I Healed the Cold Dark Goddess’s Loneliness, and Now She Won’t Let Me Go! - Chapter 12

“Um, well… that’s how it is. I’ve ended up living at Lady Reine’s place…”

“Huh…”

After getting permission from Lady Reine to at least say my goodbyes, I returned to the house where I’d been staying—the Village Chief’s home, where Mina-chan lives. But man, the air here is heavy!

“That’s… quite sudden, isn’t it?”

“Ahaha… things just kind of happened? But it seems Lady Reine needs me.”

To be honest, I feel like I might be moving a bit too fast, but the feeling that I want to help Lady Reine wasn’t a lie. Lady Reine had said such feelings wouldn’t last forever, but being told that only makes me want to prove her wrong out of spite.

“I, too…”

“? Mina-chan, did you say something?”

I couldn’t quite catch Mina-chan’s murmur, so I asked her to repeat it. However, she showed no sign of saying it again, and an awkward silence filled the room.

“O-oh, by the way! Where is Lord Sulug? I thought he’d come back here ahead of me.”

“Lord Sulug has already departed. He has the people of his own domain to look after, so he cannot stay here for long.”

“I see… ahaha.”

So, Lord Sulug went home before I could thank him. Another strange silence followed.

“Um… Mina-chan? Did I do something wrong?”

“No! It’s not your fault, Haruno-san. It was just such a sudden story. I’m a bit confused.”

Mina-chan slumped her shoulders, sounding dejected and self-reproachful. Aha, I see.

“You’re lonely, aren’t you, Mina-chan?”

“Of… Of course, I am! I’m lonely! Is that a crime!?”

Mina-chan snapped back, her face turning bright red. She looked so adorable that I couldn’t help but want to tease her.

“Ahaha, Mina-chan, you’re so cute~”

“P-Please don’t tease me!”

Looking at her pouting face, a mischievous impulse struck me, and I pulled her into a tight hug.

“There, there, you were lonely~ It’s okay, even if I’m with Lady Reine, I won’t forget about you, Mina-chan.”

“H-Haruno-san…”

I could feel her warmth. Hugging her like this, she really does feel like a little sister to me, and I started to feel a bit lonely myself.

『──Haruno.』

Suddenly, a voice echoed right in my ear.

“Whoa!?”

I let out a yelp and jumped back. That voice… it was definitely Lady Reine. She’s probably watching this through that “vision” ability of hers but I didn’t realize she could talk to me like this.

“H-Haruno-san? Is something wrong?”

“Ah, um…”

It seemed only I could hear her. Mina-chan stared at me with worry after my sudden outburst. As I fumbled for an explanation, the voice came again.

『Haruno. You are too close.』

Her tone was tinged with clear displeasure. It wasn’t unusual for Lady Reine to be in a bad mood, but this specific vibe and timing… surely… no, surely not?

“Um… Lady Reine? Mina-chan is just a child, you know?”

I accidentally answered out loud. Mina-chan looked at me with a puzzled expression, which then shifted into a look of sudden realization.

『It does not matter. Return at once.』

Apparently, that promise about “not opening my heart to others” applied even to young Mina-chan. I might need to do some negotiating when I get back.

“O-Okay! I’ll be right back!”

For now, a promise is a promise. It’s not like I’ll never see her again, and I figured it was best to go back and put Lady Reine’s mind at ease. As I gave my submissive reply, Mina-chan’s expression changed. The lonely look vanished, replaced by a face full of resolve.

“…Haruno-san.”

“Hmm? What is it, Mina-cha—Whoa!?”

Suddenly, Mina-chan lunged forward and hugged me. It was much tighter than the hug I had given her moments ago.

“M-Mina-chan?”

“When everyone else kept their distance from me, you treated me normally, Haruno-san. You didn’t care about anything else.”

“Eh, ah, well… I guess?”

I learned later that until I arrived, Mina-chan had been isolated in the village. Apparently, that’s how it is for all children destined for sacrifice. I hadn’t known any of that; I was just trying to be friendly with the girl in the house where I was staying but it seems that was a big deal for her.

“Even though you were essentially tricked by Grandfather, you accepted the role of sacrifice in my place, despite being a total stranger.”

Oh yeah, that happened too. It all worked out in the end, but I really had prepared myself to die back then. I didn’t have any family in this world, and more than anything, I couldn’t stand the thought of a good girl like Mina-chan being sacrificed.

