Chapter 8

How strange.

This morning, I found myself staring at Yuri when she wasn’t looking. She wasn’t doing anything special, just flying around the room on her little book and singing softly to herself, but I kept looking at her.

Yesterday, I aborted my original plan to make Victoria mine. To an extent at least.

I decided to become her outlet for her deep-held desires whilst also using her for my own and then I came home feeling somewhat conflicted.

Had Yuri really rubbed off on me, or had I grown to care about her like a friend more than a pet?

I didn’t know and that annoyed me.

Since when did Raena von Armina care about Yuri’s opinions and feelings?

She was my tool to save me from destruction, a pet for me to try with and keep forever - we were not friends, not even equals.

So then why-?!

I broke my quill between my fingers.

“Are you okay?!” The noise had been loud enough to alert Yuri and make her fly to my side, gripping my bloodied finger with her tiny palms.

This concern, this worry, this…caring - whatever it is, it makes my chest-

“It’s not that big of a deal,” I said just as Yuri finished healing the wound. Then, I had a small idea, one I hadn’t considered before, and I didn’t know if I should ever vocalise it.

What if I injured myself and then Yuri healed my wound? Would that not prove her existence to other people, even if they could not perceive her?

If I did want to show her existence to someone, who would it be to?

Yui - no, I’ll immediately dismiss her.

If Yuri told Yui something about the future and Yui thought I approached her with kindness to save myself, it could break her.

Mother and father were maybes - father would see the practical side of it for our military efforts or removing corruption and gathering evidence against our rivals and enemies. Mother would want Yuri to be her eyes and ears at tea parties, gathering intel, gossip and more.

What about Teles?

She was a servant, a fiercely loyal one, but she could be an easy target for capture, torture or bribing and blackmailing into becoming a liability.

Maybe mother would be the best choice, but only if I did decide to-

“What are you thinking about?”

“Huh?”

“You.” She pointed at me. “You’ve been staring into space for quite a while now not saying anything. And you still haven’t told me about what happened yesterday with the masochist woman.”

“That’s Lady Victoria to you,” I scolded with a pinkie forehead flick. “I do wonder if you were like this in your past life with your friends, or if it’s just me.”

“Heh, don’t worry, miss villainess, I’m only like this with you. Doesn’t that make you feel oh so spec-geh!”

“Would you like me to show you happy that makes me?”

“S-s-s-s-stop it with the oni-face, I beg you! It gave me nightmares when it was 2D, but 3D makes it so much worse!”

“More incomprehensible nonsense. So, if you aren’t like this with your friends, how would you usually-?”

…Her face.

Just for a second, I saw it - that deep sadness.

“…Yuri.”

“H-h-hey, don’t look at me like that. I had friends back on Earth. I did, I really...did.”

The little fairy sat so solemnly upon her little book did not, for once, look cute.

She looked so-

“Hey.” I leant down so our eyes could meet. “I had an idea just now. What if I injured myself in front of someone and then you used your healing magic to fix it? Would that not prove to someone that you exist? Then, you could talk to them through me?”

...What is wrong with me?

It has not even-why?!

I felt a massive stabbing pain in my forehead and winced.

What is wrong with me?

“…Would that work?”

“I don’t know and if it doesn’t work out, then I could come across as looking mentally ill. When you went out exploring the first time you were here, did you try-?”

“I tried to, but I wasn’t strong enough to pick anything big enough for people to notice. Maybe the magic thing could work, but.” She looked at my hands. “What…what if it doesn’t work, or if I can’t heal your injuries this time?”

…What is it?

What is this?

Why is she looking at me like that?

Why does my heart hurt seeing her look at me that way?

Is it because it’s her?

Is it because of what I planned to do to Victoria?

Or is it because I’ve actually grown fond of Yuri?

Maybe I should just dispose of her before it becomes a problem?

…What was that thought?

What am I-?

“Raena?”

I smiled, very forcefully, at her. “It’ll be fine. We’ll start with mother and see how that goes. Then, perhaps father.”

“Why not Yui?”

“If this plan does not work out, my parents are the most likely to stay silent,” I said confidently. “If word spread that the Armina heiress was seeing imaginary fairies, this duchy could collapse. Therefore, if this does not work out, they will never utter a word about this.”

…Now, I wonder how this will go and how I’ll feel about it once the cards are down.

***

“It’s rare for you to come find me so unexpectedly, Raena,” mother said with her always warm and calm smile; would today be the last time I ever saw it? “Has something happened, or is there something you need?”

“How cruel, mother,” I giggled. “Can’t a daughter come and spend time with her lovely mother?”

“I think the last time you came to find me like this was when you wanted a new horse.”

“There have been others I know, and it isn’t as if we are estranged.”

Mother laughed. “True.” She snapped her fingers twice and all the staffs, knights included, left. Then, her smile changed ever so slightly. “So? What can I do for you, Raena?”

I returned her smile. “First, I would like to ask that everything we say here stays here, unless I say otherwise.”

“…And the second?”

“Is that you wait until I have finished before speaking or acting.”

“I hope you’re not trying to make your mother have a heart attack before she’s 40.”

“I would never dream of it. But.” I dropped my smile. “I can’t make any promises.” I took a deep breath and took out my letter opener. “Wait and watch.”

