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Chapter Text

‘Hello Death’

She heard the hooves of the horses; they fled.

Keith screamed and Katarina remained silent, stopped in time.

And so a thought was embedded in her head: it was curious how death was once unknown to Katarina. It had been a mystery and the girl, in her previous life, had grown up seeing how everyone threw their bets on what it was, what it meant. They all wondered what would happen in the afterlife and were afraid of being wrong.

But Katarina, in her previous life, thought about the absolute nothing. She was scared, afraid, like everyone else. She didn't know what would happen to her when she died. It must have been so nice to believe in a god who would embrace your lost soul when you perish! But she couldn't believe in anything. Nothing. She tried, and within her, only the deepest emptiness was formed.

She felt an indescribable terror, the kind that made her cry at night because it got into her head and wouldn't let go. It held her tight because her weaknesses were exposed in the dark and it fed on her for hours and she couldn't sleep.

And Katarina just wanted to rest then from the enormous stress of thinking about life after death every night. She started playing Fortune Lover, the game that A-chan recommended, just to distract herself from such negative and intrusive thoughts.

But they came back to her, as a warning, and Katarina ignored them one by one and went on with her life, moving forward. She was just a seventeen-year-old girl who had been taught by her parents and brothers to be optimistic and not dwell too much on details. Dying wasn’t a worry that had to fill her mind. And very often she didn’t think about it, but it was a topic she tried to avoid discussing with others, because that Katarina had a simple and happy life and nothing indicated that anything was going to change, right?

So why?

Why was her existence cut short?

Why had she been hit against the asphalt? She’d stained everything red and the air had been filled with an intense smell of rust. She’d frightened all the people who had been around at the time and would have marked them forever with a horrible image. And that… that would be her footprint, and she wished nothing more than to be anywhere else.

And she… She didn't do anything, because she was a wreck (her mind, her body, she couldn't say for sure what), one breath away from dying, but she was afraid, because she thought she would disappear.

And, if she disappeared... what was life? What did it mean, everything she had done up to that point?

Would she have a soul? Would she see her family or would she be alone?

Why did she die so fast?

It was horrible: she had died in the blink of an eye. She hardly saw herself. The screams of the others had gotten stuck in the girl's eardrums and it was, it was horrible to know that this had happened.

She hadn't had time, time, no time at all. The days had been so short in retrospect.

Her chest ached.

Katarina had died of a mistake whose cause could have been both herself and the driver of the truck that hit her. She couldn't remember it well.

Katarina had decided to leave the past as a gift, not an anchor. After all, all that fear she’d had was unfounded.

She got an after.

She was so grateful.

Her eyes were filled with tears.

It wasn’t pleasant to think about that, but at that very moment she couldn’t help it.

She felt the call of Death near, brushing her shoulder and turning her complexion pale and cold. She could feel her heavy breath on the nape of her neck, like a wordless threat.

"Sister, please react!!"

Keith screamed beside her, grabbed her by both arms and shook her hard, but she didn't even flinch. She couldn't look away from the blood-soaked body on the ground several meters away that had left the horse-drawn carriage behind, as if that boy, who would have had so much to live for, didn't matter.

People were upset. There were those who covered the children's eyes and those who cried.

Katarina cried too.

She cried, cried, cried. She did it until her throat ached and her eyes swelled up.

Keith was dragging her away, but she wanted to stay and hug that poor boy and tell him everything would be okay.

That he would be rewarded with another life.

That...

Katarina's crying didn't stop. Even when she closed her mouth and her eyes darkened, without an iota of emotion be it positive or negative, she didn't.

Because her second life was a preordained story and she was destined. Oh, she was destined to die young and in disgrace. A girl hated and used by her fiancé and whose stepbrother had broken the family harmony.

Although that wasn’t the "Katarina" that she currently was. But then she couldn’t stop thinking about it and see how unfair that girl's story was.

Death was flanking her and, in no time, she would be carried by her.

She felt a bad omen.

She was slowly going numb and her voice was hushed. Her heart stopped playing the sound of happiness, because it changed to a fast symphony, with drums, which anticipating the end.

And she swallowed hard, collapsed in the middle of her room, and later, while she slept, something broke: her soul.

