with unreasonable actions and respond methodically when shouted at. This stance applied not just to her teachers but to her classmates as well. If someone discriminated against her, saying “because she’s a rich girl,” she would retaliate thoroughly.

However, she didn't want to act as a lone wolf. She had friends and someone kind waiting for her at home—her gentle sister. Although things weren't great with her father and sister, expecting to have everything in harmony was already a tall order. After all, this was not a story or a dream, but the real world.

This was reality.

In both her home and school, she could only engage with people halfway. No matter where she was or what she did, she was always accompanied by a sense of discomfort. The person she was, constantly feeling out of place, was the true reality. Even if she self-analyzed and said, “Putting on a brave front is a sign of a lack of confidence,” it only felt empty.

“Alice, do you perhaps not like school?”

“Of course not. I must like it! I’m managing just fine!”

She forced a smile that expressed her best effort. She didn’t want to sadden her beloved sister. She had to play the role of a bright, lovely, and honest little sister.

Lorina closed the book and exhaled lightly with a vague expression.

“Well… you’re no longer a child.”

“Why do you say that all of a sudden? I’m still a child!”

“Once you begin hiding things from your family, you’re already an adult,” she said, with a meaningful tone. “Before long, spending Sunday afternoons like this together will become a rare occurrence.”

“That’s not true. I will always…”

Always, she wanted to stay like this.

The sight of her sister gazing into the distance, without her reflection in those eyes, stirred an inexplicable anxiety within Alice. Clouds began to cover the sun, casting a large shadow on the grass. A strong wind blew, causing her sky-blue skirt with frills to flutter.

Lorina clapped her hands together.

"That's it! Shall we play a game now?"

"A game?"

"Yes. After all, you dreamed about it. You must have wanted to play a lot."

Alice shook her head. She didn't want to play any games. She was perfectly satisfied just lying on the grass, chatting, and reading.

"Come on, it's okay once in a while. You can’t play a game alone, so keep me company. So, what will it be? Chess? Or would you prefer cards?"

—Cards?

Her heart reacted with a thump.

A vivid red flooded her mind. Cards numbered from one to twelve rose into the air, coming down like a shower. Suddenly trapped by such imagery, Alice pressed her hand against her chest.

Yes, it's a game. She had to play a game.

With twelve cards of red hearts.

"Just wait a minute. I’ll go get the cards."

Lorina set the book down and stood up.

"Okay? You can’t fall asleep before I come back."

"Sure, I’ll wait. I’ll definitely wait…”

Alice blinked, trying to dispel the red afterimage.

The figure of her sister leaving with light steps gradually blurred. Her eyelids grew heavier, and it felt like the strength was draining from her body.

A blue sky. Flowers blooming in profusion. Scones with clotted cream and brown bread sandwiches in the basket. Dipping a slightly dry madeleine into tea was her favorite.

Just thinking about each of those daily pleasures helped her regain her composure quickly. However, when a yellow butterfly danced in front of her nose and flitted away, she caught a glimpse of a white rabbit, and her heart skipped a beat once again.

"A rabbit...?"

For about three seconds, her breath stopped. A rabbit wasn’t particularly rare, but a bipedal rabbit wearing clothes was a different story. Such a thing was not part of everyday life. At least, not in the ordinary world surrounding Alice.

"Hey! This is where you chase after me! Don’t just dawdle!"

Surprisingly, it spoke.

The rabbit appeared to slow its running speed as if waiting to be captured by Alice. Yet, when she didn’t move, it showed signs of impatience.

“Come on, come on! What are you doing being so lethargic at your age? Hurry up and chase after me!”

Being told such a thing was troubling.

She was well aware of her lethargy, but it irritated her to have this rabbit point it out on their first meeting. After all, she was intensely sleepy at that moment. Moreover, she was tired enough that seeing hallucinations wasn’t too surprising. Just because a slightly unusual rabbit appeared, there was no way she would move this heavy waist.

Stubbornly, Alice closed her eyes. She didn’t want to take on troublesome matters. If she got involved with a talking rabbit, it was probably a guarantee she would end up in some troublesome situation.

Still, she felt so sleepy. No, perhaps she was already in a dream. If that were the case, then it wouldn’t be strange for a rabbit to talk.

As she tried to convince herself of this, her body suddenly floated. Startled, she opened her eyes and found an unfamiliar young man peering into her face. He was a nervous-looking man with silver-gray hair and glasses.

"Honestly, you’re quite a handful. Why aren’t you chasing after me?"

"Who are you?!"

Her drowsiness was completely gone. She couldn't understand why she was being held by a stranger.

The slender, pale man had a well-defined face when looked at closely. However, she didn’t intend to be shallow enough to be swept away just because he looked a little handsome.

“Who are you!?!?!?”

“Please don’t shout in my ear. I can hear you just fine.”

The man looked exasperated and twitched his long ears which resembled those of a rabbit atop his head.

...Ears?

“H-Pervert!”

“C-Come on, please don’t thrash around like that!”

How could she not thrash about? Alice flailed her limbs in resistance. However, despite his slender appearance, he was surprisingly strong, and she couldn’t escape his grasp.

This was the worst. To run into a suspicious man with rabbit ears in broad daylight was terrifying. Sensing her danger, she resisted more fiercely. It was a big mistake to think that just because she was a girl, he could easily subdue her.

“Put me down, you creep!”

“Of course, I’ll set you down once we arrive. Now, let’s go!”

With a cheerful smile, the man suddenly started running. He headed straight for a large hole that had appeared in the garden, still carrying Alice.

...A hole?

There hadn’t been any such hole until just a moment ago. The scale was so large that it was hard to believe it was dug in the brief moments she had looked away, leaving her head spinning. That’s right, where is that bipedal, talking rabbit going? The one in the red checkered outfit who hung a big clock around his neck...

Without a hint of hesitation, the man dove into the hole.

“Gyaahhhhh!”

Falling. Falling. Downward she went.

Into the bottomless darkness. A world descending rapidly. Suppressing a soundless scream, Alice reached out toward the last glimpse of light.

 

For the first time in her life, she saw something like a sliding lantern.

The faces of her father, sister, and brother spun around her, and she became acutely aware of death. Just as she was about to lose consciousness, Alice landed at the bottom of the abyss. There was no violent impact; it felt like a soft landing as if she had jumped onto a fluffy sofa.

“What? What on earth is going on...?”

She cautiously looked around.

Through a round window carved into the stone wall, the blue sky peeked through. It seemed that they were at a very high location, and she could see an array of rooftops that appeared to belong to residential areas from the gaps between the walls. Strangely, despite being thrown deep underground, the place she had arrived at felt as refreshing as having reached the top of an observation deck.

“Welcome to the Country of Hearts! We’re glad to have you, Alice.”

“...Huh?”

Alice stared blankly at the smiling rabbit man. Everything was so sudden that she didn’t know where to begin questioning. But for now,

“Please take me home.”

“That’s impossible.”

He bluntly refused.

It was a quick and straightforward answer, one that felt as if it had been prepared in advance.

In any case, this was a futile conversation. The other party was a kidnapper, so he had no intention of letting her go home. Despite his nice-looking smile, he was a calculated criminal who had even researched Alice's name.

"Please don’t look at me with such suspicious eyes. I have no intention of harming you. I brought you to this world to make you happy."

"…What do you mean?"

“Because I like you. I want the person I like to be happy. Isn’t that just natural psychology?”

Alice opened her mouth in shock.

Now, next to being a kidnapper, she also had the title of a stalker added to the man. It made even less sense. Why did this rabbit man choose her? There was such a beautiful sister right beside her.

He was definitely unstable. If she were a man, she wouldn’t choose a girl like herself.

"If you want to make me happy, then take me home right now."

"Do you want to go home?" The rabbit man tilted his head with a puzzled expression. "This is the world you wished for, isn’t it? Someone who wants to go home wouldn’t be calling for me."

A stalker to the extreme.

In the rabbit man’s mind, it seemed like Alice had wished to be brought here. She was starting to feel very irritated.

"Hey, we’ve just met, right? I have no memory of calling you."

"Oh, come on, we’ve met before. I've always been by your side."

He raised the corners of his mouth smugly, twitching his ears.

"That’s why I know everything about you. About your beautiful sister, and how she took your boyfriend away from you."

"Wha...!"

Alice flinched. A sharp pain shot through her chest as if a scab had been ripped away. How did this man know about something she had never told anyone?

"You’re a poor thing. You lost your beloved boyfriend to your beloved sister."

“That’s not true! It’s just that he fell for my sister on his own! My sister would never go after someone who belongs to another!”

"Right. Your sister isn’t the type to go after her sister’s boyfriend. As proof, she didn't even glance at your boyfriend."

The rabbit-like red eyes were laughing with sarcasm. The man who had once been her tutor had developed an intimate relationship with Alice while also harboring feelings for Lorina. Ultimately, his crush had been crushed, but that fact had instead hurt Alice.

She had fallen for a man whom her sister considered insignificant. It felt as though she was being starkly reminded of the fact that she and her sister were on different levels.

But if she were to ask whether it would have been better if Lorina had shown interest in him, she had to shake her head. After all, no matter the outcome, it was impossible to resolve the complex deeply rooted in Alice's heart.

"How sad. Poor Alice." The rabbit man repeated this with eyes that seemed to see right through her.

Frustration swelled within her. Despite saying things like love and wanting her to be happy, he showed no restraint in his words.

"I’m impressed by your research skills. Enough already; I’m leaving on my own."

"W-Wait a minute, where are you going?!"

"Of course, I’m going home. I’ll just find my way back."

“That’s impossible! You can’t leave when you haven’t even joined the game yet!”

“A game?”

"That’s right. When you drink this potion, it starts the game."

The rabbit man innocently smiled and pulled a small vial from his pocket. He opened the lid and gulped down the contents all at once.

The sunlight hit the small bottle, causing it to sparkle and reflect light chaotically. Mesmerized by its dazzling brightness, Alice was unable to avoid the next action of the rabbit man.

“Guh…!?!?!”

She was kissed.

It was an aggressive kiss. He pried her lips open and forced something into her mouth. Realizing it was the liquid from the small bottle, Alice struggled with all her might. She pushed against his chest, thumped his shoulders, and tried to pull her arms away, but it was evident that she couldn’t compete with his strength.

Her mind went blank. Captured by an unfamiliar man, robbed of her kiss, and made to swallow a dubious potion. It felt like she had been handed a present filled with every conceivable tragedy, stuffed into a cookie box.

“Did it hurt? But it’s only natural; you came this far, losing to your curiosity.”

Eventually, the rabbit man pulled his lips away and said something absurd.

"Anyway, with this, your participation in the game is confirmed. Whether you return to your original world or permanently reside in this one is up to you. I would prefer that you choose the latter..."

"I'll kill you!!!"

Alice channeled all her strength into her fist and punched the rabbit man in the face. At the moment she felt a solid impact, her consciousness faded, and she collapsed onto the spot.

*

“That white rabbit. What a hassle he has pushed onto me…”

Alice awoke to an unfamiliar male voice. Slowly opening her eyelids, the bright blue sky greeted her through a round window carved into the stone wall.

Blocking the light with her hand, she noticed a large shadow stretching across the stone floor. With a foggy head, she looked up at the figure standing right next to her. It was a tall man wearing a long black coat, with bluish long hair. From the gap in his bangs, dark eyes full of suspicion peered down at her.

She noticed a large pocket watch hanging from his chest and waist.

Now that she thought about it, that rabbit man had also been wearing a big clock around his neck.

By the way, who was this person?

“Hey you, wake up!”

The man shot a frustrated remark at her. How rude to call her “you” so abruptly! As she sat up, she thought absently.

She glanced around at her surroundings. It was the same place as before. However, the rabbit man, who was the culprit behind bringing her here, was nowhere to be found.

“What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and get out of here. This is my home.”

“...Home?”

“Yes, I am Julius Monrey. The guardian of this clock tower. What’s your name?”

“I am... Alice Liddell.”

“Alice Liddell?”

Then, the man—Julius—looked as if he had seen something ominous, his face stiffening.

“You're an outsider, aren’t you? Why is an outsider here?!”

