Chapter 25 Part 3: Intricate memories of 108 lives and the truth. A flurry of tales in which Scarlet plays a role.

Mary was very good at embroidery.

There were a lot of dolls Mary gave me, and I named and loved every one of them. After I grew up, they all were inherited by Mary’s daughter.

When she asked me to be the godmother of her child, I was very happy.

Almost like I had a very little sister, as I waited as an older sister, for her to be born.

She always smiled and held me, saying, I love you my Mistress Scarlet.

Just like she was another mother of mine.

But, Mary…protected me…!

It was suddenly hard to breathe.

Because of me…Mary was killed!

Mary had thought about me until the very end.

She had given me everything.

But I…I, couldn’t give her anything back!

It’s all my fault!

I wish I was dead instead!

Flora, I’m sorry! I apologize!

I robbed you of your mother!

And now the tears blinded me again…I can’t stand it anymore.

God, how many people are you going to rob me of?!

After my father died, there was no more Ethelreed in the shadows, watching over me!

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

「…auouuuu….aouuuu…」

「Oh no! I have to burp her again!」

Mary still mistakes what’s going on and pats my back again.

「Auouuuu! Aouooouuu! 」

And again I look like a sea lion.

That’s not it! Geez!

All of my memories are mixed up.

I desperately tried to wipe away my tears with both my little fists so they wouldn’t see how emotional I was.

And I had the hiccups.

This back-patting loop is never going to end.

「Okay, Scarlet, I’m sorry for calling your name before your baptism. But I’ll always watch out for you…and then…」

My mother looked down while Mary fumbled over her words.

「…then I’ll have the opportunity to start over as a mother. I need to learn as much as I can…I don’t think I can do as well as your noble mother here can.」

But my mother still worried about her trying to kill me before.

「Aouu!」

I pulled my little arms up as if I was holding a bow.

My mother’s eyes got wide in surprise.

There was no need for a 108-time-evil-queen like me to learn how to act like a noble.

I practically can teach it already.

Instead, I want to learn how to shoot a bow…that super archer technique you have, mom.

I have to train myself so that Arnold, that shadow hunter, one of the five heroes that killed me, gets what’s coming to him. Just in case he tries to stop me from my future laid-back life!

「…that’s my specialty…」

My mother laughed, her face blossoming into youth again.

I really loved to see that youthful look of hers.

And she wasn’t wearing the cotton robe tied with a rope anymore, that she wore after giving birth.

Now her hair is tied up with a white cloth headband around her forehead. Her hunter’s gauntlet is on her hand. Long leather boots. And a short skirt, about the knee…!

To be precise, she had a long jacket with pleats around her thighs and shorts underneath, but with those folds it looked more like a miniskirt. Actually, there’s nothing else it looks like. Seeing the color of creamy thighs like hers is way too provocative. A little dangerous fashion sense in a country like this where long skirts are the norm. So why does the jacket look so different in its upper and lower parts? Almost like it wants to mislead people into believing it’s a skirt.

And whats the traditional meaning for that belt, that has a horizontal knot like a ribbon?

And on the back is a rough beast fur that is worn like a cloak…almost like my mother is a beast or something. Doesn’t it look far too country compared to wearing a simple scarf?

Her breastplate is nice, but it covers her only weakness, those little boobs. Are they there to make her look more busty? Is that how small breasted warriors fight?

If you looked at her closely, the arrangement is quite strange, a beast wrapped around her neck with the beast’s head on her back? But the arrangement is quite neat, though when she turns around, the face of the beast is scary…

「This is formal Melville Clan dress. It’s not a costume I like or anything.」

My mother asserted flatly.

The Melville clan produced female masters of the bow, many of which learned at a young age, she said. I looked at her outfit and sighed…

I…I see. Well, when I get older, I wonder if this outfit will be a little too much for me.

A woman like her would have been sought after to fight on the battlefield, so getting her married and away from it might have saved her, but she’s so good at it, you can see why anyone would want to be skilled like her…

…hm, but my father, I don’t think he’d let me.

Anyway, at least I graduated to having a name now.

Even in this 109th life, I will have the name “Scarlet”!

No…I still haven’t been baptized yet, so it’s just a provisional name.

Everyone, come see “Temp-Scarlet!”

「The March of the Villainess Killed 108 Times」

Composed by: Scarlet

Lyrics by: Scarlet

Song by: Scarlet

♪

Unending evil in this world
Cut by the blade of this girl
Success or failure, who cares?
The weight of sin, it is I who dares
While I save of the poor in their affairs

Whoa Whoa Whoa Ah Ah Ah
Oh Oh Oh Ohohoh!?

*Humming while narrator speaks:

「Unleash the NEWBORN PUNCH! Punch right through the villain’s chest! OW! I heard a crack! Hey, Bradd! Check if I broke a BONE! Are you okay?! Then ONE MORE! GYAAA! Did you hear a crack this time?!」

♫

「Ahh, Uhhh, Ahoohhh…」

I came up with a theme song!

I can’t speak though! Or sing! Or understand!

And I was once a villain myself.

Success or failure? If I’m the villain, I should fail!

Bradd taps my head as I dropped my imaginary microphone and shed tears of regret at my own villainy.

「I’m glad you got a name, so nice to meet you, Scar…shit?」

BRADDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!

Why?! What kind of mispronunciation is that?!

If you call me that name, I’ll cry for real!

「You must be so happy that you’re crying, right, Scar…shit?」

Don’t shrink back like that…I’m so pissed at you, instead of tears, something else might come out!

Bradd looked at my indignant face and retied my ribbon with a smile.

「…?」

I saw his fingertips shaking a bit.

「And just as this princess gets named…right on time…the enemy arrives.」

I could see the sweat beading on Bradd’s forehead.

「I get a baaaad feeling about this one. I can feel it in my gut. A true monster this time. A ghastly air…how did this…」

I saw an anxious expression that made him appear quite older, but I could see in the boyish face he had, the fear was almost forcing him to tears.

But he took a breath and cleared his face, and his fingers stopped trembling. He fixed my ribbon once more, and seeing me watching him, swallowed whatever fear he had down. Maybe so I wouldn’t be scared…just for that reason.

That was Bradd for you.

It was his care for others and not himself that made me choke up.

Compared to him, now, I’m utterly powerless.

I looked at my hand, small like a tiny maple leaf. Little fingers.

Nothing I can do, but be protected.

「Damn, you must be worried…just be silent and we’ll protect you Scar…let. That’s your job now.」

He pinched my nose to get me to forget the trouble we were in.

Hey…I can’t breathe!

And Bradd, you said my name right!!

「I told you I’d protect you. So just pray, believing that I’ll win this one for you. Then I’ll never lose, okay, Scarlet?」

And so he said such with a fearless smile. One of those men’s smiles that showed a man’s purity of hard and trustworthiness at once.

Such that you couldn’t logically explain it. But for some strange reason, I trusted him.

Sure, well, you are Bradd. A Cheat-Beast that anyone could trust!

And so I rubbed my reddened nose and put my hands together, praying for everyone’s safety.