Satella watched as Subaru spent his days on Earth free from pain and suffering.
Satella: (I was able to accept death if it was you, but... you told me you would save me...)
Satella's face wavered.
Satella: (Just like always, you told me the exact words I wanted to hear, exactly when I wanted to hear them. Even if it wasn't right. Even if it was unreasonable.)
A few tears fell from her eyes as she floated above a sleeping Subaru who was lying next to an asleep Emilia.
Satella: [It's okay now. I know you've gone through so much... not just for me either.]
She floated closer, looking at Emilia sleeping next to him, as she looked unhappy and pinched Subaru's cheek as he moved a little in his sleep from this.
Satella: [Having a romance with another girl while I'm separated from you.]
Satella huffed in irritation.
Satella: [Still...]
Satella caressed his cheeks lovingly.
Satella: [I want you to be happy, as happy as you can possibly be. Even if it's not with me. ]
She saw him smile.
Satella: [I know you're happier here, so... I won't ask you to come back. I won't ask you to save me. You don't have to do anything any more. Please live peacefully.]
Satella gave him a kiss as her avatar began to fade away until she disappeared entirely.
Satella: [I love you.]
Beatrice entered the room, and she was clearly worried.
Beatrice: (I could have sworn that I smelt the scent of a witch.)
Beatrice walked over to Subaru and nudged him.
Beatrice: [Subaru!]
Subaru slowly woke up.
Subaru: [Beako?]
Beatrice: [Did you just... did you just use your ability to loop?]
Suabru: [What? I don't think so. What day is it?]
Beatrice: [December 26.]
Subaru wrapped his arms around Beatrice.
Beatrice: [Eh? Subaru?]
Subaru pulled her into the bed, putting her between himself and Emilia.
Subaru: [I haven't used it. Go to sleep.]
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
The scene in the bedroom in the morning was Subaru and Emilia both hugging Beatrice and pressing their cheeks against Beatrice's.
Beatrice: [Subaru. It's morning, I suppose.]
Subaru's eyes slowly opened to see Beatrice and Emilia.
Subaru: [Good morning, Beako.]
Emilia's eyes slowly opened.
Emilia: [Subaru. Beako.]
Subaru: [Good morning, Mili.]
The three got up from bed and headed downstairs.
Emilia: [What should we do today?]
Subaru: [Hm... there's not a lot to do, huh?
Emilia: [I heard someone at the party say something about "Zenitsu" or something. What's that from?]
Subaru: [Oh? I think he's from a series called Demon Slayer, but he's not the main character.]
Emilia: [Eh?!! They... kill onis?]
Subaru: [Well, um, the demons in that are different from Rem or Ram.]
Subaru: [Do you... want to try reading the manga?]
Emilia: [Hm... it feels a bit uncomfortable, so... maybe something else.]
Subaru similarly felt uncomfortable at the series now.
Subaru: [Sure. We can look for something else. How about we go to a bookstore then?]
Emilia: [Sure.]
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
They arrived at the bookstore as Subaru looked around.
Subaru: [Whoa. There are so many new series. I should buy some myself.]
Subaru began looking around as Emilia stood there.
Emilia: (There are so many.)
She walked over to a book with a dark cover.
Emilia: [Berserk... hm...]
Subaru: [No! Mili don't!]
Subaru held the manga closed.
Emilia: [Eh?]
Subaru: [The artist really doesn't hold back in this one. It's really gruesome.]
Emilia: [As in?]
Subaru: [I mean, with things like people dying really gruesomely and well... there are sex scenes and...]
Emilia looked apprehensive.
Emilia: [Why would someone read something like this then?]
Subaru: [Cause... the story is still really good. The point is that it's blatantly cruel and monstrous.]
Emilia didn't seem to understand, but then she saw the look in Subaru's eyes and realised.
Emilia: [Wait, is it...]
She stopped herself.
Subaru: [Yeah, this thing sometimes isn't too far off from what was my reality.]
Emilia looked away.
Subaru: [Hey, it's alright. I'm really happy right now, okay?]
Emilia hugged Subaru, who wrapped his arms around her as some guys in the store looked at him with jealousy.
Subaru: (I really should have tried not to die so much. If I had valued myself more, then... wouldn't things have been better?)
Subaru sighed as Emilia slowly let go.
Subaru: [Find whatever you like, Emilia-tan. Just stay away from this section.]
