Smack!
“Ow!”
Smack! Snap!
“Agh!”
“It hurts!”
“Waaah!”
At that moment something flew at the children. Small pebbles.
They burst into tears all at once, as if it really hurt.
“Want some more?”
It was that girl. Camilla!
Smack!
“Agh! Waaah!”
When Camilla set a small pebble in what looked like a slingshot, the children ran off crying.
I sat on the ground, sobbing, and stared blankly at Camilla.
“Don’t cry.”
“Huh?”
“If you cry, people look down on you. From now on, don’t cry over things like this.”
“O-okay!”
I nodded hard. I didn’t really understand, but it felt like everything Camilla said was right.
“Get up.”
I looked at the white hand held out to me and grinned as if I’d never cried.
A friend. My friend Camilla.
I really liked Camilla.
****
“Camilla, eat this!”
I’d brought out an apple we got as a snack during the day without eating it.
The red apple looked so delicious, but I held back because I wanted to give it to Camilla.
“You’re giving it to me?”
“Yeah!”
“...Thank you.”
Camilla’s face turned as red as the apple. Seeing how happy she was, I was glad I hadn’t eaten it.
“But this......”
“Huh?”
“Can I give this to my mother?”
“Mother?”
“Mm-hm.”
“Sure!”
Must be nice. To have a mother.
I was a little jealous and a little sulky, but I smiled too at Camilla’s brightening face.
Camilla stood right up, as if she wanted to hurry and give the apple to her mother.
‘I want to play more.’
She can give the apple and then come back to play.
Thinking that, I trailed after Camilla. What should we play today? Should we draw together?
“Camilla.”
When we reached Camilla’s house, a strange voice came. A very lovely voice.
But the moment I heard it, I stopped without meaning to. For some reason it made me feel afraid.
‘Is that Camilla’s mother?’
I glanced over and saw a very beautiful woman with Camilla.
“Where did you get this?”
“M-my friend gave it to me.”
“Friend?”
“Yes!”
“So you lie now?”
“...What?”
“Tell me the truth. Where did this come from?”
“It really was a friend—”
“Camilla!”
‘Hrk!’
I froze where I stood. At the woman’s angry shout.
I stared blankly at Camilla, who had gone rigid, and at the woman’s twisted face.
You said she’s your mother? Why is a mother like that? Mothers aren’t like that.
‘The mothers in books, a mother is......’
Not like that.
“They say someone’s been ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) stealing fruit from the orchard lately—so it was you.”
“N-no, I didn’t......”
“Lying again!”
Camilla shut her mouth in a hurry.
“Didn’t Mother tell you never to lie.”
“......”
“I should never have had something like you. Ha......”
“...I’m sorry, Mother.”
My whole body went cold.
I had to say it wasn’t true, that Camilla hadn’t stolen it, that I’d given it to her—but I couldn’t do anything.
‘I’m scared......’
Facing the woman scolding Camilla like a witch from a fairy tale, I couldn’t say a word.
When I saw Camilla lower her head without even crying, like she was used to it, tears streamed down my own face in her place.
My friend. My new friend lived not with a mother, but with a witch.
“I’m sorry, I’m sor—”
“Why are you sorry.”
The next day, when I saw Camilla, tears streamed down my face again.
“Don’t cry. I told you, if you cry people look down on you. That’s why I don’t cry.”
“Mm... sorry.”
I hurriedly wiped my eyes with my sleeve.
“Eat this.”
And I handed Camilla the apple I’d saved again that day. It was the only thing I could give my friend.
“I won’t eat it.”
“Why? Don’t give it to your mother—you eat it.”
“...It hurts.”
“Huh?”
“It hurts here, so I can’t eat.”
Looking at the apple, Camilla pressed hard on the place where her heart was.
At that sight I burst into a wail again, and Camilla spoke on, hesitantly.
“I’m leaving today.”
“What? Why?”
They’d only just moved in.
“They said we only stayed for a while because of work. The work is over, so we’re leaving.”
At the sudden news I forgot to cry and just stared at her. Camilla patted me a few more times.
“Camilla.”
“......!”
The witch!
At the woman’s call, Camilla shot to her feet.
‘Be well. Okay?’
Then she looked at me one last time and quickly ran to the woman.
That was the last time.
My friend, my princess-like friend, left with the witch like that.
“Laila.”
“Headmistress! Waaah!”
“Did something happen? Why are you crying?”
“Waaah... my friend, with a witch......!”
“What?”
“Waaah!”
“Now, hush. This isn’t the time to cry.”
“Hic... what?”
“You have a visitor.”
“A visitor?”
“Yes, people who want to be your mother and father.”
The headmistress smiled gently and patted my head. I took her hand and walked.
I turned my head to look back, but Camilla had already vanished; I couldn’t see her anywhere.
So I thought our connection had ended.
But......
“Are you going to stay like that?”
The friend I met again was still holding out her hand to me.
“Thank you for your help.”
My friend who was still pretty like a princess.
“My name is Laila.”
She didn’t seem to remember me at all, but it didn’t matter.
‘Because I......’
Because I remember.
