Ikemen ni Tenseishita kedo, Cheat ha Dekimasenshita

93 The Difference Between Dream And Reality is Just Paper Thin
 

It was a place of nothingness. So dark I couldn’t see anything. Yet, I felt something was there.

Sounds of something moving floated toward my ears, and when I looked at my arm, I saw threads coiled on them. It was tied in a knot and was seemingly connected to something beyond this darkness that I couldn’t see.

However, these threads soon fell with another rustling sound. Alarmed, I tried to pull the thread in a hurry, but the other end of the thread had already vanished to who knows where.

White, red, blue, green, and black. Followed by pink and violet. Amongst them were also several golden threads. Threads of various colors were cut off one after another. But I got the feeling that I absolutely couldn’t let the golden thread tied to my pinky finger be cut off like the others, so I pulled the thread and followed the direction it was coming from.

Alas, it was hard with the fact that the number of wriggling shadows was increasing in number in proportion to the number of my cut threads. Avoiding them was honestly quite a hassle.

― !

I ran and ran… and finally, after running for a time that seemed to stretch to forever, I saw a golden light ahead of me. Seeing this, I reflexively stretched my hand in an attempt to grab it, but just when I was about to seize it, the thread got cut off.

The shadows then laughed. It was as if they were toying with me.

― Me…!

And, for some reason, I felt really anxious right now. It was as if darkness was covering me slowly but surely. I was so sad and frustrated to the point of crying, feeling like I had just lost something precious to me.

The shadows continued to dance around me. Then it united, becoming a huge black beast. I immediately retreated at the sight of this, especially since the beast was so big I needed to look up to be able to see it in its entirety.

The black beast opened its maw, trying to eat me in one bite. Not that it couldn’t since its maw seemed to be enormous enough to swallow me whole without effort.

I tried to escape, and yet, I couldn’t move my limbs at all. It was as if something was binding them. Dammit! What in the hell are these?!

Helpless, I couldn’t do anything but watch as the jaw of death approached me ever closer.

― S… top!!

Black?!

Black’s voice suddenly rang out, piercing through the darkness. And then, a little girl appeared in front of me as if she was trying to protect me. She pushed her hand forward and conjured black lightning that immediately destroyed the black beast to smithereens.

EH?! WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HAPPENING HERE?!

― Over… here.

My hand got pulled by the little girl as we escaped. However, I heard the sound of the black beast’s angry roar from behind, proving that it wasn’t actually destroyed as I thought. Or perhaps, it reformed? Erm, I didn’t know. Anyway, what’s important was that I kept running like there was no tomorrow first.

A while later, I saw a blonde-haired old man and a white-haired boy waiting before a shining gate.

― JUMP IN QUICKLY!

That voice… so Yellow was an… old man? Did that mean the white-haired boy here was… White? What was happening here?

― COME IN QUICKLY, BLOCKHEAD! DAMMIT, IF ONLY TODAY ISN’T THE ‘NIGHT OF DEMON’!

― QUICK, QUICK. THEY FOUND US ALREADY!

Hearing that, I ran even faster and leaped into the gate of light without hesitation.

The place I found myself in now was a world of gentle night. There was a beautiful shining white moon overcast my head, and the stars were shining brightly in the night sky.

Still… I was sure that this place wasn’t earth though.

The reason was simple. Yup. It was because I was floating in this God-forsaken space. Dammit. Just what in the world was happening here?!

Someone, please, tell me what in the world is going on?!

Yet, no one was replying to me. No Yellow and White. Not even the listless Black replied.

“Whi~te? Yello~w! Bla~ck. Yoho, where are you guys?”

Alas, no matter how long or how loud I call them, they didn’t respond. Seriously, dude, for an umpteenth time… just what was happening here?

Suddenly, I felt something around my hand. I looked and saw that my hand was somehow grasping a gold thread. It was the same gold thread I saw a while ago.

Hmm, since this is an emergency situation, let’s tie it up properly.

However, the thread looked lonely for some reason. So, I tied the gold thread to my pinky finger. For some reason, I felt it should be tied there.

― Oh dear, why are you always using granny knot? I’ve told you that knot is easy to get untied right?

I felt like I heard my big sister from previous life speaking to me.

― You should use a square knot if you want to tie it more firmly.

I snapped out of the memory immediately when those words fell and then tied a square knot, just like how my big sister taught me to do in the past. It was just as its name said, especially since my big sister was the one who taught me it. There was no way that the knot would be unraveled easily now. The knot was firm and tight now.

… I still had no idea who was the owner of this thread, though.

Furthermore, no one had come here, no matter how long I waited. I wonder what happened to Kuro and the others.

That aside, I had no idea that they had human forms too. Really, those fellas did whatever they liked, eh? Perhaps they really WERE the spirit? Who knows, not me certainly since I thought they didn’t exist in the beginning.

Anyway, the likelihood of me being wrong was high after all. So, I had to tell my father about this matter later. Anyhow, since I was unable to calm myself down, I decided to knit lace with the remaining thread.

Taking out the needle from the simple sewing kit I placed in my pocket, I started knitting. What shall I make this time I wonder?

Let’s see… maybe I should try making a butterfly hair ornament for Black. It would look good on her silky black hair after all. And a colored neckband for White, and a sleeve for Yellow. Although I had yet to meet Red, Blue, and Green, I knew they were there. So, maybe I should just prepare ribbons for each of them.

Anyway, thank you for saving my life.

With that decided, I shall knit wholeheartedly to express my gratitude to them.