Now she was being treated as an outsider too. She thought maybe he would be a decent person since he didn't have rabbit ears, but he matched the condescending attitude just as well.

“W-Well, even if you say that, I don’t know how to get home. That rabbit man suddenly brought me here!”

“If it’s Peter White, he’s not here anymore. What a troublesome man. To break the rules like that on his own.”

Julius sighed, genuinely exasperated. If anyone wanted to sigh, it was Alice. And what of that rabbit man? He had brought her here, yet now he was leaving her behind. She had never seen such a careless kidnapper.

“Hey, don’t cry, alright? There’s nothing more annoying than a woman’s tears.”

“Who’s crying? Ugh, I should have hit that Rabbit Man even harder. I absolutely can’t forgive him!”

The horrific scene from earlier resurfaced in her mind. She had been kissed and forced to drink a strange potion. It was undoubtedly one of the worst experiences of her life, something that made her stomach churn. While it seemed nothing untoward had happened while she was unconscious, it didn’t change how infuriated she felt.

“Hmph. A woman like you throwing punches at a man. Aiming for the face, too—are all outsider women so barbaric?”

“Eh?”

Alice looked at Julius with a puzzled expression.

“What, were you watching?”

“This is my house. If there are fools barging in and making a ruckus, it’s only natural for me to check on what’s happening.”

“From where? From where were you watching?!”

When she stood up and pressed him, Julius took a step back.

“W-what are you? That! That small bottle!” He pointed at the bottle Alice was holding. “You were made to drink its contents, through mouth-to-mouth. That’s where it started.”

“Why didn’t you stop it there?!”

She couldn't help but raise her voice.

She was fully aware that she was lashing out. Even so, she couldn’t contain her anger.

As expected, Julius furrowed his brow and looked down at Alice.

“Why should I have to stop it? You came here willingly and must have wanted to drink the potion. I have no reason to stop you.”

“That’s not true! I didn’t want to come here! I was taken here against my will and forced to drink that potion!”

Suddenly, she felt like crying. However, having declared that she wouldn’t cry, she couldn’t let the tears flow. She bit down on her lip and desperately held back her emotions.

“I’m sorry. I guess it doesn’t help to say this to you,” Alice took a deep breath and then looked up. “I didn’t mean to lose my composure. It’s just that so many things are happening at once that I can’t keep up.”

“You’re a busy woman, getting angry and apologizing … ”

He said this with a hint of exasperation before placing his hand against the wall.

“In any case, you can’t go home while you’re here. If you want to break out of this situation, you need to progress in the game quickly.”

“Hey, what is this game? That Rabbit Man said the same thing!”

“It’s a game about whether you go home or not,”

Alice tilted her head in confusion. The Rabbit Man’s words had been nonsensical, but Julius’s explanation was equally incomprehensible. He simply kept mentioning the word “game” without any further clarification.

Perhaps sensing Alice’s thoughts, Julius continued.

“The game cannot be played alone. If you want to meet the one who brought you into this, you need to leave the tower and go to the Castle of Hearts. You can see that gaudy building, can’t you?”

Julius pointed into the distance. A large castle adorned with hearts stood tall above the rest of the city, its overly extravagant decorations making it painfully conspicuous.

“No way. I don’t ever want to see that perverted man again.”

“I agree with that. But if you don’t go somewhere, the game won’t progress. I know it sounds repetitive, but the rules state that the game cannot be played alone.”

“Well, does that mean I can stay here? If I have to go somewhere, I should be able to choose to stay here, right?”

“No,” Julius said coldly. “I’m busy with my work. If you want to go home, look somewhere else.”

*

Kicked out of the clock tower, Alice walked alone through the town square.

It felt like an unfamiliar land. She had no idea where to head, so she walked aimlessly. When she asked passersby where she was, they all gave her strange looks and simply moved away from her.

The language was understandable. However, the meanings of the words were lost on her.

In a state of despair, she clutched the small bottle in her pocket. Why had she brought something like this? She thought she should discard it as soon as possible, yet for some reason, she couldn't let it go.

This small bottle was important. Her instincts told her so. She didn’t know why.

Feeling hopeless, Alice paused when she came across a small path in the woods. Her feet hurt from walking too much. She thought for a moment about heading to that Castle of Hearts and pleading directly to that Rabbit Man, but she no longer had the energy for that.

This vial was something important. Her instincts told her so. She didn't know why.

Feeling at a loss, Alice stopped at a narrow path in the forest. She had walked too much, and her feet hurt. For a moment, she thought about heading toward the Castle of Hearts and confronting that rabbit man directly, but she didn’t have the energy for it anymore.

What was she supposed to do from here? By now, her sister must be searching for her. Moreover, if she was late coming home, her father would get angry. He was strict about discipline, even though he showed little interest in his children.

"Hey, what’s the matter?"

Suddenly addressed, Alice turned around.

There stood a young man in a red coat. He wore a military uniform underneath, with a longsword hanging from his waist.

"Are you possibly lost? Haha, I can relate; I've had the experience before. You just end up stopping and staring at your feet."

The young man smiled refreshingly. His wide-open smile and shining white teeth were a relief for Alice, who had been staring at her feet at that very moment.

"Are you a soldier?"

"Yeah. I’m Ace, a knight of the Castle of Hearts. And you?"

"The Castle of Hearts..."

The name sounded rather unsavory, causing her to brace herself for a moment. But she quickly relaxed her guard. Being a knight, he must be familiar with the circumstances of this country. Moreover, he had a refreshing smile, and he seemed like someone she could truly rely on.

"My name is Alice Liddell. That rabbit man brought me to the Castle of Hearts."

"Really? By Peter?" The young man, introduced as Ace, was looking at Alice with keen interest. "…Are you an outsider?"

Here came the term "outsider." While it was true, it was not something one should say to someone’s face.

"You know about the rabbit man, don’t you?"

"Of course. He serves as the chancellor of the Castle of Hearts. In other words, he’s my boss."

Chancellor? Boss?

She felt a headache coming on. That stalker was a high-ranking official. She didn’t even understand what the Castle of Hearts was, but it seemed like an utterly wrong appointment.

"Listen, I want to go home. But I don’t know where this is, and I can't get back. Where exactly do I need to go to leave here?"

"Well, it seems like I'm lost too. I am having trouble getting out of this forest."

Just as she thought she had grasped a lifeline, it turned out to be a spider's thread. All her strength drained from her body, and she slumped down right there.

“Whoa, are you okay? I’m sorry, I can’t be much help.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s not your fault.”

Alice shook her head. However, as a knight, he was supposed to be in a position of responsibility. Was it really okay for him to leisurely get lost in a place like this? Such simple questions crossed her mind.

"Hey, if you'd like, should I go get you a cold drink? You look tired, right?"

"Thank you. But I'm fine."

One couldn't help but wonder where a person who was also lost in this forest might buy a cold drink. For now, she decided to just accept the sentiment behind the offer.

However, this was the first time someone had spoken kind words to her since coming to this strange country. He may not seem very reliable for a knight, but he was probably a genuinely good person.

"Ah? Are you injured?"

Alice noticed something that looked like blood on Ace's gloves. Upon closer examination, it wasn’t just on his gloves; it was splattered all over his clothes as well.

"This isn't mine. It's splatter from my work."

"Work?"

Her body temperature dropped suddenly.

"Oh yeah. I just killed about five people. I can't stand those who get in the way of my adventures."

"R-Really?"

She took back her previous statement. It seemed he wasn’t a good person after all. Alice took three steps back. "Wha? You look pale. I'll run and grab a drink, so wait for me. I'll be back in no time!"

“Wait! A-Stop!”

Ignoring Alice’s stop, Ace dashed away with a light step.

Still, he was taking a long time.

How much time had passed already? An hour? Two hours? She couldn’t be sure, but somehow it felt like he was lost again.

Alice sighed and stood up. If she wandered around, she might eventually run into him again. Anyway, she had to reach a place with people before dusk fell.

After resting a bit, she felt rejuvenated. Alice lifted her head and walked straight into the forest.

Eventually, the path opened up to a bright area.

“Wow...”

Beyond the well-maintained road, a large gate came into view.

The iron gate, flanked by golden and marble pillars, looked undeniably sturdy. The walls extending on both sides were long and indicated a vast estate.

It seemed to belong to someone, but there was no nameplate displayed. Judging by the direction, this was definitely not the Castle of Hearts.

"What’s wrong? Miss?"

A chill sensation crept up her neck.

From directly beside her, something sharp was being pressed against her. Realizing it was a large axe, Alice felt faint.

"Do you have business at this mansion?"

From the opposite side, the same voice spoke. Curious, Alice looked left and right. To the left stood a boy in a blue security uniform. To the right was a boy in a red security uniform.

The twins, as she guessed, grinned while aiming the axe at Alice.

"I... I was just admiring how magnificent this mansion is. I'm not a suspicious person at all!"

“Those who assert that they aren't suspicious are usually the most suspicious, you know. Brothers?”

The boy on the left spoke.

"That’s right, brother. Since we are the gatekeepers, we must deal with any suspicious individuals!" the boy on the right added.

"Gatekeeper?"

No matter how one looked at them, they were children. They didn’t seem like the strong type who could be entrusted with the gate of such a large mansion. The axe was impressive, though. A cold sweat ran down Alice's back. It was certainly a mistake to have left the clock tower. She should have stubbornly insisted on staying, even if it meant being scolded.

But it was too late.

"Hey, Miss, why don't you play with us?"

"If you do, we’ll make it free and easy for you!"

The axes on either side gently brushed against her neck. With an innocent yet threatening aura, Alice held her breath. Never would she have imagined that she would end up in a situation where she witnessed a sliding lantern twice in one day.

"Hey, what are you doing? Twins!"

At the moment family faces began to whirl around in her mind, someone emerged from the gate.

Looking up caused her neck to ache from the height of the tall man standing there. He had beautiful golden hair and sharp eyes. A gun belt hung at his waist. And on his head... rabbit ears.

She momentarily forgot about the axes. Alice's gaze was glued to those long ears.

"What’s going on? A visitor?"

"Hey, don’t interrupt. We’re busy working."

“What’s this nonsense about work? You’re always slacking off,” came the rough statement. Even though they were both rabbits, this was a completely different type compared to that white rabbit named Peter. To put it simply... scary.

While she felt grateful for their timely arrival, it seemed that it didn’t mean she had successfully escaped from her predicament. As proof, the man had his finger resting on the trigger, ready to draw his gun at any moment. Despite wearing a relaxed expression, his gaze remained sharp.

“Hey, is this guy bad?”

The blond rabbit man asked, a cold smile on his face as he turned to the boy in the blue uniform.

“Who knows? He doesn’t seem like a bad guy, but you can’t judge a person by appearances,” replied the blue-uniformed boy.

“Well, you know there are those like me, who are good inside and out.”

The twins shook their heads, and Alice mirrored their movement. While it wasn’t good to judge someone based on first impressions, he looked exceptionally troublesome to her.

“Honestly, what’s with you? You two are infuriating!”

While grumbling, the blond man pointed his gun at Alice. The motion was so natural that for a moment, she couldn't comprehend what was happening.

“Hey, you must be a bad guy, right?”

Alice slowly shook her head. Yes, this must be a dream. If she thought of it as a dream, it would explain a lot. Being brought here by the white rabbit, being kissed, being threatened with an axe, and now having a gun pointed at her—it was all a dream. A daydream experienced under the gentle Sunday sunlight.

Yet, the feeling of the gun barrel against her throat was disturbingly real, and she couldn’t stop shaking. Even though it was a dream, and she kept telling herself it was all a dream, she was afraid of dying. She feared the pain that would come from a bullet piercing through her spine. The barrel pressed firmly against her throat. Please, if it's a dream, wake me up soon. Please.

"Well, I’m not a good person, but I’m not a bad one either."

With great difficulty, her voice managed to escape. At that, the man wore a defiant smile.

"Interesting. But sorry? I’m actually a bad guy."

She saw the man's finger tighten on the trigger.

—I'm going to die.

As that thought vividly struck her, she closed her eyes just as the gunshot rang out. The air surrounding Alice shook, and the smell of metal and gunpowder brushed against her nostrils.