When she woke up, she was no longer the same.

‘Go away, please’

Katarina hadn’t wanted to leave her room no matter how much they insisted. Anne stayed with her. She kept an eye on her and took her meals to her and, at night, she would go to see Luigi and Milidiana Claes in their office and inform them about the girl's condition.

According to Anne, Katarina wasn’t well. Her appetite was normal, but she spent most of her time sleeping, hiding under a mountain of blankets trying to hide how much she was shaking. She asked that Keith and her friends not be allowed in and cried for long hours, as if she couldn't get rid of what was afflicting her no matter how many more tears fell. Anne told how the young woman would fade into sobs, then wake up for a few moments, her complexion would turn white, raise a hand and, in a trembling voice, beg for mercy from an invisible presence.

And this was repeated every day. During that terrible week, Milidiana's heart was shattered and, from each piece, it was broken into smaller pieces.

She longed to break down the door to that room and run to embrace her daughter to swear that she would protect her from any evil. If someone had even dared to threaten her, the wretch could now flee as far as they wanted, that Milidiana would catch them and give them their deserved punishment.

Milidiana was still ashamed of herself when, days ago, after her children returned from the market escape that she had not authorized, she immediately went to reprimand Katarina.

However, she stopped as soon as she saw those dull eyes and that mute expression.

Katarina had become a book without content. There was nothing to read.

With her heart pounding, in her mind, Milidiana had to compare her to a hollow doll, which had been deprived of all meaning, all her value.

Katarina had come hollow and she showed it later, when she filled that void with the first thing she found: fear, the most absolute terror.

She said she was going to die.

She cried because it was inevitable, it was her destiny.

Her entire body was shaking as she assured that she hated that life that she’d had to live with the greatest harshness of which she was capable.

When Milidiana heard her say that, she shuddered. She wanted to address the problem, because she didn’t understand the cause of that sudden fear and misery for her life, however, the woman was flooded by the cold of her daughter and began to cry in front of her.

Katarina had opened her eyes wide. She had apologized right away and countless times, very embarrassed, and then locked herself in her room, preventing anyone from seeing her except Anne (because they had to force her to accept having someone take care of her in that state, because she didn't want to let her in either).

Katarina, with tears in her eyes and a doughy voice, had murmured an endless number of incoherencies and, among them, one sank deep into Duchess Claes’ mind.

Katarina said she was a villainess and would ruin anything pretty and happy. She said it about herself.

Why?

That she didn't want to die, that she didn't want to feel that anguish anymore.

That it was impossible to win the race against Death when she was already starting with a disadvantage.

And all of this had deeply disturbed both Milidiana and Luigi. Therefore, they agreed to let her neglect her other obligations and rest in the safety of her personal room, at home. Her home.

Although Milidiana felt very scared after hearing Katarina say that she didn’t want to see Keith or the friends she had made at school.

It was so strange.

So unlike her.

However, what caused the strong Duchess Claes to start having nightmares was waking up one night to find her daughter in one of the corridors, walking like a soul in sorrow, whose eyes pierced her with coldness. Perhaps it was the enlightenment, but Katarina gave her a look full of contempt and resentment, and Milidiana trembled. She fell to her knees, terrified, and watched as her daughter ignored her and turned around, without saying a word.

Later that night, the last of that horrible week, Anne warned them that Katarina had fallen flat on her face to the ground. She had suddenly passed out, for no apparent reason.
And, after that, strange days followed.

But at least Katarina was no longer scary or showed fear.

However, Milidiana would still remember that night. She would remember how her child had almost cried while staring at her with pure hatred. And, although she didn’t understand the situation, Duchess Claes knew two things: that Katarina needed help, support, and that she would be there to show her that nothing, but nothing, had to frighten her, because she was her mother and would protect her from all evil.

Even in the most extreme case, she would protect her from herself.

‘Are you still here?’

Hotaru didn't hear anything before the crash. Perhaps, if she had been paying attention, she would have avoided dying.

But no, she died, of course she died! But when she woke up, she preferred to pretend she didn’t.

"Hmm... This room is really cool," the girl said, rubbing her eyes lazily. She sat down, noticing how soft the bed was, and yawned and stretched her arms over her head. Then she took another look around her. “Wow, and it's really big too.”

