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IBP 95
Chloe gazed quietly at Coco, brushing the hair back from her forehead.
“Coco.”
“Mm...?”
“No matter what you say,”
“Huh...?”
“And no matter what you do, I love you more than anyone else in the world.”
As Chloe spoke the words she had wanted to say to the hesitant Coco, Coco gave a beaming smile.
“...Hehe. Big sister.”
“Yes.”
“Sister, sister, sisterrr. I love you too...”
Coco’s earlobes turned red with shyness.
“So, don’t go anywhere while I’m sleepin’...”
Drowsiness filled Coco's eyes once again.
Chloe pulled Coco into a tight embrace and whispered softly.
“Of course I won’t go anywhere. Go to sleep now. Big sister will go 'night-night' right next to our Coco.”
Only then did Coco seem relieved, snuggling deep into her arms.
Before long, she fell into a peaceful sleep, even snoring softly.
Yet, she kept a tight grip on Chloe's collar.
Chloe felt a strange sense of déjà vu at the sight.
Strangely, Coco's brow, which should have been peaceful, was deeply furrowed.
Moreover, she let out small, whimpering moans, like a sick puppy.
‘Is it really okay like this?’
Chloe watched Coco with a worried gaze.
After a few minutes had passed.
Deep in sleep, Coco's body suddenly jerked as if convulsing.
“N-no... I hate it...”
Flustered, Chloe wiped the cold sweat from Coco's forehead and asked.
“Coco, what’s wrong, my baby? Hmm?”
But Coco seemed unable to hear her, only trembling and letting out pitiful groans.
The convulsions showed no sign of subsiding. Soon, her limbs stiffened, just like a sick puppy.
“Save me... I'm scared... That, that hurts so much...”
Panicked, Chloe held Coco tight and whispered.
“Coco, baby. Big sister is right here.”
From Coco's pleas to be saved and her fear, Chloe inferred fragments of a horrific past.
Meanwhile, Chloe recalled the moment she had Coco treated earlier.
The doctor treating Coco had said:
“There are no abnormalities in her health. However, I spoke with the maid and found something peculiar that the Young Lady should be aware of.”
“Bring the maid in. Immediately.”
The story the maid told was enough to leave Chloe bewildered.
“T-the truth is, it seems the baby has been having frequent nightmares lately. She doesn't remember them when she wakes up in the morning, so I didn't ask in detail, but...”
“Then why wasn't this reported until now?”
“I apologize. I had just grasped the situation right before the hunting competition and was about to report it immediately.”
“Explain the situation in more detail.”
“When the baby has nightmares, she sometimes covers her ears and suddenly shakes her head. There are times when she screams loudly. I was worried because she looked to be in a great deal of pain.”
The maid's voice carried genuine concern.
‘Could it be that memories of being abused by those pieces of trash right before she died remain?’
Biting her lip hard, Chloe hugged Coco tightly and whispered.
“Coco, don't worry about anything. Big sister will make sure our Coco is happy.”
The convulsions had stopped, but Chloe looked down at Coco, whose brow was still furrowed.
She prayed and prayed that her warm voice would reach Coco. She wanted to provide even a single ray of light to Coco, who was wandering alone in a nightmare.
Striving to keep her voice warm, she whispered in her ear and stroked Coco's hair, which was damp with cold sweat.
And she did not forget her cold resolve.
Dahlia Melomande.
Gillen Amadeus.
Those pieces of trash who lived in luxury thanks to our Coco's death.
I will definitely kill them.
Vowing and vowing again, Chloe held Coco tight.
“I love you. Our Coco, big sister loves you more than anyone in the world. I wish I could take away all of our Coco's pain...”
Until her voice grew hoarse, she sang like a lullaby: My baby, I love you most in the world.
She continued to repeat those words until Coco woke up again, without any memory of the nightmare.
It seemed it would take time to warmly embrace the child's pain.
But it didn't matter if it took a long time.
Until five-year-old Coco turns ten and goes to the academy, makes a proper debut, meets a heartbreaking first love and dates in secret from her, and perhaps gets engaged and marries...
Until she goes through all of those things, they will be together for a very, very long time.
Surely, time would be on their side.
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