But there was no pain.

"Why are you stopping, Blood?"

"I told you not to kill anyone on my property without permission. How many times do I have to say it?"

Alice slowly opened her eyes. Suddenly, a man was standing next to her. He had restrained the blond rabbit man's hand, diverting the bullet just in time.

...She was saved.

"The chick rabbit shot at his own, boss." The boy in red boldly said.

"What did you say? Who's a chick, huh?"

"Because he forgets your orders right away. That's like a chick inferior to a chicken. His brain is just as yellow."

"You bastard, I’ll kill you!"

The young man called the chick rabbit instantly aimed his gun at the twins. However, he was quickly restrained again.

"You’re not learning, are you... Think before you shoot."

Alice looked up at that man.

The first thing that caught her eye was a peculiar hat. It was a voluminous silk top hat lavishly decorated with roses and feathers. Even a nearby magician wouldn’t have such gaudy trappings. Next, she looked at his face. When she saw his face, Alice nearly screamed.

He looked similar. Too similar. No, it was exactly the same face as her first love, her former tutor. The slight curl of black hair, the almond-shaped eyes, the thin lips, even the prominence of his Adam’s apple—all of it reminded her of him. The only difference was that he would never wear such a flamboyant hat. The man she adored preferred simple clothing and wouldn’t be found in a long white jacket that looked like equestrian attire or formal wear, swinging a cane around.

"Hey, Elliot. Does this girl look like an enemy to you?"

"I-I don’t see her as an enemy! But she could be! We won’t know unless we shoot!”

It seemed the one referred to as the chick rabbit was named Elliot. While that wasn't particularly important...

"Wait just a minute. If you’re saying we won't know unless we shoot, if you shoot, I’ll die!” She couldn’t help but point out.

“Shut up! If I say she’s an enemy, then she’s an enemy!”

Alice looked up at Elliot in astonishment. There was no way she could accept being shot for such a ridiculous reason, even if this world was a dream.

Suddenly, Alice noticed that the hat-wearing man was staring intently at her.

His gaze was somewhat lazy and cold. He was indeed a different person. The gaze of her first love had been much kinder. At the very least, he wouldn’t have stared at her like he was sizing her up.

As she pondered this, Alice quickly fell into self-loathing. The fact that she kept mentioning all the good points about him might mean she hadn’t completely severed her lingering feelings. She had thought she had moved on a long time ago.

"Hey, Blood, was this your preference?"

Surprised, Elliot said.

"Sorry if I’m not your type," Alice thought bitterly. She was certainly not sweet-spoken herself, but she couldn’t match this man’s insensitivity.

"Come on, if you don’t like her, why don’t we just shoot her? Anyone wandering around the Hatter Family’s territory is definitely nothing good."

"The Hatter Family?"

At Alice's reaction, Elliot's eyes widened in surprise.

"You don’t know the Hatter Family?!"

"I don't know! I was just passing by; I didn't come here to shop." It seemed that within this vast estate, there was indeed a hatmaker. Even so, Alice thought it was ominous. If they shot and killed everyone who approached the mansion, there would be no customers left.

"…Could it be that you're the Hatter?"

Alice looked at the man next to her, specifically at his flamboyant hat.

"Yeah, that’s right," he nodded and continued. "And you are an outsider, aren’t you?"

"Huh? An outsider!?!?!?!"

Before Alice could respond, Elliot reacted.

"Is that true about you?"

"Yeah… I’m often told that."

She had grown used to being treated as an outsider. The hat-wearing man—Blood—smiled slightly and tapped the gate with his cane. At that cue, the heavy gate began to open automatically.

"This is an interesting young lady. It seems we’ll be entertained for a while."

Blood extended his hand toward Alice and squinted his eyes.

"There’s a rule that we must invite guests to our tea party. Young lady, I would like to invite you to our Hatter Family’s tea party."

[caffedrine]

Translation - Heart no Kuni no Alice - The Scent of Roses - Chapter 2: Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Summary as copied from Wonderful Wonder World wiki: On a bright Sunday afternoon, a rabbit in clothes appears in front of a sleeping Alice. Did you mean “Alice in Wonderland”? On the contrary, the rabbit transforms into a handsome man! Suddenly Alice gets swept into the man’s arms and they jump down into a hole that leads them to the Country of Hearts. Even though there’s a fairy tale atmosphere, Wonderland is an incredible and dangerous world. How can Alice return to her world?

Author: Quinrose and Uozumi Yukiko

ISBN: 978-4042865142

Beyond the gate, a garden stretched as far as the eye could see.

Alice gasped at its vastness and beauty: neatly trimmed hedges and a large fountain arranged in symmetry. The blue sky reflected clearly on the pond's surface, accentuating the surrounding green lawn. Birds gathered at the pavilion by the water, leisurely enjoying the sunshine.

Alice herself was a daughter from a well-to-do family. She lived in a respectable manor and had a garden spacious enough to hire a gardener. Though there were friends with larger estates than the Liddell family, she had never seen private property this grand, even among the nobility.

...But the owner of this mansion is him, right?

The man called Blood, wore a strange hat. Walking in step with Alice, he had a calm demeanor but still seemed quite young. Yet, he was powerful enough to maintain such a garden.

‘I wonder if being a hatter is that profitable?’ Alice wondered. The hat he wore didn't seem fashionable at all.

Still, despite nearly being killed twice, why did she end up accepting his invitation?

Even though she was thoroughly exhausted, there had been no need to venture into a den of such dangerous characters. If she had pushed through the pain in her legs just a bit longer, she might have reached a place with more amiable people.

Yet, she took hold of Blood's outstretched hand...

"Now then, today is your birthday. We are going to celebrate, so feel free to take a seat wherever you like."

Eventually, arriving at a table set up in the middle of the garden, Blood gestured for her to sit.

"Whose birthday is it?"

"Yours. The tea party preparations are already in place. All that's left is to patiently wait for the finest tea leaves to dance in the pot."

Alice tilted her head. It made no sense at all. Today wasn't her birthday, and besides, she had no memory of telling him her birthday.

Blood snapped his fingers and called over a woman who appeared to be a servant, instructing her to prepare the tea. As expected of someone serving the Mad Hatter, she wore another peculiar hat.

"Before the tea is served, allow me to introduce myself. I am Blood Dupré, the master of this mansion."

He removed his hat and gave a respectful bow.

"I am Elliott March, Blood's subordinate. Nice to meet you."

Elliott wiggled his long ears and smiled broadly. It was a cheerful smile as if he had completely forgotten about the time he nearly killed Alice.

"The twins over there are Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. They are the gatekeepers of this mansion."

"I'm Dee, nice to meet you, Miss."

"I'm Dum. How do you do, Miss?"

Even though the drinks had yet to be prepared, the twins were already helping themselves to the sweets laid out on the table.

After introducing herself, Alice scrutinized the twins’ faces. The one in blue was Dee, and the one in red was Dum. For now, she could tell them apart by their clothing colors, but if they wore the same color, she wouldn’t have the confidence to distinguish between them.

Noticing her gaze, the twins grinned mischievously.

"It's been a while since we've had guests at the tea party, brother."

"Usually, we kill anyone who tries to come in before the gate is opened."

From their innocent behavior eating sweets, such words were utterly inconceivable.

"Killing...?" They were not joking. Alice had just learned this the hard way.

"Our house is always visited by unexpected guests. And it's always troublesome ones that try to bring problems with them."

Blood handed a slice of orange cake to Alice. Not only that, he continued to send over various pastries such as compote, mousse, and cookies that seemed to be for himself. Apparently, he wasn't fond of sweets.

"I won't bring any troublesome matters here. I had no business in this place to begin with."

"Oh, I understand. You are my guest now. Elliot and the gatekeepers will no longer behave rudely."

As Blood said this, Elliot leaned in with a seemingly happy expression.

"Sorry about earlier. If you're Blood's guest, then we'll welcome you!"

He had given a terrifying first impression, but watching him take a big bite of the cake made Alice feel unexpectedly at ease. Though she hadn't forgotten the terror of nearly being killed, he seemed merely obedient to his boss and perhaps not such a bad person after all. The thought of this reflected how accustomed she was getting to this absurd world.

"Come on, eat up! Carrot cake, carrot cookies, carrot compote, and carrot mousse. They're all delicious!"

"Carrot...?"

All the treats on the table were uniformly orange. If they were made with carrots, it made sense, but even so, it felt like too much.

"Ah, eat as much as you want. If possible, clear the orange color from my sight quickly."

Blood furrowed his brows and averted his gaze from the two-tiered carrot cake. His reaction contrasted sharply with Elliot, who was enthusiastic.

"The chef’s carrot dishes here are the best! Today, I’ll even share mine with you, so don’t hold back!"

"Uh, thank you."

As much as she wanted to decline, she understood that Elliot was trying to express his welcoming spirit, so Alice quietly took the sweets in front of her. They did taste wonderful, but she felt her body turning orange with every bite.

She couldn't help but think once again that rabbits really do love carrots. Suddenly, she recalled the other rabbit man. Did he also eat nothing but carrots all the time?

"How can you eat so many carrots? True to your rabbit nature."

Dum, dressed in red security attire, muttered as if voicing Alice's thoughts.

"Huh? Who's a rabbit?"

"If you're talking about rabbits, then you're the only one here, you little bunny."

"That's right! Carrot-loving little bunny."

"I’m not a rabbit! I don’t even like carrots!"

Elliot stood up, shouting absurdities at the twins. He looked ready to draw a gun from his belt at any moment.

"Calm down, will you? I'm saying this, but you are a rabbit, and you do like carrots, right? It's a bit ridiculous to get upset over the truth."

"No, no, I'm not a rabbit! These ears just grew on their own!"

"Really...?"

"It’s true! Besides, I don’t like carrots. How could I eat rabbit favorites? What I like are carrot cake, carrot mousse, and carrot cookies!"

It was all so confusing. Alice sighed.

"Hey, Blood, say something to this rabbit."

"...The tea is good."

With a nonchalant expression, Blood brought the teacup to his lips, unconcerned.

"Ha ha, you're definitely a rabbit! Ha ha!"

Dum pressed the matter further, despite the situation.

"Hey, kid, how many times do I have to tell you?! I’m not a rabbit!"

"If you're not a rabbit, then what are you?! Why don't you stop denying your existence?"

The twins continued their teasing, and Elliot finally drew his gun. Alice instinctively hunched down, hiding behind the table.

"Die! You brats!"

"You die!"

Gunshots rang out, and Alice covered her ears. The gatekeepers didn’t flinch at the sound of bullets; they brandished their large axes in response. The peaceful tea party suddenly turned into a duel.

Amidst all this, Blood remained as composed as ever, savoring the aroma of the tea without moving a single eyebrow.

"Hey, Blood, aren’t you going to stop your subordinate? At this rate, someone’s going to die!"

"My subordinates are not so weak as to be taken down by this level of play."

How can he remain so calm? He exuded an aura of confidence as if he had survived countless chaotic situations.

"More importantly, I got some wonderful tea leaves today. Feel free to drink as much as you like for your birthday celebration. If there's not enough cake, I'll have more made right away."

"You seem to be misunderstanding something. Today is not my birthday, okay? I appreciate the sentiment, but being celebrated is a bit much."

As Alice corrected him again, Blood wore a faint smile at the corners of his mouth. "There are no rules saying that today cannot be your birthday. I dislike boredom. But while celebrating your birthday, I won’t be bored."

He raised his teacup and continued lazily, "Happy birthday, Alice. You are a lucky girl to have made it this far in life."

 

Whether it was luck or misfortune was debatable.

It might seem unlucky due to the close brush with death, but for the moment, Alice had been accepted as a guest. Blood told her she could stay in the mansion as long as she liked until she was no longer bothered.

Soon, a servant guided her to a guest room. It was a spacious room decorated entirely with a hat motif. It had everything necessary for daily life. Given the treatment she was receiving, there was no doubt she was welcomed.

She realized she was rather bold for coming this far. Though she had acted on impulse to get here, she had nowhere else to go.

Looking out the window, it was already completely dark. It had been sunny just a moment ago; how had time passed so quickly?

