Chapter 226 Fiona Made A Decision
――The story goes back to the night when Fiona was about to try sulfuric acid cooking.
On a bed that was a bit too small for 2 people, Fiona and Lucia were lying down, holding each other.
However, not long after they got into bed, Lucia opened her mouth.
"Fiona, are you awake?"
"What? What's wrong?"
At Lucia's words, Fiona opened her eyes. The faint moonlight was the only weak source of light in the room, but Lucia continued to talk without looking at Fiona, still holding onto her.
"...There's something I want to ask you while we have the chance."
"What is it?"
"It's about Ickle."
"......"
Fiona couldn't respond right away.
Ickle. The original owner of Lucia's body, who had disguised herself as Aaron and Fiona to trap them, and almost killed Aaron. And in a fit of anger, Fiona had harmed her.
This made Ickle a very complicated figure for Fiona.
Seeing Fiona unable to say anything, Lucia continued.
"Ickle has been given a lot of knowledge from the Chronosphere, but she's still a child. She's lived for 7 years, but maybe her emotions are less developed than a normal 7-year-old..."
Ickle is a child. And she's also a pitiful child who was just used by the Chronosphere. Fiona already knew this. That's why,
"Fiona, do you still feel anger towards Ickle...?"
Lucia's question made Fiona smile wryly, and she was able to answer right away.
"I'm not being childish for getting mad at a kid who's crying sadly."
Then she patted Lucia's head.
"I see..."
The tension in Lucia's body started to fade away. She looked somewhat relieved and continued speaking.
"Then, after I'm gone, I want you to take care of Ickle, Fiona."
"Gone? What do you mean?"
"...This body originally belongs to Ickle. Right now, I'm just borrowing it, but once we defeat the [Evil God], I'm planning to leave this body..."
"......"
"When that happens, Ickle will finally be able to go back to being just a kid. But Ickle doesn't have any blood-related parents. I think the Aron family would take care of her if I asked, but Ickle probably wouldn't want that, and I don't think that environment would be good either."
"......"
"Ickle wants to be with all of you. ...Is that not okay?"
"...Can I ask you two things?"
That probably meant taking responsibility for Ickle's life. Lucia might not have thought that far, but Fiona understood that living with young Ickle meant that kind of responsibility.
Of course, it wasn't something she could answer lightly.
"Does Ickle... like Aaron?"
From what Lucia told her about Ickle's special ability――[Shapeshifter].
She heard that the condition for it to activate is to have "affection" or "jealousy" towards the person. And since it's hard to imagine Ickle, who is a girl, feeling jealousy towards Aaron, it was easy to guess that she probably has "affection" for him.
"Yeah... she likes him."
Lucia replied.
"She really like him... but it's not a romantic kind of like. Ickle was looking for a father figure in Aaron. ...While they were coming back from Hellem Wilderness to Necronia, Aaron protected Ickle (fake Chloe). As a result, he showed her a world she had never seen before. ...In Ickle's mind, Aaron became a symbol of fatherhood instead of the Chronosphere..."
"I see... I understand."
Fiona nodded and asked another question.
"So, one more question. ...Is Ickle not scared of me?"
After all, she was the one who killed her. Normally, that would cause trauma.
However, Lucia shook her head.
"Just like Ickle's memories affect me, my memories also affect Ickle. Besides, Ickle understands that she did something wrong... and I think she has come to like you now..."
With the hint in the words "now," Fiona realized something.
"Could it be that the reason you said you would protect me was for Ickle's sake...?"
"......"
Lucia fell silent. But she understood that this was the answer.
Lucia tightened her arms around Fiona.
"...Right now, what I'm doing is also shared with Ickle's memories, and it becomes something Ickle experiences. ...Ickle is just a child..."
What Ickle was seeking was love from a "parent."
And that is something Lucia cannot give. Lucia herself comes from a background without parents, and more than anything, she cannot give that to the one who shares her body.
On the other hand, Fiona thought that Ickle, who is inside Lucia and being hugged like this, might be envisioning "mother" in her mind.
"......"
While hugging Lucia, Fiona brought her hand in front of her face and looked at it.
Right now, Lucia does not share Fiona's current memories. What Lucia has are only the memories of Fiona up until the point she fused with Ickle's body.
So, it is highly likely that Lucia does not know about "this." Or perhaps she has a vague idea and is still asking for it.
"......"
Fiona couldn't make a definite statement. She didn't know what would happen.
Still, considering all possibilities, Fiona decided to accept Ickle.
"Well then, I'll ask Ickle... Do you want to be my daughter?"
Fiona couldn't tell which voice was responding next. However, the girl in her arms answered in a somewhat childish voice.
"......I want to."
"...Hehe, hehe...!"
Fiona chuckled softly. When Lucia looked up at her with wide eyes and asked, "What's wrong?" Fiona replied with a smile.
