86 Another Story: Abandoned Princes And Wolf Girls 08
Then Acrylic goes down the hallway with the desire to reopen and find him lice.
It was totally night outside and I could see the moon and the stars blinking. I inadvertently stop and look at the sky.
"... acrylic?
Acrylic, who was stopping his leg, turned his gaze to the voice calling his name. There was the look of Algard I was looking for.
Algard is wondering that Acrylic is here. Acrylic once again faced Algard and tried to say something. Wordless though.
Behind Acrylic's brain passes the Algardo story Clive tells us. Phew, the exhaled breath felt heavy enough myself.
"Al, I need to talk to you."
The word I finally got out was the voice that invites him.
Algard's expression on Acrylic's words was a grin that seemed to disappear even now, transparent.
I had that feeling that something was going to end.
It was in his room that Algardo invited in the acrylic. Algard's room was surprisingly low on furniture.
What stands out are the beds for sleeping, rocking chairs and furnishing tables. Acrylic felt cold in the room as if he had no sense of life.
I guess it's because I had the impression from the look Algard gave me earlier. An anxiety had arisen in the acrylic as if Algardo were going to melt and not disappear.
"You heard from Clive?
"Yeah......"
"Right. Well, let's sit down first."
Whether it's for visitors, Algardo sits acrylic by carrying the chair that was placed in the corner of the room to the table.
Sit back across tables from each other. The acrylic wrinkles between the brows wondering how to cut out the conversation.
"... Surprised?
"Huh?"
"I've been down a lot. I don't know if I should have told you myself if I was supposed to. But when it comes to speaking with my own mouth, I'm not sure I can speak calmly. I thought I should talk to Acrylic, but I asked Clive to."
"... ugh. Nothing, if Al thought so."
I think it's natural because I'm a party. Because what he said about Algard was something he experienced himself. I think it was a difficult story to tell you to talk calmly about it.
Still, Algardo tried to tell himself. Acrylics never have bad feelings there.
"... how did you tell me?
"Why,"
"I think Al still has so much to think about that he can't talk properly. You may not be able to tell them properly, but you still tried to tell me."
"That's right.... I guess I still wanted Acrylic to know"
Algard shrugged as he strayed his gaze from the acrylic and wandered his gaze into the void.
It's like staring somewhere that's not here. And it closes to hide those crimson eyes.
"Know, I don't even know why I want it. I just wanted Acrylic to know who I really am."
"Real Al?
"I couldn't be just Al. My name is Algardo Bona Palettia. He was the prince who had to lead the future of this country. And... a sinner who gave it all up"
Algardo speaks in a pale voice. It's like dry, in a voice that doesn't even make you feel emotional.
Still, the expression with thin open eyes slightly lifted the edge of the mouth represents a complex emotion.
I don't want to speak to my voice, but I give it to my expression. Acrylic feels Algardo's intricate emotions as if it were a tiny Algardo.
I'm sure you mean what you want to hide, but you also mean what you can't hide. They're both true and they're lies, so Al says he doesn't know who he is anymore.
"... I was obsessed. Not when you have a plan."
"Plan? You tried to control the country, talk about it?
"Oh, it seemed so fascinating. I've always had a hard time breathing. It's all you ask for, it's all you can't respond to, and then you're just given. It was like there was only a vessel there called me, and I wasn't in that vessel, and it felt like I was watching from behind."
Acrylic listens to Algardo, who talks about it in a pompous way.
"That's the prince, he said, to be king. Everything I was given... must have been love. status, a rich life, and a fiancée."
"... fiancée?
"Hmm? Oh, you weren't talking. If you're a prince, you have a fiancée."
"... is that what this is all about?
We didn't have that kind of relationship.
"... you didn't like it?
"You rather hated it"
Now the acrylic voice had become pale. Are you aware of that or not?
But Algard has nothing to point out. I just had a bitter laugh when I remembered her as my fiancée.
"In flattery, I couldn't say I was good. Anxious about the responsibility of entrusting the country, the fathers addressed an excellent girlfriend"
"You were an amazing person?
"Ah. More than I can compare. It was complete, perfect, unscrupulous."
"Still... didn't you like it?
"Oh. She's... she's in my hands. Which fiancée are we talking about? I couldn't help but feel like a part when I was with her."
parts, acrylic frowned at the word. What kind of person does that make you think you are?
"I'm not a bad guy. Instead, I did a terrible job on her, too. I regret it."
"... didn't you like it after all?
"We could be friends, in that sense. To be my partner, I can clearly say no now"
Algard's mouth, telling him so, was not a bitter smile, but turned into a gentle smile. You close your eyes and think of the past, that face looks nostalgic and fun somewhere.
I don't like it. But I might have liked it. As a friend. But as a partner, I said no. But suppose you two had to be united as a couple...