Emilia nodded as she began looking around when something caught her eye. It was an elf girl holding a magic staff.
Emilia: [Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. Hm...]
Subaru: [Did you find something, Emilia-tan?]
Emilia nodded.
Emilia: [I want to try this one.]
Subaru: [Huh? I've never seen that one before. It must be a new series. Tell me if it's any good, okay?]
Emilia nodded as they went to the clerk and bought the manga before leaving.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Emilia sat in the bed as she opened her freshly bought Manga.
Emilia: [Let's see...]
After a few minutes of reading the first chapters, she broke down in tears.
Emilia: [This could have... been me. I...]
Subaru burst into the room.
Subaru: [Are you okay, Mili?!!]
Emilia jumped at Subaru, tackling him to the floor as she cried into his chest.
Emilia: [I'm sorry for making you wait a whole year. I... love you, Subaru. I love you!]
Subaru was completely dumbfounded.
Subaru: [Eh? What brought this on all of a sudden, Mili?]
Emilia: [I'm so sorry for making you wait.]
Emilia: (I could have lost him. I...)
Subaru: [Mili? Hey Mili?]
Emilia: [I made you wait a whole year, and even when I wanted to confess, I wasn't completely sure. I'm such an idiot.]
Subaru: [There's no need to apologise. I already understood that you were trying to figure out your feelings. I knew that already. I would have waited as long as it took for you to give me your answer.]
Emilia: [That's the bad thing. If I asked, who knows how long you would have waited? I was so naive about how long you'll be by my side.]
Subaru: [Hey, I'll never leave you. I promise.]
Emilia: [You can't keep that promise! Even if you stay with me as long as you can, you'll...]
Subaru sighed.
Subaru: [I know. I can't live as long as you, but... that's not going to stop me from loving you every single day.]
Emilia: [Subaru...]
Subaru: [I just hope that once I'm an old man, you won't dump me.]
Emilia looked as if she had been struck in the face.
Emilia: [I would never!]
Subaru smiled when she hugged him tighter. A bit too tightly.
Subaru: [Ugh... um.. Mili. You're crushing me.]
Emilia: [So... sorry!]
Emilia let go, lifting her head, still sniffling as Subaru caressed her cheeks with his hands, wiping her tears away.
Subaru: [I'm going to love you always. Until my last breath. I want to be by your side when I pass away, too. If that was the way things ended for me, I know I'd be satisfied.]
Tears fell from Emilia's eyes again as Subaru kissed her.
Subaru: [Emilia-tan. I'm going to spend the time I have making you happy. Every single day.]
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Emilia stood in the hallway as Naoko saw her.
Naoko: [Emilia-chan. Are you okay?]
Emilia: [It's just that... I realised something.]
Naoko: [What is it?]
Emilia: [Elves... have a much longer lifespan than humans, so...]
Naoko realised the implication as she hugged Emilia.
Naoko: [It's okay.]
Emilia: [I... I want to spend the time I have with him making him happy.]
Naoko: [Even when he's an old man?]
Emilia nodded vigorously.
Naoko: (It seems like I won't have to worry about Subaru once we're gone.)
Naoko smiled.
Naoko: [Then I have an idea.]
Emilia: [Hm?]
Naoko: [How about I teach you how to cook for Subaru?]
Emilia: [I'm... kind of useless in the kitchen though...]
Naoko: [Don't worry. I started that way too. Father had to get a contractor to rebuild the kitchen one time.]
Emilia: [Eh? But you're so amazing at cooking!]
Emilia had tasted Naoko's cooking many times at this point. Even though she would admit Rem was better at cooking, Naoko's cooking was still amazing nonetheless. So, if Naoko was as bad as her back in the day, was there hope for her yet?
Naoko: [When it comes to people like us, it takes another person like us to teach us how to do it right.]
Naoko smiled as she winked at Emilia.
Emilia: (Like me...)
Emilia straightened up before bowing.
Emilia: [Then please teach me to cook, Naoko-san.]
Naoko: [Call me Mother.]
Emilia: [Huh? Um...]
Naoko: [I want you to call me that from now on. You are carrying my grandchild after all.]
Emilia's eyes widened before smiling softly. She nodded.
Emilia: [I'll work hard to learn to cook from you, Mother. Please take care of me.]
Naoko smiled.
Naoko: [You got it. Let's go, Emilia!]