She scratched the back of her neck. She still felt Death's breath clinging to her.

She chose not to pay attention to the impression she left on her.

"This doesn't look like a hospital," she murmured, recalling the latest events.

“Miss?”

Hotaru's sleepy eyes opened wide and immediately searched for the source of the voice. She was there, in a corner, and was tall, brown, somewhat thin, and her complexion was disturbingly pale. Her face was a disconcerting grimace and under her eyes there were dark marks.

“Miss?” The woman repeated.

Hotaru shuddered. For some reason, she didn't like that word.

"A-are you the nurse?" She asked.

Right away, she noticed that her throat hurt. More awake, she realized that her voice was somewhat splintered, as if she had been crying for a long time.

She was beginning to get restless.

"I want to see my family."

The woman blinked a few times in surprise and half bowed.

"Of course, I'll let your parents know," she assured.

Hotaru nodded and gave her a big smile despite how strange the woman's gesture seemed to her. And, also, she was wearing a very peculiar outfit, like a maid.

This was definitely not a hospital.

Had her parents sent her to a luxurious place to recuperate? Hotaru doubted that they had enough money to afford this.

Then, once on her own, the girl scanned the room she was in with her curious gaze. It was very pretty, high class. Even European-style, just like Fortune Lover's! Hotaru looked every corner expectantly. Her eyes shone with emotion, because truly that place looked like a scene out of the otome game.

Ah… Speaking of which: she still hadn't been able to finish the blond prince's route, Gerald, what a nuisance. She had made the wrong choices and Katarina had come between the protagonist and the prince. And she had to start over.

She sighed. She would already ask A-chan to pass her a guide to know how to get the good ending.

At the moment, Hotaru didn't want any complications in her life.

God, she had been run over and survived, she was a champion! She had been called ‘monkey’ for climbing trees, but now they would have to call her ‘Immortal Monkey’. She was like a Pokemon that had just evolved.

She laughed at her own occurrence.

It was a bit boring waiting. She didn't like being alone.

By the way…

"Hey, it doesn't hurt at all," she said incredulously.

She blinked a few times and looked down at her hands.

"Hmm?"

Those hands were very white. Hotaru was light-skinned, but not like that. And they looked bigger and… callused?

For a moment, her vision was blurred.

Then she looked at the rest of her and got a little scared, but it would be from the shock, right? It could be that the hit against the vehicle and the ground had stunned her enough that her eyesight was crazy at the time, right? Because… Wow, it didn't make any sense. She had very long legs (and whole and healthy), and her chest looked heavier.

And what worried her most: her hair was very long. It seemed somewhat lighter than normal, but it would be the lighting, for sure.

Sure?

"Well, well… I… Have I been in a coma for a while?" She asked on the air.

Yes, it was stupid.

So, immediately, she grabbed her head and brushed her hair back over and over again, trying to think of some logical reason why her body looked and felt so different from what she was used to. So she turned to her greatest source of knowledge: the manga, anime and novels that she’d consumed throughout her life. And oh, it was so obvious. It was a change of bodies! Perhaps she’d switched with a rich girl from Europe.

But then... Uh, Hotaru got run over, sure she didn't get out of there unscathed.

What if…?

What if…?

What if her soul had transmigrated? The owner of that body in which she was had died just at that very moment by, uh, for example, a strong fever, and, because of that, Hotaru took her place...

Nah, it didn't make sense. And it would be terrifying and disturbing.

The coma theory was more reliable.

Then the door opened.

And no, those weren't Hotaru's parents.

"Katarina!" A tall, well-dressed woman rushed up to her and hugged her tight. “I'm glad you finally want to see us.”

"Huh? What?”

"Do you need anything, daughter?" Asked the man accompanying the woman. His voice sounded very worried.

Hotaru's heart ached.

"No… No." The girl looked away, uncomfortable. “What am I do here?” She muttered. She was freaking out. “Who are you?”

"Katarina?"

Hotaru gulped.

"No," she said, pale.

She didn't add anything else, her mind going completely blank.

The impostors looked at each other, not understanding what was happening.

