Chapter 28 – Hard
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It was decided that Yuuta would spend the night at Lilith’s research institute in order to go through some medical examinations now that he’d woken up. Aoi and the others were slated to pick him up at noon the next day. Hence, he was all alone with Lilith right now.
“It’s great to see that you managed to wake up again.”
“Yeah, sorry for causing you so much trouble. I finally…remembered everything.”
“About you being you, you mean?”
“…Correct. Just as you said, Lilith-san, the soul fusion succeeded. The one here right now…isn’t a man of the Old World, nor Yuuta-kun, but the combined personality of both.”
“For me, that has always been the correct answer. So, why were you under the impression that it was different?”
“I had been convinced…I thought…I’d become someone else…who is not Yuuta-kun.”
“…To be precise, you aren’t wrong in thinking that.”
“Right. Putting it conveniently, I had hoped I’d forget all of Yuuta-kun’s memories and become someone new.”
“I see…”
“But, I was wrong. Waking up, I realized that I was a new person, containing the memories of Yuuta-kun and a man from the Old World. I couldn’t…accept that. After all, those combined memories also included the memories of me wanting to run away…that’s why, back then…I suffered for three days, sealing a part of Yuuta-kun’s memories away while persuading myself that I’m a man of the Old World.”
“Since you’d realize you actually aren’t a man of the Old World if you touched upon those memories, you sealed them away so that you wouldn’t remember them, huh?”
“Yes.”
Yuuta’s response greatly piqued Lilith’s intellectual curiosity. The soul fusion had succeeded. But there had been an intervention by the individual’s consciousness at that time.
“You allowed me, as a scientist, to observe an extremely interesting outcome.”
“Lilith-san, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“What would that be?”
“Last year, when I met you for the first time, you said that I’m the man you finally found at last. Back then, I paid no heed to those words. But, currently…now that I’m aware of me being me, I feel doubts about those words. I…did something happen to me?”
Lilith retained her emotionless expression upon Yuuta’s question.
“You’re reading too much into it. I simply meant you, Yuuta-sama, are…a body compatible with the soul created by me.”
“…I see.”
Even though Yuuta didn’t think Lilith was lying, he didn’t believe she was telling him everything either. But he knew she likely wouldn’t reveal anything beyond that.
“The measures taken to separate a boy and his mother are…”
“Those are based on a problem that occurred in the past.”
“Does it have something to do with the mother’s influence or some such?”
“You got it perfectly right.”
“Is…that something that cannot be altered?”
“That’s because at the time when society was built around the concept that young men would stay with their mothers, it was considered a good thing. But nowadays it causes problems since society is set up as it is.”
“Then we could change it in order to build an even better society…”
“That’s not as easy as you make it sound. After all, it’s regarded as a mistake these days.”
“…”
“Naoto-kun, was it? You talked about him earlier. If I remember correctly…he’s the son of Takashi-sama and his lover.”
“Yes. Naoto-kun…will be separated from his mother Sakurako-san in two years.”
“That’s inevitable. It’s the rule of the current Nihon.”
Even though Yuuta was a special person for Aoi and the girls around him, the same couldn’t be said about Nihon’s view of him. Yuuta believed he could contribute to society with his ideas, such as the Succubus Suit, but the state wouldn’t regard him as special enough to bend the rules for him just because of those contributions. And he also knew that it’d be difficult for him to meet his own mother.
“This world is…hard.”
“…Wasn’t it hard?”
“Eh?”
“Wasn’t the Old World hard?”
“The Old World…no, it was…very hard.”
“The countries and the way of society operated were likely completely different. I cannot even begin to imagine a world where the ratio of men and women is the same. But, any world where people live should be difficult.”
“I guess you’re right. Nice, convenient worlds simply don’t exist. People…people with hearts…and minds will vie for survival, so I think things will be hard, no matter what world it is.”
“Hard…it’s written using the kanji for great and change, huh? We must always change. Things staying the same isn’t permitted. Not changing means passing away or vanishing, I believe.”
“…I share that view.”
“For this reason,” Lilith said while Yuuta felt some sort of emotion from her face for the first time, “how about you try moving yourself, if you want to change something, Yuuta-sama? And, if you’re going to change something greatly, that will be difficult…is all there is to it.” 1
“Just difficult…in short, it’s not like it cannot be changed, huh?”
This was not a convenient world where all of Yuuta’s thoughts would be accepted as law. But, nothing would ever change, if he didn’t try to change it. As such, there was value in giving it a try. Because Yuuta was living in this world.
“If you’re going to talk with someone, I guess you’d have to turn to the prime minister of Nihon.”
“The prime minister…”
“Are you going to meet her? I can arrange things for you.”
“You can?”
“I belong to the organization, but I’m here right now because I’m connected to the prime minister to begin with. It’d be my thanks for showing me an interesting outcome.”
