Chapter 280 : This Is My World
Chapter 280: This Is My World
“Aaron.”
Evangeline looked at me.
Her vivid ruby-red, jewel-like eyes stared directly into mine as though they would swallow me whole.
The gaze that usually seemed nothing but adorable and lovable now felt like a crimson spotlight mercilessly exposing every disgrace hidden within me.
“Aaron.”
“......”
That was why I couldn't say a word.
Of course, I hadn't actually done anything wrong.
Strictly speaking, I was merely another victim of this whole transmigration incident.
If I wanted to defend myself, I had every right to.
However...
My lips refused to move.
“......”
“......”
A long silence stretched between us.
It would almost have been better if I'd at least blurted out, "What are you talking about?"
Unable to answer was no different from admitting it.
Shouldn't I say something—anything—to recover the situation?
Thoughts raced endlessly through my head.
“……This body always thought it strange from the very beginning. How did you know the name ‘Evangeline’ even though we had never met before?”
“......”
“There were many other things about your actions that this body could never understand. Of course, this body knew very little about this city back then, so it did not think much of them at the time...”
“......”
“Aaron?”
“......”
“At least say something.”
“......”
Evangeline urged me to answer, but my lips still refused to move.
My mind was completely occupied calculating every possible consequence and risk of Evangeline discovering that I was a transmigrator.
Then—
“Aaron!”
Smack!
The sudden sting on my cheek jolted me back to reality.
Only then did I realize Evangeline had climbed onto my lap.
Both of her hands rested against my face.
Apparently, she'd slapped my cheeks.
“Evangeline...?”
“Is this body not talking to you!?
Get a hold of yourself!”
“......”
“Tsk!
No more keeping your mouth shut!”
She smacked both of my cheeks once again.
Naturally, it didn't hurt.
It merely startled me.
She glared at me from up close with a slightly irritated expression before pouting.
“Aaron.
Listen until this body's finished.”
“......”
“Answer!”
“...Fine.
I'm listening.”
“Really?”
“I'm listening.”
“Good.”
Then she turned around while still sitting on my lap and faced the table again.
The back of her small head came into view.
Stretching out her arm, she reached for her dish of ice cream.
“Unngh!”
With a little grunt, she dragged it closer before forcibly grabbing my hand and placing it on top of her head.
“Aaron.”
“......”
“Answer!”
“...What is it?”
“This body likes you.”
After saying that, Evangeline scooped up a spoonful of ice cream and brought it to her mouth.
From where I sat, I couldn't see her expression.
However, judging by her bright red ears and awkward movements, it was obvious she was embarrassed by her own confession.
“This body does not know how you interpreted those words...
But this body never intended to trouble you.”
“I-Is that so...?”
“Mhm.”
Absentmindedly stirring the ice cream as if playing with it, she continued.
“This body was simply worried that you might disappear.”
“...What?”
“This is all your fault, Aaron.
You were always so impatient that those feelings ended up reaching this body as well.”
“Because our souls are paired?”
“I-It isn't exactly because of that...”
“??”
“I mean!”
Evangeline suddenly snapped instead.
What exactly was she talking about?
As I tilted my head in confusion, she explained with obvious embarrassment.
“This body always thought you seemed to be worrying about something.
As though you feared a future where you yourself would disappear...
Preparing for everything just in case.”
That was true—to a certain extent.
Hadn't I already made countless preparations for exactly that possibility with the students of the Special Class?
Still...
It surprised me that Evangeline had already noticed something I'd never told anyone.
“Until now, this body assumed it was simply because you frequently threw yourself into dangerous situations.
But after learning the truth...
Its meaning became entirely different.”
“...Specifically?”
“This body does not want you to disappear.”
Evangeline pleaded.
“Please stay here.
Do not go anywhere.
Do not return.
Do not get hurt.
Eat delicious food together like today...
Enjoy happy days together...
And stay by this body's side...”
“Evangeline...”
“A Witch's lifespan is long.
Far longer than a human's.
But if it is you, you can undergo surgery and remain together for hundreds of years.
And since you are wealthy, Maria and everyone else could also...”
She trailed off awkwardly.
Then—
Sniff...
A faint sob reached my ears.
Startled, I turned her toward me.
Tears had begun pooling around her eyes.
“...Why are you suddenly crying?”
“This body doesn't know!
Don't ask!”
She immediately buried herself in my chest again.
Suppressing her sobs as much as possible, she continued.
“Please...
Don't go anywhere.
From now on, stop doing dangerous things.
Just continue working at the company forever...”
“N-No...”
I understood what she was trying to say.
But that was asking a bit much.
The absurdity of it all made me let out an involuntary chuckle.
“Pfft.”
Apparently offended, Evangeline punched me square in the chest.
Only to hurt her own hand in the process.
That made her cry even harder.
“Waaahhhhh!”
Since a child had suddenly burst into tears, the other customers inside the restaurant began glancing in our direction.
Some even seemed to recognize my face.
Time to leave.
I picked Evangeline up in my arms and left the restaurant.
Instead of heading straight back to the parking lot, I simply wandered through the streets while carrying her.
I tried speaking to her several times along the way.
She refused to listen.
In the end...
I simply walked quietly through the relatively peaceful streets with the little Witch in my arms.
Eventually, after crying herself to sleep from exhaustion...
I returned to the car.
“Phew...”
Taking care of children really wasn't easy.
