An unbelievable wedding gift.
I just wanted to get the ceremony over with, enjoy Dan’s special meal at the reception, and go to sleep. That was my plan. But reality was far too cruel to allow it. There were so many things I wanted to say—so many—but ultimately, this was my own failure. I should have warned the gods not to do anything unnecessary.
“… Why are you here?”
“How cold, Sabo~We came to celebrate our Princess Hero, Sabo.”
The white cactus—no, Shiva—responded. Damn it, if his exterior wasn’t that of Sabo-san, I’d have punched him! And what’s with that speech pattern?!
“… I tried to stop them… but… I also wanted to celebrate, Sabo.”
Slength, you too? Is the speech pattern because your vessels are cacti? Damn it, this makes it hard to scold you.
“That’s why we all came to celebrate, Sabo. But being in a cactus form halves my charm, Sabo~”
That overly sensual, squirming cactus irritated me, but since the body was my cute Sabonova, I couldn’t hit her. And again with the speech pattern. Mystia, you too?
“Why, of all things, did you choose cacti as vessels?”
“These cacti had already reached god-tier, so they have the power to serve as divine vessels… Sabo.”
Ingens tried to resist the speech pattern but failed. I felt the urge to smash his glasses.
“Anyway, I appreciate the sentiment, so now go home.”
“Rosarin, congratulations. The bird has a gift. Bird, bring it over.”
Somehow, Poppo-chan had revived, and from him, I received a plain white envelope. No addressee. Inside was a simple letter, written in a beautiful, feminine script, offering words of celebration.
(To Rin, Rosalia, and Rosairn,
Nice to meet you, Rosalia. Rin… it’s been a long time. A lot of time has passed since you told me ‘Take care’ that last time. I once hated this world so much, but I grew to love it. I came to love its people and gained many precious things. Even so, there was a time when I returned to Japan. But I missed it, I was lonely… and I realized my place was here. That’s why, when he wished to see me again, I used it as an excuse to return.
My only lingering attachment to Japan was you, Rin. You were always so smart—I can’t even count how many times you helped me. It always weighed on me that I never got to repay you. Maybe that’s why? Even though there was no guarantee you’d ever come, I left behind many things in hopes that they would be of help to you if you did. I asked people to support the ‘person I was waiting for’ should they ever appear.
When I told them I had found my place and wanted to go, you said ‘That’s great’ and ‘Take care.’ Thank you for that. Rin… I sincerely wish for your happiness. Congratulations, and may you be happy.)
Even without a name, I knew exactly who this was from. I recognized both the handwriting and the words.
“The words came from another world, so their soul purification—essentially memory deletion—took time. In other words, the words’ soul still retained memories. As they said, their only lingering regret was you, Rin. Since they hadn’t completely fulfilled their wish, they intentionally held on to those memories. Now that they know you’re having a happy wedding and that their words helped you, they seem to have finally let go of their regrets. In a few years, they’ll be reborn into this world as a new soul. Who knows? Maybe they’ll even be reborn as your child.”
The white cactus—Shiva—probably winked.
This letter made me incredibly happy. I had heard from many people that Koto Neechan had been happy. She had finally found the place she wanted to be, after having no real place in that house. Even after I sent her off, I sometimes wondered if it was really the right choice. But it wasn’t just her—maybe I, too, had lingering regrets. Still, the decision I made when I said “Take care” wasn’t wrong. Koto Neechan had truly been happy.
“Thank you. This is… a truly wonderful gift.”
“And also, this.”
Poppo-chan handed me a mask. It wasn’t the delicate Koomote mask—it was something far more terrifying. Just holding it felt like it was cursed. It depicted a vengeful female spirit, an artistic embodiment of resentment and the drive for revenge.
A Hannya mask.
“… Scary. I don’t want to take it.”
“This was the mask that Koto-sama used in her later years. Whenever she wore this mask in anger, even the most mischievous children would be moved to tears and repent.”
“That’s just because it’s terrifying…”
“This was handcrafted by Koto-sama.”
“Seriously? That’s amazing.”
The craftsmanship was so flawless that even if someone told me a professional made it, I wouldn’t doubt it. It looked like it could shoot lasers from the eyes. Don’t point it at me—it’s scary.
“Apparently, she thought her previous mask symbolized ‘a young girl,’ so she wanted something more mature—”
“Koto Neechan!! That’s not what ‘more mature’ means!!”
Oh yeah, she *was* completely oblivious sometimes! Why, of all things, did she pick a Hannya mask?!
“She was quite satisfied with its effectiveness, saying it made bratty kids cry and apologize.”
“… So she made it terrifying on purpose?! Now it all makes sense!!”
Damn it, Koto Neechan, you natural airhead! I reluctantly accepted the Hannya mask. I’d just give it to Kagiko-san later. Yeah, let’s do that.
“Rosarin.”
“Yes?”
“… What do we do now?”
“Huh? … Oh.”
The guests had completely frozen.
Yeah… what do we do now?!
There’s no way I can cover this up, right?!
Damn it, if you were going to come to celebrate, couldn’t you have done it quietly and discreetly?!
I desperately held back the urge to claw at my head as I pushed my brain into overdrive.
What do you think about this chapter?
