THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"Yeah, I know it is stupid. But still, I think it is better this way."

Farner comes out of her den and stands next to Lanuvel. Then she grabs her hand and looks at me with the most straight and sincere face.

"We will stay with you whether you want it or not. Even if that means we will cry at the end. Do not think you can shake our resolve that easily."

"Huh…You shouldn't-"

"Shut up! I am tired of hearing your nonsense rumbling!"

Why are you not saying anything, Lanuvel? She doesn't look at me but doesn't release Farner's hand either. Maybe she just doesn't want to spoil the current mood.

"Well, I guess we all have the answers we wanted. My father said you should restart school tomorrow. The first duty of a student is to study after all."

"Right."

Keltia turns around and leaves, followed Farner. Lanuvel stays behind and lightly carress K'nor's head while he comes back to his box.

"See you later, buddy."

"Woof!"

I leave the pet's house and follow Lanuvel. She is walking slightly faster than me and there is a good three meters separating us. We reach the church and go to the infirmary. When we enter, Rose is sitting on her bed, with a priest next to her. She is eating with ease now. It's good to see. Though it is weird to see her head without even a thread of hair.

"It's okay. I am not hungry anymore."

"But you ate more yesterday. Please, try to eat just a little bit more."

As she sees us, she refuses to eat any more of the food she is given. Lanuvel immediately runs to her and sits on a chair near the bed.

"Mom, please."

"But I am truly not hungry anymore. I am not lying, I promise."

"Sigh…I understand. I will come in three hours for your next meal then."

"Thank you very much."

"Thank you, Priest Jean."

"It's nothing."

The priest stands up and when he passes near me, I see the food they are giving her. It's just a soup, without anything else inside. And that smell, it's a pumpkin soup. Well, even I wouldn't want to eat that.

"Mom, this is-"

"Your boyfriend, right?"

"W-w-what?!!! No, of course not!!"

That's a good guess there, Rose. Though, it is more accurate to say I was.

"Good evening, madam. My name is Kevin Dragonroad." I introduce myself then walk and sit on the priest's chair.

"Dragonroad? That's a very peculiar name. Are you perhaps a dragon?"

"Hm…"

"I am joking. But seriously, is that why she fell for you?" Rose pokes my hand but Lanuvel immediately grabs it back.

"Mom! Stop! You are embarrassing me!"

"Fufufu. Sorry, sorry. But we both know I am right so why are shy about it?"

"You are not, mom!"

"But you made the same face just now as the day you came here crying your eyes out. ISn't he the one who broke your small, sweetheart?"

"Ahem…" It is better to change the subject before it goes too far. Rose is quite sharp though. That or she knows her daughter very well. "Madam. I-"

"Thank you for rescuing me." she turns around to me before I can speak anymore and bows her head while talking. "I had given up the hope of seeing the sun rising again but you brought me back and allowed me to see my daughter once again. Even if I was to give you everything that I possess, even if I as to give you my life, it won't be enough to show you my gratitude."

"Please, raise your head, I don't deserve it." This is just the opposite of the day you brought me to your friend. Though I failed to thank you properly.

"How could you not deserve it? I hope you are not of those modest people. I have always hated people who act modest when it is unnecessary. Even my husband was like this at the beginning." Why did you have to bring out Mark's name now?

"I…I am sorry."

"Don't be sorry. There is no need to. But you should act with more pride. You are a good person so there is no need to lower your head like this."

Rose grabs my chin with her hand and raises my head back to make sure I look at her.

"I…"

"And frankly speaking, you are quite looking. If my daughter doesn't want you, I could still-"

"Mom!!" Lanuvel immediately pinches her mother's cheek and drags her head towards her.

"Ouch! Ouch! Okay, I got it! No more jokes!" Lanuvel releases her cheek but she starts pouting. Yep, that a cute look you got there.

"Sigh…Mom. You haven't changed at all."

"It's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Yes…Yes, it is. If only-" Before Lanuvel can continue, Rose embraces her tenderly.

"It's okay. Everything will be alright." She then places her forehead against Lanuvel. "Your father is gone and I know it pains you. But you are alive right now. So you must live. You must live, be happy and smile. So that he knows. That his daughter has acknowledged his sacrifice and that she will carry on his name."