“Is that so…? Okay, would it be fine for me to ask you once I sort my thoughts?”
“Please contact me at any time. Now then, I’m going to prepare your liquid food. You have just woken up, but get a good rest after eating.”
“What about the examinations?”
“I will do some tomorrow morning.”
“Understood.”
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Back at the hotel room where Lyra was staying, she instructed Layla, “I’m returning to Mir. Prepare everything as quickly as possible.”
“…Okay.”
“Kukukuku, you had hoped for that man called Yuuta not to wake up so that we could take him to Mir, but unfortunately, that hope got shattered. Then again, even if we had taken him to Mir, I doubt you’d have been able to get in contact with him.”
“Ugh…”
“Why are you so obsessed with that man anyway?”
“It has nothing to do with you, Lyra-sama!”
“Kukuku. Were you attracted to the compatible man? Is that destiny as well?”
“I…I…”
No matter how much Layla one-sidedly desired Yuuta, Yuuta would never answer those feelings. She wouldn’t be able to draw close to him, who was protected by Aoi and Yukishiro.
“Well…it’d be different if you managed to abduct him.”
“A-Abduct?”
“If he’s taken to Mir without anyone knowing about it…it might be possible to arrange things in your favor one way or another.”
“R-Really!?”
“If it’s possible, yes. But, realistically speaking, it’s impossible, wouldn’t you say? Or do you have any idea how to make a kidnapping from Nihon to Mir succeed without a hitch?”
It was impossible. Even Layla wasn’t stupid enough to believe otherwise. Just getting close to him would already be a challenge.
“Kukuku, I guess you have to give up on it. Just be satisfied with that man called Takuya. And once you get back to Mir, there will be other men available to you as well.”
“That’s…”
After graduating from high school, Layla was scheduled to return to Mir as soon as her mother finished her work in Nihon. And it was certainly true that she’d be able to find men in Mir as well. As a royal, she had the privilege of being allowed to meet men. If she didn’t care who it was, she’d never run out of men.
Just taking some random guy…that’s not what I want…Yuuta-sama…Yuuta-sama is…
The only one Layla desired from the bottom of her heart was Yuuta. And she had selfishly built an illusory world in her mind where Yuuta also desired her alone.
I’m sure Yuuta-sama…he desires only me…me alone…
The men of Mir didn’t cherish the women they fucked. Even if a woman, with whom they had spent the previous night, were to sleep with another guy, they wouldn’t think anything of it.
Yuuta-sama is different…he cherishes me alone…
The fabricated version of Yuuta in Layla’s deluded mind loved and desired her alone. But, naturally, such a Yuuta didn’t exist anywhere in reality.
Ahh…so that’s how it was. Emily and Monika…desired to be monopolized by Takuya-sama, huh?
Emily and Monika wanted Takuya for themselves. Layla didn’t understand why, but thinking of Yuuta, she could comprehend the notion.
Takuya-sama is different from Yuuta-sama, though. Yet, compared to the men of Mir… They were attracted to a man who would monopolize them.
Takuya was hogging Emily and Monika. Layla’s mother, Sayla, and Tanya, the mother of Emily and Monika, had slept with Kensuke and Tsubasa, so they wouldn’t be monopolized by just one man. But Emily, Monika, and Layla had never allowed another man to have sex with them. Even when Takuya went out to meet Yukishiro’s father, he hadn’t allowed them to sleep with other men.
For Layla, Takuya had been no more than a tool to extract money from the Minatos. But Emily and Monika likely had fallen for Takuya while being in contact with him.
Takuya-sama…is different. He’s different from my Yuuta-sama. But, there’s no means for Yuuta-sama to accompany me to Mir…
As Layla brooded, Lyra said with a flat voice, “Thanks for your work. You may step back. Take care of the preparations.”
“Okay…”
Layla left Lyra’s room. Preparations for Lyra’s return to Mir will likely be completed by tomorrow. And once Lyra went back, Layla would be released from her duty to take care of a royal.
‘Takuya-sama, Emily, and Monika said…they’d be going on a trip, didn’t they? Right now, they’re probably having fun while traveling together somewhere. I must join up with them…if it’s those two…
Lyra’s words were still lingering in Layla’s mind. If she abducted Yuuta…
Abducting Yuuta-sama…abduction…no, that’s wrong. This is safeguarding. I must safeguard Yuuta-sama…for that sake, the assistance of Emily and Monika is indispensable…
Emily and Monkia’s support would be necessary to shelter Yuuta. But, Layla knew it’d be tough to get close to Yuuta in the first place
Somehow…one way or another……
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The next day, everything for Lyra’s return was prepared. Before departing, Lyra told Layla something. It was about Layla soon being ordered to temporarily return to Mir, and that they’d meet again at that time. Moreover…
“Make sure you do your best so that you don’t have any regrets, okay?”
Leaving those parting words, Lyra headed back to Mir.
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