Ch. 44 - Going Out Alone (2)
The three of them moved from shadow to shadow, tailing after Charlotte.
"Come to think of it, brother. Why did Charlotte want to go to town?" Erika asked.
Allen's brows knitted into a frown. "Hmm... I've only heard that she wanted to go shopping."
"You didn't ask her what she wanted to buy?" It was Miaha's turn to ask this time.
"I did ask her about it but..."
Of course, Allen would be curious to know what Charlotte wanted. However, when she heard his question—
"That's well…" Charlotte averted her eyes hesitantly. She was quiet for a good minute, before replying, "It's a secret!"
Her answer was incredibly firm, without a trace of doubt in her voice. "...In the end, I wasn't able to find out..." Allen sighed wistfully.
"Oh..." Erika replied in a small voice, glancing at Allen, observing his countenance, "you must be rather disappointed then..."
"Well… I guess so." Allen nodded, his shoulders in a slump. Until recently, the idea of Charlotte keeping a secret from him was unimaginable. Now that it was happening—
Allen groaned softly before reluctantly concluding, "... even so… keeping secrets is a sign that she is becoming more independent..."
Deciding that it was good progress, a small albeit proud smile appeared on his face. "You did well, Charlotte! Next time, you have to be more upfront with your feelings – even if it puts me on the spot!"
"Now that I've gotten past your weird obsession with protecting her, I'm starting to get a little concerned for you…" Erika shook her head disapprovingly.
Then, as if she thought of something, Erika tilted her head and asked, "Hey, if we continue observing her, won't we eventually discover Charlotte's secret without her consent?"
"Don't worry, if that happens, I'll use magic to erase our memories immediately." Allen assured.
"Your determination is rather unnerving." Erika couldn't help but grimace at her brother.
Amidst such nonsensical chatter, Charlotte continued to move forward, unaware of the three shadows behind her back.