Once alone, she suddenly felt a sense of anxiety. This absurd turn of events led her to tell herself it was all a dream. Yet, the contradiction was that no matter how long she waited, she couldn’t wake up from this dream. Regardless, she had to survive for now. Dream or not, her will still operated within this reality.

Alice stood up from the chair and left the room. She felt the need to do something. She didn’t know exactly what, but she knew she had to move. It was an impulse that was unimaginable for her usual apathetic self.

However, upon exiting the room, she found the mansion too vast and couldn’t figure out where to go. Wherever she looked, there were identical hallways lined with similar doors.

"Are you looking for something, young lady?"

The voice that addressed Alice, stuck in place, was Blood.

"I wonder how long it's been since I last saw you. It feels both like a long time and just a moment ago."

"We just saw each other a moment ago."

Alice replied in disbelief. He was such an elusive person. Yet, it felt lucky to have run into him again.

"Hey, is there anything I can help with? Cleaning, laundry, anything is fine."

Blood paused for a moment at Alice's question.

"Cleaning and laundry? You?"

"Yes. I can’t just be a freeloader, after all. I want to repay the kindness I've received."

Blood appeared to ponder this even more. Her offer seemed to have caught him off guard.

"I don’t understand. If you're a guest, you should be able to enjoy your time elegantly. There’s no need to think about repaying your debt; just have more fun."

"I can't just sit back and relax like that. I feel restless if I’m not doing something."

"How troublesome."

He said this with a hint of pity before nodding.

"Alright, I understand. I’ll think of some work for you."

"Really?"

"Really. It is the host's duty to provide what the guest desires. However, if I’m to provide you with work to pass the time..."

Blood twirled his cane and tapped it on the floor.

"Let’s invite you to my room. You should be able to stay entertained for a while."

"...Your room?"

"Yes. Come along."

Blood extended his right hand. For a moment, it reminded Alice of her former lover, making her hesitate, but she quickly masked her feelings and placed her hand over his.

Though he looked similar, he was a different person. She wondered how her sister would react if she found out that Alice had taken refuge in the home of such a man. Always playing the "good girl," her sister would undoubtedly be shocked.

"This is my room."

Blood opened a particularly luxurious door at the end of the hallway. The spacious room contained two large red sofas and a hefty antique desk. The ceiling was high, and a tranquil atmosphere reminiscent of her father’s study permeated the air.

What captivated Alice most was the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf that lined one wall. It resembled a library.

"There are so many books!"

Alice lost herself in the sight of the neatly lined spines. They contained titles she had never seen before, stirring her heart with excitement.

"Do you like books?"

"Yes, I love them. You wouldn’t believe it, but I work as an assistant in a publishing house. I haven’t been entrusted with any major tasks yet, but I’m somewhat relied upon."

While focusing on her studies, Alice had gotten a friend whose family worked at a publishing house to help her find a job. It wasn’t an easy task, but it was satisfying. Every book she contributed to felt as dear to her as a child.

"Interesting. Why does a well-bred young lady like you have to work? It’s not like you’re struggling to make ends meet."

"Well, that’s..."

She faltered, struggling for words.

Indeed, she was not in financial distress. The Liddell family had more than enough assets to support four people living together.

So why did she feel the need to work? Why did she seek out a job? As she tried to recall the reason, a thick fog seemed to settle in her mind, preventing her from coming up with an appropriate answer.

"There are various reasons, really," she replied vaguely. "More importantly, how do you know about my circumstances?"

"By observing your behavior at the table, I can generally discern many things. You have potential. It’s clear you come from a respectable family."

Blood removed his hat and jacket, settling into the sofa. As he took off his bow tie scarf, the collar of his white shirt revealed a glimpse of his chest. His more casual appearance compared to the outside made Alice's heart skip a beat.

Though it felt irritating to admit, everything about him was surprisingly to Alice's taste—his unexpectedly broad shoulders, long legs, and even his melancholic profile. Given that her past wounds had not fully healed, it was understandable that her feelings would react.

But no, she scolded herself. Just because he looked similar didn’t mean Blood could replace that person, nor did she intend for him to. After spending the day with Blood, she had come to acutely realize how different their personalities were at every turn.

"I’ll have tea and snacks prepared now. Do you need sugar or milk?"

"No, I don't."

"I see. Tea is best enjoyed straight. I’m glad we seem to have the same taste."

Blood rang a bell, looking satisfied. Almost immediately, a servant came in to begin setting up a small tea party, bringing elegant cobalt blue teacups edged in gold. Once poured, the black tea would surely enhance the deep Bordeaux color.

"As long as you’re comfortable, feel free to read as many books as you like here."

"Really? Is that okay?"

"Of course. I need to take care of some work, but don’t mind me and just relax."

"If you have work, I don’t want to interrupt you. I can read another time."

"You wouldn’t be interrupting at all. I’m the type who can concentrate even when others are around. So feel free to read as much as you want and drink as much tea as you'd like. If the snacks run out, just ring that bell for the servants. You can treat this place as your home."

He seemed sincere, genuinely meaning what he said, not just being polite.

"In that case, I’ll take you up on your offer. Thank you for being so kind. You’re a good person."

"A good person? Me?"

As Blood took off his white gloves, he suppressed a laugh. His laughter felt somewhat ambiguous, prompting Alice to frown.

"What’s so funny?"

"Nothing. I just think you’re quite a unique young lady. So I’m a good person, huh... haha."

Although he was very kind, she found his ambiguous wording rather annoying. Simply put, it irritated her.

"You seem like a nice person, but I don’t like that aspect of you. Why not just say what you mean?"

"Haha, I actually like your straightforwardness. It makes me like you even more."

Blood took a sip of his tea and then stood up.

What’s he going to do now? He moved over to the desk and reached for a pile of papers, sitting down deeply in the chair as he began to write swiftly with a pen.

It seemed he had suddenly entered "work mode." He appeared completely focused on his tasks as if Alice’s presence didn’t matter at all.

...Being left like this isn’t great.

His actions were entirely unpredictable. Suddenly being left to her own devices left Alice feeling fidgety, so she resumed her search for a book. It was easier to be left alone than to be constantly acknowledged, even though she felt a bit neglected.

For a while, they each spent their time separately.

The room was filled with books that captured Alice’s interest. There was no time to feel bored, and she devoured the books one after another. The sofa was plush, and there was never a shortage of tea and snacks. It was so comfortable that she nearly forgot this was Blood’s room.

It was strange. Why did she feel so at ease despite just having met him? Was it because he resembled that person? She questioned herself but quickly denied it. The source of her comfort was likely his whimsical nature, being self-centered and non-intrusive. He was also very honest with himself, seemingly unconcerned about what others thought.

"Young lady, did you find any books you like?"

Having wrapped up some work, Blood approached Alice in a cheerful mood.

"Yes, I found many I liked. It seems we have similar tastes in books."

"That's great. Please don’t hesitate to come read whenever you want. You’re always welcome here, Alice."

"But..."

Even though Blood was the head of a major corporation, and he said it wasn't a bother, it raised concerns. He definitely had a busy schedule. Besides, allowing a girl of unknown background to come and go in his room felt inappropriate.

"If only I could assist you with your work, but that’s probably too much to ask."

She had no idea how to make hats, nor was she particularly skilled with a sewing machine. The most she could manage would be threading a needle.

Then Blood leaned closer, seemingly surprised as he scrutinized her face.

"You want to help with my work?"

"I thought it would be nice to help, but I think I’ll have to withdraw that offer. It’s impossible to consider, really."

"I don't think it's impossible, but it's the first I’ve heard that you know how to handle a gun. So that's why you were so composed even with Elliot pointing one at you. You must be quite skilled."

"...A gun?"

The conversation was slightly off-kilter, and a moment of silence fell.

A bad feeling began to settle in.

"Isn’t that right?"

"Hey, just to clarify," Alice said, forcing a smile, "what exactly is your profession?"

"We're a mob known as the Hatter Family. The boss is Blood Dupré, which is me."

 

Even after returning to her guest room, Alice felt as if she had been struck in the back of the head with an encyclopedia, still reeling from the shock.

She felt deceived. If she had known this was the base of a mafia, she wouldn’t have come in the first place. She would have clung to the clock tower and refused to leave.

She couldn't understand why anyone approaching the mansion would be killed by those twins, but she had come to a sort of understanding about it. The mafia had many enemies, and it was common for unwanted guests seeking trouble to show up.

Lying on the bed, she sighed. The sheets gleamed with a smooth luster, and the blankets were incredibly soft.

In a half-quit state, Alice closed her eyes. So much had happened today that she felt utterly exhausted. If she fell asleep, surely she would wake up from this dream. She would forget the stalker rabbit, the mafia, and the man who resembled her ex-lover, finally returning to reality.

—Because this is a dream.

That night, Alice dreamed.

Behind her eyelids, a white rabbit with a round tail bounced around. "Oh dear, I'm late!" In its front paws was a large clock. Tick-tock, tick-tock. The second hand began to spin erratically, and then it fell into a deep hole. Avoiding a rain of bullets, she reached a garden filled with blood-colored roses. Tick-tock, tick-tock.

The Queen of Hearts cackled. Caught by faceless soldiers for the crime of planting white roses, she was sentenced to "death!"

—Is this a dream?

"Yes, it’s a dream."

A voice echoed, and her body began to float gently.

When Alice opened her eyes, a landscape sparkled beneath her like a blanket scattered with fragments of gemstones. Soon, a man in black attire with an eyepatch over his right eye appeared. His left eye glowed with a dark brilliance.

Where is this?

"This is a dream, Alice."

Who are you? How do you know my name?

"I am Nightmare, the demon of dreams who embodies nightmares. I know everything about you."

I was just having a terrible dream. So it was your doing, was it?

"That can be said, and it cannot be said. Dreams are quite ambiguous, you see."

The man who called himself Nightmare wore a weary smile. It was then that Alice realized she was having a conversation without vocalizing her thoughts.

"Can you read my mind?" she finally said aloud. "Not that it matters. In the dream world, anything goes."

"Do you think this is a dream?"

"Of course. You said it yourself. This is a dream."

Pouting, Alice began to think. Now, if this is a dream, which part could be reality? Or am I dreaming within a dream world?

"Yes, this is a dream. But deep down, you know it yet refuse to acknowledge it."

"Don’t be ridiculous; I’m bewildered by so many things. I was suddenly kidnapped by a strange rabbit man, and just when I thought I was saved, I ended up squatting in a mafia den."

"But you’re safe, aren’t you?"

The gloomy man floating in the air said this with an air of satisfaction.

"....Sorry for my gloominess. "

"Don’t read my mind."

Alice shrugged.

"I think if you keep reading my mind, you’ll likely hurt yourself. So you should stop."

"No, it’s not necessary to worry. No matter what you say to me, I won’t come to dislike you. I’m not the only one; in this world, everyone will come to like you. The more you get to know them, the more they will come to like you."

"What?"

With confusion, Alice asked again.

"What do you mean? Why would everyone like someone like me?"

"To be precise, I’ve connected you with a world that resonates with you. If you think of it that way, it makes sense that you would be liked by everyone, doesn’t it?"

"What does that even mean? It makes no sense. This is the worst."

If dreams reflect desires, then it would mean she wanted to be liked by everyone. There was no way she wanted to be coddled in such a grotesque world. Just because her reality wasn’t going well, did she want to be pampered in her dreams? She never considered herself so weak.

"That’s not it, not at all, Alice. You don’t want to be liked by everyone. You long to be loved by someone. Someone you love."

"In a world of delusion?"

"This world is not a delusion. It’s a world that has existed from the beginning."

Nightmare donned a slightly sad expression.

She didn’t have a hobby of disappointing strangers, but deep down, she still felt that this world was a fantasy created by her—someone who pretended to be a realist but had a whimsical side. Her fantasies had intensified and sublimated into a dream that felt like reality.

"I see. You're smart, but you're a fool," said the man, casually delivering a harsh remark.

"But you know, in this world, there will be people who come to like you. Not black or white, not a child or an adult; people who will like you for who you are."

———Everyone has been wishing for you, Alice.