"Daughter…" the well-dressed woman murmured.

Hotaru frowned and looked both ways. The only ‘daughter’ there would be that girl with brown hair and dressed as a maid. But she didn’t respond to the call.

"Katarina?" Hotaru called her.

Hotaru wasn't Katarina, so it could only be the other one, right?

The maiden's frightened look told her that perhaps she was going the wrong way.

“What happen?” Someone asked.

The entire room, however, was plunged into silence.

Hotaru then curled up under the covers and hid behind them. The cold ran through her whole being and Death's hand was on her head for a few seconds.

Oh sure, she was dead, why deny it?

It remained to find out in what hell she had woken up.

‘Don't take me yet’

She was a small girl with a rounded face, big dark eyes and short hair. She was thin and wore a black gown that concealed the fact that she had no legs.

Looking at her in the moonlight, Hotaru could see how her features constricted and her eyes didn't show any gleam. Her smile was false and the hand she held out was cold.

Hotaru's heart was beating wildly. A cold sweat slid down the back of her neck.

"Hey, what do you want?"

"Hey, what do you want?" The figure before her repeated in a mocking tone.

"You’re not me, give back my body!"

"You’re not me, give back my body!"

Hotaru took a few steps back.

“Please…”

"Please... No, no, no! You're not here anymore. This body is mine. It's my life.”

Hotaru shook her head.

"You are dead, child."

“Go away!!”

The scream was projected across the room, surrounded by darkness, and echoed.

Go, go, go…

“Are you afraid?”

“I'm going to die.”

“I'm going to live.”

Then, Hotaru woke up.

‘Why Katarina?’

Chapter Text

“Let me live…”

Death smiled mockingly, a closed smile. Her face shone, as if she were an angel dressed in shadows to hide her wings.

"You know, this isn’t that simple," she said simply.

Hotaru grunted and, before she could despair and plead, she woke up.

She was completely numb, her feet frozen and bathed in cold sweat.

It was night.

She was terrified and, in the darkness, it got worse. From the bed she could see the window, but even the moon was rejecting her, hidden behind the clouds.

“Where are you?” Hotaru whispered shakily.

The fear that gripped her kept her paralyzed under the blankets, even though she wanted to hide her pathetic face behind one of the cushions. That ugly face, which wasn’t hers. Sharp blue eyes, just like those of a predator and Hotaru believed herself to be the prey.

She had broken many mirrors that day and many people had cried. She, of course, had cried too. That face was not hers, it did not belong to her. That body was another, another, another. She was sick at the thought of it.

She felt the bile rise with each small step she could take, because the weight was different and she knew it. She realized how different it was to be in another body and she wanted hers back.

"Please, Death, I'm here. Bring me back,” she said into the air, weak, without force. “Please, where are you?”

She felt so alone, where was her family? And A-chan? Why didn't anyone come to see her? Only those strange people visited her and Hotaru had had enough. She wanted to see her own people. But she was so lost. If she ran away from that place and went looking for them, would they even recognize her? She didn't really know where she was at the moment, either, so maybe it would be very difficult for her.

Would they be looking for her?

“Of course not”, she thought, “I'm dead.”

She was no one anyone. It would be the name written on a death certificate.

Who was she? What became of her original body? Was it underground, decomposing? Or was it incinerated, thus reducing to zero any possibility of returning?

She missed it so much.

She felt so awkward with those long legs, she couldn't lie face down on the bed because she was choking and that long hair always ended up in her mouth. It was irritating, but the worst thing was that feeling of not belonging there. In the deepest part of her head a siren sounded, an alarm that reached every corner of that disgusting body and kept her restless, upset. She wanted to scream! It was as if she had been tied up, as if she were in a room, locked up, and the key had been lost.

She needed to throw up.

Slowly, she regained control over herself. She got out of bed and walked into the dark, avoiding the obstacles around her with impressive ease. She didn't know why, but in her mind Hotaru drew a map of the layout of the bedroom furniture.

After vomiting, she returned, lay down, and tried to sleep again, exhausted.

***

With the firsts lights of dawn, Hotaru opened her eyes. She felt a little better, although she still felt a certain heaviness in her chest, but it was bearable.

