Vol 3 Chapter 53 – Aroma Sugesta

My mother was kind.

Even though I didn’t have a father, my mother treated me so kindly that it didn’t really bother me. I did ask about it just once, but she made such a sad face that, even as a child, I understood it was a topic I shouldn’t bring up.

I remember a little bit about when I was born. The sensation of being thrown from a cramped, yet warm place out into a bright, cold world. It terrified me so much that I could only shiver.

Perhaps that was exactly why. It seems I didn’t utter a single cry when I was born.

I heard later that the midwife had to slap my back over and over before I finally made a sound. Seeing that, my father must have thought I wouldn’t grow up strong anyway, and so he abandoned me.

I don’t know the exact circumstances, nor am I particularly interested, but I ended up being taken in by a prestigious, childless noble family. That was the home of the woman I believed to be my mother, the Sugesta family.

Due to her weak constitution, she had removed the option of marriage from her life and took me in seeking an heir. I suppose it’s a very demon-like way of thinking, not determining superiority based on gender. If we were humans, she surely wouldn’t have taken me in unless I was a boy.

Above all, as I mentioned, the person who raised me was kind, so I believe I was truly lucky. It’s getting complicated, so I will just refer to her as my mother from now on.

I was undeniably lucky, and I was happy. I will leave no room for doubt on that matter.

Fortunately, contrary to my real father’s expectations, I grew up quite healthy. Since he likely had no interest in me at that point anyway, I simply went on acquiring the education fitting for the heir to the Sugesta family.

Still, my birth was what it was.

The noble blood flowing through my veins was probably seen as the seed for future political strife. The Sugesta family that took me in, while prestigious, bordered the region controlled by Shaitan and held almost no influence over the center of Diabolo. As a result of considering the future relations between Diabolo and Shaitan, I ended up spending some time in Shaitan territory as a hostage.

My life there wasn’t particularly difficult either. The people of Shaitan were all kind, the climate was warm, and I never caught any illnesses, allowing me to live a fun life. I was nominally a hostage, but perhaps because the two factions weren’t on terribly bad terms to begin with, I was treated with the utmost courtesy.

“Here, have a candy, kiddo. You like sweet things, don’tcha?”

“Hand over the wrapper when you’re done. Auntie will throw it away for ya.”

“Oh you, such a little prankster, c’mere you.”

I didn’t really understand what they were saying at first, but basically, everyone was kind.

In particular, Zahhak-sama, who once stood at the pinnacle of Shaitan, doted on me as if I were his own granddaughter.

He was a terrifying hero. Back when human power was at its absolute peak and the demonkin were on the verge of being wiped out, he disguised himself as a human. He used his overwhelming power to take control of an entire nation and instigated a civil war that thoroughly crippled the humans’ strength.

But now, he could only be described as a good-natured old man. Since that was the only side of him I knew, I often tilted my head, unable to reconcile this gentle person with the hero of those old tales.

“Is my meal ready yet?”

“Ojii-sama, you ate your meal yesterday, remember?”

“Did I now?”

Just feed him every day! Whenever I interjected with that, Zahhak-sama would pretend to be senile and gently pat my head.

“See? Awful daughter-in-law, isn’t she?”

“It’s his own fault for eating the sweets I was saving so carefully. My husband told me the previous lord has always been like this.”

“Things just look tastier when they belong to someone else, you know.”

“You shitty old geezer.”

Yeah, they were all kind, fun people. That fun life lasted for about three years.

Once, Demon Lord-sama’s family came to Shaitan on an inspection tour under the guise of goodwill.

There’s no point in sugarcoating it now. It created a situation where my real parents and their daughter, my younger sister who was one year my junior, were right nearby.

The people who abandoned me, and their daughter.

Apparently, there was one more, but since she was still a baby, she stayed behind at the castle. As for why I knew all this, it’s simple. My mother told me.

I am not your real mother, and while it would be difficult to meet your real parents, you could probably catch a glimpse of them. What do you want to do? she asked.

I’ll say it again, my mother was a kind person. However, she hadn’t suffered the pains of childbirth for me.

If I had been the age I am now, I would have thanked her for raising me and told her that she was my true mother. I surely would have been able to say something thoughtful like that.

One can easily guess how a child would feel being told that. To that person who could never physically be a mother and had forgotten a certain kind of tact, I spat out words I still regret to this day, and I ran away.

Seek shelter under a big tree. Under the large tree in the courtyard of Shaitan’s castle, where Zahhak-sama had once brought me, I was crouching and crying when a girl called out to me.

That was my first encounter with Christela Vala Detra.

“You have cool horns.”

I still remember how casually she spoke to me.

“My wings are way cooler, though.”

And how she immediately followed it up with something so rude.

My curly horns were a bit of a complex for me, partly because my short stature made them make my face look strangely large. Still, I was so happy to have them praised as cool that I honestly just decided to play with her.

Hide-and-seek. Tag. Playing house.

Even without any toys, playing with her with all my might was a fulfilling time. It seemed she, too, rarely had the chance to play with kids her own age. After running through all sorts of games, we became fast friends.