“To me and I know it’s selfishbut I think of you as my real big sister.”

“R-Really? That makes me so happy. ahaha.”

Mina-chan’s feelings were genuinely heartwarming. Heartwarming… but.

I’m starting to get scared. Of Lady Reine’s mood. And then, Mina-chan continued, speaking as if to someone who wasn’t me.

“That’s why… to tell the truth, I don’t want to give you up to anyone.”

『──Mina.』

Lady Reine’s voice echoed again, significantly lower this time. W-Wait, is she doing this on purpose?! Mina-chan realized Lady Reine was talking to me and she’s hugging me like this just to show off…!

“M-Mina-chan, hold on a second…”

“Haruno-san is kind, she taught me so many things, and it’s so much fun being with her. She shouldn’t belong only to Lady Reine!”

Whoa, Mina-chan is declaring war on Lady Reine to her face! She used to be so terrified of her, too! Could it be she likes me enough to ignore that fear…?!

『…Haruno. Get away from that girl this instant.』

Lady Reine’s voice turned even colder. But Mina-chan only squeezed me harder.

“Wait, both of you, please calm down!”

I tried to soothe them, but I had a sinking feeling it was too late. I could feel Lady Reine’s aura of displeasure radiating even from a distance, and Mina-chan usually so reserved refused to budge.

“Haruno-san, are you really going away?”

Mina-chan looked up at me with teary eyes. Th-that’s cheating. That’s unfairly cute. If it were anyone else, I would have given her all my pocket money right then and there.

『──Haruno.』

And Lady Reine’s voice sounded like she was reaching her limit. The feeling that I was “changing my mind” already was coming through loud and clear. If I don’t clear up this misunderstanding, who knows what she’ll do.

Just then.

“The Shrine Maiden! The Shrine Maiden is here!”

A loud voice came from outside. Word of my return to the Chief’s house had apparently spread. Looking out the window, I saw a crowd of villagers already beginning to gather.

“Lady Haruno! To truly be with Lady Reine…!”

“To live in the temple…!”

“She has been taken up by Lady Reine!”

Excited voices from the villagers reached my ears one after another. “Taken up”—that’s quite a way to put it. Like the bride of a God… well, I am going to live in the temple, so maybe it’s becoming like that.

“…Wait, hold on. How does everyone know?”

I’d only told Mina-chan. How had the news spread so fast? As I muttered that question, the Chief entered the room. His expression was complicated, a mix of joy and deep apology.

“Grandfather…”

“Shrine Maiden… no, Lady Haruno.”

The Chief bowed deeply to me.

“Regarding the fact that I offered you as a sacrifice… I offer my deepest apologies. I was possessed by the thought of saving Mina and I committed such an act against you, our guest.”

“Ah, well…”

True, this man had nearly had me killed. Personally, I don’t mind anymore since it led to me meeting Lady Reine, but I glanced at Mina-chan.

“…”

Mina-chan was looking at her grandfather with a conflicted expression. Even if I didn’t care, it seemed she couldn’t forgive his actions, and things had been strained between them.

“No, please don’t worry about it. You could even say it’s thanks to you that I met Lady Reine…”

When I said that, the Chief looked up. Relief and lingering regret were visible on his face.

“However…”

“Besides, the reason Mina-chan didn’t have to be the sacrifice is because I took the role, right? If you hadn’t made that decision, the Mina-chan we have today wouldn’t be here.”

I turned to Mina-chan and gently patted her head. She looked startled by my words.

“Sure, tricking me into being a sacrifice was a bit okay, a lot maybe even really bad. But it was for Mina-chan’s sake, right? I understand how much you cherish your granddaughter, and I don’t want either of you to think that feeling itself was a mistake.”

“Haruno-san…”

Mina-chan’s eyes wavered. She slowly turned toward the Chief.

“…Grandfather.”

“Mina…”

“I… I thought it was normal for me to be the sacrifice. That it was my fate so I couldn’t understand why you would break the law and try to defy destiny.”

Mina-chan’s voice trembled.

“But when you tried to make Haruno-san the sacrifice, I realized I couldn’t forgive it. The thought of Haruno-san dying in my place but at the same time, I understood for the first time that you felt the same way about me.”

“Mina, you felt that much for Lady Haruno…?”