She sat up and yawned, then rubbed her eyes away, brushing her hair away from her face. Everything was strangely silent. Every day, when she woke up at her real family's house, she could hear the rush of traffic, but in this place she was, nothing. Nothing. Perhaps the song of some little bird. And it was pleasant, and at the same time it drove her back into that state of terror that she was beginning to know all too well.

A hand made of ice was squeezing her chest, but Hotaru looked away immediately, ignoring Death.

If Death didn't answer her questions, Hotaru had the right to ignore her, didn’t she?

However, her stomach rumbled and she forgot all her worries.

Eating was important. Basically, it was what she loved to do the most and proof that she was alive.

Well... The day before, that woman, Anne, came and brought her all the meals. Hotaru hoped it wouldn't be long before her arrival time.

Uah, she could die again if she continued with that pain. Since she had vomited at night, her stomach felt so empty. It was so sad.

Hotaru wish Anne would brought her cupcakes.

She needed to gorge on sweets, sure that would stop thinking about strange things.

Although it was awkward to talk to others, it seemed like they expected something from her. Hotaru felt so lost, because she didn't know what they wanted nor did she bother to ask, stunned by the latest events.

She should take advantage of that day to get information. Staying in bed all the time wouldn't get her out of there.

She also didn't want to cause too much trouble and give them a reason to kick her out. She didn’t know anything about the outside, how she could survive.

Luckily there was a knock on the door at last.

“Come in.”

Anne came in with a cart with several baskets on it. In them, there were muffins, cupcakes, cookies, beans… And, for an instant and just an instant, Hotaru found her new life wonderful. However, she immediately remembered her death and being in a foreign body.

She covered her mouth to drown out the nausea that the thought caused.

"Thank you very much," Hotaru said to the maid when she handed her the food.

"If you need anything, miss, don't hesitate to ask," said Anne.

"Oh, uh, thanks."

Hotaru felt a bit nervous about the deal, it wasn't like she was someone special, so being cared for as the daughter of a rich family was quite shocking.

"Uh… Anne, right?"

"T-that's right..." The maid swallowed hard and looked away for a moment, visibly stunned. “Don’t you remember me?”

Using the amnesia card would be a hell of a lot better than saying: "Hey, I'm not who you think I am, I'm a girl from Japan," because that could get her in trouble.

“I’m sorry, no. I don't know who you are,” Hotaru replied nervously. “My name is…”

"Katarina. You’re Katarina Claes, daughter of Duke Luigi Claes,” Anne said quickly. Then, with a determined look, she added, "You should let Maria see you. Maria is your friend and she’s a magician of light, maybe she can help you.”

Hotaru blinked a few times and tilted her head to the side, completely blank.

Those names sounded familiar to her from somewhere, but she was so tired, the stress still took its toll. But if something had caught the girl's attention, it was the fact that not only the body she inhabited was the daughter of a rich family, but also of a duke! Uah, that was… Ooh! Wasn't it too much? And, and… did that woman just mention magic?

Was she on an isekai?

Oh, now that she looked at it… Between Anne's costume and the impostors who posed as her parents… She could tell that this wasn’t her era, right? Although she should have realized it by now when using the toilets. She was so clueless!

And, after all, came the most unpleasant certainty that made her tremble whole: if it was another world, her parents, her brothers, A-chan, her classmates... None, none of them would be there. No matter how much she ran away and searched, she wouldn't find them.

She was alone, and that fact fell on her hard, making her pale.

Hotaru wanted to go back to sleep.

For a moment, she considered dying, maybe then everything would return to normal.

It was too much, so strange.

And then, on her left shoulder, she felt the heavy and icy touch of her, Death, and immediately withdrew all that she thought.

"If you'll excuse me," Anne said, snapping Hotaru out of her horrible thoughts, "I must inform the lords of her… condition."

"Ah, sure…" Hotaru replied discouraged.

She popped a cupcake in her mouth, but even the cream and the strong sweetness of the food couldn’t cope with the bitter aftertaste that settled in it.

She needed…

No, she didn't know what she needed.

The best thing would be to adapt to the situation as quickly as possible. Especially if she wanted to get rid of that terrible feeling that was in her chest.