"Sniff…Sniff…" Lanuvel starts crying on her mother's shoulder. I think now is the time to go. My heart hurts from seeing her cry like this even though the cause is in front of her.

I stand up but then my arm is pulled. When I turn around, to my own surprise, Lanuvel is the one who is holding the sleeve of my shirt.

"Don't…Don't leave yet."

"…Okay."

I sit back and watch Rose comforting her daughter for a little while.

***

"You can come to see me anytime. And don't let her command you. She is just like her father."

"Mom!!"

After Lanuvel stopped crying, we didn't talk much. Then, because of the mood, Lanuvel herself decided it was time to go. Though, Rose doesn't seem to ready to let us go just yet.

"Goodbye, madam."

"Goodbye, Kevin. Take good care of her, please."

"Mom! I am serious! Stop it!"

"I will try to, madam." Lanuvel glares at me with murderous intent immediately.

"Fufu. Good. Bye-bye."

When we leave the church, Lanuvel grabs my hand and drags me beyond the entrance of the cemetery. Then she slams me on a wall.

"Listen and listen very well. This doesn't mean I have forgiven you."

"I know. You just wanted your mother to smile a bit, right?"

"R-right." Of course, you wouldn't forgive me. It would be absurd.

"Can I go now?"

"Yes, let's…let's go."

"Good."

We walk around for a while and pass by the smithy. Should I go and see Sophia? If she has received the news of Frank's death, she must be really sad.

"You want to see that vixen again, right?"

"Why would you insult her?" I can understand that you hate me but there is no need for you to insult other people as well. This somehow angers me. "Do you think you can insult other people just because you hate me?"

"No, I-"

"Yes, you! It's always about you, right?! As long as I am concerned, everything is just evil and you are-"

Lanuvel slaps me with red, teary eyes.

"Stop."

"Why should I? Tell me. I can understand if you want to kill me and torture me or whatever. But other people have not-"

Once again, she slaps me, harder this time. Hard enough for my ears to ring a bit.

"I said, stop. Please."

"Now, you are saying please? She isn't a vixen anymore?"

"Yes, she isn't." Though she looks reluctant, Lanuvel admits her fault without looking at me.

"Good. This is how it should be. You must only hate me. You must only despise me. Or else you will do the mistakes that I did."

"You really think you know it all, don't you?" She grabs me by the collar then yanks me towards her, placing her mouth on my ear. "But you don't know shit."

Then she pushes me back and goes away. I read her mind before she leaves and what she is thinking surprises me. I run after her and grab her hand but it seems I grabbed it with too much strength. She falls to the ground and people start looking at us.

"Let go of my hand!"

"Wait a minute."

"…" She looks at me with swollen eyes. How much have you cried already, Lanuvel? She tries to stand up but her legs are shaking like crazy.

"Sigh…You really are a handful, you know?"

"I said to leave me alone. What are you doing?!"

Without a care for the people looking at us, under the last ray of sunlight, I carry Lanuvel on my back. She keeps wiggling and hitting my head but I walk with her like nothing. Gradually, her resistance reduces then fades away. After a few minutes of walking, I hear her breathing right next to my ear. Her gentle and sweet smell also invades my nose.

"Just why? Why did I fall in love with you of all people?"

"I wonder as well. You always wanted to beat me up in the past after all."

"I was just pissed off at the time because you were never smiling."

"I had no reason to. My parents and Veronica weren't really the best thing to make me smile then."

"And now, what has changed?"

"Well, I met the cute version of you." Second technique in Excafol's book for handling women. Always throw a compliment in at the most random and unthinkable moment.

"I-I was always cute. You just never noticed!" Seems like it worked.

She raises her head back and grabs my neck from behind.

"Not when you slap me with the strength to remove my teeth."

"Argh!! You!! I am sorry, okay?!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Lanuvel places her head back on my shoulder then whispers in my ears.

"I am sorry. For everything. And for breaking my promise."

"Your promise?"

"I said I would show a different future, right? Now that I know the truth, I must more than ever do it." She isn't whispering anymore. It was a bit pleasant that way.

"You don't have to, you know? I will probably-"

"Die alone somewhere, right?"

"Yeah."

"Fufufu. Well, we will see about that." I don't know what you mean but your laugh just now was scary.