"... you didn't make it"
"Oh, right. A lot."
Acrylic also dropped his gaze on Algard's words about various things.
It's like a misrub. Yet the stitched shape remained distorted without flaking. Even though I won't go back to what has become a distorted form.
"I wish I could have accepted everything. I don't think about it, I don't think about it, I just think I'm happy about it. That's what I need to do. It's strange to have doubts."
"... but I couldn't"
"Oh.... I was dazzled, that guy"
"That guy?
"Sister."
The acrylic accidentally made my heart jump.
Who can't be ignored for Algard. his sister, Anisphere Wynn Palettia.
If its existence were to be spoken out of Algard's mouth, it would become natural. However, acrylic can be distracting.
Because Algard's expression was more calm than ever. I even felt that warmth, as if I was taking out a treasure and looking at it.
"I... I guess I've always admired that guy"
"To your sister...?
"Oh, my first memory was on my sister when I got my mind on it."
I still remember. Algardo's tone sounds very gentle.
"We were both often pissed off. With all the impotence and the lack of clapping. But that was kind of asexually fun... and it was normal to go around on my sister's back."
"Al......"
"Back then, it was the best time to be myself... and say I was happy"
Close your eyes, slowly so you can bite them off. so as to ascertain that thought.
"But my sister pushed me away. Now that I think about it, I guess I had no choice. My sister was out of the way for me to be king. That's what my sister herself thought. I really couldn't reach out to anyone I wanted."
Deep, deep regret sound. I can't find a word to spit out, even though I'm about to scream out impulsively. That's why Acrylic bit my lip.
I don't like Algard's words from the heart that I won't even fix. Like shaking the heart of an acrylic.
"I betrayed that end. Responsibility, family, everything. What does this say without saying sin? I... am a sinful person. I can't believe you're forgiven. You're an empty person."
"It's not."
Acrylic pinched his mouth to Algard's words.
The gaze immersed in Algard's past is directed towards the acrylic now in front of him.
There were zero tear grains falling from the eyes of the acrylic. Just one drop. But Algard was deprived of his gaze by Shizuku, who fell while leaving traces of tears behind.
"Empty people don't think about what's wrong with them. Al is not empty or anything. I just couldn't put my thoughts in my mouth."
"... are you crying, acrylic"
"I'll cry. 'Cause Al, you're... you're a really, really beautiful person."
Acrylic smiled softly like that. Algardo doesn't know why acrylics smile. All I can do is look into the acrylic unexpectedly.
Softly Acrylic lays his hands on his chest and lays his gaze down.
"Al's heart looks so beautiful. I'm glad I met someone like that."
"... can't I think of myself that way?
"Yeah, so the sad thing is, there were no people around to keep you out."
Open the eyes where the acrylic was lying down. Another drop of eyes moistened by tears, drops tears.
But I don't feel sad. It's just beautiful tears.
"Hey, Al."
This is what Algard thought.
If you talk about your past, you're either despised or sympathetic.
Sad is what acrylics say. But I don't see the color of sadness in my voice or in my expression.
It's just a gentle look. He said his gaze of softness was tangling him up.
Her voice calling the name she told me, I can't get it out of my ear anymore.
"What kind of person does Al want to be?
The word.
Just one word of that.
That's all I could do, but I punched a wind hole in Algard's heart.
A surprising wave of emotion falls from the hole.
Was it joy, sadness or anger?
I don't even know myself. An indistinguishable emotion shook Algard's throat.
"... I am"
"Yeah."
"... I could walk away with my sister, I wanted to be like that. I have no ideals or dreams. I don't have the power to make it happen."
It was the best I could do to keep my voice from shaking. There are also thoughts that you will notice with your mouth.
Sister. Someone who is free everywhere, out of standard everywhere, and who doesn't understand himself at all.
I still remember things about your back. I saw that back again and again, even when the distance was away.
I know enough to say that I'm mediocre that I don't like it the most.
But still.
"The dream my sister showed me was glowing to me. So......! If you don't have the talent, you didn't have to use magic! If you can use magic to keep your sister away! You looked at me, if that gaze is about to go off......! I didn't need anything!
"... yeah"
"All I ever wanted was that... I've been admiring that guy's dreams"
So I was scared when my sister found out she might hate herself.
He wants to kill himself, actually, that's what he might think. That was a shock to my young self.
And my sister left. Disappear from the front stage to make yourself king.
The days after that guy's gone are just gray, in days when I can tie him to duty.
In living those days myself, that guy was just free. I flew everywhere by myself.
Was that what you hated? Or was it regrettable or sad?
Most importantly, the memories that were dear to me became fiercely expensive like burning bamboo.