It hurt so much.

Death was smiling at her, macabre. Hotaru couldn't see her, but she was convinced of it.

***

She should start by getting used to her new face, Hotaru told herself, if she wanted to accept that peculiar situation she had gotten into just from being run over.

She spent a long time looking at herself with a hand mirror, but a single thought filled her head, and it was: “Why the hell does she have a mean face? She looks like a villainess. If she were an actress, she would only play the baddies, sure." Also, inside, she felt like a thorn in, a silent warning, but she couldn't figure out what she was about.

When she heard her new name was similar.

Who the hell was this Katarina?

Katarina, Katarina...

Claes.

Katarina Claes...

Hadn't she heard that name before somewhere, in her real world?

But she was blocked, as if she herself had closed the door to that information, but it was absurd, wasn’t it?

She sighed, she wouldn't get anything going by thinking about it. The best thing was to talk with others and gradually put the pieces together.

If she wanted to survive, she would have to pretend to be the amnesic daughter of those people, so no otaku references!

It would be difficult…

There was a soft knock on the door, but Hotaru heard it.

“Come in!” She said. It was still strange to hear that voice coming out of herself, though it wasn't that jarring when she took everything else into account.

"He-hello, Katarina," said the woman who entered, her mother. She was dressed majestically in a stunning lilac dress and her long straight hair was one that would certainly feature in shampoo commercials. Her appearance was terribly cared for, as if any small imperfection was inconceivable. The woman approached with small steps, as if she was afraid that Hotaru would be scared if she made a sudden gesture. “H-how are you? Can I talk to you?”

Hotaru felt sorry for that woman, who was worrying for someone who was fake.

She’d to be nice. After all, the Duchess was not to blame for what had happened.

"I'm better," Hotaru replied, scratching the back of her neck. She didn't know which way to look, so she focused on watching her blanket as she spoke. “I'm very sorry, I've been upset, but I'm fine now!” she assured, trying to smile.

"Although you don't remember anyone…" her mother whispered sadly.

Hotaru coughed, uncomfortable.

"You don't remember me either, do you?" The woman asked then.

Hotaru swallowed her saliva, but gathered the courage to face her.

She was a mother worried about her daughter, she didn’t want to break her heart. However, that was better than admitting the truth: that she wasn’t who she believed she was.

“No, I'm sorry. I didn't know who you were, that's why I said those weird things. I was very confused. I really don't understand anything.”

"It-it’s okay. I'm your mother,” the woman introduced herself, taking a couple of steps closer to the bed. “As your mother, I'll help you in any way I can, okay? Don't lose your cool,” she said, but Hotaru thought that she was actually telling herself. “Is there nothing you remember? You can ask me anything.”

"I'm sorry, I don't remember anything…" Hotaru answered, looking away from her so as not to have to see the disappointment on the duchess's face. “B-but... I can ask you, right? I’ve heard of one... Maria? Is it true that she has magic?”

Hotaru heard the duchess sigh. The atmosphere, in general, was so cold, that Hotaru wrapped herself in the blankets in such a way that only her head could be seen.

It was a good thing to do, because she allowed her to see a hint of a smile on the adult woman's face.

"Maria is a good friend of yours, from school," the duchess explained. “You even visited her last summer with Keith," she said, and she added in a whisper to herself, frowning, "Although, as usual, you forgot to ask my permission...”

"Is she a friend of mine? Can I see her?”

Oh, and who was Keith? It was another familiar name and it was a strange feeling.

"Of course you can see her." The woman smiled at her. “Also… Don't you want to see Keith or your other friends?”

"Keith is...”

"Your younger brother."

Hotaru blinked a few times in disbelief. She had always been the younger sister, but would she now assume the role of the older sister? Ooh, she always wanted a little brother! How much age difference would they take? If he was very young, she could teach him to climb trees, to ride the bicycle, she would introduce him to manga and her favorite anime... No, wait a minute, it was highly probable that in the world she was in, an isekai (Hotaru screamed internally like the fangirl which she was, immediately afterwards, scream in horror because that situation wasn’t something desirable in reality), there would be none of that.

What a nightmare.

However, she could teach him to climb trees, right?