Slowly, Nightmare’s voice began to fade. Alice desperately screamed, but every sound was swallowed by the darkness, never forming words. Her legs grew heavy as if made of lead, and just as she managed to take a slow step forward, she awoke.

[caffedrine]

Translation: Heart no Kuni no Alice - The Scent of Roses - Chapter 6: The One Who Ticks the Second Hand

Summary as copied from Wonderful Wonder World wiki: On a bright Sunday afternoon, a rabbit in clothes appears in front of a sleeping Alice. Did you mean “Alice in Wonderland”? On the contrary, the rabbit transforms into a handsome man! Suddenly Alice gets swept into the man’s arms and they jump down into a hole that leads them to the Country of Hearts. Even though there’s a fairy tale atmosphere, Wonderland is an incredible and dangerous world. How can Alice return to her world?

Author: Quinrose and Uozumi Yukiko

ISBN: 978-4042865142

"Nightmare? Where are you?"

 

She woke up from the most frustrating dream.

She got out of bed and opened the curtains. Fortunately, it was daytime. It would be nice to do laundry or clean the garden. She wanted to absorb the sunlight quickly and cleanse her gloomy mood.

"Hey, Alice!"

As she stood idly in the garden, the energetic Elliot called out to her, but upon seeing her displeased expression, his face stiffened.

"Wh-What’s wrong? Did I do something?"

"You did. Quite a lot."

"What? Seriously?! I have no idea what you’re talking about."

It was understandable; it was just a matter of the dream she had been in moments before. Although she felt bad for lashing out for such a reason, her attitude unfortunately turned brusque. "Just kidding, I had a really unpleasant dream."

"An unpleasant dream? Woah, I didn’t know Alice could be so childish."

Elliot was right. It felt silly to be upset over just a dream.

"So, what kind of dream was it?" Elliot leaned in, intrigued.

“Talking about someone else's dream isn't that interesting, is it?”

“Can’t tell unless I hear it! It might be interesting.”

“It’s not interesting; this dream was awful.”

—In the dream, she wore a wedding dress and was celebrated by everyone.

Just recalling the sheer fairytale-like absurdity of it sent shivers down her spine. Dressed in a white veil and adorned with white flowers, she stood before the altar, surrounded by dozens, maybe hundreds, of families, sporting a forced smile.

It was Elliot who first shouted "Sis!" There ensued an enthusiastic call of "Sis!" from everyone.

That little chick rabbit—she thought she might cut off its ears later as she waited for the groom. Soon, Blood, dressed like a prince and wearing a joyful expression, approached and whispered softly to her.

"This isn’t a dream; it’s reality, Alice.”

Even in the dream, he was such an irritating man. If such a horrendous dream were real, she might have unleashed a machine gun right there.

Do dreams reflect our subconscious? She didn’t think so. The foolish idea that romance and marriage are equal was something she didn’t want to accept as her true self.

"Hey Alice, you look pale. Are you really okay?"

"I’m fine... just the sun is a bit too bright."

Usually, calling for Nightmare would interrupt the unpleasant dream, but he hadn’t shown up at all last night. She hoped he wasn’t somewhere collapsed due to his frail health.

“Hey, I’m free today. Let's hang out later.”

“No, I can’t. I have laundry to do today.”

"Why not let the servants handle the laundry?"

"It doesn’t work that way. Once you’ve taken on a job for the master of the house, you have to fulfill your responsibilities properly. You agree, right?"

Upon hearing that, Elliot looked a bit dejected, his ears drooping slightly.

“...Yeah. Just like Blood is the most important to me, he’s the most important to you too, huh?”

"Who said you need to explain that much?"

As she tried to tug on his ears, Elliot hurriedly pressed his hands on his head.

“Seriously, what’s with that? Don’t get all embarrassed.”

“I'm not embarrassed.”

“You like Blood, don’t you?”

“...Ugh.”

Caught off guard by his directness, she could only stammer in silence.

Given how frequently she went in and out of Blood's room, it was only natural for people to suspect something. She never intended to be secretive about it either. However, being pointed out so plainly made her feel intensely flustered.

"Oh, you’ve turned red. Didn’t expect you to have such a cute side, Alice."

“Sorry for being unexpectedly cute.”

“Just kidding! But you’ve gotten quite scary lately. At this rate, you’ll marry Blood and become our sister!”

With the intention of pulling his ears off, she grasped them firmly. After enjoying the feeling of them to her heart’s content, she finally let go.

“What was that, Alice? I thought my ears were going to come off this time!”

"Maybe you should learn a little!"

Elliot looked at her with teary eyes. Those eyes were irresistibly cute. Just seeing that expression made her feel like she could forgive him anything.

“That's harsh... You really do hate me, don’t you?”

“I told you, I don't hate you. I like you.” Alice smiled brightly. “Really, I think you’re a great friend.”

Such a cute rabbit. Despite being a twisted and gloomy girl, he directed his sincere affection toward her.

Perhaps because she could never mimic such a feat, she wanted to keep him close and admire him.

“Alice.”

Suddenly adopting a serious tone, Elliot looked down at her.

A gentle breeze blew, tousling their hair. His purplish eyes swayed lightly.

He stepped forward, lifted her bangs, and kissed her forehead. It was a gentle kiss, barely brushing against her skin.

“I like you too. If you and Blood could be happy together, I’d be really, really happy. Seriously.”

As the wind tangled her long hair, Elliot’s fingers untangled them. The occasional brush of his fingers against her cheek was ticklish.

“I’d be really happy... because that means you’ll stay in this mansion forever.”

Perhaps. The feelings Elliot harbored for her might be close to romantic feelings. Gazing at his reddened cheeks, she pondered about it.

If she had fallen in love with Elliot, it would be exceedingly difficult to return to her previous world, leaving him behind. It would require tremendous energy to shake off such straightforward affection. Moreover, it was obvious that he would be left crying. The fact that he was so straightforward made him a challenging type to turn away from.

...So, it was okay to remain just friends. She wanted him to stay as a friend. If he grew any closer, it would only deepen her lingering attachment to this world.

"Elliot. You're a good guy."

Alice reached up and gave a small kiss on Elliot's cheek. Whether she was happy or embarrassed, his droopy ears perked up in response.

“Well then, let's go out after the laundry is done. Will you come shopping with me?”

“Of course! I’m looking forward to it!”

With that reply, Elliot moved his ears excitedly as he headed back inside the mansion.

——

Alice sat on the grass, staring blankly up at the sky.

This world had hardly any fluctuations in weather; it never rained and there were no typhoons. During the day, the sky was always blue, with only a gentle breeze occasionally passing through.

It felt just like a Sunday afternoon. She remembered how that time spent with her sister was always sunny and how pleasant the wind would feel. The neatly trimmed grass dotted with colorful flowers, the lovely daisies that their late mother cherished, and the basket filled with scones and sandwiches.

It seemed she had been reminiscing about those cherished moments less and less lately. Although she hadn’t forgotten them, she sometimes found it surprising how much time had passed without recalling them.

………………It must be because she had lived in this world for so long. Occasionally, she felt momentarily confused about which world was a dream. Perhaps this world was the reality, and the time spent with her family and friends was the dream.

Getting caught in such delusions seemed serious. A world where day and night arrived randomly, inhabited by humans with rabbit and cat ears was certainly abnormal. The more abnormal this side became, the more Alice could hold onto her own reality.

“Excuse me, young lady. Would you like some tea?”

The source of her nightmares had arrived.

Alice greeted Blood with an exaggeratedly displeased expression.

“Oh? You seem to be in a bad mood. Did someone bother you?”

“Not really. I just had a bad dream.”

Blood boldly sat down beside her.

“Oh? What kind of dream?”

“A dream where you appeared.”

When she stated it plainly, instead of getting angry, he laughed happily.

“In that case, you might as well sleep in my bed from today onwards. When you’re tormented by nightmares, I will wake you up.”

Alice sighed heavily. That would defeat the purpose. Being surrounded by Blood day and night would give her no peace of mind.

“Are you dissatisfied?”

“Very much so.”

“Good grief, you're being utterly selfish.”

“I don’t want to hear that from you.”

She turned her back to him.

It was her nature to immediately resort to a confrontational tone upon seeing his face.

She couldn't just switch to being all cute about it. She didn’t know how to play it sweetly. Blood was fully aware that Alice had a gloomy and cold personality. It was too late to pretend otherwise.

It crossed her mind that it would be nice if she could be cuter. If she could, perhaps many things would go smoother.

“What are you thinking about?” Blood placed his hand on Alice's chin, turning her face towards him.

“Nothing in particular.”

“Even when you’re with me, your mind is elsewhere? That’s unacceptable. When you’re with me, you should only be thinking about me.”

Blood rare form today, full of his usual stubbornness.

"Then, does that mean when I’m not with you, it’s fine for you to think about someone else?"

"Hmm. That would be a problem."

After thinking for a moment, Blood pulled Alice closer, wrapping his arm around her waist and gazing at her intently from a close distance.

"Then, you should always be with me. That way, you won’t think about any other men, right?"

“...That’s the route you’re taking, huh?”

"That's a remarkably rational judgment. Extremely peaceful, too."

"I can't see how that's peaceful at all."

"I'm saying you could be a bit kinder to me occasionally, just like you are with Elliot."

“....?”

Her head tilted slightly, Alice was taken aback by the sudden shift in the conversation.

"Were you watching just now?"

"I just happened to catch a glimpse. When you kissed his cheek, I nearly pulled out a gun. If it hadn’t been one of my trusted subordinates, I might have stained the freshly manicured lawn with blood."

Blood twirled his cane with a smirk on his face. As always, his eyes didn’t mirror his smile.

"If you just happened to pass by, you could have said hello. Also, that kiss wasn't what you think it was."

It was merely an expression of affection—a kiss similar to what one would share with family. It wasn’t the kind that involved taking and being taken, like what she had with Blood.

"The meaning doesn’t matter, young lady. The issue is that you’ve touched another man."

His gaze sharpened, and it was clear he was angry.

“Hey... don’t you ever get tired of being angry about things like this?”

"It’s exhausting. Because of it, I couldn’t even take a nap. If you're truly concerned about my well-being, you wouldn’t do things to worry me any further." While he spoke, Blood stroked Alice's arm.

It seemed Blood enjoyed touching her body. As he put it, "It feels really good." During moments like this, he didn’t hold even a shred of his demeanor as a mafia boss.

"....Keep your eyes on me."

With that, he kissed her as if to breathe the words into her. The strength of his embrace felt stronger than usual, perhaps to quell his jealousy. Despite how bothersome and irritating it should have been, she found herself uncomfortably excited.

She disliked feeling pleased by Blood's jealousy.

"Mm... I don’t think I’ve done anything to make you worry."

"Are you unaware? That’s even worse."

Blood eagerly pressed his lips against hers, trying to push her down on the spot. Just as she felt herself about to melt into his kiss, she pushed back against his shoulders.

"You’re the one thinking too much like that. Just so you know, I’m going out with Elliot today. But it’s just for shopping, so stop with the suspicious thoughts, okay?"

After saying that in a rush, Blood fell into a deep silence. His mood visibly sank. Seeing him like this, Alice instantly regretted what she had said.

“U-Um... I really am just going shopping, okay?”

“Just going, huh?”

“To the nearby... town. The town.”

"Why not just have the servants take care of the shopping?"

"That’s not the point."

Alice sighed for the second time that day. It was amazing that a mafia boss could feel so much jealousy over her right-hand man, Elliot.

“...You really are quite the popular one.” Blood sighed deeply in response. “While it’s nice you’re liked by my subordinates, being in high demand like that is not ideal. If only I could lock you away, then that wouldn’t happen.”

“Come on, there’s no need to sulk.”

“I’m not sulking.”

The way he said it was already sulky.

“Um... let’s do this instead.”

Alice clapped her hands in a burst of inspiration.

“Today, we’ll all go out together. That should make you happy, right?”

She proposed this on a whim. Upon hearing her suggestion, Blood straightened up and nodded, saying, "That's a brilliant idea."

＊

—And that’s how it came to this.

“Shut up, kids! Can’t you be quiet while we’re walking outside?!”