She guided Emilia to the kitchen.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
They spent some time cooking together, but there wasn't much progress.
Naoko: [Hm... It's off by quite a bit.]
Emilia: [Sorry.]
Naoko: [It's alright.]
Naoko: (I might have underestimated this problem a little, but I'm not going to give up!)
Naoko: [Kenichi!]
Kenichi walked over to the kitchen to see the disaster before him. There was burnt chicken on plates on the table.
Kenichi: (Oh, right. Emilia-chan isn't really good at cooking, is she?)
Naoko: [We need more ingredients.]
Kenichi: [Sure! Just give me an hour!]
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Subaru walked down from the stairs, fresh off working on new designs.
Subaru: (There are a lot of female users tuning in nowadays. I wonder why.)
Subaru scrolled through the site and saw the pic of him in the Santa outfit.
Subaru: [What the hell?!!]
Before he could think about this, Naoko walked up to him.
Naoko: [It's time for dinner. Come on.]
Subaru: [Alright.]
Subaru followed his mother to the dining room and sat down as Emilia looked nervous.
Subaru: [Huh? What's got you so nervous all of a sudden?]
Emilia: [It's um... nothing.]
Subaru: (Weird. Something must be bothering her.)
Naoko set out the food. It was Karaage with Rice and Mayo.
Subaru: [Mayo!!! Nice!!!]
Subaru dug in.
Subaru: (Whoa, this is great!)
Subaru: [This is so delicious!]
Emilia's eyes widened as she smiled.
Subaru: [Huh? Don't tell me... did Emilia-tan make this?]
Emilia nodded with a slight blush.
Suabru: [This is so amazing! EMT!!!]
Emilia: [Now you're just exaggerating!]
Subaru sweatdropped.
Emilia: [I knew you would do that, so I asked... mother... to not tell you that I made it.]
Subaru looked surprised. He hadn't expected this change in address that Emilia was using with his mother now. He smiled.
Subaru: (I'm really glad.)
Subaru: [Thank you for making this for me, Emilia-tan. I love it so much.]
Emilia: [I'm going to keep practising. You'll see. One day I'll surpass even Rem!]
Subaru sweatdropped.
Subaru: (She's so competitive now...)
AN: She has two more years to practice, too. R.I.P. Rem. She's gonna make you redundant. Just joking, but Emilia will improve in her cooking quite a bit.
Emilia began eating, but when she was finished, she started drinking the Mayo.
Beatrice: [What in the world, I suppose?]
Emilia: [I don't know why, but Mayo is starting to taste even better than usual!]
Naoko: [Oh! She's starting to have cravings!]
Emilia: [Cravings?]
Naoko: [It happens when you're pregnant.]
Emilia: [I see...]
Subaru set some more food for her.
Subaru: [Eat up, Mili. You're eating for two now.]
Emilia: [But... what if I get fat?]
Subaru: [Chubby Mili would be pretty cute, I'm not going to lie.]
Emilia: [Subaru!]
Subaru: [Don't worry about it. I'll love you no matter what.]
Beatrice: [If that does happen, you can just exercise to lose the weight. Betty sees no problems, I suppose.]
Emilia: [Eh?]
Naoko: [Beako-chan is right!]
Emilia sighed.
Naoko cut up the Karaage into small pieces and dipped them in Mayo before feeding them to Natsumi, who smiled brightly. It seemed that liking Mayoniase was a mandatory requirement for being a Natsuki.
Subaru: (Emilia-tan really made a meal for me. I'm so happy.)
Subaru finished eating his food with a grin plastered on his face.
Subaru: (Emilia-tan is becoming more like my wife day by day. Ehee hee. I'm also happy right now. I feel like I'm dreaming this all up. Like any day I'll wake up from this sweet and peaceful dream.)
Emilia: (Subaru looks so happy.)
Emilia turned to Naoko, with her hands at her sides.
Emilia: [Please, mother! Teach me how to cook more delicious food !]
Naoko: [Alright! Let's get back in the kitchen! Save some room in your stomach, Subaru.]
Subaru: [Wait, what? But... I'm full.]
The two had already rushed off into the kitchen.
Subaru: (I'm gonna die from overeating...)
Subaru began crying crocodile tears.
Subaru: (I'm going to die before my child is born and before my sister grows up.)
—————————————————————————————————————
To Be Continued
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Rating Out Of 10 For This Part:
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