Summer was an incredibly kind child. She had spent her whole life running to meet the expectations of the world. That’s why she crumbled more easily.
It felt like losing everything with just one finger pointed at her by the world, and she soared high on the world’s insidious compliments.
“Miss. There is nothing more precious than you.”
“…….”
But Mary, why do you say such things? It sounds as if it doesn’t matter that I have failed at everything and am not the god you expected. It makes me misunderstand.
Summer, who had covered her face with both hands, slowly lowered them.
Mary’s blind affection towards me felt overwhelming.
“Miss. Please listen to me.”
“…….”
“You can create the world.”
“If I am just a worthless nobody….”
“You’ve seen it with your own eyes. You have the power of creation. There are so many beings in this world in the same situation as me.”
“…….”
“Dust. Minor roles. Something like that.”
“I….”
“Please call their names.”
“…….”
“Gently call the names they have forgotten. That is enough for us.”
Mary smiled strangely, holding back her tears.
Summer, seeing that Mary looked precariously as if she might disappear, unconsciously reached out and hugged her.
“I will. I will definitely do that.”
Names. Summer had lost her name when she came into this world.
The reason she wanted to return to the original world was ultimately to find the name she had lost.
Summer slowly released Mary from her embrace.
Mary was crying. Droplets of clear tears fell.
“Mary. You must have had a hard time too.”
Summer wiped Mary’s tears with her thumb. The tears were lukewarm. A proof that Mary was alive.
“Miss….”
“Let’s call out the names of everyone in the mansion before dawn, one by one.”
“…….”
“There’s something you need to help me with.”
Summer rummaged through the desk drawer and took out a notebook and a pen, handing them to Mary.
“When I call out the names, you write them down here. So they won’t disappear again.”
Summer took Mary’s hand and led her. Mary followed behind Summer, holding the notebook and pen in one hand.
Summer walked quickly down the hallway, starting to call out names to the maids she passed by.
“Hello, Joy!”
“Hello, Miss. Have a good night.”
“Hello, Belle!”
“Hello.”
“Hello, Luna.”
“Good night, Miss.”
Every time Summer called their names as she passed by, their faint existence became clearer and bubbled up.
After Summer passed, the clear figures of people appeared. They greeted Summer with good night wishes as she brushed past them.
The hallway, once filled with a chilly atmosphere, became noisy with the voices of people.
“Hello, Philip.”
“It’s a beautiful night, Miss.”
Everyone recognized and looked at Summer precisely. And they smiled back at her.
Mary followed behind Summer, sobbing. She diligently wrote down their names, wiping her tears repeatedly.
It was a dream. The most unrealistic and longed-for dream that Mary had.
Seeing it actually unfold right before her eyes was much more overwhelming than she had imagined.
“Ah. Wait a moment.”
Having gone through the entire mansion, Summer suddenly seemed to recall someone and dashed through the door, crossing the garden.
Mary hurriedly followed Summer but stopped in her tracks when she saw the building.
“Grandfather!”
“……Miss?”
The coachman, who was examining the words, looked at Summer with a puzzled expression.
Summer, panting, asked,
“Grandfather, I want to know your name.”
“My name is Jack, Miss.”
“Jack, Grandfather Jack.”
“Yes. But what brings you here at this hour, oh my.”
Jack quickly grabbed a napkin and handed it to Summer.
Only then did Summer touch her cheek. She was crying. But not out of sadness.
“Thank you.”
Summer sniffled as she accepted the napkin and wiped her tears.
“What happened?”
“It’s nothing, Grandfather. I just wanted to express my gratitude. If it weren’t for you, I would have gone mad much earlier.”
Summer smiled brightly, her eyes crinkling. She felt relieved.
It felt like she could say goodbye now.
Behind Summer, dawn was breaking. With the blue light shining on her, Summer was shining brighter than any summer before.
Mary and Summer walked around the mansion several times to see if anyone was missing.
By the time they returned to the room, breakfast time had already passed.
Exhausted, the two exchanged a brief glance before retreating to their respective chambers.
Summer rolled over on her bed. Beautiful murals of baby angels adorned the ceiling.
“It’s almost a cultural heritage.”
Summer chuckled at her silly remark. Her body was tired, but her mind was clear.
It was because the aftertaste of the previous events lingered. Above all, outside the window, she could hear the murmurs of people.
The cheerful laughter of young maids, the gruff voice of the chef checking incoming ingredients, and the chattering conversations of the laundry maids.
Summer stretched her arms wide and lay back, happily closing her eyes. It would be nice if she could wake up in the original world feeling just like this.