If even Evangeline—whose mental age was exceptionally mature—could be like this...
Then ordinary parents truly were incredible.
Even so...
Beneath the exhaustion, there was also a quiet sense of fulfillment.
Evangeline wasn't actually my daughter.
Yet when she cried and begged me not to disappear...
For the first time, I felt that everything I'd done hadn't been in vain.
That's right.
My life hadn't been meaningless.
From one perspective, I might be nothing more than an evil spirit who had stolen someone else's body.
But to someone...
I had become someone precious.
Someone they desperately hoped would never disappear.
Feeling profoundly grateful for that...
I quietly repeated to myself.
“...This is my world.”
Back when I'd first transmigrated...
Those arrogant words I'd once spoken.
Back then, they had simply been a childish line born from Aaron's lingering personality mixed together with my own impatience.
Now...
They carried an entirely different meaning.
This is my world.
This is where I will live.
And once more...
I made my resolve.
I will live...
Here.
“[Hey, Android.]”
“Why, Mr. Vacuum Cleaner~?”
“[Who're you calling Mr. Vacuum Cleaner!?]”
“But you're a vacuum cleaner right now~.”
“[Damn it. Forget that. More importantly... has that bastard contacted you yet?]”
“You mean Mr. Aaron~?
Not really~.
He seems pretty busy lately~.”
“[Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. Did he trick me?]”
The white robotic vacuum cleaner anxiously rolled around the room.
Watching him, Ciel chuckled before adding,
“Don't worry~.
Ms. Miyu contacted me and said it'll be finished very soon~.”
“[R-Really!?]”
“Really.
So stop worrying and be a little more patient, Mr. Vacuum Cleaner~.”
“[I told you to call me Vladimir!]”
Vladimir exploded in anger at Ciel's teasing.
Ever since the Honeycomb City incident, he still hadn't recovered his body.
He was desperately longing to return home as soon as possible.
Aaron had regularly contacted him for a while, updating him on the progress of the replacement body.
However, for some unknown reason, communication had become scarce lately.
As a result, the already irritable Vladimir Vacuum Cleaner had become even more unbearable toward Ciel.
Fortunately, Ciel had originally been designed as a housekeeping android.
She had developed a certain resistance to verbal abuse.
Deep down, she also pitied Vladimir enough to tolerate him.
If she had lost her body completely and been forced to spend her life as a robotic vacuum cleaner...
She probably would've gone insane long ago.
'Still...
Mr. Aaron really should be contacting us again soon.'
Ever since he'd gathered the transmigrators because of the Sector E mafia incident...
Communication had noticeably decreased.
Well...
Life like this wasn't necessarily bad compared to constantly being dragged into the center of every major incident alongside Aaron...
“[Hey, Android! My charging cable came loose!]”
“[Hey, Android!]”
“[Tin can! Answer me when I call you!]”
“......”
Even Ciel's patience with Vladimir's awful personality was beginning to reach its limit.
She understood he had his reasons...
But she sincerely wished Aaron would hurry up and take the man away.
She barely managed to suppress those thoughts when—
Ring—!
“Ah~!
Finally~!”
Speak of the devil.
Aaron had finally called.
Ciel hurriedly accepted.
“Yes, I'm here~!”
“It's me.
Can you talk?”
“Of course!
No, actually, if it isn't now, it absolutely can't be later!”
Afraid the call might disconnect, Ciel practically begged.
Aaron sounded slightly bewildered by her unusually high spirits.
But Ciel truly was desperate.
Please...
Take that damn vacuum cleaner away!
It's already been several months!
I'm a college student now!
How long am I supposed to keep taking care of him!?
She barely managed to swallow those words before Aaron finally brought up what she had been waiting to hear.
“Is Vladimir there?”
“Yes, right beside me~.”
“Good.
Bring him to the Academy as soon as you have time.”
“So that means...
It's ‘that,’ right~?
Right~?”
“I have no idea what ‘that’ is...”
Aaron muttered in disbelief before continuing.
“His body is complete.”
“Hoorayyyyyyy~!”
“...Why are you the one who's happy?”
“It's wonderful news~!”
Finally.
She could live apart from that awful vacuum cleaner.
Attaching frills and ribbons to him behind his back as stress relief had only been amusing for so long.
It was finally time to end this cursed relationship.
“Hoorayyyyyyy~!”
“...Calm down.”
“Ah, sorry~.”
“Well, it is good news.
Anyway, Miyu said it still requires some fine adjustments.
Bring him over carefully without damaging anything.”
“Of course.
I'll let him know immediately~.”
“Oh, and.”
Just before hanging up, Aaron added one final sentence.
“It's time for ‘us’ to gather again.
Be prepared.”
“Ah...”
Click.
The call ended before Ciel could respond.
Immediately afterward, Vladimir Vacuum Cleaner hurried over and asked,
“[What's wrong, Tin Can?
What happened?]”
“Ah, Mr. Vacuum Cleaner...
Your body's finished...”
“[W-What!?
Hoorayyyyyyy!]”
The usually cynical Vladimir began bouncing around like he had lost his mind.
Ciel congratulated him...
Yet at the same time, another sense of dread began creeping in.
'Oh, come on...
We're gathering again...!?'
The “us” Aaron had mentioned...
Referred to the Transmigrators' Alliance.
It looked like Aaron was planning to stir up another major incident.