Wait, r-really? That much? Mina-chan, you cared about me that much? I mean, she cried for me that day, and I knew she was a good girl, but isn’t this a bit “heavy”?

“I realized it was my fault for not trying to understand your feelings sooner, Grandfather. So, if Haruno-san doesn’t mind, I forgive you. Because you did it for me.”

“Mina…!”

Tears welled in the Chief’s eyes. He bowed deeply once more.

“Thank you… thank you, Mina, Lady Haruno…”

Ooh… looks like they’ve made up. I’d been worried about their relationship, so seeing them reconcile makes my heart feel warm.

“By the way, Chief.”

“…Yes, what is it, Lady Haruno?”

Since he likely knows the situation, I decided to ask the Chief about the commotion outside.

“Why is everyone saying I’m going to live with Lady Reine?”

“That is because of what Lord Sulug said before he departed.”

“Lord Sulug?”

The name of the God who had hurried back to his own domain came up. But wait, Lord Sulug shouldn’t have known about what happened after he sent me back to Lady Reine, right?

“Lord Sulug said, as if he were certain: ‘It seems Reine’s heart already belongs to Haruno,’ and ‘As long as she is with her, Reine will be alright now’…”

Th-that’s a bit embarrassing but I guess Lord Sulug predicted things would turn out like this. His level of understanding is incredible.

『…I do not like this.』

“Ahaha…”

It feels like we’re dancing in the palm of Lord Sulug’s hand, so I can see why Lady Reine is unhappy. But since they were originally one person, I guess she can predict his actions just as well. I won’t say it out loud, but I’m a little envious of having someone like that.

“The word seems to have spread among the villagers. ‘Lady Reine will always have her Shrine Maiden by her side,’ ‘The Shrine Maiden has been welcomed by Lady Reine,’ ‘She is to live in the temple’…”

“So, it’s like a game of telephone that actually got it right.”

“Forgive me, but if it is ‘right,’ does that mean…?”

“Ah, yes. I told Mina-chan, but I’ll be living in the temple starting today.”

“Truly…!”

The awe in the Chief’s eyes deepened. Great, as this spreads, the villagers are going to be even more intimidated by me. But considering Lady Reine’s jealousy, maybe that’s for the best?

『Haruno. That is enough idle chatter.』

Lady Reine’s voice. From her tone, she’s reached her limit. I’d better get back and soothe her soon.

“Ahaha… well, I should probably head out.”

“Um… please wait, Lady Haruno.”

Just as I was about to leave, the Chief’s voice stopped me. I turned to see him looking at me not with the reverence for a Shrine Maiden, or the guilt he’d felt before, but with the eyes of an old man genuinely worried for a young person.

“Are you truly… truly alright with this? Lady Reine is our noble God who grants us protection  but it is also true that she is an extremely difficult person.”

The Chief chose his words carefully. In other words, he’s worried that I’m becoming a “living pillar” for the sake of the village. But that is completely unnecessary concern.

“It’s okay. Lady Reine is a kind person!”

The Chief’s eyes went wide at my smiling answer. I suppose to them, Lady Reine is a strict and terrifying God, but to me, she’s truly kind and a God I just can’t leave alone. That’s the truth.

Finally, as I moved to leave for real, Mina-chan grabbed the hem of my clothes.

“Haruno-san!”

“…What is it, Mina-chan?”

“If… if you ever hate it there, please come back anytime. This is your home, too.”

“Mina-chan…! Yeah, thank you.”

I was so happy to hear that I couldn’t help but hug her one more time. The voice that echoed in the next second made my spine tingle.

『That will never happen, no matter what.』

I-I did it again! Mina-chan is just too cute! I really need to think about how to get back into Lady Reine’s good graces as I gently pulled away from Mina-chan.

“Well, I’m off!”

I waved to the Chief and Mina-chan and stepped outside. The villagers were waiting, and they called out to me one after another.

“Shrine Maiden! Please give our regards to Lady Reine!”

“Please take care of yourself in the temple!”

“With the Shrine Maiden by her side, we are truly safe now!”

I felt a little embarrassed by the cheers, but I responded with a smile. There’s probably no precedent for this, so I can understand why it’s turned into such a festival.

“Now then, I wonder if she’ll forgive me if I give her a big hug.”

Leaving the village and looking up at the long staircase to the temple, I whispered to myself. From now on, I have to make sure Lady Reine knows just how much I love her.