"You're the loud one, dumb rabbit!"

"You're already big and in the way, so walk more to the side!"

Holding a picnic like this felt quite absurd.

Alice and the Hatter family were walking along a narrow forest path, five of them strung together. Elliot carried a large basket filled with sandwiches and scones for everyone.

With such a troublesome crowd, they couldn't go far, despite it being their neighborhood. Alice didn’t want to be stuck in the crossfire, so they decided to enjoy their outdoor lunch within the territory.

“Sometimes being outside during the day isn’t so bad.”

Ignoring the three who were bickering loudly, Blood commented elegantly.

“If you think that, you should go out more often. Watching you, it seems like you’re not healthy at all.”

The lazy Blood never volunteered to go out. He lived like a sluggish owl who suddenly perked up at night for whimsical tea parties. It was easily imaginable how his subordinates felt dealing with his whims.

“It’s good to go out just occasionally. If we went out all the time, it would just be ordinary.”

In other words, he found it troublesome. Alice didn’t feel inclined to push the idea of health promotion any further.

—Huh?

A gentle breeze swept through the forest path, rustling the trees.

Alice felt like she saw someone between the branches—a man cloaked in a large brown mantle.

However, that presence quickly disappeared. Looking around, there was only the slow sway of the grass and trees.

She didn’t know anyone who wore a cloak like that. Still, something about it nagged at her, as if she had met that person somewhere before.

With a lingering sense of unease, she passed through the forest. As they walked along the main street, she felt the eyes of those around them turning in their direction. At first, she thought it was just her imagination, but soon enough, the murmurs grew loud enough to confirm her suspicions.

“...Hey, Blood.”

“What is it?”

“You guys are scaring everyone, you know?”

While they weren't overtly avoiding or fleeing from them, it was clear that people were reacting awkwardly. The street was instantly filled with a tense atmosphere.

“Did you do something bad to the people here?”

“...Well, we are the mafia.”

He brushed it off with a single statement.

“Hey, where are we going to eat? I’m starving!”

Elliot twirled his gun as he spoke.

“What do you expect me to say...”

This particular group certainly stood out too much together. They were being watched from a distance, whispered about, and it was far from comfortable.

Suggesting that everyone go out had clearly been a mistake. She should have considered the kind of people she was associated with.

Trying to escape the gazes of those around them, they made their way to a park. There, fewer people would allow them to eat in peace.

“Alright, you all help out. Take out the contents of the basket and spread it on the blanket.”

She instructed Elliot and the others to select the sunniest spot in the park. Despite having just walked through the streets looking like a mafia, once they realized there were carrot sandwiches on the menu, Elliot was hopping about joyfully. Dee and Dum obediently followed Alice's orders, pouring out tea for everyone.

“You’ve become quite skilled at managing your subordinates. You’ll do fine as a mafia boss.” Blood said with a hint of amusement while watching.

“Stop joking, who would want to be a mafia boss? It feels more like I’m leading a group of elementary school kids.”

Their bickering and restlessness were indeed reminiscent of schoolchildren. Alice never imagined her experiences dealing with kids would be useful here.

With everything set up, it was finally lunchtime.

“Wow... I can actually eat in peace.”

Elliot mumbled as he ate his sandwich.

“What do you mean by that?”

“When we go out to eat, we usually end up fighting, and the table gets all messy. So, I’ve never been able to eat properly.”

“That’s right, it’s always the chick rabbit making a mess. It’s terrible, isn’t it, Alice?”

Dee eagerly chimed in.

“You guys are swinging axes around while you're eating, too!”

“That's because your table manners are terrible!” Dum shot back. The atmosphere quickly began to sour, and Alice hurriedly intervened. It made sense now why they never got to enjoy a proper meal with this kind of flow.

Blood, who had been calmly sipping his tea on his own, chuckled softly. “I’m truly impressed today, Alice. Thanks to you, I might finally enjoy a peaceful lunch for the first time in a while.”

“I haven’t done anything, you know? The sandwiches here were made by the servants, not me. I don’t have the skills to serve homemade food to everyone.”

“That's what servants are for in situations like this. There's no need to force difficult cooking on yourself.”

Alice tilted her head slightly at Blood's response.

“...That’s kind of unexpected. I thought you’d say that as a woman, I should cook.”

Society often views it as preferable for women to be homemakers. After all, not being good at housework isn't something to boast about.

“Fortunately, my household has many servants. If something can be resolved with money, then it should be resolved with money. That’s all there is to it.”

“I see... that’s very much like you, Blood.”

Blood wouldn’t force others to handle troublesome tasks unless they were in an employer-employee relationship. Alice appreciated that simple way of thinking. When expectations are placed upon her, it can become burdensome, so this laid-back approach was much easier.

“Hey, big sis.”

“Hmm?”

“What’s a mistress?”

“...Huh!?!”

Suddenly, Dum blurted out something outrageous. “Where did you even learn a word like that?”

“The people in the town were gossiping. Since she walks beside the boss, that girl must be his mistress.”

“Wha...!”

A sharp pain shot through Alice's head. This was one of the top shocking events since arriving in this world.

“...Mistress?”

Blood repeated the word, desperately trying to hold back laughter. “This young lady? My mistress?”

“What’s so funny about it?”

“Well, it’s not that it’s funny. So, she’s my mistress, huh? Ha ha, that's good.”

It was sufficiently amusing. Of course, she didn’t fit the image of someone who would suit the term "mistress." That term conjured images of beautiful women draped in furs and clad in dresses with high slits.

...But, in terms of her position, it wouldn’t be strange to be called his mistress. In fact, it seemed quite fitting.

“Hey, hey, what’s a mistress, sis?”

“You’re definitely asking because you know, aren’t you?” Elliot interjected sharply.

“I don’t know! I’m just a kid! Right, brother?”

“That’s right. Because we’re kids, we don’t understand.”

“Oh, I get it, I get it. When you guys grow taller, I’ll tell you about it.”

“What do you mean? We’re in our growing period!”

“I’ll catch up to you in no time!”

“Shut up, shorty!” Elliot was as childish as ever. Sometimes, he seemed even more childish than the twins.

“...It’s hard to figure out if you guys have good or bad relationship.”

Alice watched them while spreading clotted cream on her scone. The gentle breeze brushed over the grass, and the sun shone brightly high above. In terms of seasons, this was a place of eternal spring, with flowers always in bloom, creating a beautiful contrast against the blue sky.

A professional killer with rabbit ears, bloodthirsty twin gatekeepers, and the young mafia boss.

And in the middle of it all was Alice.

In the warmth of the sunlight, Alice thought for the first time that this might be her true place. The thing she had longed for but could never attain in the real world could be found here, in this world.

The twins were frolicking, Elliot was egging them on, and Blood remained composed as always. Alice loved watching them. She had just realized that this mundane scene had gradually become something precious to her.

If possible, she wished she could have remained unaware of this realization until the end. She had wanted to continue complaining about this world until the very end. She wanted to reminisce about how everyone was a bit crazy and long for reality.

If she could have continued to hate this whimsical and arrogant man until the end...

...how much easier that would have been.

But she had come to like them. The distorted beings in this world, the twins, Blood sipping tea gracefully, the gentle hand that stroked her hair, and his lips—everything.

—Is that really okay?

She felt as if she heard someone’s voice and looked around.

However, there were no other people there. Apart from the sound of the wind and the bickering between Elliot and the twins, there was no other noise.

“Alice, speaking of which, the book you wanted to read has arrived.”

Blood said lazily, as usual.

“Come to my room later. I’ll prepare some tea.”

“Thank you, Blood. But I...”

—Have you really made up your mind?

“What’s wrong? Alice.”

“...No, it’s nothing.”

Alice shook her head. What was she going to say to Blood just now?

 

The trees cast mosaic-like shadows on the ground.

In the evening, the forest path underwent a drastic change in appearance. The area became deserted, and the density of the greenery thickened. It felt as if something was lurking everywhere.

“Hey, Blood, let’s go out for a drink!”

“No way. I don’t want to go drinking with you.”

“Why not! I’ve never caused you any trouble!”

“...You seriously don’t remember anything, do you?”

On the way back from the picnic, Elliot was unusually clingy with Blood. With his arm tightly around Blood’s shoulder, he looked extremely annoyed.

“Actually, I found a great place. They serve carrot fizz and carrot tequila. I thought I had to take you with me!”

“Places like that, just go by yourself.”

“I don’t want to drink alone! That’d be boring!”

“...Hey, do you think Elliot has a bad drinking habit?”

Alice secretly asked the gatekeepers. Both of them nodded with expressions identical to Blood’s, filled with distaste.

“That guy cries when he drinks.”

“It always ends up with the boss having to take care of him.”

“No way...”

She couldn’t imagine Blood taking care of Elliot. It felt like she caught a glimpse of their surprising relationship.

...........Even so, this place felt eerie.

Small creatures that she had never seen before darted across her path with glowing eyes, and large birds suddenly took flight from the bushes—it was packed with horror traps. Where had the refreshing vibes of the daytime gone?

“Hey, sis, did you know? In this forest...” Dum grinned. “There are often dead bodies lying around.”

“...I don’t really like those kinds of jokes.”

“It’s not a joke. Besides, dead bodies aren’t that rare.”

“Maybe here they aren’t, but in my world, that’s not something you encounter every day. It’d be scary and surprising if one suddenly appeared.”

“Really?” Dee tilted his head. “But since only clocks are left behind, it’s not scary at all.”

...Clocks?

The twins giggled as they walked behind Blood and the others.

Hearing talk about dead bodies made Alice feel suddenly anxious. She carefully watched her footing as she followed them. While she could handle haunted houses at amusement parks fairly well, encountering a real corpse would be another matter altogether.

—Clocks.

Alice stopped in her tracks and turned to look back.

Someone crossed the path. It was the man clad in a brown cloak, seen during the day. The wind blew, causing the mantle to flutter. The longsword fastened at his waist glimmered dully.

She recognized that sword, but she couldn't remember where she had seen it. Determined to get a clearer look, Alice found herself following the cloaked figure. No, she didn’t even need to follow; she simply couldn’t help herself.

The voices of Blood and the others faded away. Soon it was turning to night, and her unease grew stronger.

...How far did she plan to go?

Navigating through the underbrush while being frightened of the small creatures and the rustling trees, she finally laid eyes on a familiar building.

The clock tower.

It was the place where Alice had first set foot in this world, forcibly brought there by Peter White.

Though it was a symbolic presence in the center of town, she hadn’t visited it even once since that day. The main reason was that there was no particular need, but she also held a grudge against the clock tower's guardian, Julius, for treating her terribly.

Looking up at the clock tower, she saw the building standing ominously in the darkness, exuding an unwelcoming atmosphere.

...Is he still guarding that tower all alone? While she was curious about the cloaked man, her curiosity also compelled her to move toward the entrance of the clock tower.

When she opened the door, cool air poured out. Steeling herself, she took a step inside. She patiently climbed the seemingly endless spiral staircase.

When her breath was short, and her calves began to cramp, Alice finally reached the top floor.

“Wow...”

The stony walls enclosed her, and a round window revealed the night sky. It was a place where she could see the entire expanse of this world.

Though she had been there only once, she remembered it vividly. She recalled her exchange with Peter on that day.

The kiss she received and the potion he forced her to drink.

“That’s right. After you drink this potion, the game will begin,” he had said, and with that ridiculous line, everything had started.

“...Julius?”

Tentatively speaking his name, she searched for his figure. However, the interior was quite dim, devoid of any signs of life. As she walked around the corridor, she eventually found the stairs leading down.

Quietly, slowly, she descended the staircase.

“Julius? It’s... Alice.” She knocked on a door she encountered, but there was no response.

Alice pressed her ear against the door, trying to sense what was inside. At this point, she felt as though she was crossing the line into trespassing, but she also felt that there was no turning back now.

Faint sounds could be heard.

They were sounds that one would easily miss if not paying close attention. Gathering her courage, Alice grasped the doorknob and quietly opened the door.

Don’t I need to say goodbye?

“Julius... are you there?”