“My papa is always talking about complicated stuff, it’s so boring.”

“That’s fine, at least you have a papa. I don’t even have one.”

“Hmm. What about your mama?”

“My mama is around, but…”

“My mama doesn’t really pay much attention to me either. Hey, is your mama kind?”

“Yeah. She’s kind.”

“Wow, I’m jealous.”

I’m jealous, she said. That’s what she told me.

And right then, I finally remembered. My mother was kind, and she raised me with care even though we shared no blood.

I suddenly realized that the person who raised me had accomplished something incredibly wonderful, far beyond what was merely expected. I think realizing that at that exact moment was one of the absolute best things to happen in my life.

I was in a situation that made someone with both a father and a mother jealous. I was happy.

Wow, I’m jealous.

So, what happened after that?

I promised to meet Chris again, we hugged, and then we parted ways. Thanks to her, I felt ready to make up with my mother, and I was able to express my gratitude for everything she had done.

My mother cried and hugged me, and I scrunched up my face even more than she did, repeatedly telling her thank you and I’m sorry.

It would have been fine if the story just ended there. But when I told my mother about Chris, the color drained from her face.

“That is the Princess of Diabolo.”

Huh, I thought. That was all I thought.

Still, if I managed to become friends with my own sister, that surely had to be a good thing. It should have been, but there was a tiny thorn stuck in my heart.

Did that girl steal my papa away from me?

Shouldn’t I be the one standing in her place?

What a stupid thought. I knew that. I was supposed to have already accepted my current circumstances.

That’s what I told myself. In other words, I needed to tell myself that.

Exposing my inner thoughts is more embarrassing than I expected. But, in the end, I’m just a little girl. I still haven’t become anything like a sage. I’m not Eva Karma, it’s not like I’ve lived that extraordinarily long anyway.

Getting back to the story.

Even I think my motivation back then was incredible. To reach Chris’s side, the girl I promised to meet again, I continued to polish myself into a capable person. Magic, naturally, but also military strategy, politics, economics, law, arithmetic, history, and various other subjects.

Despite being a toddler not even ten years old, fortunately it seemed I had a good head on my shoulders, and I absorbed knowledge at an astonishing rate. For her sake, the one who would eventually become king, I kept forging myself.

They were fulfilling days. Anyone can live days like that if they have a clear goal.

And the day to fulfill my promise with Chris arrived much sooner than expected.

My time as a hostage in Shaitan ended, and my mother, perhaps sensing my intentions, let me enroll in an academy within Diabolo territory. It was a place akin to a human university. Age didn’t matter much, but you could choose the lectures you wanted to study.

Well, only those of high status were permitted to enroll in the school I attended, though.

There, I reunited with Chris. Meeting again after several years, she recognized me at a single glance.

“Aroma-chan, you’ve got cool horns as always.”

Chris hadn’t changed at all. She was still the same kind girl from back then. We became close enough to call each other Kuri-bou and Mar-chin, and we enjoyed a fun student life. A little while later, she introduced El to me, saying she was her little sister.

Though El was still at the age where she toddled around.

It was obviously impossible for me to go play at her house, so our style was for them to come play at the dorm I lived in. Or rather, Chris would charge in, carrying El. Of course, every time young El was dragged out, Chris apparently got scolded by her caretaker, Selphi-san.

That being said, ignoring Selphi-san, who had a quiet voice even back then, Chris continued to come play at my place with El just as always, leaving her teary-eyed every time, or so I heard.

Nice to meet you. I’m your big sister.

I can’t deny that there were times I wanted to say this to both Chris and El. However, the fact that I managed to avoid saying such things was simply because I loved them so much. If I had uttered those words, it wouldn’t have just ended with my mother’s and my heads flying, but more than anything, I knew it would make them sad.

Ah, but still, not having a father was lonely. I know it’s an excuse, but no, that’s exactly why I did it.

I did something like that.

I think we’ve still maintained a good relationship with Shaitan. If I’m not being conceited, that’s probably also thanks to my past connections. Above all, the fact that Zahhak-sama still hasn’t revealed my crime is nothing less than proof that he supports Diabolo.

From Zahhak-sama’s body fluids, a deadly venom capable of killing even demonkin can be extracted. It is the most potent poison in this world, one that once plunged the world into terror. Though basically, it had only ever been used for the purpose of slaughtering humans.

“My name is Aroma Sugesta. I pledge my loyalty to you. I beg your acquaintance, Demon Lord-sama.”

“Umu. See that you apply yourself from now on.”

I intended to wield my honed abilities in Diabolo for the sake of Chris and the others. There was definitely another reason I came to Diabolo, even if I wasn’t consciously aware of it at the time. That must be why I was so unnecessarily nervous when I introduced myself to His Majesty, the previous Demon Lord.

But, even though I gave him my name, my father didn’t recognize me.

At that moment, it finally sank in. The fact that I had been abandoned by my father.

I heard later that His Majesty didn’t know which family I had been adopted into. Apparently, it was out of consideration from his vassals so that he wouldn’t have to worry about unnecessary things.

What a joke.