But I don't really want to hate you. He just wanted to keep an eye on the dream.
"I... I just didn't want to be a king to hurt my sister."
"Al wanted to be a supporter of your sister's dreams."
"... right. Right. I wanted to support him in his dream."
"I can do it now."
Acrylic takes his seat softly. Stand next to Algard and overlap your own hands with Algard's.
"Perhaps that was unacceptable to you, Prince. Maybe it was difficult. But what's wrong with Al wanting to support your sister?
――――
"Backup, let's do it. If that's all, there's something I'm sure I can do without telling you directly. Because Al is so sorry and bitter that he thinks he can't do anything about his sister."
"... I betrayed you."
"Right. But it was your sister who betrayed you first. It was your sister who left Al."
"That's... yes. That's what I had to do."
"Yeah. I'm sure it is. But... can't your sister forgive Al now?
Algardo opens his eyes to acrylic pointers.... and smiled bitterly.
"No... that guy is sweet."
"Yeah. Al backs you up, you don't like it?
"Trouble, maybe. Now they might say,"
"So you're even angry at me for supporting you?
"... no. Not like that."
"Yeah. I hope so."
Acrylic entangles his fingers in Algard and his overlapping hands. Bend over to gaze at Algard and peek into his face.
"Al, you can support your sister. You can be like that. Look, it's not empty anymore."
"Acrylic"
"Because you are... just Al, right?
Acrylic's face, smiling like that, was warped. Algard's vision was distorted, to be precise.
One blink, the heat and Shizuku coming up from the back of my eyelid, made me realize that I had shed tears.
Acrylic, who was clearly visible again, was smiling gently.
"... I'm really stupid. He's the one who stops being human to rule the country, isn't he?
"Really?
"I could attract people, I asked for the help of vampires."
"... oh, Al was"
"You know a vampire?
"Yeah. Well, I've been in Ricant, and I'm not the one you don't know. We weren't involved with each other."
"After all, Raini's mother... no, is that story good now"
Algardo smiles bitterly when he reveals his secrets but is returned as if nothing had happened.
I want to pursue what Acrylic seems to know about vampires, but I'm not talking about them right now.
"You're gonna tell me I'm still pretty?
"Yeah. Al just couldn't form it. I just don't think I was allowed to. I don't know, but that's not what princes were allowed to do, is it? But right now, Al doesn't even have to be a prince, does he?
"... that's right"
"Then you can stay beautiful already. Al can take care of that thought."
Algard's eyes intertwine acrylic eyes with his gaze. The heat of the gripping hands makes each other feel present.
Algard reaches out and holds the acrylic toward him, not holding it together.
Acrylic, embraced by Algardo as he fell in, blinked and looked up at Algardo's face at a closer distance.
"... acrylic"
"Al?"
"Me too, I think you're beautiful"
"... yeah. Thank you, I'm glad."
"Ah. You are, truly beautiful. As much as my sister showed me the world."
"Yeah."
"... so I want you"
Acrylic shook his body at the sound of a pleading voice that he truly sought.
Algardo's hand hugging the acrylic holds the acrylic strong. Like saying you don't want to let them get away with it.
"That could be just one word. But you were the one who gave me that word."
"Al said I should be someone Al wants to be?
"Ah."
"... well"
"With you, I feel like I can breathe in this world. It's obvious, but I couldn't even do that."
"That's... Al. Do you like me?
Acrylic asks Algard to look up at him in an up-and-coming manner.
Algard stuffs his breath for a moment, but exhales and tells, as he perceived.
"I don't know, not yet.... but I also want to like you and think you'll like me."
"Oh well.... Hey, Al?
"What?
"Match, right?"
"... oh well. Really?"
Unwrapping the fingers of his tangled hands, Acrylic leans against Algardo to lean over.
Algardo regains the body of such an acrylic and delivers it into his arms.
"You made me, I want to love you. I want to be my only one."
"Whatever anyone could do, it was you who did it to me. It must be the only one."
"If this encounter is the only one for each other... if we think the same way"
"Yeah. Together, I think it's a good idea."
"... will I like you"
"Al doesn't want the kid he likes to like himself?
Algardo frowns for a moment at the acrylic smiling like a prank. And close your face so you can bury it in the acrylic shoulder mouth.
"I feel like I'm going to be able to do something about it because I like acrylics more than you like me"
"... complacent, but isn't it too late?
"... maybe"
"Well, that too... I guess you're in line. I'm having a really bad heart right now."
"Sounds like..."
Algardo laughs with his face buried in the acrylic shoulder mouth as he trembles his throat.
Acrylic closed his eyes as he turned his hand around Algard's back like that.
He said it was going to work out. The warm relationship must be over.
So much so that it's going to be more intense, hot, and painful.
"I like you, too. Al."