Golden-colored neckband for white on purple base with golden accent. A sleeve lace that was well matched with a black and gold accent. Ribbons for Red, Blue, and Green… as for the pink thread… well, let’s make a flower with it. It would be a well-match ornament with the butterfly hair ornament I was making for Black.

Naturally, I also made one for Muriel too. If I wasn’t wrong, there was a method to make an earring in my guide. Still, there was a lot of thread remaining… well, let’s use it to make a long ribbon that could become the base for everything.

Alas, even after spending quite a lot of time doing lacework, nothing had changed in the space I was in.

C’mon. Gimme a break.

“Kuro and the others… everyone hasn’t come.”

No matter how much I called for them, no one replied. Despondent with this fact, I raised my face and looked up at the starry sky. I suppose I had no other choice but to walk forward.

After walking for a while, I abruptly found myself out of the void and arrived inside a garden. And it was ‘Rose’s Maze Garden’ on top of that.

Wait, did that mean I’m in the royal capital?

I immediately looked around in a hurry, but unfortunately, I couldn’t find the entrance to the maze at all. When I became despondent of this result, I realized something. This maze wasn’t supposed to be a complicated one!

So, how on earth did it become such a complicated maze? It was definitely not because of the night. Of this, I was very sure. While I was in a conundrum, I happened to see a quarrel between a young man wearing black attire from head to toe and a woman wearing a white dress.

Couple quarrel, eh? I guess I arrived at the wrong time. I honestly wanted to ask them to show me the way back, but… let’s wait until they’re done quarreling. Of course, I should also hide from those two to prevent any awkwardness.

Anyway, as I discreetly observe them, I noticed that the young man clad in all black had a pair of bright red eyes. His neatly combed black hair had a tinge of purple color, and his ears were long and pointed at the end.

… Was he… an Elf? I had no idea they existed….

At this time, the young man was swearing at the woman. However, she only looked at the other without even averting her gaze at all. Her resolution could be felt clearly in her eyes. She then opened her mouth and replied something to the young man with a sincere face.

Man, I wished I could hear their voice. I was really curious now, but alas, I had no idea what they were arguing about.

While wishing that, the young man suddenly vanished from the maze, leaving behind the woman who covered her face with her hand. Did she just cry?

… erm, asking her to show me the way at this timing is kinda rude, isn’t it? Welp, guess I have no choice but to do that, though. It’s emergency after all.

“― Who’s there?”

Oh, crap. She found me first.

… Eh? What’s with that malicious remark, though? Oh, whatever, since I could hear her voice now, I may be able to speak to her.

“E~r, good day. I― I mean, my name is Theodore Goldberg. I’ve kind of stray to this place and can’t find the way out of this maze. May I ask you to kindly tell me the direction of the entrance?”

“― Strayed?” The woman cocked her head in confusion and then pointed at the place behind me. When I turned around, I saw a path forming in the ‘Rose’s Maze.’

“My apologies for the discourtesy. Now, I shall excuse myself.”

“― Wait. Your thread is cut off.”

“Thread?”

Was she referring to the threads that got cut off by that black beast?

“Are you referring to these?” I asked, showing her my lacework that were composed of lace sleeves, colored neckband, ribbons, and hair ornaments.

Eh? Why are you at a loss for words now? What are you worrying about? Uhm, maybe I should give the ribbon to her? It’s the leftover after I make the ones for Muriel and the magical power avatars.

“If you want it, I can give you this one,” I said as I hold the ribbon I made with the leftover colored threads.

When I offer, the woman obediently received the ribbon with a dumbfounded expression. When I saw this, for some reason, I felt her figure was overlapping with Elliot’s one.

This woman might be Elliot’s relative considering there were some similarities to Frederick as well. But I was unsure since there was no such woman in her twenties in the royal capital.

“Well then, I shall excuse myself.” I nodded my head lightly after I cocked my head in confusion at the sight of her strange reaction. At that time….

― Dear me, found you at last!

― Thanks… God.

A pair of boys and girl in white and black color suddenly appeared out of thin air.

“White, Black! I’ve been waiting for you guys!”

― We should be the one who’s saying those words. We are the one who keep looking for you after all! Kii-chan (Yellow) is still looking desperately for you. Although he kept complaining that he is so tired and want to sleep… anyway, Aka-chin (Red), Ao-chin (Blue), and Midorin (Green) had already fallen asleep since they’re exhausted from the search. The same goes for me, I also was so exhausted I almost fell asleep! Thank goodness that Kuu-chan (Black) noticed the situation as soon as it happen, but still… you have to be very careful since the ‘Night of Demon’ is really dangerous!

―Found… it.

I got a mouthful of scolding from White as soon as they arrived. On the other hand, Black only had a relieved expression on her face when she saw me.

“Sorry to make you worry, and yeah, thank you for picking me up. Thank you for saving me from that beast too. I will remember this debt of gratitude,” I said as I gave them the lacework I made for them.

However, just like the woman from before, both of them looked dumbfounded even as they received the lacework from me.

―What did you do… to… such an important….

— THIS IDIOT! THE SUN IS UP ALREADY! GO BACK, NOW!

Suddenly, a yellow-colored uncle appeared out of nowhere and grabbed me by the nape of my neck. He conjured a golden gate, opened it, and then threw me into it.

“Y-Yellow, you’re too rough!”

When I jumped on my feet, protesting, I was already back on my bed. The morning sun was shining through the gap of the window, and I could hear the birds chirping happily outside it. By the side of my pillow, there was the chick doll and pendant I got from Muriel, including the brooch I got from our engagement too.

Wait a minute. That was… a dream?