Despite preparing herself for a shout as she opened the door, Julius wasn’t present. The room was dim and slightly dusty. She could sense signs of life from the half-empty coffee on the table and the bed. Scattered tools and many clocks hanging on the wall suggested that he was engaged not only as the clock tower's guardian but also as a watch repairman.

...The clock tower?

Stepping into the room, Alice paused. A bittersweet, nostalgic feeling welled up within her, making her want to stay there or turn back. Confusion enveloped her.

...Why am I here?

She became aware that she had been unconsciously clenching her left hand. When she opened her tense fingers, a small bottle rested in her sweating palm.

The small bottle that she thought she had emptied was now full again, emitting a faint glow.

She couldn't recall why she had been holding onto it. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit her, and she leaned her hand against the table. It felt as if she was forgetting something important—not just the bottle, but a crucial memory that she absolutely should not forget.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

The pocket watch on the table ticked softly, the source of the sounds she had been hearing.

Alice reached out towards the watch face. It was an exceptionally large pocket watch. But why? This was a world where time should not matter...

“Don’t touch that clock!”

Huh?

Julius yelled just as Alice's fingers brushed against the watch face. In that moment, her vision was engulfed by a blinding light. Her body was rapidly being drawn somewhere. The dazzling white world enveloped Alice, making it nearly impossible for her to keep her eyes open.

—Why?

Why had she forgotten?

It had been such an important memory. It was a memory she should never have forgotten.

“I specialize in making people forget things, you know," a voice whispered.

It was Nightmare. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw shards of glimmering gemstones sparkling in the darkness. It was a soothing dream, within the dream world. Although they hadn’t seen each other for a while, it felt like it had been ages since she last laid eyes on his face. He still looked pale and unwell, wearing a slightly sad expression.

“The fact that you’re here means... I’m dreaming, right?”

“No, that’s not the case.”

He shook his head.

“You came here of your own will, guided by the sound of the clock. The sound of that clock that the Knight of Hearts... the cloaked man collected.”

“...Yes, there was a clock. On Julius’s desk.”

It had been a large pocket watch. It was by touching that watch face that led her here now.

“Hey, why do you look so sad?”

“You don’t need to ask me; it’s written in your heart.”

That’s right. He could read hearts. He understood everything about Alice, which is why he always appeared sad.

“You’ve decided to go home, haven’t you?”

“Yes. I’ll go back because I’ve remembered.”

It was a memory she could not afford to forget. No matter how much she wished to forget it, she should never have let it slip away. But the moment she touched that clock, everything came flooding back.

“...That’s why I’m going back. I have to go back.”

Back to her original world.

This conclusion was the end of the game. This was the game she had been playing. Alice had fulfilled her purpose.

“I should have forgotten it. It only causes pain.”

Nightmare might be right. It might only bring suffering. Nevertheless, she had to take responsibility for the world she had built.

Living in another world while forgetting everything was something that should never be allowed.

That’s why she had to accept returning. She couldn’t afford to feel pain about it.

She had decided to go home and had come this far on her own feet. She could have chosen not to come here. She could have chosen not to remember those important things.

Yet, since she had chosen to come here, she believed she had no right to feel pained.

“...Hey, what was this world all about?”

Alice voiced the question she had been pondering all along.

Why had she been called to this world? There must be a reason behind it.

“We wanted to heal you.”

“Heal me? Why?”

“You treasured us above all else. That’s why we invited you into the world we control.”

“...I don’t understand.”

Alice shook her head. It felt as though the answer was close by, but it remained out of reach.

“Seriously, can’t you figure out my true identity?”

“I wouldn’t know. You have to give me a hint.”

“Very well, here’s a hint.”

As Nightmare circled around her in a clockwise manner, he gently landed in front of her.

“Imagine there are cards here: a King, a Queen, the White Rabbit, an Ace, the Clockmaker, the March Hare, the Hatter, the Twin Gatekeepers, the Cheshire Cat, the Gopher, and me. How many cards are there in total?”

She counted on her fingers. Eleven... no,

“I count the twins as one each, so that makes twelve.”

“That’s right.”

He smiled as if to say, “Good answer.”

“The number twelve must never be lacking. We are engaged in an eternal game of conflict. We must meet regularly and sometimes even engage in direct combat. However, there is no resolution to this battle.”

The game he described was precisely the game of this world.

They had been fighting for territory for many years, but there was no sign of resolution. Despite being enemies, there were times they had to meet and fight.

“Each of the twelve has an important role, but if one goes missing in a conflict, there can be a substitute. If repairs are made, another can take the place of the lost. That’s why life is so cheap in this world.”

A substitute can always be found.

Once, Blood had said the same thing to her: “If a function stops, a substitute will appear.” He had said it was because of their roles.

“Right. What’s important are the roles. The number twelve is significant.”

The number twelve.

Somewhere, she heard a crisp sound, the sound of clock hands overlapping. “Do you understand now? Our true identity?”

“Your true identity... what do you mean?”

—Time?

“Yes. We are time itself, Alice.”

Nightmare revealed this with a very sad smile.

“This is the land of time, and also the land of clocks. Every inhabitant of this world has a clock within their heart.”

“...Is your heart a clock, too?”

“Not just mine. The White Rabbit, the Queen... the Hatter, all of them.”

Alice gazed at Nightmare’s left chest.

There, a clock was housed. Instead of a heart, a clock resided.

“If my clock were to break, the Clockmaker would quickly repair it. That clock would then become another’s heart. And in that way, we pass on our roles.”

“...But if your clock becomes someone else's, what happens to you?”

“I exist there, but as something unseen. That’s what time is. Time is only recognized because there are clocks, right?”

Nightmare took Alice’s hand and pressed it against his left chest.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

The sound of the ticking second hand echoed. It was the same sound she had heard from the clock she found in Julius’s room.

“Though we are time itself, we cannot exist without a clock. That’s why all the inhabitants of this world feel empty and don’t know how to live. They should be free, yet they cannot escape their roles.”

...So, this world was always in a state of temporal disarray.

Evenings followed by days and days followed by days, sometimes leading to nights. Time, which should have been regular, was chaotic because the hearts of the beings embodying time were in turmoil.

This was the land of hearts.

“Exactly. I thought you would uncover the truth.”

“It was because you provided me with hints. I couldn’t have figured it out on my own.”

“I wanted you to see it. Because I, too, am time. I wanted you to notice.”

Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

It sounded like a whispering plea, one that could easily be drowned out by background noise if one were not careful.

Alice thought this heartbeat might be the cry of time itself. Because they existed in absence, perhaps their hearts cried out for someone to notice them.

...If that’s the case.

Was it me who noticed that sound?

That’s why I was called to this world?

“Finally, you understand, Alice.”

He squeezed her hand tightly and smiled.

“You loved time more than anyone else. You cherished every minute and second, didn’t you?”

Memories of that Sunday afternoon resurfaced in Alice’s mind.

The time she dearly loved. The time she wished to "stop" countless times. A precious treasure that she absolutely could not forget.

“That time is ruled by the White Rabbit.”

Alice lifted her gaze.

“Because you loved that time the most, the White Rabbit loved you in return. That’s why he came to find you.”

Ah... that was it.

Her desire to cherish that time and to remain there forever.

That’s why Peter brought Alice to the land of time that they controlled. Ultimately, it was something that Alice herself had wished for.

...Isn’t that right, Nightmare?

“Yes. We wanted you as well. The inhabitants of this world all hold affection for you. But it wasn’t just anyone—it had to be you.”

—And yet, will you still leave?

It felt as if Nightmare’s heart was flowing into her. He was silently pleading with her, asking her not to go, not to deny him.

This world wasn’t a dream; it was something that existed somewhere in reality. Though it operated on a different logic, she now understood that it wasn’t fiction.

Yet, she had to go home.

The game here had come to an end.

“...My sister is waiting for me. For me.”

Her sister would be eagerly waiting in that beautiful garden for her return. She had to go back to that place—even if she had found a place in this world.

Even if she had grown fond of so many things here.

—You don’t need to say goodbye?

“No. I can’t say it.”

If they met again, her heart would surely waver. She knew that. That was the reason she couldn't bring herself to say goodbye. After all the care they had shown her, after being acknowledged as one of them... to leave as if she were fleeing would make her a most ungrateful guest.

“But still, I can’t say goodbye. No matter how much of a terrible person I may be called.”

...Hey, Nightmare. Can I ask you something?

What will happen to him when I’m gone?

Will he despair to the point he can’t go on living?

Imagining him in such a state was unimaginable. But she knew that there was no way for her to know what would happen to him.

So... once again, I can’t say goodbye.

—If that is the path you’ve chosen.

“Nightmare?”

Slowly, Nightmare's figure began to fade. Alice desperately reached out, but she couldn’t move from that spot. No, she was moving, but it felt like an incredibly slow pace. She could never catch up to him as he vanished.

Nightmare was smiling. An ephemeral smile like a farewell blessing. “Wait,” Alice shouted within her heart. She didn’t want him to leave yet. She didn’t want him to let go of her hand. It might be a bit clingy, but...

—Don’t forget. I wish for your happiness.

The world gradually began to regain its light.

It was just before waking from the dream. Her eyelids filtered the morning sunlight, and every cell in her body awakened. She could hear the chirping of birds. The scent of the sun was in the air. The presence of new air invigorated her. Her body seemed to dissolve into the light, and her existence began to fade.

The messenger of the dream departed, and the night gave way to dawn.

Eventually, the clock aligned its hands to the time of awakening.

[caffedrine]

Translation: Heart no Kuni no Alice - The Scent of Roses - Chapter 7: Who Had the Dream?

Summary as copied from Wonderful Wonder World wiki: On a bright Sunday afternoon, a rabbit in clothes appears in front of a sleeping Alice. Did you mean “Alice in Wonderland”? On the contrary, the rabbit transforms into a handsome man! Suddenly Alice gets swept into the man’s arms and they jump down into a hole that leads them to the Country of Hearts. Even though there’s a fairy tale atmosphere, Wonderland is an incredible and dangerous world. How can Alice return to her world?

Author: Quinrose and Uozumi Yukiko

ISBN: 978-4042865142

This is a dream.

The moment Alice realized that, she woke up. A warm wind tickled her nose, playfully passing by. The soft sunlight and the smell of the earth filled the air. The prickly sensation of the grass beneath her. "Ah… I did it again."

The afternoon sun felt too good, and she had fallen asleep once more. It was only around the time her young lady would return for the cards that she should have been able to endure.

If she kept dozing off, the Sunday afternoon would soon be over. She couldn't let the precious time that came just once a week be ruined by the temptation of sleep.

"Still, it was a strange dream..."

A talking, bipedal rabbit. A gloomy clockmaker. Twin sentinels. A yellowish March hare. The Queen of Hearts and the King of Hearts. A pink cat. A violinist in an amusement park, the dream demon, and the Mad Hatter.

Now, she couldn't remember it very well, but it was a very long dream. So long, in fact, that she almost forgot it was a dream.

She thought of telling her older about the dream when she came back. Recently, her older sister had been fascinated by psychology and was very interested in other people's dreams. To Alice, however, other people's dreams were inconsequential. She thought they were the most boring things.

The blue sky. Flowers in full bloom. A basket filled with scones and clotted cream, along with brown bread sandwiches. Dipping slightly dry madeleines into tea was her favorite.

She wished this time could last forever. She wanted the Sunday afternoon to continue endlessly, so she could remain blissfully happy.

Forever and ever.

—Forever?

Something within her chest thudded. The surface of the water began to ripple, and her heart felt tightly constricted.

It was dark yet bright. She wanted to go home, yet she didn’t. She wanted to escape, yet she wanted to be held back. Conflicting thoughts raced through her body, and Alice stood up.

...She needed to forget, and quickly. She had to forget. After all, she had awakened from the dream.

"Sister, where are you?"

Alice shouted loudly. It had been quite some time since her young lady had gone to look for the cards, and she still hadn’t returned.

"Sister?"

The wind blew, carrying Alice's voice away.

She shouted loudly, yet her words did not reach anyone. It felt as if she were screaming in a dream.

Alice took a step forward. She walked heavily over the soft grass. Though she truly wished to run, her legs wouldn’t move as she wanted.