If her younger brother was close to Hotaru's age… Well, it wouldn't be so much fun. She could easily pamper and entertain a child, pinch his cheeks and laugh together. It would be a bit weird for a boy around sixteen to have his cheeks pinched and he wouldn't look so adorable, would he?

Aaaaah...

What would she be like to be an older sister? She hoped to measure up to this Katarina Claes.

A big sister should be serious and reliable and look great!

Thinking about it so much was starting to cheer her up.

“I want to meet him!” she said with bright eyes.

“Yes? Can the others come?”

"Yes, yes, whatever. I want to meet my friends. I can't stay here!”

To her surprise, the duchess laughed.

“I'm glad. Maria could check you out with her light magic… if you feel like it.”

“Seem right.”

***

Dukes Luigi and Milidiana Claes, maid Anne Shelley, Maria Campbell, Keith Claes… They were names. Just names.

Names shouldn't hurt.

Hotaru swallowed her saliva. She was so stiff it ached and her breathing was heavy and costly.

A cold sensation crawled under her skin. It enveloped her limbs and grew more and more intense. It would fade out at times, leaving the girl to sigh in relief, but it would appear later suddenly, like a prick, and slide all over her body. It spread with agonizing slowness. It went with every wild beat to her chest. And it went away as fast as it came.

It was like an endless cycle. Unpleasant and cruel. As if that feeling tried to tell her something but never dared to do so.

Hotaru was more dizzy every step of the dining room.

She’d decided to share dinner with her ‘parents’ to try to get to know them better and create a good atmosphere.

Staying in her room, alone, would have been disastrous.

She felt her hair stand on end as she tried desperately not to think about Death.

She didn't even want to admit her presence.

Uh, what presence?

She was going to focus on the good: on enjoying the food that a rich family could give her! She would gobble food down as if she'd fallen into a dream and not a nightmare and, with a full stomach, she would forget about the misfortunes.

At the table, she awkwardly greeted the dukes and immediately began to eat.

"It seems that you’ve also forgotten the few manners that I managed to instill in you," Milidiana said in disgust.

Hotaru stopped short. A large piece of meat hung from her mouth and remained there, between the girl's teeth, while she went blank, suddenly dazed.

"Uh... Will they start suspicious?" She was frightened for a moment.

Ugh, she didn't want to be frightened or upset while eating. It was a sacred moment for her.

However, she heard Luigi laugh.

"But it's good to keep your appetite up," he said.

The duchess agreed.

Hotaru was relieved. This time, however, she tried to be more ‘civilized’ with her food while looking askance and curiosity at Katarina's parents.

She had noticed that Milidiana looked a lot like her daughter. Well, it was natural if they shared blood ties, but even so, their resemblance was very accentuated. Hotaru felt uncomfortable, because mother and daughter had the faces of villains. Hey, Milidiana seemed to be good! It wasn't as if Hotaru had any complaints (too little time had been there), nor did she really care if a face was one way or another (after all, people were their actions and thoughts, not their appearance) but she felt so irritated. So furious! It was... It was...

Uh, what was it?

What does it matter?!

However, Hotaru had been about to remember something. And suddenly she was blank. She had been so close! Her chest was full of anger and Hotaru felt that Katarina and her mother had suffered some kind of injustice.

It was absurd, ha ha! Ha...

It was funny how Luigi Claes, unlike his wife, had been graced with a kind face. His love for his daughter could be seen from afar. And Milidiana looked like a tsundere.

Although Luigi… He looked like someone. He looked so much like someone.

He looked a lot like Keith, didn't he?

"Should you know that?" Death whispered in her ear. Her icy breath caught the human girl's neck.

Hotaru choked and coughed loudly.

"Katarina, is something wrong?"

"Have a glass of water."

“You should rest. Don't force yourself to look like you're okay.”

Oh, Katarina was so dear. Hotaru shed a few tears, self-conscious, suffocated by that false love, while clutching her chest tightly.

That feeling burned inside her.

She wasn’t Katarina. She didn't like being a liar. In the long run, she would only hurt that pretty family.

"Calm down, this is your life," Death told her then with a sinister smile as she floated around her.

But Hotaru couldn't calm down.