I held up my free hand, showing her my palm. “You and I both know that despite my talents and abilities, I cannot use healing magic. I do have an interest in learning more, but that is something I have not had time for. However, I am about to injure myself before your eyes and then someone else will heal it.”

“Someone else?” Mother repeated.

“She’s been in this room the entire time, but you can’t see her. Hopefully, after this experiment is over, you’ll be able to perceive her.”

After checking Yuri was flying right beside my open hand, I drove my letter opener into the palm.

Mother covered her mouth to stop her shriek as I winced, blood dripping from the burning wound.

Yuri began healing me after I removed the letter opened, and it began to close. I chose a bigger wound because I needed to remove doubt about the legitimacy of the injury - it couldn’t be considered a trick or deception.

Mother needed to see blood, the real knife she and father had gifted me, and Yuri needed to heal for as long as possible to give the maximum chance of being seen.

I could see the forest green light, but could mother?

“Watch closely at the light,” I said. “Can you see it?”

Mother nodded without hesitation.

“Watch the wound close.”

Slowly, Yuri’s magic worked, and my hand become as good as new, and I then I showed it off, front and back.

Tentatively, mother reached out and touched my hand, bewildered by it. She confirmed there were blood drops and stains from my self-harm where the blood had fallen and then pinched her thigh.

“…Raena, are you telling me the truth?”

“Yes, mother. I, Raena von Armina, who is of sound mind, sweat to the Father that I am telling the truth. Now.” I held out my palm flat between us. “Can you see Yuri?”

“Yuri?”

The little fairy sat on my hand and shyly gazed up at mother.

“…Whe-? Wah!” Mother was startled so much that she nearly fell out of her chair. “Where did she come from?!”

“…You can see her?”

Wait, what tone of voice did I just speak with?

Yuri, puzzled, looked over her shoulder and then back to my nodding mother.

“Could you describe her?”

“What’s there to describe?”

Huh?

“W-well, her face or-?”

“She’s just a green ball, isn’t she?”

“…eh?”

I don’t blame you for being shocked, Yuri.

“You really can’t see anything but a ball?”

Mother nodded. “Look, see.” She leant forward and prodded Yuri. “It’s just a ball of energy.”

“…That’s her cheek.”

“…eh?”

Mother had the same reaction as Yuri.

Sensing where this was going, I explained how I perceived Yuri.

“My, my, she sounds adorable!”

…Now I know where I get that part of my personality from.

“I-if you both suddenly praise me like that, I’ll get embarrassed!”

“Can you at least hear her voice, mother?”

“We won’t know until we try,” mother said.

“Then, that means you can’t hear her.”

“Was she saying something?”

“Nothing of value.”

“Hey!” Yuri angrily flew towards my face, but I grabbed her wings and kept her back. “Let me go, you damn villainess!”

“Oh my, it seems the little one loves you a lot.”

“…Yes, she does, doesn’t she?”

“How are you holding her?”

“Just holding her hands.”

“Liar! Devil! Satan! Big sister!”

Why was that the last one-? Never mind.

“So, you can see her but not hear or speak to her like I can?” I summarised as I released Yuri.

“Sadly, but it’s okay, Raena. I believe you and while I would love to speak to the little fairy, I think it might not be possible for me. Maybe Yui could but-”

“I don’t want to let too many people know about her,” I said. “If word were to spread, she could be targeted for capture, study or worse.” I stroked Yuri’s hair with my pinkie. “I don’t want to put Yuri in any danger.”

Or me by extension.

“Did you name her, Yuri?”

I nodded for that was the best answer.

“Should we keep her our little secret for now?”

“I do plan on telling father and maybe Yui, but I’m scared they wouldn’t be able to see Yuri or believe me.”

“Honey, you know-”

“I had to injure myself first and then you had to watch Yuri heal me to see her. It might have been fortuitous or circumstance or whatnot, and if that process was observed by an outsider, it could be used against our family. I thank you for today, mother, but I think it best to leave it here for now.”

Mother smiled warmly. “If that’s what you think is best, that’s what we’ll do.”

***

Yuri seemed very deflated for the rest of the day.

She just sat on the windowsill, staring out at the sky, barely doing more than breathing and blinking.

It would seem today’s results had not been what either of us truly wanted.

As for what I wanted, I am not sure.

What kind of face did I make when mother confirmed she could see Yuri?

Was I happy or-?

I sighed, opened the window, and sat beside the fairy.

“In the end, only you can really see me.”

What should I say in this situation?

I should carefully-

“It’s a start.” I spoke without properly thinking. “Mother wants to be able to speak with you and if we work more on this, maybe one day she will. Or perhaps if you learn the magic to turn into a human everyone will be able to see and speak with you?”

Yuri smiled a little, then giggled. “What a weird day. I never thought I’d be comforted by the vill-” She shook her head and looked up at me. “By Lady Raena.”

I smiled back. “Just Raena is fine, Yuri.”

Like I suspected, my feelings towards Yuri had changed.

I didn’t look at her as a pet anymore but as someone special to me, just like how I felt about Yui and Victoria.

I don’t know what I would call these feelings, but I didn’t hate them.

…I think.