A strong wind blew, casting shadows from the clouds onto the grass. The distinctly blue sky was being encroached upon by the clouds. The beautiful Sunday afternoon gradually began to lose its color—

"...You realize curfew has already passed, right? Alice."

Someone seized Alice’s arm, halting her steps.

The strong wind threatened to push Alice forward, but that hand held her firmly in place.

It was a voice she tried to forget but couldn’t. A voice that she must have been able to forget but didn’t. Why did she have to hear that voice here?

"What’s wrong? Did you mistake me for an old flame?"

"...There’s no way I would mistake you." Alice slowly turned around. "That person never wore such a tacky hat."

The man in the hat—Blood stood with a small smile at the corner of his mouth, looking down at Alice.

………………Why?

Why is he here?

This was Alice's world alone. A world just for her and Lorina.

Yet, there he was—Blood Dupre, who was supposed to be a resident of her dream. He frowned, casting a solid shadow against the grass.

"Let go."

"Not a chance."

Blood ruthlessly tightened his grip on Alice's wrist.

"Whenever I take my eyes off you, it’s like this. Why can't you ever wait in the same place?"

"I wasn’t waiting. I returned to this world. How did you even make it here?"

"I can come." He said in a chilling voice. "This is not the world you came from. You should know that well enough."

His eyes saw right through her. Unreserved, brazen, and impudently polite—the eyes she was all too familiar with.

How could he not show more concern for a woman he once had feelings for? In such a situation, Alice thought about this.

"I know... I really do. I've remembered for a long time now."

She was aware that this was not reality.

She just wanted to take a detour. But she didn't want Blood to point that out.

"Are you still planning to go home?"

"Of course."

"That's a lie." He stated succinctly.

"If you truly wanted to go home, you could’ve done so long ago. But you’re here. You only think you have to go back; you don’t truly want to."

"...........That's not true."

"Is it a fact?"

"It’s not a fact. I have my own role to fulfill. I go to school, work, get my paycheck, and I've decided that one day I want to be independent..."

She had made that decision and acted on it.

She planned to leave home after graduating from school and secretly started working in publishing. She wanted to live on her own strength. She wanted to live without relying on anyone. But the truth was—

Looking at her elder sister's face was painful. It reminded her of being replaced by her lover, highlighting her own unloved existence. She felt acutely reminded that she could never be as beautiful and perfect as her mother or her sister.

So, she told Lorina she wanted to be independent and leave home. She added that being with her sister made her remember him and caused her to lose confidence in herself.

……………Why did she say such things?

There may have been a sense of revenge buried somewhere in her heart. But she shouldn't have said it. If she hadn’t, perhaps Sunday afternoon would still be ongoing.

"......This was my dream." Alice murmured.

"I thought the world you all lived in was a dream. But in truth, this Sunday afternoon was my dream..."

The moment she touched that clock in the clock tower, she remembered everything.

Ever since Lorina died of the same illness as their mother, whenever Sunday afternoon came, Alice always recalled the time she spent here with her sister.

If she came here, she could see her sister when she was still well.

She could remember the happy times before she hurled such harsh words.

It might have been similar to a feeling of atonement. There was no causal relationship between Alice's words and her sister's illness, and there was no need for her to feel guilty about her sister’s death. Yet, perhaps she wanted to dispel the guilt that inevitably surged forth by coming here on Sunday afternoons.

But Lorina was no longer here. She existed only in Alice’s imagination.

"What beautiful memories."

Blood said impassively.

"When you say that, I feel like I’m being made a fool of."

"I’m impressed. Living with a burden of guilt is the way you take responsibility, right? It’s truly beautiful."

Though she thought she understood Blood's character, she felt an unmistakable anger rising. "Don't say such things. I'm just trying to see this through. I intend to fulfill my declaration of independence to my sister."

"That’s what I’m calling guilt."

He spoke as if he were chastising a stubborn child.

What does he think he is? She never asked him to come here in the first place.

"Let go. I’m leaving."

"I won’t let you go." Blood tightened his grip on Alice's wrist even more. "I came all the way here personally. Do you really think I’ll leave empty-handed?"

"I’m not a gift! If you want to go back, go back by yourself."

"Oh…" Blood's eyebrows twitched slightly. "Don't mistake me for someone who will always put up with everything. You’ve kept me from taking my nap, and I’m irritated because of you. I want to go back to the mansion and sleep."

"Then just hurry back and sleep! No one’s stopping you."

She vigorously shook the hand that was grabbing her. Of course, that wouldn't be enough to make him back down.

"Ah, don’t worry, I will be heading back as soon as possible. Once I can take you back, I won’t have any reason to stay here even for a second."

"What are you talking about? I’m not going back to your world." Alice turned her head away defiantly. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye.

Her mind was in chaos. She had chosen reality over Blood. She was an ungrateful person who had returned without even saying goodbye. He could just let go and disregard her.

He could grumble or complain a little. Why, then, does he persistently chase after her? Why is he trying so hard to stop her?

Such actions were troubling.

...Yes. Troubling. Absolutely, troubling.

"You probably don’t realize this, but coming this far is an absolutely troublesome task."

"So what?"

"I’m saying you should consider the effort I put into coming here."

She was lectured in a weary voice that sounded like he was laying a guilt trip on her. He wore a gentle smile, but his eyes didn’t reflect any warmth.

"I-I don’t know. You did that on your own."

"Exactly. So, like a mafia boss, I’ll just take you back by force."

"Wha…?"

"Did you think I would consider your convenience?" Blood's eyes glinted sharply. His grip on her hand tightened.

That’s why. That’s why she didn’t want to see him.

If they met again, her heart would undoubtedly waver. She would realize that her resolve was half-hearted. She would be reminded of her lingering attachments to that world. She had deliberately left that world quietly because she didn’t want to confront those vulnerable feelings.

Why?

...Why couldn’t he let her remain steadfast in her decision to escape reality?

If only he could have allowed her to face reality thoroughly until the end, she would have appreciated that.

"It's unfair... it's unfair."

Alice clenched her fists. For some reason, a simmering feeling of anger arose within her. The wind howled, and she shouted to match its noise.

"You should have stayed locked up in that dark room for the rest of your life! Then I wouldn't have had to doubt myself!"

"Throw away that level of resolve! Your desire to go back is nothing more than that!"

Being called out in such a loud voice sent her anger skyrocketing. She knew very well what he was pointing out, even without him saying it. "Go back! This is my world! It’s not a place for an outsider like you!"

"It doesn’t matter where this is, I came here to take you back!"

"Why? Can’t you just find a new toy in your world? There are plenty of substitutes for me!"

"Can you still say that? There can’t be anyone to replace you!" Blood raised his voice, fighting against the wind, as he held Alice’s chin. "There’s no one that can replace you. I need you, Alice."

"Wha... what do you mean...?"

With their bodies entwined, their gazes locked.

Even under his glare while he uttered words of affection, she couldn’t easily succumb to those feelings. Instead, it only served to fuel her anger. She couldn’t take the selfish man’s words at face value.

Even though she shouldn’t, her body still craved Blood so strongly. To avoid being swept away by the wind, to not flow away in this nebulous world, she clung to him tightly.

"I really hate you."

If she could express her dislike in words, she would say it over and over again.

"I hate you. I truly hate you..."

Even though she said it repeatedly, Blood showed no sign of responding. In fact, he seemed satisfied, which only aggravated her more. This man had intruded into her beautiful and pure world with muddy boots.

Because of him, the tea in the pot had likely gone cold by now. The picnic she was supposed to enjoy with her young lady. That final dream began to warp slowly with Blood's appearance.

—Alice.

At that moment, she heard Lorina's voice from afar.

The gentle and kind voice of her sister. Yet, Alice could not turn to face the source of the voice. Instead, she found herself gripping Blood's shirt tightly. This was an illusion she had created.

Her sister should be there, vibrant and beautiful, the happiest she had ever been. A precious time, calm and tender, untouched by anyone. Something she must never forget.

—sister.

Alice spoke to her in her heart.

Her sister, who had showered her with love in place of their absent parents. She had always loved her from the bottom of her heart.

Yet. Even though she loved her, she had hurt her. She had regretted that for a long, long time.

...I'm sorry, sister.

I'm sorry I couldn't cry at your funeral. I thought I didn’t have the right to cry for hurting you. So, I held back my tears with all my might.

"Blood...?"

Alice looked up at him. His blue eyes were gazing into the distance, staring at the source of the voice.

...Hey, Blood, can you see my sister? She’s beautiful.

She is my pride and joy. She is beautiful, kind, and incredibly intelligent. I love my sisterdearly. She was a perfect person, loved by everyone. Even if she could never be like her, she wanted to at least be the kind of sister her young lady wished for.

Even if she could never, in the future, become the sister Lorina wanted.

...Elder sister. I still love you, always.

Finally, she understood.

It was for that reason that she came back here. Surely.

—Alice.

Lorina’s voice faded away.

Eventually, the scenery began to lose its color. The vibrant greens dulled, taking on the hues of an old photograph. The once-inviting blue sky, as well as the daisies and roses that their mother loved, quickly lost their brilliance.

Amid it all, only Blood and Alice remained, their colors unchanged. They alone became disparate entities in this world.

"Is your business done?"

"...........What?"

Suddenly, Blood scooped Alice up in his arms and strode purposefully through the garden.

"W-what? What's going on?"

"What do you mean, 'what'? I came to take my girlfriend away. Did you think I was just here to chat?"

"..........Girlfriend? Who?"

"Who else could it be but you?"

After a small chuckle, Blood headed directly towards a large pit that had formed in the middle of the garden. A deep hole that led to the abyss she had seen before.

"Wait!"

"I’ve waited long enough. I'd almost like to be praised for how long I’ve waited."

"I never said I was going back there!"

"I will take responsibility. I will love you thoroughly for life. Don’t worry, I have no intention of slacking off. I already know well enough how you like to be loved."

"W-hat...?"

With his suggestive tone, Alice resisted with every fiber of her being. Yet, they effortlessly arrived at the pit.

"The journey there was a pain, but the return will be easy."

"N-no..."

With a calm expression, Blood leaped into the large hole, holding Alice securely.

"—Ahhhh!"

Falling. Falling. Falling. She plummeted down.

Alice clung to Blood's neck with a hoarse scream. He was a man who disregarded her feelings, doing only what he wanted. When he occasionally took on a troublesome task, he demanded a hefty return.

“What are you going to do? It's going to turn into a mess again!”

“Compared to the troublesome issue that is you, this is no big deal.”

Now that they had come this far, Blood embraced Alice with a carefree grin.

“Make sure to hold on tightly. That way, it won’t be scary.”

"What do you think you’re doing, suddenly being kind? I won’t forgive you!"

"Even if you say that, if pushing doesn’t work, I have no choice but to pull back, right?"

"Pulling back doesn’t work either. Besides, you’re not pulling back at all!"

"Hmm... Well then, I’ll just keep pushing."

In this world that was plummeting downward, Blood kissed Alice. It was a kiss that brooked no argument, selfish and forcefully assertive. Even in such a harsh situation, he firmly held the reins.

Falling. Falling. Falling. She continued to descend.

After being treated this way, surely a normal kiss would feel inadequate. Blood’s kisses were like that—a type that left her wanting more. Regrettably, she had already fallen for this kiss a long time ago. She was completely ensnared by his tactics.

But it was she who had wished to fall. Unable to help herself, she had chosen to live in this wretched world because she loved him so much.

Alice waved her hands vigorously in her mind towards that beautiful Sunday afternoon. She bid farewell to the happiest time she had ever known.

—But you know, it would all be tied together by a psychological portrayal of the protagonist’s sister at the end.

—Her sister wishes that the protagonist grows up to be a wonderful adult.

—That’s how this story concludes.

Falling. Falling. Falling. Descending.

With the man who possessed the heart of a clock, she fell endlessly. He was a lover from the land of time—forceful, arrogant, and whimsical.

"This isn’t a dream, it’s reality, Alice." As he kissed her, Blood whispered.

……………Yes. That could be true. It was frustrating, but—

If you’re by my side,

Then this must be reality.