There Is No Lie In This World
Chapter 51: Forget Me Not
CHAPTER 51: FORGET ME NOT
I opened my eyes to find myself lying on a soft flowerbed.
With my mind hazy, I looked around and found that I was in a vast - yet comforting - land covered in grass and flowers.
Some distance away, sitting on the grass cross-legged with her back turned toward me, was the girl who almost took away everything I had - and everything I was.
She was humming softly, her hands were busy making something.
This had been living inside me for a while, I knew.
Was it since we met in the Archive?
Or had she always been with me?
It was hard to tell, but somehow it felt like the question didn’t really matter.
All I knew was that I felt what she felt, and I felt for the child.
"Oh, hi- you are awake," the girl suddenly turned to face me, breaking into a smile.
"Hi," I smiled back at her too.
She looked a little surprised, and I was too.
Just until moments ago it seemed only one of us could exist, but now here we were, facing each other in this heavenly place.
"Aren’t you scared of me?" the girl asked, fidgeting.
"No," although I had every right to be, I honestly didn’t feel that way.
"I... wanted to say sorry, Lin," she spoke, bravely.
"I’m sorry too," I felt a pang in my heart.
"Sigh... Lucille’s going to be mad at me now, won’t she?"
Lucille.
I now knew that was Luc’s name - the name I won’t say aloud again, but will always treasure in my heart.
"I don’t think so. I think she would understand."
"I’m going to get so scolded," the girl looked downcast.
"What is your name?" I sat in front of her and asked.
"Saen"
"That’s a very pretty name."
"Are you going to remember it?"
"I will do my best."
Then we both turned as we felt Luc approaching.
She walked toward us in casual - yet somewhat tired-looking - strides. She didn’t wear any shoes, baring her marble-white feet.
"You girls are a real handful," she scorned, but there wasn’t any shade of anger or irritation in her voice. Only a relief.
"Come sit with us!" Saen cheerfully waved at her and as Luc was walking over to us, our eyes met.
I blushed.
Luc looked away for a brief moment too.
The girl leaned and brought her face close to mine, studying it, then turned to look at Luc again, then back to me again.
She smiled and said, "I’m kind of jealous."
"Don’t say silly things," Luc gently reprimanded her and sat next to us, three of us forming a triangle.
"Tha- Thank you, Luc..." I worked up the courage to speak to her first.
Luc leaned back, placing her palms behind her on the ground.
"I..."
It was unlike her to be so reserved, and it was the young one who coaxed her to speak.
"Just say it, Lucille," Saen said in almost a teasing tone.
"I... do apologize."
"Pfft-" I let out a short, suppressed laughter, which made Luc turn her head away again.
"You don’t need to be sorry. I was... so glad you came back," I told her.
Instead of answering me, Luc let out a dry cough and faced the girl.
"I think you owe her an apology as well, Saen."
"I was going to! And I made this!" the girl exclaimed, and presented me a little tiara made with flowers.
"Thank you, Saen," I was going to take it in my hands, but the girl shook her head and placed it on my head instead.
"Now, you are officially fit to be the queen. Approved by me," she nodded her head theatrically.
What an adorable little girl - and to think that she spent all this time alone...
"I didn’t really mean to hurt you, Lin... I was just... being childish," she confessed.
"That’s a very mature thing to say. And I’m sorry you had to go through all-"
Luc then raised her hand.
"It was my mistake. I didn’t foresee that they would use Saen," she admitted.
There was a silence between us for a moment. A gentle breeze blew the girl’s hair over her face. Luc reached out and brushed them back behind her ear.
"I... hated you for a long time, Lucille," the girl finally opened up.
"I know. And I deserved it," Luc acknowledged.
"Why didn’t you come see me all this time...?" she needed to know.
"Cowardice."
That made the girl’s eyes widen and jaws drop. She almost jumped back in a surprise.
"You...? Lucille?"
Luc smiled and nodded her head.
"There, I said it."
Confused and in disbelief, Saen just looked into Luc’s eyes and blinked.
"Why... would you say that?" the child asked again.
Luc then leaned closer on the girl, embraced her fully, and whispered into her ear.
I could not make out what she said, but I saw that Saen’s face lit up with a bright smile while tears swelled up in her eyes too.
"You are a bigger fool than Elune," the girl let out between her muted sobs.
The silver-hared one said nothing more, and held the child in her arms for a long time, like a mother who had met her lost daughter for the one last time and knew she had to say good-bye again.
It was the girl who seemed stronger in the heart though as she broke free first before Luc let go.
She wiped her tears and asked me.
"Will you remember me?"
"Always."
And I meant it with all my heart.
"Hehe. Thank you," Saen said, and then looked up at Luc, who had now stood up and had her hand placed on the girl’s shoulder.
"I guess it’s time for me to go then," the child announced.
Luc ruffled Saen’s hair, then spoke to me.
"I will accompany her."
There was an incredible weight of sadness, yet a profound sense of relief in her voice.
All I could do was smile for my silver-haired guardian, reassuringly.
Luc bowed her head slightly, held Saen’s small hand, and they began to walk toward the horizon.
The girl seemed animated - jumping, skipping, laughing, and clinging to Luc.
I watched them become smaller and smaller, until they reached the top of a small hill.
Before they disappeared, Saen turned one last time, did a little jump and waved her hand.
I waved back.
And I saw them walk over the hill.
———
"Good morning, Miss Roen."
I woke up to the musical voice of Elune.
"E... Elune?"
She greeted me with the same warm smile as always.
"Shall I bring you your favorite - the butter croissant, just the way you like it?"
That made me realize that I was very hungry.
And yes, that would be exactly what I needed right now.
"Thank you, Elune."
"Always a pleasure."
With that, she waltzed out of the room, humming a tune that sounded vaguely familiar.
I sat up on my bed, grabbing my bed sheet. The crisp texture of cotton breathed newfound life into me.
Then something caught my eye.
On the console table at the foot of my bed, there was a tiara made of flowers.
Yes, Saen.
I will always remember you.