Summer envisioned the faces of her real family in her mind.
Her friends were now barely remembered, their existence only faintly lingering. Her family, too, she couldn’t recall their names or faces.
Now, she had to strain her mind just to vaguely picture her mother’s indistinct form.
“Mom….”
I wonder if you’re doing well. If I go to that world, I will naturally be able to reclaim my name. They will find their names, and she will go to find hers.
To do that, she needed to find a way for them not to disappear even if she left.
“What’s up, black-haired girl? Haven’t you slept yet?”
“I’m glad you came.”
“Of course.”
Fay jumped into the room and plopped down on Summer’s bed.
“You look pretty happy. I thought you’d be gloomy.”
Fay’s voice, however, was gloomy.
“There’s only one day left. More than that, Fay.”
“Yeah?”
“If I return to the original world, does Mary die?”
“The maid who’s clinging to you?”
“Yes.”
“Rather than dying, she returns to her original state. Like a ghost.”
The explanation was calm, as if explaining the fact that ice turns to water when it melts.
Summer thought Fay’s indifferent attitude towards the existence and disappearance of someone was somewhat witch-like.
“Is there… a way to stop it?”
“There isn’t. You have to be in this world, no matter what.”
“Then….”
There was a bit of commotion outside the hallway. But Summer couldn’t hear it, as her vision was darkened by Fay’s words.
Fay glanced at the door and continued speaking.
“It seems she’s been doing some pretty cute things to try to hold onto you. Wake up. You’re going back, and the world will return to its original state.”
“Miss.”
Fay’s words were interrupted by Mary’s formal tone. Only then did Summer grasp the situation.
The open door, the maids huddled behind Mary. They all looked innocent, their eyes shining with confusion.
Summer’s face gradually twisted. She couldn’t protect them. In either world, Summer felt powerless.
“I….”
“She wants to meet you. Please forgive her.”
“Miss! Hello, I’m Lia!”
She remembered. The first successful child. Summer approached the gathered maids and greeted them one by one.
Fay shot her an annoyed glance, while Mary quietly observed Fay.
“Witch.”
Mary, who had been glancing at the cheerful conversation between Summer and the maids, secretly approached Fay.
Fay puffed up like a cat that had been startled, her irritation boiling over.
“Don’t talk to me. It’s driving me crazy.”
“I know your despair hidden in your lightness.”
“Don’t act like you know. Before I turn you into a frog.”
“Have you reached your limit?”
“…….”
Fay inhaled sharply, caught off guard. It was true.
The power Fay had been using was the residue of divine power. The remnants left after the god took away her strength.
In fact, she had almost exhausted it when she flew with Summer onto the roof last time.
“Are you confident you can safely send the Miss back?”
“……What?”
“I asked if you’re confident.”
Fay had to think for a moment about Mary’s intentions.
She didn’t understand. Wasn’t that maid trying to keep Summer here? Then why was she asking such a question?
Was she trying to test her because she knew something? Or was she really willing to let go of her own disappearance for Summer’s happiness?
Or maybe both.
Well. It didn’t matter. Summer was going to leave anyway. And the world would find stability. That was Fay’s role.
“Of course. Even if it means using up all my last strength.”
“What happens if you use up all your strength?”
“I die, of course.”
Fay spoke about her own death as if it were someone else’s business and exhaled indifferently.
Mary’s attitude, as if she were acting like everything was fine, was extremely irritating. No, it was beyond irritating; it twisted her insides.
With a demeanor that resembled her brilliant past self, as if she would live forever like that, it made her stomach churn unbearably.
“Hey, maid.”
“…….”
“Can you see it too? The black hair.”
“Yeah.”
“Aren’t you going to hold on? If you do, she’s going to fall over completely.”
Fay glanced at Summer’s face and mocked her.
Instead of falling for Fay’s provocation, Mary brushed past Fay and approached Summer.
“Alright. Let’s get to work.”
“I’m sad. Can we come back tomorrow?”
As Mary pushed the maids out the door, they looked back at Summer with regretful expressions.
Summer nodded as if it were natural, then awkwardly declined.
“Well. Ah, I guess tomorrow won’t work.”
Because she had to go back. Swallowing her words, Summer forced a smile.
Mary sent all the maids away and closed the door with a thud.
“Miss. I have something to ask.”
“Hmm? To me?”
“Miss. Do you really want to go back?”
“How many times do I have to answer? Of course, I want to go back. That place is real.”
“Do you still have memories of that world?”
“……That’s….”
As Summer hesitated to answer, Mary’s dry question hit her like a blow to the back of her head.
“No matter what form you took in the original world?”