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Chapter 72 Part 5 – The Beginning of a Tragic Night

「If Rona-chan’s mother heard what you just said, she would have been so happy and would have hugged you like this. I’m sure the reason I met Rona-chan is thanks to the guidance of your mother who is worried about you. I know I’m not good enough, but from now on will you think of me as your mother and rely on me?」

「H-How can I consider a young and beautiful person like Marielle-san as my mother ……」

Seeing Rona acting flustered with her nose red, Marielle burst out laughing.

「Ahahaha!! You say the nicest things. Even though I look like this, I’m at an age where it wouldn’t be strange for me to have a child older than Rona-chan. But well, if that bothers you, I also won’t mind if you want to call me ‘Onee-san’. Come on, don’t be shy, try saying it.」

Rona is too conscious and considerate about other people.
Worried about that, Marielle wiped away her tears, looked at Rona tenderly, and urged her.

「…… M-Marielle …… onee-sama ……?」

Rona’s cheeks were dyed red as she looked up and timidly said that.

「……!!」

Marielle averted her eyes from the unexpected younger-sister-attribute destructive power.

「…… Marielle onee-sama!? That Marielle is called Marielle onee-sama ……!! T-This is hilarious. It’s going to be a good topic when drinking together …… Uahh!?」

The empty vase that Marielle threw at the black-bearded Bobby hit him right in the forehead.

「…… Rona-chan, let’s not use ‘Onee-sama’. I would feel more at ease if you called me ‘Onee-san’ or ‘Nee-san’. Besides, that way of calling would make us seem more like a family.」

Marielle was actually quite shaken inside her heart, but she used the blood flow manipulation to hide her blushing cheeks.

The black-bearded Bobby has spent a long time with her and saw right through her and teased her.

「You know, Rona, I’ll tell you something good. This nee-san always speaks in a rude tone whenever she meets us. But in fact, she’s quite elegant on the inside. When she gets drunk or upset, her elegance comes out. Usually, it’s the other way around. Don’t you think she’s quite the cute nee-san? …… Uwah, that hurts!?」

「S-Shut up.」

The second empty vase shot hit the black-bearded Bobby again.

「Don’t throw things toward people’s heads without any hesitation. What are you going to do if Rona imitates you!?」

「I’ll do my best. Because I want to be like Marielle onee-san.」

Rona clenched her fists and said excitedly.
Hearing her words, the black-bearded Bobby screamed.

「Don’t do your best in imitating her temper!! I would have a better chance of winning against a large army than dealing against two Marielle.」

Everyone laughed together and Rona thanked God that she was a part of this circle.
Those dark, painful days that were filled with despair seemed so far away, as if they were a lie.
And she strongly wished.
She hopes that her younger brothers, Ronny and Teddy, will soon join this warm circle.

Moreover, after Marielle heard about Teddy’s condition from Rona, she said that maybe his leg could be cured.
When she heard that, Rona was overjoyed and burst into tears on the spot.

「…… If Teddy’s leg can be healed …… I …… I will do whatever I can to repay the favor.」

「Then be happy. Rona-chan, your smile has the power to make other people feel happy. I’m satisfied as long as I get to see a lot of your smile.」

Marielle said that while hiding her embarrassed feelings.
Rona thanked Marielle from the bottom of her heart.

Overjoyed, Ronna immediately went to pick up Ronny and Teddy at their home while being accompanied by the brown-bearded Bill. With the brown-bearded Bill following behind Rona, the low-life punks of the slums who often ridiculed Rona looked away and disappeared stealthily. They instinctively sensed that even if they all ganged up against him, they would not be able to win against him. They looked like a bunch of stray cats running away in a panic when encountering a lion.

「…… How rude. I wouldn’t go on a rampage since this place is not the battlefield.」

Rona nearly laughed at the disgruntled words of the brown-bearded Bill.

Rona had been shuddering at the thought of her drunken father attacking her in anger when she came back, but now she was beginning to feel funny for being so frightened. For this reliable old man with a brown beard, even if there are a hundred of her father, all of them would be no match against him. By the time she reached her home, fear had completely disappeared from her steps.

Rona exclaimed.

「Ronny!! Teddy!! I’m here to pick you up!! Let’s go together!!」

But her two younger brothers were nowhere to be seen.

Her father was also gone, but this was no surprise since he was either dead drunk and asleep or out scavenging for booze.

Rona was disappointed, but not too worried.

It was Rona herself who had pushed the money to Teddy and told him to run away with Ronny from this house. Both of them are smart and cautious. They will not be deceived by bad guys. With the money she gave them, they shouldn’t have trouble eating for a while.

What she is afraid of is that they will go out of town and she will not be able to track them.

「Well, the gatekeeper said that he hasn’t seen any children leaving the town in the past few days.」

The brown-bearded Bill immediately talked with the gatekeeper and confirmed the situation.

「Don’t worry about it. Marielle is well known in this town. I’m sure she’ll find them soon. Besides, you just recovered from a serious injury. Maids have to be physically strong, so you should rest your body well.」

The brown-bearded Bill comforted Rona.

True to what he said, Marielle immediately requested the town’s influential figures to look for Ronny and Teddy. The order spread from the top to bottom. All the way throughout the network of information covering the town.

「It shouldn’t take more than three days for the information to come up from below. Until then, be patient, Rona-chan.」

Marielle and the others had gone to such great lengths to help her, a stranger they had just met a few days ago. Rona could only nod and suppress her impatience.

…… The action they took was close to the best possible one.

Under normal circumstances, Ronny and Teddy would have been immediately taken into custody and Rona would be able to happily reunite with them.

It was completely out of their expectations that Matthew from the Inquisition had secretly entered the town and suddenly took Ronny and Teddy away as a witch’s relatives.

…… Everyone believed that everything was going to be fine.
Until tonight.

The sound of someone hurriedly knocking on the door echoed ominously and everyone who had been laughing at the hilarious behavior of the black-bearded Bobby froze.

Without waiting for a response from inside the house, a panicked voice sounded from outside the door.
What he said was so shocking that Marielle didn’t wait until he finished speaking and immediately unlocked the door and threw it open
The person outside the door was the town mayor’s attendant.

「…… It’s terrible, Marielle-san!! The mayor was taken away by an official from the Inquisition called Matthew due to the witch hunt. Along with all the other influential people in town!! Everyone is seething with anger and it’s becoming a hell of a mess!!」

「No way ……!! Why is Matthew in this town ……」

The news was so shocking that even the stout-hearted Marielle stood there petrified.

But Marielle’s face stiffened when she saw the frightened woman and little boy huddled together behind the man.

「…… Madam and young master. Why are you two here?」