No, even if I had known that, I surely would have done it. My actions back then were discovered by Selphi-san. You could even call her an accomplice.

I wanted a place where I belonged. I wanted the place I obtained as Aroma Sugesta, not anyone else. Not as Almira, but this place I had carved out for myself.

That’s why I couldn’t bear to look at him because of my own weakness. It was just so terrifying.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

Growing weaker day by day, His Majesty called for me at the very end.

Take care of Chris and El.

Those words were a sweet poison. I couldn’t escape them. Because, even though you never looked at me, to say something like that at the very, very end… it’s just cowardice. I couldn’t trust men anymore, so I only gave important positions to women.

Even so, you wanted a father, didn’t you?

Clap.

A single clap of the hands in front of my chest. At that point, I decided to put a pause on Aroma-san’s past.

It was a bit too heavy a burden. For Aroma-san, and for Tia-sama. Even so, this person has carried quite a heavy load.

“Aroma-san, thank you for your hard work.”

“I-I didn’t, I didn’t want to do something like that.”

“I told you I wouldn’t blame you, didn’t I? It’s fine, Aroma-san.”

“My real self is Almira. That’s so cruel, stealing my name too. I grew up perfectly healthy, didn’t I?! Why did you throw me away?! Why?!”

“…”

“I saw it, I saw my real mother’s diary. It said they were going to name me Almira. But they threw me away, those people… they threw me away!”

“Was it your foster parent who gave you a similar name?”

“Don’t talk like that! My mother is that person! Yes, that’s right. It was her consideration, to at least leave a tiny fragment of my true mother’s affection within me. It’s hilarious, isn’t it? So laugh!”

“Ah-haha.”

“Don’t laugh! What could you possibly understand?!”

She’s all over the place. You’re the one who told me to laugh.

It really is funny, Aroma-san. You were properly loved, weren’t you. You greedy little thing.

But well, it wasn’t enough, was it? The love, I mean. If it’s love you want, I’ll give you as much as you need. If you’re going to say you’re that lonely, I’ll love you as much as you want.

I will love you. Let me love you.

Aroma-san. I love you.

“Aroma-san.”

I called out to her while removing her handcuffs with the key Alice-san had entrusted to me.

“What is it.”

There was no resistance whatsoever. Hanging her head, she muttered in a voice like a buzzing mosquito, so faint I could barely hear it.

“Shall I give you that ‘thing’ you wanted?”

“I told you. What could you possibly understand?”

“…”

“Answer me, answer me! What could you possibly understand about me?! What could someone like you, a lowly human, possibly give me?! Answer me, you piece of trash!”

“『　　　』”

“Huh?”

“That’s why I said 『　　　』, Aroma-san.”

“Are you an idiot? You don’t know anything.”

“But you told me, didn’t you? Your sins. The things that brought you pain. Your suffering. Your loneliness. And the fact that you were loved, too.”

“Then, why.”

“…”

“Why can you say something like that?”

Clap.

“Because I am your father, Aroma-san.”

“Please don’t say such stupid things.”

Clap.

“You were lonely, weren’t you? You wanted your head patted, didn’t you?”

“Don’t speak like you know me.”

Clap.

“You wanted to be praised, didn’t you? Am I wrong, Aroma?”

“Stop. I get it, I understand now, so stop it! Go away!”

Clap.

“I told you, Aroma. I forgive you.”

“Liar! There’s no way what I did can be forgiven!”

Clap.

“Here, Papa will comfort you. Come here, Aroma.”

“…”

Clap!

“You’ve worked so hard until now. You are my pride and joy, my daughter.”

“…!”

Clap!

“I forgive you for killing me. I forgive you for being jealous of Chris and the others. I forgive you for stealing their father from them.”

“Oh…!”

Clap!

“You don’t have to push yourself all alone anymore. Come here, Aroma.”

“Father!”

Cla-ap!

“Well then, make sure you return what you stole properly to His Majesty’s room.”

“Understood, Aroma-san.”

“Yes, yes, what a good response. Oh my, I wonder where Puria went?”

“What are you saying, you pardoned her yourself just a moment ago. She ran off ages ago.”

“Oh my… did I?”

“Yes, she was already forgiven. That’s great, isn’t it.”

“Ah, yes… I suppose so.”

“Well then, I’ll be taking my leave.”

“Ah… wait.”

“Yes?”

To this man who turned around as he said that, I was at a loss for words. What was I trying to say?

“Is something the matter?”

“Erm.”

“…”

“Um, uhh, well.”

“…”

“Um, you see.”

Clap.

“Aroma.”

“Yes! Father!”

That’s right, I’m Aroma. Aroma Sugesta. I’m not Almira anymore. I don’t need something like that!

This person understands me! This person really is my father!

“Don’t rush. I will properly become your father for you.”

Therefore.

“Be a good girl and wait for me, okay?”

“Yes, Father. Aroma will be eagerly waiting for that day.”

Clap.

“I’ll be excusing myself then, Aroma-san.”

“Yes. See you later, Nine.”

Hee-hee.

Ah-hahahaha. Ku-hee-hee-hee.