Chapter 582: Chapter 582
"!? Hahh... blessed they are... you have come...! Sniff! I had thought it would stay as a dream to escape grief..." — She said as the tears that appeared dry as they slowly fell yesterday, today appeared vivid in a healthier stream. Wiping them when it was too easy to notice. — "Sister Marianne... hic..... it is terrible that you have come to a place like this... yet I am so glad to see you well in health... please pardon my selfishness..."
"..." — It was a sudden impulse, a decision taken at the moment that was made in silence after I heard her, certainly acting slightly more like herself as her voice was not as sluggish as the day before... taking my post-it notes out of my pocket to say what I needed, probably cruel to do so since all I wanted was to see if she was well enough to stand and come closer to be able to read my words... as well as a little cruelty I wanted to give a try if successful. — [ I came here yesterday, do you not recall? Why are you crying? ]
"..... D-did you..." — While I held my notes between the bars so she could come to them, I saw how her smile faded, becoming white as she stuttered with difficulty. — "Did you l-lose your... ngh... hic! That beast... hic! Curse you...!"
"..."
"Bl-... bloody maniac..."
Letting the waterfall of tears that fell easily without care to fake well-being she cursed and mumbled as her frown pained me as well for I had succeeded in testing this cruelness I thought would fail. She forced herself to stand up when I remained still, waiting for her answer, shaking slightly as she moved. Coming closer to see what I had written properly. Trying to calm the grief from her expression as she looked confused to have the stack as communication. — "Hff... sniff... huh? Y-you were here? W-was I asleep? I... I did not know..."
I shook my head, holding any emotion from showing on my face as she confirmed what I feared.
"Ah... perhaps... I have been... a tad unwell lately... p-perhaps that is why I do not remember, haha... Um, oh! I-I am not crying. I believe I have allergies, t-that is why... the dust... it is..."
’... what in the world...? Why is she lying about that? She has no allergies. I know that much.’
"Nonetheless, it makes me happy to see you, sister... I... I know you do not truly want to s-see me. This visit must have been against your wishes... but... i-is it allowed... for myself to take this chance... to apologise?"
"..."
"I w-want to apologise, although I...! Oh, I d-do not want this to be taken as- I do not mean to get myself out of here with this! I-I hope my sentence is death s-so I can make it up to you!"
’?!?’
"I only-... I am truly sorry for all the damage I made, sister... I only want you to know... that I do regret it all..."
Her lowered head, be it because she could not look me in the eye because of shame or because she did not have the force to keep it straight, made my inner guts twist in frustration. What I could see of her was nowhere near to who I’ve known for the last years but instead...
— I’m showy... will sister not play with Theressa again...? —
All I could see in the way she puffed her cheeks restraining the tears with a lowered head was the little sister I thought lost in a past where we smiled together.
"... What is it that you regret exactly?"
"__... Marianne... y-your voice is not gone?" — Happy even though I said it with hatred, she smiled while supporting herself in the bars of her cell. Not receiving my answer since I did not feel confident of letting my voice out carelessly when I still wanted to doubt all of her. — "Uh... what I regret... e-everything I have done t-to you..."
"Give me examples."
"... Uh... er, I... t-the poison..."
"Why did you do that?"
"... I... I am sorry, I..."
"How did you get that poison?"
"I-I do not... um, M-marianne..."
"Where did you get it? Shouldn’t you know this?"
"... I..."
"..."
"I am not sure..." — Confusion was clear in her eyes even for myself to notice. I was hoping she would become clean given how "happy" she was to see me, and yet I could not expect this answer. — "B-but I did g-give it to you, right?? T-therefore, do not worry. I-I accept my sentence! I s-should not have done that, I truly am sorry, sister!"
"Are you asking me if you did it? How can you not be sure? Are you trying to feign dementia to save yourself from death now?"
"?! N-no! I s-swear, sister! Please! I..... I only want... t-to um... I don’t know... I just feel happy you came to see me... I am sorry..."
"... You are here because you helped Paul, who else helped you? Was this person also the one behind the poison?"
"?... h-he did say someone else was helping him... b-but I do not know who... about the poison, t-truly, I... G-goodness I s-should have asked-! B-but, sister! There was a maid and uh, h-he used some kind of tool to move us to that p-place. She could know more about this a-and I s-saw t-the tool!"
"... You don’t even know this? Even when involved?"
"Um... I was more concerned about where you were... I d-did not think about asking who..."
"What do you know, then?"
"... Huh?" — The question seemed to shock her more than anything else I could have said. Her golden eyes became grey from ignorance, and for a moment, while she went into some deep pondering to try and find an answer, even I felt the confusion she experienced while holding her head in search, pulling on her own scalp not sure about anything going on in her mind. — "... I... I have..... haha... I have n-not been able to tell things w-well f-for some time..... I am sorry.... I barely... all I know is that I hurt you, sister... I will try to recall, yes?"