"I'm sorry, I never thought I would have a child before getting married...! Especially a child this big..."
"Mm... Hehe, that's true."
Puffing out her cheeks, Lucia laughed and nodded, agreeing with that.
She realized that she had put a heavy burden on Fiona. But before Lucia could notice, Fiona smiled and accepted it.
(Fiona is amazing...)
A pure sense of respect welled up in Lucia's heart.
A woman who hasn't even married yet said she would accept a child that isn't even hers, and someone she once fought against.
That's not normal. Normally, no one could make such a decision. Or maybe Fiona is a bit unusual. But that unusualness was definitely saving Ickle's heart.
A feeling that wasn't respect, something that didn't belong to her, began to rise up and turned into tears at the corners of her eyes.
"...Are you crying?"
"Ah, this is... not me... it's..."
That was Ickle's emotion.
The relief of being accepted. The indescribable joy of having a place to belong. The overflowing feelings of love for Fiona.
But at the same time, she definitely felt guilt. She had deceived Aaron and Fiona. She had almost killed Aaron. She had used Fiona in that plan... She felt those guilty feelings much stronger than before.
Various emotions mixed together and turned into tears that flowed out one after another.
Lucia buried her face in Fiona's chest.
"...Ickle is saying sorry... to Fiona."
"Hmm... I'm sorry too. Back then, I did hurt you."
Lucia shook her head as if to deny it.
"Fiona isn't at fault... Ickle is saying that."
"Then, Ickle isn't at fault either. She was forced to do it."
"......Hmm."
For a while, Lucia hugged Fiona without saying a word, and Fiona gently stroked Lucia's head.
While stroking her, Fiona made a decision.
She would properly tell Aaron her feelings.
She was actually unsure. At least, she thought she should decide what to do based on the results of the [Evil God] defeat.
But the moment she decided to accept Ickle as her daughter, she felt that wouldn't be enough.
――Because she might die.
――Because it could be her last moment.
It wasn't just a negative reason.
A responsibility had arisen. A responsibility to live.
Then, to live and to let others live, Fiona thought she needed to express her feelings. She had to give herself and Aaron a reason not to die.
And for that, Fiona needed to know about Aaron Gale. The Aaron Gale she didn't know.
Because it was important.
Aaron, she couldn't say for sure if he saw her as a woman, but she could now believe that he liked her.
However, even if Aaron had feelings for her as a woman, she worried that because he liked her, he might keep his distance.
And that worry probably came from Aaron's past.
That's why she needed to understand Aaron's past and express her feelings knowing that.
Fiona thought that was what she should do.
(Tomorrow... won't work. At least, I have to wait until Aaron isn't busy...)
It's important to choose the right time to share something. But if she waits too long, her determination might waver. So, it's better to do it sooner.
(Hmm... After Aaron finishes his work, I'll tell him the next day.)
And then she decides on the day to act.
She should talk to someone who knows about Aaron's past before that day. She has someone in mind ――――Lion. She's sure Lion will tell her.
(Alright, I'll go ask later...)
She’s decided what she needs to do.
So, she should just go to sleep now――Fiona closes her eyes.
"...Hey, Fiona."
But then, Lucia speaks up again.
"Huh? What is it?"
She gently ask, wondering if Ickle is still feeling anxious about something.
Lucia, looking a bit shy, says, "Um... I have a favor to ask."
"A favor? What is it?"
It seems different from her earlier wish to leave Ickle to me. But she can't imagine what kind of favor it could be.
With a curious look, Fiona hears Lucia say, "This is a request from both me and Ickle..."
"I want to try sucking on Fiona's breasts."
"........Huh?"
Did I mishear that? She asks back.
But Lucia, blushing, says it again.
"I want to try sucking on Fiona's breasts."
".......What!?"
She definitely didn't mishear that!
Fiona's face turns bright red as she responds.
"W-What are you saying!? I mean, even if you did, I wouldn't have any milk to give!?"
"I know that. I just want to try it."
"Why!?"
"...Neither I nor Ickle have a birth mother. When we were born, we came out of an artificial womb after growing for a while, so we didn't grow up on breast milk. We have no experience of sucking on breasts..."
"Ugh...!!"
Fiona, who was trying to refuse, was at a loss for words as she listened to Lucia's sad expression.
"And just now, Fiona promised to make Ickle her daughter."
"Y-Yeah, but...!!"
"If Fiona is Mama, then I, as her child, should be able to suck on her breasts, Ickle thought."
"S-Sucking on breasts is only for babies...?"
Note: Of course, there are some exceptions.
"Since I never had a baby phase, I want to suck now... is that not okay?"
Lucia looked up at Fiona with a tearful face. ――No, that feeling might have belonged to Ickle, not Lucia.
"U-Um...!!"
And Fiona... was weak to pressure.
――――After this, Lucia = Ickle regressed for a while, and Fiona's slightly ragged breathing echoed in the room.
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