Chapter 67 The Girl Who Closed Her Heart
I had Monica push my wheelchair as we headed towards the cabin where the girl was.
I knocked on the door and asked if I could come in, but there was no response.
With no other choice, I entered after a brief apology... and there she was, a beast-eared girl sitting on the bed, hugging her knees and staring blankly.
"......"
Her vacant gaze glanced at me for a moment.
Her eyes seemed to show a hint of surprise at the sight of my bandaged face and limbs, but it was fleeting, and she quickly averted her gaze, looking down again.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Yumie Granbell. I'm sorry for my appearance, there's a reason for it..."
"......"
"May I ask your name? I'd like to become friends with you."
"......"
"Umm... You have such beautiful hair! I've never seen such vibrant blue hair before...!"
"......"
"Ahaha..."
It's no use, there's no reaction at all.
But it's understandable.
I don't know the full story, but it must be shocking for someone from a country without slavery to be taken as a slave to an unfamiliar land, used for ridiculous experiments, and forced to work with a strange arm.
Neithardt's family was responsible for this, but to this girl, they are the same as me, citizens of the Ortria Kingdom.
So, I don't expect her to trust me easily.
I'll just have to be patient and persist until she does.
"Have you been outside the ship? The sea breeze feels great, and the ocean is so beautiful, it'll make you feel good."
"......"
"I heard you don't have much of an appetite, but I think it's better to eat something. Is there anything you like to eat? I'll try to make it for you if you want."
"......"
"Well, to be honest, I haven't really cooked much either. Whenever I tried, I was always stopped because knives were considered dangerous... It's strange, I was allowed to hold a sword, but not a kitchen knife."
I kept talking to the girl who showed no reaction at all, one-sidedly, without stopping.
It was challenging to continue the conversation without any response from her, but fortunately, I always have plenty of topics to talk about.
Anyway, I kept talking patiently, hoping to spark her interest.
"And then, at that time, Elder Brother said to me, 'Yumie, you're still not good without me, aren't you?' So I..."
"Family is great, isn't it? I liked them too."
I wondered how long I had been talking non-stop.
In a fleeting moment, the girl spoke for the first time.
Even though she still wouldn't look at me, I couldn't help but smile because I was happy that she spoke.
"Right! Family is wonderful! You too──"
"My family, I don't even know if they're alive now. They were sold to a different place, away from me."
However, it seemed that she hadn't opened up to me; I had simply stepped on a landmine.
I sighed, realizing my mistake.
"...I'm sorry, I said something insensitive."
"...It's nothing."
With that, the conversation came to an abrupt halt.
Ugh, I'm such an idiot!!
I should've chosen my words more carefully!!
I should've picked a topic that she would enjoy more!
But to my dismay, I realized that all the topics I could talk about were related to family and friends, which were essentially a minefield for her.
...Am I completely lacking in conversational vocabulary...?
"Ms. Yumie, it's about time."
At that moment, Monica, who had been quietly observing from behind, spoke up to me.
Oh, right, it's almost time for my rehabilitation session.
"I apologize, I have something to attend to, so I'll take my leave for today. I'll come again tomorrow."
Well, there's no need to rush.
The ships in this world are still sailing ships, so they're slow, and it will take about a week to reach Euphemia.
In the meantime, I'll try to become friends with her little by little.
With that thought in mind, I waved goodbye to the girl who was still looking down.
"Ms. Monica, I have a request... Would you cook with me?"
"Huh?"
Having finished today's rehabilitation, I was pleading with Monica.
It must have been unexpected, as Monica's eyes widened in surprise.
"Why suddenly cooking? What's with the sudden interest in cooking?"
"I want to make something for that girl and take it to her. Anything is fine, she needs to eat something or she won't hold up."
"Ms. Yumie's home-cooked meal is definitely something I'd love to eat, but... will that child actually eat it...?"
"I understand that."
I've heard that beastmen have sturdy bodies and can withstand a bit of hunger longer than humans, but that doesn't mean they're completely fine.
Of course, I'm not expecting her to eat just because I've made something; on the contrary, I'm actually worried that the first food I cook will be thrown away.
Still, there's another reason why I decided to cook.
It's to create a topic for conversation with that child.
"Talking about memories with family might be painful for that child. I want to enjoy cooking with Ms. Monica and share that with her. Is that okay?"
"Ms. Yumie... Yes, I don't mind at all. If it's okay with me, I'll help you. But..."
Monica wraps her arms around me softly, embracing me.
As I was surprised by the sudden action, Monica gently spoke to me.
"Please don't push yourself too hard. Ms. Yumie tends to overdo things a little... When it's tough, make sure to cry properly. I'll be here to support you no matter how much."
"...Thank you, Ms. Monica."
I was overwhelmed by Monica's kindness and felt like I might really cry.
But I held it back... for now, I decided to lean on her just a bit.
"Well then, um... starting tonight, would it be alright if we sleep together? After all, it's lonely to spend the night alone..."
"Yes, I'd be happy to. If you want, we could sleep together every day for the rest of our lives!"
"Hehe, thank you very much."
Although spending our lives together is quite the joke, I'm really happy to have a friend who would say that for my sake.
I was being tightly embraced by Monica for a little while.
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