Haunted Duke’s Daughter: Sakura (2)

End of volume 2.

“What’s this……?”

When she came to, Sakura was standing in a small room. There was a bed in front of her, and on the bed lay a girl with a familiar face. The woman crying and clinging to the girl was undoubtedly Sakura’s mother and the one who puts his hands on her mother’s shoulders and quietly weeps is definitely Sakura’s father.

Once again, I look at the girl in bed. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. She looks familiar. Of course she does, I see her every morning in the mirror.

“I wonder if I’m dead after all…….”

If the parents are crying, that must be what it means. She didn’t think she was in a state of suspended animation. Sakura’s body was not connected to any apparatus.

“Sakura…….Sakura, please…….”

Her mother’s voice echoed in the room and tears welled up from Sakura’s eyes.

“I’m sorry. ……”

Knowing that they would not be able to hear her, she couldn’t help but say so. Sakura kept apologizing to her parents who kept crying.

A short time later, the door to the room was opened. The sliding door was opened to reveal a friend who could be described as a close friend. The friend wandered up to the bed and stared at Sakura’s body in amazement.

“Why…..?”

The friend mutters and tears well up in his eyes.

After that, I couldn’t hear because my sobs were louder. My father put his hand on my friend’s shoulder and thanked him. Sakura looked at him as if he was a stranger.

Even though there was nothing Sakura could do about it, why did she die? Why did she not say anything to her parents and friends who were so kind to her?

Afterwards, Sakura’s relatives, friends, and juniors gathered. The teacher who had been her homeroom teacher also came, and after being stunned for a while, talked something with her parents. Many people came, shed tears, and then left. I was so happy to know that I was loved so much, but at the same time it was very hard to feel sorry for myself.

Just as I was beginning to think that the flow of people had calmed down, a boy entered the room. He had dyed his hair brown and had argued with Sakura many times. He and Sakura had always been in the same class from childhood to junior high school, even though they fought a lot.

The boy looked wide-eyed and wandered unsteadily closer to the bed, muttering to himself in dismay.

“Why……”

He remained silent and slumped down. Sakura was honestly surprised that the boy began to shed tears.

“Oh…….You’re here…….”

A friend entered the room. The boy turned toward him, but quickly returned his gaze.

“I wish I had confessed earlier.”

Sakura’s eyes widened at her friend’s words.

“Shut up…….You didn’t think I’d let this happen, did you?”

“Well, yes. Honestly, I still can’t believe it…….”

My friend stood next to the boy and put his hand on his shoulder.

“I’m not sure I’m going to be able to do it. I’ll be outside.”

My friend goes outside. The boy waited for her and then said in a small voice.

“I’ve always liked you.”

The boy chuckled to himself.

“I thought you could be much, much dumber than that…….”

The boy sniffed and left the room.

To be honest, she didn’t notice it at all. The boy often got involved with Sakura but she had no idea why he was doing that.

It would have been meaningless to realize it after death. Sakura sighed and sat down on the bed she was lying on. What will happen to me now? There was no way she could know, even if she tried. No one knows what happens to dead people.

…………

A monk is chanting something. A person dressed in black clothes is listening with a somber look on his face. Sakura’s parents and friends were there.

It was Sakura’s funeral. Sakura has been by her body’s side all this time, unable to sleep. When she returned home, she was so emotional that she cried involuntarily. She was embarrassed, but it was even sadder when she remembered that no one could see her.

After this funeral, she was to be cremated and she might have to see her body burn.

“I hope that’s enough…….”

It’s just hard to be here. I should have talked to my parents more, played with my friends more, faced the boy more. Regret and remorse will not help me, it’s a waste of time.

I will become a Buddha or I will disappear. Either way, I wish they would hurry up but I really wish I could have lived.

After the sutra service, family members, relatives, and friends put flowers and muttered something to each other. Hearing all these things, Sakura’s heart almost breaks. She was sad and wanted to call out to them, but there was nothing she could do. She wishes that at least her voice could reach them.

Eventually, Sakura’s body was taken to the crematorium and……burned.

Her parents, who had remained until the end, also left the place, leaving only Sakura in front of the Fuyutsuki family grave. Sakura could not move from here even if she wanted to. For some reason, she can only move a certain distance from this place. It was strange that Sakura’s parents had taken her remains with them.

An empty cemetery it’s very creepy, but Sakura herself is like a ghost. In a way, she fitted the place.

While I was thinking about such unimportant things, a figure stood in front of me. It was a young man with dark hair and eyes. The young man looked very happy. It was the most unpleasant thing in the world, even though I was more depressed than ever but no matter what Sakura said, the young man would not understand.

That’s what she thought.

“Good evening. Nice moonlit night, Sakura Fuyutsuki.”

The young man looked at Sakura and smiled. It was a smile, so full of hate.

“Well then, let’s go.”

Immediately after the young man said this, the view in front of her vanished.

The next thing she knew, Sakura was in an empty, white place.

“This doesn’t taste good. How about this?”

The voice of the young man from earlier was heard. Immediately after that, the place was turned into a small room. It was similar to Sakura’s room at home.

Everything on the desk and the stuffed animals on the bed are the same as the ones Sakura had. The only difference is that the view from the window is pure white.

“Now, Sakura Fuyutsuki.”

Before she knew it, the young man from earlier was at the door. The young man is smiling all the time, just as he was when she first met him.

“You do realize that you are dead, don’t you?”

“Who are you?”

“I guess I’m similar to the one you call God.”

Sakura furrows her brow. There are some gods who are quite human-like. As she thought this, the young man laughed in a funny way.

“My appearance is just what you imagine it to be. In reality, I have no form. Even if I tried to explain it to you, you wouldn’t understand. Don’t worry about it.”

I feel like I’ve been made a fool of, but that doesn’t matter now. Why did such a being come into existence?

“The reason is simple.”

The young man laughs.

“Because I killed you.”

“What?”

What did he say now?

“Didn’t you understand? Let me say it again. I killed Sakura Fuyutsuki.”

“Why?”

“Reason? Oh, yes. At times like this, you guys hope that there might be something beyond being killed.”

God laughs. No mercy, no pity, nothing, just a laugh, faithful to his own desires.

“My purpose is fulfilled.”

“What……? Did I do something?”

“Yes, you did. Your last face was quite a good one.”

Sakura’s thoughts stop. What does he mean by “last face”?

Smooth sailing. That’s a good thing. We have something to look forward to. It’s wonderful. A life full of hope, and then suddenly, you see the face of a person who’s been pushed out of it. I like that very much.”

I can’t get my head around it. What am I being told now?　In other words, he killed me just to see my suffering face. Is that what he’s trying to say?

“Yes?”

“Why! I didn’t do anything!”

“Hm. That’s a funny thing to say. Someone in your world would say. ‘Is there any reason to kill an insect?’”

There is no reason. Just following his own desires he took Sakura’s life. Sakura stood there stunned at the will of the god, which was so unreasonable.

・・・・・

Sakura opens her eyes and a cherry tree towers in front of her. She rests her forehead against it and sighs loudly.

“Damn you…….”

Thinking back, that was the first time Sakura had the urge to kill someone. She can still remember that moment well. She didn’t mean to recall it as vividly as this, though.

Phrygian Lester, the reason she remembered him it’s because she didn’t think anyone could have such unpleasant tastes.

L—Sakura, what’s wrong?

At Lilia’s voice Sakura hurriedly puts on a mask of a smile.

“It’s nothing.”

She says happily, to reassure Lilia and to be close to Lilia’s heart for her own desire.

・・・・・

Sakura’s will is no different from Phrygian Lester. She was aware of this fact, but turned away from it.

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